Message from the Dean I am delighted to present the 2016 Annual Report of Performance Indicators. Our Faculty’s commitment to excellence relies on datadriven decision making. Our performance indicators and related metrics are powerful tools that enable us to assess progress, identify our strengths and challenges, set measurable goals and fine-tune our actions when required. They point us to new directions and priorities that will strengthen our position as the premier engineering school in Canada and one of the world’s best. The data and highlights in this document demonstrate our tremendous achievements over the past 12 months — the final year of our Academic Plan 2011–2016. We had much to celebrate in 2015–2016. Our outstanding undergraduate programs, unparalleled co-curricular opportunities and exceptional reputation, combined with strategic recruitment initiatives, enabled us to draw a record number of applications. Our 2015 entering undergraduate cohort included students who excel in academics as well as entrepreneurship, global engagement, community service, athletics and the arts. It was one of the most diverse first-year classes in our history: nearly one-third of students came from outside of Canada and 31.4 per cent were women. This figure was surpassed once again in 2016 with women comprising 39.2 per cent of the incoming cohort. Our enhanced programming and world-renowned professors attract brilliant graduate students from across Canada and around the world. These students choose U of T Engineering for the opportunities to conduct innovative research, work with pioneers in our engineering fields and join a rich and diverse community. Over the past decade, we have increased the number of students in our PhD program by 58 per cent. Through the development of vibrant programs, including specializations in Sustainable Energy, Robotics & Mechatronics, and Engineering & Globalization, we have grown the number of full-time equivalent MEng students by 600 per cent. Our exceptional researchers are addressing major global challenges, from improving human health to advancing sustainability and clean energy. In 2015–2016, a team of U of T Engineering researchers created a platform for growing human tissues outside the body that will enhance drug safety and could one day enable the repair of damaged organs with lab-grown replacements. Another team created a catalyst with record-setting efficiency that could improve the storage of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. We also played a key role in multidisciplinary research initiatives at the intersection of engineering, medicine and clinical practice that have the potential to revolutionize health care. As a result of our
collaborative approach and the depth and breadth of our expertise, we further strengthened our research support, including a record amount of Tri-Council funding and corresponding proportion of Canada Research Chairs. We continue to earn recognition at the highest levels for our excellence in research and teaching. This past year, U of T Engineering faculty won more than 20 per cent of major national and international awards received by Canadian engineering professors, including the Killam Prize and honours from the Royal Society of Canada and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Our professors also received the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award and a President’s Teaching Award in recognition of remarkable innovations and commitment to education. In 2015–2016, we have enhanced experiential learning opportunities that enable students to develop key competencies in engineering, leadership and global fluency. Whether they are designing the world’s fastest bicycle or building a wind-powered irrigation system for farmers in Central America, our students are creating solutions with global impact. They are also launching startups with support from our rich ecosystem of entrepreneurship accelerators, including Start@UTIAS and The Entrepreneurship Hatchery. These formative experiences, combined with a strong technical foundation in engineering, prepare them to be the next generation of innovators, makers and leaders. The Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CEIE) will be a vibrant hub that will set a new standard for engineering education and research when it opens in 2017. It will provide a new home for some of our world-leading institutes, such as the Centre for Global Engineering and the Institute for Sustainable Energy. Its design/meet rooms and fabrication facilities will enable students, professors and industry collaborators to work together across disciplines on complex global challenges and bring their innovations to market. In 2015–2016, the CEIE received new support from the U of T Engineering community and beyond, including a $15 million investment from the Government of Ontario. I am proud of our shared achievements and the bright future we are building together as we strengthen our leadership in engineering education and research. On behalf of the Faculty, I thank you and our entire community for your tremendous contributions and inspiring commitment to our unwavering pursuit of excellence. Cristina Amon, Dean September 2016 Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | Annual Report 2016