Benchmarks spring 2021 by Memorial University

Spring 2021

Memorial researchers collaborate to advance artificial intelligence

Engineers collaborating with university, community to fight COVID-19

Faculty and staff honoured with President’s Awards

Alumni receive national recognition for exceptional contributions

FROM THE ACTING DEAN

Welcome to the spring 2021 issue of Benchmarks. The stories in this issue are highlights from the year 2020.

Dr. Dennis Peters B.Eng., M.Eng., PhD, P. E n g . , S M I E E E , F E C

Acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

While the world continues to struggle with challenges associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are continuing to grow as a faculty towards our goal of becoming one of the premier engineering schools in the country.

Speaking of COVID-19, our outstanding engineers and students collaborated with the local community and beyond to fight the global pandemic. Using their expertise and time, they advised on chemical compatibilies of soaps and disinfectants and created testing facilities for personal protective equipment. We are optimistic that the Core Science Facility will open at the start of the fall 2021 semester. Our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will move to the new modern facility, which will have a major, positive impact on teaching, research and laboratory space.

FA C U LT Y O F ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2021 EDITOR Jackey Locke GRAPHIC DESIGN Kristine Breen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kelly Foss Jeff Green Kathryn Hong Syed Imtiaz Jackey Locke Deirdre Greene Lono Dave Sorensen Susan White PHOTOGRAPHY Rich Blenkinsopp Chris Hammond John Harvey David Howells Robin Peters Benchmarks is a publication of Memorial University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

You will read about national and international awards and recognition some of our students, professors and alumni received in 2020. Eight of our researchers were on the World’s Top 2% Scientists list, published by Stanford University. Dr. Bing Chen, head, Department of Civil Engineering, was honoured as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering for his exceptional contributions to environmental engineering and management. Dr. Brian Veitch, professor, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, was honoured by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers for his outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture and ocean engineering. Dr. Neil Bose, associate vice-president (research) and a naval architect and ocean engineer; alumni Jennifer Williams (B.Eng. 1998), president of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro; and Dr. Rehan Sadiq (PhD ’02), are among the newest fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Please address any questions, comments or suggestions to: Jackey Locke E: jackey.locke@mun.ca P: (709) 864-8287

@MUNEngineering @MUN_Engineering

W W W. M U N . C A / E N G I N E E R I N G

From the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows – in January 2020, we were saddened by the untimely passing of Dr. John Shirokoff of the Department of Process Engineering.

in this issue. 02

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You will read our memoriam to John, the stories mentioned above, and others,

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS

Contents

UNDERGRADUATE* B. ENG. GRADUATE* M. ENG + PHD

COVER STORY

CIVIL

FEATURES

CIVIL

LABORATORIES

COMPUTER ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING

SPECIALIZING IN

MECHANICAL OCEAN + NAVAL ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS

OIL + GAS ELECTIVES

OIL + GAS ENGINEERING

ENROLLMENT UNDERGRADUATE FALL 2020

765

GRADUATE

643

STRATEGIC RESEARCH AREAS BIOFUELS BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION FLUID DYNAMICS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE OPTICAL, WIRELESS AND UNDERWATER COMMUNICATIONS

NORTHERN PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTION CONTROL AUTONOMOUS OCEANS SYSTEMS

AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING 14

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COMPUTER ENGINEERING RESEARCH

ELECTRICAL

OCEAN AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING

PROCESS ENGINEERING

THERMO-FLUIDS

AWARDS

STRUCTURES

COMMUNITY

ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY ADVANCED DRILLING MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS OCEANS ENGINEERING RESEARCH OPTICAL AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH LABORATORY

REMOTE SENSING RENEWAL ENERGY ROBOTIC SAFETY AND RISK INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

ENGAGEMENT 24

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

ALUMNI

C O V E R S T O RY

Engineers collaborating with university, community to fight COVID-19

T H E H I B E R N I A E O R R E S E A R C H G R O U P.

M A Z I YA R M A H M O O D I

This story shows how Memorial engineers contributed in the fight against COVID-19. When it comes to battling the spread of COVID-19, engineers at Memorial put their expertise – and time – to work. Dr. Kelly Hawboldt heard disinfectant soap was needed to combat the virus, the process engineering professor volunteered her time on a number of committees to consult and advise on the chemical compatibilities of soaps and disinfectants. “Being involved highlighted to me that we have many talented people in our province who are willing to give their time to help find ‘made in N.L.’ solutions to COVID-related issues,” she said. “I hope we can build on this to develop and grow more manufacturing in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have the ability and the desire.”

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S H E R V I N AYA Z I

And when a request for personal protective equipment (PPE) testing came in, Dr. Lesley James, a petroleum engineering professor, says her Hibernia Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Research Group got involved. “We had some of the equipment, the skills and experience to adapt quickly,” said Dr. James. “So, we took on the challenge.” The Hibernia EOR Research Group and the Department of Technical Services joined forces with Eastern Health, the N.L. Provincial Public Health Laboratory and Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine. The partnership was formed through Memorial’s involvement in TaskforceNL, which included volunteer business and community leaders helping to provide PPE for frontline health-care workers during the pandemic.

H Y D R O S TAT I C P R E S S U R E TEST DEVICE.

The team helped to ensure materials used for surgical face masks and medical gowns met recognized safety standards by repurposing equipment in Dr. James’ EOR laboratory combined with other borrowed Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science equipment. Other equipment components were designed and fabricated in the Department of Technical Services. Dr. James’ said engineers Rick Meaney, Dennis Cramm and Jennifer Murray and other Technical Services employees “cannot be given enough credit” for their contributions in designing and fabricating components for the testing. “Their ability to design and fabricate custom components is second to none. With substantial cost and time savings, Memorial’s testing efforts are at the forefront nationally.”

F E AT U R E

FAT E M E H G O O D A R Z I

F R O M L E F T: S H E R V I N AYA Z I , FAT E M E H G O O D A R Z I A N D M A Z I YA R M A H M O O D I .

“We relied on the respective strengths of the team and followed required standardized testing, recognized experimental methodology and past experiences with quality assurance to ensure the masks and gowns met Health Canada standards,” added Dr. James. “I am incredibly proud of the team’s efforts, their motivation and desire to get involved.” The Hibernia EOR Research Group tested PPE, including masks and gowns, for several months since there are only a few laboratories in the country capable of conducting this specialized form of required testing. Dr. James added that funding agencies, including the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Springboard Atlantic (through Memorial’s Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office)

generously stepped up to help pay for equipment and personnel to ensure that any locally manufactured PPE meets the testing criteria. Rick Meaney, director, Technical Services, a unit within the vicepresident (research) portfolio, says his staff were delighted to collaborate with Dr. James and the EOR lab. He said they had the facilities and competent, skilled staff who quickly developed computer aided design files and fabricated custom facilities for testing.

