Professor Murray Thomson (MIE) was quoted in a recent Toronto Sun news story on whether or not peat moss is to blame for a costly house fire in Clarington, Ontario.

Fire officials believe a flowerpot that contained the organic product spontaneously combusted under the sun’s rays.

Professor Thomson says that spontaneous combustion of peat moss isn’t likely to cause fire in flowerpots and then explains why.

Read the full story here.

A U of T Engineering crew was one of only two Canadian teams to win gold at RoboGames in California, North America’s largest robotics competition with its mix of engineering, motorsport and boxing.

“We are really proud, because we were the only Canadian university team [in our weight class],” said team member Wee Sheng (Wilson) Tan (MechE 1T2 + PEY). The team behind TSA Inspected went into the big battle undefeated, with an 11-0 record, and battled 23 teams to win the gold.

Winning the 120-pound category for the second year in a row, the remote-control robot called TSA Inspected was built by Paul Giampuzzi (MechE 0T8 + PEY). It may look like an upside-down hibachi on two wheels, but don’t be fooled by the simplicity. TSA Inspected defended its title by flipping opponents and avoiding any costly battle scars. Giampuzzi attributes it to “constraint-based engineering.”

Other members of the crew, from the University of Toronto Robotics Association (UTRA), were Wen Cheng Chong (EngSci 1T2 + PEY) and Rehman Merali, (UTIAS PhD Candidate).

Read the story in U of T eBulletin and learn more about the team on the Utra website.

Professors Tom Chau (EngSci 9T2, ElecE MASc 9T4) of the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), Clinton Groth of the University of Toronto’s Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), and Heather MacLean of the Department of Civil Engineering (CivE) were profiled in U of T’s Edge magazine’s Power and Partnership issue.

The spring 2011 edition highlighted the groundbreaking work being accomplished at U of T through collaboration between researchers and companies.

Find out more about the research being done by U of T Engineers in Edge Magazine .

Lack of female representation in engineering programs and the workforce is a problem facing the engineering profession. U of T Engineering has worked hard to address the inequality, as covered in an Engineers Canada article, “Wanted: More Female Engineers,” in The Globe and Mail (Special Section, May 26).

Lisa Camilleri, Assistant Dean, Academic HR & Diversity has seen a lot change at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering over the years. “Although overall the number of female professors is just under 17 per cent,” she said, “in five years the female assistant profs can become [tenured] associate professors. Five years after that – full professors. It will take time, but slowly we’ll see considerable change in how the Faculty looks. Already, when we recruit at high schools, the girls now have so many more faculty members they can relate to.”

Read the rest of the story here .

Brian Lui, a first-year Engineering Science student, was awarded a gold certification of the Duke of Edinburgh award for his community service.

He was one of 85 young Canadians presented the award last week.

The award recognizes youth between the ages of 14 and 25 who excel in one of five areas: community service, personal skill development, physical recreation, adventurous journey or residential projects.

She is a materials engineer, but also very well known as a pacifist, feminist, human rights activist, author and educator. On June 14, 2011, University Professor Emerita Ursula M. Franklin (MSE), CC, O.Ont, FRSC  will be honoured for her lifelong work in public service with an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University.

Professor Franklin joined the U of T community as a faculty member in 1967, and was the first female professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (then known as Metallurgy & Materials Science). Her research focused on the application of modern materials analysis to archaeology. She has published more than 100 scientific papers and contributed to scores of books on the structure and properties of metals and alloys, as well as on the history and social effects of technology.

To the Canadian public, Professor Franklin is widely regarded for her work as a pacifist and human rights activist. She was presented with the Pearson Medal of Peace by the United Nations for her national and international advocacy in 2001.

Born in Munich, Germany, Professor Ursula Franklin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and member of NSERC, a Canadian agency that promotes science research. In 1984, she became the first woman to be appointed as University Professor at U of T, the University’s highest rank. She was later presented with an honorary degree from U of T in 1994 for her contributions to engineering. Franklin has received several awards, including the prestigious Officer of the Order of Canada (1981), Companion of the Order of Canada (1992) and the Governor General’s Award (1991) in recognition of her work to help advance equality for women across the country. A Toronto inner city high school – the Ursula Franklin Academy – was named after the engineer and scientist for her services to education in 1995. She has also authored two books The CBC Massey Lectures – The Real World of Technology (1999) and The Ursula Franklin Reader (2006), as well as numerous technical papers.

“University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin’s dedication to research is matched only by her altruism as a community leader and mentor,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “On behalf of my colleagues and the Faculty, I congratulate her on this deserving, lifelong honour. We are so very proud.”