Zahra Rezaei

Materials Engineer specializing in polymer science and nanotechnology with advanced experience in RAFT polymerization, thermoset recycling, and polymer nanocomposites. Demonstrated research excellence through 8+ publications including cleavable polymers and circular economy applications topics. Proven leadership as President of Chemical Engineering Graduate Students Association, CTO at Beekon, and former CEO with strong project management experience. Excellent communication skills through macromolecular science teaching, conference presentations, and award-winning pitch competitions. Combines technical proficiency in characterization techniques (FTIR, SEM, XRD) with expertise in developing high-performance polymer materials for industrial applications.

Sports: Gymnastics, Volleyball, Hiking; Reading Psychological and Individual Development books; Musical Instruments: Guitar, Piano; Painting and other Artistic Activities

• Nova Project, 2025-01-01, 2025-12-31
• Water Environment Association of Ontario Student Design Competition, Wastewater Nutrient Recovery in Barrie, 2024-01-01, 2024-12-31, The University of Waterloo
• Research assistant to Prof. Abdizadeh, Hossein, Synthesizing and Characterizing Tin oxide/ Graphene/ Carbon nanotube nanocomposite, 2019-01-01, 2021-12-31, The University of Tehran
• Research assistant to Dr. Sakhaei, Fatemeh, Synthesizing and Characterizing rGO-based Nanocomposite's Aerogel Using Atmosphere-controlling IR-Dryer, 2015-01-01, 2016-12-31, Ebnesina institute
• Research assistant to Dr. Sakhaei, Fatemeh, Green Synthesis of reduced Graphene oxide, 2014-01-01, 2015-12-31, Ebnesina institute
• Research assistant to Dr. Zamani, Saeed, The study of photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanorods/CuO Hybrid layers for textile wastewater treatment, 2014-01-01, 2014-12-31, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST)
• Research assistant to Dr. Sakhaei, Fatemeh, Synthesizing Ag Nanoparticle with cellulose waste extract and examining its antibacterial activities, 2013-01-01, 2014-12-31, Ebnesina institute

• Rezaei, Z., Prince, E., 2025, Recovering nanomaterials from thermosets: towards a circular economy for nanocomposite materials, Chemical Science, 10.1039/D5SC00516G
• Rezaei, Z., Kamkar, M., Prince, E., 2024, Filamentous Aerogels for Electromagnetic Shielding, ChemNanoMat, 10.1002/cnma.202400113
• Rezaei, Z., Golobostanfard, M., Abdizadeh, H., 2022, 1D/2D mixed nanocomposite thin film of SnO2 /carbon nanotube/graphene, Journal of Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials, 55, 1, 45-48, 10.22059/jufgnsm.2022.01.07
• Alem, F., Rezaei, Z., Yaraki, M. T., Saremi, L. H., Ghanbari, S., Hashemi, Y. K., Givianrad, M. H., 2023, Photocatalytic degradation of food colorant azo dyes using TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites co-doped with iron and fluorine: Semi-pilot study cum density functional theory calculations, Nano-Structures & Nano-Objects, 35, 100992, 10.1016/j.nanoso.2023.100992
• Nouri, A., Yaraki, M. T., Lajevardi, A., Rezaei, Z., Ghorbanpour, M., Tanzifi, M., 2020, Ultrasonic-assisted green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Mentha aquatica leaf extract for enhanced antibacterial properties and catalytic activity, Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 35, 100252, 10.1016/j.colcom.2020.100252
• Elmifard, N., Rezaei, Z., Yaraki, M. T., 2025, Wavelength-dependent photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole by CdSe flower., To be Submitted
• Rezaei, Z., Ghorbani, M., Prince, E., 2025, Thionolactone-cleavable Thermoset Nanocomposites: Nanofiller Recovery and Reuse with Retained Performance., Submitted to ACS Nano
• Rezaei, Z., Prince, E., 2025, Recyclable Carbon Fibre Mesh Coated with Thionolactone-cleavable Thermoset polymer., To be submitted

• President, University of Waterloo’s Chemical Engineering Graduate Students Association (CEGSA), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2025
• Treasurer, Ontario Water Works Association Student Chapter (OWWA Student Chapter), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2024
• Vice President External, University of Waterloo’s Women in Engineering (WiE) Association, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2024
• Graduate Students Representative, University of Waterloo’s Chemical Engineering Department’s Chair Renomination Process, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2024
• Social Coordinator, University of Waterloo’s Chemical Engineering Graduate Students Association (CEGSA), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2024
• Member of Executive Team, 9th International Biennial Conference on Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials, Tehran, Iran, 2023
• Member of Executive Team, 8th International Biennial Conference on Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials, Tehran, Iran, 2021
• Committee Member, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering scientific association of University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, 2016-01-01, 2018-12-31
• Liaison, NanoEducation Foundation and Metallurgy and Materials Engineering scientific association of University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, 2016-01-01, 2018-12-31
• Secretary, Education sector of Nanoclub Elites, Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council, Tehran, Iran, 2017-01-01, 2018-12-31
• Committee Member, Policymaking Association of Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council, Tehran, Iran, 2017-01-01, 2018-12-31

