The complete engineer fall2013 online

COMPLETE

THE

FALL/WINTER 2013

ENGINEER THE MAGAZINE OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Meet alumna Dr. Sizi Bebe.

Her research is helping develop polymer products from Zimbabwe’s natural resources.

INSIDE...

We look at graduate studies at Queen’s Engineering and profile 8 current students and alumni

SEC TION HEADER

CONTENTS FALL/WINTER 2013

1 A Message from the Dean

Another exciting academic year is underway, and Queen’s Engineering

continues to grow and evolve 2 Faculty News We welcome Dr. Jeffrey Giacomin, PEng, to our Faculty

DEAN

Kimberly A. Woodhouse MANAGING EDITOR

3 Queen’s Engineering’s Graduate Studies: Taking it to the next level Vice Dean Brian Surgenor describes the program and the possibilities

Adam Walker CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Jordan Whitehouse GRAPHIC DESIGN

Walker Design & Communications CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Nanci Corrigan Anita Jansman Kirsteen MacLeod CONTACT INFORMATION

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Queen’s University Beamish-Munro Hall 45 Union Street Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Tel 613.533.2055 Fax 613.533.6500 Email complete.engineer@queensu.ca

COMPLETE

THE

FALL/WINTER 2013

ENGINEER THE MAGAZINE OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Meet alumna Dr. Sizi Bebe.

Her research is helping develop polymer products from Zimbabwe’s natural resources.

INSIDE...

We look at graduate studies at Queen’s Engineering and profile 8 current students and alumni

Read Dr. Bebe’s profile on page 4

4 Our Special Feature Meet some of our amazing graduate students, both past and present

Sizi Bebe, PhD, Chemical Engineering John Ford, MASc, Civil Engineering Basel Nabulsi, PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering Scott Brandon, PhD candidate, Mechanical and Materials Engineering Paul Webster, PhD, Engineering Physics Carolyn Ingram, MASc candidate, Mining Engineering Naci Saldi, PhD candidate, Mathematics and Engineering Matt Lato, PhD, Geological Engineering 12 T he Value of the Teaching Assistant The relationship benefits both the students and the TAs 14 C REATE (ing) Opportunities New NSERC initiative opens new possibilities for engineering research —and student careers 16 Masters in Applied Sustainability is Educating Policy-savvy Engineers 18 Alumni Events Dean Woodhouse and the Advancement Team have been visiting with alumni and friends

FACULT Y

Dean’s Message

W

elcome to our Fall 2013 issue of The Complete Engineer and to a new academic year of growth and innovation.

Campus is once again bustling with students, and our new future engineers are deep into their common year activities.

This is an exciting time—new students, new ideas, and research and faculty developments that continue to position us as leaders in education.

We’re excited to announce a number of new additions to our Faculty, particularly the appointment of an Online Learning Coordinator and an Outreach Coordinator. We’re also pleased to announce that Scott Yam has been appointed Associate Dean of International Projects. Along with his important work in wired and wireless technology, Scott has been instrumental in mentoring our graduate students through the Next Generation Optical Networks training program.

It was a pleasure to welcome so many of you back to campus for Homecoming this fall. We hope you enjoyed exploring campus and reconnecting with classmates. As always, I welcome your feedback on our progress and wish you great success in the final quarter of 2013.

“

This is an exciting time—

”

new students, new ideas,

Kimberly A. Woodhouse PhD, PEng, FCAE, FBSE Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

and research and faculty developments that

continue to position us as leaders in education.

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FACULT Y NE WS

Welcome to new faculty Jeff Giacomin, PEng

T

he Department of Chemical Engineering welcomed Professor Jeffrey Giacomin, Sc’81, MASc’83, in August 2013. After earning both his BSc and MASc at Queen’s, and after working as a scientist at the Research Division at DuPont in Kingston, Dr. Giacomin pursued his PhD in Chemical Engineering at McGill University. Since then, he has gained a diversity of both academic and industrial experience, and we are very pleased to welcome him back to Queen’s.

There were many reasons for Dr. Giacomin’s return to Queen’s. “Our Polymers Research Group in Chemical Engineering is the perfect place to continue my research career,” he says.

“I find myself surrounded by emerging leaders in polymers, and specifically, in my speciality, polymer rheology.”

Over the years, Dr. Giacomin and his students have published more than 80 journal articles on topics such as thermoforming, blow molding, plastic

2 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

pipe extrusion, wire coating, sheet coating, fiber filled materials, sliding plate rheometry, and the nonlinear viscoelasticity of molten plastics and other complex fluids. This research has attracted industrial sponsorship from

“”

I find myself surrounded by

emerging leaders in polymers,

and specifically, in my speciality, polymer rheology.

