MacEngineer Fall 2015

MacEngineer THE

Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University – 2015

HELPING BUILD THE CITIES OF THE FUTURE PAGE – 10

Spring 2015 1

ENHANCING ENGINEERING PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TOMORROW

A

s the demand for engineering graduates continues to grow so does the critical importance of the country’s universities in training the next generation of engineers.

According to the engineering labour market projections to 2025 by Engineers Canada, the labour market tightness rank of most engineering disciplines will be about 2.

This tightness rank implies that a normal market situation will prevail where there will be demand for engineering graduates. Organizations will be able to rely on their traditional methods for obtaining workers.

Demand growth will be normal and, while organizations may have to rely on migrants to meet supply, this situation will not be different from what

2 The MacEngineer

they would have faced in the past.

McMaster University is a major provider of engineering undergraduates from Ontario. We graduate roughly a fifth of software engineers, half of the materials engineers, just over an eighth of chemical engineers, and about a tenth of electrical engineers in our province. By some estimates, only about a half of all engineers pursue careers within the discipline.

According to Engineers Canada, the largest demand across the country over the coming decade will be for civil, mechanical and electrical engineers. More importantly, the data shows that the job market for engineers will become more competitive, motivating us to enhance our program offerings to add value to students’ education.

We are already addressing this issue through our renewed focus on experiential and problem-based learning.

Another way is by leveraging the unique five-year “and” programs of McMaster Engineering, such as engineering and management, and engineering and society.

A discussion with Health Sciences has resulted in the development of a five-year undergraduate engineering and biomedical program. This program, with an initial intake of 50 new students and about fifty others who are already part of the electrical and biomedical engineering program will be submitted for consideration by our university this coming academic year. Then, if appropriate, the proposal will be routed for provincial approval so that students can be recruited to McMaster Engineering, potentially for Fall 2017.

A special feature of this program will be a Level 1 emphasis on integrated learning where, rather than lecturebased instruction, students will be asked to solve engineering programs.

A second effort to develop a similar undergraduate engineering and (interdisciplinary) smart systems program, detailed in our cover story, includes integrated learning is underway in the Faculty. If successful, the discussion could result in a proposal to establish the program for student entry in Fall 2018.

McMaster Engineering is proactive in thinking about our students’ futures.

Dean of Engineering, Ishwar Puri

Contents Do you have something to say or news to share?

We would like to hear from you.

7 16 Student Focus Driving Undergraduate Program to new Heights

Making the most of their Summers

20 Ride the Hammer

22

Contact Carm Vespi Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24906 Fax: (905) 546-5492 e-mail: vespi@mcmaster.ca website: www.eng.mcmaster.ca The MacEngineer is published by the Faculty of Engineering for its alumni.

Distribution assistance is provided by the Alumni Office.

8

Celebrating 40 years of Engineering & Management

18

Joseph Ip and Dalvi Family Scholarship recipients.

The Priceless Benefit of Job Experience

31

Editor: Carm Vespi Managing Editor: Monique Beech Art Direction and Design: Jay Primeau Contributors: Pauline Mithcell, Kim Arnott, Stephen MacIntyre Photography: Daniel Banko, BANKOMEDIA, Michael Lalich, and reader contributions PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063416

Summer programs a big success

10

Helping build the cities of the future

Departments Profiles – 4

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 1280 MAIN STREET WEST HAMILTON ON L8S 4L7 e-mail: vespi@mcmaster.ca

14

Q&A with Saud ADI

21 Engineering grad’s company Telestream wins Emmy Award

Class Reunion – 6 Kudos – 23 NEWS – 26 EVENTS – 30

Spring 2015 3

ALUMNI PROFILES

Managing Risks Brings Its Own Rewards Every business venture carries risks, which led billionaire and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to remark that the biggest risk is not taking any risks. But fellow billionaire and investment wizard Warren Buffett offers a slightly different perspective when he says, “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”

Mac engineering alumni Cathy Taylor (Civil Eng. & Mgmt. 1982), who has made a career of helping companies manage their corporate risks, agrees that risk

4 The MacEngineer

can represent both danger and opportunity. The key, she says, is for businesses to understand and address risk in a systematic and explicit way.

“As anyone who has ever been to a casino knows, there are upsides and downsides to risk,” she says. “Understanding your risks allows you to make better decisions, helps you target resources to priority areas and ultimately, creates some peace of mind by eliminating surprises.”

Over the last three decades, Taylor has helped organizations in the energy, manufacturing, finance and mining industries assess, manage and mitigate the risks of doing business. While it’s a role she admits to stumbling into, courtesy of a “fortuitous water cooler meeting” with the head of Risk Management at her first job out of university, the position is one Taylor sees as employing all her talents.

“It’s the ultimate problem-solving job using both right and left brain skills,” she explains. “You need analytical and detective skills to identify and assess risk issues. Then you often need to invoke your creativity in working with people to develop and implement programs to mitigate risk.”

While she originally envisioned her degree in civil engineering would lead to work with a municipality, Taylor says the problem-solving skills she learned in engineering have been crucial to her career success. Her technical knowledge also gave her the opportunity for her initial secondment into a risk management position.

“I truly believe that an engineering degree opens more doors than most programs,” she says. “The definition of what an engineer is and does is so diverse. “

Mentoring and Leadership Skills Recognized with Top Ten Award Like many sons, Paul Smeltzer’s (Civil Engineering, 1979) career inspiration came from his father. Unlike many sons however, Smeltzer was nearly a teen when his father, who hadn’t graduated high school, resumed his studies to earn his ticket as a stationary engineer.

“I thought it was pretty cool to have a father who was an engineer, and I decided that’s what I wanted to do too.”

Now 36 years into his career, Smeltzer recognizes the value that role models and mentors have for young people.

As Director of Water and Wastewater Services for the Region of Niagara, he leads a team of more than 230 employees responsible for providing citizens with safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment services. He has

also made leadership, mentoring, and an open-door policy the cornerstones of his management style.

“I don’t believe I could have accomplished what I have if not for the mentors in my life,” he says. “Young people need training, nurturing and above all, leadership. That’s where mentors come in.”

Informal workplace mentoring opportunities are fostered through a culture of open communication and sharing. A comprehensive training program, established after mandatory certification for water and wastewater operators was introduced in the late 1990s, has helped employees develop skills and advance their careers.

Smeltzer also worked with a local college to develop a training program for operators.

As a result of his initiatives, the municipality has been able to develop a strong internal promotion process that has resulted in staff moving into increasingly responsible management positions.

Beyond his workplace, Smeltzer’s commitment to inspiring others has carried over to both his community and his professional association. In 2014, he chaired the organizing committee that brought the American Public Works Association’s (APWA) 2014 International Congress and Exposition to Toronto.

His commitment was recognized by his industry earlier this year, when he was named a Top Ten Public Works Leader by the APWA .

It’s an honour he describes as “a really great reward,” in a career that’s melded the technical engineering challenges of large-scale public sector projects with the opportunity to inspire and direct people through leadership and mentoring.

Engineering Opens Door to a World of Opportunities From China and Papau New Guinea, to the Egyptian pyramids and the Canadian north, Mike Romano’s (Chemical 1988) career has taken him around the globe. But he’s convinced it has been his engineering degree that’s offered the key to opening the door to a world of opportunities.

For two decades, Romano has worked for manufacturing companies supplying technical equipment and value added services to the oil and gas, chemical and water and wastewater industries.

His global travels have given him a front row seat to transformational changes taking place in countries like China, Qatar, Egypt, and even within the Canadian oil sands.

“I was lucky enough to start my career with a large multinational chemical company that gave me great training I would need in future roles,” said Romano. “Plastics were a great place to start in the 80’s.

“But my opportunity for global experiences arrived with my move into the field of oil and gas pipelines, where major projects are underway all over the world.”

Along with a range of global adventures, Romano says his engineering education has given him the chance to be involved in fields including product development, product and marketing management, business and strategy development, and executive level sales and marketing leadership roles.

Strong technical skills and knowledge allow engineers to quickly understand the products and technologies in demand anywhere in the world, he says.

“To start their careers, engineering graduates should seek to build a niche in a key technical area, where they can establish themselves as the go-to expert

and make themselves indispensable,” he suggests.

