Engineering Physics Newsletter - May 2020

NEWS LETTER DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING PHYSICS

VOLUME FIVE - ISSUE Three // May 2020 1

of ta co ble nt en ts

OPENING REMARKS

Letter from the Chair........................................................3 Articles to Catch...............................................................6 You May Have Missed.....................................................8

UNDERGRAD UPDATES

New Courses!......................................................................................................................12 Engineering Physics Society.............................................................................................14 Engineering Physics Ambassadors.................................................................................16 4A06 Capstone Projects..................................................................................................18

GRAD UPDATES Defence Profiles................................................................................................................22 Graduate Research............................................................................................................22 Graduate Seminar Course................................................................................................23 Engineering Graduate Society.........................................................................................24

COMMUNITY High School Opportunities...............................................................................................28 Seminars..............................................................................................................................30 Events..................................................................................................................................32 2

Letter from the Chair

A message from the Chair of our department, Dr. Ray LaPierre

What a difference a day makes! On Friday, Mar 13, 2020, McMaster University’s President announced the cancellation of all in-person classes for undergraduate and graduate students to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the span of a weekend, the Department of Engineering Physics, along with other departments, moved all of its courses online by Monday, Mar 16, using a variety of technologies such as Webex, Zoom, YouTube, etc. This will no doubt lead to some long-lasting changes to our curriculum as some instructors will opt to continue using online technologies in the future by blending them with in-class instruction. We are also developing take-home and virtual labs for experiential learning to supplement online instruction. These are unsettling times for both instructors and students, but I believe we will come out of this pandemic with a curriculum that is stronger than ever.

This is my last letter as Chair of the Engineering Physics department. Effective July 1, 2020, Dr. Rafi Kleiman will be the new department Chair. In the past five years, we have accomplished tremendous change in the department with the establishment of the “Quantum Tunnel” (a collaborative work space for undergraduates), an ambassador program, mentorship program, tutoring program, and many curriculum revisions for undergraduates. For graduate students, we streamlined comprehensive exams and elective requirements, introduced an advanced credit option and accelerated option for our M.A.Sc. program, and introduced a graduate seminars course. We increased our social media presence, developed our marketing and branding strategy, and created this newsletter. We increased our outreach to High School students including lab tours, the Engineering Physics LEAP program, and a student-for-a-day program. We established a departmental seminar series, industry sponsorship for our capstone course, and realized several endowment funds. We hired three new excellent faculty: Jon Bradley, Matt Minnick, and Ryan Lewis; and hired new administrative staff and technicians. What a difference 5 years makes! It has been an honour serving the department.

Ray LaPierre

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WHAT

HAPPEN IN ENG PHYS 4

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ARTICLES TO CATCH

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McMaster names new president: David Farrar Backpack to Briefcase: Minha Amir Minha Amir, a second-year engineering physics and iBioMed student, said connecting with Samaka at the event gave her new perspectives.

Celebrating McMaster Engineering's Class of 2020 While this year's Kipling Ceremony is postponed until further notice, faculty and industry sent video messages to take a moment to celebrate our graduating class!

2019 co-op students of the year and future leaders Engineering Physics student Mitchell Wong has been recognized for making an exceptional contribution to co-operative education.

Battling COVID-19 together

Letter from the President Message from the Dean

Engineers develop superbug-resistant, self-cleaning plastic wrap Engineering Physics Faculty member, Leyla Soleymani, co-led the research.

Engineering steps up to make transition to online learning Faculty and staff members at McMaster Engineering united to help each other as the university prepared to complete the rest of the academic semester online due to COVID-19.

Mac Engineers to provide health care workers with critical gear 3D cell printing technology to help COVID-19 research

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Engineering 1

Fair

An opportunity for Level I Engineering Students to learn about Level II options.

In February we were excited to participate in the ETB fair. This was a chance to interact with Engineering 1 students and provide more information about our program that may help with the tough decision they had in front of them. We had a variety of displays, pamphlets and viewbooks prepared to show off to interested students! Dr. Minnick and our Ambassadors were the go-to source for all Eng Phys-related information. Our Ambassador’s enthusiasm was evident, and the first year students were absorbed in their testimonies about the program and the community.

Every student who signed up on our tablet carried the Eng Phys swag they received with pride!

Eng Phys

Information Night

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A departmentalspecific information night for Level I Engineering students to learn about Engineering Physics as a Level II

We were very pleased with the turn out at our Eng Phys Info Night. Our Faculty members spoke about their own research, academics, and opportunities provided by the department.

