McMaster Enginnering Annual Report 2004 by Pier 8 Group

A N N U A L

R E P O R T

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McMaster Faculty of Engineering

Table of Contents President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Dean’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 McMaster Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Facing the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Awards and Accolades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Research-intensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Student-centred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Engineering Students, Alumni and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Engineering Co-op . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Honours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Success of Fundraising Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chairs and Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Dean’s Advisory Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Achieving Creativity, Innovation and Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Departments

Named after the first dean of engineering at McMaster University, the John Hodgins Engineering Building is still the teaching, research and administrative hub on campus for many of the Faculty’s seven departments.

Chemical Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Civil Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Computing and Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Electrical and Computer Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Engineering Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Materials Science and Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mechanical Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Our mission

Our vision

The Faculty of Engineering is a scholarly community committed to the pursuit of excellence in education, research and service, and to fostering the quality of academic life. This pursuit is sensitive to changing technologies and social development.

The Faculty of Engineering is committed to achieving and maintaining international excellence and distinction in education, scholarship and community service. We will strive to be Canada’s leading student-centred, research-intensive Engineering Faculty. We will ensure that our educational and research programs satisfy the broader role for engineers in the new millennium, and emphasize a culture of mutual respect between faculty members, staff and students.

President’s Message

cMaster University is widely recognized for its focus on innovation and in 2004 was named “Canadian Research University of the Year”. That Research Infosource Inc. designation is the result of a number of important research initiatives developed at this institution, combined with the dedication and hard work of our faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and support staff. At McMaster, we are committed to promoting excellence in teaching, research and scholarship. Our reputation is based on the combined strengths of the research and educational programs offered in our six Faculties: Science, Engineering, Social Sciences, Humanities, Health Sciences and Business. As one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, McMaster attracts world-renowned faculty members, and we continue to build and expand our state-of-the-art research facilities to meet the needs of both research and education. McMaster’s teaching philosophy is committed to the principles of learning through discovery. The discovery-based learning model has proven to equip our graduates to excel in the workplace,

and to foster the new ideas needed to enhance our research initiatives. Our Faculty of Engineering exemplifies these goals and objectives through its interdisciplinary programs and creative cross-disciplinary courses. The Faculty continues to grow and expand its programs and research initiatives while retaining a strong student-centred focus, offering its students the educational experience, work study exposure through co-op and internships, and research challenges that permit them to graduate into their chosen profession with distinction.

and corporations. These gifts are an investment in McMaster and a strong, visible support of everything we do. We thank you for your support. Canada’s “Research University of the Year 2004” invites you to explore McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering through this Annual Report. Peter George President and Vice-Chancellor

Peter George

This year saw the completion of new research facilities and laboratories and the appointment of new research Chairs. These strengths will enhance the Faculty’s programs so that it will continue to be a leader in such important fields as telecommunications, manufacturing and materials science. McMaster continues to be the recipient of generous financial gifts and endowments from alumni, students, staff, faculty, and friends of the University, foundations, organizations

Performance Indicators University Performance Indicators University Research Intensity1

G10

Canadian

1st

Quality of Education2

3rd

Career Preparation2

4th

Research Infosource Inc. 2004 2 Globe and Mail, 2003 University Report Card 3 FT Accredited programs 03/04

Some selected performance indicators are given in this section. These indicators have been compared on three levels: Comparing on a provincial level of all 20 Ontario universities (including the 12 universities that

Ontario

have engineering schools), comparing the 10 most research-intensive universities in Canada having engineering schools, and comparing the 33 universities on a national level having engineering schools in Canada.

Dean’s Message biomedical engineering, and environmental engineering. We have created new scholarships for highly qualified high school students, as well as started a new undergraduate research opportunity program. We continually look for opportunities whereby our students can participate in international internships and projects. And we are developing an integrated learning centre which will promote interdisciplinary project-based learning specifically for undergraduate students.

he Faculty of Engineering is proud of the student-centred, research-intensive programs that prepare our graduates for careers in a variety of fields within the academic, industrial, and government sectors, or as entrepreneurs. We are also proud to note that McMaster Engineering is one of the top engineering schools in North America. In order to retain this high standing, it is important that we attract bright students to our Undergraduate and Graduate programs. The Faculty has developed a number of initiatives for undergraduate students that will help keep McMaster at the forefront in terms of recruitment:

Two new M.Eng. degree programs were launched this year: Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Engineering and Public Policy. We expect these will quickly become benchmarks for the establishment of programs that help engineers meet the challenges of the future.

• Enrich the undergraduate curriculum by offering hands-on, project-based learning opportunities and by expanding our offerings of dual degree programs (combined B.Eng./M.Eng.)

Graduate education and research projects received a much-deserved boost with the announcement of the creation of a School for BioEngineering. The School will provide exciting educational and research opportunities for students in this emerging field.

• Support and promote the popular Engineering & Management and Engineering & Society programs • Offer a broad range of experiential programs through co-op work placement

The studies and projects conducted at the Faculty’s research centres and institutes contribute to McMaster’s welldeserved reputation as Canada’s most innovative university. We continue to attract a high level of research funding from a number of sources including

As part of our plan of action, we have created new and innovative undergraduate programs such as chemical and bioengineering, electrical and

Engineering Performance Indicators

industry and government. This support demonstrates a confidence in what we are doing and is an important investment in our future engineers. Welcome to the Faculty of Engineering where you will find a commitment to innovation, excellence and quality in both teaching and research activities. I invite you to discover more about us by reading this report. Mo Elbestawi Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Ontario G10 Canadian

Engineering Statistics Undergraduate students*

Research Intensity

1st

Percentage of Growth in UG population over 5 years3

5th

2nd

10th

Size of Undergraduate Engineering student population3

3rd

6th

8th

Size of Graduate Engineering student population3

3rd

7th

9th

Ph.D.s Degrees Awarded3

3rd

8th

9th

Year one program – Level 1 Undergraduate students:

7th

8th

15th

* Includes Computer Science students

Percentage of Female Engineering Students

Number of Awards per Ranked Faculty 3

Mo Elbestawi

3,085

Graduate students

609

Faculty members

137

Staff Faculty research revenue

99 $22.4 M 804

28 in 2004

FT Accredited programs 03/04

1 3

McMaster Engineering

stablished in 1958, the Faculty of Engineering was modeled on some of the leading institutions in the world and it has become one of the leading engineering schools in North America. It takes great pride in the high quality of its innovative and comprehensive programs, and in the Faculty’s strength in education and research.

• •

Departments • • • • • • •

•

Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computing and Software Electrical and Computer Engineering Engineering Physics Materials Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Buildings and Facilities • John Hodgins Engineering Building – named after the first dean of engineering • Chemical & BioEngineering Wing – refurbishment of John Hodgins Engineering Building • McMaster Information Technology Building – home to the Department of Computing and Software and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs • Communications Research Laboratory • Nano and Micro Systems Institute • Applied Dynamics Laboratory –

research lab for Department of Civil Engineering Thode Library of Science and Engineering Nuclear Research Building McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute – 10,000-square-foot addition to the Engineering Building Annex to the McMaster Information Technology Building – opened 2004 Tandem Accelerator Laboratory Annex – two-storey addition

Programs Through its seven departments, McMaster University offers degree programs in the following areas: • Chemical Engineering • Chemical Engineering and BioEngineering • Civil Engineering • Computer Engineering • Computer Science • Electrical Engineering • Electrical and Biomedical Engineering • Engineering and Management (combined with most programs) • Engineering and Society (combined with most programs) • Engineering Physics • Environmental Engineering • Materials Science and Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Software Engineering • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.)

The McMaster Information Technology Building, the research and administrative centre for the Department of Computing and Software.

Most of these programs are available in the combined five-year Engineering & Management or Engineering & Society programs. The Faculty of Engineering has also introduced a new five-year program in Chemical Engineering and BioEngineering. Graduate degrees toward a M.A.Sc, M.Eng. and Ph.D. are provided across all disciplines within the Faculty of Engineering. A new Electrical and Biomedical Engineering program leading to a five-year combined Master’s (M.Eng.) and Bachelor (B.Eng.) degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering was offered September 2003. In November 2004, the B.Eng./ M.Eng. Program in Manufacturing was proposed.

Growth Operating Budget

30 25 20 15

$17.5 M $9.9 M

$18.7 M

$20.3 M

$22.5 M

Research Funding $24.7 M

30 25

$20.8 M

$25.2 M

$27.2 M

$22.4 M

15 10

5 19992000

$23.3 M

20002001

20012002

20022003

20032004

49.7% growth of operating budget over the last six years

$26.2 M

20042005

19992000

20002001

20012002

20022003

$118.9 M in external research funding over the last five years

20032004

R&D information provider, compares universities on ability to attract and capitalize on research income.

