“Trailblazer”, is an annual event organized by the Research for Undergraduates Club, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Moratuwa, with the aim of connecting alumni and undergraduates for a fruitful conversation on the field of research. This year, the first edition of the event, “Trailblazer 2.1 – Scholars without borders” was held on the 7th of December 2022, via Zoom platform.
The event was gracefully compèred by Ms. Sadhana Ratnanayagam, a second year undergraduate of the department. The proceedings began with the welcome speech being delivered by the event Co-chair, Mr. Lahiru Nanayakkara. Then, Ms. Sadhana welcomed the guest speaker, Dr. Widitha Samarakoon.
Dr. Widitha Samarakoon is a shining alumnus of our department, with an illustrious career achieved at a very young age. After attaining his bachelor’s degree in 2016 with first-class honors, he entered Oregon State University, USA with a fully funded Provost Distinguished Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering. During this time, he also served as a graduate research fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. His research work has been very well received and featured on as many as 15 journal articles with more than 750 citations. Following his PhD, he joined the Latte Electroplating Group at the Intel Corporation where he is currently serving as a Process Development Engineer.
Dr. Widitha Samarakoon shared with us his journey from DCPE to Oregon State University, where he highlighted the role his academic and non-academic experiences at DCPE had played in his success. Then, he briefly explained the complex work encompassing his role at Intel, and his PhD. It was certainly eye opening to see the depth of chemistry and engineering applied in the field of electronics. Dr. Samarakoon then shared some tips on how to get a hold of the best graduate study opportunities soon after graduation. He highlighted the skills and habits we must develop as undergraduates to succeed in this regard. The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A session between the speaker and our enthusiastic audience.