Our EP Ambassadors were engaging with first year students who were eager to learn more, and we also had a student panel who discussed life in Engineering Physics for any remaining questions. The event finished off with a mingling session where students were free to chat with Ambassadors and Professors while eating the provided pizza! Special thanks goes out to Dr. Minnick, Eng Phys Ambassadors, and office staff Emma Trueman for organizing this event! We look forward to seeing new faces in Eng Phys next fall!

Industry

Night

The Engineering Physics Industry Night is an annual student-run event hosted by the Engineering Physics Society (EPS). It is an opportunity for current Engineering Physics students to meet employers actively hiring students with their unique skill set. Planning the event was a 10-month process, starting in the summer for the VP External (Sherry Aslam – EPS 2019/2020) to work with the Engineering Co-op Services to reach out to employers. The large-scale event required planning for over 100 students. This included considerations in event space, employer satisfaction, food and beverages, and the different technical streams in Engineering Physics. This year NPX, SemTech, Infinera, The Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and VueReal attended the event.

These companies represented some specializations in Engineering physics, such as nuclear engineering, semiconductors, nanotechnology and photonics. Overall, the event was a huge success and continues to grow with the Engineering Physics program.

Written by Sherry Aslam

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UND UN updates

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DER GRADUATE

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new co eng phys 3EC4

In Fall 2020, we are offering Professional Communication and Project Management.

Introduction to communication styles, team dynamics, oral and written presentation skills, effective twoway communication strategies, project management, problem analysis, and job skills.

In Fall 2020, we are offering Numerical Methods for Engineering.

eng phys 3NM4

eng phys 3SM3

In Winter 2021, we are offering Statistical Mechanics.

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Algebraic solutions; Numerical integration and differentiation; Finite difference and finite element methods; Euler method; Runge- Kutta techniques; Partial differential equations; Monte Carlo simulation.

An introduction to statistical distributions and their properties, and the statistical basis of thermodynamics at the microscopic level, with applications to problems originating in a modern laboratory or engineering environment.

ourses! eng phys 3PD3

In Winter 2021, we are offering a new course, Photonic Devices.

This course covers the theory, design and operation of photonic devices, with an emphasis on their application in integrated and fiber optical systems for communications.

In Fall 2020 and Winter 2021, we are changing 4U02 to 5 different courses: 4UB2, 4UM2, 4UN2, 4UP2, 4US2.

eng phys 4U CHANGES

These are the same topics from 4U02 (Biomedical, Nano- and Micro-devices, Nuclear Labs, Photonics) with one new addition – Smart Systems! This course will explore the design, assembly and test of smart systems based on software, computer, electronic, and photonic components. Students will study the operation of such systems to address real-world problems.

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EPS

ENGINEERING PHYSICS SOCIETY

Amit Rao 14

CO-PRESIDENT CO-PRESIDENT VP FINANCE VP ACADEMIC VP SOCIAL VP EXTERNAL VP MEDIA AVP EVENTS 3RD YR. REP. MES REP

Andreas Hitzler Amit Rao Ryan Ng Jennifer Braun Skylar Wingfelder Saher Aslam Izzeldin Abu Nahla Neel Gokhalen Elliot Tomlinson Fadia Cruz

epsoc.mcmaster@gmail.com

Andreas Hitzler

This year the Engineering Physics Society has organized many amazing events including Boardgame Night, Eng Phys Annual Softball Game, CALM Microscopy Workshop, Nuclear Job Fair, Eng Phys Smash Tournament, Meet the Professors Pub Night, Co-op Q&A, L3 Wescam Info Night, E=MC^2 Coffee House, Bob Ross Paint Night, Eng Phys Industry Night, Hebocon, and much more! Follow their Facebook page for future events!!

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR ENG PHYS SOCIETY FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK THIS YEAR!

SEE YOU NEXT TERM! 15

EPA

ENGINEERING PHYSICS AMBASSADORS

Our Ambassadors represent our Department and are knowledgeable about our undergraduate programs, the happenings within the department, and help give prospective students a personal and informative connection with The Department of Engineering Physics and the McMaster community at large. They act as the go-to person for current and prospective students’ questions and concerns, and serve as representatives at all relevant departmental, faculty, and universitywide events.

As our current Ambassadors graduate and move on, we always have a need for new people to carry the torch. If you are interested in being an Ambassdor for the 2020-2021 academic year please see the information below and submit your application!

How to Apply:

So you are interested in becoming an Engineering Physics Ambassador, but you are not sure how to apply?