Centres of Excellence McMaster researchers participate in many Networks of Centres of Excellence. • AUTO21 – Automobile of the 21st Century • Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovation (CIPI) • Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research • Canadian Water Network • Communications and Information Technology Ontario (CITO) • Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS) • Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures Network of Canada (ISIS) • Materials and Manufacturing Ontario (MMO) • Mechanical Wood Pulps Network • Micronet – Microelectronic Devices, Circuits and Systems • McMaster Institute for Energy Studies • Photonics Research Ontario (PRO)

In addition, McMaster placed seventh in the country for the second year in overall research income. The University brought in more than $218 million in 2004. In the last 10 years, the University has tripled its research income. McMaster also placed third in research intensity, which is based on research income per full-time faculty position. The Faculty of Engineering is proud that the world-class research being conducted at its centres and institutes has contributed substantially to the University’s national ranking.

McMaster president Peter George agrees, adding that everyone connected with research at the University deserves credit for this distinction. “McMaster strives continually to link research and education. This means our students have more opportunities not only to learn from the very best, but to learn how to apply research skills and problem solving techniques to their studies and in their future careers.”

In November 2004, Research Infosource Inc. announced that McMaster ranked as the country’s top research university of the year in the medical/doctoral category. The annual ranking, conducted by the Canadian

Engineering Full-time Enrolment

Entering Averages

Entering Grades

Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president of research and international affairs, believes that the rankings, which are based on both inputs and outputs, confirm what the University has long believed – its problem-solving, solutions-oriented approach to research is working. “We are definitely producing quality research results,” says Shoukri. “The momentum our research enterprise has gained is astounding. More importantly, we’ve recruited and retained some of the world’s best researchers.”

Canadian Research University of the Year

90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80

The rankings are documented in the report, Top 50 Research Universities (www.researchinfocource.com ). Factors included are: total sponsored research income, faculty and graduate student research intensity, and the number of publications in leading journals. The rankings are based on Statistics Canada data.

3000 87.98

2000 84.9 84.15

83.13

2440

2500

2543

2671

2787

20032004

20042005

2187 1963

1500

83.7

1000 83.33

500 1999

2000

2001

2002

2003 Double Cohort

Average grades at admission over the last six years.

2004

19992000

20002001

20012002

20022003

Student enrolment growth over the last six years (excluding Computer Science)

1 5

Facing the Future New School a First for Canada A unique interdisciplinary initiative, the School for Engineering Practice (SEP), received final Senate approval during 2004. McMaster’s School for Engineering Practice is the first of its kind in Canada. The School will offer high-profile research and interdisciplinary education initiatives in three areas of engineering practice: public policy, entrepreneurship and innovation, and design. The School and associated centres will work in cooperation with other McMaster faculties and partner institutions to advance multidisciplinary research and education in engineering practice. The initiative is vital for the future of engineering innovation. Creative engineering design needs to be complemented by business knowledge to facilitate the transfer of new products and processes to the marketplace. At the same time, consideration must be given to the impact of new technologies on the environment and to society. The School is offering a new Master’s degree program in engineering: a Master of Engineering Entrepreneurship

and Innovation. This program will provide technology professionals with the necessary skills to recognize and develop new technologies, and to take resulting innovations to market in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner. We will be offering in 2005/2006 two additional Master’s degree programs in Engineering and Public Policy and Engineering Design.

in this country by the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC). The donation will go towards the new engineering building and the Centre named in recognition of the gift – Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation – a first of its kind in North America. Construction will be completed in 2008.

Following on the successes of the fiveyear Engineering & Management and Engineering & Society bachelor programs, the SEP is the next important step forward for McMaster in providing quality professional engineering education. The SEP programs, with links to major international institutions combined with professional development seminars and custom training programs, will provide a new level of graduate professional programs in Engineering not currently offered in Canada.

Rafik Loutfy

A Company Celebration Benefits Faculty The Faculty of Engineering is the recipient of a $1-million gift given jointly by Xerox Canada and The Xerox Foundation. The donation was made in August 2004 to recognize and celebrate three decades of innovation

Growth Student-Faculty Ratio

Engineering Faculty 150 120

133

114 99

25 20

19992000

20002001

20012002

20022003

20032004

Faculty growth over the last six years

137

20042005

18.7

19992000

20.8

20002001

20.3

20012002

18.3

19.2

19.6

20022003

20032004

20042005

Average student-faculty ratio over the last six years

The Centre, which will be housed in the School for Engineering Practice, will: • Assist students and organizations in developing ideas into successful new products or services within existing companies • Provide students with the opportunity to learn new ways to commercialize engineering ideas • Provide the skills and knowledge necessary to transform technical expertise into commercial success • Promote the commercialization of technology-based innovation in Canada An international partnership has already been established between the Centre and the Manchester Science Enterprise Centre, to facilitate the exchange of students, faculty and knowledge.

Managing Technology Innovation Business executive and entrepreneur Rafik Loutfy is the inaugural holder of the new Walter G. Booth Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Chair is located in the Faculty’s School for Engineering Practice.

Dr. Loutfy, who has over 30 years of expertise in managing technology innovation, comes to McMaster from Xerox Canada where he was corporate vicepresident for the Xerox Corporation. He also served as Director of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC) where breakthrough imaging materials, research, and technology are developed. The Chair was established by Walter Booth (Mech. Eng. 1962, 1965), chairman and president of Timberland Group, a group of companies that specialize in various types of machinery manufacturing. In his position as the Booth Chair holder, Dr. Loutfy is responsible for overseeing the new Master of Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation degree program. He is also Director of the new Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the School of Engineering Practice.

New School for Computational Engineering and Science Proposed New proposed School for Computational Engineering & Science fills an important niche by offering a unique approach to the study of computation.

science are closely related and share the same objective: the creation of new powerful problem-solving tools that can be applied to a wide range of practical problems in the engineering and science disciplines. The School will offer M.A.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs that build upon and strengthen the synergy between engineering and science, and that combine the enabling technology of computational methodology with the cyber-infrastructure that is revolutionizing science and engineering. McMaster is in a strong position to offer these CE&S programs. The Department of Computing and Software, which is located within the Faculty of Engineering, has considerable expertise in the area of computational science. Active cooperation already exists between the Department and the other traditional engineering fields. Currently, one or more faculty members from every engineering discipline at the University engage in research and study on various areas of computational engineering. In addition, various interaction and cooperative initiatives exist between the Department and those science departments that have developed strength in computational science.

The rapidly growing fields of computational engineering and computational

International Students (Undergraduates)

Graduate Students 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Ph.D Masters

381 136

390 169

245

221

19992000

20002001

463 173 290

20012002

561 196

603 267

609 305

365

336

304

20022003

20032004

20042005

Graduate student growth over the last six years

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

395 309

319

20022003

20032004

213 172 125

19992000

20002001

20012002

20042005

International student growth over the last six years

1 7

Awards and Accolades The Faculty’s Staff Award for Outstanding Service was created in memory of Veronika Czerneda, an administrative coordinator in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Recipients receive a small cash award and have their names engraved on a commemorative plaque.

Elbestawi Induction In 2004, the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) welcomed Mohamed Elbestawi as one of its newest members. The dean of the Faculty of Engineering was being recognized for his contributions to manufacturing engineering research, as well as for being a strong champion for university/industry partnerships. Dr. Elbestawi has worked extensively in industrial research and development in the private sector and, since coming to the University, has been an active advocate for research initiatives and industry-based collaborations. He was the driving force in the establishment of the newly created $19-million McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) and served as its first director. The inaugural holder of the Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Dr. Elbestawi held the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Precision Machining from 1994 to 2004. The Academy is an independent, selfgoverning organization, established to serve the nation in matters of engineering concern. Fellows of the Academy are engineers from all disciplines, elected by their peers on the basis of their distinguished achievements and their contributions to the profession, to the country and to society.

Teacher and Researcher Honoured

Veronika Czerneda Award presented by Philip Czerneda to Terry Greenlay with Gary Purdy in background

Veronika Czerneda Award The Faculty takes pride in recognizing the efforts and dedication of its staff members through initiatives such as the Veronika Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service. This year’s recipient of the Veronika Czerneda Award is Terry Greenlay, the facilities manager for the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Greenlay is responsible for the Department’s research computer systems and the operation of its extensive list of research equipment. In 2004, he facilitated the Department’s move into the new Information Technology Building, an enormous undertaking given the amount of equipment and machinery to be moved.

A pioneer in the science and technology of biomaterials, John Brash was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in recognition of his outstanding career as a teacher and researcher. Dr. Brash is an internationally recognized researcher who has devoted four decades to biomaterials studies. His findings have contributed directly to the development of advanced medical devices such as artificial arterial grafts, blood pumps and heart valves. In addition to his groundbreaking research, he has served on a number of policy and granting agency committees in Canada and abroad, and has collaborated with colleagues on numerous research projects. An engaging and innovative lecturer, he has been designated University Professor, an honourary title bestowed by McMaster. Dr. Brash is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering and director

Award-Winning Faculty ur faculty, staff and students continually distinguish themselves professionally and academically, and also in areas outside of their chosen fields. Whether it is recognition for high standing in marks, for excellence and innovation in research, for contributions made to a professional organization or for going above and beyond as a lecturer, staff member or student, these individuals bring honour to themselves, the Faculty of Engineering and to McMaster. We are proud of their achievements and congratulate them all.