“Early in my career, I worked on several new technology and process patents. It was very gratifying to see these patents issued on a global basis, and even more gratifying to take these technologies to the global pipeline market as the new industry standard, ultimately generating sales growth and establishing a technology leadership position for the company.”

With the world – and a world of opportunities – at the fingertips of today’s engineers, Romano’s 17-year-old son recently took part in MAC’s LEAP program that gives high school students an introduction to engineering studies.

Spring 2015 5

done with his PhD in plastics. “What got me the job at RIM was the fact that my PhD involved analyzing types of plastics under high frequencies, in fact, radio frequencies” he said. “It just so happened the work I was doing and how I was doing it was a perfect match for what RIM was at the time.”

It wasn’t always easy. Wasylyshyn spent nine years at McMaster in materials engineering. He would complete his undergrad, master’s degree, and finally his PhD. Graduating with his master’s degree in 1995, job weren’t promising and options looked bleak. He found himself PhD Pathways: Dwayne Wasylyshyn weighing the pros and cons of pursuing The year was 1998 and materials a job or returning to school for a PhD. engineering alumnus Dwayne As soon as he learned he’d have the Wasylyshyn just completed his PhD. chance to work again with his master’s A small company at the time, Research in Motion (RIM), was in need degree supervisor, Professor Gyan of someone to solve product issues with Johari, the decision was easy.

After completing his PhD, Wasylyone of their devices, the email pager.

Having a contact within the compa- shyn became the problem solver RIM ny, Wasylyshyn was able to secure a po- was looking for.

“I had just come from that environsition which they made just for him. A role that dealt with exactly what he had ment doing my PhD, so I said if you can

CLASS REUNION

’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ‘90

Thank you to all those who came out to celebrate their class reunions on Saturday, June 13, 2015.

Hope to see the classes ’66, ’71, ’76, ’81, ’86, ’91 next year.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

6 The MacEngineer

get me a piece of equipment, I can set up an experiment to figure out why this screw is rusting or why this is happening,” Wasylyshyn said. “I could talk the language from my materials background where a lot of engineers here know a lot about their respective fields but materials were a black box to them.”

Being a critical component to RIM would lead to many opportunities for Wasylyshyn.

His team would finally grow to a point where he would become senior manager of materials research, a position he holds today.

Looking back at his time spent at McMaster and the choices he made academically, he would not change a thing.

“If you don’t hit the lottery by making an app or a product that doesn’t make you a billionaire within the year, the skills of a PhD help you to think critically,” he said. “Of all my colleagues who have done PhDs, they are all doing quite well in highly technical fields, highly demanding fields.”

STUDENT FOCUS DRIVING UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TO NEW HEIGHTS Associate Dean of Engineering, Dr. Ken Coley leads the conversation back to student success and experience when you ask him about the undergraduate engineering program at McMaster.

His role as associate dean (academic) is to look after all aspects of the undergraduate programs, from recruitment and curriculum development to accreditation. “The reality is, everything comes back to student success and experience,” says Coley. “We have to support student success and enrich their experiences every way we can.”

The goal is to attract students who want to change the world and equip them with the tools and skills to make that happen. Coley adds, “While we assume that was always the case, we have more confidence today about saying so, knowing that we have a shared commitment to delivering on that.”

He insists that the culture and tradition of focusing on student success preceded his arrival at McMaster nearly 20 years ago. He carries on that tradition by trying to make changes that will ultimately benefit students. Coley gets excited talking about new programs for engineering and biomedical engineer-

ing, and engineering and smart systems, currently in development, and foresees growing enrolment and even lower attrition in the years ahead.

He lets the numbers speak for themselves. In his time at McMaster, enrolment in engineering has grown, entry qualifications are higher, more students advance beyond first year, there are more programs, more engagement outside the classroom and among students, and greater collaboration at every level.

(See graphic)

Experiential Learning that will be home for clubs and teams run by students, the peer tutoring and mentoring programs students are leading, and the macLab Endowment Fund where students contribute and determine how to disburse raised funds for equipment to improve their lab experiences.

There’s more value placed today on experiences outside the classroom and bringing these experiences into the classroom, and more emphasis on developing well-rounded professionals.

Engineering I and Engineering I Co-op

1995

2015

Future

Admissions Average

78%

89%

90%+ with exemplary supplementary application

Level I Enrolment

450 to 500

880

1,100

Attrition (Level I to Level II)

25%

8%

Less than 4.5%

Reluctant to take credit for the everimproving undergraduate numbers, Coley believes they reflect the student-focused philosophy in engineering and combined contributions by faculty and students to the student experience. He mentions the new Gerald Hatch Centre for Engineering

All of that bodes well for the future of the undergraduate program and the success in life for engineering students.

Spring 2015 7

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT The Bachelor of Engineering & Management program was the brainchild of progressive leaders at McMaster University who understood the changing dynamics in Canada’s job market. Knowing the value of engineers with a background in business, the faculty married engineering and management together.

In honour of the 40th anniversary of this unique program, a special dinner was held on June 13, 2015. More than 140 alumni and distinguished guests attended the gala-style event at McMaster Univer-

sity’s Convocation Hall. Engineering & Management alumnus Stephen Elop, former executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group, gave a speech to the crowd entitled ‘Engineering and Management: The Crucible of Destruction.’ Previously, Elop held the position of Nokia’s CEO. Leading up to his speech at the event, Elop took time to answer a series of questions from the MacEngineer on his distinguished career and some of the challenges that come with being on top.

Q&A with STEPHEN ELOP What is your best memory from your days at McMaster?

My best memories involve the many people from whom I learned so much when I wasn’t in class. A summer of working with Dr. Alan Smith to write the “Orange Book” to familiarize students with the brand new VAX-11/780. Getting the faculty into the business of financed PCs for incoming students with Dr. Gilles Patry. Destroying various things on the earthquake shake tables with the team in the Applied Dynamics Lab. Plotting an Engineering-led University-wide Ethernet with Dr. Art Heidebrecht. Getting called into the President’s office after it came to light that some of us had … never mind.

8 The MacEngineer

How did a degree in Engineering and Management from McMaster prepare you for your career?

As one studies the many large technological and product disruptions that have positively impacted society, it is often the case that a disruption is the successful marriage of innovation in both product-making and in the business model around those products. The Engineering and Management program prepares one to pursue these disruptions by equipping students with both the engineering and business prowess required to contemplate the “whole” innovation.

If you could go back in time and give advice to your 18-year-old self, what would you say?

I began to think that I would advise myself about managing one’s level of intensity, to strike the right balance, but I realize that “we are who we are”.

I think the counsel would be more nuanced; specifically, to push for greater diversity in where one applies his or her intensity. Be it diversity in the range of topics and disciplines that one explores, diversity in how one manages his or her life, or diversity in geography or culture, I believe that the best outcomes are derived when one has the greatest diversity of information and experiences on which to draw. The advice is therefore simple: pursue diversity in what you do and how you do it, and you will be better for it.

High profile positions naturally bring an opportunity for public scrutiny and commentary – it’s part of the job. And no matter what the circumstances, no matter what decision you make, there are people who will agree with you and there are those who will disagree, with lots of passion on both sides of the debate. I often found it helpful to actually absorb feedback, and judge for myself the various points of view. Of course, it is human nature to too easily dismiss the naysayers, because you see flaws or missing context in their arguments. But one has to remain humble: in the same way that many naysayers disagree for the wrong reason, there are surely just as many people agreeing with you for the wrong reason. In other words, don’t let too much of the positive or negative go to your head!

You’re someone who has held several high profile positions at major tech companies. What has been the most difficult part of being in the public spotlight these last few years and how did you work to overcome that adversity?

What advice would you pass on to students, particularly engineering students, who are looking to break into the tech sector?

(Besides getting an Engineering and Management degree at McMaster University)

With the steady demand for engineering talent, I think the challenge is less about breaking into the tech sector and more about what you do when you get there. The work of Carol Dweck, the Stanford psychologist and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success describes the “Growth Mindset” concept that has become a popular topic of conversation within Microsoft.

In short, the Growth Mindset is about being on a continuous arc of learning, of embracing failures and using those moments to improve in the future.

The tech sector is filled with examples of efforts and people that faced setback after setback, who learned from those setbacks, and still moved forward and ultimately succeeded. And then succeeded again. A Growth Mindset is a huge component of the dynamism and constant reinvention of the tech sector.

