Graduate students place first and third at the 3MT/MT180 Competition
Mr. Trevor Cotter, Ph.D. candidate supervised by Professors Mark Driscoll and Rosaire Mongrain, and Ms. Natasha Jacobson, Ph.D. candidate supervised by Professor Mark Driscoll, won places at the McGill 10th Edition of the Three-Minute Thesis/Ma Thèse en 180 secondes (3MT/MT180) out of a group of more than 150 students participating in this global competition. Mr. Cotter placed first with his talk “Spine Surgery: As Easy as Landing a Plane” and Ms. Jacobson placed third for her talk on “Blame Pressure for Bladder Leakage.” Read more.
01 APRIL 2021
Jianyu Li named Canada Research Chair, Tier II
Professor Jianyu Li was recently named as a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Health. The prestigious Canada Research Chair, Tier II recognizes exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.
01 MARCH 2021
Mechanical Engineering researchers develop 3D bioprinting approach with BioAssemblyBot
Professor Luc Mongeau and his research team recently developed a novel bioprinting method for creating tunable, porous, cell-laden scaffolds with a two-step biofabrication process. Read more.
15 OCTOBER 2020
Marco Amabili elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Professor Marco Amabili, Tier I Canada Research Chair, has been distinguished as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for his remarkable contributions in the area of Vibrations and Fluid-Structure Interaction. Read more.
18 SEPTEMBER 2020
Research group launches zero-carbon fuel experiment into space
Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson and his research group launched, after years of preparation, a metal combustion experiment aboard a rocket in Sweden on November 15, 2019. The experiment on the TEXUS 56 sounding rocket comprised a red anodized aluminum tube secured to the rocket, burning iron powder as a fuel. With the successful recovery of the payload, the research group is awaiting the download of data to garner information from the experiment. Photo. [L to R: Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson, Dr. Samuel Goroshin and Ph.D. student, Jan Palecka]. Read more.
19 NOVEMBER 2019
Amar Sabih awarded research and training grants from the Réseau Inondations InterSectoriel du Québec
In the results of its first research and training grant program of June 2019, the RIISQ (Réseau Inondations InterSectoriel du Québec/ Intersectorial Flood Network of Quebec) announced two grants awarded to Dr. Amar Sabih for Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students, Mohanned Al Khaldi and Liborio Ciccarello. The grants, for research and design in building new, efficient flood protection, will help the local community through technical expertise within the Department. Photo [R to L: Amar Sabih (Ph.D.'07); Gordon Routley (B.Eng'72), Ville de Montréal; U3 students Mohannad Al Kahaldi and Liborio Ciccarelo.] Read more.
23 JULY 2019
McGill Formula Electric wins top prize
On June 22, the Formula Electric car team won first prize at the international competition Formula SAE Electric in Lincoln, Nebraska. The team, comprising thirty undergraduates from Mechanical Engineering and other departments within the Faculty, worked long hours before heading to the event and passing all the competition tests with an 'A'. The team's faculty advisor, Professor Pascal Hubert was credited by the co-captains, Ali Al-Taher (Mechanical Engineering) and Ella Reifsnyder (Bioengineering) for his support, while he demured to the students for all the hard work. Read more.
27 JUNE 2019
Undergraduate student Judy Park wins Faculty's Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
Ms. Judy Park, a student in the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program, was recently awarded the Faculty's Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for the year. She was nominated by students in MATH 264 - Advanced Calculus for Engineers, in appreciation for her approach to conveying complex information in a clear and interesting manner.
30 MAY 2019
Mechanical Engineering professors awarded Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson and Professor Michael Kokkolaras have both recently been elevated to the grade of Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a distinction attained by less than 4% of the ASME membership.
29 APRIL 2019
Ibrahim Chamseddine wins 2018 GERAD Best Thesis competition
Dr. Ibrahim Chamseddine, who was supervised by Professor Michael Kokkolaras throughout his doctoral studies, recently won the 2018 GERAD Best Thesis Competition for his Ph.D. thesis. GERAD (Groupe d'études et de recherche en analyse des décisions) is a multi-university research centre founded in 1979, involving some 70 experts from a mix of disciplines. Read more.
08 APRIL 2019
Yaoyao (Fiona) Zhao named as a William Dawson Scholar
Professor Yaoyao Zhao has been named as a William Dawson Scholar. Professor Zhao joins a select groups of early-career professors at McGill University who have demonstrated particular promise. More specifically, "The William Dawson Scholar award recognizes a scholar developing into an outstanding and original researcher of world-class caliber who is poised to become a leader in his or her field, similar to that of a CRC Tier II chair holder."
02 APRIL 2019
Damiano Pasini named as a James McGill Professor
Professor Damiano Pasini has been named as a James McGill Professor, in acknowledgement of his leadership in his field. More specifically, the award "recognizes a senior scholar’s status as an outstanding and original researcher of world-class caliber and an international leader in his or her field. The award is similar to that of a Canada Research Chair Tier I."
02 APRIL 2019
Marco Amabili elected to ASME and IUTAM committees
Professor Marco Amabili has been elected secretary of the Executive Committee of the Applied Mechanics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and as Chair of the Canadian National Committee for International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM).
02 APRIL 2019
Graduate student Osaid Jawdat Matar receives H.S. Ewing Award
Mr. Osaid Jawdat Matar, Ph.D. candidate, is the 2018-2019 recipient of the H.S. Ewing Award. This prize was established in 1911 by Mr. H.S. Ewing, a benefactor of the University, to support meritorious students acting as lab demonstrators in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. As lab teaching assistant for course MECH 362 over the past three years, Osaid has shown exemplary commitment, interest and attentiveness to the students.
01 APRIL 2019
Graduate student Kevin Venne receives Michael P. Païdoussis Prize
Kevin Venne, Ph.D. candidate, has been awarded the Michael P. Païdoussis Prize for 2017-2018. This prize was established in 1993 by Dr. Michael P. Païdoussis, Thomas Workman Emeritus Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It is awarded to the author of the best Master of Engineering thesis written in a given academic year, in terms of content and literary style. The student must be proceeding to doctoral study to be eligible for this prize.
01 APRIL 2019
Women in Mechanical Engineering event
Professor Mélanie Tétreault-Friend organised an inaugural wine & cheese for women undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The event held on January 15 was a resounding success. Professor Tétreault-Friend invited these students to provide an opportunity for them to connect with one another, discuss common interests and issues, and to hear about a variety of research within the Department today.
08 FEBRUARY 2019
Marco Amabili to deliver 2019 Koiter Lecture
Professor Marco Amabili has been invited to give the 2019 Koiter lecture at The Netherlands Graduate School of Engineering Mechanics in October. The Koiter lecture honours researchers who have made a profound contribution to the field of Engineering Mechanics. Koiter Lecturers.
06 FEBRUARY 2019
James Forbes named as a William Dawson Scholar
Professor James Forbes was recently named as a William Dawson Scholar. Professor Forbes joins a select group of early-career professors at McGill University who have demonstrated particular promise. More specifically, "The William Dawson Scholar award recognizes a scholar developing into an outstanding and original researcher of world-class caliber who is poised to become a leader in his or her field, similar to that of a CRC Tier II chair holder." Read more.
