Lassonde prof becomes member of International Academy of Astronautics
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George Zhu, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, has been inducted as a full member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) following his appointment as a corresponding member in 2020.
George Zhu
The IAA is an independent organization of distinguished individuals elected by their peers for their outstanding contributions to astronautics and the exploration of space. With 1,200 active members worldwide, it is the only international academy of elected members in the broad area of astronautics and space.
Zhu’s contributions to these areas include work in spacecraft dynamics and control, and space debris mitigation. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and 163 conference papers, and has supervised more than 100 highly qualified personnel. He led the development and launch of two CubeSats funded by the Canadian Space Agency. The first was launched in November 2020 and showcased pioneering technology for space debris removal; the second was launched in July 2023 and is dedicated to observing ice in the Arctic, as well as monitoring thawing permafrost in Northern Canada for climate change research.
Through $3.6 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Zhu is currently developing transformative additive manufacturing and 3D bioprinting technologies for human space exploration. This work aims to revolutionize spacecraft manufacturing and provide self-sustaining medical support for space missions.
Zhu is also a college member of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and an associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Lassonde students place fourth at international unmanned aircraft competition
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This summer, a team of graduate students from York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, in Professor Jinjun Shan’s research group, placed fourth at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) competition at the 2023 International Conference of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS) in Warsaw, Poland.
Pictured, left to right: Professor Jinjun Shan, Ingredy Gabriela Gomes Carmo and Hunter Schofield. Mingfeng Yuan on laptop screen
The competition, designed to mimic challenges faced by UAVs performing infrastructure inspections in unknown environments, required teams to program a UAV with the ability to navigate an obstacle course safely and autonomously while identifying defects in the course infrastructure.
The Lassonde students, Hunter Schofield and Mingfeng Yuan (both PhD candidates), together with Ingredy Gabriela Gomes Carmo (MASc candidate), formed a team and spent months preparing and qualifying for the ICUAS UAV competition. The team adopted the name SDCN Lab, after Shan’s Spacecraft Dynamics Control and Navigation (SDCN) Lab at Lassonde.
“The initial event was the qualification round,” says Schofield. “We had to compete in a challenge against 39 international teams to navigate our UAV around a simulated environment and identify any defects at different points of interest.”
After successfully placing among the top five teams, the SDCN Lab team was off to Poland to compete against other top contenders.
In preparation for the final competition, the team combined their expertise in object detection, machine learning, control design, decision-making for autonomous vehicles and more, to develop and implement a code for their UAV. The code was designed to help the UAV achieve the required benchmarks in the final competition – exploration, perception and pose estimation. Exploration allows the UAV to safely navigate the obstacle course and find defects in infrastructure; perception is used to identify and classify defects; and pose estimation helps the UAV evaluate its position and trajectory in a given environment. The team also had the opportunity to work with industry professionals from Quanser Consulting, who provided technical support and practice facilities.
“Preparing for the competition in Poland was a steep learning curve, and we had to collaborate with each other a lot for each benchmark,” says Schofield. “None of us are experts on pose estimation, so we had to work with other lab members to figure it out. It was good experience because it allowed us all to learn something new.”
At the final UAV competition, the team’s drone autonomously navigated and inspected the challenging obstacle course. After each of the teams’ drones made their way through the competition arena, scores were given based on their performance quality. The Lassonde students ultimately finished in fourth place – only 0.5 points behind the third-place team.
“The competition was really difficult, but it was a great experience to collaborate with my team and see the work done by other students,” says Carmo. “I also liked travelling to a new country.”
This opportunity allowed the students to network and collaborate with other international teams at the competition, share interests, build relationships and discuss different approaches and strategies used throughout the competition.
“Professor Shan gave us a great opportunity with this conference and through the partnership with Quanser. We’ve now learned how we can put all our knowledge together to create solutions for real-world problems,” says Yuan.
