THE NEW ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE

F A C U L T Y Q U A R T E R L Y

Winter 2010

Table of ContentsMessage from the Dean 1DeanRobinDrewwelcomestheQuarterlybacktonewsstands

A Simulating Environment 2AndreasAthienitis&PaulFazioontheiruniquenewproject

Staff Profile 4RobertFews,AerospaceSpecialAdvisor

Spotlight on Students 5 SvenJames,BEnginComputerScienceBaharehAmirjabbari,MScinIndustrialEngineeing

News & Events 7KeepupwithENCSsbusyschedule

Accolades 10Ourstudentsandprofessorshavelotsofgoodnewstoreport

TheEngineering&ComputerScienceFacultyQuarterlyispublishedbytheFacultyatConcordiaUniversity

inMontreal,Canada.

Editor in Chief:ClaDesjardins

Design & Photography:MarcBourcier

Pleasesubmitalleditorialandadvertisinginquiriesto:

ConcordiaUniversityFacultyofEngineering&ComputerScience

CommunicationsAdvisorSirGeorgeWilliamsCampus

1515St.CatherineW.,-EV002.139Montreal,Quebec,Canada

H3G2W1

oremailyourfeedbacktoclea@encs.concordia.ca

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the first issue of our newly re-launched Faculty Quarterly. Many readers may remember the previous incarnation of this magazine, which could be found on newsstands around Concordia University between 1998 and 2005. Although the magazine was wonderfully popular among staff, students, faculty, and alumni, the publication had to take a brief hiatus. But having just begun a new year and with Concordia focusing on communications as one of its key strategic pillars, we felt it was time to get our fingers back on the pulse of ENCS.

Its unsurprising to find out that coursing through this Facultys veins are the interlinked themes of renewal and sustainability, two ideas that this magazine itself is trying to uphold, what with its return to the public eye being facilitated by web-based distribution. These themes also resonate when it comes to the research that the Quarterly seeks to promote. Youll see examples of exactly that in our cover subjects, Andreas Athienitis and Paul Fazio, professors with the Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. The two have a decades-long history of collaboration and are currently engaged in the exciting rebuilding of our Facultys environmental chamber facilities, which will now feature a state-of-the-art solar simulator. Once complete, this cutting-edge research facility will be the only one of its kind in Canada.

In other sustainability-related news, I am proud to announce that Dr. Catherine Mulligan (Associate Dean of Research and Concordia Research Chair in Environmental Engineering) and I are currently hard at work on a proposal for the creation of a new Institute on Water, Energy, and Sustainability. I hope that this new Institute will make headlines in our spring issue, as its realization will bring together key research areas and focus breakthrough findings right here at Concordia.

As I look to the future I see reflected by bright young students such as Sven James and Bahareh Amirjabbariwho are both featured in this issue of the QuarterlyI can see that renewal and sustainability will be key concerns for engineers and computer scientists for years to come. As youll see in our interview with Robert Fews, the Facultys new Aerospace Special Advisor, these are issues that touch not only the academe, but industry as well. I know that with a student body and professoriate such as our own, ENCS is on the right track in helping uphold Concordias core values of excellence, opportunity, and quality of lifevalues that depend on continued focus on renewal and sustainability.

I hope you enjoy reading the new and improved Faculty Quarterly and welcome your feedback!

Wishing you a happy and productive winter term,

Robin A. L. Drew Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science

Message from the Dean

This was certainly the case last fall, when these two professors with the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering were awarded $4,613,000 in funding for the development of a brand new laboratory that will be the only one of its kindnot just in Canada, but in the world.

Whats so special about this facility? For a start, it brings together two of the Facultys key areas of expertise by combining a state-of-the-art solar simulator with a cutting-edge environmental chamber. The solar simulator allows research into solar energy, which is Athienitiss passion; while the chamber focuses on Fazios longtime love, the building

envelopethat is, the outer shell that protects a buildings indoor environment while facilitating climate control. Detailed research into both elements is central to the construction of the buildings of the futurebuildings that will combine solar power with improved construction standards to consume zero net energy and produce zero carbon emissions annually. Their construction is of vital importance when one considers that energy use in buildings accounts for a whopping 40% of North Americas fossil fuel consumption.