Student Awards

Teaching Awards

• Lulu Bursztyn, Chemical Engineering, Professional Engineers Ontario Gold Medal

• David Jones, MSU Faculty Award for Teaching 2003 to 2004 • Simon Haykin, 2004 IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award

Staff Awards • Anne Markey, Volunteer Recognition Award, Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) • Terry Greenlay, Facilities Manager, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Veronika Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service

Professional Associations and Societies Awards • John Bandler, 2004 Microwave Application Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technique Society (MTT-S) • Doug Barber, Ontario Society of Professional Engineers Gold Medal Award, 2003

of the Department’s new undergraduate program in Chemical and Bio-Engineering. He is also director of the School of Biomedical Engineering. Bioengineering, which bridges engineering and health sciences, is the newest innovation in medicine and biotechnology. Researchers like Dr.

John Mayberry

Brash are working to link current and emerging areas of molecular, medical and engineering research to develop cutting-edge innovations. It is believed that advances in bioengineering technologies will revolutionize health care in the future.

Faculty’s mission, was a key volunteer with the Changing Tomorrow Today fundraising campaign, and established two scholarships to assist engineering students.

Local Partnership Recognized

David Jones, assistant professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is this year’s recipient of the MSU Teaching Award for faculty in recognition of his efforts to inspire and instill passion in his students.

Partnerships between the University and industry, and particularly the long-standing partnership between McMaster and Dofasco, provided an opportunity for celebration during 2004. The Applause and Accolades Gala, held at the Liuna Station in May, publicly acknowledged the many successes of the University’s corporate partnerships. At the event, local businessman John Mayberry received the inaugural Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award. The former chairman and CEO of Dofasco was selected in recognition of his efforts as a corporate partner and of the tremendous impact these initiatives have had on McMaster’s research and educational programs. Always an active supporter of the University, Mayberry has provided leadership and vision to the

• John Brash, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada • Jen-Shih Chang, Honourary Professor at the Wuhan Tiancheng Environmental Protection General Agency of the People’s Republic of China, 2003 • Jamal Deen, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) • Jamal Deen, Chair of the Dielecric Science and Technology Division of the Electrochemical Society (ECS) • Mo Elbestawi, Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering • Terrence W. Hoffman, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC)

• Phillip Koshy, SCME I.W. Smith Award • John Vlachopoulos, President of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) 2003 to 2004 • John Vlachopoulos, Distinguished Achievement Award of the Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (S.P.E.) • David Wilkinson, Materials Physics Award, Canadian Material Science Conference, 2004 • David Wilkinson, Dofasco Award for 2004 • David Wilkinson, CIM Distinguished Lectureship

Teaching Excellence

Career Manager Great Role Model Anne Markey, Manager, Engineering Co-op & Careers Services, was recognized for her participation in the Canadian Association of Career Educators & Employers (CACEE) with the Volunteer Recognition Award, 2004.

David Wilkinson

Doug Barber

David Jones

Anne Markey

• John Wilson, named 2003 Outstanding Journal Paper by the American Society of Civil Engineers Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE) • Xiaolin Wu, Nokia Visiting Fellowship – Finland 2004

1 9

Research-intensive

n order to expand upon its growing reputation as one of the most research-intensive engineering schools in Canada, the Faculty of Engineering created a new associate dean’s position responsible for research and external relations. Peter Mascher, a professor in the Department of Engineering Physics and holder of the William Sinclair Chair in Optoelectronics, was appointed to the new position in January 2004.

The research activities taking place within the various departments of the Faculty of Engineering played a key role in the designation of McMaster University as Research University of the Year for 2004. Our research enterprise has grown substantially in the past few years both in terms of increased graduate student enrolment and external funding. Clearly, we want to build upon this momentum. New research opportunities will be forthcoming through three significant initiatives: the School for Biomedical Engineering, the McMaster Micro & Nanosystems Institute and the McMaster Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems. There will be a good

deal of overlap and synergy among these areas that will lead to new and exciting research and will create the environment for the training of highly qualified people for them to become tomorrow’s innovators. In addition, the newly established School for Engineering Practice will provide opportunities for practitioners in industry to upgrade their skills in the areas of Engineering Design, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Public Policy.

systems, and environmental engineering. These are important fields of knowledge for the future. Peter Mascher Associate Dean, Research and External Relations

Peter Mascher

Part of my new position is to act as a spokesperson and advocate for the Faculty of Engineering outside the University. In addition to promoting our successes, we will work actively to identify and develop collaborations on large, multidisciplinary research projects. It is these types of initiatives that will be crucial to the development of new technologies and innovations, and that will continue to enhance McMaster’s research capabilities and reputation. We plan to build on our existing partnerships with both academia and industry and develop new collaborations, especially in the areas of biomedical engineering, micro- and nanosystems, energy

Chemical Engineering hemical engineers use basic principles of chemistry, mathematics, physics, biology and economics to design, operate and troubleshoot processes to make the materials we use every day. McMaster research strengths include polymer production technology, control of chemical processes, pulp and paper technology, membranes and biomedical engineering. Half of McMaster’s chemical engineering undergraduates are women. Graduates of the Department work in a variety of positions in business and industry, including utilities engineer, marketing manager, procurement engineer, quality engineer, process automation engineer and plant manager.

Chairs and Awards

Research Facilities

• Andrew Hrymak, Department Chair • John Brash, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada • Terrence W. Hoffman, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) • John Vlachopoulos, President of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) 2003 to 2004 • John Vlachopoulos, Distinguished Achievement Award of the Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (S.P.E.) • Rafik Loutfy, Walter G. Booth Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• McMaster Advanced Control Consortium • Centre for Advanced Polymer Processing Analysis and Design • McMaster Centre for Pulp and Paper Research • McMaster Institute for Polymer Production Technology

Engineering Research Attracts Funding Support The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding enables researchers to acquire state-of-the-art infrastructure to further their research projects. CFI projects are selected on the recommendation of experts who assess each project against the three CFI criteria: quality of research and the need for infrastructure; contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation; potential benefits of the research to Canada. Materials science and engineering associate professor Gianluigi Botton, Canada Research Chair in Microscopy of Nanoscale Materials, received a $7.08 million CFI award. The funds will help establish a $17.8 million national ultrahigh-resolution electron microscopy facility for nanoscale materials research. Because the interactions of molecules in the nanometer size produces unique properties not observed in individual atoms or for bulk materials, researchers are interested in exploiting these novel properties and in developing new applications for them. The microscope, the most advanced electron microscope in the world, will allow scientists to probe the

structure, chemical bonding and electronic structure of materials with atomic resolution. The facility is the shared vision of almost 90 researchers across Canada and is a key component in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national nanoscience strategy. Xiaolin Wu, a professor in electrical & computer engineering, received a CFI award of $353,651 which will be applied to a $1-million project to investigate digital cinema. The funds will assist in the building of a state-ofthe-art digital movie camera in cooperation with DALSA Corporation of Waterloo, Ontario, and in outfitting an experimental theatre with a digital movie projection system. The theatre is housed within the ECE department. Dr. Wu is the NSERC-DALSA Industrial Research Chair in Digital Cinema and a leader in establishing numerous algorithms for computer graphics and image processing. CFIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Opportunities Fund (NOF) assists the University in providing research infrastructure for newlyrecruited faculty members. This funding source recognizes that new faculty require special assistance during their first full-time academic appointments, to enable them to undertake leadingedge research.

Chih-Hung (James) Chen, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, was awarded a NOF award of $100,000 for his project investigating high-frequency device characterization and modeling for radio frequency integrated circuit design. Electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Shahin Sirouspour received a $80,000 NOF award to establish a robotics innovation laboratory. The lab will permit Dr. Sirouspour to expand his research in areas of teleoperation control, application of sensor fusion and management to robotic systems, medical robotics, and advanced control for robot manipulators. Yaser Haddara, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, is the recipient of a $100,000 NOF award for a silicon and silicon germanium front end processing and process modeling initiative.