Lassonde launches Canada’s first fully work-integrated degree program
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The Lassonde School of Engineering at York University has launched the Digital Technologies program, Canada’s first fully work-integrated degree program, designed to address the country’s digital skills shortage, which finds 80 per cent of Canadian businesses reporting they need more workers to meet their technological needs.
In the new program, learners will be employed full-time for four years, earning a salary while studying for a bachelor of applied science (BASc) degree. The first cohort of students includes professionals looking to upskill; university and college transfer students; and high-potential high-school graduates aspiring to a career in technology.
Students will spend approximately 80 per cent of their work hours on the job, and 20 per cent dedicated to theoretical, in-class learning, delivered during five-day block periods every five to six weeks. Those enrolled will continuously apply their academic learning towards real revenue-generating roles while integrating their industry knowledge in class.
The students have been hired by a range of organizations looking to attract, develop and retain talented software developers, cyber security analysts and data scientists. The organizations include: ALSTOM Transport Canada, Bank of Montreal, Ceridian Canada, Ontario Power Generation, Quanser Consulting and Shopify.
Through Lassonde’s next-generation work-integrated learning program, students hired by the partner organizations can make meaningful connections between academic and work learning experiences, and access the latest expertise, knowledge and resources that a university provides.
Jane Goodyer
“To scale up Canada’s tech workforce, universities and employers need to collaborate to create and facilitate more affordable, inclusive post-secondary education pathways to digital technologies careers. We’re doing just that with the new Digital Technologies program, partnering with six forward-thinking organizations to empower individuals from groups who have not traditionally been represented in the information and communications technology sector,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering. “This is important, with research showing that employers with a more diverse workforce perform better financially and contribute to a more decolonizing, equitable, diverse and inclusive society.”
The companies Ceridian and Shopify were a part of Lassonde’s “trailblazer” group of 15 businesses, public sector organizations and industry associations that helped co-design and co-develop the program. Senior technology experts from these organizations contributed to curriculum and learning outcomes, ensuring the program delivers the required knowledge, skills and professionalism of graduates.
Based on a proven U.K. model and Lassonde’s partnership with Shopify, offering its Dev Degree program at York (50 per cent workplace and 50 per cent classroom) since 2018, the new Digital Technologies program will operate on a full-calendar-year basis, with learners earning 30 credits per year. It will be offered through York’s Markham Campus and in its first year will be delivered through York University’s Learning Space in IBM Canada’s headquarters in Markham, Ont. In addition to accessing York University student services, learners will have a learning co-ordinator, professional skills coach, and a company supervisor to help mentor and support them. The experience and contacts they gain from working full-time throughout their degree are intended to give them a solid base for success after they graduate.
k2i academy’s Bringing STEM to Life empowers young minds
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Bringing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to Life, a program run by the k2i (kindergarten to industry) academy at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, allows students entering grades 11 and 12 to participate in a one-month paid summer research experience while earning an Ontario high-school course credit in physics or English. This year, 100 per cent of high-school students earned their credit with a cumulative course median over 91 per cent across all programs.
Bringing STEM to Life, a work-integrated learning program, was designed in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board, York Region District School Board and Peel District School Board, with a specific focus on providing opportunities for students from marginalized communities. Black and Indigenous youth, students from priority communities and girls, who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM, were invited to partake in the program, to help break down systemic barriers and create more equitable access to STEM education.
“Together with our valued school boards, teachers, undergraduate students, faculty members and Lassonde staff, we are united as a community in our collective efforts to address inequities in STEM career pathways and open up opportunities for high-school students,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of Lassonde.
Lisa Cole
“By creating a program where students can gain valuable work experience while earning a high-school credit, especially a prerequisite credit to STEM pathways, we help level the playing field for those who may otherwise have been pushed out of post-secondary STEM pathways,” says Lisa Cole, director of programming for k2i academy.