Spring 2015 9

E

Want to learn more about smart systems at McMaster University? Watch the video: http://bit.do/mcmastereng

10 The MacEngineer

E

HELPING BUILD THE CITIES OF THE FUTURE

The increasing connectivity of our world, or the Internet of Things, continues to change everything, from how we catch a taxi, book a trip or turn on the thermostat.

There are forecasts that 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020, representing a $19-trillion (U.S.) global market.

At McMaster Engineering, we’re ready to take on this challenge. As we envision the future of engineering in this digital age, our faculty members are contributing their wealth of experience in exploring new frontiers and mapping the way for new systems, capabilities and organizations.

“McMaster Engineering is future-focused,” says Ishwar K. Puri, McMaster’s dean of engineering. “We, therefore, place major attention on smart systems. Its centrepiece is to make cities smarter about how they function, connect people and services, and grow.”

The faculty recognizes the urgent need for the problem-solving expertise of systems engineers, who have the sophisticated and up-to-date training, skills and knowledge required for our 21st-century world. As a result, we’ve started developing a new five-year undergraduate engineering and smart systems program.

“Engineers will play a pivotal role in outlining for society by articulating the opportunities and costs associated with really radical new ways that deliver health care, transport goods, and create and use energy,” says John Preston, Associate Dean, Research and External Relations, McMaster University.

Work in the area of Internet of Things is already being done at McMaster.

Meet eight engineering faculty members who are contributing to smart systems technology and ideas to help build the city of the future:

ENERGY Jim Cotton, Mechanical Engineering Professor Lost and Found: Thermal Energy Conservation To make most products, it takes energy.

Too often, a lot of energy used in industrial production and other businesses goes to waste. Same goes for energy transmission through electricity, natural gas, pipe oil pathways that supply our homes and communities; as much as 70% of potential energy is wasted during production. Tapping into this valuable resource is McMaster Engineer-

MANUFACTURING ing’s Jim Cotton. Cotton, a mechanical engineering professor, is finding ways to gather energy through harvesting heat. With a focus on integrated energy systems, Cotton and his research team are working on several projects, including capturing lost energy from Pizza Pizza’s ovens. This year, Cotton and a team of researchers was awarded a $3.8M grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ontario Research Fund to create Integrated Building Energy Harvesting Systems, which will allow researchers to pursue the alternative to the current ‘siloed’ energy sources we currently use.

Chris Swartz, Chemical Engineering Professor Smart processes: Optimizing production lines Imagine a factory that’s run by remote control. For Chemical Engineering Professor Chris Swartz that’s already a reality. Swartz spends a lot of time thinking about the factory of the future and the details required for integrated systems to work. Swartz, the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Chair in Process Automation and Information Technology, explores the coordination of how varying systems

Spring 2015 11

SAFETY CRITICAL SOFTWARE

interact. Swartz, who also serves as director of the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium, and his research team, use mathematical algorithms and models that predict the future behavior of these processes. This is done so all systems operate in a coordinated fashion, something that is extremely necessary as cities and manufacturing systems become more and more automated through the use of technology.

connectivity, productivity, and environmental sustainability in construction and transportation.

TRANSPORTATION

Finding clean and abundant drinking water is a challenge around the world. Sarah Dickson, an associate civil engineering professor, is working to turn the tide on this harsh reality through the use of emerging technologies. By using a global database and smartphones, Dickson intends to help smaller, marginalized regions around the globe pinpoint the location of and secure access to water supplies. The program director for Water Without Borders, Dickson’s research focuses on the input, transport and fate of contaminants in groundwater systems. Water Without Borders is a collaborative graduate program in water, environment and health between McMaster and the United Nations University that takes a trans-disciplinary and global approach to the water quality problem.

Saiedeh Razavi, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Using Locational Awareness for Safety Although construction areas are easy to spot, sometimes the dangers they pose are not. Civil Engineering Associate Professor Saiedeh Razavi is paving the way for safer construction zones using innovative technology that will shape the way humans interact with heavy machinery. By using smartphones and sensors, Razavi’s work is providing reliable and accurate situational information, warnings and emergency responses that can be used by construction workers, equipment operators and motorist to avoid hazards and congestion. This is one of many projects for Razavi, whose research focuses on

12 The MacEngineer

WATER Sarah Dickson, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Seeking and Securing Clean Water

Mark Lawford, Computing and Software Professor Putting the Standards in Software When an engineer builds a bridge, she is required to perform standard analyses that produce direct evidence that the design satisfies regulations that help to ensure public safety. The same can’t be said for software, which can be found in everything from cars to home appliances to health care equipment. Mark Lawford of the Department of Computing and Software has spent the past 17 years researching how to make software-controlled systems safer. By determining the best means of developing safety critical software and demonstrating system safety in a cost effective manner. Prof. Lawford is providing the key enabling technology of the smart systems and smart cities of the future - safe, dependable software.

WASTE WATER David Latulippe, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Waste Not, Want Not Bill Gates amazed the world in early 2015 by drinking sewer sludge that had been transformed into safe water.

McMaster’s David Latulippe has similar plans to turn sludge into something useful. The focus of the assistant chemi-

cal engineering professor’s research is turning wastewater into energy – specifically in the form of biogas. The advanced treatment strategies that are being developed through his research will allow future cities to turn their wastewater facilities into revenue generators, as they will be producing more energy than is needed to run them.

This type of research is multifaceted and serves environmental and alternative energy fields.

HEALTH CARE Carlos Filipe, Chemical Engineering Professor Preventing Disease through Technology If this technology had a flavour, it would be cool mint. Specializing in disease prevention, Chemical Engineering Professor Carlos Filipe and his research team are using the concept of a mint breath strip to test water for contaminants. While traditional methods take weeks for results, Filipe’s method takes minutes, and virtually anyone will be able to do it. Comparing the process

to that of dropping sugar into a cup of coffee, the water tester (which comes in a pill form) is key to not only helping expedite this lengthy process, but also available to those in remote regions.

Filipe and his team intend to apply the same principle to vaccines.

RISK MANAGEMENT Wael El-Dakhakhni, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Building for Catastrophe

climate change causing more natural disaster events than ever before, and with technological disasters increasing, creating resilient communities goes beyond just engineering. That’s why civil engineer Wael El-Dakhakhni intends to combine traditional science, social science, and medicine with engineering knowledge within the Institute for Multi-hazard Systemic Risk Studies.

This institution brings together all of these areas to reflect the communities in which these buildings are being constructed in, for perseverance, longevity, and safety of future resilient cities.

Building structurally sound buildings alone isn’t enough anymore. With

Spring 2015 13

QA &

WITH SAUD ADI

SAUD

14 The MacEngineer

McMaster University alumnus Saud Adi (BTech. 2013) has created a successful condo development business with his brother, Tariq. The brothers launched Adi Development Group in 2007 in Burlington, while Saud was attending McMaster’s Bachelor of Technology program. The pair has found success building contemporary condo developments aimed at a young, design-conscious crowd. A testament to its growth and success, the company is forecasting $100 million in revenue this year.

Saud Adi, who also studied construction engineering at George Brown College, talks to McMaster Engineering about how he got his start, who inspires him to succeed, and the advantages of a technology degree in the business world.

TARIQ

Q: How did you get your start in condo development?

Adi: It all started with a bid on a piece of property around the corner from our

house. The bid went out to the l argest developers in the region.

At the time, we had no name established in the industry, we were two young guys suddenly launched into the big leagues. Ten offers were short-listed and we were one of them. Incredibly, we ended up winning the bid only because of the relationship we had built with that agent. We realized afterwards that winning the bid was the easy part.

We had to jump through dozens of hoops before launching the project.

It was a really challenging time.

At the end of the day, we pushed through all of these roadblocks to get it built. We made a great return on that deal and we just decided to keep rolling everything back in.

Since then, we have been constantly growing to the point now where we have a portfolio of about roughly 5,000 units in the works, between planning, construction and acquisition.

Q: How has your education prepared you for what you’re doing now?

Adi: My dad kind of forced me into it.

He told me to go into business and I was like, ‘what does that mean? What is my job?’ I was looking for some sort of guidance. All I knew is that I didn’t want to work at a bank. So I took some time off. I went to George Brown and began working and studying in construction and engineering and loved it.

