Adjunct Professor Scott D. Ramsay of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) is this year’s recipient of the Wighton Fellowship from the Sandford Fleming Foundation at the University of Waterloo.
The Fellowship is a national award that recognizes excellence in the development and teaching of laboratory-based courses in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs.
Since 2004, Professor Ramsay has instructed MSE 101: Introduction to Materials Science & Engineering, a first-year core course taught across multiple programs at U of T Engineering. He has developed a range of creative in-lecture demonstrations, filmed lecture videos and delivered these course materials via social media channels. He also introduced six new laboratory activities and made substantial improvements to two existing learning exercises.
A notable example of his dedication to improving MSE 101 was the design of a ballistic pendulum experiment. In this exercise, a 0.22 calibre rifle encased behind a securely sealed chamber is fired through different metal samples to demonstrate a traditional materials engineering impact test. Launching the lab involved above-and-beyond efforts in the construction of multi-tier safety infrastructure, along with obtaining the required approvals from the Toronto Police, the Chief Firearms Officer of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as numerous levels of University administration.
“I am extremely gratified that Dr. Ramsay has been recognized for his work to make comprehensive improvements to laboratory teaching,” said Professor Jun Nogami, Chair of MSE. “As a Department, we feel that it is vitally important to provide hands-on experiences for first-year students across the Faculty. Scott’s work has greatly improved student engagement in our labs, and feedback indicates that students’ understanding of materials engineering concepts has also been enhanced.”
This is the second time that U of T Engineering has received the Wighton Fellowship. Senior Lecturer Paul Jowlabar of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry received the award in 2008 for teaching excellence.
IBBME PhD candidates Mark Blaser and Lewis Reis had a lot to celebrate after attending the CIHR Canadian Student Health Research Forum (CSHRF), a conference which only the top 5% of doctoral students in Canada are invited to attend.
Blaser and Reis were awarded honourable mentions at the June 12-14 conference, which focused on health research.
“The calibre of students and their research presented at this conference was astounding, so to even be considered as a nominee to attend this conference was a huge accomplishment for me and helps put into perspective the research I am doing and the quality of it,” said Reis. “To then get an honourable mention for my poster was completely unexpected, but again very rewarding.”
Reis, who works under Associate Professor Milica Radisic (IBBME, ChemE), is researching the incorporation of ‘growth factor’ molecules – molecules that help direct repair – into a gel that can be delivered to the heart after an injury such as a heart attack. The hope is to save the injured muscle or repair the damaged tissue.
And under the supervision of Associate Professor Craig Simmons (MIE, IBBME), Blaser’s research also touches on the heart. “My work focuses on aortic valve disease,” said Blaser, who hopes to discover earlier diagnoses and the production of “possible targets for pharmacological intervention, so that surgical replacement can be avoided in the future.”
Blaser also recently won second place in the ‘Young Investigator’ competition at the 2012 Heart Valve Biology and Tissue Engineering Conference in Greece and third place in the poster competition at the 2012 Canadian Connective Tissue Conference in Toronto.
A world away, Yun Xiao, who fast-tracked into the collaborative PhD program between the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and IBBME, presented her research in tissue engineering and wound healing at the 9th World Biomaterials Congress held in Chengdu, China from June 1-5.
Out of the 1,735 poster presentations from students, professors, research departments and companies, Xiao walked away with the ‘Best Poster’ prize for her work entitled “Developing Cardiac Biofibers with Microfabricated Devices.”
The World Biomaterials Congress was just Xiao’s first academic conference experience, but she wasn’t at all phased by the competition. “I was more concerned about finishing everything in five minutes than being nervous,” she explained.
Recent graduates and current graduate students from the University of Toronto’s science, math and engineering programs will have the opportunity to gain real-world business skills and experience through new internships, thanks to an investment by the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State responsible for FedDev Ontario, announced the funding at a press conference held June 27 in the Lassonde Mining Building. The Government of Canada’s contribution of up to almost $4.2 million will establish the University of Toronto Graduate Enterprise Internship Program.
“Today’s announcement will help young scientists and engineers get the professional experience, mentorship and business skills they need as they develop into the next generation of leaders in business and innovation in southern Ontario,” said Minister Goodyear.
The program will be based at U of T’s Engineering Career Centre. Participants in the program are provided with a six-month paid internship at a small- or medium-sized business in southern Ontario. To be eligible, students must have graduated within the last five years from a U of T science, technology, engineering, or mathematics program or are current graduate students or postdoctoral fellows in one of those fields. The funding is expected to provide space for 300 participants.
“This program will help our students be better prepared for work opportunities while ensuring that Southern Ontario meets its future labour market needs,” said Engineering Dean Cristina Amon.
One of those students participating in the program is Alfred Inacio, who graduated from The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering in 2009 with bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. Iancio is currently working as Account Manager with Intelex Technologies Incorporated, which develops environmental health and safety software.
“I am honing my sales and professional skills that will not only help me develop my career, but will serve Intelex well. Luckily, because Intelex is an exciting and growing company, my opportunities there are limitless,” said Inacio.
“The Graduate Enterprise Internship Program at the University of Toronto will allow recent graduates as well as graduate students from our science and engineering programs to build their work experience and develop their careers,” said Professor Jill Matus, U of T’s Vice-Provost, Students. “U of T is very appreciative for the support provided by the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario.”
Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region’s strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. This investment is being provided through FedDev Ontario’s Graduate Enterprise Internship, which provides funding for not-for-profit organizations and post-secondary institutions to arrange internship and mentoring opportunities for recent graduates and graduate students with small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Faculty Registrar Barbara McCann is this year’s recipient of the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) Outstanding Achievement Award, which recognizes members who are making significant contributions to the registrarial profession, to their own institution, and/or to the improvement of service to students.