D R . K E L LY H A W B O L D T

pressing need in the province. I am very proud of our team.” For Dr. James, the most rewarding part of the experience was being able to contribute to helping keep health-care professionals safe. “As engineers it’s important to contribute meaningfully to the community and to be able to help out during uncertain times,” she said. “With the right attitude and the right people, I believe anything is possible.” ■■■

“Given the urgency of the situation and a need to address the supply challenges, quick responses were required,” he said. “Our staff members saw how their efforts contributed to a real and

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Engineering researchers on the World’s Top 2% Scientists List Eight researchers from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science are on the World’s Top 2% Scientists list. The list, which was published in December by Stanford University, includes a list of 159,683 researchers that represent the top two per cent of the most-cited scientists in the world across various disciplines. On the impressive list from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science are Dr. Faisal Khan, associate dean, graduate studies; Dr. Greg Naterer, dean; Dr. Yuri Muzychka, head, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Octavia Dobre, associate dean, research; Dr. Tariq Iqbal, professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Dr. Mahmoud Haddara, professor emeritus; Dr. Neil Bose, vice-president, research, Memorial University; and Dr. R. Seshadri, retired mechanical engineering professor and the late Dr. Md Azizur Rahman, a longtime electrical engineering professor. The report, which includes 63 researchers from Memorial, was prepared by Prof. John PA Loannidis, Standford University, and his team. It was created due to great interest in the databases of standardized citation metrics across all scientists and scientific disciplines. The analysis assesses scientists for long-career citation impact, as well as for 2019, and includes information on citations, h-index and co-authorship, among other criteria. ■■■

A N A R T I S T I C R E N D E R I N G O F T H E N E W C O R E S C I E N C E FA C I L I T Y.

Revised opening schedule for Core Science Facility The official opening for the Core Science Facility is scheduled for fall 2021. In order to minimize disruption to the academic schedule, the building must open at the start of a semester. Construction of the Core Science Facility began in 2015. However, the project was delayed by one year in 2016 when bids for the main construction contract were higher than estimates. The tender documents were revised and the call reissued. In 2017 the main construction contract for the Core Science Facility was awarded to Marco Services Ltd. Three years after the award of the contract, the project remains on budget with a global construction cost of $325 million. The Core Science Facility is the centerpiece for infrastructure renewal on the St. John’s campus. The teaching and research space will be occupied primarily by the departments of Biochemistry, Biology and Chemistry in the Faculty of Science; the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; and laboratories from the Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training (CREAIT) Network. The building will also contain Technical Services’ Cryogenics Facility, the Faculty of Science’s Central Chemical Stores Facility and an aquatics facility that is part of Memorial University’s Animal Care Facilities.

T O P F R O M L E F T: D R . FA I S A L K H A N , D R . G R E G N AT E R E R A N D D R . TA R I Q I Q B A L B O T T O M R O W F R O M L E F T: D R . Y U R I M U Z Y C H K A , D R . O C TAV I A D O B R E A N D D R . N E I L B O S E

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The Ocean Frontier Institute, a collaboration among Memorial, Dalhousie University and the University of Prince Edward Island, will eventually be housed in the building, as well as other entities, yet to be determined. ■■■

F E AT U R E

Global recognition for Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) was recognized as one of the top emerging entrepreneurship centres in the world for the second consecutive year. The centre was named as a finalist in the outstanding emerging entrepreneurship centre category by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) at its annual conference, held virtually this past October and hosted by the Troesh Centre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The MCE was the only Canadian and nonU.S. centre to reach the finals and was the only Canadian submission in the emerging center category. The GCEC awards are designed to showcase and celebrate the very best of university entrepreneurship worldwide.

The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship receives GlobalNL award The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) has received GlobalNL’s inaugural Community Impact Award. The award recognizes and celebrates organizations that are furthering GlobalNL’s mission to support, connect and empower Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

G L O B A L N L’ S C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T A W A R D

The centre provides workshops and presentations that are tailored to students exploring

Each year, the top entrepreneurship programs are recognized in several categories with the victors chosen by a committee of judges, including past winners. Among 17 submissions in the emerging center category, the MCE was one of six finalists. The pan-university entrepreneurship centre was created in 2016 to inspire and enable aspiring entrepreneurial-minded students, and to provide them with foundational training, encouragement, guidance, access to funding and connections to create highgrowth businesses. Through student-focused programming, the centre’s vision is to advance Memorial to become the leading entrepreneurial university in Canada.

entrepreneurship. It also provides startup coaching, entrepreneurial work terms/ internships and pre-seed funding to students creating startups. When the pandemic closed the MCE’s physical space and cancelled its in-person events, the centre shifted to a virtual learning environment, where online events flourished, and entrepreneurial work terms continued. The MCE recognized challenges presented by the pandemic as an opportunity to organize a virtual networkshop – part networking, part workshop – with partnered universities in Atlantic Canada. This networking series connected like-minded entrepreneurial students, business leaders, lawyers and others. The MCE also offered 35 virtual entrepreneurial work terms in the summer and fall semesters when some co-op placements were cancelled because of the pandemic.

The MCE also plays a highly strategic role in helping to diversify the provincial economy. The centre is also focused on inspiring female and international students to explore entrepreneurship. The result has been a steady increase in the number of female students engaging with the MCE from approximately 25 per cent in 2018-2019 to 33 per cent in 20192020. International students consistently comprise an average of 65 per cent of workshop participants. ■■■

F R O M L E F T: E LY S E S U M M E R S , J A S O N T R A S K AND FLORIAN VILLAUME.

The MCE has helped kickstart several successful startups in the province, including Mysa, CoLab Software, BreatheSuite and InspectAR. These companies received invaluable assistance, including guidance, introductions to industry experts and advisors, legal advice and resources, pre-seed funding and guidance on raising investment capital. Furthermore, the MCE helped these Newfoundland and Labrador-based companies connect with and learn from a global network of expatriates through GlobalNL. As part of the award, the MCE received a GlobalNL trophy, three goal coaching sessions with Lesley Powell at Cloudberry, and further promotion via an episode about the MCE that aired on GlobalNL’s Uncharted Waters podcast. With files from GlobalNL.

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Municipal partnership delivers increased engineering capacity throughout the sector

F E AT U R E

F R O M L E F T: C O L I N H U N T A N D J O N AT H A N Y O U N G

Engineering students runners up at 2020 Mel Woodward Cup Innovative business ideas focused on health technology and nutrition won the top prizes at the 2020 Mel Woodward Cup (MWC), hosted by the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE).

The MWC was created from a donation in 2017 by the family of the late Dr. Mel Woodward, a well-known entrepreneur who founded the Woodward Group of Companies.

Prospre, co-founded in 2017 by engineering alumni Colin Hunt (B.Eng.’20) and Jonathan Young (B.Eng.’20), was named the $15,000 runner-up. Prospre is a mobile app that tracks nutrient intake and provides meal planning for gym-goers.

Peter, Melvin and Tana Woodward collectively donated $1.13 million to Memorial’s Faculty of Business Administration, in memory of their father, to support student entrepreneurs through the MCE.

Nucliq Biologics Inc., co-founded by the Faculty of Science’s student Purvikalyan Pallegar and alumna Nikitha Kendyala, captured the top prize of $25,000 for its plan to develop a gut check analysis kit that provides detailed analysis of gut microbial diversity, particularly of use for people suffering from digestive disorders.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency also provides support for the competition.

The two top teams also earned in-kind prizes related to marketing, legal services, business development and taxation from Altitude Media, Perfect Day, Gardiner Centre, Genesis, KPMG, McInnes Cooper and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology and Innovation. The fourth edition of the MWC saw five finalist teams compete virtually before a panel of judges from the business community and about 140 viewers. Twentysix teams applied for the competition. 08

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The other three finalists were:

CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS CONDUCTING FIELD WORK.