These two professors, who have been collaborating here at Concordia for well over two decades, are nothing if not committed to the cause. This fact

is amply evidenced by the tangible outcomes that have already emerged from their research, even without dedicated facilities. A perfect example of this is the innovative project that led to the design and installation of an immense solar wall on the new John Molson School of Business building here at Concordia. Research for the project was done on rented rooftop facilities. Remembering these conditions, Athienitis shakes his head: during the winter, my students often had to clear two feet of snow to access the test-rooms and perform their work! It was becoming clear that a full scale solar simulator with an environmental chamber would be necessary in order for the Faculty to maintain its high

A Simulating EnvironmentWhenPaulFazioandAndreasAthienitisputtheirheadstogether,peopletakenotice...

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standards in this rapidly expanding field. Explains Fazio, the new solar simulator and environmental chamber will enable our teams to rapidly perform experiments in a matter of daysas compared to months outdoors. Even more importantly, the new controlled facility will ensure greater accuracy and repeatable conditions, both of which are essential for high quality research.

The two professors and their areas of expertise have long been linked. Explains Athienitis, for years, my work has focused on solar energy integration in buildings. Solar energy should be an important part of the building envelope, so that was why Paul and I were such a great match from the start. Our work evolved into this idea of the net-zero energy building that produces as much energy as it uses. Expands Fazio, the recent focus on global warming and sustainability, both in industry and academically, helped us secure funding for this vitally important research. Ive been working on this since the 1970s but mine was a voice in the wilderness when it all began and for a long time afterwards. Now, the world knows that its time to act.

Action will definitely be seen when the construction of the new environmental chamber and solar simulator gets underway later this year. The new facility will be built on solid foundations formed by the Centre for Building Studies (CBS) established in the 70s by a team led by Fazio, and by Athienitiss NSERC Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN).

CBS was originally established by Fazio in 1977, and initially funded through a Negotiated Development Grant obtained from the federal organization that is now known as NSERC. The Centres mission was to conduct research in building engineering and to administer educational programs developed as a result of this research

initiative. Today, CBS remains an active research centre within the Faculty and acts as a knowledge-generating engine for the ever-evolving discipline of building engineering. In cooperation with industry, government agencies, and other institutions, the Centre continues to make significant contributions to the planning, design, construction, operation, and renovation of built facilities.

In more recent years, Athienitis established the Concordia-based and federally funded Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN). This

Network is the first NSERC Strategic Network to be initiated and led by Concordia. Funded initially with approximately $7M from 2005-2010, it is recognized as a world leader in its approach to the development of advanced concepts for net-zero energy buildings and integration of solar technologies within the building envelope.

Up until now, Concordia has not had a dedicated facility in which to house the important research projects being done with the chamber and SBRN. Although an environmental chamber facility was constructed in the early 90s, it was built

in rented space. When the EV complex (which now houses the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, as well as the Fine Arts Faculty) was being planned in 1997, a case was made to move the chamber in the new building but it was kept in the rented location. In 2006, as the lease was nearing its expiry date and the University found itself out of rental money, the environmental chamber facility, though at the peak of its activities with some $3M in projects, seemed to be scheduled for closure. Fazio appealed to the University to extend the lease and for over two years the lab was kept going with short term

leases. At the same time the lease of the rooftop facility located just across from the EV building was expiring, so Fazio and Athienitis saw this as an opportunity to bring their complimentary research into a state-of-the-art space and submitted a proposal to the federally run Knowledge Infrastructure Program. In September of last year, the $4.6M in grant money was announced and planning began in earnest.

Preparations are now well underway and the two professors expect the new solar simulator-environmental chamber laboratory, which will be two storeys high and housed in the basement of Concordias Hall Building, to officially open its doors in late

spring 2011. Fazio remembers a visit to the temporary chamber a few years ago by a representative from the Quebec government, who stated in awe: mais cest une ressource nationale! The new facility will represent an even more important national resource by enabling world class research on building-integrated solar systems and advanced envelope assemblies. Research performed by Fazio and Athienitis, alongside their graduate students and colleagues, is sure to help Quebec and Canada meet their commitments in the fight against global warming by harnessing clean energy and moving buildings towards zero-net energy.

Thenewfacilitywillrepresentanimportantnationalresourcebyenablingworldclassresearchonbuilding-

integratedsolarsystemsandadvanced

envelopeassemblies.

