Vancouver, Canada—October 17, 2008—The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) recognizes two UBC Mechanical Engineering professors with awards in recognition of their excellence in professional, technical and community service at its annual awards ceremony tonight.
Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Philip Hill receives APEGBC’s highest honour—the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award—for his outstanding professional and community service. Award Citation
Professor of Mechanical Engineering Robert Evans receives the Editorial Board Award for his article "Can We Make Our Energy Future More Sustainable" published in the November/December 2007 issue of Innovation magazine. This award is given for the best article written by an APEGBC member and published in Innovation during the previous year. As former Director of UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre and author of the 2007 book Fueling Our Future: An Introduction to Sustainable Energy, Evans has played an important role in the research and development of energy conversion systems, particularly those that will be used to reduce our overwhelming reliance on fossil fuels.
APEGBC will be posting video vignettes on its website on Dr. Hill in the next few days. We encourage you to check back at: http://www.apeg.bc.ca/services/awards/prezawards/pastwinners.html to view the 2008 President’s Award videos.
Award Citation: Dr. Philip Hill
As visionary as he is humble, Philip Hill is a remarkable individual whose pioneering work on the use of natural gas in diesel engines has inspired generations of engineers. Phil has been an influence in the engineering community for more than 40 years as a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, Queen’s and UBC; his exceptional leadership was recognized with the both the UBC Killam Teaching Award as well as the Walter H. Gage Award for Teaching Excellence. He has always strongly believed that his work should have a profound societal relevance, and began addressing our critical need for clean energy more than 20 years ago. His innovations in low-emission engine systems went beyond university research when they became the nucleus of Westport Innovations Inc., founded by David Demers in 1995. He went on to win several awards for his outstanding technical achievements, including the Province of British Columbia’s Minister’s Environmental Award. Phil has also been an invaluable presence in his community and has given much of his time to several faith-based organizations, including Regent College, a theological school association with UBC, and Langham Trust, a charitable society that provides financial support to third-world scholars. Phil is respected and admired not only as a visionary engineer, but also as an exceptional human being, and is an outstanding recipient of the 2008 R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
UBC engineers recognized for innovative new pulp screen technology
The British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC) has awarded two Mechanical Engineering faculty members and their collaborators the 2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Technology Innovation Award.
The team was comprised of:
- Carl Ollivier-Gooch, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
- James Olson, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
- Robert Gooding, Vice President of Technology, Advanced Fiber Technologies
- Mark Martinez, Associate Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, UBC
"The Lieutenant Governor’s Technology Innovation Award recognizes new and highly innovative technologies that are based on applied research conducted in British Columbia," said Soren Harbel, VP Innovation Development, BCIC. “This team has demonstrated exemplary innovation with the new advanced pulp screen technology by taking an idea common in the field of aircraft design and applying it to the pulp and paper industry.”
The team’s advanced screen rotor technology is described in detail in the Award Citation.
“The highly innovated new pulp screen technology developed by this small group has had a substantial, nearly immediate, impact on the pulp and paper industry—one of Canada’s (and British Columbia’s) largest manufacturing and export industries,” says Dr. Elizabeth Croft, Professor and Associate Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC.
The team’s achievement is currently being featured on the Knowledge Network: video clip.
View the original BCIC press release and media kit.
About the British Columbia Innovation Council
British Columbia Innovation Council is the lead organization charged with advancing innovation and commercialization in British Columbia. It is focused on accelerating the growth of our science and technology communities and competitively positioning British Columbia in the global science and technology economy in order to provide significant employment opportunities and a high standard of living for British Columbians.
The team was comprised of:
- Carl Ollivier-Gooch, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
- James Olson, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UBC
- Robert Gooding, Vice President of Technology, Advanced Fiber Technologies
- Mark Martinez, Associate Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, UBC
From left: Keri Adams, CTV, presents the 2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Technology Innovation Award to Drs. Mark Martinez, Carl Ollivier-Gooch, James Olson, and Robert Gooding
(photographer: Jay Shaw).
(photographer: Jay Shaw).
The team’s advanced screen rotor technology is described in detail in the Award Citation.
“The highly innovated new pulp screen technology developed by this small group has had a substantial, nearly immediate, impact on the pulp and paper industry—one of Canada’s (and British Columbia’s) largest manufacturing and export industries,” says Dr. Elizabeth Croft, Professor and Associate Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC.
The team’s achievement is currently being featured on the Knowledge Network: video clip.
View the original BCIC press release and media kit.
About the British Columbia Innovation Council
British Columbia Innovation Council is the lead organization charged with advancing innovation and commercialization in British Columbia. It is focused on accelerating the growth of our science and technology communities and competitively positioning British Columbia in the global science and technology economy in order to provide significant employment opportunities and a high standard of living for British Columbians.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mechanical Engineering professor recognized for industry collaboration
Pratt and Whitney Canada (P&WC) has recognized Mechanical Engineering professor Yusuf Altintas as one of six P&WC Research Fellows across Canada for his academic excellence and outstanding contribution to P&WC technology programs in the field of manufacturing.
