May 2012

Western Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards

Western Engineering News | May 18, 2012
Western Engineering held its annual Faculty and Staff Awards banquet Thursday, May 17 to recognize the accomplishments and successes within the faculty throughout the year.
[See video] [See photos]


A funny thing happened on the way to the lab

Western Alumni Gazette | Spring 2012
Under the Western Engineering jacket of Jeff Burney beats the heart of a filmmaker, T-shirt designer and newspaper cartoonist.
[Read more]


Making 'scents' of an engineering degree

Western Alumni Gazette | Spring 2012
Becoming a fragrance industry entrepreneur wasn’t even in the realm of possibility for Ashlee Firsten, BESc'06, when she arrived at Western.
[Read more]


Opportunity to attend conference in Russia “will stay with me forever”

Western Engineering News | May 16, 2012
Second-year Electrical Engineering student Nikita Babailov and first-year students Nicole Wight and Ogo Velikonja, travelled to Russia to participate in the “Topical Issues of Rational Use of Natural Resources" forum, which was held on April 25-27 at St. Petersburg State Mining Institute-Technical University.
[Read more]


Building the WindEEE Dome

Western Engineering News | May 16, 2012
Construction on the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment (WindEEE) Dome is well underway at the Western University's Advanced Manufacturing Park. This video, filmed by Facilities Management project manager Mike DeJager, is captured from inside and outside the upper fan chamber of the inner dome.
[Watch video] [See photos]


Western Engineering students trade textbooks for plane tickets this summer

Western Engineering News | May 8, 2012
From the United States, Russia and India to China, Tanzania and Madagascar, several Western Engineering students will be traveling abroad this summer to conduct research and gain hands-on experience. Some of the students will be blogging about their activities.
[Read more]


Robinson named one of Ontario’s most promising researchers

Western News | May 4, 2012
Clare Robinson, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and research director of the Geotechnical Research Centre, is a recipient of Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards for her work studying how groundwater contributes to pollution in the Great Lakes. The awards program supports world-leading researchers, such as Robinson, make new discoveries while helping to build their research teams.
[Read more] 


$1.125-million donation to Western key to environmental stewardship

Western News | May 3, 2012
A new donation of $1.125 million by Newalta Corporation will support research and development efforts at Western to discover technologies to protect the environment and create value from perceived wastes generated by industrial sectors such as oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, mining and manufacturing.
[Read more] [See photos] [London Free Press] [London Community News]


Porter presented the Western Award of Excellence

Western Engineering News | May 1, 2012
Western Engineering technical specialist Eugen Porter was among the 2012 recipients of the Western Award of Excellence. He was honoured during a special ceremony on Feb. 16. Watch a video of the presentation of the internal award designed to recognize the tremendous work staff performs in support of providing an outstanding Western experience.
[See video] [Read Western News article]

April 2012

Western grad’s Sky Eye turns aerial photography into moneymaker

Metro News | April 26, 2012
Chris Bacik didn’t set out to become a business mogul. Truth be told, the 22-year-old Western University grad was more interested in earning a few extra bucks than making it big when Sky Eye Media started two years ago. Now, with a new bachelor’s degree in engineering and an honours in business administration under his belt, Bacik is toying with the idea of making the company his full-time gig.
[Read more]


CPSX Spotlight: PhD candidate Raymond Francis

Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration | April 25, 2012
Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD candidate Raymond Francis steps into the spotlight at the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration for a interview on his research; what inspired him to study planetary science and study at Western; and offers advice to students interested in pursuing the field.
[Read more] [Read about his work with the Thames Valley District School Board]


Civil engineering graduate students recognized for commitment to the environment

Western Engineering News | April 4, 2012
Two graduate students from Western University’s department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been awarded Ross and Jean Clark Scholarships.
[Read more]


Getting the fastest education on four wheels

Western News | April 19, 2012
Tyler Ouellet and Jordan Dil have put hundreds of hours into one particular extracurricular activity on campus this past year. There’s no pay, they get greasy and, at times, don’t get home until after midnight. And they wouldn’t change a thing. The fourth-year Engineering students are part of the Western Engineering Formula Racing Team.
[Read more]