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In late November 2009, ENCS was delighted to welcome Dr. Robert Fews to the Faculty to fill the newly created position of Aerospace Special Advisor. Originally hailing from England, Fews received his PhD in Aircraft Design from the Cranfield Institute of Technology before joining British Aerospace Ltd, first as an apprentice, then as a structures engineer and research officer.

In 1987, Fews came to Montreal and has been based here ever since, working first for Canadair and then spending over 20 years with Bell Helicopter Textron Canada. While there, Fews spent six years as Senior Staff Specialist, then 18 years as Manager of Technology. During his last seven years with the company, Fews was Director of Research, which

involved working with the companys university research interface. Explains Fews, while I was at Bell, I got to know Concordia. I had the chance to run 4 or 5 CRIAQ [the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec] projects and I wound up working closely with people like Dr. Hoa. It was a very positive experience on both sides.

When he left Bell in 2009, the next step in Fewss career seemed intuitive: I guess Ive always wanted to give something back. Id been in industry for such a long time that I realized it was time for me to help others get into the aerospace business.

As Fews works on strengthening ENCSs ties to the aerospace industry, he also plans to expand its academic involvement with the subject. I want

bring professors and students together in that environment, I want to get industry professors in there, set up mini-apprenticeships, get dedicated aerospace classrooms up and running in CIADIs headquarters on the 12th floor of the EV building, he enthuses, excited by the future prospects for ENCS.

Over the next few years, Fews continues, aerospace at Concordia is really going to take off. Soon, well be at a point where we can actually offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace. Although the global financial and environmental climate has had a negative impact on the aerospace industry, Fews can draw on his years of experience to say confidently that

Staff ProfileDr.RobertFewsonhisnewpositionasAerospaceSpecialAdvisor

this downturn wont last. Our society can no longer function without air transport, so its up to us to come up with viable solutions. When the industry comes back it will be with a huge rush and there will be a huge demand for engineers. We have to prepare for that rush nowand thats exactly what were doing. Its an exciting time for anyone in aerospace.

Aerospace at Concordia ENCSandinparticulartheDepartmentofMechanicalandIndustrialEngineeringhasbeenintimatelyinvolvedinteachingandresearchwithinthedisciplinesrelatedtoAerospaceformanyyears.TheFacultycurrentlyboastsnearly20professorsapplyingtheirparticularexpertisetoaerospace-relatedprojectsandactivities.Thisincludesteachingofaerospacespecificcoursesinundergraduateandgraduateprograms,supervisionofgraduatestudentresearchinaerospaceprojects,conductingcontractresearchprojectsandobtaininggovernmentresearchgrantsinaerospacetopics.

In2001theConcordiaInstituteforDesignandInnovation(CIADI)wasestablishedwithintheFacultyofEngineeringandComputerScience.TheroleofthisInstituteistoprovideamechanismthroughwhichseniorundergraduateengineeringstudentscouldundertakerealengineeringtasks,includingdesign,analysisandresearch,inaerospacecompaniesandgetpaidforsummerinternshipsontheseprojects.Visitciadi.concordia.catofindoutmore.

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Student Spotlight BaharehAmirjabbari,MScinIndustrialEngineering

Whats your background?

I was born and raised Iran and loved studying from a very young age. I always had my nose in books, so I knew that university would be in my future. When I first came to Concordia, I adjusted in no time. I was surprised to see how many students in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science are also from Iran and have a similar background to my own! Its comforting to have so many people from home around me but Concordia is also great because its so multicultural. Its wonderful to see so many students with so many different backgrounds working and studying together.

How did you first become interested in studying industrial engineering?

In Iran, we have comprehensive exams before entering university, so thats how I discovered my aptitude for engineering and thats what led me to pursue a Bachelors degree in industrial engineering. After I finished my studies in Iran, I worked in industry and got to see how the concepts in Id studied in my industrial engineering classes applied in the real world. The experience I gained in my job was invaluable and I wanted to deepen my knowledge by pursuing graduate studies.

Why did you choose Concordia?

I wanted to have the experience of living on my own in a different country. Canada had always appealed to me and Concordia was one of the few universities in the country that offered a Masters program specifically in industrial engineering. I did some online research about the school and thought that this was the place for me! Now Im

the one recommending Concordia to all my friends back home! Montreal is a wonderful city to live in: there are so many opportunities here.

What are your favourite classes here?