13 APR 2018
Arun K. Misra winner of 2017 Dirk Brouwer Award
Professor Arun K. Misra recently received the Dirk Brouwer Award "for his outstanding and lasting contributions to astrodynamics of tethered satellite systems, flexible spacecraft, spacecraft orbiting asteroids, robotics for orbital assembly and debris capture." The Dirk Brouwer Award was established by the American Astronautical Society to honour significant technical contributions to space flight mechanics and astrodynamics. Professor Misra is the winner of this award for 2017. Dirk Brouwer Award. Read more.
02 APRIL 2018
Marco Amabili member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA)
Professor Marco Amabili has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. This is an important achievement; until now the European Academy of Sciences and Arts included only nine Canadian members, including John Polyani, winner of the 1986 Nobel prize for Chemistry. EASA. Read more.
02 APRIL 2018
Michael P. Païdoussis receives 2017 ASME Worcester Reed Warner Medal
Professor Michael P. Païdoussis recently received the ASME Worcester Reed Warner Medal for his “seminal contributions to the permanent literature of engineering research through highly praised books on fluid-structure interaction in axial and cross flows, and numerous breakthrough papers over the past 50 years.” The Department is proud to congratulate Professor Païdoussis for his ongoing contributions to the community and to the Department. ASME Medal. Read more.
17 NOVEMBER 2017
Team of Engineering students launches and recovers balloon plus payload system
A team of five engineering students working under the supervision of Professor James Richard Forbes launched a balloon plus payload system Varennes, Québec, on June 22nd. The team consisting of Jonathan Arsenault (M.Eng. (thesis) candidate), Lindsey Grant (M.Eng. (Aerospace) candidate), Paul Albert-Lebrun (B.Eng. candidate), and Charles Cossette (M.Eng. (non-thesis) candidate) are designing an autonomous parafoil payload-delivery system to be used by the McGill Rocket team (https://www.mcgillrocketteam.com/ ) and the McGill Space Systems Group (http://www.mcgillspace.com/) to test and recover hardware from high altitudes. The team’s balloon plus payload systems reached an altitude of nearly 60,000 feet (approximately 18.3 km), and landed over 250 km away near Rumford, Maine, USA. The team successfully tested and recovered their hardware, allowing them to move onto the next phase of their project. The team’s launch was assisted by members of B.R.A.Q. (Ballon Radioamateur du Québec). Sponsorship for the team is graciously provided by McGill University, McGill University’s Centre for Intelligent Machines, the McGill Institute for Aerospace Engineering (MIAE), the SURE program, and Qualcomm. View more.
28 JULY 2017
Canadian astronauts announced
On Canada Day, July 1, 2017, Canada's newest astronauts were announced: Dr. Jennifer Sidey (B.Eng. Honours '11) and Mr. Joshua Kutryk, both from Alberta. The Department of Mechanical Engineering is very proud of Jennifer's achievement.
Some background, provided by Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson, her honours thesis advisor: During her studies, Jenni stood out as a student who wanted to truly understand each subject. Her undergraduate Honours research focussed on metal-water reactions, specifically aluminum, to produce hydrogen on demand as part of a green energy cycle. She also assisted Ph.D. student Francois Tang on microgravity experiments conducted at the NRC facilities in Ottawa, with the project supported by the Canadian Space Agency. These experiments involved the combustion of iron with air and other oxidizers to develop an improved understanding of the fundamentals of metal combustion. Following her Bachelor’s degree, Jenni pursued her Ph.D. at Cambridge University under the supervision of Professor Epaminondas Mastorakos in the Hopkinson Laboratories. Her Ph.D. research shed new light on the concept of low-emissions combustion technologies. Throughout her studies and professional career, Jenni has been focused on communicating science and engineering to the general public and, especially, youth and young women. Read more.
07 JULY 2017
Metal as fuel?
Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are studying new fuel technology to provide a cleaner alternative to power vehicles of the future. Read more.
07 APRIL 2017
McGill Design Day - capstone design project exhibition
Are you a CEGEP or high school student interested in pursuing a degree in engineering? Are you a member of industry interesting in seeing what McGill Engineering students have to offer? Join us for a student project exhibit that highlights creativity and innovation at McGill Engineering! Learn about 3D printing, mobile apps, arts & engineering, autonomous vehicles, biomedical, green energies, robotics, smart cities & internet of things and much more! Read more.
30 MARCH 2017
In the running to be a Canadian astronaut
Five McGill graduates in Mechanical Engineering are candidates participating in the 2017 Canada Space Agency astronaut selection process. Vincent Beaudry (M.Eng. '09), Julie Bellerose (B.Eng. Honours '03), Shane Jacobs (B.Eng. '04), Jennifer Sidey (B.Eng. Honours '11) and Geneviève Vallières (B.Eng. '02) are running for the chance to be the next Canadian astronauts. Two individuals will be chosen among 70 exceptional candidates. Read more.
08 FEBRUARY 2017
GAMES Hosts the 2nd Annual Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research Showcase
The Graduate Association of Mechanical Engineering Students at McGill University (GAMES-McGill) is celebrating National Engineering Month this March through a Graduate Research Showcase. This academic showcase, with two mini-symposia (poster and oral presentations), will highlight the multi-disciplinary research being conducted in Mechanical Engineering by its graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Read more. To be a participant, submit a GAMES-McGill Abstract Application Form by February 17, 2017.
25 JANUARY 2017
McGill graduate blows things up to try to prevent explosions
Dr. Jenny Chao (B.Eng. '99, M.Eng. '02, Ph.D. '08) was profiled in The New York Times recently in an article which described the work she does as "preventing factory explosions by (safely) blowing stuff up". Dr. Chao is a senior lead research scientist at FM Global, who was supervised throughout her graduate studies by Professor John H.S. Lee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read more.
05 JANUARY 2017
INFINITI Engineering Academy welcomes McGill Mechanical Engineering student
Mr. Felix Lamy, undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University, is one of seven students across the globe to win a one-year placement at the INFINITI Technical Centre in Cranfield and at the Renault Sport Formula One Team in Enstone, Oxforshire, United Kingdom. Read more.
07 DECEMBER 2016
Mechanical Engineering student is 2017 Rhodes Scholar recipient
Mr. Aaron Gluck-Thaler, a prizewinning Mechanical Engineering student, is a scholar-elect from Quebec. “If the Rhodes is one thing,” Gluck-Thaler said, “it’s an amazing platform to do work in the public interest…. It’s a community I’m thrilled to a part of.” He said the Rhodes Trust has shown its commitment to equipping the leaders of tomorrow with the resources they need to benefit the public. Read more.