3M, Clearlam, Curwood (Bemis), Dow Chemical, DuPont, IBM, Hutchinson, Kimberly-Clark, Nordson/Extrusion Dies, Phillips 66, Placon, Plastics Ingenuity, Shell Development, Subzero, and TriEnda. Professor Giacomin specializes in industrial manufacturing problems that persist because of a specific knowledge gap, some missing piece

of engineering science. The Queen’s Polymers Research Group creates knowledge about plastics manufacturing.

Dr. Giacomin is currently the immediate Past-President of The Society of Rheology and serves as Associate Editor for Business, Journal of Rheology.

He also works as a consultant to the polymer industry, and this work often inspires and enriches his university research program.

Due to his group’s ground-breaking and innovative research, Dr. Giacomin has spent a significant amount of time travelling all over the world as a visiting professor. While he is at Queen’s, he is especially interested in spreading the word about Queen’s to international audiences and in attracting foreign sabbaticants to Queen’s. His first stop is Thailand, at the end of November.

It is with great excitement that we welcome Dr.Giacomin back to Queen’s University!

GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Queen’s Engineering’s Graduate Studies:

Taking it to the next level

Queen’s began offering graduate studies in engineering in the early 1950s.

By 1970, the number of graduate students was slightly more than 100. Today, 40 years later, the Faculty has more than 500 graduate students from around the world studying in one of its 15 programs. The growth reflects the Faculty’s increased interaction with industry and its demands for more applied research, as well as Queen’s strategic focus on becoming a more research-intensive university.

The research-focused master’s (MASc) and doctoral (PhD) programs continue to produce highly trained engineers with the advanced skills and knowledge Canada needs to remain competitive. “However, the past 10 years has seen a push from all levels toward more research in direct collaboration with industry,” says Brian Surgenor, Vice-Dean (Research and Graduate Studies), Sc’77, PhD’83.

As an example, Surgenor points to MITACS, a national, not-for-profit organization that provides funding for graduate students to work in industry as part of their studies. This allows them to apply skills they acquire in university to real-world problems. MITACS’s goal is to equip the next generation of innovators with vital scientific and business skills.

“As a country, we have to produce more innovators to remain competitive internationally,” says Surgenor. “That’s why we promote graduate-level, industry-

“

Brian Surgenor PhD, PEng, FCSME

sponsored projects funded by organizations such as MITACS and NSERC, which support the growth of the Canadian economy by using our graduate professionals.”

In addition to the thesis-based MASc and PhD programs, the Masters of Engineering (MEng) offers a graduate degree based on coursework. It’s an eight-

As a country, we have to

to 12-month program that provides a mix of technical and professional skills; it’s

produce more innovators

best suited to those who are interested in learning advanced engineering skills

to remain competitive

that will enhance their employment opportunities.

internationally,” says

“Some undergraduate students completing their four-year engineering

Surgenor. “That’s why

degree feel they need that extra fifth year to be more competitive in today’s job

we promote graduate-

market,” says Surgenor. “In some areas, it’s difficult to fit all you need to learn into

level, industry-sponsored projects funded by

organizations such as

”

MITACS and NSERC, which

four years, so the MEng is ideal to give that added edge.”

Graduate studies also include professional development programs such as the Community Relations for the Extractive Industries, a graduate certificate program first offered in 2012. Intended for mining engineers who wish to learn

support the growth of

more about corporate social responsibility and how extractive industries manage

the Canadian economy

their relationships with local communities, the certificate consists of four distance

by using our graduate

education courses.

professionals.

The people you’ll meet in the following pages are studying for their graduate degrees or have completed their studies. Each of them has found meaningful and exciting ways to put their Queen’s education to good use.

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Sizi Bebe

PhD, Chemical Engineering

Sizi Bebe has overcome much adversity in her life, but

collaborates with St. Lawrence College and the University of

her positive and hopeful attitude shines through. Born in

Waterloo on the complex and evolving world of polymers and

Zimbabwe, Sizi’s knack for science and mathematics led her

nanotechnology. DAS researches and develops innovative

to study engineering at the University of Zimbabwe. Her

technologies that improve day-to-day living conditions and

undergraduate degree further piqued her scientific curiosity,

alleviate challenges, such as energy storage systems.

so she decided to head to Australia to do graduate work in polymers, a substance with a molecular structure made chiefly from a large number of similar units bonded together.

establish the Polymer Sciences Institute in Harare to bring

“Almost everything we use on a daily basis contains polymers,”

will also advance research and development of polymer products

says Sizi. “I find this fascinating.”

derived from Zimbabwe’s abundant natural resources, including

A family crisis brought her back to Zimbabwe, making it impossible to complete her PhD in Australia, but not before she had earned an MSc from the University of Sydney. A health crisis brought her to Kingston to stay with her sister. Sizi warmed

awareness of how important polymers are in everyday life. This

coal, platinum, and chromium.