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has partnered with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to deliver engineering student work placements to municipalities across the province.

• Audyse Technology: A solution that aims to solve hearing damage for motorcycle riders caused by driving at high speed (founders: Robin Murphy, Joel Hatcher, Clark Payne and Keeley Flynn);

During the fall 2020 semester, up to 10 municipalities welcomed third- and fourth-year engineering co-op students to work on infrastructure-related projects.

• Kube Lab Inc: A mobile application that assesses the compatibility of cosmetic products with users’ custom profiles (founders: Navid Eskandari and Sepideh Mehrani); and

The Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency (ACOA) invested $291,540 in the project, while Memorial University contributed $44,173 and MNL and participating municipalities contributed $53,007.

• Report Mate: A platform that facilitates report writing by subject matter experts through the use of artificial intelligence (founders: Holly Hill and Jeremie Larouche). ■■■

MNL is administering the engineering work-term project as part of its membership services program, MNL Advantage. ■■■

F E AT U R E

R O B O T S S O R T P U C K S I N D R . A N D R E W VA R D Y ’ S B O T S L A B AT M E M O R I A L U N I V E R S I T Y.

Memorial University researchers collaborate to advance artificial intelligence Faculty members from various disciplines and a leading expert from the University of Notre Dame came together this past October for a one-day eSymposium on artificial intelligence (AI). AI refers to computer systems that collect, interpret and learn from external data to achieve specific goals and tasks. AI is having an increasingly significant impact on society, health care and the labour force. Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, along with Dr. Travis Fridgen, acting dean, Faculty of Science; Dr. Jennifer Simpson, dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Isabelle Dostaler, dean, Faculty of Business Administration; and Dr. Ian Sutherland, dean, School of Music, were instrumental in organizing the eSymposium.

“Across Memorial University there is a shared interest and desire to connect and advance the work on AI and machine learning,” said Dr. Naterer. “With this eSymposium, we hope to form a community of interested faculty members from across disciplines who are working on AI-related fields. The event aimed to increase the knowledge, understanding and applications of AI at Memorial; raise the profile, visibility and impacts of AI work being done at the university; and build interdisciplinary collaborations in technical and nontechnical research in AI.

of AI, such as research, opportunities and threats. Dr. Ahmed Abbasi, University of Notre Dame, presented. Nine panelists covered topics such as algorithms, robotics, social and ethical implications, fisheries and aquaculture, business processes, health care, education, multidisciplinary applications and earth science. ■■■

The eSymposium highlighted the multidisciplinary collaborations among researchers and leveraged this expertise to apply AI tools to new areas. Themes included the history and past development of AI, as well as current progress in AI; and future directions

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Collaborative asphalt project to improve roads in N.L. A project led by Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science researchers aims to improve asphalt used in pavement in the province’s capital. A harsh, unique climate is largely to blame for the generally bumpy ride in St. John’s. Dr. Kamal Hossain is an adjunct professor in the Department of Civil Engineering who is currently an assistant professor at Carleton University and Dr. Carlos Bazan is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. Their research team is investigating ways to improve the asphalt mixture used in pavement to ensure a smoother ride. The design and performance of asphalt pavement largely depends on local climate factors and traffic volume. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the design

and performance of asphalt under our particular geo-weather and loading conditions is necessary. The main goal of the project is to reduce the rate of occurrence of rutting and DR. moisture-induced damage, the main causes of stress on the city’s roads, by designing and developing improved asphalt binder and asphalt mixtures appropriate for St. John’s environmental and loading conditions. The researchers are working collaboratively with the city and Mitacs,

KAMAL HOSSAIN

DR. CARLOS BAZAN

a national, not-for-profit organization working with universities, companies, and both federal and provincial governments to build partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada, to solve the problem. The joint project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022 ■■■

Engineering professor’s research addresses the design of resilient infrastructure under a changing climate The threat of climate change remains a daunting reality.

this training and creating new tools to help them on ways to consider climate change when making decisions about new infrastructure.

Dr. Joseph Daraio, an engineer and assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and DR. JOE DARAIO Applied Science, is doing his part in the fight against climate change.

His workshops, which took place from 2018 to 2020, apply climate adaptation tools and resources, developed by the provincial government and tailored to the needs of our province, and use supporting policy developments that better integrate the application of these tools and resources in tender requirements.

His research considers sustainable infrastructure design to ensure resilience to climate change impacts on bridges, culverts and other flooding related issues. Through his work with fellow engineers and local experts, Dr. Daraio is raising awareness, building capacity and providing training on existing tools, developing online training modules for

The first workshop provided an overview of climate change projections for the province, the tools available to incorporate climate change into planning and design, and the coastal monitoring program. The second focused on climate change considerations in asset management and the emerging legal framework in Newfoundland and

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Labrador and Canada regarding climate change and professional liability. The third focused on flood risk mapping; coastal erosion; and infrastructure planning and design with climate change uncertainty. The project considers the challenges on how to use existing and new knowledge to build resilience and adaptive capacity into civil infrastructure. While traditional approaches to infrastructure planning and design often focuses on the optimization of reliability and robustness of an infrastructure asset, such as a culvert or bridge, Dr. Daraio’s research concentrates on adaptation and resilience to climate change for integrated natural and built infrastructure systems. ■■■

CIVIL ENGINEERING

DR. BING CHEN

Engineering professor receives national recognition Dr. Bing Chen, professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering, has been elected as a fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). Dr. Chen received the prestigious honour in recognition of his outstanding contributions to environmental engineering and marine oil spill response, as well as his long-time service to the CSCE in various leadership roles, such as vice-president International, NL Section chair and Environmental Division vice-chair. He was re-elected as vice-president for his second term in the CSCE (Virtual) Annual General Meeting and continues his leadership in CSCE’s global operations and development. Dr. Chen has been a professor of civil engineering at Memorial University since 2006, teaching mainly environmental systems engineering and management. Prior to joining Memorial, he received his PhD from the University of Regina and continued his research at the University of British Columbia as an NSERC post-doctoral research fellow. He is an internationally respected leader in environmental engineering research with exemplary achievements in environmental emergency responses, water and wastewater treatment. He is the founding director of the Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, recognized worldwide for its pioneering contributions to marine pollution

control research and oil spill response and cleanup, especially in cold regions and harsh environments. Dr. Chen also serves as the founding director of the global Network on Persistent, Emerging and Organic PoLlution in the Environment (PEOPLE), a global research and training consortium network targeting emerging environmental problems and technologies. This one-of-a-kind international network has positioned Canada as a global leader in emerging contaminant research and technology development. Dr. Chen has served as senior advisor of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), vice-president of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ), vicepresident of the Sigma Xi Avalon Chapter, member of the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel, associate editor or editorial member of five refereed journals, and adjunct/visiting professor of six institutions worldwide (e.g., University of California Berkeley and Peking University). He has delivered over 70 keynote/invited speeches and guest lectures in conferences, workshops and seminars and served as conference (co-)chair, session (co-)chair, and committee member for more than 40 national and international conferences. He is a registered professional engineer in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada’s College and received many other awards such as the Water Environment Federation A.S. Bedell Award and Terra Nova Young Innovator Award. ■■■

