Dr. Sean Sanders is an award-winning educator and researcher whose scientific interests intersect with his concern for the environmental aspects of resource extraction. He received his BSc in Chemical Engineering in 1990 from the University of Saskatchewan. After completing his PhD at the University of Alberta, Sanders joined Syncrude Canada Ltd. and held a number of technical and leadership positions within the company’s Research and Operations’ divisions over the next 9 years.

Since 1997, Sanders has conducted research to develop improved oil sands extraction processes that recover more bitumen, consume less water and operate at lower temperatures. He was part of the research team that commercialized Syncrude’s Low Energy Extraction process.

Sanders joined the University of Alberta’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in 2006 and received the student-nominated Faculty of Engineering Undergraduate Teaching Award that year. He has since received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. His passion for teaching is largely a gift given him by his mentors, Jacob Masliyah and the late Clifton Shook. His teaching style and ability to engage his students is influenced by his wife, actress April Banigan, who regularly attends lectures and gives him valuable feedback on his in-class “performances.” 

In 2008, the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Pipeline Transport Processes, a multimillion dollar research collaboration among the University, industry and government agencies was established, under Dr. Sanders’ direction. The research programme specifically addresses important questions in oil sands-related areas, including the transport of high-density (low water content) tailings.

He and April live in Edmonton with their two amazing sons, Jezec (15) and Avram (10).