“Quite a lot can be done with natural products found locally in Zimbabwe,” she says.

to the city and decided to raise her two children there. During

When Sizi comes to Canada, she has a chance to see her children,

her recovery she contacted Dr. Robin Hutchinson, a Chemical

who are now of university age. When in Zimbabwe, Sizi likes to

Engineering professor at Queen’s, who encouraged Sizi to

explore the natural beauty of her homeland.

continue her doctoral studies.

4

Sizi is also contributing in her homeland: she has helped to

“Victoria Falls, game reserves, the mountains … it’s all beautiful,”

Today, Sizi is the co-founder and Executive Technical Director

she says. “I’ve really come to appreciate it since I’ve been away

of DAS Innovations Corporation, an Ottawa-based firm that

and come back.”

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

John Ford

MASc, Civil Engineering

As a boy, John Ford, Sc’00, MASc’04, loved to watch

Today, John is a Structural Engineering Consultant with

things being built. Earth-movers, cranes, power tools, and

Halsall Associates, a Toronto-based firm that designs efficient,

hammers so fascinated him that his mother suggested he

sustainable buildings that have a minimal environmental

become an engineer or a carpenter. Now he does both: he’s

footprint.

an engineer by day and a carpenter in his spare time. When not at work, John focuses on remodeling his Toronto home,

He’s had a varied career with the company. He started out

with his wife’s help.

designing individual structural elements such as beams,

“I get the same satisfaction from designing structures and

leading design teams. In 2008, he moved to Calgary to start

seeing them get built as I do out of building things myself,”

Halsall’s structural engineering group. After successfully getting

says John.

it up and running he returned to Toronto, where he works out

So enjoyable was his undergraduate experience at Queen’s that John decided to pursue a Master’s in Civil Engineering,

columns, and foundations, then became a Project Manager

of Halsall’s office there. He currently lives in the city with his wife Kaitlin Ford (nee Palmer), Sc’00, MASc’02, and their children.

where he collaborated with excellent professors and teaching assistants. His studies further fuelled his passion for building and construction and sparked a particular interest in sports venues.

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Basel Nabulsi PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering Basel Nabulsi, PhD’13, grew up in Kuwait, studied in Jordan,

“Queen’s and Kingston offer a nice balance for school and life,”

France, Brussels, and Kingston, and, at age 31, landed his

he says.

dream job in Kanata, Ontario. He’s among the growing number of PhD graduates who have chosen a career in industry rather than in academia after they’ve graduated.

An employee of Cortina, a leading provider of high-performance semi-conductor solutions, Basel explores his passion for highspeed communication design on a daily basis in a stimulating environment that more than adequately satisfies the “geek” in him.

“I love solving problems,” he says. “I love how engineering helps me do that.”

Although Basel’s background is cosmopolitan—his parents

6

His research at Queen’s involved a mix of signal processing and information theory for wireless communications. He also taught undergraduates (see story, page 13)—particularly those in the APSC 100 Introduction to Robotics course—and karate to young children.

“I find myself learning from students as much as I teach them,” says Basel. “The enthusiasm of first-year students who are all eager to learn gives me so much joy and pleasure. They take pride in being engineers, and they should!”

While he ultimately chose a career in industry, it’s clear that the classroom is still important to him.

hail from two different countries, and he had offers to study in

“I love teaching,” he says. “But at this time in my life, I want to be

London, England, and in Barcelona, Spain—he opted to do his

part of an exciting industry where I can be innovative and maybe

PhD at Queen’s, in comparatively low-key Kingston.

make a name for myself.”

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Scott Brandon PhD candidate, Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Scott Brandon, MASc’09, regards engineering as a “helping

Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), he studies how

profession”—a phrase that’s especially applicable to his field

knee braces can reduce the forces acting on the knee when a

of study, biomedical engineering.

person walks, and how knee braces might be designed to be more

“In our research projects, our goal is to reduce peoples’ pain and

effective, comfortable, and easy to wear.

improve their quality of life,” says Scott, who’s in the final year of

He also specializes in forces of another kind: Scott has been an

his PhD in Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Queen’s.

enthusiastic member of Queen’s Rowing since he arrived on campus in 2007 to complete his Master’s. The Queen’s Nordic

Scott’s current research in the Collaborative Biomedical

Team also holds a special place in his heart—no doubt because

Engineering (CBME) program involves investigating the causes,

he ended up marrying his wife, Julie, a member of the women’s

prevention, and treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

squad.

Knee osteoarthritis affects 40 per cent of people over age 70. The

Upon graduation, Scott plans to travel abroad for a post-doctoral

disease can be caused, relieved, or exacerbated by mechanical

position where he can enhance his biomechanical skill set, but

forces applied to the knee joint—and mechanical engineers like

he hopes to eventually return to Canada to teach at a university.

