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Laurentian University researchers secure $1.3M in new funding

Laurentian University researchers secure $1.3M in new funding

Faculty awarded NSERC 2015 Discovery grants

JUNE 22, 2015 – Seven Laurentian University faculty members and three graduate students have won new research grants and scholarships awarded by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). 

 

Total funding awarded to Laurentian University researchers amounts to $1,329,500.

 

The funds are awarded through competition for NSERC’s Discovery Grants, Discovery Accelerator Supplements, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postrgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships.  The 2015 competition results were announced today at at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario.

 

“A key pillar of our government’s updated Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy is ensuring Canada develops, attracts and retains the world’s most talented researchers. Today’s investment in more than 3, 800 researchers at 70 universities across the country ensures Canada has a broad base of talented men and women whose research continues to push the boundaries of knowledge, creates jobs and opportunities while improving the quality of life of Canadians,”  said Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology), Ed Holder.

 

 “We are extremely proud of the research profile achieved by our Laurentian faculty and graduate students,” said Laurentian University Vice-President, Research, Dr. Rui Wang.  “Our success in winning NSERC funding is evidence of  the high-calibre research being conducted in Biology, Medicine, Engineering, Earth Sciences and Human Kinetics, and we congratulate all of our award recipients.”

 

Laurentian faculty awarded NSERC Discovery Grants are:

  • Dr. Douglas Boreham, Faculty of Medicine: $170,000 (Biological Mechanisms Induced by Low and Ultra Low doses of Ionizing Radiation)
  • Dr. Thomas Johnston, Department of Biology: $105,000 (Individual specialization and the trophic niche of aquatic consumers)
  • Dr. Daniel Kontak, Department of Earth Sciences: $110,000 (Chemical fingerprinting of hydrothermal ore deposit systems)
  • Dr. Tammy Eger, School of Human Kinetics: $110,000 (Modeling human response to foot-transmitted vibration)
  • Dr. William Lievers, School of Engineering, $110,000 (Measuring and modelling the mechanical and failure behaviour of bone)
  • Dr. Junfeng Zhang, School of Engineering, $22,000 (Blood Flows and Blood-Vessel Interactions in the Microcirculation)
  • Dr. Zhibin Ye, School of Engineering, $200,000 (Developing semicrystalline star polyethylenes and advanced polyethylene ionomers)

 

In addition to his five-year Discovery Grant, Dr. Zhibin Ye was also awarded a Discovery Accelerator Supplement in support of his research, worth $120,000 over three years.

Three graduate students have also won graduate scholarships worth between $21,000 and $35,000 per year:

  • Nicolas Rouleau, three-year Postgraduate Scholarship (Biology)
  • Nirosha Murugan, three-year Postgraduate Scholarship (Biology)
  • James Baxter-Gilbert, three-year Canada Graduate Scholarship (Biology)

Professor Dean Millar named CIM Distinguished Lecturer

Professor Dean Millar named CIM Distinguished Lecturer

Honours for Laurentian Engineering Professor, ERCM Director at MIRARCO

JUNE 5, 2015 – Professor in Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering and Director of the Energy, Renewables and Carbon Management group at MIRARCO, Dr. Dean Millar has been honoured as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

 

Dr. Millar is one of five Distinguished Lecturers celebrated at the CIM’s national Awards Gala, held at the Palais de Congrès in Montreal last month.  The CIM’s Distinguished Lecturers are selected for their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities in the minerals industries, and are available to speak at CIM Branch and Student Chapter meetings across Canada. 

 

Dr. Millar is a leading researcher on energy management, energy efficiency and renewable energy in mining.  His presentation for the CIM Distinguished Lecturer program, The Journey to the 40% Mine, explores market-ready technologies and innovations in mining that can support a sector-wide reduction of 40% in primary energy consumption by 2040.  Mining is an energy-intensive industry and, on average, energy consumption accounts for almost one-fifth of total operating costs in the Canadian underground mining industry. 