Because the Master of Science program is so research-focused, I only had to take 4 classesI liked them all so its hard to pick. One class did stand out,

though: Nadia Bhuiyans course on lean enterprise. I found the subject so interesting that I decided I wanted to pursue it for the central topic of my thesis. Lean is actually a method that comes from Japan. It aims to reduce the waste and non value-added activities in settings like factories. Dr. Bhuiyan is now my supervisor and, even though Im still only in the preliminary stages of it, Im loving my research. Another aspect I really enjoyed about all my courses was the fact that I was given the opportunity to do a lot of group work. It was great to deal with all kinds

of different people and work together solving the problems at hand.

What kind of student activities are you involved in?

Sadly, Ive been too busy to be very involved in student activities! Im hoping, though, to help out with the International Students Office here at Concordia. They really helped me when I first arrived by showing me how to extend my study permit, explaining when I needed to apply for certain things, and sorting out the red tape that can be involved when youre an international student. My experience with the ISO was so positive that I would hope to volunteer for them in the future. Id love to help other students out by sharing my experiences and passing along the knowledge Ive gained as an international graduate student here at Concordia.

What are your plans after graduation?

Im set to graduate in January 2011. After that, Id love to stay on and pursue a PhD in industrial engineering. Concordia has been great so far and so continuing on to do doctoral research here would be an excellent opportunity for me. Eventually finding work in the industry also holds a lot of appeal because I definitely want to put the things Ive learned in the classroom and through my research to use in the real world.

Where do you see yourself in

10 years?

Hopefully by 2020, Ill be fluent in French! I just started learning the language and I love it. Ive already finished 4 courses over at Dawson College and have just registered for the next level. Its a beautiful language! I hope that in 10 years from now Im still challenging myself to do things like take language courses and think outside of the box. Im sure, wherever I am, Ill still be striving to be the best person I can be.

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Student Spotlight SvenJames,BScinSoftwareEngineering

Whats your background?

I was born in London, England to a German mother and an Antiguan father. At age 3, I moved to my fathers nation of Antigua and Barbuda in the Eastern Caribbean. I attended primary and secondary school, and the equivalent of CEGEP there before moving to Montreal at age 18 in 2005.

How did you first become interested in studying software engineering?

Growing up I was always fascinated with science fiction films and novels, particularly themes which dealt with artificial life. I decided that the best way to make the visions of these works of fiction a reality was to enter the software engineering field.

Why did you choose Concordia?

Canada appealed to me because it was multicultural, less expensive than the United States and very different from where I grew up. Montreal in particular, with its strange mix of North America and Europe, English and French, was very attractive. My limited research indicated that between McGill and Concordia, the latter had a superior engineering faculty, and so I decided to enroll.

What are your favourite classes here?

In terms of software engineering, I tend to favour more theoretical classes. Artificial Intelligence, Discrete Mathematics (which I tutor) and Introduction to Theoretical

Computer Science are a few of my favourites. I have also taken a shining to history and done several courses within that department as electives and interest courses. Had I had more time I would have minored in history. What kind of student activities are you involved in?

Since enrolling at Concordia, I volunteered for the Concordia Shuffle, worked as a Resident Assistant in the Hingston Hall Residences, helped found the Concordia University Cancer Association, was a part of the AIESEC organisation both locally and in Germany, tutored various courses, attended the annual Computer Science Games competition, participated as an ECA Frosh Leader, played in the Concordia Intramural Basketball League, and attended and helped organise the Canadian University Software Engineering Conference [CUSEC].

At CUSEC, I was officially the Director of Sponsorship. It was my responsibility to build a marketing package, reach out to potential sponsors, negotiate with them and make sure they were satisfied once they had made the decision to partner. At the conference I helped out wherever things needed being done, from registering delegates to introducing speakers. All in all, I loved the experience and learned and refined my skills in marketing, negotiation, time management and small talk, all while having exclusive access to some of the greatest minds in my industry. I learned lessons in the most unexpected of places and wouldnt hesitate to help organise CUSEC again should the opportunity present itself.

What are your plans after graduation?

