Civil Engineering Has a New Department Chair

Professor Brenda McCabe has been appointed Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. McCabe will begin her five-year term January 1, 2008.

Professor Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, says that she is extremely pleased with the Agenda Committee’s endorsement of her recommendation. “Brenda is a gifted academic administrator with a demonstrated commitment to administration, both at the departmental and decanal levels, and a track record of proven successes. Her proactive, inclusive and collaborative leadership style has resulted in numerous initiatives, including most recently the increase in graduate enrolment, and the ELITE initiative in the professional Master of Engineering.”

From 2004 - 2006, McCabe has served as Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies in Civil Engineering, making outstanding contributions to strategic planning, undergraduate recruitment, admissions, curriculum, and the student experience. In 2006, she was appointed Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies for Engineering, and will be stepping down from that position. McCabe has served extensively on numerous committees at the professional, university, Faculty and departmental levels.

In 1998-1999, she received the Faculty’s Early Career Teaching Award. Her research interests include construction benchmarking, probabilistic reasoning, contractor prequalification, construction procurement, and safety.

McCabe received a BASc in Civil Engineering in 1994 from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Construction Engineering & Management in 1997 from the University of Alberta. She joined the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil Engineering in 1997 as Assistant Professor, and became Associate Professor in 2002. McCabe is a PEng, and member of the Canadian and American Societies of Civil Engineers (CSCE and ASCE).

As Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, McCabe will continue the momentum achieved by the previous Chair, Professor Paul Young, who vacated the position earlier this year to assume the position of Vice-President, Research at U of T. As part of her mandate, McCabe will work to continue increasing the Department’s profile in the North America and international scholarly community and in so doing attract resources for new initiatives.