Since taking on the role of Faculty Registrar in 1985, McCann has ensured that the Office of the Registrar continually evolves to meet the changing needs of Engineering students. She has worked tirelessly to enhance registration services, advised and mentored countless students, introduced information technology initiatives to improve student services, and constantly demonstrated a commitment to student engagement and success. She has never forgotten that the primary mission of the Faculty is the education of our students.
McCann has long been a champion for underrepresented groups and those with special needs. She advocated accommodation for students with disabilities before such accommodations were legislated and has worked closely with LGBTOUT to deal with issues faced by the gay student community. She spearheaded the creation of the Women in Engineering Association and received the SAC Equity Commission Award for her work with the University of Toronto Muslim Student Association. McCann has also championed her colleagues; she created and implemented the Agnes Kaneko Award, one of the first staff recognition awards at U of T.
In 2009, McCann was recognized with the Chancellor’s Award in the Influential Leader Category, the University’s most prestigious award for outstanding contributions by an administrative staff member.
“I am delighted that Barbara McCann continues to be recognized for her exemplary contributions to the student experience,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “Her tireless advocacy for our students and her passionate commitment to their success have made our Faculty a more inclusive and supportive place to learn.”
The ARUCC Outstanding Achievement Award was presented at a luncheon on June 27 at the Marriott Ottawa Hotel.
For generations now, people from around the world have accepted the invitation to fly the friendly skies. This has increased global travel and advanced cultural and commercial exchanges. However, it has also left an increasingly large carbon footprint, one that researchers at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) have been seeking to shrink.
The impacts of commercial aviation on the environment are substantial. The emissions created by burning jet fuel cause air pollution and, over decades, climate change. Currently, commercial aviation produces 4.9% of the total human contribution to global warming and that number is climbing. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has targeted the stabilization of net CO2 emissions from the aviation industry by 2020, with a long-term goal to reduce net carbon emissions by 50% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.
Now, thanks to a new Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program grant from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), U of T Engineering professors can provide new training for the next generation of aerospace engineers. Today, NSERC announced $1.65-million in funding to establish the NSERC CREATE Program in Environmentally Sustainable Aviation. The grant will support students studying and conducting research in the field of sustainable aviation as well as establish a new certificate program. Over the six-year span of the grant, over 130 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to participate in the program.
“UTIAS has developed a strong international reputation for our research that reduces the aerospace industry’s carbon footprint,” explained UTIAS Director David Zingg. “This grant will allow us to capitalize on that expertise by offering new training to our students, which in turn will be taken into industry and put into practice.”
The program will train students to conduct research with world-class technical capabilities, develop their professional skills, and expose them to the highly interdisciplinary knowledge needed by sustainable aviation professionals. Students will learn about aerodynamics to reduce drag on airplanes, study lightweight options in aircraft construction, examine biofuel options and conduct life cycle assessments of aerospace technology. The result will be engineering graduates skilled in using the tools and techniques available to reduce carbon emissions.
“The NSERC CREATE Program in Environmentally Sustainable Aviation will prepare a new generation of engineers for the challenges associated with reducing the carbon-emissions of the aviation industry,” said U of T Engineering Dean Cristina Amon. “We congratulate UTIAS for receiving this research grant and thank NSERC for providing this important support.”
“Airline travel has made our lives better, but it has also contributed to the plight of our planet’s fragile environment,” said Professor Peter Lewis, U of T’s associate vice president (research). “This research and this important investment are addressing a real need in the quest to protect the planet’s environment while also enabling the airline industry to grow.”
The new program will also build upon the biennial International Workshop on Aviation and Climate Change, which is hosted and organized by UTIAS. The workshop brings together representatives from academia, government, and industry to find technological solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. The third annual conference was held May 2 to 4 and covered aircraft design, engine design, alternative fuels and atmospheric science.
U of T Engineering welcomed more than 100 newly admitted female students to the first Girls Leadership in Engineering Experience (GLEE) weekend, held May 26 and 27.
The new initiative aims to empower female students who are about to join a community where women are at the forefront of engineering leadership and innovation. Next fall, over one-quarter of first year students in U of T Engineering will be women.
Yoley Li (ElecE 1T4), who participated in GLEE as a Residence Assistant, remembers going into her first year in electrical engineering feeling isolated and wishing she had the opportunity to better connect with fellow female students.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to inspire them … I told all the participants that, although engineering may be male-dominated, we still stand out,” she said.
Participants had the chance to gain knowledge and seek guidance from current students, faculty and alumni. Events included a semi-formal dinner with members of the U of T Engineering community, a career panel discussion, a hands-on workshop led by graduate students and a lunch hosted by the U of T chapter of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE).
U of T Engineering has a long and proud history of women mentors and leaders. From the early years of the Faculty to now, female professors, graduates and students have left an indelible mark on the profession.
One such example is Professor Brenda McCabe, the Chair of Civil Engineering, who spoke with students about the career paths of other women who’ve come through the program, all the way from the Faculty’s first female civil engineering graduate, Marcia Scott in 1947.
“My experience with this initiative was very positive,” said Professor McCabe. “I had the opportunity to meet bright, young women who want to become engineers. It was wonderful to share with them our very successful history of women in engineering.”
GLEE follows in the steps of many other initiatives that seek to cultivate the next generation of women engineers. Currently, more than a fifth of the Faculty’s undergraduates are women, while they make up a quarter of graduate students.