December 2011
Vancouver inventor honoured: James McEwen a pioneer in the biomedical industry
Vancouver Sun
Sat Dec 31 2011
By: Medha
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Vancouver researcher, inventor and entrepreneur James McEwen has been named to the Order of Canada. Widely credited as the founding father of the Canadian biomedical engineering industry, McEwen is best known for his invention of automatic surgical tourniquet systems that are now standard equipment in operating rooms worldwide.
“I am delighted with the award. It is the highest honour nationally and means a lot to me,” said McEwen, an adjunct professor in the Departments of Orthopedics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at UBC.
UBC researchers try to improve the green footprints of green roofs
Vancouver Sun
Tue Dec 27 2011
By: Gordon Hoekstra
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At UBC’s Okanagan campus, Prof. Kasun Hewage and master’s student Fabricio Bianchini, both engineers, are testing the use of construction material waste — such as bricks and concretes — as a drainage base for the plants.
If their results prove effective, they can be applied to places around the world with arid climates similar to the Okanagan’s, says Hewage.
Parents urge health officials to keep Wi-Fi out of schools
Montreal Gazette
Mon Dec 19 2011
Page: A8
By: Linda Nguyen
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Although wireless Internet can be found everywhere, a growing number of concerned parents across the country are urging health officials to keep it out of schools.
Dave Michelson, an associate professor of electrical engineering at UBC, says not only is wireless Internet safe, its opponents are doing the public more harm by spreading panic and misinformation.
In memory of CHBE alum Tom Bennett
Local weekly
Thu Dec 15 2012
Page: 13
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On the rugged summit of Mt. Shasta, CA, 26 year-old Tom Bennett died alone, awaiting help that arrived too late. This graduate of Chemical Engineering at UBC who graduated with honours in Chemistry was an avid outdoorsman, climbing, mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast and “living life to the fullest” with friends and family.
In his memory, his mother, Mary Kenny of Sechelt, began fundraising to establish a scholarship at UBC to support student enrichment activities for current and future undergraduates who have shown academic achievement, leadership and social and environmental concern. This concern for the environment mirrors Tom’s own concerns. In order to establish a scholarship, a fund must reach a minimum of $30,000 so that the interest from that sum can be used for an endowment. To date, $12,600 has been raised on the Sunshine Coast, representing 42 per cent of the total required. In order to raise more money, Mary has decorated a tree with decorations her son knew best from childhood Christmases; she invites people to take a decoration by which to remember Tom in exchange for a donation to the scholarship.
For more information, please contact Mary Kenny at 604-989-3255 or email her at mary@marylkenny.com. You may also visit the website at tomspirit.com/. To make a donation directly through UBC, please go to www.supporting.ubc.ca/thomasbennett or contact oliver.zihlmann@ubc.ca
Pulp Mill ‘Right-Sizes’ One Motor, Saves 800 MWH/Year
Environmental Leader
Wed Dec 14 2011
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Neucel produces several varieties of dissolving pulp, primarily destined for the textiles market. With the help of electrical utility BC Hydro, they assessed the fan pump that feeds pulp slurry to the wet end of their pulp machine – and discovered a big opportunity.
“Pulp mills typically use 30-40% of their end-use energy on pumping. So when those pumps are oversized and throttled, or when you have a mill that’s older and less automated, it just speaks opportunity,” says Chris Brennan (M.Eng. Clean Energy graduate, June 2011), Neucel’s energy manager.
With 100% project funding from BC Hydro’s Power Smart program, Neucel downsized its 200 hp pump motor to a 150 hp model, and added a variable frequency drive (VFD). That single fix is now saving the company a whopping 800 MWh of electricity per year, estimated at BC Hydro’s blended industrial rates to be approximately $28,000 annually. The system now uses 75 percent less energy than before, saving enough electricity to power 73 B.C. homes.
Dec 6 Ecole Polytechnique massacre
CKNW Bill Good Show
Tue Dec 6 2011 CKNW’s Bill Good Show interviewed Elizabeth Croft, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC, about the Dec. 6 massacre at l’Ecole Polytechnique where 14 women were shot dead in 1989.
“We cannot forget these women. Women who had so much potential, who would have families, would have been my age and given greatly to our profession and society,” said Croft. “Women had every right to live fulfilled lives. This should never be allowed to be tolerated. We can never forget.”
