McMaster University Faculty of Engineering Vol.31 No.3 Fall 2006 Mac EngineerTH

E

Virtual Reality Lands at McMaster: Interactive Simulator Brings Computing And Software Education To Life

› Mac Takes Lead in Bioactive Paper Research

› McMaster-Mohawk Technology Program Receives Award

Engineering and International StudiesNo one can deny that the effects of globaliza-tion have been profound. This is particularly true in the engineering profession, where both large and small companies routinely draw tal-ent and resources from the entire world, with little regard for national boundaries. It is not unusual to find, for example, complex systems designed by North Ameri-can or European teams, manufactured in China, programmed using software devel-oped in Russia, sold in South America, with technical support from India. In such an envi-ronment, engineers must be able to function in a multitude of cultural settings and be able to coordinate widely dispersed and hetero-

geneous teams. In an age of just-in-time and lean manufacturing, engineers must also be able to manage projects in a manner that ac-counts for costs and delays in the delivery of components. The world is also facing environmental challenges that are intrinsically global. The control of greenhouse gases and air pollution, the treatment of contaminated groundwater, the scarcity of potable water, infrastructures needed to withstand extreme weather due to climate change, the develop-ment and containment of genetically modi-fied foods, etc., are all engineering problems that require international teamwork. With all this in mind, the Faculty of Engi-neering will be introducing new programs in Engineering & International Studies to train future engineers to better deal with the complexities associated with global project management. Since the development of core engineering skills is already present in our regular four-year programs, the content of which must be retained, the new programs will only require additional studies that focus on skills and knowledge that are not part

of the regular curricula. These include an understanding of, and a sensitivity to, the dif-ferent cultural, political, religious and histori-cal backgrounds of potential collaborators, as well as additional technical training in areas that are particularly important in interna-tional settings, such as international project management and supply chain management. Subject to the usual University approvals, these programs, unique in North America, will begin in September 2007. They will be modelled on our very successful Engineering & Society programs, whereby students com-bine an engineering discipline with a fifth year of study, and enrol in some required courses and a selection of electives that could include languages and other courses that fo-cus on internationalization. The students will also be strongly encouraged to participate in McMaster’s Engineers Without Borders chapter and in the Faculty of Engineering’s Study Abroad Program (details available at http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/esap). Those electing to participate in our co-op program will also be encouraged to select at least one work placement outside Canada.

A Message From the Associate Dean

Message from the DeanMo Elbestawi, Dean of Engineering

Peter SmithAssociate Dean

(Academic)

I am pleased to share with you the expan-

sion plans for the Faculty of Engineering.

With the creation of new graduate schools,

we are in need of physical space for these

programs. The School for Biomedical

Engineering and the School for Engineering

Practice, Mechatronics, and Energy Stud-

ies will have space in a new building, along

with first year undergraduates and the

administration areas for my offices and that

of the Associate Dean of Research.

This stand-alone, 120,000 sq.ft. building

will be located on the south west corner

of campus facing Main Street. The building

Increased internationalization of the Faculty has recently been established as a priority area for expanded activity. In the Spring issue of the MacEngineer, Peter Smith (Associate Dean, Academic) reported on the successful launch of the “Study Abroad” program and a report on the experiences of the fi rst cohort in Volgograd, Russia can be found elsewhere in this issue. From time to time, I will introduce some of the international academic institutions whose representatives visited us and with whom we are developing ties, both in education and research. The focus of this article will be on France. In April, we hosted Latifa Rezg, Associate

Director for International Relations, Ecole Nationale d’Ingenieurs de Metz (ENIM, http://www.enim.fr). McMaster Engineering has a long-standing relationship with ENIM and at the present time, two French students are working in laboratories of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI). The strong mutual interest in the area of materials and manufacturing bodes well for a much expanded collaboration in the future. Through our partnership with ENIM, McMaster has been invited to be one of the founding institutions of the Cartagena Net-work of Engineering (CNE), an international organization aimed at improving the training and education of engineers in the sectors of industrial engineering, production systems, and mechanical engineering.Another long-standing partner in France is the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG, http://www.inpg.fr/), particularly in the area of materials science and engineering. Professor Yves Brechet visited in August and expressed signifi cant interest in a proposal to enhance our mutual interactions at all levels.

Research & External Relations Update

Alumni Profi les 4

Engineering News 6

Virtual Reality at Mac 13

MES News 14

Alumni Grapevine 17

Newsbrief 18

Hey Alumni!Have you got something to say, or any other news? We would like to hear from you. Contact Carm Vespi:Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24906Fax: (905) 546-5492e-mail: vespi@mcmaster.cawebsite: www.eng.mcmaster.ca

The MacEngineer is published by the Engineering Faculty for its alumni. Distribution assistance is provided by the Alumni Offi ce.

The MacEngineer is printed and produced by: Editor: Carm Vespi Art Direction and Design: Jay PrimeauContributing Writers: AdministrativeCoordinators, Terry Milson, Trudi Down, Carm Vespi, Eugene Nakonechny

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063416 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 1280 MAIN STREET WEST HAMILTON ON L8S 4L7e-mail: vespi@mcmaster.ca

will exemplify collaborative, multi-disci-

plinary partnerships and commitment to

the broader community, and will allow the

Faculty of Engineering to foster innovative

technical research and education pro-

grams. The building is designed to create a

comfortable place to learn and work while

simultaneously demonstrating state-of-

the-art environmentally conscious design

and function. The design of the building and

its operations will ensure minimum impact

on the environment. As a model facility,

the building will showcase environmentally

responsible and sustainable design, and

will refl ect the important leadership role

that engineers play in creating sustainable

communities. It will meet or exceed Silver

Level Rating of LEED.

The building itself will be a teaching tool

that will contribute to the education of both

students and visitors to it. Toward this end,

there will be the capability to both mea-

sure and observe the building’s many high

performance engineering systems.

Peter Mascher Associate Dean

continued on page 18

Future Engineering Building

Alumni Profiles

After finishing high school, Mary Harper faced a dilemma – she wanted to attend university but didn’t know what she wanted to do after graduating. That being the case, which program should she take? Always good at math and sciences, Harper decided in favour of engineering. “It provided the most options, in my view,” she says. “I chose Civil Engineering because it interested me. While growing up, I was always interested in how buildings and structures were designed and built.” Harper graduated with a BA in Civil Engineering and Management in 1982, and an MA in Business Administration, also from McMaster, in 1984. After a short time with Ontario Hydro, she joined S.C. Johnson and Son Inc.in 1984 and has pursued a manage-ment career with the company every since. “By the time I was 38, I was running the S.C. Johnson company in the Philippines, and then had responsible for managing groups of companies in South East Asia. Later, I was

responsible for our subsidiaries in the former Soviet Union, based in Moscow.” Now back at head office in Racine, Wisconsin, Harper is Director, Global Pest Control, Research, Development & Engineer-ing. This entails being responsible for a team of 75 scientists and engineers, and the new product development efforts in support of the company’s global brands of Raid. An engineering degree teaches the steps of good problem solv-ing techniques, she says: how to systematically take a problem, analyze it and come up with a solution or recommendation. Engineering also teaches the basic fundamentals of project management, a critical skill for business. “My technical training has always been an asset, whether that has been in managing a factory operation, overseeing new office facilities, or managing a division of

scientists and engineers in new product development. I’ve used the core skills of problem solving and project management in every job I’ve ever had.” Harper chose to attend McMaster because of the management component to the engineering program, and because of the

common program in first year. “(The common program) allows a student to consider all engineer-ing disciplines before having to decide which one to pursue. For me, this was important.” Whether it is late night study sessions or donut and coffee runs to Tim Horton’s, her fondest memories of McMaster are all based on the great friends she made. “Our engineering and

management class still gets together a couple of times a year! They are all truly friends for life. With them, I had some of my best experi-ences at Mac.”