Andrew Hrymak

John Brash

Rafik Loutfy

John Vlachopoulos

Statistics Undergraduate students

251

Graduate students

Degrees awarded undergraduate

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

1 11

Student-centred

he Faculty of Engineering at McMaster offers its students an exceptional array of educational choices in ten engineering disciplines. Many of our programs have been highly ranked and rate among the best in North America. Here at McMaster, students can select from among 27 degree options, and most of these can be combined with our innovative Engineering & Society or Engineering & Management programs. We have introduced a number of initiatives to assist first-year students with making program and career choices, and to provide an opportunity for them to explore all facets of the profession. Our new common Engineering I curriculum is helping to introduce students to the engineering profession, including the legal and ethic challenges, before they select a program of study. We have developed a program in cooperation with Engineers Without Borders to create first-year design projects that are meaningful and which are appropriate to their level of technical expertise. And we have integrated the co-op and internship work experience to provide more flexibility. Now, students can elect to take a co-op version of any of our degree programs. By doing so, the

student commits to obtaining at least 12 months of relevant work experience prior to graduation through summer employment and/or internship. The diversity of our student body is truly remarkable and results in some wonderful initiatives. I would like to mention two: the Solar Car, which is continually being improved through the efforts of a 90-member crossdisciplinary team; and the SAE Formula car, an open-wheel single-seat racer, which receives timely upgrades by a team of over 20 engineering students. You can follow the progress of these student projects at www.sae.mcmaster.ca and www.solarcar.mcmaster.ca

given McMaster Engineering a welldeserved reputation for graduating highly skilled engineers. Dr. Peter Smith Associate Dean of Engineering

We are proud of our student-centred, problem-solving approach to teaching and learning – an approach that has

The Yves Landry Foundation has recognized a unique McMaster studentbased initiative. The McMaster Solar Car Project (MSCP) received a $5,000 Foundation award for its recent successes in technological innovation and excellence. The “Progress Towards Sustainable Development” award is sponsored by Shell Canada and presented annually at the Yves Landry Foundation’s STARS Technological Education Awards Gala.

Chairs and Awards

Research Facilities

• Dieter Stolle, Department Chair • John Wilson, named 2003 Outstanding Journal Paper by the American Society of Civil Engineers Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE) • Art Heidebrecht, Acting Director of The McMaster Centre for Continuing Education • Brian Baetz, Director, Engineering and Society

• • • • •

Civil Engineering ivil Engineering deals with infrastructure development and sustainability – safe buildings, clean water, efficient waste disposal and effective transportation models. It’s the technology of planning and safely designing construction, maintaining and rehabilitating the infrastructure that will allow global societies to function in the 21st century. McMaster’s Department of Civil Engineering conducts fundamental and applied research in environmental and water resources engineering, computational mechanics, geotechnical and construction materials, and structural and earthquake engineering.

Technology Skills Enhancement Facility Environmental Laboratory Geotechnical Laboratory Applied Dynamics Laboratory Centre for the Effective Design of Structures • McMaster Earthquake Engineering Research Group • McMaster University Sustainable Community Research Group • Water Resources Research/ Environmental Information Systems Laboratory

More than 180 McMaster students comprise the MSCP cross-disciplinary team which designs, builds and races solar cars in international competitions. Founded in 1997 as a non-profit organization, the MSCP has successfully built two solar cars, Fireball and Fireball II. Fireball II won top Canadian rank and placed fifth overall during the Formula Sun Grand Prix in 2004. The team is currently designing and building a third car, Phoenix, and plans to race Phoenix in the bi-annual North American Solar Challenge in 2005. The surface of Phoenix will have over 400 Sunpower A-300 cells that will produce a power output of 1000 Watts in full sunlight. A high-efficiency motor gives the car highway speeds while using the equivalent electrical power of a toaster. The car’s telemetry system sends important information about speed, battery temperature and power drain to the support team to help them improve strategies during races. The MSCP has an active education program, and team members attend community and on-campus events to promote renewable energy and encourage the public to think about environmental issues and energy efficiency.

Student Teams Compete for Fun and Awards McMaster is committed to recruiting the best high school students for its

engineering programs. The Faculty has a number of proactive recruitment initiatives designed to ensure that Ontario secondary students are knowledgeable about our departments, centres and research institutes, and the advantages of obtaining their engineering education here at McMaster. The McMaster Engineering and Science Olympics and Open House is an annual event that brings 1,000 high school students from across Southern Ontario to campus to enjoy some friendly competition and great learning opportunities. Students participate in a variety of engineering and science-related competitions and activities, and have an opportunity to earn tuition entrance awards. The awards are presented to the top student teams in each event, with over $20,000 in McMaster entrance awards available for disbursement. A separate teachers’ challenge provides up to $7,000 in tuition awards for students selected by their teachers. The Engineering Olympics day is an opportunity for McMaster to showcase its expertise in the Science and Engineering Faculties, and its research and educational programs. The high school students have the opportunity to meet engineering and science faculty members, students and staff, to explore programs through department displays and tours, and to discuss future careers in engineering and science.

Female High School Students Discover Engineering The Faculty of Engineering held a very successful Women’s Engineering Experience once again this year. The purpose of the one-day event is to inform female high school students about the incredible diversity in areas of study that comprise the field of engineering. The young women are introduced to a variety of speakers – all women currently working as lecturers and researchers at McMaster or active in their professional careers. Over 250 high school students attended, coming from as far away as Belleville, Ontario. They heard about a variety of engineering-related activities from McMaster engineering researchers and graduate students on topics as varied as design and risk management issues. They then had the opportunity to meet students and alumni to discuss engineering at McMaster and explore possible career options for women in engineering.

Dieter Stolle

Brian Baetz

John Wilson

Art Heidebrecht

Statistics Undergraduate students

276

Graduate students

Degrees awarded undergraduate

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

1 13

Innovation cellular, molecular); biomedical technology (medical robotics, medical devices, biophotonics); and bioprocessing (engineering aspects of drug and other bioproduct development). Fiveyear combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs including Electrical & Biomedical Engineering and upcoming Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering offer studies in biomedical engineering along with a full pre-med qualification.

he Faculty of Engineering has the reputation as one of Canada’s most research-intensive. We strive continually to enhance the opportunities for faculty and graduate students to grow in their fields and develop innovative solutions to engineering-based problems and challenges. Opportunities such as scholarships, modern facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories, research centres and institutes, collaborations and partnerships, all demonstrate our commitment to education, research and innovation.

Biomedical Engineering Innovations are occurring within all fields of engineering and nowhere is this more apparent than in areas where engineering and medicine overlap. Biomedical Engineering (BME) is the application of engineering science and technology to solve problems in biomedicine and biology. It is the bridge between engineering and health sciences. The field is growing rapidly as medicine becomes increasingly more technology-based. McMaster’s new School of Biomedical Engineering, under the leadership of its director Dr. John Brash, has a dual mandate: to conduct research of international calibre and to meet the demand for graduates highly qualified personnel in this field. It will feature a collaborative

Chemical Engineering and BioEngineering Lab with associate professor Heather Sheardown and university professor John Brash

environment that combines existing strengths in medical sciences and engineering with biomolecular, biomedical and bioengineering research.

Shahin Sirouspour

The School will be an equal partnership between the Faculties of Engineering and Health Sciences, and will closed the gap between researchers trained in life sciences and those trained in engineering. It will offer Masters and Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering and will admit its first students this coming September. These programs will have four research themes: biomaterials and tissue engineering (with applications in implantable devices, regenerative medicine); biomedical imaging (MRI, PET, optical,

Computing and Software he Department of Computing and Software focuses on design and development of computer systems and software. The Department offers undergraduate programs in both Computer Science (through the Faculty of Science) and Software Engineering.

Computer Science is the science of solving problems with the aid of the computer. A guiding principle of McMaster’s Software Engineering Program is the integration of theory and practice.

Chairs and Awards • Paul Taylor, Department Chair • Antoine Deza, Canada Research Chair in Combinatorial Optimization • Tom Maibaum, Canada Research Chair in the Foundations of Software Engineering • Alan Wassyng, Acting Director, Software Quality Research Laboratory (SQRL)

Research Facilities • Software Quality Research Laboratory (SQRL) • Advanced Optimization Group • Applied Computer Systems Group • Algorithms Research Group • Software Engineering Research Group

tive projects between communications industry professionals and university researchers, is contributing $450,000 over three years to create an integrated systems laboratory. The Bell University Laboratory in Integrated Systems will be housed in the new McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering.

In support of these research areas, a number of specialized laboratories will be housed in the School: the Bell University Laboratory in Integrated Systems, the MDA Space Group Laboratory in Medical Robotics, a medical devices laboratory, and laboratories dedicated to biophotonics, biomaterials, and biomechanics, as well as a medical imaging facility. Research conducted at the School will focus on finding solutions that will improve health care delivery for Canadians. Researchers like John Brash of the Department of Chemical Engineering work to link current and emerging areas of molecular, medical and bioengineering research. Advances in biomedical engineering technologies have the potential to revolutionize health care and the Faculty is a proud leader in incubating these cutting-edge innovations.

Robotics Lab Comes to McMaster Medical robotics is the technology that allows medical specialists to provide health care to remote geographic areas using telerobotic surgery. MDA, the company that developed the famous Canadarm, is partnering with the Faculty of Engineering to conduct research into medical robotics. MDA

MDA Space Partnership announcement. Pat Greene, Mo Elbestawi, Mag Iskander, Peter George and Mike Parfitt

has made a $450,000 gift toward the creation of a medical robotics laboratory which will be located in the Facultyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new School of Biomedical Engineering. The MDA Space Group Laboratory in Medical Robotics will form an important component in the School, and will link current and emerging areas of molecular, medical and engineering research. The laboratory will focus on medical and micro-robotics, and will explore ways to produce and commercialize robotics for use in medicine.

