Faculty of Engineering - Dean's Report

Vadasz scholar leads the way

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 01 May 2024 19:07:01 +0000

This year, PhD student, Asia Vighi will be the graduate instructor for the undergraduate team competing at iGem. Vighi is a Vadasz scholar in the Faculty and also presented recently for SED Talks at the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering Design (TISED). She is taking over from Jean-Alexandre Bureau, who instructed the winning team last year. She likes working with undergraduates.

��VR��Ƶ Engine cultivates an Entrepreneurial Mindset

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 01 May 2024 18:52:27 +0000

The John D. Thompson Entrepreneurial Development Seminar was established thanks to a generous donation by John D. Thompson (BEng’57) ten years ago. This year, the seminar was opened by Peter Thompson, President and CEO of National Bank Insurance, on his father’s behalf. Peter spoke of how important the entrepreneurial mindset is to his dad and how John Thompson has been proud to support ��VR��Ƶ Engine since its inception.

Winning iGEM 2023

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 01 May 2024 18:35:56 +0000

Dan Voicu (BEng’26), co-lead of the 2023 ��VR��Ƶ iGEM team, described last year’s experience as busy! Students formed the team at the end of 2022 and spent the first two months of 2023 ideating their proposal. Then – around their regular course loads – they worked in the lab until the end of the semester. During the summer months, they implemented plans to raise money, contacting stakeholders that a small finance sub team had brainstormed. Throughout, they held workshops with the Montréal biotech community as well as a two-day conference.

Bioengineering brings home the gold!

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 01 May 2024 18:17:42 +0000

Voted by the EUS as Department of the Year, a lot of the excitement about Bioengineering's sudden rise to stardom is last year’s 1st place at the 2023 iGEM Grand Jamboree.

Dean’s Introduction – Spring 2024

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 01 May 2024 17:34:21 +0000

I am pleased to begin this issue celebrating a great achievement. ��VR��Ƶ’s iGEM team, which is made up of a large number of students from the Department of Bioengineering, won the 2023 iGEM Global Challenge. It’s the first time ever that this global prize has been won by a Canadian university, and the first time in 10 years that it has been won by a university in North America. A big congratulations to our students, and to our professors and grad students who mentored and supported the team! I invite you to peruse the lists below of those who have contributed to this project.

Introduction to Dean’s Report

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 04:30:52 +0000

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this issue of Dean’s Report and to introduce myself. I am Viviane Yargeau, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at ��VR��Ƶ since 2004. I served as Chair of the Department for five years, and it is truly an honour to now serve as Dean of the Faculty.

Class of ’53 is still connected after 70 years…

��VR��Ƶ — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 04:35:50 +0000

Jacques Dubuc, Class Leader, said he and his classmates have celebrated every fifth-year reunion since 1953. “We have faithfully participated and contributed to every reunion since graduation,” says Dubuc. “We’ve also formed lifelong friendships, holding a few out-of-town gatherings between reunions that were also well-attended. We keep in touch regularly.”

Acquiring Entrepreneurial Skills: The Nicell Summer Start-up Internship

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:47:49 +0000

Equipping students with the skills that prepare them for life is a faculty priority. Dean Jim Nicell believed this and during his 10-year term as Dean, worked hard to offer students classroom and beyond-the-classroom experiences that would help them excel when they graduate. As a parting tribute to Jim, members of the Faculty Advancement Board and friends of the faculty have created a Summer Startup Internship in Jim’s name.

Moshe Safdie donates his professional archive to ��VR��Ƶ

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:40:25 +0000

Students at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture now have access to the most extensive collection of architecture archives in Canada. The archive of Moshe Safdie, and his four-module Habitat ’67 condo, was gifted to ��VR��Ƶ. C. Colleen Cook, ��VR��Ƶ’s Trenholme Dean of Libraries, says that student engagement with primary materials inspires fresh examination, perspectives, and discussion.

TISED celebrates 10 years of building a foundation for sustainability

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:35:37 +0000

This past June, TISED brought together students, researchers, and donors in celebration of its 10^th anniversary. The Institute, which was established through the vision and support of Ram Panda (BEng’71) and Lorne Trottier (BEng’70), has been driving interdisciplinary research, teaching, and collaborations in sustainability for the past decade. Now the institute is poised to make an even greater impact with the launch of its Master of Engineering: Sustainability in Engineering and Design program this Fall.