23 NOVEMBER 2016
Barthelat among five McGill NSERC awardees
Professor François Barthelat of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been awarded a three-year grant worth $379,681 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for his project entitled "New laser-engraving strategies for the manufacturing of toughened glass." Glass is used to make everything from car windshields to instrument gauges because of its hardness, durability, chemical stability and outstanding optical properties. However, its use is restricted by its main drawback: brittleness. The NSERC Strategic Partnership Grant will allow Professor Barthelat and his research team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering to continue exploring how to strengthen glass by using a 3D laser to actually engrave cracks in glass in configurations designed to make it difficult for the cracks to continue spreading. The team will be working with three glass manufacturing companies from different industrial sectors to see how these techniques can be applied to strengthen varying thicknesses and curvatures of glass." Read the full news release.
08 MAR 2016
Mecheng in Canada's top 5 for undergrad admissions standards
The mechanical engineering admissions standard at McGill University is among the five toughest among all undergraduate programs in Canada. The rankings, based on acceptance rates and entrance averages, come from University Hub and were published online by Yahoo Canada. The article indicates that the minimum entrance averages for McGill's undergraduate programs may collectively be the highest in Canada but that the standard for mechanical engineering is especially high at 95 percent. Read more about McGill's admission standards.
17 FEB 2016
Mecheng students shine at AeroTech Conference
Mechanical Engineering majors Hussain Buxwala and Mikel Garcia-Poulin were part of the 11-student-strong "Gang from McGill," which shined at the 2015 SAE AeroTech Conference and Exhibition in Seattle, WA, and earned a feature story in the SAE International magazine "Momentum."
27 JAN 2016
Best presentation award for Payette
Steven Payette received the 2014-2015 best oral presentation award in the course MECH 609 for his master's thesis talk "Heated-Tool Processing of Out-of-Autoclave Composite Materials." Congratulations, Steven!
27 JAN 2016
On the cover: Biomaterial breakthrough
Research led by Dr Hossein Heris of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr Jamal Daoud of the Department of Biomedical Engineering is featured on the cover of the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. Their article describes the successful adhesion of human fibroblast cells to a scaffold biomaterial composed of hyaluronic acid and gelatin composite microgels. The findings may lead to better treatments for people affected by vocal cord injury or disease. Co-authors on the paper include Prof Luc Mongeau (Dept of Mechanical Engineering), Prof Maryam Tabrizian (Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Dept of Anatomy and Cell Biology), Dr Hojatollah Vali (Dept of Anatomy and Cell Biology), and Dr Sara Sheibani (Dept of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Defence R&D Canada).
27 JAN 2016
Quirks & Quarks features Bergthorson research
Don't miss the January 15, 2016, edition of CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks to learn how Prof Jeff Bergthorson and colleagues are finding ways for energy to be stored and transported via iron and other metals, a novel and potentially important method for delivering fossil-fuel-free power.
19 JAN 2016
Could metal particles be the clean fuel of the future?
Applied Energy paper, co-authored by Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson with five other McGill researchers and a European Space Agency scientist in the Netherlands. Read Article
09 DEC 2015
Tips from a top student
Mechanical Engineering student, Da-Eun Kim, is one of five CEMF Engineering Ambassador Scholarship recipients this year. The scholarships, awarded by the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation, recognize the achievements and community engagement of top female engineering students in Canada. Ms Kim represents the Québec region. In the following Q&A, she shares more about her volunteer activities, Mecheng experience and plans for the future.
How has volunteering shaped you?
Some of my community work was outreach to younger students about engineering. I went to elementary schools with Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering (POWE) to show kids what engineering was. I volunteered with the POWE Conference for Future Women Engineers and gave a tour of the Engineering facilities at McGill. More
12 AUG 2015
Inna Sharf to speak at CANARIE Summit
Mechnanical Engineering Professor Inna Sharf will speak at the 2015 CANARIE National Summit on September 23-24 in Ottawa. The event, organized by the non-profit CANARIE, brings together leaders from Canada's government, industry and academic communities to share knowledge about technological innovation and explore opportunities for collaboration and development. Professor Sharf focuses her research on unmanned aerial vehicles, space robotic systems, and legged robots. In October 2014, Robohub included her on a list of "25 women in robotics you need to know about."
1 AUG 2015
A parade of honours
The 2015 Wighton Fellowship Award was awarded to Dr. Amar Sabih for his exceptional and innovative contribution to the instruction of laboratory-based, undergraduate engineering courses in Canada. The fellowship is funded by a generous endowment from the late Dr J.L. Wighton, a professor with a commitment to the laboratory component of engineering curricula. In cooperation with the National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science (NCDEAS) and the Sandford Fleming Foundation, the fellowship was formed in 1986. The Fellowship has been awarded every year since its inception.Dr Sabih is the 30th Wighton Fellow.
Associate Professor Srikar Vengallatore received the Samuel and Ida Fromson Award, which recognizes outstanding teaching performance by an Engineering professor. Professor Marco Amabili won the Christophe Pierre Award for excellence in research, particularly in terms of innovation and impact. And one of two William and Rhea Seath awards, honouring innovative research with commercial potential, went to Associate Professor Damiano Pasini and colleagues for their outstanding and innovative research project entitled "Fully Porous Hip Replacement Implant Capable of Eliminating Bone Resorption." The team also won 1st place honours (Innovation Driven Enterprise Track) in the 2015 McGill Dobson Cup Start-UP Competition.
11 JUN 2015
Michael Kokkolaras awarded tenure
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Kokkolaras on being granted tenure! A member of McGill's research community since 2012, Dr. Kokkolaras studies multidisciplinary optimization, simulation-based engineering design, uncertainty quantification, decomposition and coordination methods, modeling and validation, systems of systems, product families and optimization applications in engineering. He has co-authored 46 articles in archival journals, 59 papers in conference proceedings and 5 book chapters and has given more than 40 invited talks at academic, industry and government seminars and workshops. He served as Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design from 2008 to 2014, and is currently Associate Editor of the CSME Transactions and the Optimization and Engineering journal. Read on to learn more about Dr Kokkolaras and his distinguished path to tenure.
3 JUN 2015
Mecheng alum featured in "McGill dans la ville"
Department of Mechanical Engineering alumnus Kieran Humphries is featured, along with electrical engineer Diego Mascarella, in the May 2015 edition of McGill's French-language publication McGill dans la ville. "Diego and Kieran are both young and bright McGill-trained research engineers," said Prof Benoit Boulet, who supervises their work on the e-drivetrain APC project, which engages industry partners such as Linamar, TM4, Infolytica and Purolator. Full article available in French and English.
3 JUN 2015
In memory of Professor Lucjan Kops
Professor of Mechanical Engineering Lucjan Kops died peacefully at his home on Tuesday, May 19, approximately one year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His friend and colleague Dr. Helmi Attia was with Professor Kops at the time of his death. “He was in comfort and in the care of a doctor and nurse who were taking very good care of him,” Dr. Attia said. “He will be missed for his kindness and the contributions he made over the years to the manufacturing teaching and research at our department.” Prof Kops will be buried in Poland, but a funeral service will be held this Friday at 3pm at Paperman & Sons Funeral Home. Memories of Prof Kops can be shared at the Gazette’s obituary page. Donations to support cancer research can be made in his honor at the Segal Cancer Centre c/o the Jewish General Hospital Foundation.
