Department news

Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering (MIE) news

A person sits on a bench with greenery behind them.

U of T Engineering student integrates Indigenous perspectives into the operation of small, modular nuclear reactors

MIE graduate student James Ropotar is exploring ways to improve communication, workforce development and community engagement in emerging energy projects

Jash Rana (MIE MASc 2T6) says that the willingness to learn and work on projects outside of his area of expertise helped him grow faster and open up new opportunities. (photo courtesy of Jash Rana)

An internship at Tesla led to a full-time job in robotics for this new MASc grad

Jash Rana (MIE MASc 2T6) applies his knowledge of computational and mathematical simulations to accelerate the adoption of sustainable manufacturing methods such as cold spray deposition

Alex Kurk (MechE 2T6), left, is the 2026 winner of the Troost ILead Difference Maker Award. Sanjay Malaviya, right, is the donor for this award. Malaviya holds one of the 3D-printed interfaces designed by Kurk to help people with low vision navigate software user interfaces. (photo by Tyler Irving)

Solutions for people with low vision helped Alex Kurk earn the 2026 Troost ILead Difference Maker Award

Kurk used design courses, research placements and a startup company to advance his vision for tactile, 3D representations of user interfaces for software programs

liquid injection pattern

Inspired by nature, temperature-responsive building facades could help reduce energy use from heating and cooling

Microfluidic system uses both active and passive liquid flow behaviors to regulate temperature within buildings

Large Language Models (LLMs) have high electricity and water consumption due to the resource requirements of serving them to millions of users. This footprint can be reduced using methods developed by Professor Samin Aref (MIE) and his team, which produce smaller LLMs through quantizing their parameters. (image generated by ChatGPT)

How ‘slimmed-down’ large language models can reduce AI’s environmental and energy footprint

U of T Engineering researchers examine ways to make the use of language models more resource efficient by replacing their high-precision parameters with low-precision ones

Professor Craig Simmons (MIE, BME) has developed innovative curriculum, established inclusive research programs and promoted experiential learning opportunities across various departments and faculties. (photo courtesy of Craig Simmons)

Professor Craig Simmons receives the Engineers Canada Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education

Award celebrates exemplary pedagogical approaches, the development of educational tools and contributions that improve engineering education in Canada

Jiayu (Sunny) Shi and Lucas Xie

‘I’m deeply grateful’: How a gift from alumnus Paul Cadario is catalyzing experiential learning with impact

Lucas Xie (Year 3 CivMin) and Jiayu (Sunny) Shi (Year 3 MechE) are among dozens of students supported by the Paul Cadario Experiential Learning Student Awards

The U of T Engineering members are among 50 new fellows announced by the Canadian Academy of Engineering. (photo by Daria Perevezentsev)

U of T Engineering professors and alumni elected to the Canadian Academy of Engineering

Fellows recognized for outstanding contributions to engineering in Canada and provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to the country

CivMin alumnus Donovan Pollitt (MinE 0T4) at the University of Toronto. (photo by Phill Snel)

An engineer’s legacy: How Murray Pollitt’s belief in Canadian industry inspired a scholarship

Alumnus Donovan Pollitt (MinE 0T4) has established the Murray H. Pollitt Engineering Leadership Scholarship in memory of his father, Murray H. Pollitt (MechE 6T3) — mechanical engineer, mine builder, and lifelong champion of Canadian industry