Immediately after graduation I would like to do a final summer internship somewhere in Canada or abroad. Thereafter, perhaps some light travelling before entering the workforce with a goal to ultimately pursuing my Masters in a few years. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Had you asked me this 10 years ago I would have told you I wanted to be a pilot, an architect or an NBA player. I now have a mild fear of flying, have trouble drawing a straight line and havent even won the Concordia Intramural Basketball Championships! That being said, take my ten year plan with a grain of salt. In 10 years I will have successfully acquired my Masters Degree, gained valuable field experience and grown my professional network. I will have returned to Antigua where I will have founded a successful business and began the Caribbeans first true tech community. Finally, I will be looking towards tackling a PhD and contributing to breakthroughs in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

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The 36th annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race was held in Hamilton, Ontario last month. From January 27-30, McMaster University played host to well over a dozen teams of enthusiastic engineering students from across the country, and to one dedicated group from Concordia Universitys Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science.

Whats it all about? Well, the goal of the competition is for each team to create a toboggan that:

Weighs less than 300lbs

Has a working breaking and steering system

Accommodates 5 riders

Features a roll cage for safety

Has all its running surfaces made entirely of concrete.

Concordias ENCS undergrads were up to the challenge. The team, composed of 16 students from various disciplines of Engineering and even some from Computer Science, used steel tubing for the toboggans frame and tested the concrete running surfaces to determine the concretes overall strength, and thereby select the best mixture from which to make their sleds concrete skis.

When it came time to head to Hamilton, however, the team seemed plagued by bad luck: it turned out that the epoxy holding the skis to the steel hadnt cured properly which only became obvious when the team went to lift the toboggan into the truck and the skis fell off, breaking into a jigsaw puzzle of pieces. Discouraged but undaunted, the team spent the 10-hour-long drive figuring out potential solutions. To their surprise and delight, the organizers and other teams proved extremely helpful

once in Hamilton and they were told that as long as the toboggan was sliding on nothing but concrete, they could still race. The entire team quickly started putting the pieces back together while other teams offered helping hands. In the end, the toboggans skis were reassembled and reattached. Although they werent as good as the original set, the events organizers determined they would hold and the team was cleared to compete.

Luckily, the GNCTR isnt just about sliding down a hill! Before the toboggans hit the slopes, the teams participate in a technical exhibit in which they show off their toboggan in a 10x10 space designed to match the theme they have chosen for the year. This year Concordia had the theme of The Ice is Right. Their technical set-up featured not only the reassembled toboggan, but we also had a working Price is Right Wheel, and Plinko game, along with a banner and props that made the space look like the set of the popular gameshow. The team was awarded 6th place for their efforts in the Technical Exhibit and 7th for overall superstructure and breaking design.

When race time finally came around, the team assembled on what turned out to be the coldest day of the winter. Concordia was the 4th team to sled down the hilland, unfortunately, the first team that didnt make it across the finish line. The toboggans steering wheel proved hard to control on the icy track and, a few feet before the finish line, the toboggan went up on the ledge of the track and flipped over, bending the steering wheel beyond repair. Although this might seem like a defeat, the team was delighted that its toboggan made it down the hill at all! While they only came in 17th out of 20 schools overall, they were pleased with their placements at the technical exhibit and delighted that everyone walked away from the toboggan run unharmed. Although a few of the participants will soon graduate, many of the team members, having learned from a great experience, are already eager to try again next year!

News & EventsConcordias Concrete Toboggan

TheConcordiaConcreteTobogganTeaminaction(photobyRonScheffler)

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The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science is delighted to announce a major funding grant for the research of Lyes Kadem, Assistant Professor with the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. To support the research by Dr Kadem and his team, Concordia was awarded $108,052 by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and an equal amount from the Ministre de lducation, du Loisir et du Sport to build a state-of-the-art laboratory for cardiovascular fluid dynamics. This infrastructure includes a three-dimensional time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) system. Particle image velocimetry is a non-intrusive optical measurement technique allowing the determination of 2D or 3D instantaneous velocity fields.

Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in Canada and in many other industrial countries. The number of cases is expected to grow continuously as a consequence of population aging. To further understand the development and the consequences of cardiovascular diseases a multidisciplinary research approach using highly sophisticated infrastructure is needed.

Dr. Kadems research focuses on biomechanical engineering approaches through experimental and numerical studies of fluid mechanic principles that have already led to significant discoveries related to cardiovascular diseases. For example, fluid mechanic principles for the investigation of heart valve diseases allowed an improvement in the diagnosis of the pathologies affecting the heart valves and understanding their coupling with the disturbances in blood flow.

