News

Karim S. Karim of electrical and computer engineering has won a $100,000 grant from Grand Challenges Canada to help improve global health by developing an inexpensive tuberculosis test to combat the disease in developing countries. Karim was one of 15 researchers recognized on February 9 by Grand Challenges Canada’s rising stars awards handed out to the country’s most creative innovators to improve global health.

Gordon Stubley, a mechanical and mechatronics professor, has been appointed Waterloo Engineering’s first associate dean, teaching, for a three-year term beginning May 1, 2012. A memo written by Adel Sedra, dean of engineering, says the new position has been created to address a Vision 2015 strategic priority to enhance Waterloo Engineering’s support for teaching.

Five Waterloo Engineering teams placed either first or second in this year’s Ontario Engineering Competition and will advance to the Canadian Engineering Competition to be held March 8 to 11. Dhananja Jayalath, Neil Olij, Chris Wiebe and Ryan Mann, all fourth-year electrical engineering students, took top spot in OEC’s Innovative Design contest with their Muscle Activation Detection Suit entry. In addition, team members also took home the Technical Excellence award presented to the team displaying the greatest consideration and attention to technical aspects of design.

Fathy Ismail of mechanical and mechatronics engineering will serve as interim chair of the department from February 1 to December 31 2012. He will replace Pearl Sullivan who is succeeding Adel Sedra as dean of Waterloo Engineering on July 1, 2012. Sullivan is resigning as chair of MME on January 31 to allow time for the transition of the dean’s position. A full search will take place for Sullivan’s permanent successor.

Waterloo management engineering students won a number of awards, including the overall conference grand prize trophy, at the Institute of Industrial Engineers National Student Conference held January 19-21 in Halifax. The Golden I trophy was awarded based on the points the students earned for winning individual and team competitions, contributing a school video and cheer, and for participating in various conference events.

Pearl Sullivan, chair of Waterloo’s mechanical and mechatronics engineering department, will become Waterloo’s eighth dean of engineering on July 1, 2012. Sullivan, an award-winning professor and accomplished researcher, joined the university as a professor of mechanical engineering in 2004. She will succeed Adel Sedra whose second term as dean ends June 30, 2012. “The exemplary reputation of Waterloo Engineering fueled a lot of international interest in this position,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of the University of Waterloo.

Apurva Narayan, a systems design engineering doctoral candidate, received the best paper award at the recent 35th Annual National Systems Conference organized by the Systems Society of India, and jointly by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Indian Institue of Technology, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India. His paper entitled “Neuro-Fuzzy (m-ANFIS) based Technique for Short-Term Load Forecasting in Large Geographical Area: Ontario, Canada” was co-authored by systems design engineering professors Fakhri Karray and K. Ponnambalam, who is also Narayan’s graduate studies supervisor.

Waterloo School of Architecture professor John McMinn and graduate Melana Janzen of McMinn + Janzen Studio located in Toronto have won a 2011 North American Wood Design Citation for their CP Harbour House project. CP Harbour House is a vacation home shared by two families on the shores of Georgian Bay. McMinn and Janzen’s project was one of 16 honoured by the North American Wood Design Awards Program out of over 100 entries.

Andrew Clinton (BASc ’05, Comp) is among the 28 recipients of scientific and technical achievements for the Academy Awards 2012 Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation to be held February 11 in Beverly Hills, California.