In an effort to rebuild Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake, Cast ConneX Corporation, a start-up out of the Department of Civil Engineering, is taking part in an industry-wide coalition aimed at preparing the island nation in the event of another major tremor.
The Toronto-based company’s earthquake-resistant connectors are playing a leading role in the establishment of a seismic-resistant school in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Led by the Canadian Construction Association (CAA) and Builders without Borders, the project will reconstruct a vocational centre called École Lakay that will serve as a training facility for young Haitian tradespeople.
Project partner Fast + Epp of Vancouver sought out Cast ConneX’s cutting-edge connectors for the school’s structural ‘lateral-force resisting system’ because of their proven performance when subjected to earthquake-induced loading. Cast ConneX was then approached by the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) – another project partner– to donate their products for the construction of the school.
While recent distribution agreements with global industry leaders are taking Cast ConneX technology worldwide, this project is particularly meaningful for the innovative company.
“Having our technology implemented in a reconstruction project in Haiti has been our goal for some time,” explained President and CEO, Carlos de Oliveira (CivE MASc 0T6). “We have long realized its potential to enable the construction of state-of-the-art, seismic-resistant buildings in nations that are lacking a fully developed steel construction industry, such as structural-qualified field welders.”
That potential will be being realized in Haiti since Cast ConneX connectors are fabricated in Canada and their structural steel elements do not need to be welded together in the field. “École Lakay can be entirely constructed using field-bolting, the same way one would put together a meccano set,” said de Oliveira. “As a result, our connectors will enable the school’s structural frame to be erected predominately by locals.”
Thanks to Cast ConneX’s seismic-resistant system, the school will also have the capacity to serve as a safe zone, providing food, shelter and medical attention in the event of a natural disaster.
“We hope that more of these structures can be established in Haiti,” said de Oliveira. “This will be a lasting legacy for the people of Port-au-Prince.”
The technology behind Cast ConneX’s connectors was developed at U of T Engineering in 2006, based on de Oliveira’s graduate thesis work and the doctoral work of Michael Gray (CivE PhD 1T1). Both research projects were supervised by CivE professors Jeffrey Packer and Constantin Christopoulos. In 2007, the four founded Cast ConneX as a start-up company to commercialize life-saving connectors. The impact of its technology on the well-being of society has earned Cast ConneX the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering’s 2009 Award for Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering.
For more information about Cast ConneX, please visit: http://www.castconnex.com.
Standing in front of Convocation Hall, surrounded by friends and family, with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering under her arm, Kelly Bryck described the graduation experience with these simple words: “It’s all about community.”
Bryck is one of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s newest alumni. She joined 950 undergraduates and 189 graduate students who graduated from the Faculty during two convocation ceremonies held today.
“We’re so proud of each other. And it was so nice to have all of the faculty out because I saw them while I was waiting to go up [on stage] … and it was nice that they all recognized us and tried to make it special for us,” Bryck said.
Today’s celebrations marked the culmination of a lot of hard work and high expectations.
“Graduates, I want you to think back to the first lecture that you attended here four or five years ago in this magnificent Convocation Hall. Back then, the road that led you here today must have seemed quite long,” said Engineering Dean Cristina Amon. “Now you can celebrate, with your family and friends, the achievement of graduating from an Engineering school that is not only the best in Canada but is among the finest in the world.”
The pride felt by the family and friends present was evident.
“I’m very proud. I understand he graduated with honours and was at the top of his class, which is a bonus,” said a beaming Sandra Sarwan, whose son Derrick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
The convocation ceremonies were also an opportunity to recognize two distinguished alumni from U of T Engineering. Dr. Pierre Rivard (MEng MechE 9T4) and Dr.Phillip (Rocky) Simmons (ChemE 6T4, MASc 6T5, PhD 6T9) were presented with Honorary Doctorates.
Dr. Rivard is a pioneer of Canada’s clean energy industry. Following a 20-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces as an Aerospace Engineer, Dr. Rivard co-founded Hydrogenics Corporation, which is one of the world’s leading fuel cell companies. He is now CEO of MAGENN Power Incorporated, a Canadian company focused on delivering next-generation wind turbines.
Speaking at the morning ceremony, Dr. Rivard implored graduates to be flexible and embrace the challenges before them today.
“Keep in mind that your calling or your career will change two or three times in your lifetime, so it is more important to get going on serving some cause than it is to keep searching indefinitely for the perfect start. Then work on better defining the social utility and higher purpose of the particular chapter that you are writing, as it is one of the foundations of a life well lived,” said Dr. Rivard.
Dr. Simmons was recognized for developing the groundbreaking ion exchange technology that spawned Eco-Tec, a world leader in purifying, recovering and recycling industrial wastewater. That technology was developed during Dr. Simmon’s graduate studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. To date, Eco-Tec has installed more than 2,000 units in 58 countries, including Canada, the UK, India and China.