Philanthropic gifts help E-IDEA build momentum

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:28:57 +0000

Not everyone who has been accepted by the Faculty of Engineering arrives for the first time and feels welcome. Or like they belong.

For the past year, the fledgling E-IDEA team (Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advancement) has been gathering momentum to change that. The team has solidified relationships with centralized EDI groups at the University, collaborated with student groups who are members of the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) as well as graduate and interfaculty student groups, and forged relationships with professors and staff.

Larry Lessard: passionate to do his part for our world

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:13:51 +0000

Professor Larry Lessard (BEng’82) is passionate about doing his part to make the world a better place. It’s why he spent his sabbatical year bicycling around the world. “I wanted to share my research with international audiences and I wanted to do it in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.” Lessard calls it cycling for recycling.

POWE wins Club of the Year

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:04:39 +0000

POWE wins Club of the Year at the EUS Banquet

POWE (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering) was formed by a group of women engineering students after the massacre at École Polytechnique in 1989. Each December 6, members of the executive committee commemorate the 14 women who lost their lives by presenting their interests and achievements at a public gathering on McTavish Street, in front of the ��VR��Ƶ memorial.

Ronald Chwang’s legacy lives on at ��VR��Ƶ’s Engine Centre

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 03:58:10 +0000

The late Ronald Chwang (BEng’72, DSc’12) was a pioneering entrepreneur and venture capitalist who served on the Faculty of Engineering Advancement Board (FAB) until 2021. Ronald, together with other FAB members, was instrumental in helping conceive the ��VR��Ƶ Engine Centre.

��VR��Ƶ Rocket Team has launched!

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 03:53:06 +0000

In June 2023, the ��VR��Ƶ Rocket Team set out for Las Cruces, New Mexico to compete in the 4th Annual Spaceport America Cup. Twelve students drove down, ten flew and the rest of the core team sat on the edge of their seats at home in Montreal, prepared to watch the live-streamed launch of their rocket, Porthos.

Faculty Updates

��VR��Ƶ — Tue, 02 May 2023 19:27:30 +0000

Krish Dasgupta takes on new role as Senior Director, International Initiatives in University Advancement and Virginia Roe joins us as Director of Development, Faculty of Engineering

MIAE and the future of aerospace

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:36:01 +0000

Montreal is the world’s 3^rd largest centre of aerospace manufacturing. The Montreal cluster of manufacturers includes over 200 medium-sized and small companies and accounts for over 36,000 jobs. Aerospace is Québec’s leading export industry.

Dean's Introduction: Building our community

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:28:11 +0000

With my term as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering coming to an end this June, this is the last time I will introduce the Dean’s Report.

��VR��Ƶ couple funds scholarship for high-achieving women in Engineering

��VR��Ƶ — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:57:38 +0000

Zhu (Joe) Liu (MEng’01) and Liying Jiang (MEng’03) met at ��VR��Ƶ while studying for their master’s degrees in civil engineering. Now they’re giving back to their alma mater by focusing on young women setting out to earn an engineering degree.

Helping engineering students find their way

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:10:56 +0000

In December, the Faculty of Engineering held an event to thank some of the donors who have offered their support to the ��VR��Ƶ Engineering Student Centre (MESC) over the years.

It all began when Helgi Soutar (BSci’58) and her late husband Ian Soutar (BEng’58) funded four exchange students from Estonia to come to ��VR��Ƶ for their MBAs. At the end of the program, one of the students in the group told Ian that he might have stayed if he’d had more support from the University to prepare him for the demands of the Canadian workplace.

Introduction du doyen: ��VR��Ƶ24 a le vent dans les voiles!

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 02:51:57 +0000

L’an dernier, l’Université a recueilli dans le cadre de ��VR��Ƶ24 près de 4 millions de dollars en une seule journée. Cette somme remarquable reflète bien l’engagement exceptionnel de nos diplômés, amis et collègues à créer des opportunités transformatrices pour nos étudiants et nos professeurs. Cette année, ��VR��Ƶ24 a lieu le mercredi 15 mars.

Ce jour-là, votre don a l’avantage d’être amplifié par des programmes de contrepartie de diverses sources.

Dean's Introduction: ��VR��Ƶ24 builds momentum!

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 02:45:49 +0000

��VR��Ƶ24 builds momentum!