Mary Harper — “You Never Know Where Your Career Will Go”

4 The MacEngineer

“It isn’t as odd as one might think,” claims Greg McNab, mechanical engineering and manage-ment graduate. McNab, who graduated in 1988, had considered law as a possible eventual career even before attending McMaster to enter Engineering. Originally he thought he’d like to practice intellectual property law, and he saw engineering as a good foundation for this specialty. After graduating, McNab joined Hamilton-based Dofasco, a company he had set his sights on during university. But the idea of practicing law still persisted. After Dofasco, he joined the Ontario Provincial Police and worked in a vari-

ety of areas, including accident reconstruction.

After seven years with the OPP, he decided the

time was right to enter law school. He gradu-

ated from the University of Windsor law pro-

gram in 1999, specializing in corporate securi-

ties and tax, and started to work for McCarthy

Tétrault LLP, the largest law firm in Canada, in

the business law group at their Toronto office

after working in the Corporate Finance Branch

of the Ontario Securities Commission. While at

McCarthy Tétrault, he was seconded to

Stelco, another Hamilton based steel company,

as their sole in-house counsel during their re-

cent restructuring. In 2004, he left the Toronto

firm to become Stelco’s full time Associate

General Counsel.

Most recently, McNab has opened his

own legal practice in Toronto, focusing on

the areas of corporate finance, financial ser-

vices and corporate compliance. “I also help

developing businesses manage the legal risks

associated with their business in what I think

is a novel and cost effective manner.”

So, has the engineering degree been of ben-

efit to his career at all? “Very much so,” McNab

says. “From little things like teaching study

habits that later on served me well in law

school, to being able to sit in technical meet-

ings at with clients like Dofasco and Stelco and

understand the legal, business and engineer-

Greg McNab — From Engineering to Law ...

ing issues at hand.” During his stint with the Ontario Provincial Police, he used engineering skills extensively in the field of acci-dent reconstruction. An engineer-ing background has also been of assistance in better understand-ing the prospectus disclosure issues associated with technology companies, and the software be-hind electronic trading systems. “And I still use my engineering knowledge on a regular basis in connection with one of my favourite hobbies, motorcycle racing.” McNab says the five years at Mac were some of the best in his life. The academic

challenge alone made the whole process worthwhile, he claims. But more importantly, it taught him some very valuable lessons about friendship, professional-ism and personal motivation. “I feel like I shared a whole lifetime in those five years with the people I was close to.” When not spending time with his seven-year-old son Josh,

McNab enjoys traveling, running and, most particularly, sport bike motorcycle racing. “I race purely for fun, but it’s challenging. And it can be painful and expensive when you crash!”

“The travel has made the world seem a bit smaller, and I realize that the challenges and opportunities are similar regardless of where you are located geographically.” Jeff Chahley does a lot of traveling for the North America Cheese and Dairy Sector & Latin America Region of Kraft Foods, based in Northfield, Illinois. As the Global CI Director for this sector, he is responsible for guiding and supporting global supply chain manufac-turing facilities, for ensuring a culture that fosters employee engagement and empowerment, and for delivering sustainable business results. “I have recently had the op-portunity to visit Argentina, Peru, Columbia, and Costa Rica, and there are plans to visit Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico over the next few months.” Following graduation from the mechani-cal engineering and management program in 1988, Chahley joined Procter and Gamble here in Hamilton, and was with the company in various manufacturing roles for almost ten years. His association with Kraft Foods began in 1997, where he started as Production Man-ager in Scarborough before becoming Plant Manager for the facility. A life-long love of old cars led him to explore things mechanical, and is probably responsible for the decision to take mechanical engineering at university, he says. McMaster’s unique Engineering and Manage-ment program was a natural choice, since it of-

fers the best of both worlds – engineering and business courses. “Mac also had a very good reputation as an engineering University and, to make the decision even easier, it was a very nice campus.” The degree gave him skills in logical thought process, analytical/troubleshoot-ing, and overall business awareness, he says. Courses such as Organization Development, Psychology, and Personnel Relations also

provided a good foundation of social skills to begin managing, developing, and leading people. “The uniqueness of this degree was well suited to a manufactur-ing environment, given its focus on business, people, and asset development.” Chahley lives in Gurnee, Illinois (just north of Chicago) with his wife Cindy Chippindale

(EngPhy ’88, M.Eng ’91). Cindy works for Mo-torola in nearby Libertyville. The couple enjoys kayaking, golfing, biking, and skiing. He contin-ues to be an avid car racing fan and can often be found driving a NASCAR race car at 160 mph around Pocono International Raceway. Most of his memories of Mac relate to Orientation and subsequent Frosh Weeks. He particularly remembers representing the 1st Year Engineers as Super Plumber (SP) in 1985 and 1987. “It was very rewarding and an hon-our to be a key part of the orientation process. To this day, I still have my red coveralls from 1985 and my SP hard hats! I just can’t seem to throw the memories away.”

Jeff Chahley — A Unique Program Offers Memorable Opportunities

In Memoriam Jean Hodgins1913 – 2006 Jean Hodgins, wife of McMaster’s first dean of engineering, passed away peacefully in Port Perry on July 2, 2006. She was 93. The John Hodgins Engineering Building is named in honour of Jack Hodgins who came to McMaster in 1955 as professor of chemical engineering. He became director of engineering studies and was the founding dean of the Faculty. He helped to design the building that in 1978 was officially named after him. The naming took place during the spring convocation that marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering. Following her husband’s death, Jean Hodgins established the John Hodgins Memorial Scholarship to recognize the contributions made by him in founding the Faculty. Mrs. Hodgins is survived by daughter Susan Moss and her son-in-law Brian, and two granddaughters, Deborah and Heather Dolson. If desired, memorials can be made

to the John Hodgins Scholarship Fund.

Vice-president of research and inter-national affairs Mamdouh Shoukri and Doug Barber, distinguished professor-in-residence in the Faculty of Engi-neering and a member of the Univer-sity’s Board of Governors, have been appointed to the Ontario Research and Innovation Council by Premier Dalton McGuinty. The Premier, who is also

Mamdouh Shoukri Doug Barber

McMaster Appointees on Provincial Council

continued on page 10

What we need are paper products like packag-ing and protective clothing that do more than passively block pathogens. We need materials that actively de-activate pathogens and indicate to the user how they are working. Researchers delving into the idea of bioactive papers say such products will be available in the future. Bioactive paper is paper that will detect and capture or de-active harmful water-based and airborne pathogens. McMaster University is the lead institution in a research program that will take paper-based consumer items beyond their current role of passive barriers or filters. In 2005 McMaster, along with 9 Canadian uni-versities and 9 companies, partnered with the federal and Ontario governments to form SEN-TINEL, Canadian Network for the Development and Use of Bioactive Paper. Dr. Robert Pelton, of McMaster’s Department of Chemical Engineer-ing, is the Scientific Director of the SENTINEL Network. Currently, the biggest activity in terms of research is being done at McMaster, he says, and in addition to himself, the researchers in-clude Carlos Filipe (chemical engineering), John Brennan and Michael Brook (chemistry), and Yingfu Li (biochemistry & biomedical science). The research efforts at McMaster focus on how to attach bio-recognition agents to paper, and developing fluorescent detection tech-niques. According to Dr. Carlos Filipe, the chal-

lenges are complex and

intertwined: they need to find a molecule or organism that will do the detection; they have to find a way to put it physically onto the paper; and they have to get it to generate a visible signal, such as turning the paper product a different colour. It’s easier, Pelton adds, to come up with applications. For example, future SARS masks could alert the wearer that bacteria are getting through the mask. In areas with unsanitary water, a bioactive paper strip dipped in small containers of water could remove pathogens and give the user a colour indication that the water is safe to drink. In restaurants and food packaging plants, a paper towel wiped along a counter would alert the user about contami-nated food preparation surfaces. In all, the Network’s 24 researchers are involved in 22 projects. SENTINEL is a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) network with an annual budget of $2 million. The five-year grant includes 25% non-NSERC cash support from governments and founding industrial part-ners including Ahlstrom Research & Services, Buckman Laboratories International, Cascades Canada Inc, Fujifilm Dimatix Inc, Paprican, Stora Enso Oyj, Sun Chemical Corporation, Tembec Inc, and Weyerhaeuser Company. In addition to NSERC, funds (gnr1) have been received from Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Centre for Materials and Manufacturing.