• Review the program on our website: eng.mcmaster.ca/engphys/engineering-physics-ambassadors • Prepare your documents for the application Resume and Cover Letter • Reach out in July to apply!

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Contact Emma Trueman (truemaeh@mcmaster.ca) you have any questions!

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ENG PHYS 4A06

capstone projects!

AETHA

The Annular Environment Tool Head Assembly (AETHA) is a modular and adaptable testing platform for the development of novel fuel channel inspection technologies for the CANDU reactor. AETHA will allow for versatile, relevant testing of novel technologies being investigated to address critical fitness for service inspections in the CANDU nuclear industry.

- Matthew Poloni, Lucy Von Appen, and Matthew D'Alessandro

Flora Introducing Flora, the convenient saver of both time and plants. Have comfort in knowing that no matter how busy your life gets, you never have to worry about watering your plants.

- Sherwin Hassan, Jay Chaykowski, Nicholas Bagnato, Jonathan Favero, and Martin Zelikovsky

WokBot

WokBot is an autonomous cooking assistant designed for busy individuals who want to eat Chinese cuisine at home without wasting time with meal preparation. Simply load the ingredients, choose a dish and WokBot will inform you when your meal is ready.

- Raj Patel, Andreas Hitzler, Eric Yang, Jiupeng Zhang, and Ali Kore

Handy Pantry Handy Pantry is a food storage solution designed for the modern kitchen. A mechanical system allows dry food items to be efficiently stored beneath the kitchen corner counter while minimizing time spent by the user. The Handy Pantry aims to reduce food waste and streamline the food storage and retrieval process.

- Nash Shrestha, Jana Strizak, Haley Glavina, Jackson Tarlin, and David Xing

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ADAM

ADAM is an automated pill identifying and dispensing system that sends notifications to its user when it's time to take their prescribed medication.

ADAM aims to eliminate the need for traditional pharmaceutical blister packs, which have no method of ensuring medical adherence and are non-recyclable.

- Duncan Clackdoyle, Matei Banica, Ryan Clark, Michael Howorucha, and Amit Rao

Light.O Light.O is an autonomous drone that can follow you and provide a light source.

- Keru Chen and Mengshi Wang

2unify

Welcome to 2unify. The world's first "hands-free" guitar tuning stand that operates on the principles of robotics and artificial intelligence. The future of music has arrived today.

- Ryan Ng Cheong Ton, Michael Salamaszek, Michael Jobity, Mitchell Wong, and Curtis Graham

ShopLyfter ShopLyfter is a device that aims to improve your shopping experience by attaching to any standard shopping cart and autonomously following you as you shop so you can skip the boring part of grocery shopping.

- Ty Kerr, Manav Sood, and Sage Monteith

A Job Well Done!

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GRA RA 20

AD

STUDENT UPDATES 21

DEFENCE PROFILES

Mahmoud 1 Khalil Mohamed

Congratulations to Mahmoud Khalil Mohamed who successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis, titled “Speckle Suppression in Handheld Laser Projection Displays�.

GRADUATE RESEARCH "The McMaster Nuclear Reactor is a research reactor that hosts several cross-disciplinary research teams, as well as both undergraduate and graduate students carrying out experiments in the facility. A key parameter in many procedures performed in the reactor is the neutron flux - a quantity that describes the number of neutrons passing through a unit area, per unit time.

For example, the production of 125-I (which can be used for the treatment of prostate cancer) involves the precise activation of 124-Xe via the neutron capture reaction. The neutron flux determines the amount of 124-Xe that is activated, and therefore the final yield of this process. A complete knowledge of the neutron flux may be used to optimize certain operational and experimental procedures in the reactor. My research is focused on developing a procedure for determining both the neutron flux, and the total uncertainty associated with these measurements, in the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. High fidelity measurements such as these have generally not been carried out in other research reactors, so part of my research is focused on generalizing these procedures so that they can be carried out in any research reactor. In addition to applying my results to on-going procedures in the reactor, they can also be used for code validation studies - where the performance of a reactor physics code is assessed based on experimental results."

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Written by Liz MacConnachie

GRADUATE

SEMINARS Students in ENG PHYS 702 gave seminars about their research.

Tyler Kashak

Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate for Laser-Projection Display and BioInstrumentation Applications.

Bruno Luís Segat Frare

Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate for LaserProjection Display and Bio-Instrumentation Applications.

Jacob Saunders

Ultrafast Laser Modification of Additively Manufactured Implants.

