News

New teaching award named for former engineering dean

Philip Fine — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:24:26 +0000

Mechanical engineering professor James Forbes regularly attracts glowing reviews from his students, but he says he’ll never forget one negative student evaluation he received early in his teaching career. It changed the way he approaches teaching.

Much of his research has focused on aerospace and robotics systems, and Forbes, a William Dawson Scholar, tended to give students examples from those industries during the classes he taught. “But in one course evaluation, a student said, ‘I don’t know why I have to take this course. It’s only applicable to aerospace and robotics.’”

Facilitating dialogue in the classroom: Insights from Renee Pellissier’s approach to teamwork and student engagement

Areej Zaidi and Maria Orjuela-Laverde — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:38:58 +0000

Creating a classroom environment where students feel comfortable engaging in dialogue—whether in whole class discussions or small group activities—is essential for meaningful learning. Yet, many instructors observe that students often hesitate to participate, unsure of what to say or how to begin.

Making solar power’s land use more efficient

Claire Loewen — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:27:11 +0000

As solar energy rapidly is becoming the world’s largest renewable power source, new research from ɬ�﷬ offers a clearer picture of how much land that growth could require and how smarter choices could mitigate solar energy’s land footprint

ɬ�﷬ researchers build the best light-powered, room-temperature computer yet

Claire Loewen — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:39:26 +0000

ɬ�﷬ and Queen’s University researchers have built an improved version of a computer that uses light to solve extremely hard problems more quickly and at larger scale than existing systems, without the need for cryogenic cooling.

Launch of the Donald Mordell EUS Teaching Excellence Award

Faculty of Engineering — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:28:43 +0000

The Faculty of Engineering is pleased to announce the launch of the Donald Mordell EUS Teaching Excellence Award. Established in 2025 by Don Nilson, the award honours the memory of his father‑in‑law, Professor Donald L. Mordell, who served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 1957 to 1968.

This annual recognition celebrates a professor, faculty lecturer, or course lecturer who has made an extraordinary contribution to teaching in Engineering, Architecture, and Urban Planning.

ɬ�﷬ researchers develop quick test that stands to curb antimicrobial resistance

Claire Loewen — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:13:43 +0000

ɬ�﷬ researchers have developed a diagnostic system capable of identifying bacteria –and determining which antibiotics can stop them – in just 36 minutes, a major advance in the global effort to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Current clinical testing methods typically take 48 to 72 hours, leaving physicians without timely guidance.

The researchers say this innovation arrives at a critical moment due to the urgency of the AMR crisis, which arises from bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics.

ɬ�﷬ researchers create shapeshifting materials that could power the next generation of soft robots

Claire Loewen — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:48:25 +0000

ɬ�﷬ engineers have developed new ultra-thin materials that can be programmed to move, fold and reshape themselves, much like animated origami. They open the door to softer, safer and more adaptable robots that could be used in medical tools that gently move inside the body, wearable devices that change shape on the skin or smart packaging that reacts to its environment.

ɬ�﷬ researchers win prestigious NFRF 2024 grant to transform public engagement with AI

ɬ�﷬ Desautels — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:43:04 +0000

A team co-led by Prof. Jiangbo Yu, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at ɬ�﷬, and Prof. Sameer Borwankar, Assistant Professor of the Desautels Faculty of Management, has been awarded the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2024 Exploration Grant for an interdisciplinary initiative that will explore how artificial intelligence can transform the way citizens engage in public decision-making.

New light-triggered microneedle patch could make IVF hormone delivery painless and automated

Claire Loewen — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:25:29 +0000

A ɬ�﷬ research team has developed a painless, automated way to deliver in vitro fertilization (IVF) hormones using a light-activated microneedle patch, an innovation that could ease one of the most stressful parts of fertility treatment and open new possibilities for other diseases that require frequent, time-sensitive injections.

IVF patients must inject themselves with hormones daily at specific times in the weeks leading up to egg retrieval, a process that can be physically and emotionally taxing.

ɬ�﷬ iGEM win Grand Prize at the 2025 iGEM Jamboree

Faculty of Engineering — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:37:29 +0000

We are thrilled to announce that ɬ�﷬ iGEM has won the 2025 Grand Prize at iGEM Jamboree, the world’s leading student competition in synthetic biology. This marks the second time in just 3 years that the team earns this prestigious distinction, with their project, Cohera—a complete toolkit for multicellular engineering that allows synthetic biologists to access the full potential of cell-cell adhesion—bringing them to first place against 195 participating institutions.

New Faculty Member Fall 2025

Antonella Fratino — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:08:59 +0000

The Faculty of Engineering welcomed a new professor this semester:

F. Albert Liu
Associate Professor
Civil Engineering

ɬ�﷬ Startup, Phoela Health, Among Top Five Student-Led Foodtech Ventures in Canada

Department of Bioengineering — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:29:31 +0000

A ɬ�﷬-engineered biosensor is helping to redefine food safety across Canada.

Welcome to the new academic year / Mot de bienvenue de la doyenne

Faculty of Engineering — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 18:49:08 +0000

Dear members of the Faculty of Engineering community,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the new academic year. I hope you had a wonderful summer and have many memories and moments of inspiration to look back on.

There’s something truly special about the start of the Fall semester – our campus is filled with energy, ideas, and possibility. Over the past week, I have had the privilege of meeting many new students and their families during orientation. Their enthusiasm was a powerful reminder of the vibrant community we’re all part of.

Schulich Leaders pursue passion for STEM

University Advancement — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:08:20 +0000

As a CEGEP student, Daniel Wei captained his college robotics team to victories with a dodgeball-throwing robot and a biodegradable soil sensor for farmers.

He and a peer also earned a bronze medal at a science and technology fair for their research on biomechanical processes involved in developing artificial intestines.

The achievements are part of Wei’s impressive track record of leadership, innovation and academic success that landed him Canada’s most generous scholarship for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

2025 Faculty of Engineering Award Recipients

Faculty of Engineering — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:43:09 +0000

We are proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Faculty of Engineering Awards. These awards honour exceptional contributions to research, teaching, and service by members of our community:

Christophe Pierre Research Excellence Award

Marta Cerruti (Mining and Materials Engineering)

Daniele Malomo (Civil Engineering) - Early Career