Last year, in a single day, the University raised almost $4million during ��VR��Ƶ 24. That’s an amazing number that reflects the exceptional commitment of our alumni, friends and colleagues in creating transformative opportunities for our students and professors. ��VR��Ƶ 24 takes place on Wednesday, March 15 this year.

This is the day that your gift is amplified by matching programs from several sources.

Robert Weihmayer Bursary

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 21:17:55 +0000

Established by Sandra Horowitz in 2022

In 2022, Sandra Horowitz (BSc’72, MDCM’76) established a generous bursary in memory of her late husband, Robert Weihmayer (BEng’78, BA’79) in recognition of his passion for learning.

Dean's Introduction: Building towards the future

��VR��Ƶ — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 00:03:53 +0000

Honouring our past as we build towards the future

Approaching the end of 2022, I would like to take a moment to reflect on some important recent events in the life of the Faculty, as we welcomed students back to campus and resumed the unifying traditions of Convocation and Homecoming. Our faculty and staff members were instrumental in making sure we didn’t miss a beat, even though we had spent two years working primarily off campus. It was rewarding for students to resume classes and for us to see each other at these events.

Neat keeps startups simple!

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 23:55:48 +0000

In 2020, Sarim Malik (Mech.Eng ’21) had completed co-op programs in banking, aircraft engineering, and console game development. Nothing seemed to be holding his attention until he and his classmates came up with an idea. They would minimize the number of meetings it took to run a company. They named their company Neat.

Homecoming 2022

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 23:41:40 +0000

Homecoming is about reconnecting with classmates and renewing relationships. It is also about remembering and celebrating the many ways in which we all have benefited from being part of the ��VR��Ƶ community.

To relive the evening or get a sense of it if you were not able to attend, photos of the event are here.

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Dean's Introduction: Diversity is Key

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 19:56:02 +0000

Our decision to hold in-person activities at Homecoming this Fall has been welcomed by alumni and I look forward to seeing many of you at events this week. The Dean’s cocktail and the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture Breakfast, hosted by the School’s Director, Prof. David Theodore, have strong participation already, and our latest addition this year, the ��VR��Ƶ Engine Open House, is also filling up. This is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues – I invite you to register if you haven’t already done so.

E-IDEA: Furthering the transformation of our culture

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 19:48:00 +0000

Helping students face real-world challenges is at the forefront of the Faculty of Engineering. Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity Advancement (E-IDEA) is one of the Faculty’s four key Innovation by Design initiatives and aims to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) inside and outside the classroom.

9th Annual Trottier Symposium on Sustainable Engineering, Energy and Design

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 19:22:58 +0000

The 9th edition of the Symposium took place on September 13 with engaging guests, Henk Ovink and Marina Tabassum, speaking on the subject of Confronting Climate Change with Design for Resilience. The talks and discussions were moderated by Professor Nik Luka.

Dean's Introduction: Sustainability First

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 21:52:00 +0000

Welcome to the first edition of the online Dean's Report. We will provide you with updates throughout the school year to keep you informed of what's happening on campus as students participate in newly developed programs, internships, and other opportunities made possible by alumni support.

Engine - driving technological innovation in the art world

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 17:13:00 +0000

It's not often that the art world collides with the engineering world, but that's exactly what happened when Chloe Ryan and Celeste Nantel, both undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Class of 2023, began brainstorming ideas while studying for midterms two years ago. During high school, Ryan painted canvases that took hours to complete, and it was hard to sell her artwork for prices that paid for her time. Nantel was a FIRST competitor at her high school, developing applications for robotics.

Innovation by Design at the Faculty of Engineering

��VR��Ƶ — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 13:36:00 +0000

On August 23, Dean Jim Nicell welcomed almost 500 newly-admitted students to the Faculty of Engineering's Discover ��VR��Ƶ orientation session. During his introductory speech, he highlighted the Faculty's goal to help our students develop both as unique persons and as professionals, and to help them connect their technical training to the changing needs of our larger community and society.

2022 Faculty of Engineering Convocation

��VR��Ƶ — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:45:39 +0000

This year's Spring Convocation at ��VR��Ƶ took place in person. For the first time since 2019, Faculty of Engineering students gathered under the tent set up on the University's lower downtown campus. In addition to the 2022 Convocation ceremony, special celebrations were held for the classes of Spring 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.

See below for links to the celebration videos and photos.