Top students provide academic mentorship to first-year students

Western Engineering News | April 17, 2012
Anish Naidu may not have been the one to write the tests, but because of him fellow Western Engineering students are making the grade. Naidu is one of the faculty’s four Super Tutors, a program started in September 2011 to provide support and academic mentorship to first-year students.
[Read more]


Chislett named to Ontario’s Clean Energy Task Force

Ministry of Energy | April 12, 2012
Michelle Chislett, BESc'03, (MBA York), has been named to Ontario’s Clean Energy Task Force, which has been established to help broaden the province’s energy focus. Chislett is chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Solar Industries Association, vice-president of Solar Development for International Power Canada, Inc., and a member of the Advisory Council of Western Engineering.
[Read more]


Western project eyes lead in municipal drinking water

Western News | April 10, 2012
Western Engineering professors José Herrera and Clare Robinson will lead one of two new municipal research projects that will forecast lead levels in municipal drinking water, and develop sustainable wastewater treatment systems in First Nations communities in Ontario’s north.
[Read more]


Students work to reduce barriers to accessibility

Western Engineering News | April 5, 2012
Western Engineering students demonstrated their inventiveness and creativity at the First-Year Engineering Design Showcase on Thursday, April 5 in the Great Hall. The 96 teams designed projects based on the theme, “Reducing Barriers to Accessibility.”
[See photos] [Read Londoner article]


Eldyasti recognized for commitment to environmental engineering research

Western Engineering News | April 4, 2012
Working with chemical engineering professors Jesse Zhu and George Nakhla, PhD candidate Ahmed Eldyasti is researching ways to improve biological nutrient removal (BNR) from municipal and industrial wastewater. He is the most recent recipient of the Julie Lassonde Scholarship, awarded to a full-time graduate student who demonstrates making a difference in Ontario, Canada and the world.
[Read more]


Curnoe, Chambers proof great things can start here

London Free Press | April 2, 2012
If London had a poster boy, it could be Joel Adams, BESc/HBA’00. Born and raised in London, a downtown resident and Western University graduate, Adams now helms the research park, the university's economic development arm and an incubator for the who's who of London start-ups.
[Read more]

March 2012

Zhu named a Distinguished University Professor

Western News | March 29, 2012
Jesse Zhu, professor and Canada Research Chair in Powder Technology Applications in Western’s Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, is a recipient of the Distinguished University Professorship (DUP) award. The DUP recognizes excellence in the areas of teaching, research and service over a substantial career at Western. As well, Western Engineering’s Ajay Ray and Jun Yang were named Faculty Scholars.
[Read more]


Western Engineering showcases its research to university, industry

Western Engineering News | March 28, 2012
The Faculties of Engineering, Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University presented the Western Research Showcase March 21 in the Great Hall. The event is an opportunity for partnerships and networking between industry and university researchers.
[See photos]


Capstone Design Competition winners announced

Western Engineering News | March 27, 2012
The 2012 Capstone Design Competition was held on March 23 at the Research Park in Sarnia. Fourteen groups from Western Engineering's Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Green Process Engineering participated in three categories. The event was sponsored by 14 southern Ontario companies, which donated $14,500 for the event and prizes for the winners of the competition.
[View photos]


Mavriplis encourages young women to be leaders

Western Engineering News | March 22, 2012
Catherine Mavriplis delivered the 2012 Lynda Shaw Memorial Distinguished Lecture on “Advancing Women in Science and Engineering: What Can Be Done?” at Western Engineering on March 22. Mavriplis is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ottawa and NSERC / Pratt & Whitney Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the Ontario Region. She encourages women to act as leaders, even at a young age, and sees room for engineers to improve their image in society.
[See photos]


Oil Sands give Canada its world energy advantage, says Thompson

Western Engineering News | March 22, 2012
Don Thompson, Executive Advisor, Sustainability and Oil Sands Outreach, Canadian Oil Sands Limited, delivered a lecture at Western Engineering on March 21 on "Canadian Oil Sands - Canada's Energy Advantage." As Canada develops this resource, it must continue to work to achieve the balance between economic contribution, environmental sustainability and energy security, he says.
[Read more] [See photos]