Specialized Laboratory for Telemedicine

The laboratory will support multidisciplinary work in engineering physics, electrical and computer engineering, and in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Research will focus on advancements in digital video, fibre optics, voice compression, optical switching, Internet protocol and imaging, and network systems for telemedicine and telerobotic surgery. Research in biomedical engineering will also benefit from Bell Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s networking expertise and on-going investment in emerging technologies such as teleinformatics, communications networks and telepathology.

Paul Taylor

Alan Wassyng

Tom Maibaum

Antoine Deza

An exciting new partnership between McMaster University and Bell Canada will assist researchers working in telerobotic surgery. Bell University Laboratories, which funds collabora-

Statistics Undergraduate students Graduate students Degrees awarded undergraduate Degrees awarded graduate Faculty members Staff

333 87 104 32 28.5 9

1 15

Excellence

hrough a variety of partnerships between other universities, industry and government, researchers in the Faculty of Engineering have opportunities to develop and commercialize new technologies and processes. In this way, the Faculty plays a key role in furthering Ontario’s strong economy.

McMaster Attracting World-class Researchers Four new Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) were awarded to the Faculty during 2004. The federally-funded CRC program is designed to help Canadian universities attract and retain top researchers from around the world. Tim Davidson, Canada Research Chair in Communications, is using modern optimization theory to develop innovative design techniques for wireless communications. A professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Davidson is working to improve high data rate wireless access. “Today, people want to access the Internet and other networks through mobile handsets and ‘WiFi’ ethernet systems. However, these can only transmit content at relatively low data rates.” To overcome this, Davidson focuses on systems in which the mobile devices and/or the base stations are equipped with more than one antenna. His

designs are helping to develop future wireless communication systems that will provide a higher data rate with a richer content base. Originally from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, Antoine Deza is the Canada Research Chair in Combinatorial Optimization in the Department of Computing and Software. Dr. Deza is challenged by the power of symmetry, specifically that resulting from geometric structures known as fullerenes. Scientists believe that the symmetry inherent in these three-dimensional polyhedra offers greater stability and optimizes the efficiency of the materials. Previous research in this area produced a linear programming paradigm which led to the design of efficient computational methods. Dr. Deza has developed unique optimization techniques for using symmetry to solve large-scale combinatory problems, particularly those related to freight transportation. He plans to generate efficient algorithms through exploration of combinatory and geometric characteristics of the problems under study. Thia Kirubarajan is the Canada Research Chair in Information Fusion with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is developing advanced multi-source informa-

Medical Robotics, Mo Elbestawi and Shahin Sirouspour

tion fusion algorithms for large-scale systems. His research has important applications in the development of systems that will be able to control and organize the overwhelming amount of available information and data. Information fusion is the combining of data from different sources in such as way as to deliver better information than that derived from any single source. Through the development of efficient algorithms that track the evolving state of a system (a plane or a cell), computers will be able to process immense amounts of data. Dr. Kirubarajan’s research

Electrical and Computer Engineering

he Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is the largest department in the Faculty of Engineering. It consistently ranks nationally and internationally among the best of its kind for its vigorous research program, particularly in telecommunications, signal processing, microelectronics, photonics, computer engineering and power engineering. Computer Engineering involves the use of scientific discoveries and practical knowledge in digital circuit technology to create devices and systems that can be used to benefit people. The Electrical Engineering program involves the use of devices and systems that employ the flow of electrons to achieve useful purposes. 16

Chairs and Awards • Max Wong, Department Chair • Tim Davidson, Canada Research Chair in Communications • Thia Kirubarajan, Canada Research Chair in Information Fusion • Terry Greenlay, Facilities Manager, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Veronika Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service • David Jones, MSU Faculty Award for Teaching 2003 to 2004 • Simon Haykin, 2004 IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award

• John Bandler, 2004 Microwave Application Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technique Society (MTT-S) • Jamal Deen, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) • Jamal Deen, Chair of the Dielecric Science and Technology Division of the Electrochemical Society (ECS) • Xiaolin Wu, Nokia Visiting Fellowship – Finland 2004

provides innovative approaches to current information challenges in a variety of areas, from defence and communications to biomedical engineering and aerospace. Tom Maibaum, who came to McMaster from King’s College in London (U.K.), is the Canada Research Chair in the Foundations of Software Engineering. His research explores engineering methods of software and system specification and design in order to ensure that software development is conducted in a more disciplined and dependable manner. Results of this work will have an important economic impact as it will enable software producers to develop more reliable software. Software systems are complex, involving millions of lines of code and pages of design descriptions. To help with the descriptions, analysis and manipulation of all this data, architecture description languages (ADLs) were developed. However existing ADLs are weak in certain important areas, such as dynamic reconfiguration and hierarchical construction, for example. Dr. Maibaum, who is with the Department of Computing and Software, is developing a new ADL to address these software design challenges, and which will incorporate helpful tools for analysis and testing/verification.

Four Industrial Research Chairs Awarded McMaster University is the recipient of four new Industrial Research Chairs (IRCs) awarded to the Faculty by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The Council’s $2.8-million contribution receives matching funding from industry partners and the University to provide a total of $5.6 million toward the following research initiatives: • The NSERC/UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Safety Analysis, led by chairholder John Luxat, will further fundamental understanding in technical areas of nuclear safety and will develop advanced applied technology in nuclear safety analysis ($1 million over five years) • The NSERC/RIM/CITO/McMaster Industrial Research Chair in PicoCellular Wireless Internet Access Networks, led by chairholder Terry Todd, will study and develop techniques for wireless Internet access systems using very small or picocellular networks ($1.2 million over five years)

• The NSERC/Dalsa/McMaster Industrial Research Chair in Digital Cinema, led by chairholder Xiaolin Wu, will explore the challenges of digital imaging so that it can be regularly used by motion picture studios as a replacement medium for traditional film technology ($1 million over five years) • The NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems, led by chairholder Tony Petric, will conduct research on fuel cells to respond to the global demand for cleaner and more efficient uses of energy ($1.5 million over five years) Investment in the form of research chairs by government and private industry is invaluable to McMaster. It helps the University recruit and retain the most talented researchers, and provide them with an edge in competing at the global level. The NSERC awards announcement was made during the Faculty of Engineering Applause and Accolades gala in May, held to celebrate the Faculty’s many successes over the past year. Max Wong

Xiaolin Wu

Jamal Deen

David Jones

Research Facilities • Electronics, Control and Computer Engineering Laboratory • Communications Research Laboratory • Power Research Laboratory • Microwave Acoustics Laboratory • Computational Electromagnetics Laboratory • Communication Technology Research Centre • Optoelectronics Research Laboratory

Statistics Undergraduate students

610

Graduate students

174

Degrees awarded undergraduate

162

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

1 17

Quality

cMaster engineering students graduate as highly trained, highly qualified professional engineers, able to take their place as leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs and researchers in a variety of fields. Their knowledge and expertise assist their communities, and contribute to the growth and development of the economy in Ontario – and beyond.

MOPTA 2004 Just as nature minimizes the potential energy of systems, man strives to find ways to accomplish tasks faster and more efficiently. As a discipline, the science of optimization has been a part of mathematics and engineering for centuries, but the introduction of fast, powerful computers has enabled the application of sophisticated optimization algorithms to real-world problems in many branches of applied science. Today, optimization holds significant promise to solve problems ranging from VLSI design through process control optimization to crew scheduling for airlines. The Advanced Optimization Lab took a lead role in planning and organizing an important and highly successful conference series for leading researchers in this field. The 4th Annual McMaster Optimization

Conference, held in July, made good use of the facilities in the Information Technology Building which houses the Department of Computing and Software. During the three-day event, attendees had an opportunity to exchange research ideas on optimization algorithms, review recent developments, and discuss problems and future challenges. Co-sponsored by the Fields Institute and MITACS, MOPTA attracts researchers in both the theoretical and applied fields of optimization, and provides them with a venue for interaction.

now take for granted – online shopping, on-demand downloads of books, music and video, unlimited long distance phone calls on evenings and weekends, instant voice/video messaging across continents, the compactness of personal devices such as cameras – and you will find that photonics has been front and centre in enabling that convenience. Now, project forward to envision the conveniences that await us in a decade

Photonics

Ontario Photonics Consortium The strongest testament to a technology’s power and utility lies in its ability to transform present-day perceptions of luxury into conveniences and necessities within a relatively short timeframe. Such is the transformational power and potential of photonics, a field of study dedicated to understanding, manipulating, and utilizing light and its intrinsic value. Photonics has already profoundly changed the way we communicate and interact with each other. Think of any convenience related to personal communication which you

Engineering Physics aculty and students in engineering physics study a variety of technologies used in electronics, optical and wireless communications, sensors, lasers and nuclear power systems. McMaster faculty members and graduate students work with colleagues across Canada on innovations in photonics (the science of using light in telecommunications), information technology, environmental monitoring and biomedical sciences. Engineering Physics is about understanding and designing with microscopic objects, whose behaviour is based on advanced concepts such as quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, nuclear transitions and electronic band gaps.