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Engineering professor recognized for exceptional leadership

Professor emeritus designation for electrical engineering professor

Dr. Dennis Peters’ exceptional service and leadership as head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has earned him international recognition. Dr. Peters is a recipient of the 2019 Electrical and Computer DR. DENNIS PETERS Engineering Department Heads’ (ECEDHA’s) Canadian Outstanding Leadership Award for his sustained record of leadership and service to ECEDHA and to the field of electrical and computer engineering. The ECEDHA is comprised of heads or chairs of departments in Canada and the United States offering accredited programs in electrical and/or computer engineering. Dr. Peters was head of electrical and computer engineering from 2016-19, interim head from 2014-16 and discipline chair prior to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science adopting a departmentalized structure, from 2008-14. During his leadership of electrical and computer engineering, Dr. Peters led a number of successful initiatives, such as program accreditation, space-planning in the new Core Science Facility and a new biomedical stream in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine. In 2019, Dr. Peters was appointed the faculty’s associate dean, undergraduate studies. In 2020, he became acting dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, while Dr. Greg Naterer is on leave. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering where he has been a faculty member since 1998. His research interests involve techniques for design and verification of software and computer systems, with a particular focus on highperformance computing, real-time applications and parallel or distributed processing. He is an active volunteer in the professional engineering community in Canada, and past chair of the board of directors of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL), the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board (CEQB) and the IEEE Newfoundland and Labrador Section. ■■■

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Dr. John Quaicoe has been accorded the status of professor emeritus, an honour reserved for highly distinguished faculty members.

DR. JOHN QUAICOE

A professor of electrical and computer engineering at Memorial from 1982 until his retirement in 2018, Dr. Quaicoe earned the respect of colleagues, alumni and students.

During his 36-year career at Memorial, Dr. Quaicoe earned a reputation as an outstanding teacher, scholar and academic administrator. His academic service in the faculty included chair of the electrical engineering discipline; interim associate dean, graduate studies and research; associate dean, undergraduate studies; and dean, pro tempore. Dr. Quaicoe has made outstanding research contributions in the field of power electronics and power systems, including more than 100 publications in journals and conferences. He prepared his students for success by developing strategies and innovative approaches to teaching. He also developed course materials to enhance student learning and made significant contributions to strengthen the co-operative electrical engineering program through curriculum changes. His tremendous impact on student success at Memorial earned Dr. Quaicoe the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching and the IEEE Canada Outstanding Educator Medal. In addition, he received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Service and Fellow of Engineers Canada. Dr. Quaicoe received his B.Eng. in electrical engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, and M.Sc. and PhD degrees in power electronics from the University of Toronto. A professor emeritus or emerita is a retired member of the faculty who has served at least 10 years as a regular full-time faculty member and held the rank of professor upon retirement. The prime criterion for nomination is a sustained and superlative record as a scholar, as a teacher or as an academic administrator or any combination of these. Candidates for the rank of professor emeritus/emerita are nominated by their academic units and, as with candidates for honorary degrees, the nominations are then reviewed by the Senate’s Committee on Honorary Degrees and Ceremonial. The candidates must then be approved by the university’s Senate and Board of Regents. Dr. Quaicoe received his award during an in-absentia convocation ceremony held this past October. ■■■

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ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

PROTOTYPE ROBOT DRUMMER

F R O M L E F T: D R . A N D R E W VA R D Y A N D D R . A N D R E W S TA N I L A N D

Creating a robot percussionist A hand-sized robot sits on the head of a drum and taps along with a human player. It is mobile, moving around the drum, the sound of its motion contributing to the music. It can improvise, helping the musician explore new directions. It can also work in co-ordination with multiple robot drummers, each responsible for a certain instrument or part of a composition. It even has applications in music therapy.

Their first project, where they put a small round robot, called a Sphero, inside a piano, got the wheels turning in their heads. As founder of the Memorial ElectroAcoustic Research Lab, or MEARL, Dr. Staniland’s creative activities and research focus primarily on the composition of music, but he also has a secondary interest in digital instruments, creating two of them since he joined the university.

That’s the dream of two Memorial University researchers, Dr. Andrew Staniland, a professor with the School of Music, and Dr. Andrew Vardy, a jointly appointed professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Faculty of Science’s Department of Computer Science.

In addition to using human input to make meaningful musical gestures on electronic media, he has also used biofeedback to make music.

They’ve been working with Dr. Maxence Blond, their co-supervised post-doctoral fellow, to make that dream a reality. The researchers became friends after crossing paths repeatedly and realizing their shared interest in music and technology.

The idea had been bubbling since their “robot-in-a-piano” project. “We wanted to explore the idea of a robot on a surface having some kind of interaction with a human player,” said Dr. Vardy. “While other people have developed robot musicians, none of them have been mobile and I generally work with mobile robots.” The prototype robot built by Dr. Blond has a microcontroller base on the bottom, a

board that controls a smart servo motor and a stick it can tap on the drum’s surface. It is also linked to a Raspberry Pi computer that takes audio input, processes it and then sends a signal to the robot to respond. At the moment it can repeat a simple rhythm and has a few shortcomings the pair hope to address in their future work. “We’ve gone through three different types of motor and it’s still too slow, so we’re exploring what technology will work,” said Dr. Vardy. “That’s part of the journey, but an important part.” Drs. Vardy and Staniland want new students or post-doctoral fellows to join the project. They are hopeful that they’ll find someone who is very musical and also technically skilled, someone that can “really drive” the research forward. They say this type of project necessitates a broad team with various skills. They’ve also identified a number of potential directions the work could go in, including interactivity with humans, improvisation and working in a group. ■■■

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D R . G R E G N AT E R E R

Dr. Greg Naterer receives national and international recognition Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, has received both national and international awards for his research and leadership contributions. He has been awarded the prestigious 2020 K.Y. Lo Medal from the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) and was recently elected Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Both awards recognize the global impact of Dr. Naterer’s work. The K.Y. Lo Medal, established in 1997, is one of EIC’s senior awards and among the highest of honours given by the Institute. The award recognizes “significant engineering contributions at the international level.” The medal was named for K.Y. Lo, a professor emeritus of the University of Western Ontario, and only one is awarded annually. A Fellowship in the AIAA, the world’s largest aerospace professional society, is reserved for individuals of distinction in aeronautics and astronautics who have made “notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences or technology.” Only one AIAA member for every 1,000 members is elected as a Fellow annually by the institute’s board of trustees. Dr. Naterer received the award for his notable contributions to the aerospace community, including as editor-in-chief of the AIAA Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer. Under Dr. Naterer’s decanal leadership, Memorial’s engineering programs have increased their global profile, impacts and partnerships.