Relationships are key, new Ontario Road Builders’ Association president says

Daily Commercial News | March 22, 2012
Newly elected Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) president Jim Hurst, BESc’87, Civil and Environmental Engineering, got his feet wet in the industry as a field engineer on the $1 billion Highway 407 project north of Toronto while employed at Armbro Construction Ltd.
[Read more]


Funding boost for research into new crop option for Sand Plains farmers

Western Engineering News | March 21, 2012
Research by the Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) at Western Engineering into the economic potential of the Jerusalem Artichoke received an investment of up to $133,500 from the federal government. Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MP Bev Shipley announced the support for project to determine the plant's economic potential as an industrial crop and as feedstock to produce biofuels and biochemicals.
[See photos]


Bridging the gap between city, university

Western News | March 8, 2012
A group of fourth-year civil engineering students could very well have their names on a Canadian first should the City of London run with their innovative bridge design.
[Read more]


'Scary' experience twists research

Western News | March 8, 2012
Research met reality for Western Engineering professor Horia Hangan on a recent trip to the western United States. And that gave the WindEEE Dome principal investigator some new ideas.
[Read more]


Western Engineering launches international web portal

Western Engineering News | March 6, 2012
Western Engineering has launched a web portal for international experiences and opportunities in Western Engineering. This site provides information about Western Engineering’s international activity at the university and globally for interested current students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as prospective international students and faculty and staff members.
[Read more]


Engineering students offer designs for new city developments

Western Engineering News | March 6, 2012
Fourth- year Civil and Environmental Engineering students could see their designs for a footbridge over the Thames River at Harrison Park and a chemical treatment system at Greenway Pollution Control Centre put into action. Student teams Sigma Innovations, RDA Consulting and McENN Inc. topped the 2012 City of London Design Competition, held Friday, March 2 at Western Engineering. The winning designs will be shared with city representatives and consultants working on the designs of these projects.
[See photos]


Options wide open for engineering grads

Edmonton Journal | March 2, 2012
Engineering graduates  are in high demand, says Western Engineering alumna Kirsten Petersen, an engineer-in-training at a major oil company, and Jessica Barker, a master's student in environmental engineering. The pair discusses how corporations are rapidly investing in young engineering talent to replace retiring baby boomers.
[Read more]


Painting a bigger picture with microalgae

Western News | March 1, 2012
Wankei Wan, Biochemical Engineering professor, has found an unusual application for his research on the production of microalgae. Pigment produced from microalgae in his lab has inspired Western Visual Arts student Jesse Robertson to paint vibrant works of art.
[Read more]

February 2012

Isyumov to receive Jack Cermak Medal for lifetime achievement

Western Engineering News | February 21, 2012
Nick Isyumov, consulting director for the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, has been named the 2012 recipient of the “Jack Cermak Medal” from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The award is for lifetime achievement in the field of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. ASCE will award the medal at the upcoming 2012 ASCE Structures Congress held in Chicago, Illinois March 29-31. 
[Read more]


Winning CEC 2014 bid was just the beginning

Western Engineering News | February 21, 2012
Making the case to host the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) at Western University put a lot of pressure on Gail Hayhoe and Michael Zawalsky. But the pair faced the challenge and won the bid for Western Engineering in 2014 during the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students Congress held in Whitehorse, Yukon, Jan. 4-10.
[Read more]


PalmPass gets your ticket to ride

Western News | February 16, 2012
Software Engineering student Sajjad Haiderali and Kinesiology master’s student Bryn Jones have developed PalmPass – a mobile, e-commerce ticketing application allowing transit users to purchase and display bus passes and tickets on their smartphone. The app is gearing up for its September test run with the London Transit Commission (LTC).
[Read more]


Western Engineering's Dean’s Office goes green

Western Engineering News | February 14, 2012
Western Engineering’s Dean’s Office, along with the Undergraduate Engineering Society, is part icipating in a Green Office Pilot Program launched by Facilities Management. The program is designed to raise environmental awareness among faculty and staff and to help the university reduce its environmental footprint. The will be expanded campus-wide in the fall.
[Read more]


Five awards for the Western Engineering Toboggan Team

Western Engineering News | February 13, 2012
The Western Engineering Toboggan Team took home five awards at the 2012 Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race held in Calgary Feb. 8-12. The team was awarded Best Concrete Mix Design, Best Concrete Reinforcement Design, Best Toboggan Design, Best Technical Exhibit and Best Technical Report. The team blogged about their experiences on Western Engineering’s “What WE have to say” blog.
[Read more]


