Engineering associate deans and alumna inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s associate dean (research), associate dean (graduate studies) and an alumna are among the newest fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).

Drs. Wei Qiu, Bing Chen and Sue Molloy are being honoured for their outstanding achievements and career-long service and contributions to the engineering profession.

The Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) is a national institution through which Canada’s most distinguished and experienced engineers provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to Canada.

Fellows of the academy are nominated and elected by their peers.

Dr. Wei Qiu

Dr. Qiu is the interim associate dean (research) in the faculty. One of the world’s leading specialists in marine hydrodynamics, Dr. Qiu specializes in solving fluid-structure interaction problems using experimental and numerical methods. He has made significant contributions to the field of ocean engineering and naval architecture in terms of student training, undergraduate and graduate programs, solving industry problems, publications, software packages being used by the marine and offshore industry. Dr. Qiu has also led the establishment of the Canadian Network for Innovative Shipbuilding, Marine Research and Training (CISMaRT) to foster collaboration among government, industry and academia in the marine sector.

Dr. Bing Chen

Dr. Chen is associate dean (graduate studies) in the faculty. He is also the UArctic Chair in Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering and a civil engineering professor. He is the current director of a global network on Persistent, Emerging and Organic PoLlution in the Environment (PEOPLE Network) (and NSERC PEOPLE CREATE). He is also a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and a member of the Royal Society of Canada (College) and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Dr. Chen is an internationally recognized leader in environmental engineering and, particularly, in oil spill response, persistent/emerging contamination, water/wastewater treatment, AI-aided decision making, cold regions and climate change. As a registered professional engineer, he has provided consulting service in Canada and worldwide.

Dr. Molloy is chief executive officer of Glas Ocean Electric (GOE), a Nova Scotia-based company electrifying workboats and using AI-driven marine data to reduce GHG emissions. She received her M.Eng. and PhD degrees in naval architecture and ocean engineering from Memorial in 2001 and 2007.

Dr. Molloy has been an invited speaker, panelist and moderator on ocean engineering topics for many industry, academic, and outreach events over the years, and gave the prestigious Canada Ocean Lecture for 2021.

Dr. Molloy teaches about sustainable energy and related marine projects at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and enthusiastically supports women in engineering and energy fields.

Memorial University’s research capacity in areas relevant to the Arctic is expanding.

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s Dr. Bing Chen was appointed the UArctic Chair in Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering.

UArctic chairs are internationally leading scientists and engineers who act as drivers for academic development in content areas relevant to the Arctic. Positions are selected globally and collaboratively appointed by UArctic and its nominating institutions.

Targeting two areas

As one of the newest UArctic chairs, Dr. Chen will establish and sustain a

Dr. Helen Zhang, professor, Department of Civil Engineering, is among the 2022’s inductees to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (RSC).

Widely lauded for her dynamic research, Dr. Zhang, Canada Research Chair in Coastal Environmental Engineering, has made significant advances in handling coastal oil and emerging contamination.

She is the founder of Memorial’s Coastal Environmental Laboratory, which is among a select group of worldwide facilities developing novel and environmentally friendly bio-products world-leading research program dedicated to marine and coastal environmental sustainability and community resilience in the Arctic and other cold regions by targeting two challenging and critical areas over the next five years.

The first area, preventing and responding to oil/chemical spills, will advance knowledge of the risks and impacts of oil and chemicals released from operational leakages or accidental spills. It will develop green cleanup technologies and effective emergency response methods through the integration of environmental engineering with bio/ nano-technologies and artificial intelligence.

The second area, managing and mitigating non-regulated persistent and emerging contaminants, including petroleum hydrocarbons, micro/nano-plastics, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, flame retardants, pesticides and others, will help Arctic communities better understand how to prevent and/or remove them from natural and human environments under climate change.

Dr. Chen’s research will also seek out scientific contributions and transformative impacts on the understanding and management of the environmental issues caused by the above pollutants under climate change and support Arctic sustainability. ■■■