Scott specialize in joint forces. Specifically, with research support

His dream job is to combine his two passions—sports and

from various funding agencies such as the Natural Sciences and

biomechanics—to help athletes achieve their goals.

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Paul Webster PhD, Engineering Physics

“The future has practically unlimited possibilities that we can’t conceive of today,” says Paul. “The key to managing this and optimizing outcomes is preparation, both to take advantage of Paul (right) and Laser Depth Dynamics CEO (and fellow Queen’s Engineering alum) Roger Bowes, Sc’92

opportunities and mitigate problems as they arrive.”

Paul credits his Queen’s education—a “transformative experience”, he says—with equipping him with the right tools and management skills to advance in his career.

Solving problems and spatial reasoning fascinate Paul

“My time at Queen’s helped me answer many questions about

Webster, Sc’06, PhD’13, so it’s not surprising that he chose to

how the world works, technically and otherwise. I made a lot of

study Engineering Physics—a decision that led to a fulfilling

lifelong friends, and was given opportunities that I couldn’t have

career.

imagined when I was in high school,” says Paul.

Paul is founder and owner of Laser Depth Dynamics, a Kingston-

Paul has developed a good relationship with Queen’s in

based startup whose specialty is the LD-600, a device that allows

developing his product, citing a liberal intellectual property

for precise depth measurement of industrial laser processes. In

policy and substantial commercialization support as two

other words, when a laser beam is used to cut or drill a material,

attractive elements offered to aspiring entrepreneurs.

the LD-600 allows the operator to know exactly how deep the cut

8

is, as the cut is being made.

A Kingston resident, Paul plans to expand Laser Depth Dynamics

Being at the leading edge of technological design is both

He expects to fill other business roles with Laser Depth Dynamics

challenging and inspiring for someone who sees endless

in the future, but hopes he’ll always be “at least partially in touch”

potential in his career and in life.

with technical problem-solving and design.

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by adding new products across diverse manufacturing sectors.

GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Carolyn Ingram MASc candidate, The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining

Carolyn Ingram completed her undergraduate studies in Applied Physics at the University of Regina and was delighted when she landed a job with Cameco Corporation as a Radiation Specialist and dispatched to Cigar Lake, a northern Saskatchewan mine sitting on the world’s second largest high-grade uranium deposit.

At Cigar Lake Carolyn discovered the Jet Boring System, a mining method that uses water under high pressure to excavate cavities in the ore body. The resulting ore slurry is pumped through pipes for further processing.

“I was intrigued about this method of mining and wanted to find a way to contribute and become more involved,” she says.

That desire led her to Queen’s and the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, where she’s now working on her Master’s degree. Her graduate research involves acquiring meaningful data from the cavities that will be mined at Cigar Lake.

“As part of my project, we designed and built a test cavity to compare three different technologies that were prospective candidates for the survey system,” she explains.

The devices being evaluated include a Senix ultrasonic sensor, an MDL Cavity Auto-Scanning Laser System (C-ALS), and a MESA Time of Flight (ToF) camera. The ultrasonic sensor is known to provide range data in foggy conditions, but it has low accuracy.

provide accurate information in extreme conditions, but it hasn’t been tested in a mine-cavity application.

Carolyn says Queen’s provided her with a successful and fulfilling graduate study experience, and credits Dr. Joshua Marshall as being an excellent and encouraging supervisor.

“I was made to feel welcome from the instant I stepped into the Mining Department,” says Carolyn. “I love being able to expand my knowledge on the social, economic, and technical aspects of the mining industry while focusing on my Master’s project at the same time.”

The C-ALS has been developed for surveying remote cavities,

In her spare time, Carolyn participates in outdoor activities such

but it’s expensive and provides unreliable data in fog. The ToF

as skiing and scuba diving. She also enjoys spending time with

camera provides a high volume of data relatively quickly and may

her sisters, nieces, and nephews in Saskatoon.

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9

GR STUDENT ADUATEPROFILES STUDIES PROFILES

Naci Saldi PhD candidate, Mathematics and Engineering As a boy growing up in Turkey, Naci Saldi had a strong affinity

mathematics involving the quantification of information that is

for mathematics. Inspired by a high school teacher who

used primarily for communications technology.

fuelled his love for “a fascinating and exciting discipline,” as he calls it, he decided to study engineering at Bilkent

Overall, Naci’s experience at Queen’s has been positive. Faculty

University in Ankara.

and students alike helped him settle into a smaller university and a

After completing a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics

city has involved a cultural shift for him—but a good one.

much smaller city. Moving from the metropolis of Turkey’s capital

Engineering, Naci found himself hankering for his first passion— mathematics. Fortunately, he heard about Serdar Yuksel, a

“Kingston is small compared to Ankara, but it’s a great place to do

fellow Bilkent graduate who’s a professor in the Mathematics

a doctoral degree,” says Naci. “People are friendly and helpful, and

and Statistics Department at Queen’s. With Yuksel’s help, Naci

it’s a beautiful city.”

found his way to Kingston, where he enrolled in Queen’s doctoral mathematics and engineering program.