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Previously, as part of a global initiative, Dr. Naterer led an international team, involving four countries, five industrial partners and eight collaborating institutions. The team developed the world’s first large-scale copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle of thermochemical water splitting for hydrogen production using nuclear, solar or industrial waste energy. Advancement of this technology has been incorporated into Canada’s next generation of nuclear reactors, and also recognized internationally, particularly in India, which started its own national Cu-Cl cycle program. Hydrogen is considered a clean energy carrier and promising major solution to climate change. Dr. Naterer received his bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo. “I’m honoured to receive these awards from the EIC and AIAA,” said Dr. Naterer. “I’m particularly grateful to my graduate students and colleagues at Memorial University, who have helped and supported me in pursuing global initiatives that have been recognized through these awards.” The EIC is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1887. Its membership is made up of engineers of various disciplines, such as mechanical, civil, geotechnical, chemical and electrical engineering, among others. The corporation’s goal is to support the recognition of excellence and advancement of engineering and engineering education in Canada. With almost 30,000 individual members worldwide and 100 corporate members, the AIAA brings together industry, academia and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space and defense. ■■■

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Two longtime faculty members retired The faculty extends best wishes to Prof. Andy Fisher and Dr. Neil Hookey, who retired after 20 and 28 years, respectively. Both made important contributions to the faculty.

Andy Fisher Professor Fisher was an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was director of Industrial Outreach from 2004-13 where he was the industrial liaison and manager of applied research and development activities. He was associate dean, undergraduate studies, from 2009-19, and co-chair of the Secretariat of Operations and Budget Review from 2014-16. He obtained his bachelor of engineering (mechanical) from Queen’s University and a master of engineering (mechanical) from McMaster University. Prior to joining Memorial in 1992, he was a research associate at the National Research Council Institute for Marine Dynamics in St. John’s.

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Prof. Fisher’s research focused on manufacturing and product development.

Neil Hookey Dr. Hookey was an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was discipline chair of mechanical engineering from 2001-04. He served on the faculty’s Admissions Committee from 2010-19. He obtained his bachelor of engineering (mechanical) from Memorial University and received his master’s and PhD degrees from McGill University. Prior to joining Memorial in 1992, he was a research associate at the National Research Council Institute for Marine Dynamics in St. John’s. He taught courses in mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics, and his research focused on computational fluid dynamics. ■■■

DR. NEIL HOOKEY

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Engineering professor receives international recognition for his teaching

DR. BRIAN VEITCH

A member of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has been honoured by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). Dr. Brian Veitch, professor, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, received the 2020 William H. Webb Medal. Dr. Veitch was selected by his peers and received the award for his outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture and ocean engineering. Since joining Memorial University in 1998, Dr. Veitch has taught undergraduate courses in the Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, including the program’s capstone design course. He has also supervised more than 70 master’s and PhD students.

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Most of Dr. Veitch’s work is done in team settings that involve students and researchers from universities, research institutions, industry and government. Dr. Veitch believes that team settings foster innovation and provide an exciting, supportive learning environment. Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, is pleased to see Dr. Veitch receive this honour. “Congratulations to Dr. Veitch on receiving this prestigious international recognition,” said Dr. Naterer. “I am pleased to see him recognized for his outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture and ocean engineering.” The William H. Webb Medal was established in 1987 to honour the late William H. Webb, a highly successful shipbuilder, shipowner and educator

whose contributions to the marine profession and commitment to the education of naval architects, marine engineers and shipbuilders took shape in “Webb’s Academy and Home for Shipbuilders,” now known as Webb Institute. The medal is for outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture, marine or ocean engineering. Dr. Veitch’s contributions are in the field of offshore and marine safety and marine propellers and propulsion. Since 2013, he has been the Husky Energy Chair in Oil and Gas Research. He is also involved in several other professional associations, including the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. Dr. Veitch received his award at the virtual SNAME Maritime Convention 2020. ■■■

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Engineering researcher appointed co-director of SafetyNet An engineering researcher is one of two new leaders at the helm of a specialized research centre based at Memorial. Dr. Lorenzo Moro, an assistant professor, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural DR. LORENZO MORO Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and Dr. Kim Cullen, an assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, are the co-directors of the SafetyNet Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research. Dr. Moro holds PhD and M.Sc. degrees in naval architecture and ocean engineering from the University of Trieste, Italy. His research focuses on the development of new design methods and procedures for designers to predict noise and vibration levels on ships and to mitigate noise emissions from ships. Dr. Moro is the lead investigator on multiple transdisciplinary research projects focusing on occupational safety and environmental footprint of vessels, developed in collaboration with community partners, industry and government agencies. Last year, Memorial invited applications from, or nominations of, current academic staff members for the position of co-director of SafetyNet. The duo began on June 1, and replace Drs. Barbara Neis and Stephen Bornstein. The SafetyNet Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research is a community alliance for multidisciplinary research, knowledge exchange and education in occupational health and safety. The appointments are for three-year terms and are renewable. ■■■

Dr. Neil Bose among newest fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering Dr. Neil Bose, Memorial’s vice-president (research) and a naval architect and ocean engineer, has been named Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) for his outstanding leadership and innovative contributions to his profession. Dr. Bose has been recognized as an international expert in marine propulsion, underwater robotics and autonomous underwater vehicles. A member of many internationally prominent committees and boards, he was recognized by Engineers DR. NEIL BOSE Australia as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in Australia in 2015. Dr. Bose also received an honorary degree from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, the oldest technical educational institution in Bulgaria in 2017. Dr. Bose’ appointment was announced in June, 2020. The CAE is an independent, non-profit organization established in 1987 to serve the country in matters that concern engineering. Fellows of the academy are nominated and elected by their peers, in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service and contributions to the engineering profession. The latest inductees join other fellows from Memorial and those with strong ties to the university community including researchers, alumni and friends. Engineering alumni Dr. Rehan Sadiq, who received his PhD in civil engineering and currently the executive associate dean, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, and Jennifer Williams, who received her B.Eng. in civil engineering in 1998 and currently president, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, were also inducted into the CAE. Read their story on this issue’s inside back cover. ■■■

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PROCESS ENGINEERING

DR. JOHN SHIROKOFF

Dr. John Shirokoff (in memoriam) Remembering Dr. John Shirokoff: Dedicated teacher, mentor and researcher. Professor John Shirokoff, one of the founding faculty members of process engineering at Memorial University, passed away on Jan. 9, 2020. Dr. Shirokoff was born in Jonquière, Quebec. He grew up in Kingston, Ont. where he received his doctorate at Queen’s University. Prior to joining Memorial, he worked at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and at the University of Illinois. He arrived at Memorial in 2001, and over the past 20 years he became known as a dedicated teacher, mentor and researcher. Professor Shirokoff was especially known in the scientific community for his work in asphaltene characterization, for which he received the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Prize for Scientific Excellence. More recently, his research focused on corrosion of materials. He was collaborating with major industrial partners including Bombardier and Suncor.

experiments and meticulously generating data in laboratories, which will serve the scientific communities for decades to come. His research was recognized with awards and major research grants including Byron Dawe Best Poster Award at the Newfoundland Electrical and Computer Engineering Conference, Research and Development Corporation: Ocean Industries Research Award, Industry Research and Innovation Fund Newfoundland Award, Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI)-New Opportunities Fund, CFI-Leading Edge Fund, Atlantic Innovation Fund, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Fund, and Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Operating Grant. In addition to his research that had an impact on humanity, Dr. Shirokoff was a rare, amazing and polite personality who took the time to talk to the people around him. Colleagues, staff, students and friends alike will remember him for many reasons, but everyone will remember him as someone who always had something interesting to say and often with a twinkle in his eye.

Following the wildfires in Australia, Dr. Shirokoff and Bombardier were looking for ways to improve the properties of metals in contact with saline water to allow water bombers to scoop water from the ocean.

