Eight members of the U of T Engineering community have been inducted as fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).
Professors Kamran Behdinan (MIE), Greg Evans (ChemE), Vladimiros Papangelakis (ChemE), Michael Sefton (ChemE, IBBME) and Jim Wallace (MIE), along with alumni Pu Chen (MIE MASc 9T3, PhD 9T8) and Anne Sado (IndE 7T7) are among the Academy’s 50 new fellows. Alumnus Norbert Morgenstern (CivE 5T6) was inducted as an honorary fellow.
The CAE comprises the country’s most accomplished engineers, who have demonstrated their dedication to the application of science and engineering principles in the interests of Canada. Fellows of the Academy are nominated and elected by their peers, in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession.
“I am delighted so many of our faculty and alumni have been recognized by the Canadian Academy of Engineering for their extraordinary contributions,” said Dean Cristina Amon. “I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to our honourees. This recognition demonstrates the depth and breadth of their achievements and confirms that U of T engineers are leaders in their fields, both in Canada and around the world. ”
About Professor Kamran Behdinan
Professor Behdinan is a highly respected leader and innovator in engineering design and design education. He was the founding chair of the Ryerson Department of Aerospace Engineering and the founding director of both the Ryerson Institute for Aerospace Design and Innovation and the University of Toronto Institute for Multidisciplinary Design and Innovation. He has consecutively held the NSERC Engineering Design Chair at Ryerson University and the NSERC Chair in Multidisciplinary Engineering Design at U of T. Professor Behdinan is a fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) and served as president of CSME from 2010-2012.
About Professor Greg Evans
Professor Evans is internationally recognized for his leadership and expertise in applying engineering principles to the study of air quality. He has founded two research networks, the Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research and the Canadian Aerosol Research Network, and engineered instrumentation that has greatly advanced research in this field. Professor Evans has also made outstanding contributions to engineering education, recently leading the development of a graduate program in engineering education at U of T. He has received the President’s Teaching Award, national and international education awards, and a Professional Engineers Ontario Research and Development Medal.
About Professor Vladimiros Papangelakis
Using novel experimental techniques coupled with mathematical modeling, Professor Papangelakis has made significant contributions to the development of hydrometallurgical
processes. He developed the first comprehensive model simulating the autothermal operation of reactors for the pressure oxidation of refractory gold ores and pioneered the concept of “chemistry at temperature” to probe and understand the behaviour of high temperature processes, particularly for nickel extraction from nickeliferous laterites. He has also made sustained contributions to the engineering profession, including service as president of the Metallurgy and Materials Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
About Professor Michael Sefton
Professor Sefton is a pioneer in the field of tissue engineering and has made significant contributions to biomaterials, biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. A leader in his professional community, he served as president of the U.S. Society for Biomaterials from 2005-2006 and has spearheaded several programs to advance the field. From 1999-2005, Professor Sefton was director of IBBME, leading its development into one of the best institutes of its kind in North America. His many honours include the Ontario Professional Engineers Gold Medal, the Engineers Canada Gold Medal and the Killam Prize in Engineering. He was recently inducted into the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academies of Science.
About Professor Jim Wallace
An internationally recognized researcher in the area of alternative fuel use in internal combustion engines, Professor Wallace has contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in this field. Professor Wallace’s innovative research on natural gas and hydrogen led to his election as a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for advancing the use of alternative fuels for emissions reductions. He is also a fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and the Engineering Institute of Canada. An outstanding educator, Professor Wallace has won the President’s Teaching Award, U of T’s highest teaching honour, as well as the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from SAE.
About Pu Chen
Recipient of the Premier’s Research Excellence Award and holder of a Canada Research Chair in Nano-Biomaterials, Pu Chen has greatly contributed to theoretical underpinnings and practical applications in low dimensional thermodynamics, interfacial and nanostructure
design and fabrication, peptide self/co-assembly, and energy storage and conversion. He has made contributions to peptide biopharmaceuticals, drug and gene delivery, protein-lipid membrane interactions, emulsification, thin films, and eco-friendly batteries. His work on peptide mediated short interfering RNA delivery and rechargeable hybrid aqueous batteries has resulted in large scale commercialization.
About Anne Sado
Anne Sado is not just a prominent leader in business and academia; she is a dedicated leader in the community, whose ideas, energy and integrity extend her influence across the public and private sectors and make her an outstanding role model for young women in engineering. Ms. Sado had a successful 25-year career at Bell Canada before her appointment as president of George Brown College in 2004. In this role, she has presided over a significant expansion of the college and is spearheading initiatives that are transforming postsecondary education in Ontario. Ms. Sado received the Ontario Professional Engineers Gold Medal in 2007 and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2013.
About Norbert Morgenstern
Norbert Morgenstern has consistently produced award-winning research that has shaped the civil engineering field, specifically in dam design, slope stability studies and major natural resource development. He has been invited to contribute his expertise by research institutions, multinational companies and governments in over 30 countries. He has given a significant number of keynote addresses at major international conferences and symposia, and has had 330 articles published in technical journals, conference proceedings and books. Dr. Morgenstern received an Honorary Doctorate from U of T in 1983 and won the Killam Prize in Engineering in 2001. He is a member of the Order of Canada.
The new CAE Fellows and Honorary Fellow were inducted on June 4 in Hamilton, ON, as part of the Academy’s Annual Meeting.
