Dr. Luis Virla Alvarado

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Luis D. Virla joined the Sustainable Systems Engineering program in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary as an Assistant Professor in July 2024. He served as R&D Lead for Carbon Management at Nanostech and CTO at Vortis Carbon Corp, focusing on developing catalytic solutions for the energy transition. Between 2020 and 2024, he managed an innovation portfolio encompassing carbon capture, utilization, and decarbonization. Prior to this, Luis was a Research Fellow at TU Delft in the Netherlands, contributing to Horizon Europe projects that explored land-based mitigation strategies and socio-economic tipping points for sustainable development. His research interests include clean technology innovation, sustainable systems design, stakeholder engagement, as well as methods for carbon capture and utilization. He co-founded InnoLab Space, an NGO aimed at supporting community-led sustainability initiatives. Luis earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary in 2018, focusing on carbon-supported metal carbide catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. His work emphasizes participation and strategic initiatives in sustainability and innovation across academia and industry.

Research Interests

Experience

R&D Lead - Carbon Management

— Present

Nanostech • Canada

Managed the innovation portfolio for carbon capture and utilization.

CTO

— Present

Vortis Carbon Corp. • Canada

Focused on developing catalytic solutions for the energy transition.

Research Fellow

— Present

TU Delft • Netherlands

Contributed to Horizon Europe projects exploring sustainable development.

Research Fellow

— Present

Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex • UK

Examined risks and uncertainties in sustainable transitions for Canadian Oil Sands.

Courses

ENCH 671 Science Technology Catalysis ENRE 301 Energy Pathways & Energy Transitions

Requirements for University of Calgary

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:97
GRE General
Verbal
Required:150
Quantitative
Required:159
Analytical Writing
Required:5.5
Overall
Required:5.5
Prerequisites
4-year Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent 3rd or 4th year course in Theory of Computation 3rd or 4th year course in Software Engineering 3rd or 4th year course in Systems (OS, Compilers, Networking) 3rd or 4th year course in Application (AI, Graphics, Databases)
Application Checklist
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Two Letters of Reference
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science Master's program. GRE scores are expected for international students.