Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | University of Toronto

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Celebrating our Success

The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering is synonymous with innovation, integrity, determination and achievement. Our engineers have contributed significantly in a wide range of areas, from infrastructure and telecommunications, to biomechanics, aerospace, chemistry, and artificial intelligence, to name but a few. Today, we continue to celebrate those accomplishments but we also celebrate Skule™’s recent advances and innovations.

In particular, this year we are celebrating our continual dedication to research through an Industrial Research Chair, two new research centres and two prestigious faculty awards. Professor R. Doug Hooton, one of the leading international voices in concrete materials research, was named NSERC/CAC Industrial Research Chair in Concrete Durability and Sustainability. This signifies the establishment of a significant public/private partnership that focuses research discoveries to produce concrete that is both durable and more sustainable over the long term. The newly established Centre for Sustainable Energy, under the direction of Professor Olivera Kesler, is a centralized location for researchers to tackle challenges in the areas of energy efficiency and environmental impact. Professor Ridha Ben Mrad has been appointed Director of the new Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics, which will oversee interdepartmental and interdivisional research and scholarly activities in this emerging area. Also this year, Professors Frank Kschischang (ECE) and Andreas Mandelis (MIE) were honoured with national Killam Research Fellowships. These achievements reinforce the strength of the research at your Skule™.

Engineers are determined to improve lives around the world through research, technical innovation and practical implementation. One of Skule™’s faculty members is seeking ways to use robots to respond to emergencies such as the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Other U of T engineers are focusing efforts on green technologies to combat dwindling natural resources, demands on energy and environmental deterioration jeopardize our economic and socio-political welfare. Solutions and innovations to these examples and more spark, grow and develop in our own labs, classrooms and study spaces.

We take great pride in our alumni, faculty, staff and students who inspire excellence in our work, studies, research and teaching. In this issue, it is our honour to share these achievements with you.