Chairs and Awards

Research Facilities

• Paul Jessop, Department Chair • Peter Mascher, Associate Dean, Research and External Affairs • Jen-Shih Chang, Honourary Professor at the Wuhan Tiancheng Environmental Protection General Agency of the People’s Republic of China, 2003 • John Preston, Director, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research

• McMaster Nuclear Reactor • Clean rooms for microelectronic and photonic device fabrication • Ultrafast Laser Laboratory • Diode laser and integrated optics research laboratories • Thin-film deposition systems • Tandem Accelerator

or so â&#x20AC;&#x201C; non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of terminal illnesses, harnessing of solar energy to power routine every-day personal energy needs, fully-automated self-regulating roadways and vehicles without any need for drivers or accidents. Photonics is certain to play a pivotal role in making it happen. The Ontario Photonics Consortium was created and funded jointly by academia (McMaster, Western, and Waterloo), industry and the Ontario government to continue the pace of innovation in photonics. The initiatives underway within OPC range from practical near-term applications to speculative long-term research.

Construction News Renovations are completed on the wing in the John Hodgins Engineering Building which houses the Department of Chemical Engineering. The current updates involved gutting an entire wing of the building to replace all electrical, air circulation and lighting systems. A new floor was created out of the open space on the second floor to accommodate new special Level II cell culture labs for the bioengineering faculty. The multi-million dollar renovations, which include a new undergraduate lab, two new graduate students offices, a telecommunications

and parts can be machined. The process also reduces by more than 99 percent the amount of coolants normally used during the cutting process, using instead a high-pressure mixture of compressed air and synthetic oil. It is an important development for the Canadian car industry at a time of increased globalization of trade.

McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute

room and a contained mechanical room on the roof, were funded entirely through internal McMaster sources. In addition to substantial support from the Faculty of Engineering, funds were obtained from the offices of the Dean, the VP of Research, the VP Administration and from Physical Plant.

Automotive Process Developed by McMaster Researchers A Department of Mechanical Engineering research team has developed an innovative, environmentally-friendly process that can machine automotive engine blocks faster and cheaper than conventional methods. In fact, it doubles the speed at which engine blocks

The engine block project is coordinated by Dr. Mo Elbestawi, dean of engineering. He interprets the work of researchers based at the University of Windsor, the University of Waterloo, Ecole Polytechnique and the University of New Brunswick. Much of the work on the engine block machining project was done at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI). The McMaster research team is funded by the AUTO21 Network, a federallysponsored initiative linking the automotive research groups of various Canadian universities. The Network is currently the largest research network in Canada.

Paul Jessop

John Preston

Peter Mascher

Jen-Shih Chang

Statistics Undergraduate students

234

Graduate students

Degrees awarded undergraduate

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

1 19

Discovery

he ultimate goal for any engineer is to meld scientific discovery with knowledge gained through study and experience to create a new or improved device, process, or material that will benefit society.

Speaker Soars Organizers for the Women’s Engineering Experience reached for the stars to get their keynote speaker this year. Canadian astronaut Julie Payette was the honoured guest speaker for the annual on-campus weekend event in February. Payette, who accepted an invitation from the Women in Engineering Committee, gave a firsthand account of her experiences on the Space Shuttle Discovery mission and her work with the Canadian Space Agency. Payette became the first Canadian to participate in an International Space Station (ISS) assembly mission and to board the space station. Her slide talk not only explained her role and duties while in space but showed riveting pictures of earth and various familiar geographical features, taken from the shuttle. Payette was an unqualified hit with the young women gathered at McMaster for the Experience day. The annual Women’s

Mo Elbestawi, Julie Payette and Mike Pley, President, ComDev Space

Engineering Experience attempts to inform female high school students about the diversity of careers available in the field of engineering.

Symposium Honours Professor The Department of Materials Science and Engineering held a three-day event to honour their esteemed colleague David Embury, celebrating an active 45-year career in the field of materials science. The David Embury Symposium featured invited lectures from some of the world’s top materials scientists, many of whom have been David Embury colleagues of

Embury’s over the years. It also provided an opportunity for scientists to engage in discussion of current issues and challenges in materials science such as plasticity and damage. Symposium co-sponsors included Materials and Manufacturing Ontario, McMaster University, Dofasco and Alcan. As a follow-up to the symposium, inventors and developers of the Cambridge Engineering Selector offered a two-day course on Selecting Materials and Processes.

Symposium Encourages Discussion In recognition of the body of research amassed by one of North America’s top electron microscopists, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering established the George C. Weatherly Symposium on New Frontiers in Materials. The first annual symposium was held at McMaster in 2004. Future symposia will alternate between the University of Toronto and McMaster, in recognition of Dr. Weatherly’s career at both institutions. Because the study of materials science involves a cross-disciplinary approach involving the natural sciences as well as most of the engineering disciplines, collaboration is key to expanding

Materials Science and Engineering ew technologies developed through materials science and engineering will continue to make startling changes in our lives in the 21st century. Researchers in Materials Science and Engineering study the science and technology of producing materials with properties and shapes suitable for practical use, such as metals, ceramics, polymers and semiconductors. McMaster is the only university in Canada with specialized streams in Material Engineering, Nanomaterials and Computational Materials Engineering. Recently the Department was ranked among the top 10 materials departments in North America.

Chairs and Awards

Research Facilities

• Gord Irons, Department Chair and Dofasco Chair in Ferrous Metallurgy • David Wilkinson, Materials Physics Award, Canadian Materials Science Conference, 2004 • David Wilkinson, Dofasco Award for 2004 • David Wilkinson, CIM Distinguished Lectureship • Gary Purdy, McMaster Distinguished Alumni Award • Ken Coley, Acting Director, Engineering and Management

• Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research • Steel Research Centre • Centre for Automotive Materials and Manufacturing

knowledge in this field. The papers presented at the Interfaces Symposium offered a wide range of topics by distinguished visitors, and included presentations by McMaster and University of Toronto Ph.D. students. Activities also included a poster presentation by graduate students, showcasing their work. The Symposium offered Ph.D. students, faculty and graduate students an important opportunity to meet and discuss the wide-ranging issues and challenges in which current materials scientists are engaged.

Sumanth Shankar

Manufacturing Innovation In August 2004, Dr. Sumanth Shankar accepted the position as Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering. The position is based at the University’s Manufacturing Research Institute. Dr. Shankar will establish a research centre on metal solidification processing, with the primary objective of designing new light-weight high-strength alloys. A member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Shankar says research in machining, metal forming and polymer processing is vital for strengthening two key economic sectors in Ontario – metals and manufacturing. Research conducted at the centre will have a significant impact on the future of the automotive, tool/die and mold industries, power generation and aerospace industries. It’s an exciting opportunity at an opportune time, and builds on Hamilton’s growing reputation as a leader in manufacturing innovation.

Conference Connects with Industry and Alumni

cessful 2004 annual conference of the Metallurgical Society of Canada. Held in downtown Hamilton in August, the four-day event attracted over 500 researchers, scientists and university professors from around the world. The Conference featured a symposium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the oxygen steel making process in North America. Hamilton’s Dofasco Inc. was the first North American steel producer to implement this manufacturing process which, at the time, was a fairly new innovation. In addition, a reception specially organized by the Engineering Alumni Office provided alumni from the Department an opportunity to greet and reconnect with current Materials Science and Engineering faculty and staff. At the conclusion of the Conference, Dr. Coley was elected president of the Metallurgical Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Gord Irons

Ken Coley

David Wilkinson

Gary Purdy

The Faculty’s Ken Coley of the Department of Material Science & Engineering was instrumental in planning the suc-

Statistics Undergraduate students

127

Graduate students

Degrees awarded undergraduate

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

1 21

Partnerships market in a timely fashion. It is widely recognized that Ontario’s future economy will be greatly impacted by advances in this field.

he Faculty of Engineering actively fosters a wide range of industrial partnerships with companies here in Canada, throughout North America and around the world. Through such partnerships, industry has access to state-of-the-art research facilities and knowledgeable specialists. Faculty and students are given an opportunity to discover and work on issues that are of importance to the industrial sector. These collaborations take many forms: industrial research chairs, equipment and facility sharing, transfer of knowledge, product development and consulting.

