The Blue Sky team, composed mostly of U of T Engineering students, has been preparing for the annual Bridgestone World Solar Challenge for the past two years. When the race begins on October 6, they’ll be competing against 39 other teams from 23 countries, including teams from Cambridge, Stanford and the University of Michigan, the defending champions in the race’s Challenger Class. But the members of Blue Sky are confident they’ll do well in the race.
More important, they’re glad of the opportunity to participate in a global community that promotes solar energy and the continued advancement and application of renewable energy technologies, says the team’s advancement director, Tiffany Hu (MechE 1T4).
Since arriving in Darwin a few weeks ago, the team has been testing the car, getting used to the Australian climate and meeting members of the competing teams.
“To be honest, we are pleasantly surprised that B-7 has been showing excellent reliability and stability after almost two weeks of testing in Australia,” Hu says. “Besides occasional scraping of the driver fairing, everything is working fine! We also had a couple small panics where we thought the brake pedal was stuck or when we thought the car wouldn’t start, but they were all quickly realized as small glitches in vehicle operations.”
“Each team is assigned a pit where we can work on the car. When taking a break from our work, we get a chance to visit other teams and look at other solar cars. It’s always a lot of fun meeting people from around the world who have been sharing similar experiences as us: spending ridiculous amount of time to build a solar car. From lending equipment to sharing anecdotes from fabrication, the sense of camaraderie at the track in itself is a unique part of the World Solar Challenge experience.”
Blue Sky has a long history at U of T. The club was founded in 1996 when a small group of Mechanical and Electrical & Computer engineering students came together to form the Advanced Solar Electrical Vehicle Program. Over the years, team alumni have mentored new team members, sharing their expertise and experience. The latest vehicle, B7, features new photovoltaic technologies and aerodynamic design and is 20 per cent lighter than its predecessors.
Hu says all is going well so far. Besides getting ready for the race, they visited Darwin’s Marrara Christian School, where they showed off the car to the students and answered questions.
“While younger students were fascinated by the sound of B-7′s electric horn, older students delved in the principles behind our mechanical and electrical systems,” she says.
For news and updates about the World Solar Challenge, visit their website.
HFIG shares this honour with 13 student chapters recognized at the gold level including, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Virginia Tech. HFIG is the only Canadian chapter to be recognized by the Society this year. In 2012, HFIG received a bronze level award.
Human factors – or ergonomics – is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system. The research area applies theory, principles, data and other methods to optimize human well-being and overall system performances.
The HFES’ mission is to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning human characteristics that are applicable to the design of systems and devices of all kinds.
HFIG is recognized as a HFES student chapter at U of T.
Of the group’s major accomplishments over the past year, HFIG hosted the Inter-University Workshop between U of T, the University of Buffalo, and the University of Waterloo. The annual event is an example of the ongoing collaboration between the three institutions.
“This year’s dedicated executive committee worked hard to organize insightful guest lectures, information sessions, mentorship events and fun social gatherings, so the U of T community can have a great time learning about the exciting world of Human Factors,” said David Canella (MASc IndE 1T3), co-president of the U of T HFIG chapter.
“I am delighted the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society has selected the MIE Human Factors Interest Group as a gold level student chapter,” said Professor Jean Zu, Chair of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. “We take pride in our active graduate student associations for their contributions to research, and to student life. I congratulate their executive committee and faculty advisor, Professor Paul Milgram, for this highly-deserving honour.”
HFIG was recognized October 1 during the Society’s student reception in San Diego, CA.
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program, administered through NSERC, provides $70,000 annually for two years to national and international postdoctoral applicants who positively contribute to the country’s economic, social and research-based growth. It is arguably the most prestigious postdoctoral fellowship available in Canada. Only 23 were distributed this year.
Lessard plans to use the funding to support his research into the synthesis and characterization of Boron Subphthlocyanine-containing copolymers and optimization of their use in organic electronic devices; for example, photovoltaic cells (OPVs) to light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and thin-film transistors (OTFTs).
“The synthesis and characterization of these novel polymers, as well as their implementation into lab scale OLEDs and OPVs will allow us to study whether these classes of polymers can produce cost-effective and sufficiently efficient materials to be used in next-generation plastic electronics,” says Lessard.
Development of inexpensive and flexible organic electronics provide a number of benefits to society, including increasing the availability of low cost organic solar cells, vibrant and flexible visual displays and even plastic computers. Lessard’s research might very well uncover new classes of materials, which could be utilized for these applications.
“The Department is very proud of Benoit’s achievement and looks forward to help him explore the potential of his research,” said Professor Grant Allen, Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at U of T.
Preserving food. The changing demographics of Canadian society. Horizontal enlightenment through meditation.
These were just some of the topics attendees learned about at the fifth annual TEDxToronto conference last week. The University of Toronto co-sponsored the event, and U of T Engineering boasted two of the 12 provocative presenters: Professors Brendan Frey and Steve Mann from The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE).