Bill Good asked Croft whether it was significant that the women who died were engineers.
“He was showing resentment for women in a profession where he did not think they belonged,” responded Croft. “We have to understand why this did happen and we cannot let it happen again. As a society we need to make sure we are being inclusive… We need to continue to work on not separating people. Engineering is still a very male field. It is important to include women.”
Growing the Professional Community – 2011 Annual Conference and AGM
Innovation
Nov/Dec 2011
Pages: 36-37
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The striking autumn scenery of the Okanagan Valley was the backdrop for the Association’s Annual Conference and AGM from October 13-15, 2011 in Kelowna, BC. Over 630 delegates gathered at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort and Conference Centre for two days of professional development and networking activities, followed by the Association’s 92nd annual general meeting.
Friday evening eight exceptional individuals were recognized by Association for their outstanding professional, technical and volunteer contributions to engineering, geoscience and the community.
Throughout the evening, each award was profiled in a short video featuring their accomplishments and contributions. Honours were awarded in the categories of Young Professional (Joel McAllister (BASC ’03, CIVL) PEng), Teaching Excellence (Dr John Jones PEng), D C Lambert Professional Service (Paul Blanchard PEng), Meritorious Achievement (Dr Donald Mavinic (CIVL) PEng and Rick Corbett (BASc ’72, CIVL; MASc ’75)) and an Award of Special Recognition (Peter Vogel).
The Association’s 92nd Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday, October 15, where incoming president Jeff Holm (BASc ’87 CIVL) PEng FEC and the 2011/2012 Council were inducted.
Concluding the formal recognition portion of the luncheon, outgoing Councillors Joan Hansen OD, Garth Kirkham PGeo, Ross Rettie PEng FEC, and Past President Russ Kinghorn (BASc ’81, MECH) PEng FEC were thanked for their terms of service.
Jeff Holm – PEng FEC – Keeping Accountability and Trust at the Heart of Governance
Innovation
Nov/Dec 2011
Pages: 20-21
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A practical man, Jeff Holm (BASc ’87, CIVL) PEng FEC is a firm believer of rolling up his sleeves and getting involved. “You can try to agitate from the outside, but it is far more effective to get somebody on the inside to figure out what’s going on,” he says matter-of-factly.
A civil engineer with over 30 years experience, Holm has been involved with APEGBC ever since his days as an applied science student senator with the University of British Columbia, when he would attend Vancouver Branch meetings at the old Association office on 12th. When he moved to Kamloops in 1988, where he has lived ever since, he got involved with the South Central Branch. Further participation on the Registration Committee grew out of an interest to better understand what was happening in the Association’s main office. In 2002, he was elected to APECBC council.
On Saturday, October 15, 2011, Jeff Holm was formally inducted as President of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC at the Association’s 92nd Annual General Meeting.
Hill Receives Award for Technology Innovation
Innovation
Nov/Dec 2011
Page: 6
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Dr Phil Hill PEng (Mechanical Engineering Professor Emeritus) has been named the 2011 recipient of the $100,000 Encana Principal Award by the Ernest C Manning Awards Foundation, an organization that recognizes Canadian innovation. Dr Hill was selected for the award for developing technology that uses clean-burning natural gas in diesel engines.
High pressure direct injection (HPDO) technology allows diesel engines to run on natural gas effectively while reducing the emission of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. The technology was first developed by Hill in the 1980s in his lab at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The work of his research group led to the founding of Westport Innovations, which is commercializing the technology.
Hill is a past winner of APEGBC’s R A McLachaln Memorial Award (2008), the association’s highest award for an engineer, as well as the Meritorious Achievement Award (2001).
Geers spread end of year cheer
The Ubyssey
Mon Dec 05 2011
Page: 2
By: Justin McElroy
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The Cheeze, that ramshackle home of the engineers on campus, isn’t normally filled with over 100 students at 7:30 in the morning. But then again, the final day of classes in December happens but once every 12 months, and engineers, bless them, are unique on campus in their determination to spread Christmas cheer year after year, singing their carols to hundreds of amused and confused students.