 

The CIM award was given in recognition of Dr. Millar’s research contributions to the field of energy management in mining “I am honoured by this recognition and pleased to accept this award,” said Dr. Millar.  “It is a reflection of the valuable contributions of all those who work in MIRARCO’s Energy Renewables and Carbon Management group.”

 

For more information about Dr. Millar’s CIM Lecture presentation, please go to: https://www.cim.org/en/Services/Distinguished-Lecturers/Current.aspx#&slider1=2

For more information about MIRARCO, please go to: http://www.mirarco.org/


Biography

Dean Millar is Director of the Energy, Renewables and Carbon Management (ERCM) group of MIRARCO and Professor of Energy in Mining within Laurentian University's Bharti School of Engineering. He is Fellow of the IOM3, holds a bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering and a doctorate in Rock Mechanics, both from Imperial College, and is a Certified Energy Manager. Millar sits on the Executive Committee of the CIM Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability Society (MERS) and is the Energy Theme Leader for the Ultra Deep Mine Network.

Following his first academic post in Engineering Rock Mechanics at Imperial College from 1998, it was while at the Camborne School of Mines that he developed research interests in energy efficiency and renewable energy. In July 2010 he joined MIRARCO/LU to develop a research programme to reducing the energy and carbon footprint of mining that includes mine cooling, energy storage, energy optimization and renewables integration.

Laurentian Engineering students make history

Laurentian Engineering students make history

Both Bharti School’s Junior, Senior Design teams Win Canadian Engineering Competition

Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering makes history as both Junior and Senior Design teams win the 2015 Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Results of the CEC were announced at an awards banquet at Memorial University on Saturday evening. 
 

After the Junior Design team won the Ontario Engineering Competition (OEC) last month and the Senior Design team came in second, both teams qualified to represent Ontario at the nationwide 2015 CEC. Laurentian’s Junior Design team members are: Aidan Simpson, Colin Roos, Matthew Bennison and Stephane Labine. Members of the Senior Design team are: Caitlin Roos, Jasmin Lemieux, Louis-Francis Tremblay and Philip O'Connor.  
 

“This is truly an exceptional moment for Laurentian University and for the Bharti School of Engineering,” said Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, Director, Bharti School of Engineering. “For the first time in our University’s history we had both Junior and Senior Design teams represent Ontario on a national stage in the same year and we are inspired by their performance,” he said. 
 

Teams competed in the following categories: Communications Engineering, Consulting Engineering, Innovative Design, Junior Design, Extemporaneous Debate, Re-Engineering, and Senior Design. 
 

“Engineering is a signature program at Laurentian and an area of significant growth in the past few years, now serving 700 students from the undergraduate to PhD levels,” said University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux. “Our students and faculty have truly differentiated themselves and we are most proud of the esteem they continue to bring to our institution,” he added. 


Students from Laurentian’s Bharti School of Engineering have distinguished themselves in numerous provincial, national and international competitions. They have won the Canadian Mining Games more often than any other university in Canada. In 2011, Laurentian’s team won the NASA Lunabotics Mining competition with their design for a remote lunar-mining module. 
 

The Canadian Engineering Competition was hosted by Memorial University in St. John’s, March 5-8, 2015. The Canadian Engineering Competition is an annual competition involving more than 170 of the best and brightest engineering students from across Canada. The competition strives to expand and advance the education of our future engineers. Additionally, it is designed to test the competitors to become innovative and creative engineers that always consider environmental, social and economic impacts of their decisions. 
 

For more information about the Ontario Engineering Competition visit www.oec2015.ca and www.2015cec.ca to learn more about the 2015 Canadian Engineering Competition. 

