There’s a new hub of student action on climate change at Queen’s, and organizers are keen to partner with alumni who want to support its cleantech projects.
Called Qlean (pronounced “clean”), it’s a growing student design club all about building carbon capture, energy generation, and sustainable technologies. Last year, there were about 25 team members. This year, that number should double.
At its core, Qlean is about rolling up sleeves on a variety of cleantech projects and giving students the kind of practical experience that translates directly to the workplace.
And that’s where alumni come in, says team co-captain and third-year mechanical engineering student Jacob Rivelis.
“We’re really motivated by professional development and making sure students know their stuff with regards to climate technology,” he says. “And so, we’re looking for alumni experts in the field who can help us in any way possible – coming in as speakers and collaborators, helping fund us, even hiring from us directly.”
Qlean is also creating a job board of curated students who are well versed in climate tech, which is another way alumni can get involved with the club, he adds.
Rivelis launched the team last October with his good friend and third-year mechatronics engineering student Ahnaaf Khan. The two had met over lunch at campus burger joint Flip!t the previous April and knew almost instantly that they had to start something like Qlean.
“Both of us wanted to work on climate technology, and we knew we weren’t alone,” says Khan. “There’s this massive student drive and passion for making a difference – the biggest issue on our generation’s mind is climate change – so we just said, ‘Let’s create a club where we can do that.’”
The team’s first project was a carbon dioxide ethanol electrolyzer. It uses electricity to convert carbon dioxide, which can be a harmful greenhouse gas, into ethanol, a liquid with applications ranging from an environmentally friendly additive in fuels to the intoxicant in alcoholic drinks.
This year, Qlean is also focused on the oceans, where human activities are overwhelming the capacity of waters to absorb carbon dioxide, leading to ocean acidification and warming. In response Qlean is building a carbon capture system to extract some of that carbon dioxide from seawater as well as an ocean thermal-energy conversion system to power it.
The whole idea of Qlean is to create an “umbrella” club where members can choose their own adventure, says Khan.
“As we continue to expand, we want to create more branches and more projects that cover broader niches of this massive industry,” he says. “And hey, if one of our projects isn’t on the cutting edge anymore, then we can just close it down. One project isn’t our entire identity. Our identity is solutions for climate change.”
As for why Qlean is so keen on alumni getting involved, Rivelis says it’s huge for helping students see themselves in the work.
“It makes things so much more relevant and personal when you can hear and connect with someone who has taken the same classes as you, maybe had the same profs, and is now out there working on these solutions you’re also really passionate about working on,” he says.
Learn more about Qlean by visiting its and pages or by contacting the team directly at qlean@engsoc.queensu.ca. You can also meet Qlean team members at Homecoming this year at the Smith Engineering Breakfast, happening Oct. 18 from 9 – 11:30 am in Mitchell Hall.
