WatLIT alumni

Paul Hadwin

Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD (Math) University of Auckland

Paul is an expert in statistical inverse analysis. He applied these tools to quantify uncertainty in time-resolved laser-induced incandescence (TiRe-LII) and chemical species tomography (CST). Paul is currently a lecturer at the University of Waterloo.

Samuel Grauer

PhD (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BSc (Mech. Eng.) University of Manitoba

Sam’s dissertation research focused on developing reconstruction techniques for chemical species tomography in turbulent flows. He received a prestigious NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech, where he continued his research into laser-diagnostics for turbulent flows. He is currently an assistant professor at Penn State University.

Tim Sipkens

PhD (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

For his PhD, Tim developed robust Bayesian techniques for analyzing TiRe-LII measurements on synthetic nanoparticles, and derived heat transfer models used to interpret TiRe-LII data. Among his many awards and scholarships, he won a Governor General’s Gold Medal for his MASc thesis. He recently completed a prestigious Killam postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia and currently works at the National Research Council.

Mohit Verma

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Mohit’s master’s thesis was on developing a process optimization strategy for roller hearth furnaces used in hot stamping, including thermo-metallurgical blank heating model.

Kamal Jhajj

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Kamal developed furnace heating models for Al-Si coated 22MnB5, and experimentally-characterized the latent heat of austenitization using inverse methods. Kamal is currently an engineer at WalterFedy specializing in building energy analysis.

Josh Rasera

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Josh designed and constructed a new type of direct contact heating apparatus for hot forming/die quenching. He is currently a PhD candidate at Imperial College, London, exploring the possibility of extraterrestrial resource exploitation.

Roger Tsang

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

For his MASc thesis Roger developed a broadband open-path measurement apparatus for carrying out chemical species tomography on hydrocarbon plumes. He then helped design and construct an apparatus for measuring the spectral emissivity of advanced high strength steel. He is currently a research engineer at the University of Waterloo.

Nigel Singh

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Nano. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Nigel’s research involved developing an experimental apparatus for carrying out time-resolved laser-induced incandescence measurements on metal aerosols produced by atomizing a colloid. His research provided key insights into the electromagnetic and transport phenomena underlying TiRe-LII measurements on metal nanoparticles.

Massimo Di Ciano

PhD (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Mass’s postdoctoral research with WatLIT included characterizing the austenitization of 22MnB5 through dilatometry, and developing a first-order kinetics model for modeling austenitization of furnace-heated and direct-contact-heated blanks. He also helped train many undergraduate and graduate student, and was a favorite “teacher” in the lab. He is currently a senior materials engineer at Magna Int’l.

Cang-ji Shi

PhD (Metallurgy) University of Quebec at Chicoutimi

Cang-ji carried out pioneering spectroscopy measurements on Gleeble-heated aluminized 22MnB5 steel coupons. His measurements showed how the spectral emissivity changes as the Al-Si coating melts and then transforms into an intermetallic layer in air and argon. He is currently a research engineer at Cosma Int’l.

Haotian (Cory) Yan

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Cory investigated the austenitization of furnace-heated 22MnB5 specimens, and assessed the performance of austenitization models. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin.

Cody Prodaniuk

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Cody developed an advanced sensor suite and control algorithm for a diesel-fired process heater, in partnership with GenTex industries. Cody works as an engineer at Apple.

Adam Horsman

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Adam’s MASc research was on developing an design optimization strategy for porous ceramic burners using response surface modeling. He is currently an engineer at Fiat-Chrysler.

David Burr

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Appl. Math. Eng.) Queens University

David researched inverse analysis techniques for charactering the size distribution of soot aggregates from multiangle light scattering data, in collaboration with the National Research Council. He is an engineer at Babcock and Wilcox.

Andrew Marston

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BSc (Mech. Eng.) University of Toronto

Andrew developed techniques for optimizing the design of solar concentrating collectors, including a novel analytical technique for producing low variance estimates of collector performance using quasi-Monte Carlo ray-tracing. His work is cited in the two main textbooks on radiative transfer.

Matt Twynstra

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Matt’s research focused on developing reconstruction algorithms and beam design strategies for chemical species tomography. His paper was featured as a “Spotlight on Optics” by the Optical Society of America. He is currently Director of Development, Society Developments, Inc.

Farzan Memarian

MSc (Comp. Sci.) The University of Texas at Austin

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

BSc (Mech. Eng.) Amirkabir University of Technology

For his MASc research, Farzan carried out high-fidelity DSMC calculations of the gas dynamics surrounding a laser-heated nanoparticle during a TiRe-LII measurement. He continued his research as a research officer at the National Research Council, and is completing a PhD in computer science at The University of Texas at Austin.

Samuel Huberman

PhD (Mech. Eng.) MIT

MASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Toronto

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

Sam spent a summer carrying out DSMC calculations of transition regime heat conduction from aerosolized nanospheres as an NSERC USRA student. Sam’s research was published in the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. He went on to complete a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa.

Gandali Joshi

PhD (Astronomy) McMaster U.

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

For her senior-year undergraduate research project, Ghandali developed time-resolved laser-induced incandescence models for nickel and molybdenum nanoparticles. This research was disseminated as a paper in the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer. She received a PhD in cosmology at McMaster University and is currently a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.

Will Richards

MSc. (Aero.) University of Toronto

BASc (Tron) University of Waterloo

For his NSERC USRA, Will researched the absorption spectrum of complex hydrocarbons, including benzene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and toluene. He currently works in information technology for the Government of Canada.

Brandon Tulloch

BASc (Mech. Eng.) University of Waterloo

As an NSERC USRA student, Brandon carried out CFD-large eddy simulations to support research into chemical species tomography. Brandon is an engineer at Apple.