“He was one of the rare professors in the university who would not hesitate to talk any time of the day, regardless of his busy schedule,” said long-time colleague Prof. George Mann.

A firm believer of experimental research, he dedicated his life to conducting

“He always looked for the amusing side,” said colleague Dr. Theo Norvell.

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“He was a person with kind, big heart. He always had a smile on his face when he talked to people,” said colleague Dr. Yahui Zhang.” To his students, he will be remembered as kind and passionate and someone who wanted them to the best they could be. “I never walked past his office door without saying hello and having a nice chat to start my day,” said former graduate student Cleverson Esene. “He was the kindest and most caring supervisor I’ve ever had,” said former student Landan Khaksar. “He always supported me and never ever made me sad. I already miss him and our long talks about economic issues and politics.” “Dr. Shirokoff was the best and kindest professor in the engineering department,” said student Turar Tanirbergenov. “He was truly an amazing person with whom I enjoyed talking with for hours. He made international students feel like at home.” Dr. Shirokoff loved his profession and took great pride as a professional engineer. He taught professionalism in engineering with passion and maintained his professional engineer status in Alberta-APEGGA, Newfoundland-PEGNL, and Ontario-PEO. Rest in peace, Dr. Shirokoff.

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Engineering researchers awarded national funding for COVID-19 studies Her partners on the project are Eastern Health and Proax Technologies. Dr. Lesley James, associate professor, Department of Process Engineering, secured $49,953 for the project Testing Novel Face Mask Materials COVID-19. Eastern Health is a partner on that project.

DR. TING ZOU

This story shows how Memorial engineers contributed in the fight against COVID-19. Nearly $100,000 in new federal funding is allowing a pair of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science to tackle COVID-19 related projects. Both are partnering with community collaborators for studies aimed at a ddressing technical challenges and pandemic-related research. Dr. Ting Zhou, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, was awarded $50,000 for a project titled Remotely Haptic Controlled Medical Robot for Telenursing Without Exposure to COVID-19 Virus.

The funding, announced on Aug. 5 of last year, is awarded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Alliance COVID-19 and Triagency Applied Research Rapid Response to COVID-19 grants. Dr. Zou’s project focuses on telenursing and the use of robots with artificial intelligence by frontline workers. Dr. Zou and her team are developing a cutting-edge haptic tele-operated robot. The machine would physically interact with patients, allowing doctors and nurses to work in a remote location and safely perform procedures such as sample collection, auscultation and blood pressure and oxygen monitoring. Dr. James and her team have established face mask testing capabilities to meet standardized testing requirements. Her Hibernia Enhanced Oil Recovery Research Group is investigating the efficacy

of materials used for masks and examining their general and medical use and potential re-use. She notes that her group was involved with testing that enabled certification of Newfoundland and Labrador-made isolation gowns and are testing Newfoundland and Labrador-made masks now (see cover story). Since the pandemic began, researchers and technical staff from Memorial partnered with and assisted Taskforce NL, a group of private-sector volunteers to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador has an adequate supply of critical personal protective equipment, to design, fabricate and test personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, gowns and face shields. In addition to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, other units directly involved with TaskforceNL include the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Technical Services, the Faculty of Science and Facilities Management. As part of this investment, NSERC notes that in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, more than $19 million in funding was announced for researchers and their partners across the country. ■■■

F R O M L E F T: D R . L E S L E Y J A M E S , S H E R V I N AYA Z I , FAT E M E H G O O D A R Z I A N D M A Z I YA R M A H M O O D I

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Celebrating outstanding contributions in the Faculty

DR. BRUCE QUINTON

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science annually recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions. The Dean’s Awards recognize excellence among faculty and staff, both technical and administrative. The awards recognize individual excellence and help the faculty to build national and international recognition.

DR. SOHRAB ZENDEHBOUDI

Individuals are nominated by their peers and the process is overseen by an internal awards committee. Award recipients are approved by the Dean. The following individuals received Dean’s Award for 2020: DR. LIHONG ZHANG

Dr. Bruce Quinton, associate professor, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to teaching in one or more of the following areas: teaching effectiveness, teaching innovation and/or teaching scholarship and leadership. Dr. Sohrab Zendehboudi, associate professor, Department of Process Engineering, was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Research Excellence. The award recognizes faculty members for outstanding research accomplishments and significant contributions to advancing the faculty’s national and international reputation for research excellence. The Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision was awarded to Dr. Lihong Zhang. The award recognizes and encourages excellence in graduate student supervision.

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CRAIG MITCHELL

Prof. Andy Fisher, who retired Aug. 2020, received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Service. The award recognizes exceptional contributions of academic staff members (ASM and ASM-CE). The Dean’s Award for Exemplary Service went to Craig Mitchell, lab technologist, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering; Jayde Edmunds, academic program assistant, undergraduate studies; and Shawn Beson, buyer. The award recognizes exceptional contributions of non-academic staff members who always make an extra effort, contribute significantly to the success of the faculty and consistently provide outstanding support and assistance. ■■■

J AY D E E D M U N D S

SHAWN BESON

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AWA R D S

DR. HELEN ZHANG

DR. JANNA ROSALES

ADRIAN DOBRE

Engineering faculty and staff honoured with President’s Awards Three individuals from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science were honoured with 2020 President’s Awards. The President’s Awards celebrate excellence and are a reflection of the high-esteem in which Memorial University holds the recipients, who are nominated by their peers, their students or their communities. Dr. Baiyu Helen Zhang, Canada Research Chair in Coastal Environmental Engineering and professor, Department of Civil Engineering, was honoured with the President’s Award for Outstanding Research. It recognizes young researchers who have made significant contributions to their scholarly disciplines. Dr. Zhang received the award for her exceptional contributions to the field of environmental engineering, her prolific track record for research dissemination and her establishment of Memorial’s Coastal Environment Laboratory. Dr. Zhang is also a key researcher with Memorial’s Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control Laboratory. Since joining Memorial in 2010, Dr. Zhang has become one of the university’s most dynamic researchers. Her wide range of expertise also includes offshore environmental monitoring and analysis, transport and fate of emerging contaminants, coastal wastewater treatment and offshore reservoir souring control. Dr. Janna Rosales, assistant professor (teaching), core, was honoured with the President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff). She received it for her teaching practices, which instills professionalism in her students. Her courses for engineering students that focus on long-term professional growth, which includes critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and the social and ethical implications of technology and engineering.

In designing her courses, she explicitly links the graduate attributes of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board to learning outcomes and assessments. Dr. Rosales believes it is important her students care about the content of her courses and find the course material relevant to their own lives. She uses a blended learning approach in her courses where students access material online, then come to class where, in a safe and inclusive space, they reflect, discuss, collaborate and produce. Adrian Dobre, co-ordinator of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s Engineering One Student Success Centre, received the President’s Award for Exemplary Service. It recognizes outstanding service and/or significant contributions to the university community. Mr. Dobre is passionate about teaching and providing optimal opportunities for students to succeed. He adopted best practices from other help centres when establishing the Engineering One Student Success Centre. The result was the creation of a comfortable and welcoming learning environment for first-year engineering students. Mr. Dobre personally provides academic and professional advice to students who visit the centre and ensures they have the support and tools they need to succeed. He has introduced a number of initiatives to support students. One of Mr. Dobre’s most significant contributions is the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program, which invites engineering students to participate in peer-led problem-solving sessions directly related to lecture material. All three were presented with their awards this past December.