Forum Focuses on Future Technology A November 2004 student-organized forum brought Ontario scientists and researchers to McMaster to discuss challenging issues in nanotechnology – the branch of engineering that deals with the manipulation of matter at the level of individual atoms or molecules. Research and innovation in nanomaterials are especially important for the future of biomedicine, but will find applications in many other areas of modern technology. Based on its ability to attract research funding

Bell University's Lab Partnership Announcement, Vino Vinodrai, Peter George, Jean Taillon, Brian O'Shaughnessay, Mo Elbestawi and Vanessa Vogwill

and prestigious Chairs in this field, McMaster has become the leader in nanotechnology in Ontario. The one-day forum was sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and was held at the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research.

Nanotechnology graduate and postdoctoral students from across the province participated in a special workshop that included invited talks and a poster session, sponsored by NSERC’s Nano Innovation Platform. Poster sessions build and strengthen the research community through the exchange of ideas, and foster new collaborations between departments and other institutions.

Dr. John Luxat

The event attracted 250 attendees including leading researchers from academia and industry along with experts in the innovation process from the private and government sectors. Discussions explored how best to convert research efforts into innovations that can be taken to the

Mechanical Engineering echanical Engineering uses principles of physics and mathematics to design and manufacture all types of mechanical systems used in a wide variety of industries. Occupying three floors of the John Hodgins Engineering Building on campus, the Department includes laboratories containing major instrumentation and data acquisition systems needed for leading-edge research in thermo-fluid sciences, mechanics and design, and manufacturing engineering.

Chairs and Awards

Research Facilities

• Samir Ziada, Department Chair • Sumanth Shankar, Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing • Phillip Koshy, SCME I.W. Smith Award • Mo Elbestawi, Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering • Joseph McDermid, Associate Professor Stelco/NSERC Industrial Chair in Steel Product Application

• • • • • • • • •

Thermo-fluids labs Thermal processing lab Manufacturing labs for metal forming Machine tools and metal cutting CAD/CAM Robotics Acoustics Wind tunnels Micro-machining Lab

John Preston, director of the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, called the event a remarkable success. In addition to the opportunities for discussion and sharing of information, the forum resulted in the creation of NanoOntario, an alliance of researchers within the academic, industry and government sectors.

Nuclear Engineering The field of nuclear engineering at McMaster has been enhanced with the appointment of Dr. John C. Luxat as the NSERC/UNENE Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Nuclear Safety Analysis. A professor in the Department of Engineering Physics, Dr. Luxatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area of specialty is nuclear safety analysis and modeling methodology. He is developing new ways to analyse the consequences of possible accidents in the nuclear industry, using computer simulations and mathematical modeling. His research will give people working in the industry appropriate tools for checking and analyzing the safety systems of nuclear reactors. He also conducts research into the physical phenomena associated with the potential failure of components in a nuclear system in order to develop mathematical models to characterize

these processes. These models will give researchers a better understanding of these processes, which can subsequently be employed more effectively in future computer simulations. The IRC in Nuclear Safety Analysis is an industrial partnership with the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE). Established in 2002, UNENE is a consortium of Canadian nuclear organizations: Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Bruce Power, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), the CANDU Owners Group (COG), and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).

Lectures that Challenge and Inform Every year, through a variety of guest speaker initiatives, the Faculty of Engineering invites Maurice Strong leading engineering professionals, researchers and business entrepreneurs to speak to its students, faculty and staff. These guest lectures provide an opportunity for exploring new theories and expanding knowledge

in emerging fields of engineering. One example is the annual J.W. Hodgins Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the Faculty of Engineering to commemorate McMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first engineering dean. The lecture series celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2004. The Faculty was honoured to welcome Maurice F. Strong as the 2004 J.W. Hodgins Memorial Lecturer. An influential champion of the environment, diplomat and peace advocate, Strong chose to address the role of engineering in the future. His lecture focused on issues involving sustainable global development, and was both entertaining and enlightening. Prior to the lecture, Strong met with students from the Engineering and Society program, Peace Studies and the Engineering and Social Responsibility course to present a condensed version of his lecture and engage in discussion.

Samir Ziada

Joseph McDermid

Sumanth Shankar

Phillip Koshy

Statistics Undergraduate students

391

Graduate students

102

Degrees awarded undergraduate

Degrees awarded graduate

Faculty members

Staff

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Engineering Students, Alumni and Future Engineers in Action Partnerships between universities and non-academic sectors arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily all hard work. They can be fun, too! The annual Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) conference is one such event, offering engineering students an opportunity to showcase their skills and ingenuity to the wider community. CEC brings together representatives from industry, government and academia to review and judge student competitors who tackle a variety of challenges, from arguing the importance of a social concept to solving a complex engineering problem within a limited time. A division of the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES), the CEC held its 20th Competition event for the first time at McMaster University in March 2004. Approximately 150 engineering students attended and tackled challenges offered in seven categories: corporate design, entrepreneurial design, extemporaneous debate, explanatory communication of a technical issue or process, editorial communication of the social impact of a technical issue, team design (no prior knowledge of the challenge) and senior team design (prior research, 10-hour limit). In addition,

a high school team design event offers secondary students an opportunity to meet engineering professionals, and test their educational knowledge and skills. Team design projects are judged on design originality, creativity, teamwork and presentation. The four-day event, which is open to the public, attracts sponsorship from a wide range of industry and government agencies representing the technology, computer, oil and gas, software and digital industries.

Engineers without Borders Founded in 2000, the Canada-wide student-based initiative Engineers Without Borders (EWB) promotes human development through access to technology. The EWB McMaster Chapter was formed two years ago. In addition to organizing a campus lecture series, members have developed a High School Outreach program. Aimed at Grades 9 to 12, the program offers workshops on lack of access to

Anne Markey (right), Manager, Engineering Co-op and Career Services with student, Zahara Al-Ali (Electrical Engineering and Co-op III)

Engineering Co-op nne Markey, Manager Engineering Co-op and Career Services recognizes that school isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about books. The Faculty of Engineering is committed to providing a complete learning experience to its students. It should also be the place to learn first-hand what engineering is all about. Co-op programs are an excellent way to achieve this goal. They enhance the academic side of education by offering the student a chance to work in a real situation using the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom.

As of September 2004, the Faculty of Engineering offers students an optional co-op program designed to provide hands-on experience working on real-life engineering projects in an off-campus environment. Undergraduate students who register for this program are required to complete a minimum of 12-months work experience prior to beginning their final year of study. Student can enter the program at any time during their studies up to the year prior to their graduating year.

McMaster Engineering also offers a campusbased summer work experience known as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). When established in 2003, UROP was the only one of its kind in Canada. Summer research programs help undergraduate students gain valuable work experience in a research environment, and provide them with an opportunity to determine if they might be interested in progressing to graduate school. They are also invaluable for developing mentorships with faculty and graduate students.

Development faculty set out to establish an ambitious and comprehensive program for collecting voluntary contributions from engineering students which would be invested in a trust fund to generate funds each year, and be distributed to departments and programs for labs and facilities.

safe drinking water and lack of access to food processing technologies in rural areas of developing nations. The Chapter also actively promoted the inclusion of EWB Development projects in the first year design course in a move to provide a more holistic approach to this area of the curriculum. The initiative received strong support from the Faculty and was enthusiastically embraced by first-year engineering students.

“I am confident that the extracurricular activities of the caliber of those being addressed by Engineers Without Borders are helping to make tomorrow’s leaders,” says EWB McMaster Chapter president Boris Martin. “There is no doubt about that.”

With over 10,749 alumni making annual contributions to McMaster during the past year, the participation rate has increased from 14% in 2002 to 17% in 2004. Popular designated areas of giving include the MACLAB Fund, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), Faculty of Engineering Fund, Scholarships/ Bursaries and the Building Fund.

Boris Martin, graduate student Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering

$1,000,000 Reached in Equipment Endowment Fund McMaster’s Engineering reached the $1 M mark for the McMaster Laboratory Advancement Benefaction, MACLAB Endowment Fund in 2004. The MACLAB project was initiated by the McMaster Engineering Society in 1997 in response to an increasing need to renew and update the undergraduate engineering laboratory facilities. A dedicated group of students, staff and

Precision Manufacturing

Undergraduate Class Size

Number of Classes

EWB works with partner organizations overseas to support technological development in areas such as water and sanitation, food processing, access to energy and information technologies. To this end, the Chapter raised funds and trained two volunteers, Stephanie Liddle (Electrical and Biochemistry) and Tyler Woychyshyn (Engineering Physics and Management), who will travel overseas to work on engineeringrelated projects during 2005. EWB volunteers have worked in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Alumni Share the Spirit of Giving

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Class Size 1 to 25 students Class Size 26 to 50 students Class Size 51 to 100 students Class Size 101 to 500 students

26 22

34 21

24 16

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Distribution of Class Size by Level

1 25

Honours Ken Hill Honourary Degree Kenneth O. Hill, a three-time McMaster graduate, received an Honourary doctorKenneth Hill ate at the Faculty’s spring Convocation in June 2004 in recognition of his leadership and research achievements. For over three decades, Hill conducted groundbreaking research at the Communications Research Centre of Canada (CRC), an agency of Industry Canada. His work in photosensitivity, Bragg gratings, the study of the nonlinear effects in fibre and fused fibre compiling, laid the foundation for broadband communication networks. In 2000, he entered the private sector as a consultant. He has received numerous awards including the President’s Award (CRC), the Canadian Association of Physicists and the National Optics Institute Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Applied Photonics, and the Rank Prize from the Royal Academy of Medicine.

