Una Trivanovic

Dr. Una Trivanovic

Scientist, METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology)

Switzerland

Scientist| METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology)

Address

Switzerland

What I Do

I produce carbon nanoparticles in the lab by burning hydrocarbons (jet fuel, diesel, etc.) and collecting particles from the air after the flame to measure them with many different techniques.
Why Engineering?

I choose to become an engineer because I loved science, and physics in particular but I wanted to use science to solve problems. Engineers apply science to real-world problems so it was a perfect fit!
School Days

I completed a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University where I was a memeber of their NCAA ski team where I was surrounded by really wonderful and motivated teammates. I then received my masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Now, I am working towards a PhD in Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich.
My Day At Work

I get to spend about half my time in the lab doing experiments and measuring the results which I really enjoy. The other half of the time I am behind the computer analyzing the data and writing about it.
Best Part

Engineering is a really diverse field that offers a wide range of career opportunities. I love that my degree in mechanical engineering has led me to a place where I am doing research that will hopefully help to reduce harmful pollutant emissions in the future and make the world a better place!
Hobbies

When I'm not in the lab, I love to be outside in the mountains. I grew up skiing all my life and continue to do backcountry skiing in the winter time. In the summer months I enjoy trail running and mountain biking.

I research carbon nanoparticles which are a by-product of combustion. These particles can be found in car exhaust, wildfire smoke and even candle flames. They float into the atmosphere where they absorb sunlight and heat the atmosphere or change cloud dynamics thus contributing to climate change. They are also harmful to human health if they are inhaled. My research aims to understand the formation of carbon nanoparticles and characterize their size, shape and chemistry so that we can reduce the production of these particles and better understand how the will react in the atmosphere. It is not all bad though, such particles can also be used in applications where they are called "carbon black" and are used for example in car tires to reinforce the rubber and are the reason that tires are black. I am currently a scientist at a National Metrology Institute (NMI) which is an organization many countries have to ensure things are measured with sufficient accuracy. For example, my group ensures that the devices used to measure car exhuast are accurate enough for emissions testing which determines which cars are allowed on the road and which may need repairs to their exhaust aftertreatment system. This ensures that laws regarding car emissions are actually making an impact on air quality.