It’s funny, on my graduation day my dad looked at me and said ‘Okay son, it’s time for the big one,’ and I’m like ‘this is probably the happiest time of my life and you’re telling me it’s time for the big one as in go to university?’

So I went to university just for him.

I knew I could get it done. I was busy with work, but I had to get it done for him. At the end of the day, it taught me valuable lessons in perseverance and determination because it was really hard. It wasn’t easy. There were some classes that were very challenging and I tested myself, all the while starting up a business. I continued to tell myself that

these guys in the room aren’t smarter than me, it’s just a matter of working hard. I knew if I focused and gave it my all then I could do really well. And I did do really well. I graduated with honours at the exact time that my company was really taking off.

Q: You must’ve been working at your business while you attended McMaster.

Adi: Oh yeah, it was literally a full time thing. I had no life and no friends during that time. I had a goal. I wanted to be successful in life and I knew what I wanted to do. School was my focus and work was my focus, and in the end, it paid off tenfold. I’m very happy now.

Q: Our dean is always saying that engineering is the liberal degree of the 21st century. What he means by that is really is that it prepares you to do virtually anything. You’re doing something like that, something that’s not directly related to engineering.

Adi: Absolutely, I’ll be honest with you. I could honestly say engineering is probably the hardest undergrad degree you could do coming out of high school. Hats off to kids that do it right out of high school because I didn’t do it; I needed time to collect myself.

It’s not an easy degree.

If you do well in an engineering program it really sets you up for a few things in life. Your work ethic is a little bit better because you need that to succeed in the program; your teamwork is better because you need that to survive your courses; your problem solving is a little better because you do that on a daily basis. It really sets you up for the future.

Q: What advice you would pass on to current students here.

Adi: Honestly, don’t ever quit. I’ve had

my own parents tell me to stop what I’m doing and get a job. They had all the best intentions but at the end of the day, that was their first gut reaction to starting my own business and not having the safety net of a pay cheque.

They’re my biggest fans now.

My advice is this: Follow your dreams, get a mentor. Find a role model to look up to and learn from the risks they’ve taken, the mistakes they’ve made, and the success they’ve had.

That’s how to make your dream come true. Everything takes time. Nothing is overnight. It’s taken us a really long time to get where we are and I still don’t think I am at where I want it to be. I’ll keep pushing until I get there.

Q: You mentioned mentorship. Who is your mentor?

Adi: Through reading, I learned a lot from Donald Trump. I read The Art of the Deal. It was a great book. It showed me the internal side of the development industry, the challenges and stuff like that.

My dad is a huge, huge role model that I look up to. He started from nothing and became a doctor and eventually became the director manager of medical health services in the airports in Saudi Arabia. In terms of success I look up to him, but as far as the real estate business, I look up to Donald Trump. I love what he did with his brand. We want to elevate our brand to that level and I think we have done that pretty well, actually.

Q: What’s next for you and your brother?

Adi: Our developments are in Burlington, our offices are in Burlington, I live in Burlington, but we are expanding beyond the city’s boundaries. We’re looking to be the top real estate brand in Ontario and we’re slowly growing into the space.

Spring 2015 15

MAKING THE MOST OF THEIR SUMMERS During the summer months, undergraduate students had the opportunity to work as Research Assistants (RAs) in the Faculty of Engineering.

This past summer, there were over 140 students working as RAs with engineering professors, researchers and graduate students. They worked in the faculty’s research centres and labs. Many of the undergraduate RAs are also McMaster Engineering students, and some are from other McMaster faculties (e.g., Science) and different universities.

Here are the experiences of three McMaster Engineering undergraduate summer researchers:

COMPUTER SCIENCE SUPER STAR Alyssia Jovellanos is a quintessential busy bee.

The second-year computer science student has a full schedule.

The 19-year-old is the McMaster Computer Science Society president and recently selected Microsoft Student Partner. She is also the organizer for an annual event at McMaster where hundreds of students from across Canada participate in creating software and hardware projects, called DeltaHacks.

With what spare time she has, she uses it to represent McMaster in hackathons across the globe.

On top of that, Jovellanos spent this past summer as an undergrad researcher for computing and software professor Christopher Anand.

Becoming an undergrad researcher helped her hone her skills and explore her interests. Being a student that wants to explore all things computer science, she is taking full advantage of what McMaster offers.

16 The MacEngineer

“I realized that there are a plethora of directions in which I could go regarding a future career,” she said. “I saw participating in the summer research program as a great way to be more acquainted with McMaster and its resources, prepare for potential graduate school, as well as gain the opportunity to meet other researchers.”

She combined her passion for software with work while in computing and software outreach.

In this role she taught the basics in computer science to students in grades four through eight.

Part of a team, she made software tools to help these students create their own simple programs.

One of the perks of being an undergrad researcher was being able to ask for guidance while in a familiar setting.

“Professor Anand demonstrated to me that he is, undoubtedly, a great mentor,” said Jovellanos. “I also received support from a fellow student in computer science, Joanathan Boulanger, who reassured me when I felt overwhelmed.”

As she enters her second year at McMaster, Jovellanos will be using this summer’s experience to take on new things.

What’s next on this busy bee’s list?

Creating the Women in Technology Society.

TAKING CONTROL OF MIXED FEELINGS Fourth year chemical engineering and management student Moustafa Kassem found himself indecisive.

After falling in love with electrical engineering after seeing the final year capstone projects from the ECE Poster Day, he thought it was his path.

Yet, after a conversation with chemical engineering professor Carlos Filipe and some research, Kassem felt it was a better fit.

Wanting to gain practical skills and learn more about the field, he became an undergrad researcher for chemical engineering professor Christopher Swartz.

“Right now I’m working on the dynamic modelling for this process called

the Tennessee Eastman problem” he said. “It’s an actual industrial chemical process but it’s used in literature as a way to all around test different control algorithms, optimization, and just trying multiple approaches.”

An open-sourced process, the Tennessee Eastman problem is a way of allowing chemical engineers to attain an equal level benchmark in order to compare the performance of different algorithms for controlling and operating the process.

Kasem’s role is to implement mathematical equations that capture the behavior of the actual industrial process into a computer system, which are solved numerically to simulate the response of the plant under various conditions.

“This is the industrial process of creating chemicals and isolating the ones you want out of the feeds that you are putting into it” he said with a laugh.

“What I do is the modelling of the process which will hopefully lay the foundation for the future works.”

Understanding that he would learn a lot this summer, gaining a mentor was a pleasant surprise.

“Mohammad Zamry Jamaludin, the Ph.D student I’m working with would be a role model, as he’s the person I always go to when I need help on something” Kassem said. “I feel I get more life advice from him as he’s working the same stream I want to go into, he’s been

a good guidance.”

The support doesn’t stop there.

Kassem values the seminars offered to undergrad researchers and recommends those to attend them if they can.

“They were wonderful, instead of learning the hard way when it comes to, for example, communication skills, you’re learning through other people so it’s definitely a great experience” he said.

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER Ryan Rogers is often called the guy who has it all figured out. But the fourth year Mechanical Engineering and Management student and president of the McMaster Engineering Society often feels the exact opposite.

But like a lot of students, he’s still determining what to do after graduation.

So Rogers turned to one of his mechanical engineering professors, James Cotton, for help. He asked if he could work with him over the summer to explore his interest in heat transfer.

“It was the right place, right time, and I was really grateful for it because I’ve learned so much,” Rogers said. “I’ve gone from yeah I could do this to yeah I actually really want to do this, there’s a huge mind shift that comes with it”.

In about three months, Rogers has gone from never considering grad

school to it being an option.

His role as a paid summer undergraduate researcher has also led him to new opportunities, such as the niche market that his research serves.

Working under Cotton entails lab work centered on a project that captures wasted energy from pizza ovens dubbed the TEG POWER Project.

The project is a collaborative effort between Cotton and Pizza Pizza to harness wasted energy from conventional pizza ovens.

Through this experience, Rogers connected the dots between his skills and interests.

“My main goal is very much wanting to be engineering mechanical systems for environmentally friendly purposes,” he said. “When I found out I could have a similar impact, and help the environment from a completely different angle, that was really rewarding.”

As he concludes the summer as an undergrad researcher and begins the school year as MES president, Rogers can now look back at the past few months and say with confidence that he has finally figured it out.