“We start every year in September,” says EUS VP Communications Hans Seiderman over the blaring of trumpets and trombones, describing the organization it takes to pull off their annual feat during such a hectic time of year. A four-hour route must be planned, appropriate songs must be chosen, gifts must be carefully selected for a variety of campus groups they’ll serenade over the course of the day.
Now, the idea, in principle, is to sing carols to students. But when you have nearly 100 students in a single line trying to sing in unison and keep up with music being played in some cases 30 metres ahead of them, the end result is that of a loud, confused, but enthusiastic round of “Frosty the Snowman” which never gets better.
But on a campus that shows a conspicuous lack of Christmas celebrations, the point of the carolling is its mere existence, the fact that we have some sort of tradition at this time of year. The look on the faces of students is one of both confusion and amusement. For faculty and staff who see the event every year, a welcome smile comes over their faces, the monotony of last-second exam review being momentarily replaced by barely controlled vocal anarchy.
Accessible picnic tables on way
Vancouver Sun
Mon Dec 05 2011
By: Mike Hager
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Starting next year, disabled British Columbians will be able to better enjoy their provincial parks, thanks to 100 new, more accessible picnic tables.
Wherever possible, the tables will reuse the cedar tops of BC Parks’ existing picnic tables thanks to a wood and concrete base design originally created by UBC engineering student Jonathan Lambert (BASc ’09, CIVL).
In 2008, Lambert won a BC Parks competition to design a new picnic table. The province’s plan is to eventually replace all existing tables with new ones.
On the move
The Province
Mon Dec 05 2011
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BioteQ Environmental Technologies Inc. announced that David Speed (BASc ’83, MECH) has joined the company as director of technical sales. Speed has 28 years of experience as a professional engineer; he holds a bachelor of applied science in mechanical engineering from UBC.
UBC engineer named Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
UBC This Week
Fri Dec 02 2011
UBC Civil Engineering professor Nemkumar Banthia was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in Ottawa on Nov. 26, 2011. Election to the RSC is the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the arts, humanities and sciences in Canada.
Banthia holds a Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Rehabilitation and is a leading international expert on structural health monitoring, strengthening for seismic, blast and other catastrophic events and low carbon footprint construction materials. One of the most cited in the field, Banthia’s research has enhanced the safety and sustainability of civil infrastructure all over the world.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/rC3fry
UBC collaboration with Canfor to study B.C. pulp fibres using X-ray technology
UBC This Week
Fri Dec 02 2011
Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership has awarded grants to two UBC engineering professors for research knowledge leveraged across both campuses. The first instalment of a $75,000 grant over three years was presented to professors André Phillion (School of Engineering) and Mark Martinez (Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering).
For more information, visit http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/apscnews/2011/11/25/engineering-team-wins-grant-for-investigating-paper-architecture/
Dean Aboulnasr shares her perspective on Engineers Without Borders
UBC This Week
Fri Dec 02 2011
Every year, Engineers Without Borders holds the Perspectives Challenge to help raise money for the organization (at a national and university chapter level). Faculty of Applied Science Dean Tyseer Aboulnasr has written her perspective of why she believes in the work of EWB.
Aboulnasr will be stepping down from her position on Dec. 31, 2011. EWB UBC Chapter has expressed their gratitude for all the support they have received from Aboulnasr in past years.
To read Aboulnasr’s perspective and to make a donation to EWB, visit https://perspectives.ewb.ca/tyseeraboulnasr (tax receipts issued).
UBC engineering students recognized by Engineering Institute of Canada
UBC This Week
Fri Dec 02 2011
Two UBC engineering students – Katelyn Currie, second-year Mechanical Engineering, and Robert Jackson, third-year Civil Engineering – were each awarded the Engineering Institute of Canada Vancouver Island Branch Scholarship Society scholarship on Nov. 4, 2011.
The $2,000 award is supported by the Canadian Society for Senior Engineers. The scholarship is awarded to Vancouver Island high school graduates with high academic standing, financial need and leadership roles in extracurricular activities who are entering a second or third year engineering program in Canada.
For more information, visit http://blogs.apsc.ubc.ca/engineeringnews/2011/11/29/ubc-engineering-students-recognized-by-engineering-institute-of-canada/
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For complete stories please contact:
ErinRose Handy
Communications Manager
UBC Faculty of Applied Science
Tel: 604.822.1524
E-mail: erinrose.handy@ubc.ca