22 MAY 2015
Microdevice papers gather accolades
Students Pengfei Song, Weize Zhang and Alexandre Sobolevski, under the supervision of Professor Xinyu Liu, won the Best Paper Award in the Microfluidics Symposium at the 2014 ASME IMECE conference. The team developed a microfluidic device for on-chip culture, chemical perfusion and phenotype identification of the nematode worm C. elegans, a promising development for worm-based, high-throughput chemical testing. The device can house single worms in microfluidic chambers, the chemical environment of which can be adjusted according to experimental needs. Eight worms can be efficiently loaded into the chambers through separate channels. Custom software with a graphic interface permits quantitative analysis of the worms' locomotion parameters (e.g., swimming frequency and bend amplitude) in response to the chemical stimuli, thus greatly enhancing the efficiency of data collection. This project was completed through close collaboration with the research group of Professor Siegfried Hekimi at McGill’s Biology Department.
A research article co-authored by Chen Zhao, Guowei Zhong, Da-Eun Kim, Professor Jinxia Liu (Civil Engineering) and Professor Xinyu Liu is nominated as one of 10 finalists for the Best Paper Award by the AIP journal, Biomicrofluidics. The finalists were selected from the 185 articles published by the journal in 2014. The article reports a handheld lab-on-a-chip instrument integrating gold nanoparticle-based chemistry for colorimetric detection of metal ions, such as lead (Pb2+) and aluminum (Al3+), in drinking water. This portable device will have important applications for onsite water quality monitoring and is currently under further development for field water tests.
16 MAY 2015
Museum time for the Lessard team
Musical instruments created by students Steven Phillips and Ajith Damodaran, under the supervision of Professor Larry Lessard, were displayed at the Design Museum in Ghent, Belgium, during the month of April 2015. An exhibition called “Kunststof Natuurlijk,” or “Synthetic by Nature,” showcased 50 objects made from flax, hemp, bamboo and other biocomposites. Natural fiber composites are gaining interest in engineering design, and this exhibit featured the state-of-the-art and future possibilities for these materials. The Lessard team contributed a flax-fiber ukulele designed by Phillips and a flax-hybrid Chenda drum designed by Damodaran. Also included in the exhibit were furniture, car parts, a motorcycle, bicycles, skis and other sports equipment.
6 MAY 2015
New funding for biosensor research
Professor Xinyu Liu is one of 10 McGill researchers to receive a 2015 NSERC Strategic Project Grant. His proposal, entitled "Paper-based microfluidic devices intergrating inGaN/GaN semiconductor microtubes for ultrasensitive detection of disease markers," has been awarded $394,300 to investigate portable, ultrasensitive biosensors that can quickly detect disease markers. In addition to improving health care through early-stage disease diagnosis and treatment, the technologies developed in this project will enable the development of other types of paper-based electronic sensors for non-diagnostic applications, such as environmental monitoring, food safety inspection, and consumer electronics.
16 FEB 2015
Larry Lessard promoted to full professor
Congratulations to Dr. Larry Lessard on his promotion from associate to full professor! A member of McGill's research community since 1989, Professor Lessard studies composite materials and their structures, with applications in fields as diverse as aerospace engineering, sporting equipment and musical instrument design, and robotics. To learn more about Larry's research, please see his profile and the Structures and Composite Materials Laboratory website.
9 FEB 2015
Leading the charge toward sustainability
Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been named the first Panda Faculty Scholar in Sustainable Engineering and Design at the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design (TISED). Also recently appointed Associate Director of TISED, Prof Bergthorson began a 3-year term in both roles on January 1, 2015.
Professor Bergthorson is an expert in the combustion properties of alternative and sustainable fuels, including biofuels, and is a Theme Leader within BioFuelNet Canada, a Network of Centres of Excellence. As Panda Scholar, he will pursue research on zero-carbon energy research and technology development to enable a more sustainable, low-carbon future. Prof Bergthorson explores the use of metal powders as recyclable solar fuels for zero-carbon power generation. Metal fuels may be superior alternatives to compressed or liquefied hydrogen as future energy carriers, thus supplementing and replacing many of the essential roles of hydrocarbon fuels in modern society. By studying metal-water reactions for in-situ hydrogen production and the direct combustion of metal-fuel suspensions in air, Bergthorson’s research group is developing the science and technology needed to harness the chemical energy in metal fuels, using heat-engine and fuel-cell systems, to power heavy machinery, automobiles, and other forms of transportation.
The Panda Faculty Scholar in Sustainable Engineering and Design award was established through an endowed gift to the Faculty of Engineering from alumnus Ram Panda (M.Eng. ’71, MBA ’77). This Faculty Scholar position supports exploratory and highly innovative research in sustainability. It advances and enriches the teaching and research programs launched by TISED. The award provides funding for doctoral student research in sustainable engineering and design and opportunities for outreach, research and policy work.
16 JAN 2015
A place in the top 10
Research led by Professor François Barthelat in the Department of Mechanical Engineering earned a spot on Quebec's list of top 10 scientific discoveries in 2014. Inspired by natural structures like seashells, Barthelat and his team developed a technique to strengthen glass. They were able to make glass 200 times more resistant to breakage by engraving micro-cracks in wavy configurations on its surface. The pattern of micro-cracks guided larger cracks and absorbed impact energy. “We chose to work with glass because we wanted to work with the archetypal brittle material, but we plan to go on to work with ceramics and polymers in future," Barthelat said.
8 JAN 2015
Amabili Plenary Lecture
Discovery Channel Visits Marco Amabili
Discovery Channel recently filmed Professor Marco Amabili in his lab. The video will show the oscillation of coffee in a mug and how to avoid to spill it when you walk. Science was made elementary and experiments visualizing the oscillation modes have been filmed.
2014 Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers Gold Medal Awarded
John Riedel is the 2014 winner of the CSME Gold Medal (Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers).The CSME Medal is now given every year to an outstanding student in the MECH 463 Final Year Project Class. John Riedel's group project was entitled: “Design of a Foldable Produce Washer”.
John Riedel with Professor Larry Lessard.
First Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers Gold Medal Awarded
![First Recipient of the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers Gold First Recipient of the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers Gold](https://www.mcgill.ca/mecheng/files/mecheng/images/news-csme_award_2013_payette_steven.jpg)
Steven Payette is the 2013 winner of the CSME Gold Medal (Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers). This is a new award and will be given annually to the top student in the MECH 463 Final Year Project Class. Steven Payette's project was entitled "Design of an Innovative Hip-Replacement Implant Using Lattice Materials".
Steven Payette with professors Pascal Hubert (left) and Larry Lessard (right).
Mechanical Engineers Perform at SAMPE Bridge Building Contest
Mechanical Engineering students recently participated in the 2013 SAMPE Composite Bridge Building Contest held in Long Beach, California in May 2013 where they received several prizes.