10

Naci plans to remain in North America after he completes his PhD, and possibly pursue further studies in a postdoctoral program. He

Naci’s research involves both stochastic control, a subfield of

lives with his wife in Kingston, but plans to move to Ottawa where

control theory that deals with sequential optimization of stochastic

his wife is working on her Master’s in Translation and Interpretation

systems, and information theory, a branch of engineering and

at the University of Ottawa.

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GR ADUATE STUDIES PROFILES

Matt Lato PhD, Geological Engineering Matt Lato, Sc’06, PhD’10, is a hands-on kind of guy,

Conducting fieldwork in remote locations in the world, hiking

and geological engineering is that kind of discipline—

mountains, and investigating natural phenomena inspires

which is what attracted Matt to a career in this practical,

Matt. He credits his Queen’s education with having nurtured his

interdisciplinary field. Since graduating, he has found

success and his innovative spirit.

meaningful employment in the industry, first in Norway with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and now in Ottawa,

“The Department of Geological Engineering does an incredible

where he manages his own company.

job at encouraging young minds and enabling their learning

“I started in geological engineering because I was fascinated by

supervised me, as well as other faculty in the department, want

the possible areas of work,” says Matt. “I continued into graduate

nothing but the best for and from their students.”

studies because I enjoyed the faculty I was studying under, and

and development,” he says. “The faculty members who directly

the available projects brought forward incredible opportunities.”

Matt looks forward to pursuing further business opportunities

After returning to Canada from Norway in 2012, Matt established

Isabel Coderre, BA’10, in Ottawa

with RockSense GeoSolutions. He currently lives with his wife,

RockSense GeoSolutions Inc. The company focuses on threedimensional imaging applications for tunnelling, mining, transportation, and natural hazard engineering.

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GR ADUATE STUDIES

of the Teach value

The

Basel Nabulsi

I

t’s an often-overlooked fact, but the academic life of undergraduate engineering students can be significantly enhanced through the effective use of Teaching Assistants (TAs). TAs are typically graduate students whose main role is to support the professor—but the support they provide to undergraduates is equally important.

TAs fulfill a wide range of duties.

By leading personalized, small-group interactions, they complement the lectures delivered to large classes by professors. They help evaluate assignments. They bridge, and sometimes buffer, the relationship between student and professor.

While studying for his PhD in Electrical Engineering, Basel Nabulsi (see Basel’s profile on page 6), assisted many undergrads as a TA. It’s a role he embraced whole-heartedly.

“The enthusiasm of first-year students who are eager to learn gives me 12 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

so much joy and pleasure,” says Basel, who has since found work in industry in Kanata.

Basel’s enthusiasm as a TA mirrors some of his students’ regard for him.

Olivia Zupet, a third-year Computing Engineering student, benefitted from Basel’s teaching in first year.

“Basel taught me in APSCI142, the only first-year computer course, with so much knowledge and passion that I changed my major from Chemical Engineering to Computing,” says Olivia.

Olivia says Basel went above and beyond his duty by spending extra time with students, both outside the classroom and after office hours.

Joshua Ardunini echoes Olivia’s sentiment. The second-year Electrical Engineering student describes Basel as an excellent TA who exceeds expectations.

“Because he’s fairly close to us in age and has already been an undergrad,

it was easy to relate to him,” says Joshua. “He has the communication and social skills to talk to us in a way that’s understandable and not at all threatening.”

The TA can communicate student feedback to the professor and help resolve conflicts or misunderstandings between student and professor. Hence, the TA’s direct understanding of the undergrad experience goes a long way to smoothing over potential tensions that may arise.

Basel also reaped rewards from the TA experience. In addition to receiving a modest income, he gained invaluable teaching experience that will serve him well in his career. Just as importantly, he discovered more about the subject he was teaching by seeing it through the eyes of an undergrad.

“I find myself learning from students as much as I get to teach them,” says Basel.

hing Assistant

“

Basel taught me in APSCI142, the only first-year computer

”

course, with so much

knowledge and passion that I changed my major from Chemical Engineering to Computing.

—Olivia Zupet

“”

He has the communication and social skills to talk to us in a

way that’s understandable and not at all threatening.

