Non-traditional Career Paths from Chemistry
Fatme Dahcheh. PhD
Business Development Director
GreenCentre Canada
Fatme Dahcheh (PhD, University of Toronto) joined GreenCentre in 2015 as a Development Scientist. She is currently a Business Development Director working with clients, from start-ups to large multinational companies, to help them develop and commercialize new products and processes. In addition to managing private client relationships, Fatme administers and coordinates million-dollar government programs that provide funding and services to support small and medium-sized enterprises commercializing sustainable chemical technologies.
.jpg)
Stephanie MeInychuk
Senior Legal Counsel - Intellectual Property
Aurora Cannabis Inc.
Stephanie is a Queen’s University graduate. She earned her B.Sc. in Biochemistry and M.Sc. in Chemistry in 2006 and 2008. Since then, she has applied her scientific background to the study and practice of law as an intellectual property (“IP”) lawyer. After law school, Stephanie worked in private practice for an IP boutique in Vancouver where she represented domestic and international companies in a broad array of industries, including medical devices, methods of medical treatment, chemical synthesis and processing, and sporting apparel and equipment. In 2019, Stephanie decided to shift her focus to the emerging cannabis industry and joined Aurora Cannabis as in-house IP Legal Counsel. Aurora is one of Canada’s leading licensed cannabis producers and innovators. The company employs scientists to research and develop technologies related to plant cultivation and genetics, biosynthesis, cannabinoid extraction, and consumer goods. Stephanie is responsible for developing, securing, maintaining, and strategically leveraging the company’s IP assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, trade secrets, and technical know-how, for these technology types and for the company’s brands. Stephanie currently lives in Squamish, British Columbia. She’s an avid cyclist and has competed in and completed the Ironman and the Iditarod winter adventure bike race in Alaska.
Matthew Zamora. PhD
Director of Sales
Nanalysis Corp
Dr. Matt Zamora received his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the UofA while working with Prof. Martin Cowie, developing di-carbenes to bridge mixed-metal organometallic systems. Following his defense, Matt accepted an NSERC/JSPS postdoctoral fellowship to work with Prof. Masafumi Hirano at Tokyo University A&T to model hydrodesulfurization pathways using Pt/Mn complexes. Following an incredible experience in Japan, Matt returned to Canada to first run a lab at the University of Lethbridge while Prof. Paul Hayes was on sabbatical, and then he enjoyed working on carbene chemistry again with Prof. Cathy Crudden here at Queen’s.
As a postdoc @ Queen’s, Matt found himself numb to the sting of rejection letters while he hunted for a “real” job. Somewhat jaded, he took a break from talking to chemists and found comfort in enjoying a few beers with some industry folks at a conference mixer. In a classic instance of “right place, right time”, one of these individuals was the Sales Manager at a new tech start-up, Nanalysis Corp., and they were looking to hire a technical sales representative who had experience with NMR. Matt excitedly accepted their invitation for an interview and was hired as the company’s newest addition to the Benchtop NMR Sales Team. Matt embraced the sales world with open arms and has never looked back. After several years as a rep, Matt eventually was promoted to Sales Manager, and now holds the Leadership position of Director of Sales at Nanalysis.
Matt is a firm believer that it is the stuff outside of the lab that will land you a job, and enjoys coaching students to leave their comfort zone make an impression on people. When not working, Matt loves movies, listening to music, escape rooms, and traveling with his wife, Avena.