Major grant for Lyes Kadem

In honour of the 150th anniversary of Montreals well-known Victoria Bridge (which links the city to the South Shore), Hugh McQueen, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has been hitting the lecture circuit. Making the fascinating history of his beloved bridge is McQueens priority and he has delivered well-attended lectures at the West Island Historical Society, McGill University, and the CanMet lab in Ottawa. Interviews with McQueen on the topic were also recently featured on CBC Radio. Find out more at encs.concordia.ca

Kudos to McQueen on the lecture circuit

ENCS back online!TheFacultyofEngineeringandComputerSciencehaslongstrivedforexcellencewhenitcomestocomputing...now,wefinallyhaveawebsitethatreflectsthatfact!OnFebruary8,aftermonthsofhardworkbyJames Allison andMat PricefromtheInternalWebCommunicationsbranchofUniversityCommunicationsServicesandthededicatedcollaborationofStan SwierczandSigmund LamintheFacultysAcademicInformationandTechnologyServices,thebrandnewENCSwebsitewentonline.Besuretocheckoutencs.concordia.catoseeallthewebsitesnewfeaturesandexplorethevastquantitiesofENCS-relatedinformationthatyoullfindatyourfingertips.

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The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science wishes to extend its sincere congratulations to Javad Dargahi, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, for his recent Honourable Mention at the 2009 PROSE Awards.

His book, Artificial Tactile Sensing in Biomedical Engineering, was the runner-up in the Engineering & Technology category of the Professional and Scholarly Excellence Awards, which are known as the Oscars of the Association of American Publishers. This years winners were determined by a distinguished panel of 16 judges. The 2009 PROSE Awards received a record-breaking 441 entries more than ever before in its 34-year history from more than 60 professional and scholarly publishers across the USA.

Javad Dargahi a runner-up for publication Oscars

The Canadian University Software Engineering Conference (CUSEC) was held January 21-23 at the Hotel Omni in Montreal. Over 350 delegates from across the country attended the 3-day event, which boasted acclaimed speakers and innovative demonstrations. CUSEC founder and ENCS alumnus John Kopanas came up with the idea for the conference while pursuing his Bachelors in Computer Science at Concordia in the 1990s. He was thrilled with this years turn-out. Every year, Im amazed that we manage to put together such an amazing conferenceI only hope CUSEC continues to grow through the next decade, he noted warmly.

The Engineering & Computer Science Alumni Chapter welcomed ENCS alumnus Murray Kronick back to Concordia on January 28 for a dynamic presentation on business networking for academics and professionals. Kronick, who presented his 10 Commandments of Networking to a packed crowd, was awarded the Concordia University Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1998 for his outstanding volunteer commitmenta commitment he more than upholds over a decade later.

This years Quebec Engineering Competition took place from January 22nd to the 24th at the Cheribourg hotel in Orford. The competition was hosted by Sherbrooke University. Concordia sent a delegation of fourteen competitors, including a debating team, a consulting team, a senior design team, a reengineering team, and a scientific communication team. The debatiing team, consisting of Sergio Lando and Athena Fotiou, brought home first place. The winners will soon head to Toronto to compete in the national Canadian Engineering Competition.

ENCS Alumni networking workshop

OnMarch3at6p.m.,distinguishedENCSalumnusDavid Shaffer,aSeniorRoboticsInstructorfortheCanadianSpaceAgency,willprovideapersonal,behind-the-scenesoverviewofhowInternationalSpaceStationAstronautsandFlightControllersaretrainedtooperateCanadascontributiontotheInternationalSpaceStation.HewillalsogiveusaglimpseofpotentialCanadianinvolvementinthenextlargeInternationalSpaceProjectexplorationoftheMoonandMars.

TocelebrateEarthDayonApril22,Hashem Akbariwillpresenthisresearchontheurbanheatislandthatis,thephenomenonwherebyametropolisisusuallysignificantlywarmerthanitsruralsurroundingsduringanENCSalumnigatheringontheWestIsland.Moredetailswillbeavailablesoononencs.concordia.ca.

March1-5,ENCShostsitsannualEngineering WeekcelebrationstoputthespotlightonengineeringinCanada.Theweeklongeventwillfeaturelunch&learns,gatheringsforfacultyandstudents,displaysintheEVatrium,andallsortsofotheractivities.