Both Professors Frey and Mann galvanized the more than 1,000 attendees with their presentations. Frey discussed how he and his colleagues uncover and decipher genetic recipes, and Mann related his experiences with wearable computing and its implications for surveillance and openness.
Professor Frey was impressed with the level of engagement of the attendees.
“The audience was very responsive during my talk and afterward I chatted with about two dozen attendees. They had interesting comments about my research and also I found that they were very smart, creative people who are doing interesting things themselves. It was a terrific experience,” he says.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzLp0QETUhY?feature=player_embedded]
Professor Mann says he gained a lot from the experience.
“It was a lot of fun, and I met lots of very interesting people afterwards. The whole process was quite enlightening,” he says.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z82Zavh-NhI?feature=player_embedded]
Aditya Shankar, a third-year electrical engineering student on exchange from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, had the option to study almost anywhere in the world. He chose U of T Engineering for its high ranking, reputation for research excellence and a chance to immerse himself in the local culture.
Shankar was one of more than 80 international students attending a welcome breakfast for international exchange students on September 27.
“I’ve cherished the people I’ve met, so far, here at U of T,” said Shankar. “Here, I’m able to compare cultures, learn about different perspectives and compile new experiences.”
The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is hosting more than 45 international exchange students, plus 280 from Brazil’s Science Without Borders program, which sends Brazilian university students to study at top universities worldwide. U of T Engineering was the top program choice among Science Without Borders applicants for this fall.
“Enjoy this exciting opportunity to study at Canada’s top Engineering Faculty, one of the very best in the world,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering in her opening remarks. “You have come to one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, where 50 per cent of Torontonians were born outside of Canada. We hope you will find your experience with us enriching, as we are enriched by having you amongst us.”
“You have chosen to invest in yourself, here at the Engineering Faculty in one of Canada’s pre-eminent institutions,” added Judith Wolfson, Vice-President, University Relations for University of Toronto. “Our strength is a testament to the quality of students like you and your willingness to share your experience and your ideas with us.”
Participants in U of T’s expansive international exchange program partner with more than 130 universities around the world to provide immersive, global perspectives to students.
Chemical engineering student Danielly Pierozan Cortes, from Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Alagoas, enjoyed her Science Without Borders experience so much, she decided to extend her exchange by another year.
“U of T has a great reputation for both research and academics,” she said. “Plus, it’s so beautiful!”
Pierozan Cortes’ enthusiasm for her exchange experience has led her to help other students explore similar global opportunities through U of T’s AIESEC chapter, which aims to promote global understanding through leadership development and international exchange.
When she arrived last September her interest was in petroleum engineering but thanks to a research position with Professor H.N. Tran (ChemE) at U of T’s Pulp & Paper Centre, Pierozan has switched her focus.
“My professors at U of T work with researchers and industry in Brazil, so I know I am getting experience here that will directly help me at home,” she said.
Civil engineering student Anke Wetser arrived to Toronto from the Netherlands only a month ago but has already engaged herself in all the city has to offer, from attending Blue Jays games to picnics at the Toronto Islands and exploring the city on her bicycle.
“I wanted an opportunity to experience more of the world,” said Wetser of her motivation for coming to U of T Engineering.
In addition to expanding her cultural horizons, Wetser is broadening her academic pursuits. “At my home university, Technical University Delft, I studied core areas of civil engineering. Here at U of T, I am taking courses in environmental engineering, energy systems and engineering economics.”
Wetser has yet to settle on a career path, but she knows the experiences she is gaining while at U of T Engineering will open doors. “I already feel much more self-confident,” she said.
U of T Engineering alumnus Hargun Suri (CompE 1T3) won this year’s City of Toronto International Student Excellence Award in the entrepreneurship category. With ECE classmates Anirudh Ganti (CompE 1T3) and Ian Xiao (CompE 1T3), he co-founded Interngration.com, a web-based application to bring students seeking internships into contact with start-ups in need of talented people.
The app is still in the beta stage, but already the former classmates have signed up 200 U of T Electrical & Computer Engineering students and 10 companies.
“At this stage when an engineer looks forward to a 4×4 cubicle at a Fortune-500 company, me being a rebel, I want to own a Fortune-500 company,” said Suri, originally from India. “This award is very encouraging for me and provided the official stamp – Entrepreneur.”
The award is designed to recognize the significant contributions that international students make to Toronto’s economic and socio-cultural development. Categories include entrepreneurship, community service, academic excellence, sports, arts and culture and professional achievement.
“We are delighted that Hargun Suri has been recognized for his innovative and entrepreneurial project,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “He is an excellent example of the forward-thinking and creative engineers who graduate from the University of Toronto.”
Suri is one of just six recipients, including U of T graduate Junko Asano, a double major in Economics and Ethics, and Society and Law; and Stephanie Shaw, a PhD candidate in Department of Speech-Language Pathology. The winners received a certificate, gift and $500 cheque at an award ceremony at the International Students Festival on Sept. 28 at Toronto’s Metro Hall.