Mac Takes Lead in Bioactive Paper Research

ENGINEERING NEWS

On the weekend of August 12 and 13, the McMaster Solar Car Project (MSCP) team took its solar car, Phoenix, to the Energy Solutions Expo in Tiverton, Ontario to educate the public on renewable energy. The car was displayed in the transportation pavilion along with the University of Waterloo’s solar car for the duration of the weekend. The Expo’s mandate is to bring together the business, education, government, and non-profit sectors to educate the public about energy conservation, healthy homes, healthy lifestyles and renewable energy solutions, and to connect consumers with marketers of related products and services. The Energy Solutions Expo and the McMaster Solar Car Project joined forces to spread the news about renew-able energy with the primary focus on solar energy. It’s a timely issue given the high electricity consumption experi-enced during this year’s hot summer. MSCP team members engage in a variety of educational activities. In addi-tion to the Expo, the MSCP team assisted in McMaster’s Venture and L.E.A.P. 2006 summer camps, and regu-larly makes visits and presentations to local schools. MSCP has a new car under construction, called Hyperion.

Solar Car Participates in Energy Expo

Established in 2005 as a partnership between McMaster University and General Motors of Canada, the Centre for Engineering Design will enhance engineering design and innovation across engineering disciplines, as well as assist with the commercialization of products that arise from research and development. The Centre will be located in the McMaster School of Engineering Practice, and is sched-

uled to open in 2007. Dr. Vladimir Mahalec of the Department of Chemical Engineering is the new director for the Centre. The Centre is part of the McMaster School for Engineering Practice (MSEP), which is offering a one-year Master’s degree and a five-year B.Eng./Master of Engineering degree. The interdisciplinary program will focus on problem-based learning, and will take advantage

Engineering Design Program in Development

For more information, please check the Web site at www.solarcar.mcmaster.ca

6 The MacEngineer

Mac Takes Lead in Bioactive Paper Research

Krantzberg Joins New Great Lakes GroupGail Krantzberg has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association (GLOS-RA), one of 11 regional groups of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and the only freshwater component.The newly-formed GLOS-RA will provide improved water management and data exchange across the international Great Lakes region, and develop new products to support research, management and the user communities. The information will be available to researchers and educators and to a wide range of stakeholders including the commercial shipping industry and recreational boating community. The GLOS is currently making plans for a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the St. Clair River - Lake St. Clair - Detroit River system. This modeling initiative is an important step in the implementation of a real time monitoring network for the waterway, which is needed by governments at the municipal, county, state/provincial, and federal levels to protect drinking water supplies for southeast Michigan and southwestern Ontario. McMaster’s Krantzberg is the director of the Dofasco Centre for Engineer-ing and Public Policy. It is one of three centres that comprise the McMaster School for Engineering Practice, along with the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the General Motors of Canada Centre for Engineering Design.

of the synergies with other Centres within the MSEP, the Xerox Centre of Engineering Entre-preneurship and Innovation, and the Centre for Engineering and Public Policy. The Centre plans to offer three programs starting in the fall of 2007:• Process Systems Design and Operation,• Sustainable Infrastructure,• Product Design.GM’s commitment to Engineering Design of $60 million includes computer-based design tools

that will help to train the next generation of engineer-ing students. The design program will help students acquire key skills common to engineering design and its process. Existing graduate engineering design courses will be augmented by state-of-the-art specialized courses that are not currently available, which will be developed in cooperation with experts in their fields.

Collaboration is key to the success of this venture, Pelton says. The Network is actively encouraging a collaborative research environment with its industrial partners. They will use the research and knowledge gained to de-velop proprietary bioactive paper products, such as food packaging, protective masks, air filters, water treat-ment for remote emergency situations, and disposable disinfecting towels. An equally important out-come, Pelton notes, is that the Canadian scientists and engineers who are trained in the SENTINEL Network will gain expertise in materials engineering and biological sciences. These skills are critical for the ongoing evolution of the pulp and paper industry as it progresses from a supplier of commodity pulp and paper goods to a supplier of higher-value products with advanced functionality.

The MacEngineer 7

(gnr1) The National Research Council (NRC) of Canada Institute for Biological Sciences is participating as a research collaborator only.

Faculty Confers Honorary Degree Donald A. Pether, president and CEO of Dofasco, received an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) Degree during the June 2006 graduation ceremonies held in the Great Hall of Hamilton Place. He also gave the convocation address. Pether is a long-time supporter of McMaster and a member of the University’s Board of Governors. He also serves on the cabinet for the Athletics and Recreation Centre and the stadium campaign. “Our graduates can seek inspiration from our honorary degree recipient Don Pether,” said Mo Elbestawi, dean of engineering. “He has shown great leadership in industry as well as in society. The Faculty of Engineering, its faculty members, and students have all benefi ted from his foresight and support.” Pether became president of the Hamilton-based steel company in 2003 and recently guided the corporation through its acquisition by Arcelor S.A. In addition to partici-pating in numerous industry-related associations and organizations, he is a governor of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and co-chair of the Hamilton Civic Coalition. The Faculty of Engineering con-ferred degrees on 577 graduating students at its Spring Convocation.

McMaster-Mohawk Technology Program Receives Award The Bachelor of Technology Partnership (http://btech.mcmastermohawk.ca)has been recognized by The Yves Landry Foundation, receiving its 2006 Innovative Manufacturing Technology Program Award: University Level. The award is given for the development of an innovative manufacturing program that matches skills development with industry requirements and measures student success and achievement. It will be presented at the Foundation’s annual STARS Technological Education Awards Gala in October in Toronto. McMaster and Mohawk initiated the partner-ship in 1997 with the Bachelor of Technology degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technol-ogy. In 2005 the program was redesigned to offer an expanded set of advanced technology

courses which include the development of management skills. Two types of programs are now offered: two-year degree completion pro-gram and four-year fully integrated program. The degree-completion program is designed for technologists and internationally trained professionals with a college technology degree or equivalent. Graduates earn a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree from McMaster. The program streams are manufacturing engineering technology, civil engineering infrastructure technology, and computing and information technology. The four-year fully integrated program is designed for entry directly from high school. Graduates earn both a Diploma in Technology from Mohawk and a Bachelor of Technology

This past June, ten nuclear specialists became the fi rst graduates of the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree program in nuclear engineer-ing. The accredited program was developed as a result of the formation of the Univer-sity Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE). Established in 2002, UNENE is a group of industries and academia that joined together to create a centre of nuclear expertise and to become a resource for succession planning within the industry. Partners include Ontario Power Gen-eration, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., and Bruce Powers, along with 10 Canadian universities (www.unene.ca). McMaster has been involved

since its inception and UNENE is based at the University. McMaster’s Bill Garland, profes-sor of engineering physics and a recent inductee as Fellow of the Canadian Nuclear Society, is the Network’s current ex-ecutive director. “UNENE provides value to the industry,” Garland says. “It helps to provide highly qualifi ed personnel and good research to enable good design and operation. But it also helps in making the critical end-of-

life decisions.” For example, UNENE researchers gave input into the government decision about restarting Pickering A Units 2 and 3 reactors. The nuclear industry is currently dealing with a high number of professionals who are nearing retire-

McMaster’s Nuclear Tradition Continues

ENGINEERING NEWS

Bill Garland

8 The MacEngineer

MAC Prof New CSCE President

On May 25, Dr. A.G. Razaqpur was elected President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) during its Annual General Meeting in Calgary, Alberta. His primary focus as President will be to increase individual and corporate membership. He is also interested in expanding the organiza-tion’s participation in relevant national and international forums to ensure that the views of Canadian civil engineers on major professional and social issues are heard. Professor Razaqpur joined McMaster University in July 2005. He currently holds the Effective Design of Struc-tures endowed chair in the Depart-ment of Civil Engineering, and serves as the Director of the Centre for Effec-tive Design of Structures. His research interests focus on the mechanics of materials and structures. Founded in 1887, the Montreal-based Canadian Society for Civil Engineering is a national, not-for- profit, learned society. It is dedicated to providing civil engineers with opportunities to enhance their professional development through continuing education, networking and advocacy activities, publications, and a program of international exchange.