AlsoduringEngineeringWeek,ConcordiawillbehostingtheannualTroitsky Bridge Building Competition.Theeventisnotonlyachallengeofstudentsengineeringknowledgeandcreativitytodesignandbuildahighqualitybridge,italsogivesparticipantstheopportunitytomeetengineeringstudentsfromotheruniversitiesandtechnicalschoolsfromaroundNorthAmerica.Tofindoutmore,visitwww.troitsky.ca.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CUSEC 2010 Quebec Engineering Competition

IIE ConferenceConcordias chapter of the Institute for Industrial Engineers recently returned from their annual IIE conference, which was held in Windsor this year. They are very proud to have won three awards: Highest Participation at the conference, Best IIE Committee in Canada, and third place in the Technical Paper Competition.

Fromlefttoright:VeroniqueTokateloff,AliBoroumandian,KhaledMurywed,ImranKhan,MeeraPatel,upfrontisguestspeakerandalumnusMurrayKronick.

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AccoladesENCS Thesis wins Major Award ENCSisdelightedtoreportthatConcordiagraduateJavad LavaeirecentlywontheNortheasternAssociationofGraduateSchoolsMastersThesisAwardfor2009-2010.Thecompetitionforthisawardincludesentriesfromthebestuniversitiesintheworld,includingCornell,Harvard,Princeton,Yale,McGill,andtheUniversityofToronto.LavaeisresearchwasfundedbyNSERCandsupervisedbyAmirAghdam.

ECE Prof becomes IEEE Fellow OnJanuary1,Abdel SebakoftheDepartmentofElectricalandComputerEngineeringwasofficiallynamedaFellowoftheIEEEinhonourofhiscontributionstoelectromagneticsscattering,anddesignandmodelingofantennas.ThetitleofFellowisoneofthemostprestigioushonorsoftheIEEE,andisbestoweduponaverylimitednumberofSeniorMemberswhohavemadeoutstandingcontributionstotheelectricalandinformationtechnologiesandsciencesforthebenefitofhumanityandtheprofession.

ENCS Students win big at Engineering Games ConcordiaUniversitysEngineeringdelegationbroughtbacktwotrophiesfromthe20thEngineeringGamesinQuebecCity.TheconsultingengineeringteamcomposedofChristineKalil,HaoYin,SergioLando,FrancineNguyenandJonathanYubroughthomethethirdplaceaward.ThedebatingteamcomposedofVijetaPatelandSergioLandobroughtbackthefirstplacetrophy.

Three Faculty members win Presidents Teaching Excellence Awards ItiswithgreatpleasurethatENCSannouncesthatourFacultymembershavewonPresidentsTeachingExcellenceAwardsthisyearinallthreeofthecategories.Thewinnersare:

Venkat Ramachandran,professorintheDepartmentofElectricalandComputerEngineering,inthecategoryofExcellenceinTeaching,full-timefacultymember,inrecognitionofhiscontributionstoteachingexcellenceinthefacultyoveracareerofmorethan40years.

Mary Silasapart-timeENCSinstructorwhoteachesEnglishasasecondlanguage,composition,technicalwriting,businesswriting,translationandeditinginthecategoryofExcellenceinTeaching,part-timefacultymember,formanyyearsofoutstandingteachingandforhercontributionstothetechnicalwritingprogramintheFacultyofEngineeringandComputerScience.

Nancy Acemian,lecturerintheDepartmentofComputerScienceandSoftwareEngineering,inthecategoryInnovativeExcellenceinTeaching,forheroutstandingclassroomteachingandherleadershipindevelopinginnovativemethodsintheFacultyofEngineeringandComputerScience.

Congratulationstoourwinners!Fordetailedbiographiesoftheseexcellentteachers,visitencs.concordia.caandclickontheNewssection.

TheFacultyofEngineeringandComputerScienceisdelightedtoannouncethataprojectinvolvingourownVan Suong HoaandMontreal-basedcompanyMPBTechnologieshasbeenawardedaPrixPartenariatTechnologiqueatthe19thgalaoftheAssociationdelarechercheindustrielleduQubec,heldinDecember2009.

ThepartnershipbetweenMPBandConcordiabeganin2003andhasresultedinthedevelopmentofinnovativeself-healingmaterialsthatcanlengthenthelifespanofstructuresusedinouterspace.ExplainsHoa,inspace,tinyparticleslikemicrometeoritescancausedamagetomanmadestructures.Byusingself-healingmaterialslikethosewereworkingon,organizationssuchastheCanadianSpaceAgencycandevelopstructuresthatwillstandupbettertotheharshconditionsofspace.

Special prize for project on self-healing materials