Throughout the summer, students worked as high-school lab assistants together with a dedicated team of undergraduate STEM student mentors, k2i academy staff, Lassonde faculty advisors, as well as high-school physics and English teachers. Guided by the program’s focus on sustainable development, students explored diverse research topics such as robotics, to understand space, designing smart power grids for sustainable cities and engineering brain-like tissue for simulations and testing.
The program culminated in a symposium at the end of the summer, which provided an opportunity for young researchers to showcase their hard work and present their findings to a wider audience, discussing their research and its potential impact on society, the environment and various industries.
The event aims to not only celebrate the students’ accomplishments, but highlight the importance of collaborative efforts between educational institutions, government bodies and private organizations to advance STEM education and empower young minds to shape a sustainable and equitable future.
k2i academy’s partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education has enabled this program to reach 400-plus high-school students with a team of 130-plus undergraduate STEM student mentors since June 2020.
“The Ministry of Education’s partnership with k2i academy has become one of the most consequential relationships that the ministry has,” says Patrick Case, assistant deputy minister of equity secretariat at the Ministry of Education. “This program is the face of change in STEM – breaking down barriers and opening doors that were previously closed for so many deserving but often overlooked young people. This is what change looks like.”
Schulich Leader Scholarships go to Lassonde students
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innovation research digital AI network
Two students beginning their post-secondary studies at York University have been named recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship.
Out of a pool of 350,000 potential candidates across Canada, more than 1,400 students were nominated, of which 100 received this celebrated award.
With the help of the scholarship, the graduating high-school students from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area will further their knowledge at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York to support their goals of starting their own companies and putting their skills to use for the greater good.
Mitchell Clapperton, 17, of Waterdown, Ont., is entering an electrical engineering program; and Jasmine Gherman, 18, of Toronto, will study computer programming.
The Schulich Leader Scholarship is Canada’s largest for undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It is awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, charisma and creativity, as well as financial need.
Clapperton will receive a $120,000 scholarship and Gherman will receive $100,000, as per the scholarship funding for the Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science programs.
“We’re delighted that Jasmine and Mitchell have chosen Lassonde as their academic home,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of Lassonde. “Their decision to pursue their aspirations here underscores our school’s reputation as a world-class hub for future engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to collaborate in improving the world for everyone. As they embark on their post-secondary journeys with the generous support of the Schulich Leader Scholarship program, we look forward to seeing the positive impact they’ll make within our school, the STEM field and beyond.”
Mitchell Clapperton
Mitchell Clapperton
Clapperton hails from the Waterdown area, situated halfway between Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton, Ont. – where he was enrolled in the French Immersion program and founded the school’s STEM club – and Burlington, Ont., where he volunteered as a coach for the Special Olympics softball and floor hockey teams. He was a gold medallist in four regional science fairs, three of which went on to win medals Canada-wide and one that qualified for an international competition.
“The cool thing about science fairs is there’s always a little piece of ‘for good’ in there. I’d love to keep that up and keep ‘innovation for good’ as a goal in the future,” he says. “I am really looking forward to getting this education, so I can tackle more projects like this, and this Schulich Leader scholarship will help me to do that.”
Jasmine Gherman
Jasmine Gherman
Born to an immigrant family from Romania, Gherman is from Scarborough, Ont., where she attended Mary Ward Catholic Secondary – one of only a handful of self-directed learning schools in Canada – where she took a leadership role at the coding club. She is a contributor for an award-winning, arts-and-science, Romanian-language newspaper, where she has written about advice for parents and encouraging girls to consider STEM career paths. A self-described introvert, Gherman has embraced her quiet leadership style and says teachers describe her as being someone who does not always speak up, but when she does, everyone listens.
“I’m not someone who likes cut-throat competition. I appreciate drive and collaboration for the greater good, and I believe that this program will give me those opportunities,” she says. “I’m grateful that this scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies without taking on a large debt burden.”