(B.Tech.) from McMaster. Specializations offered are process automation technology, biotechnology, and automotive and vehicle technology. It is planned that these programs will be offered in September 2007. Founded in 1998, the Yves Landry Founda-tion (http://ylandryfund.org) is named for the former Chrysler Canada president and CEO. The foundation provides the opportunity for business, education, and government to collectively be part of the solution to advance technological education and skills training in order to resolve the skilled labour shortages facing Canadian industries.

ment, he adds. “We needed to link universi-ties and industry to ensure that the expertise is passed along.” In addition to networking opportuni-ties and the degree program, UNENE also provides monetary assistance for research. With funding from industry partners and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) amounting to $15 million annually, the Network supports six Industrial Research Chairs and five Associate Chairs along with the associated Postdoctoral Fellows and graduate students. Research is focused on such topics as reactor safety, nano-engineering of alloys, control and instrumentation, and risk-based life cycle management.

McMaster-Mohawk Technology Program Receives Award

McMaster’s Nuclear Tradition Continues

ENGINEERING NEWS

The MacEngineer 9

Calling All Alumni...Your assistance is needed to help make a special event even more special!

The annual Social Connection Night is an op-portunity for engineering students to meet and chat with engineering professionals from every field, to explore career options and hear success stories. This event, which is typically very well attended, will take place on Wednesday January 10, 2007, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the CIBC Hall of the McMaster University Student Centre. Please consider being a mentor for the eve-ning. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet our up-and-coming engineers and to give back to Mac by volunteering to talk about your career as a professional engineer. For more information, contact Carm Vespi at vespi@mcmcaster.ca .

The Faculty of Engineering has developed an international study program. The Engi-neering Study Abroad Program (ESAP) is a partnership between McMaster, Michigan State University, and the State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (in Volgograd). “The ESAP enhances the educational experience of students and makes them better prepared to compete in a global economy,” says Dr. Konstantin Kreyman, director of the Program. “It gives them an opportunity to see beyond the American and Canadian market; Eastern Europe is a huge market for engineering.” This summer, 12 McMaster students along with 52 from Michigan State Univer-

sity traveled to Russia and the Ukraine. They spent some time in St. Petersburg, Prague and Moscow, saw beautiful archi-tecture and museums, and even attended the opera. In addition to their studies, students also had a chance to visit indus-trial companies and hear from European engineers about what it is like to be an engineer in Russia. The speakers were very candid about their challenges and engineering problems, Kreyman says. The Program offers first-year through to graduate courses which are taught in English by American, Canadian and Rus-sian faculty members. Courses include highway design, steel construction, prob-ability and statistics for engineers, and en-

gineering computation and mathematics, and they qualify for credit. ESAP is open to students from all engineering streams, as well as from other Faculties and other universities. Kreyman believes the ESAP is the first program of its kind in Canada. “This is not an exchange program. We went as a team.”

For more information, visit www.eng.mcmaster.ca/esap or contact Dr. Kreyman at kreyman@mcmaster.ca .

ENGINEERING NEWS

“Raymond Moriyama, In Search of a Soul: conceptualizing, designing and realizing the new Canadian War Museum”• An innovative use of architectural design and materials – con-crete, steel, glass, light to build a museum with bal-ance of nature and urbanity, good design and economy, reality and imagination, war and hope, darkness and light, and sustainability and functionality. • Featuring Dr. Raymond Moriyama, one of Canada’s

most respected archi-tects. Among his award-

winning projects are the Bata Shoe Mu-seum and the Bank of Montreal Institute for Learning, both in Toronto; the

Regional Ottawa Carleton Centre; the Cana-dian Embassy in Tokyo; the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh; and most recently the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. He

designed the McMaster University Student Centre. He has received many per-sonal honours, including the Order of Canada and honorary doctorate from McMaster University. The J.W. Lectureship was established by the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 as a memorial to Dr. J.W. Hodgins, Mc-Master’s first Dean of Engineering. The focus of the Lectureship is on the engineer in society, in recognition of the breadth of interest and contribu-tions of Dr. Hodgins.

The 23rd Annual J.W. Hodgins Memorial Lecture Presents

Minister of Research and Innovation (www.mri.gov.on.ca ), made the announcement in July. The 13-member Council, which is comprised of leaders in innovation, research, business, and academia, will examine how and where innova-tion happens in the province. It will advise the government on a strategy that keeps Ontario’s economy strong by capitalizing on its ability to trans-form creative, cutting-edge ideas into long-lasting economic advantages. The Council’s specific mandate includes: define what drives in-novation, identify barriers to innovation, and recommend strategies and actions that bring together partners (government, universi-ties, colleges, hospitals, research institutions, and the private sector) to develop Ontario’s innovation agenda.

McMaster Appointees on Provincial Council continued from page 5

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 7:00 p.m.McMaster UniversityInformation Technology Building, Room 137Free Lecture

Engineering Students Study Abroad

The Faculty of En-gineering has built its reputation on partnerships, both

within and outside of the University. Col-laboration and partnerships among faculty, interdisciplines, alumni, and industry have been central to our long history of innovation and learning. We are grateful to our many partners who help sustain our leadership in education and research, and look forward to their continued support as we seek engineer-ing solutions to the challenges of this century and beyond. We invite all alumni and friends of the Faculty to join us. The generous support of individual and corporate donors is critical to our success. Together, we have enjoyed ex-traordinary success. We count on companies such as Bell, COM DEV Space, Dofasco, Ford, GM Canada, Hatch, Liburdi Engineering, MDA Space, Selkirk Canada, TRW and Xerox for their partnerships with Engineering. Every year, McMaster University relies on support for the Engineering Fund and other

areas of designation from alumni and friends to sustain and enrich its programs. This support builds and sustains a foundation for the Faculty’s outstanding students, faculty members, programs, and facilities. We deeply appreciate this generous sup-port and we hope you will strengthen your partnership with McMaster Engineering by making a gift today. The Engineering Fund is critical to the Faculty’s financial health. The unrestricted nature of the fund allows us to use it where it is needed most: to advance priority pro-grams, or provide seed funding for unique ideas. In our efforts to respond to the con-stantly changing landscape of engineering research and education, all gifts – regardless of size – are greatly valued.

Our priority areas include: Biomedical Engineering: improving healthcare and outcomes grounded in bioengineering require new approaches emphasizing integration and collaboration among traditional research areas;

Nanotechnology: advancing the science and technology of very small structures holds vast opportunities for research and application development;

Sustainable Energy: meeting the needs of a growing world population in an environmen-tally sustainable way is a major challenge of the 21st century; and

Engineering Education: enhancing the learning experience of engineering students across the Faculty. Pursuing the promise of the future and meeting the rapidly changing needs of science and technology require substantial ongoing investments in people, programs, and facilities. Faculty salaries, student scholarships, and equipment purchases are some of the building blocks that make our programs among the best in the world. You can be a part of McMaster Engineering in many ways, and your partnership at any level is truly valued.

For more information on ways of giving, please contact Terry Milson at milsont@mcmaster.ca or call 905.525.9140 extension 27391.