Professor Larry Lessard’s students performed extremely well in the design presentation poster category, with a CLEAN SWEEP of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th prize out of 61 entries.
The Natural Fiber Testing Category fared 2nd out of 11 entries and the Carbon Fiber Bridge Testing Category placed 4th out of 14 entries. Although McGill entered only only 6 bridges while some teams had twice that many, the team finished in 3rd place for “overall team”. The students of the MECH 543 Design and Manufacturing with Composite Materials class are congratulated for a remarkable showing.
Pictured here in front of their winning posters are students from the McGill Bridge Contest team: Mohammad Sherafat, Dominic Leblanc, Katie Hay, Kavish Bujun, Kobyé Bodjona, Adam Smith, Karthik Raju and Keiran Humphries
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II Medal Awarded to Professor Michael Païdoussis
Professor Michael Païdoussis has been awarded the Medal of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This medal was awarded during a ceremony of the Handing-Over of the Medals held at the Stephen Leacock Building, McGill University on Sunday, February 17, 2013. The medal is awarded in recognition of Professor Païdoussis’ achievements and various services rendered to McGill in particular, and to Canada. The medal was awarded by the Right Honourable Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec – the Honourable Pierre Duchesne. Professor Païdoussis was nominated to receive this medal by the Board of Governors of McGill University and his nomination was processed through the McGill Secretariat.
Contributing Editor of The International Journal of Non-linear Mechanics, Elsevier
Professor Marco Amabili has been appointed one of the four Contributing Editors of The International Journal of Non-linear Mechanics, Elsevier. He will cover the area of vibrations and structural mechanics. Professor Amabili also serves as Associate Editor of Journal of Fluids and Structures (Elsevier), Applied Mechanics Reviews (ASME), Journal of Vibration and Acoustics (ASME), Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines (Taylor & Francis). He is in the editorial board of Journal of Sound and Vibration (Elsevier) and International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics (World Scientific).
Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching Awarded to Jeff Bergthorsen
Professor Jeff Bergthorsen has been named the 2012 recipient of the Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in the Assistant Professor category. Bergthorsen’s exceptional calibre of teaching skills and the consistent nature of his students’ tributes led to this prestigious award.
The Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching, established in 2000 to recognize excellence in teaching and its importance to the academic experience of students at McGill, was awarded to one recipient in each of four categories: Faculty Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor.
Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence from Canadian Microelectronics Corporation
Professor Xinyu Liu was awarded the 2012 Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence from Canadian Microelectronics Corporation (CMC). The Douglas R. Colton Medal is awarded annually to a Canadian researcher to recognize excellence in research leading to new understanding and novel developments in microsystems and related technologies. Professor Liu was nominated by McGill for the Colton Metal, for his research on developing innovative microrobotic and bioMEMS technologies that enable high-throughput, automated manipulation and characterization of single cells for biological and medical applications.
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Involved in Creation of Pressurized Suit
McGill graduate aerospace engineer Shane Jacobs (BEng’04), was part of the engineering team that created the pressurized suit for Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil skydiver who jumped from “the edge of space” earlier this month. Jacobs helped build Baumgartner's suit with a team from David Clark, a Massachusetts-based company that has designed air and space crew equipment for more than 50 years. The suit was built with a long list of unique characteristics, Jacobs explained, which allowed Baumgartner to withstand huge ranges of temperature, atmospheric pressure and G-force.
Mechanical Engineering Student Wins First Prize at the 2012 SAF
On March 2, 2012, Composite Materials for Aerospace Applications PhD candidate Marina Selezneva won first prize for the poster titled: “Thermoplastic Composites Forming Technology for Complex and Integrated Aerospace Components” at the 2012 SAF (Student Aerospace Forum). She is supervised by professsors Pascal Hubert and Larry Lessard. Industrial partners are: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited, Bombardier Inc., Pratt and Whitney Canada Corp., Marquez Transtech Limited, Delastek Inc. and Avior Integrated Products Inc. Government agencies are: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec (CRIAQ).
Prof Wagdi Habashi Conferred by the Order of Quebec (l'Ordre National du Québec)
We are proud to announce that Mechanical Engineering professor, Wagdi Habashi, has received extraordinary recognition for his contribution to the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics. He has been conferred the Order of Quebec (l'Ordre National du Québec (Chevalier)).
Prof Arun K. Misra elected Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor Arun K. Misra has been elected FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS. This great honour reflects his illustrious career and reiterates the highly regarded status in the Aerospace world of McGill’s Faculty of Engineering. The AIAA announced the 2012 Fellows on January 20, 2012 and an official presentation will take place on May 9, 2012 at the AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. The distinction of Fellow is conferred upon those members of the Institute who have made notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics and astronautics. MORE
Prof George Haller Develops New Technique to Predict the Spread of Oil Spills
Mathematical methods help predict movement of oil and ash following environmental disasters
When oil started gushing into the Gulf of Mexico in late April 2010, friends asked George Haller whether he was tracking its movement. That’s because the McGill engineering professor has been working for years on ways to better understand patterns in the seemingly chaotic motion of oceans and air. Meanwhile, colleagues of Josefina Olascoaga in Miami were asking the geophysicist a similar question. Fortunately, she was. MORE
Mechanical Engineering Students Win at SAMPE Design Competition
McGill Composite Materials students had their best performance ever at the annual SAMPE (Society for Advancement of Materials an Process Engineering) Bridge Building Contest held in Long Beach, California during the SAMPE conference in May of 2011. Students of Professor Larry Lessard took home many prizes including first place in the Natural Fiber Bridge Category with the team of Navid Ghomi, Marina Selezneva, Alireza Hatami and Sherman Hung. In the parallel Poster Presentation Competition, this team also won first prize. Most remarkable though was that McGill teams won first, second, third and fourth prize in the poster competition: a clean sweep! McGill also took third place in the Natural Fiber Bridge Category and second prize for “Best Overall Team”. Students in this competition design and build composite bridges as part of Professor Lessard’s “Design and Manufacturing with Composites” course and compete with around 80 other teams from other universities across the United States and Canada. MORE
Professor larry Lessard wins Composite Educator of the Year Award![](https://www.mcgill.ca/mecheng/files/mecheng/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/images/bridgecontestwinners2011.jpg?itok=kpfMvcyo)
Professor Larry Lessard has been awarded the COMPOSITES EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR 2011 by the Composites Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), sponsored by Dow Chemical. The award was announced at the ANTEC 2011 conference, May 1-5, 2011 in Boston. The COMPOSITES EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR is someone in the educational field who has made a significant contribution to the training of students in the composites area. MORE
Dr. Sabih's Students' Achievements: June 2011
Mechanical Engineering students of Dr. Amar Sabih have won best poster and a sustainability fund of $3000 at McGill’s Sustainability Symposium (MSS) last month. The MSS is an initiative to encourage discussion of current research in the field of sustainability at McGill University and features a host of guest speakers and student research projects.
