By Carolyn Farrell

Congratulations to Professors Baochun Li (ECE) and Yu Sun (MIE/IBBME), who received the University of Toronto’s McLean Awards for 2009 and 2010. This highly competitive award, consisting of $100,000 and the title of McLean Senior Fellow, is made to an outstanding researcher within 12 years of his/her PhD, conducting basic research in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, the engineering sciences, or statistics. The last McLean Award was awarded in 2008, to ProfessorPeter Zandstra.

Baochun Li holds the Bell University Laboratories Endowed Chair in Computer Engineering. His research interests include large-scale multimedia systems, peer-to-peer networks, applications of network coding, and wireless networks. He has authored over 150 publications, including 32 publications in refereed journals, 113 publications in refereed conference proceedings and one book chapter. Professor Li is a Senior Member of IEEE, and in 2000 he received the IEEE Communications Society’s Leonard G. Abraham Award in the Field of Communications Systems.

Yu Sun holds the Canada Research Chair in Micro and Nano Engineering Systems. His research focuses on the manipulation and characterization of single cells, biomolecules and nanomaterials using microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS). While he only received his PhD in 2003, he has already published 49 articles in refereed journals, as well as over 60 refereed conference publications. His research has resulted in nine patents and two spin-off companies. Professor Sun is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of CSME.

“I am delighted that Professors Li and Sun have been recognized by the University with these prestigious awards,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. “The Faculty’s continued success in receiving this award demonstrates the excellence and enormous potential of our early-career faculty members.”