“We are proud to celebrate the continued success of Schulich Leader Scholarships, the premiere STEM scholarship program in Canada,” says program founder Seymour Schulich. “This group of outstanding students will represent the best and brightest Canada has to offer and will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurriculars and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators.
Professor gamifies cybersecurity education for middle schoolers
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Sana Maqsood, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, has developed a web-based game to educate students in grades 6 to 8 about cybersecurity, privacy and digital literacy issues.
Sana Maqsood
Maqsood’s game, A Day in the Life of the Jos, takes users through a series of decision-making scenarios encountered by two relatable characters who are highly active on social media. Each scenario addresses online challenges that students may face in the real world, such as cyberbullying, misinformation and privacy violations. As users decide how to respond to the encountered scenarios, they are provided with the results and consequences of their choices, as well as informative feedback and guidance on the best approaches to future situations.
In collaboration with a team of digital literacy experts, teachers and researchers, A Day in the Life of the Jos was created during Maqsood’s PhD fellowship with MediaSmarts, a non-profit organization focused on digital and media literacy.
“Elementary schools were using an outdated quiz tool for digital literacy that was developed all the way back in the year 2000,” says Maqsood. “This motivated the entire project. We wanted to create something that was more engaging and relevant for students today.”
Since its creation, four empirical user studies have proven A Day in the Life of the Josto be educationally effective and engaging for both students and teachers, leading to its successful adoption in 550 schools across Canada.
The project is representative of Maqsood’s ongoing work exploring the use of games to elevate traditional teaching methods and improve student learning experiences.
“Gamification is very effective for teaching children,” explains Maqsood, because using educational games allows learners to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and increase knowledge retention of complex concepts.
Next, Maqsood wants to focus on developing educational games on a range of other topics, and for a range of users – including students from low socio-economic households that may not have access to progressive technology, thereby aiming to remove barriers and provide supportive tools for education. Some of these tools include creative board games that are entirely developed by her research team.
Maqsood is also pursuing ongoing research contributing to shaping the future of teaching in K to 12 institutions through active collaboration with Lassonde’s k2i academy throughout Summer 2023, working with a group of high school students exploring a research question related to educational games.
To advance her work, Maqsood is currently recruiting undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in human-centred security and privacy. To learn more, contact smaqsood@yorku.ca.
A new engineering facility to develop innovative nanomaterials at York University is part of the latest round of research infrastructure projects to receive support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), announced by the federal government earlier this week.
Reza Rizvi, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering, will oversee the facility alongside co-principal investigators Stephanie Gora, an assistant professor of civil engineering, and Marina Freire-Gormaly, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
Reza RizviStephanie GoraMarina Freire-Gormaly
The JELF investment, totalling $138,585, will enable the York engineers to utilize cutting-edge scientific techniques and conduct the precise analysis needed to develop innovative nanomaterials that address energy and environmental challenges, like climate change, clean energy generation and storage, e-waste, and water treatment and monitoring. The project is titled “Infrastructure for Innovative Nanomaterials for Energy and Environment.”
“I am grateful for CFI’s investment in our applied research to create a more sustainable future for Canada and the world,” said Rizvi, who specializes in the scalable manufacturing of advanced materials. “Nanomaterials have a critical role to play in technological solutions that will help protect our planet.”
The facility will be housed in a shared lab space at Lassonde and will feature: a confocal Raman microscope (a Bruker Senterra II), a laser-based device that allows for microscopic examination; and an infrared spectrometer (Bruker Alpha II), an instrument used to measure light absorbed by a material sample. The facility will also be used to train highly-qualified personnel, including graduate students and postdoctoral Fellows.
“Every day, researchers dedicate their knowledge and skills to addressing issues that are important to Canadians, including improving the environment, health care and access to education. They contribute to a better future for all Canadians,” said Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president and CEO of CFI. “At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we are proud to support their efforts with well-designed labs and necessary equipment placed in the communities and environments where they will be the most effectively employed.”