Colin Colterjohn Uncertainty in Nuclear Waste Management and Deep Geological Repository Operation.

READ MORE ABOUT THESE SEMINARS ON OUR WEBSITE! 23

EGS

ENGINEERING GRADUATE SOCIETY

Executive Positions

Sam Peter

President

ENG PHYS GRAD STUDENT!

Vice President External

Julia de Lange

Vice President Internal

Larissa Taylor

Administration Officer

Evan Wright

Graduate Student Life Officer

Mohammad Chowdhury

Graduate Ambassador

Maxwell Lightstone

Social Media and Promotions Officer

Shervin Manzuri

Events Officer

Matt Vukovic

ENG PHYS GRAD STUDENT!

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Contact them at egs@mcmaster.ca

message from the president Hi everyone, First of all, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and that your transition to this new normal has been minimally turbulent.

As you’d expect, our social events have been put on hiatus indefinitely. However, we’re working hard to transition our professional development events to an online environment, such as our Critical Conversations workshop series. This series is designed to give you the tools to deal with the non-technical aspects of the workforce, including conflict resolution and recognizing and owning your strengths. Keep an eye out in your emails!

Finally, we are still running our EGS Travel Awards at this time.

If you were scheduled to attend a conference, and were not reimbursed for cancelled travel and/or registration, you are still eligible for an award. Feel free to email us at egs@mcmaster.ca if you have any questions.

Hang in there everyone! I look forward to reading your review papers when this is all over.

Cheers, Sam Peter President, EGS

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G N S Y T E Y NI H U P M

M

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O C

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HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

SEMINAR

SERIES

ENGPHYS

EVENTS

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Be an Eng Phys

Student for a Day

Experience a day-in-the-life of a McMaster Engineering Physics student!

Do you want to know what separates McMaster’s Engineering Physics program from the rest? Come join us for a personalized experience.

After submitting your request, we’ll match you up with an Ambassador who will be your Student For A Day guide. Your Ambassador will create an itinerary for your visit to Engineering Physics that encompasses the feedback you have provided to us. This program is open both to High School Students (Grade 11 and 12) and Level 1 Engineering Students!

To register for Student For A Day, please visit our website for instructions!

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HIGH SCHOOL IN ENGINEERING PHYSICS The Co-op program allows students to conduct research with world-class faculty and facilities, and experience the university research and learning environment while earning High School credits.

8 The student co-op application should include a cover letter (explaining why the applicant wants to do a co-op in Engineering Physics), a resume, and academic transcript (credit counseling summary). The applicant should show proficiency in Math and Science, with an overall average of at least 88%. The department will review the application and schedule an interview if the student meets our academic requirements. During the interview, we will determine the applicant’s interests, and make a suitable match with one of our faculty professors.

Contact the department for more information: engphys@mcmaster.ca

contact us!

engphys@mcmaster.ca

Learn how this could be you!

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Department of Engineering Physics’

Seminar Series The Department of Engineering Physics holds a Seminar Series, where we invite various speakers from alumni, current students, or external industry.

Dr. Bryan van der Ende, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.

Detecting Neutrons Outside of Shielding: Stand-Off Monitoring at Nuclear Facilities.

Dr. Jonothon White, Professor at Yuan Ze University.

A Camel among Sheep: From McMaster to the Orient.

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Dr. Zbig Wasilewski, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy @the_quantum_devices_frontiers.

Dr. Takumi Saito,

Associate Professor at the Nuclear Professional School, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.

Natural organic matters in deep underground water. How are they different from their counterparts in surface environments?

READ MORE ABOUT PAST AND UPCOMING SEMINARS ON OUR WEBSITE! https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engphys/event-series 31

look forward to these events 32

Graduate student bbq

Fall previews

September 2020

october & november 2020

ENGINEERING 1 FAIR & ENG PHYS INFO NIGHT

research night

FEBRUARY & MARCH 2021

tbd

4A06 CAPSTONE EXPO

end of year party

APRIL 2021

MAY, 2021

SEMINAR SERIES

INTERESTED IN CAMPUS VISITS?

Visit our website for dates!

EMAIL OUR AMBASSADORS

33 follow our social media for updates and changes!

ISSUE THREE

VOLUME FIVE

macdonne@mcmaster.ca, truemaeh@mcmaster.ca

www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engphys

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9bmRqXxD-MTyKXJXFig-A

https://www.instagram.com/macengphys/

https://twitter.com/macengphys

https://www.facebook.com/macengphys/

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