Generation generate: three engineering students who are passionate about sustainability
When it comes to tackling complex environmental challenges and fostering a culture of sustainability, these U of T Engineering students are generating more than just energy: they are cultivating passion, promoting change and stimulating new ideas. “Sustainability is a mindset,” said Engineering student Parisa Najafi (MSE 1T6). “It is a way of tackling problems that […]
Four ways U of T professors are engineering a greener future
From the plastic keys of your keyboard to the jet fuel that powers your flight home for the holidays, engineers are finding methods to make everyday life more affordable and more sustainable. “It is vital to closely examine the processes and infrastructure of our daily lives and ensure that they are efficient and sustainable,” said […]
Engineering students develop hydrogen-powered transportation startup
Originally published in the Winter 2015 issue of U of T Magazine. Ashrith Domun (ChemE 1T5), a third-year chemical engineering student, was learning about business plans in an entrepreneurship course when he stumbled across what he reckoned was a good market opportunity: business incentives meant to kickstart the sluggish hydrogen fuel cell industry. “It seemed like […]
Power players: How U of T engineers are building a smarter electricity grid
Originally published in the 2014 issue of ANNUM Magazine. A single unpruned tree was all it took. On Aug. 14, 2003, one hot day in a hot summer, a power line sagged onto some branches in the small village of Walton Hills, Ohio. The resulting cascading failure throughout Ontario and the northeastern United States shut down power […]
By land, by air: Engineering sustainable travel
People used to say that the journey was as important as the destination. But that was back when travel was exotic and exciting—before voyagers were so infuriated by gridlock, so concerned about safety and so consumed with their carbon footprint that the journey became something to endure, rather than savour. It doesn’t have to be […]
New technique offers spray-on solar power
Pretty soon, powering your tablet could be as simple as wrapping it in cling wrap. That’s Illan Kramer’s (ECE) hope. Kramer and colleagues have just invented a new way to spray solar cells onto flexible surfaces using miniscule light-sensitive materials known as colloidal quantum dots (CQDs)—a major step toward making spray-on solar cells easy and cheap […]
How organic LEDs are the future of sustainable, affordable lighting
Originally published in the Fall 2014 issue of Edge Magazine. There’s a revolution happening in the world of lighting, and Professor Zheng-Hong Lu’s (MSE) research into organic LEDs is leading the charge. The award-winning researcher from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering is delving into the centuries-old puzzle of energy efficiency: how to provide […]
New $5-million NSERC network uses enzymes for greener manufacturing
Instead of using fossil fuels to make plastics and industrial chemicals, what if we could harness eco-friendly enzymes—nature’s smallest helpers—to do the work? On Nov. 28, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced a five-year, $5-million grant to create the Industrial Biocatalysis Network (IBN). Based at the University of Toronto and led by […]
U of T Cities podcast episode three: sustainable cities
With the election just a week away, voter decisions are coming down to the wire: when it comes time to actually cast their ballot, will the choice they make help build a better Toronto? The latest in U of T News’ mini-series of podcasts tackles the question of sustainability to offers voters—and anyone interested in the future of urban […]