“You are now about to embark on the most exciting, scary, rollercoaster of life that you can imagine. You will have many ups and downs but it will allow you to reap the benefits beyond your wildest dreams,” Dr. Simmons told graduates. “As you proceed on this rollercoaster, doors of opportunity will be opened to you often. In fact, you have opened the first door: gaining a superior engineering education at the best engineering faculty in the best university in the world.”
For Dr. Jon McKechnie, who earned a doctorate in civil engineering, his door of opportunity will open across the Atlantic. He has accepted a faculty position at the University of Nottingham in England. Reflecting on his experience at U of T Engineering, the research opportunities stand out most for him.
“It was a good fit [for me] and there are a lot of great opportunities for collaboration here,” said Dr. McKechnie, whose doctoral thesis focused on forest resource utilization and greenhouse gas mitigation under the supervision of Civil Engineering Professor Heather MacLean.
“I am excited to hit the world and leave the classroom,” said Amir Allana, who earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Science degree. Allana will be working with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) in Uganda. He has served as President of U of T’s EWB chapter prior to his graduation.
“I had a strong desire to create change in this profession and create change in the world. And I didn’t really see how this profession was doing that on its own,” said Allana. “I definitely don’t believe that now,” he added, noting that his experiences at U of T introduced him to a lot of people and ideas that demonstrated the impact engineers can have.
Read Dean Cristina Amon’s message to graduates of spring 2012, view the archived webcast of the ceremonies, as well as our photo essay below:
To the engineering graduates of Spring 2012: we congratulate you. This has been a tremendous year for our community, and it culminates with your remarkable achievement as our graduating class.
All members of our faculty, staff and alumni take enormous pride in this day. We stand with your loved ones when we say that we are incredibly proud of you. For your parents, families, friends, spouses and partners, this day is a fulfillment of their anticipation and immeasurable support. I join you in thanking them for their encouragement and belief in you over the last few years.
This spring, 950 undergraduates and 189 graduate students earn degrees (77 receive MEng degrees, 57 obtain MASc degrees and 55 earn PhD degrees). Each of you will leave Convocation Hall and enter a world that is ready for you to make a difference. A world that will look to you for the same dedication, determination and enthusiasm that you displayed during your time here. A world that is also eager for your boundless ideas, imagination and expertise.
As U of T Engineers, you are well prepared to meet and exceed these expectations. You will be at the forefront of solving some of the most pressing global problems. Your innovations will have a profound impact on industry, government and society, as you embrace diversity and work collaboratively with others. Through collaboration, we have so much to teach and learn as we work together to keep our society healthy, sustainable and prosperous.
In keeping with this spirit of excellence in engineering, our convocation ceremonies will be honouring two highly respected leaders from industry. Like you, they were once U of T Engineering students.
At the 10 am ceremony, our Honorary Graduand will be Mr. Pierre Rivard (MEng MechE 9T4), an international trailblazer in energy technologies and CEO of Magenn Power.
At the 2:30 pm ceremony , we will honour Dr. Phillip (Rocky) Simmons (ChemE 6T4, MASc 6T5, PhD 6T9), a world-renowned expert in water treatment and chemical recovery systems and President and CEO of Eco-Tec Limited.
Following each ceremony, the celebration will continue with a reception in the Great Hall at Hart House.
You will soon be members of the engineering profession, and the opportunities ahead of you are boundless. Along with your engineering degrees, you will carry forward the knowledge and experience you gathered at U of T to drive innovation and serve our global community.
So, on behalf of all of our faculty, staff and alumni, please accept our warm wishes for a rewarding career. I encourage you to look back at your years here with great pride and assurance that U of T Engineering will always be with you as you step into your future.
Cristina Amon, Dean
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
University of Toronto
Watch the archived webcasts here and view our convocation photo essay here.
Honorary Graduand Biographies:
Mr. Pierre Rivard (MEng MechE 9T4), CEO of Magenn Power
Dr. Phillip (Rocky) Simmons (ChemE 6T4, MASc 6T5, PhD 6T9), President and CEO of Eco-Tec Limited
For more information about Convocation 2012, please visit the Office of Convocation.
Kitty Kumar, a Materials Science & Engineering PhD Candidate, recently beat out more than 900 competitors to receive the Best Poster Award at the 38th annual IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC).
The IEEE-PVSC, which was held on June 3–8 in Austin, Texas, is one of the top technical events for photovoltaic scientists and engineers around the world.
Supervised by Professor and MSE Chair Jun Nogami, Associate Professor Nazir P. Kherani (ECE, MSE), and Professor Peter R. Herman (ECE), Kumar’s work addresses the capability to maximize light absorption in crystalline silicon (c-Si) – the primary material found in commercial photovoltaics.