Spring 2015 17

Andrea Obungen, Giorgos Kyprianou, Lauren McGregor, Dylan Genuth-Okon

JOSEPH IP AND DALVI FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS.

A

t McMaster Engineering, we acknowledge excellence.

That’s why we are pleased to recognize this year’s Joseph Ip Entrance Scholarship and Dalvi Family Entrance Scholarship award recipients.

The four recipients of the Joseph Ip Entrance Scholarship ($10,000 each) achieved a minimum admission average of 95% and demonstrated leadership skills and involvement in extracurricular activities.

“I would like to congratulate Lauren McGregor, Giorgos Kyprianou, Dylan Genuth-Okon and Andrea Obungen for their outstanding academic achievements and excellent leadership skills,” says Joseph Ip (EngPhys 1979, M.Phys

18 The MacEngineer

1979), a former executive at what is now JDSU who contributed $1 million to the Faculty of Engineering for student scholarships and the Distinguished Engineering Fellow Program. “I am very pleased that they have chosen McMaster Engineering program for further development, and wish them continued success in their individual paths forward.”

The two recipients of the Dalvi Family Entrance Scholarship ($7,500 each) achieved achieved a minimum admission average of 95%. Gregoy Lech and Rashan Bashar received this year’s awards.

“My parents were very passionate about education and made many sacrifices for my education,” says Ashok Dalvi. “So this is partly in appreciation of their efforts. I have been associated with McMaster University and Hamilton

since the day I arrived in Canada.

I spent the first four years of my stay in Canada at the university campus as a graduate student. Since my graduation I have been involved with the university in many ways. In addition to me, we have two more family members who are McMaster alumni – my son Anil and his wife Briana. So we have strong family ties with the University.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S IP AND DAVLI SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS:

E

Gregory Lech

JOSEPH IP ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIP Name: Dylan Genuth-Okon Age: 18 Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina If you could send a message to those who established your scholarship or award, what would it be?: Thank you so much. The scholarship made my choice of picking McMaster so much easier to make. This money helped me out so much because I have no financial assistance from anyone or an RESP plan. Having first year paid off is also going to help me focus on school and learning rather than worry about payments and debt.

Name: Lauren McGregor Age: 17 Hometown: Bracebridge, Ontario Why did you choose McMaster Engineering?: I chose McMaster’s Engineering program for a number of reasons. McMaster is well known for the quality of its engineering program and is one of Canada’s top universities overall. The aspects that really drew me to McMaster, however, were its collaborative atmosphere and its focus on sustainable engineering practices.

I hope to be able to use my education in engineering in an environmentally focused career in the future.

Rashan Bashar

Name: Andrea Obungen Age: 18 Hometown: Toronto, Ontario If you were to send a message to those who created the scholarships you received, what would you say?: There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the people who created this scholarship and for those who decided to award me with it. Not only has this scholarship taken a huge financial load off my shoulders but it has also brought me to a school with a welcoming and supportive community.

That in itself is priceless. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing opportunity and I truly hope to make the most of it.

Name: Giorgos Kyprianou Age: 18 years old Hometown: Brantford, ON Why did you choose McMaster Engineering?: McMaster is undoubtedly an excellent and prestigious university, but further than that I knew McMaster could give me the University experience I was looking for. From my first visit, I could feel a sense of belonging and inclusiveness and realized that McMaster possesses all the elements that make a school great; high academic levels, hundred of clubs that take

learning outside the classroom, sports and athletics and a ton of school spirit.

Now, having experienced the McMaster lifestyle the last few weeks, I know I made the right choice for me.

DALVI FAMILY ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIP Name: Rashan Bashar Age: 18 Hometown: Milton, ON If you could send a message to those who established your scholarship or award, what would it be?: First, I would thank them repetitively and then I would thank them again for giving so many students the opportunity to thrive and to share their ideas with the world.

Name: Gregory Lech Age: 18 Hometown: Hamilton, On Why did I choose to come to McMaster?: I chose McMaster because of their reputation for excellence on the world stage, in both academics and sport. The campus is absolutely beautiful, and the faculty and ambassadors are extremely welcoming. The combination of these factors creates an atmosphere at McMaster that is unlike any other University I visited, and I wanted to be part of it.

Spring 2015 19

CAFE E-Xpress Friday, October 30, 2015

the Hammer Hamilton’s “smart bike” program is the first bike share program of it’s kind in Ontario. The program’s uniqueness comes from the tracking technology built into the cycles themselves. Launched last March, it’s hard to miss seeing one of the 750 blue bikes or 110 hubs that identify Hamilton’s bike share program, called SoBi. “Bike share is the fastest growing transportation mode in the world,” explains Peter Topalovic (Computer Engineering and Society, 2004 and Engineering and Public Policy 2008), Project Manager in Transportation Demand Management with the City of Hamilton, and a two-time McMaster Engineering graduate. He adds, “Bike share complements existing public transit and provides first and last mile connectivity by filling in transit gaps.”

Topalovic is responsible for planning and developing the pro-

20 The MacEngineer

gram as part of the City’s integrated mobility strategy. After contact with McMaster’s Sustainability Office, he engaged with students from various faculties including Business, Arts and Science, and Engineering, gaining important insights and research options that led to development of the city-wide program.

Topalovic says he learned the importance of collaboration as an Engineering and Public Policy grad student in the W Booth School. “I gained the tools and skills to understand the context of my engineering work in the community. It’s hard to be successful without collaboration.”

Similar to car share programs, riders can reserve a bike through the SoBi app, and pay for a one-time use or purchase monthly or yearly memberships. Although there are SoBi Hubs (bike racks) located throughout the city, because of the built in GPS, SoBi bikes can be left on any bike rack for a small recovery fee.

Annual passes are offered to McMaster students at a special rate of $70. Interested riders can sign up for the bike share program at sobihamilton.ca

JHE-328, Grad Lounge John Hodgins Engineering Building, McMaster University

Key Challenges to Sustainable Steel with DR. NESLIHAN DOGAN Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Due to an ever increasing demand for high quality steels, there is a worldwide increasing push for steelmakers to improve their steelmaking processes.

This push is even becoming greater as automotive manufacturers require stronger thinner sections for lighter vehicles because recent regulations impose demanding vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and passenger safety goals. Another aspect is the effect of the steelmaking process itself on the environment. Global awareness of the adverse effect of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide content in climate change is increasing. As one of the major CO2 emitters, steel industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of their production processes. This talk touches on the concept of sustainability within the wider steelmaking industry and elaborates on the successes and struggles that steel industry faces in working towards a more sustainable business.

ENGINEERING GRAD’S COMPANY TELESTREAM WINS EMMY AWARD

Shawn Carnahan, an Electrical Engineering grad from the Class of 1982, is co-founder and chief technical officer of Telestream.

The company won an Emmy Award Sunday night for its innovative work in closed captioning.

H

BO’s smash hit drama Game of Thrones wasn’t the only winner at Sunday night’s Emmy Awards.

Electrical Engineering grad Shawn Carnahan’s company Telestream also took home hardware for its pioneering work in closed captioning.

The Nevada City, Californiabased company has developed fast and simple ways to author and edit closed captions and subtitles for any type of video.

The company was named the winner of an Emmy Award for Technology and Engineering ahead of Sunday’s main ceremony.

“We award the Technology and Engineering Emmy to companies who are the ‘tool makers’ of the industry that have materially affected the television viewing experience,” says Robert P. Seidel, chairman, Engineering Achievement Committee, National Awards Committee.

“Just as screen actors are cited for Oscars and stage performers are

similarly proud of their Tonys, so should the team at Telestream feel uplifted by its achievements in the demanding area of broadband captioning.”

Carnahan, co-founder of Telestream, also serves as its chief technical officer.

“The importance of captions goes far beyond legal requirements,” he says.

“From helping deaf and hard of hearing individuals enjoy television to assisting viewers with language ambiguity and allowing a weary traveler catch the news in a crowded airport, captions play a critical role in our society.

“To be recognized in this way is a fitting tribute to all the hard work that our team has invested. We feel honoured to have been recognized.”

Spring 2015 21

THE PRICELESS BENEFIT OF JOB EXPERIENCE

A

fter three years of study in the Materials Engineering and Society Program, Paul Tallon says he was attracted to an internship as a way of earning some cash to pay his tuition bill. But while the salary he earned during his year-long working experience was helpful, he’s decided it was the experience that was priceless.

