Dr. Mehdi Sheikhzadeh serves as the Senior VP of Research & Innovation at Lambton College, Sarnia. Holding a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Western University, he boasts 18 years spanning academia, research, and industry. Specializing in process systems and real-time optimization and as a research administration leader, Dr. Sheikhzadeh has reshaped Lambton's research trajectory, fostering a premier collaborative research platform. Under his leadership, over 1,500 projects have been initiated, involving more than 2,500 researchers, both staff and students. Besides, he holds seats on boards like the Canadian Process Control Association and Canadian Bio cleantech Applied Research Network and contributes actively to economic development ventures.