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Faculty continues to partner with PEGNL to highlight engineering related topics Since 2004, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has partnered with the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) on a public lecture series titled, “Speaking of Engineering.” Traditionally, the faculty hosts four lectures annually, two in the fall semester and two in the winter semester. However, due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic the first lecture for 2020 took place in Nov. 2020. It focused on how Memorial engineers and other experts joined forces with members of the private sector to help ensure our community could fight the global health crisis. From utilizing robots to designing, fabricating and testing critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to consulting and advising on chemical compatibilities of soaps and disinfectants, working with local manufacturers to start locally producing PPE and aiding in the search for therapies and vaccines, Memorial engineers put their expertise – and time – to work to ensure our community could fight the global pandemic. Participants included Dr. Lesley James, associate professor, and Dr. Kelly Hawboldt, professor, both with the Department of Process Engineering; Dr. Ting Zou, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Jonathan Anderson, assistant professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Richard Meaney, director, Department of Technical Services. ■■■

F R O M L E F T: Y V O N N E U C H E O D U - T H O M A S ; P R O F. M O H A M M E D S A N I H A R U N A ; A N D P R E S I D E N T K A C H A N O S K I . S TA N D I N G F R O M L E F T: D R S . FA I S A L K H A N A N D N E I L B O S E .

Partnership to build research and academic connections in Nigeria In February 2020, Memorial signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nigeria’s National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI). The new agreement will see Memorial increase its research collaborations and attract more high-quality graduate students from West Africa. The two institutions agreed to work together to explore common research and academic activities. Those include exchange of faculty members; undergraduate and graduate student mobility; exchange of publications, research materials, newsletters, etc.; joint projects related to research, teaching and faculty development; development of joint initiatives with partner institutions, including joint or collaborative degree programs; and opportunities for fulldegree fee paying undergraduate/graduate study. During their visit, officials from NASENI met with Dr. Gary Kachanoski, then president and vice-chancellor, Memorial University; Dr. Neil Bose, Memorial’s vice-president (research); Dr. Aimée Surprenant, associate vice-president (academic) and dean of graduate studies; Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, and Dr. Faisal Khan, associate dean, graduate studies and Canada Research Chair in Offshore Safety and Risk Engineering, both with the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. In addition to signing the MOU, the delegates attended a presentation in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and toured research facilities on the St. John’s campus.

D R . K E L LY HAWBOLDT

DR. TING ZOU

DR. LESLEY JAMES

The delegation from NASENI included Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, the executive vice-chairman/chief executive of NASENI and Yvonne Uche Odu-Thomas, director, legal department, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.

RICK MEANEY

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Last summer, Dr. Bose, Dr. Khan and Jinghua Nie, manager, international programs, visited parts of West Africa, including NASENI, to promote Memorial’s research activities and graduate programs. ■■■

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Engineering Research Office engages with the community The faculty’s Engineering Research Office hosted seven lunchtime lectures in 2020. During summer 2020, Dr. Paula Mendonça and Kara Strickland of the Technology, Transfer and Commercialization Office spoke about intellectual property and the TTCI, and Tim Perron with The Information and Communications Technology Council spoke about the federal student wage subsidies to promote work integrated learning.

D R . PA U L A MENDONÇA

KARA STRICKLAND

TIM PERRON

DR. CHANDRA K AVA N A G H

DR. YURI MUZYCHKA DR. FRANCESCA KERTON

DR. SYED IMTIAZ

DR. LISA RANKIN

This past November, Dr. Chandra Kavanagh with Bounce Health Innovation spoke about the perfect pitch; the faculty’s Dr. Yuri Muzychka, Dr. Francesca Kerton of the Faculty of Science, and Dr. Lisa Rankin, Memorial University Research Chair in Northern Indigenous Community Archeology, spoke about CFI funding and Memorial’s processes, experiences and insights. The faculty’s Dr. Syed Imtiaz spoke on “Big data analytics: Getting the basics right!” and the faculty’s Dr. Ting Zou spoke about the development of robots in combatting COVID-19.. ■■■

DR. TING ZOU

Memorial Engineering Outreach remained strong in 2020 Despite the presence of a global pandemic, the faculty’s Memorial Engineering Outreach (MEO) office engaged with more than 1,000 youth last year. The goal of the office is to ensure their outreach initiatives will encourage youth to envision a future that might include engineering.

For summer programming, MEO staff offered three virtual camps: Girl Quest, Fun with STEM and the Labrador STEM kit program. Virtual workshops were conducted with First Light and the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s, and over 50 families registered for a new STEMories program, a weekly STEM challenge emailed each week for families to complete together.

During winter 2020, MEO staff conducted several workshops to many St. John’s-area schools on topics from electricity to coding, simple machines, and design challenges.

This past fall the Go ENG Girl and fall Engineering Club were delivered virtually. Kits were assembled and distributed via mail, courier or curbside pickup so

participants had everything they needed to take part from the safety of their homes. MEO also created a new virtual program called Afterschool STEAM for 8- to 11-year-olds. The silver lining in 2020 was the ability virtual programming provided to connect with youth that lived farther away from campus. By bringing the programming to them, youth from across the province, and across Canada, could participate.. ■■■

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New scholarship for Memorial engineering students was the founder of Kohler Windows, now Kohltech Windows and Entrance Systems. The late engineer established the scholarship for Newfoundland and Labrador engineering students because he wanted to give back to the province that supported his business over the years. It was Mr. Kohler’s wish to make engineering education an option for students who might not, otherwise, be able to afford such a program.

MOHAMMAD MAAROUF

There is a new scholarship for Newfoundland and Labrador students studying engineering at Memorial University.

Recipients must demonstrate high academic ability, and preference is given to Newfoundland and Labrador students with financial need.

The Peter Kohler Engineering Scholarship was established earlier this year thanks to a generous donation from Peter Kohler. Mr. Kohler, who passed away last year,

The annual scholarship is valued at $50,000 per student and is granted as $10,000 a year over five years. Annual renewal is dependent on recipients

maintaining minimum academic requirements. Mohammad Maarouf is the first recipient of the Peter Kohler Engineering Scholarship. He grew up in Syria but moved to St. John’s in 2016 where he graduated from Holy Heart of Mary High School. Mr. Maarouf is currently in his first year of engineering studies at Memorial and hopes to major in mechanical engineering. The scholarship is awarded by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards on the recommendation of the Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. ■■■

Students designing and building small satellite to collect big data Engineering students at Memorial are designing and building Newfoundland and Labrador’s first Earth observation satellite. The cubesat is about the size of a one-litre milk carton, and is known as Killick-1.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation provided $200,000 through its Leverage R&D program while the Canadian Space Agency provided $200,000 through its Canadian CubeSat Project.

The four-year project is a collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and C-CORE, and is jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments.

When the cubesat is completed in 2022, it will be launched from the International Space Station and orbit into space 400 kilometres above Earth using global navigation satellite system reflectometry

M E M B E R S O F T H E K I L L I C K - 1 C U B E S AT T E A M .

