December 16, 2021
Meet Lisa Aultman-Hall!
Hi! I’m the Chair in the Department of Systems Design Engineering and a transportation systems professor. My research is motivated by collecting data to measure how travel impacts quality of life and greenhouse gas emissions. While some engineers study engines or road construction, I study the people and energy in complex multi-modal transportation systems.
What is Systems Design Engineering? What can students look forward to going into this program?
Systems Design Engineering is a transdisciplinary program that uses a human-centered design approach to create solutions for real-world problems. We look at all types of systems, from cells in human body systems to the global airline system. The program is one-of-a-kind in Canada and integrates unique perspectives to engineering such as human factors. Students have hands-on learning experiences in lab, workshop, and design courses with access to comprehensive hardware and software in the prototyping workspaces.
What would you tell your university self, knowing what you know now?
To be patient! My interest is in improving transportation systems to reduce their environmental impact. These are complex systems that can impact the entire world, so change is a slow process. The best solutions to problems are found when people work together towards a common goal and that takes time as well. I’m glad to see we’re moving in the right direction, thanks to innovation and collaboration across the system.
What's the most interesting part of your position?
The energy and passion of our students. It’s exciting to see their hard work come together in the Capstone Design Challenge projects, where students design an innovative solution using data-driven and interdisciplinary methods. I am inspired to see the next generation of engineers tackling problems that are critical to our socio-environmental systems.