The nanotechnologies developed by Rizvi, Gora, Freire-Gormaly and their teams will advance several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: good health and well-being (SDG 3); clean water and sanitation (SDG 6); affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); and climate action (SDG 13).
Other JELF-funded projects at York
Three other York researchers also received funding: Shooka Karimpour, an assistant professor of civil engineering at Lassonde, for “Infrastructure for High-Definition Microplatic Detection (HD-MPD) and Identity Analysis” ($126,254); and Adeyemi Oludapo Olusola and Joshua Thienpoint, assistant professors in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, for “Landscapes in Transition: Environmental Sensitivities Due to Climate Change” ($198,161).
The York-led projects are among 396 research infrastructure projects to receive more than $113 million at 56 universities across Canada.
The CFI funding is part of a wave of recent investments made by the Government of Canada, supporting 4,700 researchers and research projects with more than $960 million in grants, scholarships and programs. “Through this funding, the Government of Canada is investing in the next generation of researchers and inspiring them to continue to think outside the box and tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry.
Students awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
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The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, presented by the Government of Canada, aims to support first-rate doctoral students studying social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health. This year, seven York University students have been named Vanier Scholars, earning them $50,000 annually for up to three years to support their research projects.
Candidates are evaluated based on three equally weighted selection criteria: academic excellence, research potential and leadership. This year’s scholars have proposed innovative solutions to challenging problems through their projects, each of which spurs positive change in their community, both locally and globally.
Marissa Magneson (Cree-Métis, citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario), Faculty of Education
Marissa Magneson
Magneson’s application was ranked second out of 200 at the national competition for Vanier Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council files. Her proposed research contributes to the ongoing discourse of decolonial and artistic pedagogy, research-creation and Indigenous beadwork practices by challenging the ways education can look both inside and outside of the classroom.
Her project specifically seeks to uncover how beading supports Indigenous students in reclaiming culture, strengthening identity, fostering community, healing intergenerational traumas and developing a sense of belonging, while also contributing to Indigenous pedagogy through creative storytelling and supporting reconciliation.
“Beadwork as pedagogy actively responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, suggesting that beading not only strengthens identity but also fosters healing and reconciliation,” shares Magneson.
Greg Procknow, critical disability studies
Greg Procknow
Procknow’s doctoral research illuminates the experiential claims of inpatients found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) to explore whether education leads to decarceration and to re-evaluate education as a non-psychiatric method for recovery.
His research will document the educative experiences of inpatients granted day-release privileges to pursue post-secondary education on campus to uncover what factors have facilitated or inhibited their inclusion in educational spaces, how education has advanced their recovery plans and how these inpatients perceive education’s role in qualifying them for an absolute or conditional discharge.
“This research is vital to learning how pedagogy impacts rates of decarceration, supports the reintegration of NCRMD into the community, reduces recidivism and rehospitalizations, and nurtures recovery,” opines Procknow.
Cole Swanson, environmental studies
Cole Swanson
Swanson’s PhD study will use material-based art to explore the dynamic ecology of a bird colony with a stigmatized reputation, the double-crested cormorants (Nannopterum auritum). Working against dangerous imaginaries on cormorants fuelled by religious, settler-colonial, and extractivist histories and politics, Swanson will examine life in the colony to illuminate the entanglements between avian, human and more-than-human worlds.
“Through socially-engaged art practice, the apparent divides between our species will be broken down, stoking empathy and a community-based investment in the well-being and protection of these ancient creatures and their colony constituents with whom we share our lands and resources,” says Swanson.
The project will culminate in a multisensory art exhibition composed of photo, video and sound recorded from the colony, which will be shared with a diverse public for analysis useful in both scientific and social contexts.
Areej Alshammiry, sociology
Areej Alshammiry
Alshammiry’s project explores the practice of “double punishment,” where non-citizens or foreign-born individuals in Canada are criminalized and rendered deportable. The research particularly focuses on double punishment’s impact on those who are unremovable because they are stateless but inadmissible on the grounds of criminality.