Dr. Sabih’s students have also been involved the Social Responsive Habitat (SR-Hab) project, which was showcased in art exhibitions around Europe and most recently in Montreal. The project is a mobile, self-sustainiable bicycle unit for urban commuting and dwelling, designed by the students for client Ana Rewakowicz, a Canadian/Polish artist/designer and researcher based in Montreal. This project boasts a new, eco-friendly bike with a habitat that could sustain basic living necessities “off the grid.” Electricity is generated through the use of home systems such as lights, laptops, iPods and kitchen appliances. See Exhibition and Video
Professor Michael Païdoussis Presents Keynote Lecture at ASCE EMI Conference 4th June 2011
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Professor Michael P. Païdoussis has been invited to present a Keynote Lecture at the American Society of Civil Engineers / Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference, 2-4 June 2011, at Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
The lecture is entitled “Pipe dynamics: a review and new developments.” MORE
Professor Jozsef Kövecses Joins Mechanical Engineering Journal Editorial Board: May 3, 2011
Professor Jozsef Kövecses has been invited to join the editorial board of Mechanism and Machine Theory (Elsevier). Providing a medium of communication between engineers and scientists engaged in research and development within such fields as Design Theory and Methodology, Robotics, Mechatronics and Micro-Machines, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control of Mechanical Systems, this international journal ranks among the top 25% of all Mechanical Engineering-related journals. MORE
Professor Dan Mateescu Appointed Editor-in-Chief: April 1, 2011
Professor Dan Mateescu has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of The Open Engineering Journal, an emerging, Open Access online journal which publishes the latest advances in aerospace engineering, fluid dynamics, space engineering and robotics. This distinction comes after serving two years as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board. He has also been an Editorial Board Member of another journal, INCAS Bulletin, since 2009, as well as a Scientific Committee affiliate for the 33rd Conference of Fluid Mechanics and Technical Applications (September 2011).
In addition to his editorial tasks, Professor Mateescu continues to be active in the research realm. With his group of graduate students, he has published seven journal papers and eight conference papers since 2010, with several others in the submission process.
Professor Eliot Fried to present at Midwest Mechanics Seminar: March 2011
Professor Eliot Fried has been invited to present at next year’s Midwest Mechanics Seminar series. The series, which began in 1958, invites four outstanding researchers in mechanics every year to deliver lectures during two one-week tours of five of the ten participating Midwestern universities. The schools involved include Illinois Institute of Technology, Michigan State, Purdue and Northwestern. MORE
Professor Wagdi Habashi wins 2011 CASI McCurdy Award: March 2011
Professor Wagdi Habashi is the recipient of the 2011 CASI McCurdy Award. The Award was introduced in 1954 by the Institute of Aircraft Technicians through the Canadian Aerospace and Space Institute to recognize outstanding achievement in the science and creative aspects of engineering relating to aeronautics and space research. It is one of only five CASI Senior Awards. Professor Habashi will receive this distinction at the CASI AERO 2011 Conference and 58th Annual General Meeting’s Senior Awards Reception and Gala Banquet, which is taking place at Montreal’s Delta Centre‐Ville Hotel on April 27.
Professors Michael Paidoussis and S.J. Price Publish a New Book: March 2011
Professor Michael Paidoussis has just published a book on the influence of fluid flow on structures. The book, Fluid-Structure Interactions: Cross-Flow-Induced Instabilities (Cambridge University Press, December 2010), was written along with professors Stuart Price and Emmanuel de Langre.
About the Book
Structures in contact with fluid flow, whether natural or man-made, are inevitably subject to flow-induced forces and flow-induced vibration: from plant leaves to traffic signs and to more substantial structures, such as bridge decks and heat exchanger tubes. Under certain conditions the vibration may be self-excited, and it is usually referred to as an instability. These instabilities and, more specifically, the conditions under which they arise are of great importance to designers and operators of the systems concerned because of the significant potential to cause damage in the short term. Such flow-induced instabilities are the subject of this book. In particular, the flow-induced instabilities treated in this book are associated with cross-flow, that is, flow normal to the long axis of the structure. The book treats a specific set of problems that are fundamentally and technologically important: galloping, vortex-shedding oscillations under lock-in conditions, and rain-and-wind-induced vibrations, among others. The emphasis throughout is on providing a physical description of the phenomena that is as clear and up-to-date as possible (Cambridge University Press website).
Professor Paidoussis’ book is available on the Cambridge University Press website.
Professor Pascal Hubert's Students Awarded: January 2011
In October, PhD candidates Timotei Centea and James Kratz won first prize at the Student in Aerospace Forum 2010 for their poster, “Manufacturing composites using out-of-autoclave prepreg technology.” Their research contribution was part of a large CRIAQ project funded by NSERC, Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter, Delastek and CRIAQ in collaboration with Concordia, UBC and NRC.
In November, Master Candidate Rajaprakash Ramachandramoorthy won second prize at the Auto 21 TestDrive competition for his research on laser welding of thermoplastic components. The contest awards cutting edge technologies and automotive knowledge developed in part by university graduate students. Rajaprakash’s project was a collaboration between McGill, the Royal Military College and Queens University, and was funded by Auto21 Network Center of Excellence.
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Professor Peter Radziszewski Awarded a Grant to Develop New Lunar Rover Wheel: December 2010
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Mechanical Engineering professor, Peter Radziszewski, and his team of colleagues and students have been awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency to develop wheels for a new lunar rover. The 11.5 million dollar project will allow the group to advance their earlier prototypes of lunar-friendly wheels in order to create the Lunar Exploration Light Rover (LELR), a device that will be used to carry cargo and crew, as well as enable excavation and communication systems. Developments for the wheel model began in 2009, when Professor Radziszewski and his team created the “iRing” (the name deriving from the Canadian Engineering iron ring tradition). This metal bean-bag-like structure composed of a chainmail exterior filled with granular particulate matter was made to cope with the moon’s severe terrain. We look forward to seeing the group’s final prototype, which is slated to be unveiled in the spring of 2012. More information at:
McGill Student Team Wins Third Place in ASME National Competition: November 2010
After taking top prize at the Regionals for the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) student design competition in April, U3 McGill Mechanical Engineering students Daniel Mok, Chris See-Hoye, Alain Ouellet and Alex Tarasevych were invited to the National Competition held in Vancouver this November. We are happy to announce that they placed third out of twenty-one teams!
This final round of the ASME student competition showcased the best designs for an autonomous recycling sorter, a project that required teams to build a machine to sort twelve items consisting of glass, steel, aluminum and plastic. Dr. Sudarshan Martins originally chose this challenge for their Conceptual Design class and the team went on to win not only the class competition, but the Regional Competition as well, becoming the only qualifying Canadian team at the Nationals.
With teams from all over the world including the United States, Hong Kong, Lebanon and Singapore, competition was tough, and we are extremely proud of the Team’s accomplishments.
