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Water and energy are deeply connected, and both are under pressure. Known for its strength in both renewable energy and wastewater treatment, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering just got a major boost in research from the lab next door.

Last fall, Dr. Mita Dasog was appointed the Faculty’s new Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Design for Water-Energy Sustainability, a joint position with Dal’s Faculty of Science.

After joining Science in 2016, she established a materials science lab focused on addressing major challenges in energy and water. Her team designs nanomaterials, tiny particles that interact with sunlight, to produce hydrogen fuel, clean water, and recover valuable minerals. She says the goal is to do more with less: less energy, fewer expensive materials, and a lower environmental impact.

For example, her lab is creating materials that can turn seawater into hydrogen fuel, a clean energy source that could work almost anywhere Now with her move into the Faculty of Engineering, there are new opportunities to take those ideas further.

Interdisciplinary Approach

Now she’s starting to look at the bigger picture, including how much energy it takes to produce materials, how to keep processes safe, and how the technology can be deployed outside the lab.

“Being part of Engineering, you really start thinking about scale-up,” she says. “It’s not just about making a single unit. We have to think about the supply chain, the manufacturing, the social implications, and how it all works once it’s out in the real world.”

Tackling these challenges requires more than science or engineering alone. It’s about bringing expertise together to move materials from the lab into the real world.

“Being jointly appointed gives us the opportunity to connect fundamental research with applications and focus more on higher-level integration, from materials design to applying them in real-world systems,” she says. “Engineering helps bring all of those pieces together.”

“Engineering helps bring all of those pieces together.”

Real-World Impact

This is exactly what drives the impact of her work: creating solutions that can be used in communities and industries. One current focus is green hydrogen, a clean fuel that could replace fossil fuels in energy-intensive processes. Traditional hydrogen production is expensive, energy-intensive, and often relies on ultra-pure water. However,  Dasog’s materials use sunlight and low-cost elements, offering a cleaner, more accessible alternative that could benefit everyone, not just a privileged few.

“The goal is to think cradle to grave,” she explains. “From the materials we make in the lab to how they are manufactured, transported, used in the real world, and how can they be recycled and repurposed after their intended use. We want solutions that are practical, scalable, and sustainable.”

Hands-on Opportunities

Although her lab on Dalhousie’s Sexton campus is still under construction, students will soon have the chance to tackle these challenges firsthand.

“In the past, we have hosted Engineering undergrads and co-op students to help scale up our prototypes and test real-world applications,” she explains. Now, graduate students will also get the opportunity to explore how materials interact in complex systems and move closer to practical deployment.

Inspiring the next generation of leaders has always been important to Dasog, particularly women in STEM, who often struggle to find role models within the field.

“A lot of women in STEM are told, ‘Maybe math and physics isn’t the field for you; maybe you should try biology or medical sciences,’” she says. “I heard that from teachers, family, all well-meaning people. I want to be there so others can see themselves in me. I enjoy interacting with women and girls, not to force them into STEM fields, but to show there’s a place for them here, if they choose.”

Motivated by the Planet

For Dasog, mentorship is part of a much larger picture. She points out that the challenges facing the planet will only be solved by a diverse generation of scientists and engineers.

“We truly are at a crisis point,” she says. “We need solutions, like yesterday.”

But complex challenges require more than expertise in a single field. She says students often learn subjects in isolation, but real-world problems require collaboration across disciplines.

“When you’re thinking about answers, you really do have to take your training from different disciplines into consideration. You have to work with people in adjacent fields or even transdisciplinary topics to come up with more holistic answers.”

Addressing these challenges though, isn’t just about research, it’s about the kind of future she’d like to leave behind for her children.

“At least for me, I would like my daughter to have a safe planet,” she says. “When she grows up, I want her to face fewer challenges than we are dealing with today. That’s part of what drives me.”