“Driven by the politics of the War on Terror, these processes lead to increasing cases of statelessness by decisions like citizenship stripping of foreign-born persons or deprivation of citizenship to those without one,” states Alshammiry. “However, such measures often target already marginalized communities and are often arbitrary, as they are driven by racial, ethnic, religious and national discrimination.”
This innovative project undertakes the important work of revealing the lived experiences of stateless individuals and can positively contribute to policy frameworks on statelessness and abolition.
Jordan Krywonos, physics and astronomy
Jordan Krywonos
The PhD study proposed by Krywonos considers gravitational waves, which are ripples propagating across the fabric of our universe. As the gravitational waves travel, they carry information about their source, providing an avenue to study previously inaccessible sources such as an orbiting pair of primordial black holes that are proposed to compose a portion of dark matter. Thus, this groundbreaking research on gravitational waves could help illuminate the nature of dark matter.
“Given that the identity of dark matter is among the most important outstanding questions in cosmology, discovering primordial black holes would revolutionize our understanding of the universe, and provide a new means of probing its origin,” reveals Krywonos.
Austin Martins-Robalino, civil engineering
Austin Martins-Robalino
Martins-Robalino’s project investigates how new and emerging materials can be used in place of traditional materials when constructing shear walls, which are a key influence on how structures perform when subjected to loading from wind or seismic events. Martins-Robalino proposes that replacing traditional reinforcing steel rebar with a smart material like superelastic shape memory alloys and concrete with engineered cementitious composites could provide insight into making more damage-resilient and sustainable structures that recentre themselves after loading.
“Such resilient infrastructure would inherently improve the sustainability of structures, reducing the equivalent carbon emissions over their service life,” says Martins-Robalino.
Waisman’s proposed research seeks to provide a novel, easily accessible approach to treating chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP). A study conducted at York University and the Toronto General Hospital, published in the journal Pain, with Waisman as the lead author, found that patients who recall a greater number of event-specific, pain-related autobiographical memories before surgery are significantly less likely to develop CPSP up to one year later.
Building on these findings, Waisman’s PhD project will develop a remotely-delivered intervention that will train individuals to be more specific in the retrieval of their memories after surgery, with the aim of preventing chronic post-surgical pain.
“This work addresses a significant public health need. By creating a brief and easily accessible intervention, our plan is to deliver effective pain management to virtually anyone with a computer,” shares Waisman.
Lassonde PhD students recognized for environmental research
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Three Lassonde School of Engineering PhD candidates in civil engineering have been recognized – two with awards and one with publication approval – for work in environmental research that promises to help right the future.
The award-winning students are:
Gurpreet Kaur, third-year PhD candidate
Gurpreet Kaur
In May 2023, Kaur presented research focusing on microorganisms to degrade harmful contaminants in groundwater at the International In-Situ Thermal Treatment (i2t2) Symposium in Banff, Alta., where she was honoured with a Best Presentation Award.
More than nine million people in Canada depend on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. If groundwater is contaminated, pollutants can reach consumers and cause harmful effects like cancer and other diseases,” she says. Kaur specifically studies biomediation, a process that uses microorganisms that are naturally present in the subsurface to degrade environmental pollutants. However, the activity of these microorganisms may be hindered by cool temperatures below ground. To solve this issue, some remediation strategies supplement the subsurface with heat, but that can be an expensive process.
“My work analyzes the effect of geothermal heat pumps on bioremediation,” says Kaur. “This is a sustainable and cost-effective solution that can help enhance the growth and activity of microorganisms.” In addition to improving the efficiency of bioremediation, geothermal heat pumps can be used to provide heating and cooling to surrounding buildings, thereby serving two functions at once.