• 2025, President’s Graduate Scholarship, 3334 CAD
• 2025, International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE), 2500 CAD
• 2025, Best poster presentation award at 40th Canadian High Polymer Forum 2025, 100 CAD
• 2025, G.A. Paper International Graduate Scholarship, 5000 CAD
• 2025, International Ontario Graduate Scholarship, 10000 CAD (partial award)
• 2025, Engineering of the Future Fund, 1500 CAD
• 2025, First place in WEAO Student Design Competition, Biosolids Treatment Efficiency and Resource Recovery at the City of Barrie Wastewater Treatment Facility
• 2025, Awarded 7500 CAD at Problem Pitch competition
• 2025, Grand prize at the Jack Rosen Pitch Competition for Beekon project, 3000 CAD
• 2025, W25 Cornerstone – Preston AI Award for the MoveMend Startup, 500 CAD
• 2025, GRADflix Competition finalist
• 2025, Davis Memorial Scholarship in Ecology, 5000 CAD
• 2024, International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE), 2500 CAD
• 2022, Ranked 27th in national university entrance exam for M.Sc. degree in Nanomaterials major
• 2016, Full scholarship Grant of Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Granted full scholarship for being accepted into the undergraduate program
• 2016, Ranked as the second top national research student
• 2016, Ranked first in the 7th Nanotechnology National Olympiad in the province
• 2015, Bronze medal in the sixth National Nanoscience and technology Olympiad
• 2015, Ranked First in the Second Science-Research Festival in Tehran
• 2014, Ranked first in Nanoscience and Technology Festival for three consecutive years
• 2014, Top student in the province in the 16th Kharazmi festival/Nanotechnology
• 2015, Top student in the province in the 17th Kharazmi festival/Nanotechnology field
• 2016, Top student in the province in the 18th Kharazmi festival/Mechanics field
• 2014, Top research student in Tehran
• 2012, Accepted at National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (NODET) entrance exam, middle and high school

• 2025, 3-min Thesis Pitch, Nanomaterial Recovery from Thermoset Nanocomposites: Advanced Solutions for High-Tech Waste, 3-min pitch competition at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Monterrey, Mexico
• 2025, Velocity Health Innovation Challenge Competition, Advancing Care for Bariatric Patients and Individuals at Risk for Pressure Injury with PresSense, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• 2024, Invention to Innovation Program, Mitacs, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• 2017, Participating in Arduino/RaspberryPi and business workshops, Third competition series of MAKEATHON event, Tehran, Iran
• 2017, Participating in the Empowerment Course of Nanotechnology Human Resources, Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council (INIC) & Instructor Training System (ITC), Alborz, Iran
• 2017, Attending the Modern Technologies in Nano-encapsulation of food bioactive ingredients by lipid-base formulation workshop, Dr. Seid Mahdi Jaafari, Amol, Iran
• 2017, Attending the Modern Technologies in water resource management workshop, Dr. Omid Bozorg-Haddad, Amol, Iran
• 2017, Participating in the 1st USERN Summer School on Modern Technologies in Sciences, Amol, Iran
• 2017, Participating in Au Nanoparticles Synthesis workshop, Dr. Saeed Saedi, Isfahan, Iran
• 2017, Attending the 5th Nanotechnology Economy Forum, Tehran, Iran
• 2017, Attending the How do Large Businesses Fail? Critical Reflections on the Theory of Disruptive Innovation workshop, Dr. Mohammad Keyhani, Tehran, Iran
• 2016, Attending the 1st international congress of USERN, Tehran, Iran
• 2014, Participating in the Principles and applications of UV-visible spectroscopy in Nanomaterial analysis workshop
• 2014, Participating in the introduction to Nano technology equipment workshop

• Rezaei, Z., Nair, T., Barre, C., Ghorbani, M., Asad, D., Prince, E., 2025, Smart-Designed Cleavable Thermoset Nanocomposites: Enabling Nanomaterial Recovery and Reuse for a Circular Economy, 40th Canadian High Polymer Forum 2025, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
• Rezaei, Z., Prince, E., 2025, Cleavable Thermoset Nanocomposites for a Circular Economy., Waterloo Nanotechnology Conference (WNC) 2025, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• Rezaei, Z., Prince, E., 2025, Climate-Smart Materials: Cleavable Thermoset Nanocomposites for a Lower Carbon Future., Climate Con 2025, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• Rezaei, Z., 2019, A review on Graphene, a Future Material, Properties and Applications., 4th USERN Congress & Prize Awarding Festival, Budapest, Hungary
• Rezaie, Z., Sakhaie, F., 2017, The Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles with Cellulosic Waste Extract and The Study of Their Antibacterial Activities, 1st USERN Summer School, Amol, Iran
• Rezaie, Z., Sakhaie, F., Kangarani, F., Voghoofi, M., Seyed-abadi, Z., 2015, The Study of Antibacterial Activities of Synthesized Ag Nanoparticles Using Waste Extract, ANFC (Asian Nano Forum Conference), Kish, Iran
• Rezaie, Z., Sakhaie, F., 2014, A Biocompatible and Affordable Method for Reducing Graphene Oxide, 5th International Congress on Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (ICNN2014), Tehran, Iran