Two of the 12 speakers chosen to present at TEDxToronto this fall are U of T Engineering professors.
Professor Steve Mann (ECE), widely recognized as the father of wearable computing and inventor of the concept of ‘sousveillance’, will speak about his quest to “understand the world in more than one way” through technology. For more than 35 years Mann has been wearing some version of his EyeTap Digital Eye Glass system, an ever-evolving glasses-like set that allows him to ‘augmediate’ his reality, both adding and subtracting information. “Now I see through that glass into the future: a future where the boundaries between cyborg space and the real world will disappear,” he says.
Professor Brendan Frey (ECE) unravels genetic mysteries using scientific and engineering tools such as machine learning. Frey and his group developed a computer program to simulate how cells use “genetic recipes” to create mind-boggling complexity from a limited number of genes. Says Frey, “Deciphering these genetic recipes may unlock unique aspects of the human brain and provide a way to detect and treat human genetic disease.” He has held the Canada Research Chair in Information Processing and Machine Learning since 2007.
TEDxToronto, now in its fifth year, is Canada’s largest TED event. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events aimed to propagate the core TED concept of ‘ideas worth spreading’. The theme of this year’s TEDxToronto is ‘The Choices We Make’, after Jean Paul Sartre’s famous quote that “We are our choices.”
Each speaker is featured in a compelling preview video ahead of the conference opening Sept. 26, 2013 at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Koerner Hall.
Delegates from around the world came to U of T August 18-23 to to hear about new advances in nanomaterials and photovoltaics at the 25th international conference on amorphous and nanocrystalline semiconductors.
This silver anniversary conference marks almost half a century of scientific and technological progress in this field which in the early years was dominated by chalcogenide glasses and hydrogenated amorphous silicon and today has grown to cover a multitude of disordered and nanocrystalline materials including oxides, organics, and more.
This biennial conference took place in the Medical Sciences Auditorium and the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. The conference began with the Mott Lecture (a keynote plenary presentation named after the Nobel Laureate Sir Neville Mott) followed by the 25th Anniversary Plenary Lectures. The Mott Lecture was delivered by Hideo Hosono of the Frontier Research Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan who spoke on Amorphous Electrides: A Novel Class of Oxide Semiconductors.
The week-long conference attracted over 250 delegates from around the world, providing an opportunity for scientific exchange, collegial discussions, and fostering a venue amenable to understanding, discovery and innovation vis-à-vis new materials and devices, said ECE and MSE Professor Nazir Kherani, local-chair and co-chair of the organizing committee. Delegates attended sessions covering such topics as new photovoltaic nanomaterials, nano- and microcrystalline silicon growth, medical imaging devices and organic/inorganic heterojunction solar cells.
“We were truly honoured to be able to host this conference at the University of Toronto and in particular we were delighted to have this ICANS conference come to Canada for the first time in nearly 50 years since its inception,” said Professor Safa Kasap, of the University of Saskatchewan and general chair of the organizing committee.
The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has leaped forward on the world stage once again. According to the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities (AWRU), which is prepared by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, U of T Engineering ranks 12th in the world, up from 13th in 2012.
This is the seventh consecutive year U of T Engineering has been named the top engineering school in Canada in the Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences category.
“It is gratifying that U of T Engineering has once again been recognized as one of the very best universities in the world,” said Dean Cristina Amon. “This is a reflection of our research contributions, our vigorous pursuit of excellence and our impact in the field of engineering, in Canada and the world.”
The Engineering/Technology ranking is based on institutional measures in categories such as, highly cited researchers; papers indexed in science or social science citations; percentage of papers in the top 20 per cent of journals in the engineering field; and, total engineering-related research expenditures, with respect to the size of the institution.
Other Canadian universities ranked in the top 200 engineering schools include: the University of Waterloo (ranked 43rd), McGill University (51–75), University of Alberta (76–100), University of British Columbia (101–150), University of Montreal (ranked 101–150), Simon Fraser University (151-200) and University of Saskatchewan (151–200).
View the full list of rankings and U of T Engineering’s rankings performance over the last few years.