Her award-winning research demonstrates a novel method of using high-resolution laser writing on thin wafers of c-Si to enable a unique chemical etching process. This process results in a nano-scale surface structure that drastically reduces light deflection over an unprecedented range.
“I’m particularly excited about these results as they are directly relevant to energy and sustainability, which are two major themes for the Department of Materials Science & Engineering,” says Professor Nogami. “It has been very rewarding to pursue this collaboration with both professors Kherani and Herman. This project shows how interdisciplinary collaboration within the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering enables us to expand our expertise beyond what might have been achieved by each of our groups individually.”
Kumar also came in third place in the research talk competition at the NSERC Photovoltaic Innovation Network’s Next Generation Solar conference, held on May 14 and 15.
A leading designer of next-generation computer chips and a respected developer of engineering design curriculum were celebrated on June 8 as U of T Engineering’s two newest recipients of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) chairs.
Professor Kamran Behdinan (MIE) has been named the NSERC Chair in Multidisciplinary Engineering Design, while Professor Vaughn Betz (ECE) has been named the NSERC/Altera Industrial Research Chair in Programmable Silicon. Both appointments were announced on May 3.
“I want to congratulate our two new chairholders, both distinguished scholars and both great credits to this Faculty,” said U of T President David Naylor.
“These chairs not only recognize the outstanding contributions of Professors Behdinan and Betz, but they also provide much-needed resources to support their work,” said Professor Yu-Ling Cheng, Acting Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
In his role, Professor Behdinan – who is also the Director of the newly established Institute for Multidisciplinary Design & Innovation in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering – will establish real-world multidisciplinary senior design projects, which will utilize industrial collaboration and support. The projects will span all nine undergraduate programs in U of T Engineering.
The establishment of multidisciplinary design projects will further unite design initiatives across the Faculty and encourage collaboration, design and innovation. The projects will encourage students to approach design on a national and international scale, addressing pressing issues such as sustainability.
Professor Betz is one of the world’s leading developers of the software that powers programmable computer chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which can become any type of chip you might need. Unlike standard chips that are produced to serve one function, FPGAs can be reprogrammed based on the needs of the user at any time.
The research chair will further enable collaboration between Professor Betz and Altera, which is one of the two leading FPGA companies and has a major research and development centre located in downtown Toronto. The research results will enable both better FPGA chips and computer-assisted design software, benefiting not only FPGA companies but also the extremely wide variety of hardware designers who use FPGAs in their systems.
“Over the last decade, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has developed an international reputation for its leadership in engineering research and education. With today’s announcement, the Faculty is set to enhance the training it provides to students,” said Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC.
Both chairholders were presented with plaques to commemorate their appointments at a reception held in the Michael E. Charles Council Chamber.
Read the original announcements of Professor Behdinan and Professor Betz’s appointments.
Six U of T engineers are among those recognized by the University’s second annual Inventors of the Year Awards competition, which honoured the work of 15 inventors at a ceremony on June 7. The awards were presented in the Banting and Best Innovation Hub on College Street.
The awards recognize U of T inventors who make significant contributions in three areas:
- Biomedical and Life Sciences
- Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Information and Communication, Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities
“We decided to launch the Inventors of the Year program in 2011 to recognize the superb contributions U of T researchers make to global society through their inventions,” said Professor Paul Young, U of T’s vice president (research). “These awards give us an excellent opportunity to reinforce that university research – and, especially, U of T research — makes a difference to progress and to the quality of our lives.”
Young also noted the importance of students to the invention process. “Each award-winning project is directed by a U of T faculty member, but it is important to note that students are vital to the process. And, remember, these students will go on to apply their experiences here at U of T in their future careers, in academia, the public and private sectors, and as citizens. Once again, we see the connection between U of T research and society.”
The 2012 awards recognized a variety of inventions, ranging from the identification of a gene that, when manipulated, dramatically improves drought resistance in crops to devices that assist children with severe physical and cognitive challenges to communicate and learn.
The 2012 Inventors of the Year are:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
- J. Stewart Aitchison, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computing Engineering; co-inventor James Dou
- Sachdev Sidhu, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research
- Peter Zandstra, Institute for Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry
- Peter McCourt, Cell and Systems Biology
Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Eugenia Kumacheva, Department of Chemistry
- Aleksandar Prodic, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Aaron Wheeler, Department of Chemistry
Information and Communication, Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities
- Tom Chau, Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering; Bloorview Research Institute
- Eyal de Lara & Michael Brudno, Department of Computer Sciences; co-inventors Andres Lagar-Cavilla, Adin Scannell, Joseph Whitney
- Dimitrios Hatzinakos, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
More detailed information about the winners and their inventions is available online.