The Power of Partnership: Making an Impact by Terry Milson

The MacEngineer 11

The Faculty of Engineering and many students from the 1960s were sad to learn of the death of Archibald Hunt Atkinson. Archie will be remembered as a good friend of McMaster and especially of the Faculty of Engineering. A close friend of Dr. John Hodgins, Archie assisted him in planning and developing the engineering school as well as the engineering building, which opened in 1958. He was a former instructor of graphic design and, later, a guest lecturer in a Failures course. In 1986, he established the A.H.Atkinson Education Fund, which has provided McMaster with donations for building programs, a number of annual engineering bursaries, an annual A.H. Atkinson Prize in a Structures course, and an Entrance Scholarship for the Faculty of Engineering. Engineers around the world can thank Archibald Atkinson for his role in the development of composite steel and concrete floor systems. Composite flooring increases the strength and stiffness of the

floor assembly and is especially useful for long spans because it reduces the number of columns required. Archibald Atkinson graduated cum laude from the US Naval Academy in 1934, and received his MBA in 1935 as a member of the first graduating class of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan Fellowship program. He married Elizabeth Illsey of Hamilton in 1941 and the couple moved to Hamilton where Archie found work at Prack & Prack Architects. In 1960 he started Atkinson Engineering with a focus on civil engineering projects. He officially retired from the company in 1995. Mimmo Lostracco, who joined Atkinson Engineering in 1966, remembers Archie as a kind, considerate employer with a huge passion for engineering. “His enthusiasm for design was infectious and it made us bet-

ter engineers with a greater respect for our profession.” In addition to being a generous and charitable person, Lostracco says that Archie was a mentor to many young engi-

neers. “A former student told me that he recalls Archie coming into the lunchroom, sitting with the students and talking about the world of engineering.” Sons Tom and Bill say it’s their father’s absolute conviction in the benefits of higher education that had the most impact on them. “There was never a question about going to university,” says Tom

(MechEng ’66). “Hehad an abiding interest in education.” Tom says Archie’s mind never stopped. “Right to the end, he was looking to see how something could be made better or more efficient.”

Engineer, Mentor, Friend – Archie Atkinson

They spent the summer learning about self-guided robots, artifi cial muscles, self-repairing structures, factory automation, and the design of cars and airplanes. Now, four summer students have decided to take the LEAP into Engineering at McMaster. As a direct result of their participation in the Faculty’s Learning Enrichment Ad-vancement Program (L.E.A.P.), the follow-ing students will be joining Engineering Frosh in September: Andrew Cruickshank of Hanover, Ontario; Keith Domenicucci of Cambridge and a winner of the L.E.A.P. Engineering Award as well as silver medal-ist in the Regional Science and Engineering Fair; Waterloo-based Jonathan Tomkun who represented St. Johns-Kilmarnock High School in both the Region and Canada-wide Science and Engineering Fair; and Nicholas Hawkes of Richmond Hill. Established in 2005, L.E.A.P. is a unique and innovative program designed specifi -cally for high school students from Grades 10, 11 and 12. The purpose is to introduce students to engineering through lectures, hands-on-activities, labs, industry tours, and concept-specifi c projects. The program incorporates activities that help develop leadership skills, and encourage creativity. The 2006 four-week summer Camp

was attended by 24 students who spent their time on campus learning about the fundamentals of engineering, working on real-life projects in the University laborato-ries, and meeting new friends and having fun. This year, the program was expanded to include fi ve theme choices: Biomedical, Robotics, Mechatronics, Design, and Mate-rials. “L.E.A.P. is an opportunity for high school students to explore engineering and the university life,” explains director

Kamila Kruzel. From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, participants attend lec-tures on engineering concepts, and engage in activities that build on those theories and concepts. The program also offers a residence option, giving campers a chance to stay on campus in one of the residences. Kruzel, who is in the materials engineer-ing program, says the classes and activities are provided by fi rst and second years engineering students, graduate students, engineering professors and guest lecturers. This year, L.E.A.P. projects included build-ing a heart pump, building and program-ming a robot, and building a house model from a given set of materials and submit-ting it to test conditions that resembled an earthquake and hurricane winds. “The objective is to take engineering concepts, explain them in an interesting way, and give students an opportunity to learn in a creative atmosphere,” Kruzel says. The program is certainly achieving these goals, based on comments by parents and student participants. Parents note that their children have gained confi dence and experience working in groups, have benefi ted from learning about the different streams in engineering, and have found the

women instructors to be great role models for girls thinking of entering engineering. One parent wrote: “He’s having so much fun, he doesn’t want to call home!” Students report that they enjoy work-ing on the various real-life projects and felt there was a lot of useful information provided during the industry tours. “The day seems too short for all the fun things that we do,” wrote one. Another says, “I think the balance between the hands-on activities and analysis is great.”

Students LEAPing into Engineering

For more information about L.E.A.P., contact Carm Vespi at vespi@mcmaster.ca .

12 The MacEngineer

It’s the shape and colour of a futuristic space ship. It holds the promise of drawing more young people into the field of information technology. McMaster University has unveiled the first interactive motion simulator in Canada to be used for teaching undergraduate students how to develop software for simulated flight, driving, real-time game design, medical research, virtual reality systems, and a host of other applications. The mini-van-sized simulator can accom-modate up to five people and features a space-ship-pod fiberglass shell, interior projection system and a Dolby digital sur-round-sound system. It sits on a Moog-built, six-degrees-of-freedom (surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch, yaw), Steward platform with a 1000 kg (2,205 pound) payload and 0.6 Gs of acceleration (equivalent to a high-perfor-mance sports car). “It is the same simulator technology used by industry for product development and training but now applied in a classroom

setting for teaching,” explains Martin von Mohrenschildt, Chair of Computing and Software in the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. “Demand for this knowledge continues to increase. For ex-ample, automobiles and aircrafts are now first developed virtually and tested using a simulator, before a prototype is built.” The simulator is one of the more visible elements of a new approach to computing and software education that has been developed by the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster. The Faculty is responding to a general decline in university enrollment for computer science and software engineer-ing programs at a time when demand for information technology employees is growing. Other initiatives undertaken include the launch of a degree program in software engineering and game design, as well as programs in mechatronics engineering and business informatics. Plans for a medical informatics program are also underway.“We are working to dispel the mistaken

notion some people have that there are limited career opportunities in information technology,” said von Mohrenschildt. “We are developing programs and curriculum around practical applications of computer science and software engineering. Information technology is not just about writing code or building personal computers. It is about creat-ing solutions and solving real problems faced by industry, business, medicine, entertain-ment, and every sector of our society.” The simulator is an entry point for students to learn the latest in 4D-modelling techniques for virtual reality, real-time systems and control, animation tools, user interfaces, and sensory feedback, said von Mohrenschildt. “This technology is finding and driving countless other fields including audio and visual modeling, flight simulation, design prototyping, architectural visualization, animation, and digital image processing.”

Virtual Reality Lands at McMaster

Interactive Simulator Brings Computing And Software Education To Life

The MacEngineer 13

EWB Chapter Active in Summer 2006by Sura Abdul-Razzak

EWB Students Featured on RadioEngineering students traveling to developing countries to share expertise and skills as part of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) can now share their expe-riences with Canadians – and the world. In a joint project developed between the rabble podcast network (rpn) and EWB, students are provided with equip-ment and record their own thoughts and comments about their adventures for a radio show called Fulcrum. The rabble podcast network hosts the show at no cost. Podcasts are free to download. The fi rst podcast aired in June and fea-tured engineering student Paul Okrutny (www.rabble.ca/rpn/ful). Okrutny spoke about how he got involved with EWB and of his recent trip to Calcutta, India. One of the objectives of EWB is to raise awareness about economic and social challenges in the countries where the organization is operating. Fulcrum programs will help fi ll that mandate by connecting participating EWB students with people all over the world.