Professor Habashi Wins Inaugural James C. Floyd Award of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada: October 2010
Professor Wagdi G. Habashi is the recipient of the first AIAC James C. Floyd Award for Recent Canadian Aerospace Achievement. The award acknowledges an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to Canada’s aerospace industry. Professor Habashi’s significant accomplishments will be honoured at the AIAC’s 49th Annual General Meeting and Conference in Ottawa on October 26th. More information at:
Professor Frost Awarded International Science and Technology Award: October 2010
Professor David Frost has won the Technical Cooperation Program Team Achievement Award -- an International Science and Technology Award from Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). Professor Frost was recognized for his research area, “Fundamentals and Performance Assessment of Enhanced Blast explosives,” at the Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa on October 20th. MORE
Speeding Bullet: Professor Andrew Higgins’ New Hypervelocity Gun Emulates Collision With Space Debris: October 2010
Professor Andrew Higgins has garnered acclaim for the development of a hypervelocity gun barrel meant to aid in the research of damage done by debris collisions in space. With funding from the Canadian Space Agency, Professor Higgins and his team have created a “speeding bullet” – the closest thing to imitating the velocity of space debris. Thus far, the invention is on par with the current speed record; however, Higgins aspires to surpass that limit. CBC science program, "Découverte," filmed a segment on the device, which is set to air on October 31st. MORE - Prism Magazine (2010)
McGill to Host the International Society for Geometry and Graphics Conference September 2010
McGill University has been chosen to hold the 15th International Society for Geometry and Graphics (ISGG) Conference in August 2012. Paul Zsombor-Murray, professor of Mechanical Engineering and former Vice President of ISGG, will head the organization of this distinguished event. MORE
Professor Zsombor-Murray Wins Steve M. Slaby Award of ISGG: August 2010
Professor Paul Zsombor-Murray has won the International Society of Geometry and Graphics’ (ISGG) Steve M. Slaby Award. The award, which was founded in 1991 by former President of Graphics and Science Promotion and Publications (GRASP), Professor Harold Santo, acknowledges the lifetime achievements and contributions of a scholar in the Graphics Education field. Professor Zsombor-Murray, who has made a significant impact to Engineering Graphics Education and maintains a respected international reputation, received this distinction at the 14th International Conference on Geometry and Graphics (ICGG 2010) in Kyoto. For more information:
International Conference on Geometry and Graphics
McGill ME Doctoral Student wins Graduate Paper Competition: August 2010
Mr. Torsten Liesk, a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, has won a best paper award at the AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Conference. Mr. Liesk, who works with professors Meyer Nahon and Benoit Boulet, presented his work at the Graduate Student Paper Competition held at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto on August 1st. His winning paper was titled “Integral Backstepping Control of an Unmanned, Unstable, Fin-less Airship.”
GNC Graduate Student Paper Competition
Mechanical Engineering Students win First Prize at SAMPE
May 30, 2010
We are happy to announce that Mechanical Engineering students of Professor Larry Lessard have taken home first prize at the 2010 SAMPE Bridge Competition. The team, consisting of Xavier Brulotte, James Kratz, Time Centea, Erin Quinlan, Steven Phillips, Swaroop Viswewaraiah, Lolei Khoun and Kaven Croft, contended with over 80 universities across Canada and the United States to design a lightweight composite bridge. There were four categories of competition, and McGill came first in the "Natural Fiber" category with their winning Flax-Fiber design. The competition was held in Seattle at the May 2010 at the SAMPE (Society for Advanced Materials and Process Engineering) International Composites Conference. This is the biggest and most important annual conference in composite materials in North America.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: SAMPE 2010
Professor Eliot Fried Publishes New Book, The Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Continua
April 22nd, 2010
Mechanical Engineering Professor Eliot Fried is one of three co-authors of the new book, The Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Continua, published by Cambridge University Press in April 2010. According to the Cambridge University Press Website,
The Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Continua presents a unified treatment of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics that emphasizes the universal status of the basic balances and the entropy imbalance. These laws are viewed as fundamental building blocks on which to frame theories of material behavior. As a valuable reference source, this book presents a detailed and complete treatment of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics for graduates and advanced undergraduates in engineering, physics, and mathematics. The chapters on plasticity discuss the standard isotropic theories and, in addition, crystal plasticity and gradient plasticity.
Professor Fried's book is available for purchase on the Cambridge Website, as well as on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
McGill Students Win Regional ASME Student Design Competition; Next Up, Nationals!
April 14th, 2010
We are happy to announce that Mechanical Engineering students, Oleksiy Tarasevych, Christopher See Hoye, Daniel Mok and Alain Ouellet have won the regional ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) 2010 student design competition!
Having won the regional competition, the team proceeds to the National ASME Competition in November in Vancouver B.C. The last McGill team to have won the regional competition went on to win the National ASME Competition in 2006. We wish them the best of luck!
Professor Pascal Hubert and Doctoral Student Cyrill Cattin featured on Canal Savoir
March 2nd, 2010
Mechanical Engineering Professor Pascal Hubert and doctoral student Cyrill Cattin will be featured four times on Canal Savoir's French-language television series, Campus starting March 3rd, 2010. The episodes, filmed in Hubert's laboratory, will highlight their work in composite materials. The broadcast schedule of the four episodes is as follows:
McGill's Electric Snowmobile carries Olympic Torch in Whistler, BC!
February 4th, 2010
We are very proud to announce that McGill's Electric Snowmobile had the honour and privilege of carrying Olympic athlete and freestyle-skier Julia Murray and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch on Day 99 of the Torch's relay across Canada from Squamish to Whistler, BC. Mechanical Engineering Professor Peter Radziszewski and his team worked diligently to assure the Electric Snowmobile would be ready for its Olympic moment, and we commend and congratulate them on their excellent work and on this proud moment for them and for McGill!
SEE THE PHOTOS: McGill's Electric Snowmobile at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games
Professor Peter Radziszewski's Electric Snowmobile Team Featured in Canadian Geographic
January 19th, 2010
The January/February 2010 publication of Canadian Geographic features a short article on Professor Peter Radziszewski's student-designed Electric Snowmobile and one of its creators, McGill graduate student, Simon Ouellette. The article, entitled Green Machine and written by Mathew Klie-Cribb, focuses on the development and function of the Electric Snowmobile and highlights McGill student innovation and design.
READ THE ARTICLE: Canadian Geographic - Green Machine
McGill ME Professors Make Fundamental Contributions to Aerospace Research
January 19th, 2010
The Fall/Winter 2009 publication of McGill's alumni magazine, McGill News, showcases the research of distinguished Mechanical Engineering Professors Wagdi Habashi, Andrew Higgins, Damiano Pasini, Christophe Pierre, Peter Radziszewski, and Vince Thomson and highlights their fundamental contributions to Montreal's thriving Aerospace industry. Touching on a variety of subjects and research interests including the prevention of space disasters, lunar rovers, and treacherous airplane ice, the full article, titled Engineering Flies High, is a fascinating look into the world of Aerospace technology and development.