The fifth Conference on Quantum Information and Quantum Control launched Monday at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. Jointly hosted by the Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control (CQIQC) and the Fields Institute, the conference unites physicists, mathematicians and engineers from around the world.
This year’s event is particularly significant as it coincides with the imminent 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Bell Inequality, a cornerstone in the field discovered by John Bell, whose insights have changed our view of reality.
The five-day conference aims to foster debate and encourage participants to expand their exposure to the field outside their particular area of expertise, says ECE Professor Amr Helmy, CQIQC chair and a member of the organizing committee. “There are no parallel sessions here—the idea is to get you to listen to talks you might not have heard before,” he says.
The prestigious John Stewart Bell Prize for contributions to the field of quantum mechanics will be presented to Michel Devoret and Robert Schoelkopf, both of Yale University, in a special session Thursday. The Bell Prize recognizes the researchers’ pioneering work in the field of quantum mechanics.
“Through their enormous contributions, Michel and Robert have set forth an optimum platform for the community to further explore, examine and exploit quantum mechanical effects, that is likely to fuel astounding advances in the field,” Helmy said. Devoret and Schoelkopf will deliver a public lecture on their trailblazing work.
The conference continues. Website:http://cqiqc.physics.utoronto.ca/conferences/cmf_event.2013-08-12.html
Professor David Sinton (MIE) has been elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Fellowship is the highest elected grade of membership within ASME, the attainment of which recognizes outstanding engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.
Professor Sinton’s research involves the study and application of small-scale fluid mechanics for use in energy systems and analysis. Professor Sinton is currently the director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE). He is the recipient of the 2006 Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering (CSME) I. W. Smith Award and an Early Career Achievement Award from the Engineering Alumni Association. He became a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering in 2012 and was recently named the McLean Senior Fellow.
“It is wonderful that Professor David Sinton has been recognized by his colleagues of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering,” said Professor Jean Zu, Chair of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. “Professor Sinton has had remarkable achievements, and made significant contributions, early in his career. On behalf of the faculty, I congratulate him on this befitting honour.”
The ASME Board of Governors confers the Fellow grade of membership on exceptional candidates as nominated by their peers.
When Patricia Sheridan was a high school student, her decision to study engineering at U of T had a lot to do with her DEEP experience.
And she’s not alone. The Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) Summer Academy, now in its eleventh year, has inspired more than 9,000 high school students from around the world, and counting. Each year in July, students with a deep passion for engineering visit the U of T campus to get a glimpse into what it’s like to pursue engineering at the post-secondary level.
Here, students learn in a hands-on environment through courses that range from nanomaterials, to engineering leadership, to product design. And, they’re taught by the best and brightest engineering alumni and graduate students – like Sheridan, who is now a PhD student in Engineering Leadership Education.
As a DEEP instructor, Sheridan says that what continues to stand out about ‘DEEPsters’ is their endless curiosity about engineering.
“Many stayed back to finish conversations that were started in class, or to ask more questions about the topics, or engineering at U of T,” said Sheridan, who taught three courses this summer, including a Dragon’s Den-style course on innovative design. “I had so much fun teaching them every day.”
For Sheridan, it was important for her to participate because of the experience and knowledge she gained as a DEEP student.
“When I participated in DEEP, I saw a high calibre of intellectual, fun-loving and sociable people that I felt I would fit right in with – and I have, since I came to U of T Engineering,” she said. “This is my second year teaching at DEEP, and I look forward to it every year. Not only is it rewarding to help shape the future of the students I work with, but it is also a lot of fun for me too.”
DEEP is just one of a number of outreach initiatives that are shaping the future of aspiring engineers. This summer, the Faculty enriched its outreach programming by launching DEEP Leadership Camp – a two-week engineering leadership development course located at Gull Lake, in Northern Ontario – as well as Big Ideas: Creativity, Design and Innovation Camp, a collaboration with the Rotman School of Management that challenges young participants to reinforce their engineering interests, while nurturing their entrepreneurial potential. The two new program joins a suite of successful outreach initiatives taking place this summer, such as Jr. DEEP,Girls’ Jr. DEEP and ENGage.
Find out more about U of T Engineering’s outreach initiatives at:outreach.engineering.utoronto.ca.