From May 2014 to April 2015, Tallon worked as an intern with Suncor Energy in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Under the direction of a materials engineer, he worked in quality assurance and reliability for the company’s extraction section, which contained six different plants and kilometres of pipeline.

“It’s a very big sector to be in with

22 The MacEngineer

a lot of things that could fail, so my department was really critical,” he said.

“We were constantly looking at things that could fail and we were constantly looking to upgrade things.

It was really kind of a metallurgist’s dream, I’d say.”

Along with undertaking root cause analysis of failed components, such as sections of pipes, Tallon was responsible for documenting all failures in the extraction section. He was also involved in a project that upgraded a kilometre of pipeline from carbon steel to stainless steel, in an attempt to address rusting issues.

The experience taught him that workplace success relies on a different form of learning than he is accustomed to in a classroom. He saw the need to absorb verbal instructions and explana-

tions, and learn as you progress through a project.

“It is a different muscle almost, to learn in the workplace instead of in academics, but there is definite crossover,” he said. “The most exciting thing, I think, was to see something I knew from my textbooks in real life, and think, ‘I can understand why I need to learn this.’”

Tallon says his experience has focused his career aspirations on the energy sector, although most likely in a renewable energy field.

“To have real life experience after my degree, I think is huge. I think it will put me on top of some others who don’t have it in terms of interviews and getting jobs, as well as understanding where I want to be after school.”

KUDOS!

It gives me great pleasure announce the following newly approved Administrative Academic Appointments. Ishwar Puri DIRECTORS

DR. RAY LAPIERRE He is currently Department Chair and an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics. Ray obtained his BSc in Physics from Dalhousie University, and his MASc and PhD in Engineering Physics from McMaster University.

Upon completing his PhD, Ray joined JDS Uniphase as a Product Engineer/ Research Scientist. After seven years with JDS Uniphase, Ray moved on from his position as Manufacturing Engineering Manager to join the Department of Engineering Physics as a Sessional Lecturer. Ray has been a member of the Department since 2004 serving as both Undergraduate and Graduate Associate Chair. During this time, Ray also began a start-up company, Si35, which aims to commercialize nanowire-based solar cells. In addition to the above, Ray has sat on a number of Editorial Boards and is currently a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Nanotechnology.

He is also a member of the NSERC Strategic Projects Selection Panel and holds Executive positions on the Scientific Advisory Committee and is the Project Leader for NSERC Photovoltaic Innovation Network. In 2014, Ray received one of seven Faculty of Engineering Distinguished University Fellow honorific awards. Ray’s research focuses on controlling and manipulating the structure of semiconductor surfaces on the atomic scale for various optoelectronic device applications.

Dr. Michael Noseworthy on his appointment as Acting Director, School of Biomedical Engineering commencing July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

Michael Noseworthy is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He joined the department on July 1, 2007. Michael obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Guelph in Applied Physiology and Biophysics/MR Imaging in 1997 and is currently serving as Co-Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering to June 30, 2015. During his tenure as Co-Director, Michael has been instrumental in developing a School that offers a collaborative environment in medical sciences and engineering.

Dr. Ken Coley on his appointment as Director of the McMaster Steel Research Centre. Initially, Dr. Coley held a co-Director appointment in this Center with Dr. Gordon Irons which commenced July 1, 2011. Dr. Gordon Irons has since retired and Dr. Coley has been appointed sole Director of the McMaster Steel Research Centre to June 30, 2016. Dr. Coley has been an integral leader within the McMaster Steel Research Centre.

He has played a significant role in promoting industrial collaborations, enhancing the facility and advancing research which has led to the Centre’s substantial growth.

Dr. Eu-Gene Ng on his appointment as Director of the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering Program in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice. Dr. Ng is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Technology and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Eu-Gene is an exceptional role

model of our research-intensive, student centred philosophy, being an active researcher in Mechanical Engineering, and a valued instructor and mentor to both his home department and to the School of Engineering Technology.

His research into machining systems and more broadly in manufacturing processes, gives him an ideal survey of manufacturing roles in industry. This industrial experience has been beneficial to the undergraduate students in our BTech degree program and we look forward to that same strong mentorship being given in the graduate level Manufacturing program in SEP. APPOINTMENTS McMaster University welcomed Greig Mordue as the new ArcelorMittal Dofasco Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Policy in July. Mordue is an associate professor, jointly appointed with the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice in the Faculty of Engineering.

Previously, Mordue was General Manager of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) responsible for Corporate Planning and External Affairs. During his 20 plus years with Toyota he held a range of responsibilities related to Government Relations, Human Resources and Strategic Planning. Prior to joining Toyota, Mr. Mordue worked as a Special Assistant to the Treasurer of Ontario and Ontario Minister of Finance, the Ontario Minister of Financial Institutions and the Ontario Leader of the Official Opposition.

He holds a B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University, a B Comm. from the University of Windsor, an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and a PhD in Management from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. He is a former municipal councillor.

Spring 2015 23

KUDOS! HER CAREER TOOK FLIGHT AT BOMBARDIER During her first year in McMaster’s Co-op Engineering program, Mina Nourmansouri had the opportunity to sample different engineering disciplines before having to pick a particular path. When a group of alumni students made a presentation about the aluminum foam they had invested, she found her calling.

About five years ago she became part of the Material and Process Engineering team at Bombardier Aerospace with a focus on metals and failure analysis.

“I face new challenges each day and I’m constantly learning, which makes every day exciting for me,” says Nourmansouri. Her advice to emerging engineers and technologists is to follow your passions and interests and let them lead you to an exciting career - and keep learning. “ Do not stop learning no matter what point you’re at in your career.

Don’t be afraid of challenges. Ask questions and follow your curiosity, just as you did as a child.”

THE THRILL OF THE AHA! MOMENT For Emily Nichols, her favourite part of any job is that Aha! moment when creative thinking and engineering principles come together and you suddenly know how to solve a problem. It’s even better says Nichols when you reach the Aha! as part of a team.

Nichols’ undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Systems & Computing from the University of Guelph and she has a Masters of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from McMaster.

What has surprised Nichols most about a career in engineering is discovering the flexibilities of engineering skills. She put those skills to use doing earthquake relief work while backpacking in South America and as a project leader on a water infrastructure project in a remote location near Peru. “ It was a week of non-stop thinking on my feet and optimizing the work while keeping it fun and safe for the team.”

Her dream for women in engineering 25 years from now is that there will be no more discussion about women in engineering and women can simply be great engineers with

plenty of role models and mentors of both genders.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROF COMBINES MEDICINE WITH ENGINEERING Heather Sheardown was trained as a Chemical Engineer at McMaster but moved toward Biomedical aspects of Engineering during her doctoral training at the University of Toronto. Now she is a Professor at McMaster where she is making engineering contributions to the treatment of eye diseases.

Sheardown’s research group includes about 10-12 undergraduate students, graduate students and post doctoral fellows whose projects relate to contact lenses, better eye drops for delivering medicines to the eye and overcoming the need for freque3nt needles in the eye when treating diseases of the back of the eye.

Heather says she’s loved engineering since her first days of classes and the ability to combine her interests in medicine with engineering is just icing on the cake.

THE NEXT 36 CHOSES THREE MCMASTER STUDENTS Three McMaster Engineering students were selected from a pool of over 630 impressive applicants from coast to coast for The Next 36, Canada’s most selective program for young entrepreneurs.

Kurtis Berg, (mechanical engineering), Janelle Hinds, (electrical and biomed)

24 The MacEngineer

and Joshua Segeren (mechatronics) were judged to be three of Canada’s most promising entrepreneurs and chosen for the 2015 program.

A National Selection Weekend is staged in January were applicants must compete for a spot in the Next 36. The

competition is open to Canadians of all academic background. Once selected, the candidates spend the next seven months building their companies with support from their mentors, a pool of business advisors, access to capital and world-class academic instruction.

NEWS

KUDOS! New VP of PEO Congratulations to Bob Dony, (PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering 1995) new VP of Professional Engineers Ontario.

An associate professor at the University of Guelph since 1997, Dony was first elected by the PEO membership in 2012 as a Councillor-at-Large, and re-elected for a two-year term in 2014. He was appointed VP by members of the PEO Council at their first meeting following the 2015 Annual General Meeting.