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to collect sea ice, waves and wind data. This involves receiving direct and reflected signals from GPS satellites to measure geophysical features of the ocean such as temperature, salinity and wave height. Killick-1 will operate in space with a low environmental footprint, safely gathering observational data to advance understanding of our planet and mitigate risk to people and the environment. ■■■

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M R . H O L L E T T ’ S P E R S O N A L P R O T E C T I V E E Q U I P M E N T T E S TI N G FA C I L I T Y F O R L O C A L LY M A D E S U R G I C A L M A S K S .

The stories on this page show how Memorial engineering students contributed in the fight against COVID-19.

Student developing personal protective equipment testing facility Mechanical engineering student Nathan Hollett developed a prototype of a personal protective equipment (PPE) testing facility for locally made surgical masks.

N AT H A N H O L L E T T

When he realized others were helping the COVID-19 pandemic response by leveraging engineering technologies he was familiar with, he looked for ways he could contribute.

A medical doctor from Newfoundland and Labrador currently working in Ontario responded almost immediately and the two started working together. The doctor informed Mr. Hollett of a group forming in the province to help with COVID-19 efforts. The group, which became known as the Task Force NL, had volunteer business and community leaders helping provide PPE for frontline health care workers during the pandemic. The duo presented their ideas to Eastern Health and were asked to fabricate surgical masks to match certain criteria. This included health testing standards that typically would be tested in one of two other laboratories in the world. With access to the equipment and laboratories provided by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and a testing standard specified by Eastern Health, Mr. Hollett developed his prototype. He prepared the necessary computer assisted drawing files as well as a testing and calibration procedure. He engaged folks in Memorial’s Technical Services to get the parts 3D-printed and laser cut out the parts. Mr. Hollett assembled his surgical masks in the faculty’s Fluids and Hydraulics Laboratory. They were inspected for a permeation, or penetration, of blood to the inside of the mask, which resulted in either a pass or fail for each specimen. As a result of the testing prototype, locally made surgical and DIY masks were able to be tested and reviewed by Eastern Health to ensure specifications were met when combined with other testing and qualifications. ■■■

Engineering graduate applies degree experience to mobile food bank Saif Ahmed didn’t celebrate his graduation last spring with a European vacation, as planned. Instead, the Dhaka, Bangladesh student, who came to St. John’s in September 2014, dedicated his time and efforts to Project Food for Thought N.L., He co-founded this community-driven mobile food bank with his fiancé Mehnaz Tabassum; Ms. Tabassum’s brothers, Adib Rahman and Shourov Islam; their sister, Fabiha Tarannum; and fellow mechanical engineering student Sazied Hassan. The company focuses on providing essential food items to anyone facing financial, social, accessibility or transit-based barriers. Initially, the group planned to help students who were required to leave on-campus residence due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, when they conducted a community survey, the results indicated a much greater need. Since then, numerous local leaders recognized the need for the service and helped the company establish a commercial location as well as expand its delivery services beyond St. Johns and into Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South and Torbay. Project Food for Thought N.L. helps people who have been ordered to self-isolate, vulnerable populations unable to get out for supplies for various personal reasons and those who have lost income due to the pandemic. The project has not only taken meaningful steps towards creating accessibility for food resources, but has also created job opportunities in these uncertain times. Mr. Ahmed and his family have helped more than 400 families and says they are designing a framework for a post-pandemic world. To learn more about Project Food for Thought N.L., please visit NL Eats on Facebook or call (709) 330-4399. ■■■ SAIF AHMED

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Engineering graduate’s positive attitude has helped her excel

DR. XIAOYU DONG

Xiaoyu Dong loves a challenge. Dr. Dong arrived at Memorial in 2016 to begin a master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree, but in four short years she completed not only her M.Eng. degree, but a PhD as well. Dr. Dong is from Shandong, East China, and holds a bachelor’s degree in oil and gas storage and transportation engineering with a focus on pipelines from China University of Petroleum (East China). She became aware of Memorial University while she was completing her undergraduate degree, and enrolled in Memorial’s master of engineering program to extend her knowledge from structures to complex fluid-soil-structure interaction. Switching her research field was challenging, but Dr. Dong found it to be motivational and enjoyable and she thrived at Memorial, publishing three prestigious journal papers in her first year. While most of that year was spent in the library – writing codes, reading books, running models and writing manuscripts – Dr. Dong said she enjoyed the atmosphere and saw the books on the shelves as her friends keeping her company.

Faculty of Engineering creates COVID-19 relief fund for MASc. students The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide financial support to master of applied science students faced with critical financial hardships due to the global pandemic. In fact, Dr. Khan says master of applied science students do not receive any financial support for their studies. They are not eligible for teaching assistant positions or graduate assistantships, and many have parents who found it challenging to support them due to restrictions imposed related to the pandemic. A one-time, non-repayable bursary of $2,500 will be awarded based on an individual’s financial need. For more information about eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit the faculty’s graduate website at https://www.mun. ca/engineering/graduate/covid19.php. ■■■

Adjusting to her new school and research was easier than adjusting to life in St. John’s. Dr. Dong enjoyed the snow when she first arrived, but by the second winter she was struggling. Instead of letting it overwhelm her, she took up snowboarding, and as her love of the sport grew, her anxiety about the snow dissipated. Dr. Dong says she could not have succeeded without the support of her parents, with whom she stayed very connected. She successfully defended her thesis, “Numerical modelling of pipeline and riser seabed interaction,” on March 30, 2020. ■■■

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ALUMNI

Engineering alumni receive national recognition for exceptional contributions

DR. REHAN SADIQ

JENNIFER WILLIAMS

A pair of influential alumni are among the newest fellows elected into the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).

holds a bachelor of engineering (civil) degree from Memorial in 1998.

Dr. Rehan Sadiq and Jennifer Williams are being honoured for their outstanding leadership and innovative contributions to their professions.

She is celebrated for her “exemplary contributions to the field of power systems operation, maintenance and leadership,” according to the CAE citation.

Their appointments were announced on June 15, 2020.

“As president of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, as well as through her other leadership roles, she has made significant impact in the province, both technical and through her leadership, on the planning for and efficient and reliable generation, transmission and distribution of electricity by hydro plants, thermal plants, and diesel plants, as well as the purchase of electricity from other renewable producers.”

Dr. Sadiq, who received his PhD in civil engineering from Memorial in 2002, is an executive associate dean with the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD under the supervision of Drs. Tahir Husain, Neil Bose and Brian Veitch in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial. Dr. Sadiq’s expertise is in the areas of environmental risk analysis and lifecycle assessment of built environments. According to the CAE citation, “his pioneering work on asset management of water distribution networks is a basis for policy-making in countries around the world. Dr. Sadiq has been instrumental in building the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus as a leading incubator for high quality engineering education and research.” Ms. Williams, president of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro,

The CAE is an independent, non-profit organization established in 1987 to serve the country in matters that concern engineering. Fellows of the academy are nominated and elected by their peers, in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service and contributions to the engineering profession. The latest inductees join other fellows from Memorial and those with strong ties to the university community including researchers, alumni and friends. Dr. Neil Bose, Memorial’s vice-president (research) and naval architect and ocean engineer, was also inducted into the CAE this past June. Read his story on page 17. ■■■

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FA C U LT Y O F ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND S T. J O H N ’ S , N L CANADA A1B 3X5