—Joshua Ardunini

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GR ADUATE STUDIES

CREATE (ing) Opportunities

New NSERC initiative opens new possibilities for engineering research—and student careers

Y

oung engineering researchers will soon be addressing sustainability issues in the far north. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council recently announced that it will provide $1.65 million to fund the new Sustainable Engineering in Remote Areas (SERA) program over six years through its Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program.

“I am extremely happy and excited about the grant,” says Civil Engineering professor Mark Green. “The CREATE program is particularly interesting because it encourages doing more in graduate education than is traditionally done. It’s also a great platform for encouraging coordinated research over a sustained period.”

The SERA program, which Green designed, is “an excellent opportunity to support important research in sustainability and enhance educational opportunities for graduate students, including Aboriginal students,” he says.

The program will provide specialized seminars in Aboriginal culture and the cross-cultural aspects of engineering projects in Aboriginal territories. “We are

PhD candidate Valerio Russo 14 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

PhD candidate Elodie Lugez currently developing new educational modules on Aboriginal culture, sustainability, and business skills to be offered to students next year,” Green says. “At the same time we are recruiting MSc and PhD students to join the team to start the research topics.”

Research projects will either be in renewable energy or sustainable building. Students will investigate topics such as the effects of snow on solar panels, innovative materials for wind turbines, lightweight building systems, and new and sustainable materials for housing.

The projects will also encourage partnerships with Aboriginal communities and industry, Green says, as well as collaborations with the Aboriginal Access to Engineering (AAE) initiative at Queen’s to extend the objectives of the AAE to the graduate/research level.

The Human Mobility Research Centre (HMRC), a collaboration between

Queen’s and the Kingston General Hospital, was among the first CREATE awardees in 2009. The centre received $1.65 million to give graduates in the Bone and Joint Health Technologies program a head start in their careers by providing a unique opportunity to work with colleagues, enhance translational research skills, and transition from the lab to the workforce.

Mechanical and Materials Engineering professor Tim Bryant says the CREATE grant allows students to learn professional skills that are not part of their normal academic training. This includes understanding health policies, learning best practices for working with the media, and looking at business models for commercialization.

“Students might explore, for instance, ‘How would my research results be used if a commercialization person wanted to move ahead with this?’ So they know how that would impact their work, and can build this in from the start.”

The CREATE program has allowed the HMRC to foster existing integrated research teams and expand them into new areas. “It’s also provided the resources for new teams, which has had the biggest impact,” says Bryant.

One new team, for example, is looking at biomechanical modelling of pediatric knees. “Existing research was based on analysis of adult knees,” says Bryant. “So a physiotherapy colleague teamed up with a researcher in biomechanical modelling and a clinician in orthopedic surgery to work on predicting joint loading in the pediatric population. In the future, this will dictate alternative prevention and treatment strategies.”

Students who participate in this program have a big advantage, Bryant

HMRC-CREATE students

adds. “They have a unique background in a multi-disciplinary environment and the beginning of a toolkit that’s going to allow them to take on multiple career paths depending on their interests, whether they stay in academia or choose to work in industry or in health care policy for government.”

Elizabeth Hassan, a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering, is conducting research at the HMRC to develop functional outcome measures to assess performance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction—a commonly injured knee ligament, particularly for young athletes.

“I have two established surgeons involved at every stage of my project, which means that I know my work will be directly useful to doctors and their patients,” Hassan says. “The CREATE program made this collaboration possible. When I talk to colleagues at other centres they can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a direct, open relationship with the clinicians. It’s something really unique about Queen’s and it’s the big reason I didn’t even apply anywhere else for my PhD; for me Queen’s is the best place in the country to study biomechanics.”

Elodie Lugez, a PhD candidate in Computer Science, works in a close collaboration with the HMRC to improve the quality of computer-assisted

“

The CREATE program is particularly interesting because it encourages

”

doing more in graduate education than is traditionally done. It’s also a great platform for encouraging coordinated research over a sustained period.

surgeries. Thanks to the HMRC-CREATE grant, which has been, she says, “highly beneficial,” she has learned from many established professionals working in her area and expanded her network.

“Meeting regularly with other HMRC-CREATE trainees enabled me to share ideas and collaborate,” she says.

“There is also a professional training aspect, as this grant gave us access to some privileged preparation for various tasks, such as media interviews.” As well, the grant enables her to attend conferences, where she can present her work, receive feedback, and meet and learn from other peers.

Valerio Russo is a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering who works at the HMRC on a project related to heart tissue regeneration following myocardial infarction. “I use stem cells extracted from human fat,” he says. “It is a very abundant cell source and it is usually discarded after medical

procedures such as abdominoplasty— basically like taking gold out of garbage.”

In addition to the welcome financial support, Russo says, the collaborative aspect of CREATE has been helpful. “I got to work with a cardiac surgeon and many other experts. I was also able to observe cardiac surgeries—two of the fat depots I used are around the heart— which gave me a real-life view of the

PhD candidate Liz Hassan, Sc’03 conditions I’m trying to treat.”