WETT’s concrete toboggan hits the slopes in Calgary Feb. 8-12

Western Engineering News | February 6, 2012
Racing down the side of a ski hill on a concrete toboggan isn’t easy, but the design challenge has the Western Engineering Toboggan Team (WETT) excited to put their ideas to the test. WETT unveiled its design last month for the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) 2012, held in Calgary, Alta. Feb. 8-12.
[Read more]


Porter named 2012 Western Award of Excellence recipient

Western News | February 2, 2012
Western Engineering technical specialist Eugen Porter is among the 2012 recipients of the Western Award of Excellence. Porter will be honoured during a special ceremony on Feb. 16. The internal award is designed to recognize the tremendous work staff performs in support of providing an outstanding Western experience.
[Read more]

January 2012

Western Engineering students take tobogganing to a new level

London Community News | January 31, 2012
A team of about 50 engineering students at Western University have taken the concept of the simple toboggan and turned into a complex, downhill five-man sled.
[Read more] [See photos]


El Damatty weighs in on roof collapsing video

Western Engineering News | January 30, 2012
Ashraf El Damatty, professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, weighed in on the cause behind a collapsed roof in a minor hockey rink in Slovakia, caught on video. El Damatty, whose research focus is in the area of structural engineering, was contacted by Discovery Channel Canada’s “Planet You” to offer an explanation for the unusual video footage and his comments were featured during the “Trending Video” segment.
[Watch video].


Johnson appointed Graham King Research Chair at Schulich

Western Engineering News | January 25, 2012
Jim Johnson, director of Biomedical Engineering and professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has been appointed the Graham King Research Chair in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry for a five-year term.
 [Read more]


Five WEC teams move on to the Ontario Engineering Competition

Western Engineering News | January 25, 2012
The Western Engineering Competition was held at The University of Western Ontario Jan. 13-15. The top teams in five categories will attend the Ontario Engineering Competition held Feb. 3-5 at the University of Toronto. See the list of winners and photos from the event.
[See photos]


Research led by Sun and Zhou receives CFI funding boost

Western Engineering News| January 24, 2012
Two projects led by Western Engineering researchers Xueliang (Andy) Sun and Wenxing Zhou were among five at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute to receive $1.2 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
[Read more]


Here comes the sun: Novel solar technology helps track sun’s movement

Western Engineering News | January 18, 2012
Solar farms are sprouting up across the country at an exponential pace and this push for harvesting greener energy has prompted a Western Engineering researcher to figure out a way capitalize on daylight hours. Kamran Siddiqui, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, along with his graduate student Hassan Hassan, has developed a smart solar tracker and a load compensator for solar collectors. [Read more] [See London Free Press article and video]


Mandel Scientific Company Inc. supports Western Engineering

Western Engineering News | January 12, 2012
Western Engineering welcomed representatives from Mandel Scientific Company Inc. to campus on Oct. 27, 2011 to formally dedicate the Mandel Scientific Company Inc. Laboratory in the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion. [Read more]


El Naggar elected fellow of Engineering Institute of Canada

Western Engineering News | January 6, 2012
Hesham El Naggar, Western Engineering’s professor and associate dean - research and graduate studies, has been elected a fellow of The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). He will be awarded the honour on June 7 at the Shaw Centre in Edmonton during the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering/EIC awards gala to celebrate the 125th anniversary of both organizations.


UES students to blog from the Yukon

Western Engineering News | January 3, 2012
Undergraduate Engineering Society president Issi George and vice-president, external, Taylor Standring will be blogging about their experiences at the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES) Congress, held Jan. 4-10 in Whitehorse, Yukon. The week-long conference serves as both the AGM for CFES and an open forum for engineering students across Canada. Follow their blog posts on the ‘What WE have to say' blog. [Read blog posts]

Also from this web page:

Making Headlines 2009

Contact

.: Allison Stevenson
Spencer Engineering Building, Room 2074
T: 519-850-2917
F: 519-661-3808 contactWE@eng.uwo.ca