People

Tim Evans is Vice-President, Research, Innovation and Impact at Concordia University. He earned a medical degree from McMaster University and a DPhil in agricultural economics from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

Appointed a member of the Order of Canada for his leadership in the automotive sector, Norman E. Hébert has been involved in Groupe Park Avenue, the family business his father founded in 1959, for more than four decades. As president and CEO for the past 30 years, he has been responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the group.

Pamela McGovern is a lawyer and accredited arbitrator with the Canadian Commercial Arbitration Centre. She previously served as Secretary and Director of Legal Affairs at the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec for nearly seven years and as General Counsel at Hydro-Québec for more than five years. Earlier in her career, she was a partner at Lavery, one of Quebec’s leading law firms, where she practiced for over 25 years. 

Tanja Tajmel studied Physics (BSc), Meteorology (BSc) and Philosophy (BA) at the Graz University of Technology and the Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria as well as the University of Padova, Italy. She received a Master in Physics Education and in Philosophy Education from Karl-Franzens University in Graz and a PhD in Physics Didactics from Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany. 

With over 40 years of experience in the battery field, Karim Zaghib has played a key role in advancing lithium-ion technologies for electric vehicles and energy storage. As Director of Research at Hydro-Québec for 28 years, he led the development of innovative materials, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes, and contributed to breakthroughs such as the first two-electrode photo-battery and large-scale LFP/graphite storage. 

Ursula Eicker is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities and Communities at Concordia University Montreal. She is a German physicist who received her PhD in Solid State Physics from Heriot-Watt University and her Habilitation in Renewable Energy Systems from the Berlin Technical University. 

With over 40 years of experience in the battery field, Karim Zaghib has played a key role in advancing lithium-ion technologies for electric vehicles and energy storage. As Director of Research at Hydro-Québec for 28 years, he led the development of innovative materials, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes, and contributed to breakthroughs such as the first two-electrode photo-battery and large-scale LFP/graphite storage. 

Andreas K. Athienitis is a Professor of Building Engineering at Concordia University. He obtained a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (1981) from the University of New Brunswick and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (1985). He is the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of two consecutive NSERC strategic networks: Smart Net-zero Energy Buildings Strategic Research Network (SNEBRN: 2011-2017) and NSERC Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN: 2005-2011). 

With over 40 years of experience in the battery field, Karim Zaghib has played a key role in advancing lithium-ion technologies for electric vehicles and energy storage. As Director of Research at Hydro-Québec for 28 years, he led the development of innovative materials, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes, and contributed to breakthroughs such as the first two-electrode photo-battery and large-scale LFP/graphite storage. 

With over 40 years of experience in the battery field, Karim Zaghib has played a key role in advancing lithium-ion technologies for electric vehicles and energy storage. As Director of Research at Hydro-Québec for 28 years, he led the development of innovative materials, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes, and contributed to breakthroughs such as the first two-electrode photo-battery and large-scale LFP/graphite storage. 

With extensive leadership experience in public administration and private sector, Victor has managed complex and strategical projects as Chief of Staff and Country Manager. His career is dedicated to sustainability and ethical reindustrialization, aligning with global trends toward carbon neutrality and responsible production. He holds a Master degree in Comparative Law from Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris.

As Executive Assistant to the CEO and Interim Secretary of the Scientific Committee, Nicole ensures dynamic and agile administrative support to effectively assist the CEO and the Volt-Age committees, to move projects and initiatives forward. Before taking on administrative roles within academia, she worked for 10 years in community settings facilitating Art Therapy with older adults.

Andreea Constantinescu graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts and Science, majoring in Spanish literature and culture. Following the completion of her Bachelor’s degree, she took on the role of Administrative Assistant at Concordia’s Ombuds Office and Office of Rights and Responsibilities. Most recently, she provided administrative support at the Office of the President before joining Volt-Age. Currently, Andreea is pursuing her graduate studies at John Molson School of Business.

Jennifer’s work focuses on bringing people together from diverse communities and research domains to create inclusive work environments where systemic challenges are tackled collectively. She has over 10 years of experience working with non-profit, academic, and intergovernmental organizations. Jennifer completed a PhD at the Technische Universität Berlin, where she studied stakeholder engagement at the science-policy-society interface.