Julie Payette Honourary Degree

Alumni Advancement Arch Award

At 10 years of age, Julie Payette knew she wanted to be an astronaut. In May 1999, at age 28, she finally got to realize that dream, becoming the first Canadian to participate in an International Space Station (ISS) assembly mission and to board the space station. This year, Payette received an honourary doctorate from McMaster University at the University’s spring Convocation ceremonies in June.

In 2004, the Arch Award was launched to celebrate the success of young alumni. The first engineering alumnus to receive this recognition is Al-Raiz Adatia, B.Eng. ’93 for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and engineer. He built his professional career in California’s Silicon Valley working for companies such as Octel, ST Microelectronics and Microsoft, before co-founding IMDI, developers of the MP3 player on the Internet. In 1999, Al-Raiz led IMDI through its acquisition by Lycos, worth more than US $70 M. While in California, Al-Raiz also taught at UC Berkeley and UC

In the early 1990s, Payette was selected to join the Canadian Space Agency to train as an astronaut. She completed basic training in Canada and then worked as technical advisor for Mobile Servicing System, an advanced robotics system and Canada’s contribution to the ISS. From May 27 to June 6, 1999, Payette flew on Space Shuttle Discovery, as part of the crew of STS-96, to deliver logistics and supplies. During the mission, the crew performed the first manual docking of the shuttle to the ISS. While on the Discovery, Payette served as a mission specialist, held responsibility for the station systems, and operated the Canadarm robotic arm.

Al-Raiz Adatia

Success of Fundraising Project Creation of the Engineering Practice, BioMedical Engineering and Computational Building Campaign By the end of 2004, the campaign had reached 50% of its $6 M goal with significant contributions from leading companies. In looking to the educational and research needs of the future, the Faculty of Engineering is creating new schools: the McMaster School of BioMedical Engineering; the McMaster

School of Engineering Practice; and proposing a School for Computational Engineering and Science. A capital campaign was launched to raise the much-needed funds for a new 50,000square-foot engineering building to house the new schools. We are confident that with the support of industry, alumni and friends, the Faculty will reach its goal by March 2005. In August 2004, with $1 M from Xerox, the School for Engineering Practice

established the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Later in the year two additional gifts enabled the BioMedical Engineering School to create two new labs in Medical Robotics through a partnership with MDA Space, and a lab in Integrated Systems with a Bell Canada contribution. Additional contributions have been received from TRW, Macromedia alumni Rob Burgess and Stephen Elop, and Selkirk Canada.

Computer Engineering. The project added a three-storey section with basement to accommodate 13 electrical and computer laboratories, a 200-seat lecture hall and much-needed office space. The $8.6-million initiative received funding from SuperBuild ($3.7 million) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation ($750,000), as well as from the University.

Santa Cruz and founded Ustad, a teaching consulting practice that developed and presented private courses to corporations.

Alumni Giving Profiles Stephen and Nancy Elop and Robert Burgess For Stephen Elop, a graduate of McMaster’s five year Engineering & Management program and chief operating officer (COO) of Macromedia Inc., the School for Engineering Practice (SEP) will teach graduates the skills they need to take complex technical problems from the planning stage to the world-at-large. Stephen and his wife, Nancy, also a McMaster graduate, have made a gift of $100,000 to the Faculty of Engineering’s new School. Robert Burgess, a graduate of McMaster’s Commerce program and president of Macromedia Inc. matched Stephen and Nancy’s gift with a personal donation of $100,000.

Vladimir and Chedo Sobot A generous gift to McMaster University’s Centre for Effective Design of Structures from two civil engineering graduates will aid in

Nancy and Stephen Elop with Peter George

preparing structural engineers for the challenges of building in the 21st century. Brothers, Vladimir and Chedo Sobot, who founded Sobotec Ltd. in 1988, made a $100,000 contribution to the Centre.

Construction News Important construction and renovation initiatives on campus ensure that Faculty of Engineering facilities meet the needs of our undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers. The newly renovated Information Technology Building (ITB) now houses the Department of Electrical and

The Tandem Accelerator is a twostorey addition to the rear of the General Sciences Building. The $1.9-million project provided for a new lab and additional office space. External funding for this initiative was received from the Canada Foundation for Innovation/Ontario Innovation Trust ($394,231), the Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund ($100,000), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation New Opportunity Fund ($250,000).

Gary Purdy

Tim Davidson

Thia Kirubarajan

Peter Mascher

Chairs and Appointments New Canada Research Chairs • Tim Davidson, Canada Research Chair in Communications • Antoine Deza, Canada Research Chair in Combinatorial Optimization • Thia Kirubarajan, Canada Research Chair in Information Fusion • Tom Maibaum, Canada Research Chair in the Foundations of Software Engineering

University Awards and Appointments • Gary Purdy, Distinguished Alumni Award, McMaster, 2004

New Endowed Chairs

• Art Heidebrecht, Acting Director of The McMaster Centre for Continuing Education

• Rafik Loutfy, Walter G. Booth Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Peter Mascher, Associate Dean, Research and External Relations

• Sumanth Shankar, Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing

1 27 27

Dean’s Advisory Board

he McMaster University Faculty of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board was created to provide for the exchange of informed opinions. The sixteen alumni and friends who comprise the Board include forwardthinking, experienced professionals. The purpose of the meetings is to explore means of ensuring today’s engineering students are well-prepared for future possibilities and opportunities. Meeting twice a year, in the spring and fall, members share their experience and wisdom with the dean. The Chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Board, Doug Barber, notes that the members are deeply committed to helping the Faculty achieve excellence in new initiatives, or explore changes in engineering teaching or in research programs. The goal is to ensure that students in engineering programs experience a superior learning environment.

Dr. Doug H. Barber (Chair), Gennum Corporation (retired)

Mr. Don Black, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade

Mr. Walter Booth, Chairman and CEO, Timberland Equipment Limited

Ms. Maryann Combs, General Director of Engineering and Product Planning

Mr. Bob Crow, Vice President, University and Government Relations, Research in Motion Limited

Mr. Mike Fielding, Chief Executive Officer StrataFlex

Dr. David J. Litster, Professor Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mr. Norm Lockington, Vice President, Technology, Dofasco Inc.

Mr. Bob Magee, President and CEO, The Woodbridge Group

Dr. Les McLean, Hatch Associates (retired)

Dr. Amit Monga, Vice-President, Technology Investing, MDS Capital Corp.

Mr. Joe Ng, President, JNE Consulting Limited

Mr. Michael Pley, President, COM DEV Space

Dr. John Reid, Strategy and Business Development, JDS Uniphase

Mr. Dietmar Reiner, Chief Information Officer, Ontario Power Generation

Dr. Carl Turkstra, President, Turkstra Industries

Mr. Tim Valters, President, Selkirk Canada Corporation

Dr. Joe Wright, President and CEO, Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada

Achieving Creativity, Innovation and Excellence s the result of a planning process initiated in 1995, the direction of McMaster’s future development is outlined in three Directions planning documents. Development is centered on three goals: To provide an innovative and stimulating learning environment where students can prepare themselves to excel in life; To achieve the next level in research results and reputation by building on existing and emerging areas of excellence; To build an inclusive community with a shared purpose.

In 2002, the University undertook a review to evaluate how well McMaster had met these goals and to construct a 28

framework for guiding the University over the next five to ten years. The resulting document, Refining Directions, provides a guide for meeting future challenges and seizing future opportunities. During November and December 2004, the McMaster community has been reading and commenting on an implementation process for the refined plan. It proposes that implementation should link the planning undertaken by Faculties and other areas of campus with the goals, targets and critical success factors mentioned in the Refining Directions document. It also makes three recommendations:

• Priority being given to support graduate programs that are capable of immediate growth in student numbers • Proposals that will lead to growth in undergraduate or graduate student numbers should automatically trigger a review to identify resource requirements for non-academic areas such as physical plant, library resources, etc. • A common planning reporting format to be used by the University Planning Committee to support an effective interchange of information and monitoring of plans

Faculty of Engineering McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4L7 Phone: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24288 Fax: (905) 528-4952 E-mail: deaneng@mcmaster.ca Web: www.eng.mcmaster.ca Produced by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University Coordinator/Writing: Terry Milson Writing/Editing: Trudi Down Design: Wordsmith Design and Advertising Photography: Glenn Lowson and Ron Sheffler Printing: Advance Printing McMaster University, 2005