Last year Dony was appointed as the Ontario representative on the national Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), which accredits engineering programs in Canada on behalf on provincial regulators.

McMaster Grad appointed to Expert Network In Australia The Australian Government has appointed Robert K. Perrons (McMaster Mechanical Engineering 1995) to its Expert Network.

In addition to his duties as an Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane Australia, Perron will provide advice to the Australian Government about the energy industry and emerging innovations in that sector with the objective of accelerating the commercialization of new energy technologies.

Named to Canada’s Order of Military Merit McMaster Engineering alum, Major George Garrard (Mechanical Engineering 1985), Deputy Commandant, Royal Canadian Electrical and Engineers School, has been named a member of the Order of Military Merit. The prestigious honours were bestowed in a ceremony at Rideau Hall by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada in recognition of meritorious service and devotion to duty by members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

2015 Stephen Leacock Humour Award Winner A year after receiving the McMaster Faculty of Engineering’s L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, Terry Fallis has won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for his fourth book, No Relation (McClelland & Stewart). It’s a second win for Fallis who won his first Leacock Medal in 2008 for his self-published work, The Best Laid Plans. A 1983 McMaster grad in Mechanical Engineering, and former MSU president, Fallis is also an inductee to the McMaster Alumni Gallery (1986) and 2008 recipient of the MSU Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership.

Siemens provides McMaster University with $458M software grant for product design and development A multi-million dollar software grant from Siemens Canada in April will give McMaster University students the opportunity to use the same technology that companies around the world employ to design some of today’s most sophisticated products. The in-kind software grant from Siemens product lifecycle management (PLM) software business has a commercial value of more than $458 million. The grant announcement was made on April 9 during the McMaster Manufacturing Forum hosted by the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI). Engineering students and faculty will use the sophisticated software at the MMRI, one of the largest institutes of its kind in Canada. The 15,000- square-foot facility is designed to meet the complex needs of leading manufacturers in the polymer, automotive and aerospace industries, as well as the tool, die and mold industry.

Three McMaster engineering professors recognized as Canada Research Chairs Three McMaster faculty members were among those recognized as Canada Research Chairs in an announcement in April made by the Honourable Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women.

• Chemical engineering professor Heather Sheardown was awarded a Canada Research Chair in Ophthalmic Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Systems (Tier I) to continue her internationally recognized research in ophthalmic materials and drug delivery systems.

• Y ounggy Kim, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, will use his Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Water and Health to develop new sustainable water and wastewater treatment technologies.

• J amal Deen, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, will maintain his worldclass research program with his Canada Research Chair in Information Technology.

Spring 2015 25

MCMASTER ENGINEERING NEWS EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS Jamal Deen, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Canada Research Chair in Information Technology, was elected as a member of the esteemed European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) in March. Deen has been published extensively in the areas of micro­/nano­ electronics and optoelectronics. Based in Salzburg, Austria, t​he EASA brings together more than 1,500 scholars, including 29 Nobel Laureates, from around the globe focusing on scientific, social, cultural and ethical issues.

COVER OF PRESTIGIOUS SCIENCE MAGAZINE Making the cover of Physics Today for a scientist is like a musician making the front of Rolling Stone. That’s exactly where McMaster University Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Kathryn Grandfield found herself in April: Featured on the front of the most influential physics magazine in the world. Grandfield’s featured article covered a range of topics from the history of bone, implants and their interfaces to why devices such as hip replacements or dental implants fail in the body.

UNIVERSITY AWARDS Jamal Deen, a professor in electrical and computer engineering, and Shiping Zhu, a professor in chemical engineering, were among five professors who received McMaster’s premier honour: Distinguished University Professor. The award recognizes the highest level of excellence in teaching, learning and research. Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering Todd Hoare earned a University Scholarship prize, which recognizes faculty members in mid­-career who have already distinguished themselves as international scholars.

26 The MacEngineer

SCOTIABANK SCHOLAR The Black Business and Professional Association recognized electrical and biomedical engineering student Rotimi Fadiya’s achievements as a Scotiabank Scholar during its annual Harry Jerome Awards in Toronto in April. Fadiya is the vice chairperson of the National Society of Black Engineers.

ASME In May, Mechanical Engineering Professor Saeid Reza Habibi earned the distinction of being named an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow, a recognition of service to the organization and research accomplishments. www.physicst day.org A publication of the American Institute of Physics

April 2015

volume 68, number 4

BONE

IMPLANTS IN 3D

SPRING CONVOCATION Congratulations to our honorary degree recipients: George Roter, co-founder of Engineers Without Borders, and Tom Jenkins, chairman of Open Text Corporation. Alumnus Sam Virtue (Engineering Physics 2015) and Sean Mercer (Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering 2015) served as valedictorians. also: The top quark turns 20 ◄ Japan's electrical woes affect science ◄ Cavity gains for atom interferometry ◄

TEACHING AWARD Kevin Dunn, Assistant professor, Chemical Engineering, was recognized in June with the 2015 President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning from McMaster University. This award acknowledges excellent teaching practices on campus.

CIVIL ENGINEERING AWARD McMaster Engineering Professor Ghani Razaqpur was awarded the with the Horst Leipholz Medal of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering for his outstanding contributions to engineering mechanics research and practice in Canada in June.

WASTE HEAT PIZZA PROJECT WOWS OCE SHOWCASE A McMaster Engineering project designed to revolutionize renewable energy gained major attention at last spring’s Ontario Centre of Excellence Discovery Innovation Showcase in Toronto.

James Cotton, a mechanical engineering professor, has led a team of student researchers on a project designed to reduce wasted heat and energy loss from pizza ovens during the cooking process. The HARvEST initiative has helped Pizza Pizza reuse wasted heat from ovens into more useful forms such as space heating and lighting. Ninety per cent of the energy being used was previously wasted.

The Pizza Oven Waste Energy Recovery (POWER) system was featured on the Business News Network during the showcase.

AWARDS GALA HONOURS FACULTY, STAFF AND ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURS University, corporate and community leaders gathered to recognize engineering entrepreneurs and McMaster Engineering faculty, staff and students during the annual Applause and Accolades Awards Gala on Thursday, May 7.

Among those celebrated were Trueman Goba who received the McMaster University Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award. Goba is chairman of Hatch Goba in South Africa.

ArcelorMittal Dofasco President and CEO Sean Donnelly was recognized with the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Alumni Award.

Sean Donnelly

Donnelly graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering in 1981.

PHD GRADUATE PUBLISHED IN NATURE PHOTONICS Engineering Physics PhD graduate Jason Ackert work on producing a novel photodetector published in esteemed journal Nature Photonics in May. Working under Natalia Nikolova

the supervision of Professor Andy Knights in the Department of Engineering Physics, Ackert’s reimagined photodetector is capable of fast operation at longer wavelengths of light than before.

TWO NEW FELLOWS FROM MCMASTER INDUCTED INTO THE CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Two McMaster Engineering professors have been elected by their peers to join a distinguished engineering academy that offers key advice on matters of critical importance to Canada.

Natalia Nikolova, an Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor, and Gu Xu, a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, were both inducted as Fellows into the Canadian Academy of Engineering during the organization’s annual meeting and symposium held in Hamilton on June 4, 2015.

The academy is a national institution through which Canada’s most distinguished and experienced engineers provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to Canada.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND HARVESTING WASTE ENERGY RESEARCH PROJECTS AMONG THOSE TO RECEIVE $15M FROM ONTARIO GOVERNMENT Two major McMaster University engineering projects were among those to receive nearly $15-million in research funding.

More than $4.4-million from the Ontario Research Fund was announced to establish the Virtual Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain Integration Lab (HEPIL). Under the direction of McMaster’s Ali Emadi, who holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Hybrid Powertrain, engineers and scientists

Spring 2015 27

Jason Ackert

will research and test the next generation of vehicles with electrified powertrains using a sophisticated dynamometer which can test vehicle force, torque or power.

Mechanical Engineer James Cotton and John Preston, Professor and former Chair of Engineering Physics, and a team of collaborators received $1.9 million for the Research Facility for Integrated Building Energy Harvesting Systems (ReFIBES), the only test facility of its kind in North America. Their team will investigate new ways to capture the energy—electrical, thermal or fuel energy—which is lost during transport to our homes and communities. The project received matching funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

MCMASTER ENGINEERING WELCOMES TWO NEW SCHULICH LEADERS The Schulich Leader scholarship program that supports high-performing students at leading Canadian universities is doubling down on McMaster, naming four incoming

28 The MacEngineer

students - including two from engineering as recipients of the prestigious award.