McMaster’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) kicked off the spring/sum-mer term with a retreat, proving they had no intention of slowing down over the summer. The group spent a weekend together in a farmhouse in Coburg, Ontario where they discussed past lessons and future plans, and had a good time getting to know each other personally and building a stronger Chapter. Next year’s executive is a balance between experienced members and new faces, ensur-ing that Mac EWB will be full of pragmatism as well as new energy and fresh ideas. As most undergraduates headed home for the summer, the group’s presence remained strong through continued high school outreach presentations, community demonstrations and displays, fund-raisers (such as car washes), and a number of social activities for more bonding and fun. Marka Jansen (BioChemical Engineering IV) and Robert Borzychowski (Mechanical Engineering and Society V) who spent the a four-month term in Ghana and Zambia as EWB volunteers have recently returned home

Kristin Pouw, Chemical and Bioengi-neering IV and McMaster Engineering Society (MES) President, says the school year is underway and the MES is off to a great start! She sends this report. On Sunday, September 11, 2006 we held our McMaster Engineering Society Council Orientation (MESCO) ses-sion started on goal-setting, event planning, and working effectively as a team. Guest speaker, Professor Emeritus Dr. Don Woods, helped us explore our personal style and interpersonal dynamics with the aim of helping us work together successfully. Expanding our range of services is a main MES goal for the year. We have already begun creating a WebCT site that all undergraduate engineering students can access. It will have news items, an events calendar, a discussion board, and will facilitate online elections. Our exciting Welcome Week activities went off without a hitch and we intro-duced an enthusiastic group of fi rst year students to our traditions, groups, clubs, teams, and everything Mac Eng has to offer. The McMaster Engineering Soci-ety/Faculty of Engineering took home the MSU Spirit Cup for excellence and great

spirit during Welcome Week. Special thanks goes to our Redsuits and the Orientation Committee. We have already booked a number of employer sessions for students in the Co-

op program. If you’d like for your company to host a ses-sion, please contact Engineer-ing Co-op and Career Services at engcar@mcmaster.ca. We are also planning to expand the McMaster Laboratory Advancement Benefaction Endowment Fund (macLAB) program to ensure

that all students are aware of the positive impact of the program. Alumni interaction with our students is very valuable and always appreciated. We encourage all alumni - if you would like to support any of our clubs, teams, groups, or programs (such as macLAB), please let us know. Check out our web-site http://mes.mcmaster.ca to fi nd out the services we offer our students. All en-gineering alumni are welcome to attend our events. Check out our website to fi nd out about upcoming activities.

MES News

High performance computers (HPC) have become vital to many of today’s com-plex research projects. HPCs speed up computing time and are capable of devot-ing lots of memory to tackle complex prob-lems. Fortunately for Canadian researchers, governments along with industry and the private sector have been will-ing to support the con-struction of SHARCNET, the Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network, Canada’s largest HPC consortium. McMaster University was one of the original four universities and two colleges

that formed the SHARCNET consortium in 2001. Currently, 16 universities and col-leges form a cluster of high performance

computers in south-cen-tral Ontario. McMaster’s Hugh Couchman, professor of physics and astronomy, is the Scientifi c Director of SHARCNET. In June, McMaster launched its newest HPC cluster, Requin. Compara-ble to 1,536 high-powered desktop computers each containing four times

the normal amount of memory, Requin is capable of consuming and producing mas-sive amounts of data in a very short period

It’s Fast...Very Fast

continued on page 16

EWB Chapter Active in Summer 2006by Sura Abdul-Razzak

with new attitudes, a wealth of new learning experiences, and much to reflect on. “You recognize things from [the local’s] per-spective much better when you’re integrated into their context,” explains Jansen about her term in Tamale, Ghana. And integrated they were. EWB volunteers live with a family for the entire placement with only the conditions and luxuries that the rest of the family enjoys. Jansen was working with Opportunities Industrialization Centres, which runs projects such as borehole drilling, water and sanitation and micro enterprise develop-ment. Her involvement in these projects has made her excited to “encourage more people to consider overseas placements and get involved in groups like EWB.” Borzychowski was placed in Livingstone, Zambia working with long-term EWB overseas volunteer Mike Quinn on a project run by CARE Zambia. The project promoted the growing of sorghum to achieve food security using crop diversification in a country where maize is the primary crop. Borzychowski says the experience has in-spired him to apply for a long-term (24 month) overseas volunteer position with Engineers Without Borders after he graduates this spring. The former chapter president (2005-2006) emphasizes that the hands-on experience he gained is irreplaceable. “When you’re actu-ally in a developing community, you see the detrimental affect of problems that seem trivial from the standpoint of someone sitting in North America.” His personal experience

exposed him to the dramatic effects of gender roles and the difficulties in working on devel-opment with these deeply ingrained values. The two volunteers placed in two different countries working on different projects have of course had very dis-tinct experiences. They did, however, agree on one thing: there is no one recipe for develop-ment - context plays a huge role. To read in more detail about their experiences, log onto the McMaster EWB website at http://mcmaster.ewb.ca and click on Overseas Blogs. Finally, the McMaster EWB Chapter congratulates Boris Martin, a PhD student in McMaster’s Materials Engineering department and the Chapter’s most experienced member. Martin is the recent recipient of two awards: the Graduate Students Association (GSA) Hon-our Society Award and The David Alan Reid Kay Memorial Prize. He was recognized for his work within EWB as well as for his leadership in the Global Citizenship Conference. For more information about the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders, its high school outreach programs, community events, fund-raising and social activities, and for inquiries on sponsorship and donations, email ewb@mcmaster.ca or visit http://mcmaster.ewb.ca.

Marka Jansen

Robert Borzychowski

Venture, one of the two summer camps orga-nized and run by the Faculty of Engineering, experienced a very successful season. Dave Rosato, director for Venture, said this year had the highest ever enrollment, with 913 participant attending one of the weekly camps which were held in July and August. A marketing plan and the fact that the Engineering & Science theme was ex-tended to include students entering Grade 9 helped to boost enrollment, he said. “It was an amazing experi-ence. We hope to make next year even bigger and better.” Venture offers two streams for fun and exploration. Engineering & Science, which focuses on how the earth works and on various man-made ma-chines, is offered to those students entering Grades 4 to 9. Computers & Technology, which focuses on various applica-tions for computers as well as exploring

how electronics work, is offered to students entering Grades 4 to 11. The purpose of the Venture camps is to introduce children to the exciting worlds of

engineering, science, and technology within a

fun and innovative environment. Rosato, who is entering fourth year of the Electri-cal Engineering & Management pro-

gram, is himself a former camper. He says

that approximately 30 per cent of participants return

each year.

ENGINEERING STUDENT NEWS

Engineering and Management Students Excel

Two Engineering and Management students scored in the top range in the annual Major Field Test in Business. Electrical Engineering and Management student Scott Ollivierre and Dom Spagnuolo of Computer Engineering and Management scored 196 and 195, respectively, out of a total possible score of 200 at the an-nual sitting of the test in April 2006. Princeton, New Jersey-based Educational Testing Services (ETS), which conducts the test, has com-piled norms based upon the popula-tion of 110,000 students who took the test between 2003 and 2005. On those norms, the mean is 153 and the 95th percentile is at 177. The high scores achieved by Scott and Dom are especially remarkable because the majority of students taking the test are registered in business administra-tion programs. The Major Field Test program is a battery of tests used by more than 700 colleges and universities globally to measure business students’ academic development and achievement. Senior Engineering and Management students at McMaster take the test as one of the requirements in Commerce 4PA3 Business Policy: Strategic Management. Congratulations to Scott, Dom and all the Engineering and Management and Commerce students who distin-guished themselves this year.

Venture Camp Soars Dave Rosato, director for Venture, said this year had the highest ever enrollment, with 913 participant attending one of the weekly camps which were held in July and August. A marketing plan and the fact that the Engineering & Science theme was ex-tended to include students entering Grade 9 helped to boost enrollment, he said. “It was an amazing experi-ence. We hope to make next year even bigger and better.” Venture offers two streams for fun and exploration. Engineering & Science, which focuses on how the earth works and on various man-made ma-chines, is offered to those students entering Grades 4 to 9. Computers & Technology, which focuses on various applica-tions for computers as well as exploring

introduce children to the exciting worlds of engineering, science, and

technology within a fun and innovative environment. Rosato, who is entering fourth year of the Electri-cal Engineering & Management pro-

gram, is himself a former camper. He says

that approximately 30 per cent of participants return

each year.

For more information about the Venture Camp program, contact Carm Vespi at vespi@mcmaster.ca

Scott Ollivierre Dom Spagnuolo

16 The MacEngineer

It’s Fast...Very Fast continued from page14

of time. Representing a $16 million invest-ment, McMaster’s Requin cluster is the most expensive in SHARCNET. HPCs have an added benefi t in that they attract leading-edge researchers and ground-breaking research projects. Assistant profes-sor of mechanical engineering Stephen Tullis chose to come to McMaster from Cambridge University, England, so he could access the high performance computing time and capabilities he requires for his research in turbulence and combustion. Other McMaster researchers currently using SHARCNET to assist with their projects include assistant

professor of physics and astronomy James Wadsley, physicist Nikolas Provatas, and David Earn, professor of math and statistics. More than $100 million has been spent on SHARCNET to date. Funding is provided from the federal government through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and from the province through the Ontario Inno-vation Trust (OIT) and the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF), as well as from private and industry contri-butions.