Professor Amabili invited to Join Editorial Board of The International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics
January 7th, 2010
Professor Marco Amabili, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Vibrations and Fluid-Structure Interaction, has been invited to join the editorial board of the International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics, starting 1 January 2010. Professor Amabili is already an Associate Editor of the ASME Applied Mechanics Reviews, the Journal of Fluids and Structures and is member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sound and Vibration.
READ ABOUT HIM: McGill Profile
Professor Bergthorson Awarded Prestigious Québec Government Bursary
December 22, 2009
We are pleased to announce that Professor Jeff Bergthorson has been awarded a prestigious Québec Government Bursary. He is one of five outstanding Fall 2009 recipients in the Faculty of Engineering of a Bourse d’Enseignement en Génie from the Québec Government’s Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport. The value of this award is approximately $25,000 annually over five years.
The Programme de Bourses d’Enseignement en Génie et en Administration dans les Universités Québécoises recognizes significant teaching and research contributions and is designed to help Québec universities attract and retain top-caliber professors and professors with significant potential.
VISIT HIS WEBSITE: Jeff Bergthorson's research page
Professor Habashi Elected Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
December 9, 2009
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Professor Wagdi G. Habashi has been elected Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
This distinction of Fellow has been awarded to Professor Habashi by the AIAA and its Board of Directors for his valuable and important contributions to the technology of aeronautics and astronautics. As an outstanding member of the Institute, he joins the list of the most respected names in the aerospace industry.
VISIT HIS WEBSITE: Professor Habashi's CFD LabThe Skeleton of Water — George Haller
November 23, 2009
Research is revealing a hidden structure within liquids and gases that guides the movement of everything from pollution to aeroplanes. The theory of Lagrangian coherent structures was started about 10 years ago by George Haller, who was then at Brown University, in Rhode Island, and is now Chair of our Faculty’s Mechanical Engineering Department.
Haller had been working in the fashionable mathematical field of chaos theory—an explanation in search of a problem—when he came across a suitable problem in the form of mountains of data accumulated by various ocean and atmospheric scientists of his acquaintance.
For more information see the following article in The Economist.
Professor Bergthorson to visit India with Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest
October 25, 2009
Professor Jeff Bergthorson has been invited to take part in a Mission to India led by Premier Ministre Jean Charest. This mission will develop linkages between Quebec and Indian industries and universities, with a focus on research collaboration and innovation. Sectors of specific interest include aerospace, the environment, biotechnology, and communications and information technology. Prof. Bergthorson has been invited due to his involvement in an International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada grant on Biofuels for Aviation in partnership with Pratt & Whitney, CRIAQ, and several Canadian and Indian Universities. Jeff Bergthorson's research page
McGill Engineering ranked 18th worldwide by US News and World Report
October 16, 2009
McGill has moved up in the prestigious Times Higher Education-QS world university rankings for 2009, placing 18th, it was announced earlier today in London.
It’s the sixth year in a row McGill has ranked in the Top 25, the only Canadian school in that elite group. Climbing higher this year reinforces the University’s position among the upper levels of higher learning worldwide. Previously, McGill has placed 21st, 24th, 21st, 12th and 20th.
Read About It: McGill climbs to 18th in world rankings, McGill Reporter andMcGill University ranking, Top Universities Web Site
Professor Haller's Research on Coherent Structures featured in the New York Times
September 29, 2009
"George Haller, an engineering professor at McGill University in Montreal who forged the mathematical criteria for finding such structures in fluid flows, is working with the airport’s officials to design a tool that allows pilots to see and navigate around the structures. It will rely on data from laser scans, analyzed by computers as planes approach the airport."
This research, done by Prof. George Haller, the New Mechanical Engineering Chair, was recently cited in the New York Times Science section.
Read About It
- "Finding Order in the Apparent Chaos of Currents", New York Times
Professors Amabili and Fried receive prestigious Canada Research Chairs
September 23, 2009
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Two of the Department’s newest faculty members have been awarded the prestigious Canada Tier I Research Chair. Professor Amabili received a Canada Research Chair in Vibrations and New Fluid-structure Interaction and Professor Fried received a Canada Research Chair in Interfacial and Defect Mechanics.
Read About It
Professor Haller Appointed as Chair of Mechanical Engineering
September 1, 2009
Professor George Haller has been appointed Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.Professor Haller has taught at Brown University and MIT, and, most recently, served as Executive Director and Head of Morgan Stanley’s Budapest Mathematical Modeling Center.
READ ABOUT HIM: McGill Profile
Professor Hubert to Lead Government Funded Quebec-Bavaria Aerospace Project
August 5, 2009
Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export, Clément Gignac, announced today the funding of a new project entitled Manufacturing an Aerospace Primary Structure Component Made of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites. Lead by Professor Pascal Hubert of McGill University, the $350,000 project will be a collaboration between McGill, Bombardier Aerospace, the Institute of Industrial Materials, National Research Council of Canada, the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec, as well as InteligeNDT and the Technische Universität München in Bavaria.
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Thermoplastic matrix composites are easily recyclable, damage-tolerant, and highly resistant to the environment. Although a significant amount of literature exists on the formation and mechanical performance of these materials, practical applications to aerospace components are still very limited. This Quebec-Bavaria collaborative project combines driving forces in the areas of design, manufacture and characterization of components made of composite materials in order to evaluate the costs and performance of an aircraft component identified by Bombardier Aerospace.
Professor Jorge Angeles receives 2010 Research Excellence Award
May 15, 2010
We are proud to announce that Mechanical Engineering professor, Jorge Angeles, is the recipient of the 2010 Research Excellence Award. Prof. Angeles, on receiving the award:
“Receiving this award is a honour that I share with all those who have helped me, achieve this recognition. I wish to thank the colleagues who nominated me and those who supported my nomination. My research work has flourished since I joined McGill almost 26 years ago. At that time I had some research projects going on, but they were either stagnant or progressing very slowly. Thanks to the research support that I found in the McGill environment, I could complete these projects at an unprecedented rate. I also had a research road map, on the kinematics of parallel robots, that I thought would be achievable in 10 years. Because of the caliber of the graduate students I found at McGill, in five years I was virtually at the end of that road, and looking for new challenges. It has been a pleasurable experience to work surrounded by talented individuals, colleagues, students and staff, who have made my research quite fruitful and enjoyable.”
Professor Angeles received this distinction on May 13, 2010.
Professor Habashi wins Killam prize
May 11, 2009
Prof. Habashi, also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an internationally recognized authority in Computational Fluid Dynamics, has developed efficient applied mathematical solutions to a wide range of complex aerospace problems for aircraft, rotorcraft and jet engines. His research has resulted in a code used worldwide throughout the aerospace industry in dealing with the potentially dangerous problem of in-flight icing.
Read About It: McGill scholars win 3 of 5 top academic prizes
Professor John Lee’s new book on detonation receives raving reviews
May, 2009
Professor John Lee published a new book titled, “The Detonation Phenomena”, with the Cambirdge University Press in September 2008. The book has lately received excellent reviews from both the Journal of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics and the AIAA Journal.
Reviews
Full article
Full article
Read About It: The Detonation Phenomenon , Cambridge University Press