The program, founded by philanthropist Seymour Schulich, has been providing undergraduate scholarships in the STEM fields since 2012. It is funded by The Schulich Foundation and co-administered by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Under the program, each participating university selects its Schulich Leaders from a pool of candidates nominated by their high schools.

Schulich Leaders in Engineering each receive $80,000 to support their undergraduate studies.

Welland’s Conary Coyne, a graduate of Notre Dame College School (Engineering) Newmarket’s Melissa Cusack Striepe, a graduate of Newmarket High School (Engineering).

MCMASTER ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS WIN CFI GRANTS McMaster engineers will explore ways to improve tooling in the manufacturing sector, use sensors to help seniors in their homes and

study bone implants thanks to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Researchers in McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering received more $600,000 through CFI’s John R. Evans Leadership Fund (JELF).

The funding was announced July 29 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Mechanical engineering professor Stephen Veldhuis, director of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), garnered a $398,380 JELF award to improve the performance of tooling using an integrated coating strategy involving material and process parameter optimization.

Qiyin Fang, Canada Research Chair in Biophotonics, received $149,036 to lead an interdisciplinary team of researchers for the project Intelligent home Sensor Networks for the Elderly.

Materials science engineer Kathryn Grandfield received a $61,889 JELF award to develop new methods to identify the underlying mechanisms involved in the bonding of implants materials to bone with very specialized high-resolution techniques.

World-Changers World-Changers

We’re one of the world’s top 100 universities and we are changing the world.

World-Changers

McMaster Engineering provides opportunities to examine, understand, communicate and act to improve our world. one challenges of the world’s topface 100 society universities and we are changing thecombine world. social responsibility with technological We addressWe’re the great that by producing solutions that advances.

McMaster Engineering provides opportunities to examine, understand, communicate and act to improve our world.

We’re of the the world’s topchallenges 100 universities and we are changing the world.

Weone address great that face society by producing solutions that combine social responsibility with technological Our researchers, educators, students and graduates are engaged citizen scholars who are changing the world. advances.

McMaster Engineering provides opportunities to examine, understand, communicate and act to improve our world.

Meet ourWeWorld-Changers: address the great challenges that face society by producing solutions that combine social responsibility with technological Our researchers, educators, students and graduates are engaged citizen scholars who are changing the world.

advances.

Natalia Nikolova Ph.D., IEEE Fellow, P.Eng - Using microwaves to improve health and security - Inductee Canadian Academy of Engineering

Gu Xu M.Sc., Ph.D., D.E.S. - Creating reliable, renewable energy from plastic - Inductee Canadian Academy of Engineering

Meet our World-Changers:

Our researchers, educators, students and graduates are engaged citizen scholars who are changing the world.

Ph.D. candidate - Drug delivery to the eye - 2014 Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Ph.D. Scholarship Frances Lasowski Natalia Nikolova Ph.D., IEEE Fellow, P.Eng - Using microwaves to improve health and security - Inductee Canadian Academy of Engineering and alumnus Digital Information Management pioneer, entrepreneur and leader - RHFC, OC, QDJM, Chairman, Open Text Tom Jenkins, Innovator Gu Xu M.Sc., Ph.D., D.E.S. - Creating reliable, renewable energy from plastic - Inductee Canadian Academy of Engineering

Meet our World-Changers:

candidate - Drugmicrowaves delivery totothe eye - health 2014 Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Ph.D. Scholarship Frances Lasowski Natalia Nikolova Ph.D., IEEEPh.D. Fellow, P.Eng - Using improve and security - Inductee Canadian Academy of Engineering

, Innovator alumnus Digitalenergy Information Management entrepreneur leader - RHFC, OC, QDJM, Chairman, Open Text Tom Jenkins Gu Xu M.Sc., Ph.D., D.E.S. - Creatingand reliable, renewable from plastic - Inducteepioneer, Canadian Academy ofand Engineering Frances Lasowski Ph.D. candidate - Drug delivery to the eye - 2014 Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Ph.D. Scholarship Tom Jenkins, Innovator and alumnus Digital Information Management pioneer, entrepreneur and leader - RHFC, OC, QDJM, Chairman, Open Text

www.eng.mcmaster.ca www.eng.mcmaster.ca www.eng.mcmaster.ca

ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

Spring 2015 29

EVENTS

WELCOME WEEK

E

30 The MacEngineer

PARENTS BARBECUE

E

It is September once again, and for the McMaster Engineering Society that means another great opportunity to welcome the first year class to everything McMaster Engineering has to offer.

This Welcome Week, more than 150 Engineering Representatives welcomed 1100 first year engineering students with record McMaster pride. The team received praise from the university, faculty, and most importantly the first year class themselves throughout the nine days of intensive programming. This programming included the same old traditional events such as the annual Bus Pull event to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Research, The Glorious Engineering Kickback Faculty Night event and the Engineering Olympics Games. However, some fresh initiatives we’re introduced such as providing fruit from Fiddes Wholesale Produce and sunscreen to first years and reps throughout the week, and our brand new MES 3v3 Shinerama Soccer Tourney will hopefully be a fundraising staple of the week moving forwards. As always, our Engineering Reps kept spirits high and did not only spread the love for McMaster Engineering culture, but wholeheartedly supported the goals and strategic priorities of the Student Success Centre.

We had an amazing, successful, high-energy week that we are very proud of - but this week would not have been possible without the support we received from the Faculty of Engineering and our amazing team of Representatives.

The Faculty of Engineering hosted the 1st Annual First Year Students and parents BBQ on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Dean of Engineering, Ishwar Puri, administrative and upper year students had an opportunity to meet and mingle parents and students welcoming them to our community.

We expect it to be an annual event.

SUMMER PROGRAMS A

BIG SUCCESS

As our summer comes to a close, we would like to give a big thank you to all of our supporters, who made it possible for us to engage our students this year. Venture has been fortunate enough to receive the support of parents, teachers, generous companies and national organizations, all of whom play key roles in our continued success.

This year, Venture has taken on many new initiatives, allowing us to provide more diverse programming throughout our camps and outreach programs. This summer, we hosted our first, Six Nations camp at McMaster University. This program contains a great focus on cultural relevance, joining the science and engineering projects students have learned at camp with aboriginal traditions and culture.

In 2015, a partnership between McMaster Engineering’s Venture program, Actua and Google sparked the creation of a brand new computer science initiative, Codemakers, focused on introducing youth to the exciting world of computer programming and opportunities computer science can provide.

In addition to our Codemakers program, this year Venture started a new all-girls program, Yes SHE Can!, focused on providing girls in grades 6, 7 and 8 with a positive STEM experience. With this camp, Venture succeeded in providing a space where girls felt comfortable to experiment and learn, dispelling stereotypes surrounding women in STEM. Throughout this year, Venture has continued to grow and has achieved many successes. This success, however, would not be possible without the continued support of McMaster Engineering, mentors and staff that make such programming possible. Venture will continue to expand and we cannot wait to see what we will accomplish in our 25th year.

Spring 2015 31

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING HATCH SCHOLARSHIPS: 1 @ $32,000 HATCH SCHOLARSHIP 1 @ $32,000 HATCH SCHOLARSHIP FOR ABORIGINAL STUDENTS SchHatch olar ship s

DEAN’S EXCELLENCE ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS

2@$

3428,0 00 DDeeaa EEnn nn’’ss

ttrraann EExxcc ccee SS eellllee cchhoo nnccee llaarrss hhiippss

4@ $10,0 24 @ 00

10 0

$7,5 00

U Unndd RReess eerrggrraadd eeaarrc uuaatte eS chh A Aw mme waarr Suum err ddss m

For students entering Engineering I, Comp Sci I, or B.Tech. I as of Sept 2016 Admissions average ≥ 95% For students with strong leadership skills and a commitment to community contribution

APPLY AT www.eng.mcmaster.ca/future

DEADLINE DATE FOR APPLICATION: APRIL 5, 2016 We are one of the world’s top 100 universities and we are changing the world.

32 The MacEngineer