"Dr. Altintas is playing a vital role in advancing the position of Canada's aerospace industry through his valuable work in developing new technologies in high-speed manufacturing," said Walter Di Bartolomeo, vice president, Engineering at P&WC. "We are proud to recognize his contributions and look forward to continue working with him in breaking new ground in aerospace technologies.”
The award was presented to Altintas during a special ceremony at the Annual General Meeting of the Aerospace Industry Association of Canada in Ottawa on September 17, 2008. View the original PW&C media release.
Earlier in the month, Altintas was also honoured when PW&C chose to renew his NSERC/Pratt & Whitney Chair in Virtual High-performance Machining for an additional five years. In addition UBC Mechanical Engineering associate professor Steve Feng was appointed Associate Chair. Learn more about this industrial research chair.
About Pratt & Whitney Canada
Based in Longueuil, Quebec, PW&C is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines powering business, general aviation and regional aircraft, and helicopters. The company also offers auxiliary power units and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., USA, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
(Image) From left: Walter Di Bartolomeo, Yusuf Altintas and Hany Moustapha, senior manager of Pratt & Whitney Canada Technology Programs
(photographer: Jean-Claude Belanger).
(photographer: Jean-Claude Belanger).
The award was presented to Altintas during a special ceremony at the Annual General Meeting of the Aerospace Industry Association of Canada in Ottawa on September 17, 2008. View the original PW&C media release.
Earlier in the month, Altintas was also honoured when PW&C chose to renew his NSERC/Pratt & Whitney Chair in Virtual High-performance Machining for an additional five years. In addition UBC Mechanical Engineering associate professor Steve Feng was appointed Associate Chair. Learn more about this industrial research chair.
About Pratt & Whitney Canada
Based in Longueuil, Quebec, PW&C is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines powering business, general aviation and regional aircraft, and helicopters. The company also offers auxiliary power units and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., USA, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
UBC engineers receive ALSBC Awards of Excellence
UBC Mechanical Engineering’s Brace Team—students Paul Hahto, Angela Melnyk, Liz Arnott, Isaac Herscovitch and instructor Mike Van der Loos—has won the inaugural ALS Society of British Columbia’s Excellence in Engineering Design Competition for Flexi-Brace, a dynamic neck brace.
UBC's Flexi-Brace team pictured with ALSBC representatives.
Back row: Mike Van der Loos, Angela Melnyk, Isaac Herscovitch
Middle row: Dr Andrew Eisen, Richard Tang, Caroline Chen, Mickey Pun, Jeramy Wu, Elizabeth Arnott, Wendy Magee
Front row: Dr. Jim McEwen, Les Hart, Paul Hahto
Flexi-Brace, developed within a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering capstone design course, gives those suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS—aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease) increased mobility and freedom. The team also addressed issues of aesthetic appeal and comfort in its award-winning design.
The ALS Society of BC gave the team first-place and $5,000 for winning its first design competition, which seeks innovations to improve the quality of life of people living with ALS. A neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor neurons that carry messages from the brain to muscles, ALS results in weakness, atrophy and immobilization; upon initial diagnosis, typical life-expectancy is two to five years.
The Flexi-Brace team also placed second in the 2008 Canadian Design Engineering Network student design competition, which endeavors to enhance the capacity for design and innovation in Canada.
The ALS Society of BC was founded by ALS patients, their family members and health care professionals to meet the physical and emotional needs of people with ALS and their caregivers. To learn more about ALS BC, visit: http://www.alsbc.ca/
UBC's Flexi-Brace team pictured with ALSBC representatives.Back row: Mike Van der Loos, Angela Melnyk, Isaac Herscovitch
Middle row: Dr Andrew Eisen, Richard Tang, Caroline Chen, Mickey Pun, Jeramy Wu, Elizabeth Arnott, Wendy Magee
Front row: Dr. Jim McEwen, Les Hart, Paul Hahto
The ALS Society of BC gave the team first-place and $5,000 for winning its first design competition, which seeks innovations to improve the quality of life of people living with ALS. A neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor neurons that carry messages from the brain to muscles, ALS results in weakness, atrophy and immobilization; upon initial diagnosis, typical life-expectancy is two to five years.
The Flexi-Brace team also placed second in the 2008 Canadian Design Engineering Network student design competition, which endeavors to enhance the capacity for design and innovation in Canada.
The ALS Society of BC was founded by ALS patients, their family members and health care professionals to meet the physical and emotional needs of people with ALS and their caregivers. To learn more about ALS BC, visit: http://www.alsbc.ca/
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