News
Martinez takes over from Olson at UBC Pulp and Paper Centre

Dr. James Olson has stepped down as Director of the Pulp and Paper Centre at the University of British Columbia and accepted a new position with the Faculty of Applied Science as Associate Dean for Research and Industrial…

Dr. James Olson has stepped down as Director of the Pulp and Paper Centre at the University of British Columbia and accepted a new position with the Faculty of Applied Science as Associate Dean for Research and Industrial Partnerships.  

Dr. Mark Martinez, professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC, as well as PPC faculty associate and director of the Advanced Papermaking Initiative, is the new director of the Pulp and Paper Centre. 

“During my term I tried to develop a strategy for UBC in the bio-economy, helped to lead the BERIE network and worked to develop new initiatives including the UBC bio-refinery which I still strongly believe in,” Olson wrote in the announcement of Martinez’s succession as director. “I also worked to improve the communication of our excellent research and innovation to the broader community and specifically the pulp and paper industry. I strongly believe that the Centre has tremendous potential to really impact the industry and the province.” 

Olson noted that Martinez has had some success bringing in new research programs related to advanced bio-materials, including micro fibrillated cellulose (MFC).

Dr. Martinez’s research activities focus essentially on the behavior of papermaking fibre suspensions. These suspensions often exhibit complex behavior not seen in ordinary fluids such as water. Dr. Martinez uses both novel visualization techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and pulsed ultrasound Doppler anemometry, and computational fluid dynamics to help elucidate the mechanism by which these suspensions flow. Dr. Martinez is a member of the Institute of Applied Mathematics and has active collaborations with researchers in mechanical engineering and mathematics.