Aniket is responsible for bridging the gap between academic research and industrial solutions at Volt-Age, leading Intellectual Property (IP) management and commercialization strategies, and playing a key role in transforming innovative ideas into impactful solutions. He brings technical expertise in clean energy and high impact technologies, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), and wireless IoT solutions, having previously worked at Sony Corp, Hydro-Québec and Murata Manufacturing. Aniket holds a Master of Technology in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), India.

Carolina brings more than 15 years of experience in administration, governance, reporting and project management in institutional settings. Before joining Volt-Age, she held roles at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force Secretariat, and McGill’s Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives initiative. She holds a BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology from Concordia University and a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) designation.

Maryse supports the implementation of Volt-Age’s EDI Action Plan and contributes to advancing inclusive research and engagement practices. With experience in community outreach and more than a decade of volunteer work in equity-focused initiatives, she is committed to fostering environments where individuals feel empowered, supported and heard. She holds a BA in English Literature from Concordia University and a Professional Development Certificate in Collaboration and Productivity from the McGill School of Continuing Studies. 

Pinar is a sociologist with a PhD from the University of Exeter, UK, specializing in gender studies, immigration, cultural studies, and music. She has project management and UX research experience focused on accessibility. Currently, as the Senior Research Advisor, EDI at Volt-Age, she drives meaningful change in diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Dr. Alison Jane Bowie is a social science and humanities researcher whose work brings together discourse, contextual, and deep textual analysis with statistical and quantitative analysis methodologies to investigate the relationships between theatre and oral histories and sociopolitical landscapes. Alison also worked in the theatre industry for over 15 years.

Simon holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and has 32 years of experience working at Hydro-Quebec, including 25 years specializing in intellectual property management. He has extensive expertise in helping inventors protect their innovations.

With a Master's degree in Museology, Karol-André has developed expertise in organizing scientific and cultural events. Before joining Volt-Age, he was a program manager at the Contemporary Art Galleries Association, where he curated innovative exhibitions and established strategic partnerships.

As a passionate knowledge seeker, Sepideh applies her organizational and operational expertise to support equitable, community-engaged and impact-driven research. She has professional experience in event management, project coordination, budget planning and stakeholder communication, supporting the effective delivery of research-driven initiatives. She holds two master’s degrees in art philosophy and art history and has an academic background in decolonizing art research and critical thinking.

Martina Mai is a specialist in data analysis and reporting at Volt-Age, with an MSc in Physics from Concordia University. Skilled in statistical analysis and data visualization, Martina focuses on delivering precise insights to enhance reporting and decision-making.

Alisa is responsible for leading graduate student recruitment initiatives at Volt-Age, with a focus on attracting top talent and optimizing recruitment processes. She has over five years of experience managing complex projects using Agile, Scrum and Waterfall methodologies. Her expertise includes website modernization, multilingual content management and cross-team collaboration. She is fluent in French, English, Russian and Ukrainian, and brings strong organizational and technical skills to support academic and administrative projects.

Imene is an experienced brand manager with a strong interest in literature and numbers. Before joining Volt-Age, she worked with several international companies in brand management. After gaining years of experience in that field, she went back to school and earned a diploma in Financial Management. Now at Volt-Age, she is responsible for all matters related to finance and budget management.

Catherine is responsible for designing and supporting educational initiatives to meet the training and learning needs of early career researchers involved in the Volt-Age research projects. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in marketing, an MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and an MA in Educational Technology at Concordia University. Drawing on her background in education, hospitality, and marketing, she is passionate about creating knowledge-sharing and learning experiences that are inclusive, collaborative, and learner-driven.

Menna plays a key role at Volt-Age advancing Intellectual Property (IP) and commercialization initiatives, promoting awareness of IP policies and commercialization pathways. She brings her expertise in communications to engage researchers and translate complex IP concepts into accessible information that benefits innovators, strengthening the team’s efforts to reach and support a broader research community. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Carleton University and a Master’s degree in Digital Innovation in Journalism from Concordia University.

Arianne is responsible for developing and implementing integrated content and communications strategies to strengthen Volt-Age’s visibility and brand identity. She brings experience from both the private and public sectors, having worked at organizations such as ABB and the Government of Canada in areas including communications planning, rebranding, social media and event promotion. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Cultural Studies and an M.Sc. in Marketing from Concordia University, where she was also a member of the 65th cohort of the Garnet Key Society.