Dr. Michael (Mike) Irwin
Talk Title: Biocarbon innovations for sustainable automotive solutions
Mike holds a PhD and BSc (Honors) from the University of Western Ontario, in Chemistry (Inorganic, Organogold & Organoplatinum). He received numerous post-graduate scholarships, including an NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Post-Graduate Scholarship and the Ontario Centre for Materials Research Graduate Scholarship.
Dr. Irwin has served on numerous boards, including the Ontario Phonics Consortium, University of Western Ontario Technology and Commercialization, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance and a Council member of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Mike joined 3M Company in 1997 and held numerous positions over 25 years. He was previously Executive Director Research & Development, 3M Canada, Technical Director, 3M Purification and Vice President Research and Development, Electrical Markets Division.
In 2021 Mike left 3M to join Woodbridge Foam Corporation. With corporate headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and automotive headquarters in Troy, Michigan, USA, Woodbridge has more than 7,500 teammates in over 50 locations across 10 countries. The company offers material technologies for applications in automotive, commercial, recreational, packaging, healthcare and building products.
Dr. John Spalding
Talk Title: Challenges & Opportunities of Biodegradable Plastic Innovations in Biomedical Applications
John Spalding is the Senior Director of Vision Care R&D Process Engineering at Bausch & Lomb, where he leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to advancing ophthalmic device technologies. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and his Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester.
With 20 years of extensive experience in research, process innovation, and product development, John has contributed to the design and commercialization of a diverse range of ophthalmic products, including intraocular lenses, inserters, refractive surgical systems, packaging components, and contact lenses. His work spans from concept through scale-up, with a focus on enhancing performance, usability, and manufacturing efficiency.
One current area of focus is guiding sustainability initiatives within the contact lens development teams. His efforts focus on conducting comprehensive life cycle analyses to guide the creation of more environmentally responsible products and collaborating with external partners to identify and integrate biodegradable resins suitable for medical device applications.