To explore the effects of geothermal heat pumps on bioremediation, Kaur isolated and analyzed two pollutant-degrading bacteria strains from geothermal borehole soil samples. Her analysis showed the strains have the ability to degrade Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX), four common chemical contaminants found in groundwater. She also applied heat to these pollutant-degrading bacteria, which resulted in significantly increased bacterial growth and BTEX degradation rate, suggesting the inherent beneficial effects that geothermal heat pumps may have on bacteria. The results of Kaur’s work demonstrate the great promise of this modified method for bioremediation, which could ensure clean drinking water for millions of Canadians.
De Santi’s research aims to develop and implement data-driven solutions for water safety issues in refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) settlements with SWOT. Primary sources of drinking water in these settlements are highly susceptible to contamination, which creates a risk for people to contract waterborne disease upon consumption.
To decontaminate drinking water and mitigate disease risk, free residual chlorine is used as a water treatment; however, this can significantly alter its odour and taste. Using data collected from a refugee settlement in Uganda called Kyaka II, the SWOT generated a risk model to help determine an optimal concentration of free residual chlorine that allowed for a balance between water safety, as well as favourable odour and taste. This work suggests the SWOT can be effectively used in real-world scenarios, to help water system operators satisfy both water safety and consumer standards in refugee and IDP settlements.
De Santi’s ongoing research and aspirations are supported by his PhD supervisors, Professor Usman Khan and Research Fellow Syed Imran Ali, as well as the Lassonde community, and reflects engineering’s potential to impact the world. “Engineering isn’t just about learning; it’s also about solving problems,” says De Santi. “The reason I was drawn to civil engineering is because I think it can be used to tackle the most global challenges and help the most people.”
Olivares recently had an article, titled “Thermally assisted deformation of a rock column above Tomb KV42 in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt,” accepted for publication in the journal Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
The article is an extension of his PhD thesis, supervised by Professor Matthew Perras, which has primarily involved geological field campaigns based in Egypt. His research focuses on the thermal effects of crack growth in rocks. Examining such growths is important, as climate change in post-glacial and arid regions can significantly progress rock damage over time, leading to altered function and behaviour.
The publication summarizes Olivares’ ongoing work in the Valley of the Kings, located within a large landscape and UNESCO World Heritage Site called Theban Necropolis in Luxor, Egypt. Along with his research team, he monitored the transient conditions of a micritic-limestone rock column above a tomb, as well as an existing fracture, while investigating thermomechanical displacements with various tools. Data gathered throughout this study will enhance understanding of environmentally-driven fracture growth mechanisms and help inform approaches to preserve and protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lal Samarasekera, a professor in the Civil Engineering Department at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, passed away unexpectedly on July 30.
Samarasekera, a beloved brother, uncle and friend, passed away in Toronto, Ont. at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.
Lal Samarasekera
Samarasekera was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. As a young student, he worked to become an exceptional academic, granting him the opportunity to access multiple scholarships to further his academic career. Samarasekera was passionate about providing similar opportunities to other Sri Lankan students through his dedicated work for the Sri Lanka – Canada Scholarship Foundation where he was the president. He was also involved with UNICEF and a number of other charities.
Samarasekera received his MSc at the University of British Columbia and earned his PhD from the University of Alberta, where he used numerical modelling to analyze the behaviour of tunnels and other excavations. Following his graduate research, he worked as a researcher and instructor for over 20 years and then joined the industry.
Prior to joining York University, Samarasekera worked as a consultant for SNC Lavalin, Golder Associates, and lectured at University of Saskatchewan. His primary interest was the use of technology in engineering education, including web-based teaching and learning. His area of specialization was in geotechnical engineering.
Samarasekera was wholeheartedly committed to his students and his work. All those who had the privilege of knowing him and calling him friend, colleague or professor can attest to his gentle, caring, and thoughtful nature. Samarasekera was also deeply involved in his community, highly regarded and trusted by those around him. His positive impact extended far and wide within and beyond the Lassonde and York University community.