Models Never Looked so Good Using MACLAB funds, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has pur-chased and installed a new Dimension SST Rapid Prototyping 3-D printing machine. The machine can create ABS plastic models directly from CAD pro-grams, and will be used for mechanism design instruction in MechEng 2D03 classes, and in the new Product Devel-opment course MechEng 4B03. Other expected uses are for the Solar Car and Formula SAE teams. MACLAB is a voluntary endowment fund established by the McMaster Engi-neering Society (MES), and contributed to by in-course undergraduate students, alumni, and corporate friends. Thanks to the department Technical Services staff for their efforts in arrang-ing the purchase and installation. Mod-els created with the new 3-D printer will be reported in a future issue of the MacEngineer.

The MacEngineer 17

MacChemEngLaughton, Susan ‘95: Greg and I want to introduce you to our newest family member. Matthew David was born on May 22. A brother for Sarah.

MacCivEngDevney, John ’76: I am now in Australia based Canberra, but currently working on a public water transport project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I’ve lived in Australia since 1994, and work with Maunsell Australia Pty Ltd., which is now part of AECOM. (EMA Engineering in Canada is the affi liated company.) I am Associate Director for Transport Plan-ning. I was interested in the Beer Tast-ing Event. This would defi nitely be a no-no in Dubai, a Muslim country. Li-quor is only found in the restaurants hidden away in the 5-star Western hotels. At 42°C and humid – a cold beer would be great! Mirza, Faisal ’94: Worked in the Toronto area for 2 years in engineering consulting, with a stint in Jamaica, West Indies. Have been working out west since 1997, and live in New Westminster with my lovely wife Lesley and two pugs, Oscar and Grissom. Currently with Terasen Energy Services, a new wing of Terasen Inc, formerly BC Gas (BC’s natu-ral gas provider). The company designs, builds, operates and fi nances alternative energy systems including geothermal. Have had assignments in Vancouver, Victoria, Kitimat, Calgary and Nigeria. We are a home stay fam-ily for students from foreign countries including China, Japan and Germany who are learning English.

Szewczyk, Frank ‘74: After suffering from and surviving a stroke in 2003, I wanted to give back to the health care system in appreciation for the excellent care and assistance I received. In 2005, I established The New Horizons Golf Tourna-ment to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Special Olym-

pics Ontario. It’s now become an annual event. This year’s tourney, held on August 23 at the Peninsula Lakes Golf Club in Fenwick, Ontario, attracted over 90 participants, and registrations and a silent auction raised $16,000. I invite engi-neering alumni to read more about this event at www.newhorizonsgolf.ca .

MacMechEngLamoureux, Peter ’86 (B.Eng.) ’89 (M.Eng.): Everything is going well with my career and my family. Kerry and I have two daughters and a son, and are living in Canton, Michigan. We travel frequently to our cottage in Muskoka.

I just passed 3 years with the Ford Motor Co. where I currently manage a large team of software develop-ment and implementation people within Product Development. We are responsible for Digital Vehicle creation for all new programs.

It continues to be very exciting and very challenging.

MacMechEng.&Mgt.Osfolk, Anton ’01 and Adrienne ’01

(nee) Skretkowicz: Well, it fi nally hap-pened! After about 48 hrs of labour and two trips to the Labour and Delivery department

at McMaster Medical Centre, Nyla Rose Osfolk was fi nally born on July 23 at 6:54 a.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 9 oz. (BTW, this is the real reason why Adrienne could not come to the scotch tasting – we had just found out that she was pregnant and instead of everybody asking us a million questions as to why she would not drink, she opted not to go.)

MacElecEng&SocietyShulman, Jess (Angus) I’m currently

on maternity leave with my daughter, Abby, born January 16, 2006, and

loving every minute! At work I am Manager of GE Healthcare’s Proposal Cen-

tre, a new team that handles customer proposals and RFP responses for high-tech medical equip-ment. My husband, Al, and I live in Toronto’s Bloor West Village, and will celebrate our fi ve-year anniversary this November (in Paris!).

MacMechEng.&SocietyMonkhouse, Evan ’05: Thanks to Venture En-gineering and Science Camp on Saturday, June 8, 2006 at Liuna Station in Hamilton I married Krista (nee Adlington, Biochemistry ’04). We are now living in Sydney, Australia where I am working as an engineer and Krista is attending medical school.

MOVING? • GOT NEWS TO SHARE?E-MAIL YOUR: • Name • New Address • Fax • Postal Code • E-mail • Comments: (present occupation, recent accomplishments ie: awards, recognitions).

TO CARM VESPI AT: vespi@mcmaster.ca

ALUMNI GRAPEVINE

Canada is the affi liated company.) I am Associate Director for Transport Plan-ning. I was interested in the Beer Tast-ing Event. This would defi nitely be a no-no in Dubai, a Muslim country. Li-quor is only found in the restaurants

hotels. At 42°C and humid – a cold

engineering consulting, with a stint in Jamaica, West Indies. Have been

I just passed 3 years with the Ford

It continues to be very exciting and very challenging.

MacMechEng.&Mgt.Osfolk, Anton

(nee) Skretkowicz: Well, it fi nally hap-Nyla Rose Osfolk

Krista & Evan

Vancouver, Victoria, Kitimat, Calgary and Nigeria. We are a home stay fam-ily for students from foreign countries including China, Japan and Germany

‘74: After suffering from and surviving a stroke in 2003,

excellent care and assistance I received. In 2005,

us a million questions as to why she would not drink, she opted not to go.)

MacElecEng&SocietyShulman, Jess (Angus)

on maternity leave with my

loving every minute! At work I am Manager of GE Healthcare’s Proposal Cen-

tre, a new team that handles customer proposals

Abby Shulman

Focus areas will be manufacturing engineering, mechatronics and robot-ics, biomedical engineering, IT, and sustainable energy. In the same region (Rhônes-Alpes), the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 is one of the premier universities in the country. Following a visit by Prof. Jean-Pierre Puaux in June, we are cur-rently working on an agreement with the Institut Sciences et Techniques de l’Ingénieur de LYON (ISTIL, http://istil.univ-lyon1.fr/) on collaboration and partnership in the areas of industrial engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, modeling and scientific computing, and biotech-nologies. We are also very pleased to have renewed an agreement regard-ing student exchange with the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan (ENSC, http://www.ens-cachan.fr/). Finally, first official contacts have been established with the Ecole Natio-nale Supérieure des Mines, St. Etienne (EMSE, http://www.emse.fr/en/), one of the most prestigious engineering schools in France, in the top group of the “grandes écoles” for generalist engineers. Elisabeth Goutin, Director of International Relations at EMSE, and I are working on developing a plan for exchange of graduate students, lab in-ternships at EMSE for our own graduate students and eventually, dual-degree agreements and possible extension of the cooperation to other schools of the Groupe des Ecoles des Mines (GEM). As always, exciting times lie ahead of us, and I will update you on these and many other initiatives in future issue of the MacEngineer.