Junior Design Team     Senior Design Team

Laurentian Engineering students headed to Nationals

Laurentian Engineering students headed to Nationals

Bharti School’s Junior, Senior teams win at Ontario Engineering Competition

February 25, 2015 - Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering will send two teams to the 2015 Canadian Engineering Competition in St. John’s, Newfoundland, next month, after strong showings by both the Junior and Senior teams at the Ontario Engineering Competiton. Results of the OEC were announced at an awards banquet at Ryerson University earlier this month.

Laurentian’s juniors, who are all first- and second-year engineering students, placed first in the OEC Junior Design category with a victory over competitors from Royal Military College and Queen’s University. Laurentian’s senior team, comprised of third- and fourth-year students, finished a close second to University of Guelph, with the University of Waterloo placing third.
 

“It’s really a tremendous showing for our students and we are all very proud of them,” said Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, Director, Bharti School of Engineering. “This is the first time that both our seniors and juniors have finished in the top three at the same OEC event, and the students are really pumped about taking their skills to the national competition next month,” he said.
 

Students from Laurentian’s Bharti School of Engineering have distinguished themselves in numerous provincial, national and international competitions. They have won the Canadian Mining Games more often than any other university in Canada. In 2011, Laurentian’s team won the NASA Lunabotics competition with their design for a remote lunar-mining module.
 

“This is another proud moment for Laurentian University and for the Bharti School of Engineering,” said University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux. “These students are proving that hands-on training, excellent faculty support and gritty determination are ingredients in engineering success. We will all be cheering them on,” he added.
 

An Open House event will be held on Thursday, February 26th from 1:30-2:30 pm in the Brenda Wallace Reading Room, where members of the University community, the media and the public can meet the members of both Junior and the Senior teams, and hear about their experiences at the OEC competition.
 

The Canadian Engineering Competition will be hosted by Memorial University in St. John’s, March 5-8, 2015.

For more information about the Ontario Engineering Competition visit www.oec2015.ca. Visit www.2015cec.ca to learn more about the 2015 Canadian Engineering Competition

Dr. Osman Abou-Rabia appointed as Dean

Dr. Osman Abou-Rabia appointed as Dean

Abou-Rabia to lead Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture

April 25, 2014 - Laurentian University’s Board of Governors today approved the appointment of Dr. Osman Abou-Rabia to the position of Dean, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture, for a term of five years, beginning July 1, 2014. 
 

Dr. Abou-Rabia has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (University of Ottawa) and completed his MSc and BSc at Cairo University. He joined Laurentian in 1985 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. He has since served the Department as Chair and his Faculty as Vice-Dean, and is currently Acting Dean of the Faculty. Following a national search, the selection committee unanimously recommended his appointment to the position. 
 

“Dr. Abou-Rabia has a unique appreciation of this Faculty and its needs, and he is absolutely the right choice for this critically-important role at the University,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dominic Giroux. “He has a management style that is consultative, his leadership qualities are well-regarded, and the recommendations we received from his colleagues and from others across the university community were highly positive and supportive of his candidacy.” 
 

Dr. Abou-Rabia is bilingual and has served on several Laurentian University Senate committees, including the Committee of English Language Programs and the Comité des programmes en français. He has also served as Chair of the Science and Engineering Faculty Council. He has been active in student recruitment both in Canada and abroad. He has played an integral role in the development of new agreements with universities in Chile, Egypt and South Korea. He has also been a key player in the creation of a new academic plan for Laurentian in Barrie, and a strong advocate for the developing relationship between Laurentian’s Forensic Science program and the OPP and RCMP. In the recently re-organized Faculty structure, the Dean will now assume responsibility for the School of Architecture, which began operations in 2013 and is led by founding director Terrance Galvin, the award-winning Bharti School of Engineering, a new School of Environment, along with all other Science departments and programs at Laurentian. 
 

"I am honoured to be leading the re-organized Faculty at such an exciting juncture in the evolution of this University. Our Faculty is equipped to make its mark in Canada and abroad, and I am very optimistic about our prospects for greater successes," said Dr. Abou-Rabia. 
 

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