Austin Bender Email & Phone Number

London, Ontario, Canada

Waterloo, Canada

As a Process Specialist I am responsible for assisting a wide variety of municipal and industrial clients with their water, wastewater and air quality challenges including:•ECA amendments•Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Assessments •Odour Assessment and Treatment•Phosphorous, iron and manganese removal•Technology pilot trials•Funding applicationsIn addition I have also been involved in the design, manufacturing, scaling and marketing of EPS's line of odour… Show more As a Process Specialist I am responsible for assisting a wide variety of municipal and industrial clients with their water, wastewater and air quality challenges including:•ECA amendments•Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Assessments •Odour Assessment and Treatment•Phosphorous, iron and manganese removal•Technology pilot trials•Funding applicationsIn addition I have also been involved in the design, manufacturing, scaling and marketing of EPS's line of odour treatment solutions. Show less

Working under Dr. Ed McBean (professor, School of Engineering) to find more effect methods of urine collection, storage and treatment for use on farms in developing countries to reduce health risks and nutrient losses.

Waterloo, Ontario

EPS is a environmental engineering consulting firm specializing in the water and wastewater treatment with experience in both the public and private sectors. EPS's specialties include: water and wastewater treatment pilot testing and design, energy efficiency audits, WTP/WWTP equipment performance assessments, and odour treatment technology developmentMy responsibilities included: •Report writing and editing, alone and within a group environment•Development, construction and… Show more EPS is a environmental engineering consulting firm specializing in the water and wastewater treatment with experience in both the public and private sectors. EPS's specialties include: water and wastewater treatment pilot testing and design, energy efficiency audits, WTP/WWTP equipment performance assessments, and odour treatment technology developmentMy responsibilities included: •Report writing and editing, alone and within a group environment•Development, construction and operation of pilot treatment units•Interacting with clients throughout the pubic and private sector to understand their needs and assist in the development of a solution Show less

Guelph Waste-Water Treatment Plant Co-Op

The GE Guelph Pilot Facility conducts research and testing on new or improved GE waste-water treatment technologies including GE's ZeeWeed and new ZeeLung membranes. My responsibilities included: •Assisting with the operation of the pilot projects and gaining an understanding of the system/process in order to keep it running optimally•Assisting with the maintenance of the pilot projects and minimizing downtime.•Preparing and analyzing influent/effluent samples from throughout… Show more The GE Guelph Pilot Facility conducts research and testing on new or improved GE waste-water treatment technologies including GE's ZeeWeed and new ZeeLung membranes. My responsibilities included: •Assisting with the operation of the pilot projects and gaining an understanding of the system/process in order to keep it running optimally•Assisting with the maintenance of the pilot projects and minimizing downtime.•Preparing and analyzing influent/effluent samples from throughout the system using a variety of laboratory techniques and equipment •Data entry and organization •Taking on-call shifts over nights, on weekends, and holidays to respond to and fix/stabilize malfunctions that occurred during off-hours This position provides an in-depth understanding of not only how waster-water treatment works over a variety of methods and technologies, but also an appreciation for this undervalued service. Show less

Guelph, Ontario

Working under Dr. Kirby Calvert (assistant professor, Department of Geography) along with partner Melissa Kopan. Our research looked at finding what the land use implications of solar development are, specifically in Ontario. As the demand for renewable energy like solar increases it is important to consider how much land will be required to power Ontario in the future. As Ontario is fortunate enough to be located on some of the finest agricultural land, the "land for food or fuel"… Show more Working under Dr. Kirby Calvert (assistant professor, Department of Geography) along with partner Melissa Kopan. Our research looked at finding what the land use implications of solar development are, specifically in Ontario. As the demand for renewable energy like solar increases it is important to consider how much land will be required to power Ontario in the future. As Ontario is fortunate enough to be located on some of the finest agricultural land, the "land for food or fuel" debate is often an argument brought forth when discussing Ontario's solar future. Our research sought to quantify the land use changes (from agriculture or forests to large solar farms) already occurred as well estimate the future land use requires under several scenarios in order breakdown the "solar will use too much land!" dogma that sometimes restricts its development. My responsibilities included: •Conducting an extensive review of literature pertaining to utility scale solar projects, their design, and environmental impacts and created annotated bibliographies for future use.•Utilizing electrical demand records as well as summarized solar project reports to create estimates for the amount of land covered in solar panels required to power Ontario under specific scenarios•Creating a poster to enter in the Ontario Climate Consortium's Symposium poster competition (see below) Show less

New Hamburg Ontario

• Continued to developed technical construction skills such as: framing, assembly, and demolition • Increased my knowledge of safety on the jobsite as well as safety regulations• Proficiently worked as a team with my co-workers to complete large jobs • Adapted and learned to work proficiently and safely with a wide variety of power and hand tools

New Hamburg Ontario

• Oversaw the Care of sheep, pigs, cows, and horses • Carefully followed specific feeding and care instructions for each animal• Was solely responsible for the farm while owners were away, often for a week or more at a time.• Responsible for dealing quickly and efficiently with situations that arose such as animals breaking loose or illness

New Hamburg Ontario

• Developed technical construction skills such as: demolition, machinery operation, framing and assembly • Increased my knowledge of safety on the jobsite as well as safety regulations• Proficiently read and utilized architectural drawings to work within specifications • Adapted and learned to work proficiently and safely with a wide variety of power and hand tools

Guelph Ontario

• Called University of Guelph environmental and water resource engineering applicants to answer questions and invite them to visit campus • Conducted calls in a professional and helpful manner as to cast the university in the best light to possible applicants• Strengthened my interpersonal and telecommunication skills through hundreds of calls• Expanded my knowledge regarding the university and its programs and procedures to better serve applicants

Bachelor'S Degree, Environmental Engineering [Co-Op]

Activities and Societies: CSA Bike Shop, University of Guelph Climbing Club

High School

Activities and Societies: Guitar Ensemble, President of the "Outers" Club, Tinman Triathlon