Research & External Relations Updatecontinued from page 3 Chemical Engineering

Professor emeritus Don Woods has been selected as a 2006 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. This award makes him the first person to have received the President’s Awards for Excellence in all three categories: Educational Leadership, Course or Resources Design, and Instruction. Woods presented two day-long workshops on prob-lem solving and creativity in Winpak Portion Packaging Inc., Etobicoke. He also presented a half day workshop on PBL at the McMaster Summer Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences. Participants were from Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United States. Dr. Woods is most widely known for pioneering the McMaster Problem-Solving Program, which emphasizes “process skills” such as problem-solving, self-assessment, group and team skills, lifelong learning skills and change management skills. Throughout his career, Woods has won many local, national and international awards. He was one of the first recipients of a 3M Teaching Fellowship as well as being the first HEERDSA Fellow where, as a leading educator, he was invited to present workshops on educational topics in major cities in Australia. He also has Honorary Doctor of Sci-ence Degrees from Queen’s University and the University of Guelph. Congratulations to Raja and Sutapa Ghosh on the birth of their twin daughters. Anamika and Anushka were born on June 27. Drs. John MacGregor, Tom Marlin, and Chris Swartz presented recent research results at the joint Escape-16/PSE/06 Conference in Garmish, Germany. A poster presenting the Ph.D. research of Danielle Zyngier was granted the Best Poster Award for the conference. The Eighteenth Annual McMaster Control Consortium Meeting was attended by repre-sentatives of 23 companies and three univer-sities. As usual, the highlight of the day was the poster session, where graduate students pre-sented their work to the attendees. The meeting was followed by a two-day workshop on batch process monitoring, control, and optimization. Dr. John Brash and Dr. John MacGregor were recognized for their contributions to the field of chemical engineering by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering. These awards will be presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering to be held in Sherbrooke in October, 2006. Dr. Brash, director of the newly established McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, will be pre-sented with the R.S. Jane Memorial Award. This award is presented to an individual who has made new significant contributions to chemical engineering or industrial chemistry in Canada.

It is the premier award of The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering. Dr. MacGregor will receive the Award in Industrial Practice. This award recognizes a distinguished contribution in the application of chemical engineering or industrial chemistry to the industrial sphere. MacGregor joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University in 1972, and is a Distinguished University Professor and Dofasco Chair in Process Automation and Infor-mation Technology. He is also cofounder of the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium that is sponsored by many international companies. Also at its October meeting, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering will recog-nize Suzanne Kresta, a PhD alumna of the Department and currently a professor at the University of Alberta. She will receive the Syncrude Canada Innovation Award. This award is presented for a distinguished contribution in the field of chemical engineering while work-ing in Canada. Kresta is co-editor of the award winning Handbook of Industrial Mixing and the author of a number of widely cited papers on turbulent mixing in stirred tanks.

Civil Engineering Commencing July 1st, Dr. Ghani Razaqpur was appointed Chair of the Department for a period of five years. Razaqpur came to McMaster in July 2005 from Carleton University, Ottawa where he taught for 22 years and served in various administrative capacities. His research interests focus on the mechanics of materials and structures, including concrete reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement. In May, Razaqpur was elected President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. He serves as editor of the International Journal of Cement and Concrete Composites, and as Chair of the CSA Standard S806 technical committee. Congratulations are extended to Dr. Ahmed Ghoborah who has been reappointed Joe Ng/JHE Consulting Chair in Design, Construction and Management Infrastructure.

Computing & Software The Department congratulates Dr. Martin von Mohrenscholdt who was appointed Chair of the Department for a period of five years. The appointment was effective July 1, 2006.

Electrical & Computer Engineering Congratulations to Jamal Deen who has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Deen, who is Senior Canada Research Chair in Information technology, is the eleventh mem-ber of the Faculty of Engineering to be elected a Fellow of the Society. He is being recognized for research in the analysis, modeling and applica-

DEPARTMENTAL NEWSBRIEFS

Get your MacEngineer

by e-mail!Contact Carm Vespivespi@mcmaster.ca

18 The MacEngineer

Golf Tourney Feedback:Robert Korol (Professor, Civil Engineering)

– And to Carm, a personal thanks for the great

job you did in making the alumni golf tourna-

ment the success it was. Well done, indeed!

Alumni Weekend Feedback:Deno Lavdas (Mechanical ‘81) – Great job

on Saturday! Thank you very much for making

the effort.

Louis Lee (Electrical ‘66) – Carm, Thanks for

all you have done for the Alumni weekend.

It was a wonderful event.

Steve Swing (Electrical ‘81) – Thanks for the

photos. We had a good time at the event.

Rob Lister (Electrical ‘81) – It was a nice

evening and so nice to see you. I have very fond

memories of you working on Kipling and other

MES stuff, so long ago. I continue to wish you

all the best.

Richard Thibodeau (Electrical ‘76) –

It was a great evening. Enjoyed it very much.

Congratulations to you and your colleagues on

making it so enjoyable.

Paul Sedran (Mechanical ‘81) – It was truly a

great reunion. It felt like a major social highlight,

which I haven’t experience in awhile. We all

headed to a pub in Westdale afterwards. I think

that most of us will keep in touch after this.

Thanks for all your work. Everything was A1.

Leslie Shemilt (Professor, Chemical Eng.)

– Many thanks to you, Carm, and Iwona and

Linda for the fine work you have done on

making the alumni event a success. We enjoyed

the evening very much.

Rick Bell (Mechanical ‘81) – Thanks, Carm,

for all your hard work – planning, organizing,

ironing out the fine details, the weather, putting

up with complainers and, of course, Deno Lav-

das! The reunion was a great success. My hat is

off to you and your crew!

Doug Lake (Mechanical ’76) – Thanks for all

your efforts in arranging the reunion last night.

Jennifer and I had a great time. It was particularly

good to see Profs. Judd and Latto. Once again,

thank you!

Alan Arbour (Mechanical ‘81) – I just wanted

to say thanks for all the great work that you did

in helping to put together the alumni dinner last

Saturday. It was great to see everyone again. The MacEngineer 19

November 13, 2006 Mind Your Manners Dinner Etiquette Seminar

November 29, 2006 3rd Annual Scotch Tasting Event

December 6, 2006 J.W. Hodgins Lecture Series Speaker: Mr. Ray Moriyama See page 10

January 10, 2007 3rd Annual Social Connection Night

February 7, 2007 Salsa Night

March 23, 2007 Kipling Iron Ring Ceremony

May 24, 2007 5th Annual Engineering Golf Tournament

June 2, 2007 Engineering Alumni Reunion Class of 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982 & 1987

FOR MORE INFO: www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engalumni

Class of 1966

Class of 1981

Class of 1977

Class of 1986

ALUMNI EVENTS

CASINO NIGHT

FRIDAYNovember 10, 2006

Celebration Hall, KTH8:00 p.m.

to midnight

Upcoming Events

DEPARTMENTAL NEWSBRIEFS continued from page 18

tions of microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, which are used worldwide. Deen is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Electro-chemical Society, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He was recently elected to Honorary Membership in the World Innova-tion Foundation.

Engineering Physics The Department is pleased to announce that Paul Jessop will continue as Chair of the Department for three years. Ray LaPierre has accepted the position of Associate Chair (Undergraduate) and Harold Haugen has ac-cepted the position of Associate Chair (Gradu-ate) for three years, beginning July 1, 2006. Congratulations to Dave Novog on being awarded the NSERC/UNENE Associate Indus-

trial Research Chair in Nuclear Safety Analysis. Congratulations to Bill Garland who has been made a Fellow of the Canadian Nuclear Society. Garland has recently been named executive director of the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) and will devote most of his time here at McMaster to those duties. Engineering physics students Derek Luth, Chris Selman and Brad Statham received sponsorship from Wardrop Engineering to attend a Canadian Nuclear Association two-day event in Ottawa. The students reported that the seminars gave them an excellent overview of the industry and provided key contacts with representatives from all sectors of the nuclear enterprise. Andy Knights and Peter Mascher orga-nized and co-chaired the XIV International Conference on Positron Annihilation, held at

McMaster University between July 23 and July 28, 2006. Over 200 scientists from many coun-tries including Argentina, China, Germany, India, Japan, United Kingdom and the U.S.A. took part in the very successful conference. John Preston and Andy Knights teamed up with Jeff Brace (Eng.Phys. 05) and Craig Johnson (Mech 05) to win the 4th Annual Engineering golf tournament. Way to go!

Mechanical Engineering David Arthurs, M.Sc. candidate in the Department was awarded the undergraduate prize sponsored by Pratt & Whitney Canada in the Third CSME Student Paper Competition 2006 at the CSME Forum which was held in Kananaskis in May, 2006. The paper was titled “Aeroacoustic Response of an Annular Duct with Co-Axial Side Branches” and was co-au-thored by Dr. S. Ziada.

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