He’s learned to look at the big picture, which helps in designing his studies, Russo adds. “Collaborations and goal orientation have been the great gifts CREATE has given me, and they’ve helped a lot in my research.”

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GR ADUATE STUDIES

Masters in Applied Sustainability

is Educating Policy-

F

or the past three years, students in the Collaborative Masters in Applied Sustainability (CMAS) program have learned to account for both technical and policy issues when working on engineering projects—a key strategic focus for the Queen’s University Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

“This new degree was created by faculty to respond to growing need and demand in the profession,” says Brian Surgenor, PhD, PEng, Vice-Dean, (Research and Graduate Studies). CMAS reflects increasing recognition that engineering decisions are often made for non-technical reasons. “Engineers need to be aware of how policy impacts their work and can often dictate the outcomes of their projects.”

The innovative program has many unique features, says Surgenor. One is how it marries technical engineering knowledge with public policy issues.

Another is how it addresses a wider spectrum of concerns. “We’re considering the full problem of sustainability—most programs focus just on energy, but we cover water and resources as well.”

As the Faculty’s first interdisciplinary collaborative effort, the CMAS program includes courses from five core engineering departments: Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical and Materials, and Mining Engineering. Faculty members from these departments share the teaching responsibility for “Topics in Applied Sustainability,” a course that introduces students to the concepts of engineering for sustainability. It is one of two mandatory core courses. The other is an Applied Sustainability Seminar Series.

As well, the CMAS draws on disciplines outside the Faculty, including Geology, Geography, Environmental Studies, and Policy Studies.

To complete a CMAS degree, MSc students take four courses and the seminar series, and write a thesis. MEng students take eight courses, one of which may be a project course, and the seminar series. Upon graduation, students have “with specialization in Applied

16 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

Sarah Thompson, Queen’s University MASc student, and Colin Ragush, Dalhousie University PhD student, are getting ready to collect sunlight penetration data in a wastewater stabilization pond in Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

Sustainability” added to their official transcripts.

Students have responded to CMAS with enthusiasm. “As soon as they heard about the degree, they wanted to get on

“

Mohamed says that while the CMAS

program is currently a collaborative program, he predicts that it will

someday develop into a standalone department. “The world is evolving and conventional engineering

”

practice will be obsolete,” he says.

“We need about 1.6 planets just to

sustain what we have, so we have to move toward more

sustainable solutions.

board,” Surgenor says. “It’s a growing program—we began in 2010 with 5 students, and it’s up to 10 this year. We expect to have to cap the program at 20.”

CMAS prepares students to be “more

broad-minded, capable, and sensitive to issues of policy and sustainability,” says Surgenor. This will help in their careers, he adds. “Hiring engineering grads who have these additional skills will appeal to employers who deal with these issues every day.”

Ibrahim Mohamed, Sc’12, MEng’13, says his professor, Bruce Anderson, inspired him to sign up. “He told us it is important to establish an environmental consciousness in all we do as engineers,” says Mohamed. “That’s what made me choose the Collaborative Masters in Applied Sustainability. I wanted to get a better understanding of sustainability— not just the technical aspects, but also the policy considerations.”

As part of his degree, Mohamed worked on a project to explore renewable energy potential in the Middle East/ North Africa region. “I was looking for renewable solutions, with a focus on smart buildings,” he says. The specialization gave him a better understanding of sustainability, he adds, and the multiple disciplines that necessarily come into play. “The degree really broadened my education as a civil engineer.”

SEC TION HEADER

-Savvy Engineers Asked about the program’s highlights, Mohamed says it was “brilliant” how the curriculum encompassed not just energy, but environmental policies and resources as well. Studying with students and professors from other engineering departments, and with professors from other faculties, also expanded his thinking.

“We’re required to take a Policy Studies course, for example, so the focus of the degree goes beyond technical knowledge,” he says. “We learned about bylaws and legislation and other factors that might affect our projects.”

Mohamed says that while the CMAS program is currently a collaborative program, he predicts

“

We’re required to take a policy

studies course, for example, so the

”

focus of the degree goes beyond technical knowledge.

We learned about bylaws and

legislation and other factors that might affect our projects.

that it will someday develop into a standalone department. “The world is evolving and conventional engineering practice will be obsolete,” he says. “We need about 1.6 planets just to sustain what we have, so we have to move toward more sustainable solutions.”

Surgenor says the CMAS program has made excellent progress since its launch in September 2010. In the future, he expects that demand will grow: its curriculum will evolve as new courses are offered, new faculty get involved, and the Engineering Faculty’s strategic focus on sustainability continues to develop. “CMAS provides a wonderful framework to build on Queen’s expertise in applied sustainability.”

> For more: www.engineering.queensu.ca/

Ibrahim Mohamed

THE COMPLETE ENGINEER 17

ALUMNI NE WS

Alumni Events On September 7th, the Sc’48 1/2 class gathered at the Donald Gordon Centre for their annual reunion.

Back row: (l-r) Joshua Kacur, Sc’16; Frank Ngenzi, Sc’14; Anna Strachan, Sc’08, Jim Ramsay; Sc’48 ½; Hamilton Sparling, Sc’48 ½; Bob Scally, Sc’48 ½; Shelby Nicholson, Sc’17; Linas Jankunas, Sc’13; Jack Billingsley, Sc’48 ½; George Brown, Sc’48 ½ Front row: (l-r) Jennifer Brown, Sc’10; Norma Scally; Dottie Brown; Mavis Breckenridge (widow of Walt Breckenridge, Sc’48 ½)

Sc’ 48 ½ classmates with Dean Woodhouse: (l-r) Jim Ramsay, George Brown, Dean Woodhouse, Hamilton Sparling, Jack Billingsley, and Bob Scally 2013 Sc’48 ½ Mature Student Bursary winner Shelby Nicholson, Sc’17

18 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

Dean Kimberly Woodhouse hosted an informal Queen’s Engineering Reception on October 7th at the Mill Street Brew Pub in Ottawa.

Neil Johnstone, Sc’61, and Robert Brett, Sc’61

Catherine Ella, Sc’82, Dean Woodhouse, Robert McLellan, Sc’81

Michael Holtstrom, Sc’03, Max Bailey, Sc’11, and Ian MacLeod, Sc’04

THE COMPLETE ENGINEER 19

ALUMNI NE WS

Alumni Events Homecoming returned to Queen’s on October 4-6th and 18-20th. Over both weekends, alumni came back to campus to re-connect with classmates and celebrate the Queen’s spirit!

Members of Sc’88 gather outside of Clark Hall Pub before Ritual.

Sc’78 had a great turnout for their 35th reunion.

Sc’48 classmates with Dean Woodhouse during the Dean’s Homecoming Reception in Beamish-Munro Hall.

During the Dean’s Homecoming Reception, Sc’68 presented a cheque in the amount of $500,000—what they have raised to date toward their 1 million dollar goal.

Alumni, students and faculty members intereact during the Dean’s Homecoming Reception in Beamish-Munro Hall.

20 THE COMPLETE ENGINEER

Sc’93: (l-r) Sarah Byers, Dave Stewart, John Milligan, Dan Smith, Joubin Hassanein, Rick Cousineau, John Salvador

(l-r) Manford Mallory, Bruce Jeffery, and Michael Lewis present Dean Woodhouse with a cheque for $17,500—funds raised from their Sci’73 Spring ‘13 appeal.

Gaylen Racine, Sc’63

(l-r) John Redding, Sc’73, Mike Henderson, Sc’73, and Michael Greenspan, Department Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Steve Hawthorne and Katie Heeman, Co-chairs of Conference on Industry and Resource: Queen’s University Engineering (CIRQUE) 2014, chat with Richard Farmery, Sc’58.

Doug Sanderson (l) and Gord McCallum present a cheque on behalf of Sc’58 to Dean Woodhouse. $281,515 is half their goal for the ’58 Legacy Fund Campaign.

Under the leadership of Chris Hunter and Hugh Agro, and represented here by John Schadan (l) and Dale Clarke (r), the class of Mining ’88 joined together to raise over $100,000 to establish The Mining 1988 Scholarship at the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining Engineering.

Emily Fleck, Sc’14, President of EngSoc, speaks with Dr. Faqir Kohli, Sc’48, and his wife, Swarn Kohli. The Kohlis travelled from their home in India to celebrate Dr. Kohli’s 65th class reunion.

THE COMPLETE ENGINEER 21

INSPIRING GREATNESS CAMPAIGN

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE

Beamish-Munro Hall, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

inspiring.engineering.queensu.ca

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Development Team Jane McMillan Director of Development jane.mcmillan@queensu.ca Extension 32160

Pat Smith Senior Development Officer pat.smith@queensu.ca Extension 79513

Beth Wylie Development Officer beth.wylie@queensu.ca Extension 74594

Michelle Miatello Associate Director of Development michelle.miatello@queensu.ca Extension 75804

Heather McMartin Senior Development Officer heather.mcmartin@queensu.ca Direct Line 416-525-3923

Maura Doyle Development Coordinator maura.doyle@queensu.ca Extension 79533

Contact us at 613.533.6000 or 1.800.267.7837

Joanne Grills, Faculty Advancement Coordinator joanne.grills@queensu.ca Extension 75248