News archive for September 2009

On Tuesday, September 22, the work of ENCS's own Dr. Georgios Vatistas, Professor with the Deparment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, was featured in an excellent report during an epsiode of the popular TéléQuébec Science series, Le Code Chastenay.

Written by Dr. Thomas Gervais, the documentary report will give a closer look at the fascinating work of this award-winning scientist, who recently made headlines by proving a 125-year-old Nobel Prize winning theory.

On Tuesday, September 22, the work of ENCS's own Dr. Hashem Akbari, Professor with the Deparment of Building, Civil and Industrial Engineering, was featured in an excellent report during the ABC evening news, broadcast in San Francisco.

Dr. Akbari was in Berkeley along with scientists from around the world who are studying urban island heat and its effects on global climate changes.

Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering's Professor Yong Zeng has seen the quality of his research recognized with further Tier-2 funding of $100,000 each year over a five year period from the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program.  Professor Zeng is reconfirmed as the Canada Research Chair in Design Science. The Honorable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced the news this morning at the University of Guelph recognizing  one hundred and eighty one (181) appointments and renewals of Canada Research Chairs.

Professor Yong Zeng's research focuses on establishing a design science that helps develop tools and shorten the development time of new products.  Professor Zeng's work develops scientific methods to study the fundamental principles governing the complex area of design activities.  His findings can be used in the manufacturing of aerospace, automotive and medical devices and in national defense.  Currently, approximately 80 percent of the costs associated with the development of new products can be traced back to decisions made in the product design stage.  Professors Zeng's research aims to reduce the significant proportion of product recalls now caused by faulty product design.  

"This announcement is a solid endorsement of the continued excellence of Concordia University researchers' work," says Concordia's President and Vice-Chancellor, Judith Woodsworth.  "Professor Zeng's advances in computer-aided design will help position this country's manufacturers in an increasingly competitive global business environment."

by Russ Cooper

Since she was a little girl, Niloofar Moradi had dreams of working at NASA. If she ever wished for this upon a star, after this summer, she's one step closer to it.

"To become an astronaut has always been my dream. I never knew this could happen and there I was. As an intern, yes, but there I was."

The fourth-year mechanical engineering student overcame many obstacles to spend six weeks this summer at the NASA Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland, Ohio as part of the Concordia Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation (CIADI) Global program.

The program is a chance for ENCS undergrads to work with aerospace companies in various locations and contribute to real industry engineering projects. Students are not graded, but are required to attend progress meetings, give presentations and submit a report at the end of their contract.

What started in 2001 with 26 students and six industrial partners has now grown to over 100 students with 26 partners. Over its history, CIADI Global participants have ventured to PWC in Poland, Embraer in Brazil, Airbus Spain, Lufthansa in San Diego, and beyond.

In Cleveland, Moradi joined a team running tests to increase the efficiency of a specific type of compressor. She worked to collect data, refine it into understandable segments and provide insight for its application to project goals.

As it turns out, the 22-year old Moradi nearly didn't have the chance to do any of those things. Iranian-born and living in Montreal for five years, she only received her Canadian citizenship three days before her departure June 4.

Not to be dissuaded by bureaucratic rigmarole, Moradi had never been to the U.S. before this trip. Another hurdle? This would be the first time she'd ever lived away from home.

"I went through quite a bit [to have this experience]," she says. "I know it made me a lot stronger."

Once she arrived, she states the experience would've been much more difficult if it weren't for her supervisor and mentor NASA Aerospace Engineer Edward Braunscheidel. Along with working professionally side-by-side, Braunscheidel also helped Moradi with day-to-day aspects of life often forgotten by someone who's out of her element for the first time.

"He showed me around, he helped me get a cell phone, he helped me with so much," she says. "He is one of the best people I've met in my life."

"She was very nice to work with. She was very responsible and receptive to the work. It was a great experience," says Braunscheidel.

In hearing about the life of an astronaut first-hand, she's gained perspective about the personal and professional sacrifices one must make to chase that dream. For now, though, Moradi is concentrating on her final year, taking it one small step at a time.

"We have an expression in Persian; when you throw an apple in the air, it turns a thousand times before it reaches your hand. I'm going to stop planning and wait for the apple to fall back into my hand before I check what side is up."

Dr. M.N.S. Swamy of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department was recently awarded the title "NCTU Honorary Professor" by the National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. 

The award was given at a special ceremony held at Hsinchu, Taiwan, by Dr. Peter Wu, President of the National Chiao Tung University.  The NCTU is one of Taiwan's foremost institutions of higher learning.

Below: President Dr. Peter Wu presents Dr. Swamy with a Certificate, and Dr. Swamy delivers his acceptance speech.

Amin Hammad, an associate professor in the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering, has been named the Fulbright Visiting Chair in Transborder Studies at Arizona State University.

While at Arizona State University, Hammad will be conducting research on collaborative emergency management of international bridges between Canada and the United States.

"It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Amin Hammad as he joins the distinguished group of Canada-U.S. Fulbright scholars," said Judith Woodsworth, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia. "Hammad's research while at Arizona State University will certainly offer a unique insight into important issues relating to the security of our shared Canada and U.S. border."

By engaging our brightest minds in academic exchanges, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program seeks to enhance mutual understanding between Canada and the United States. Through its bilateral academic exchanges, outstanding students, scholars and professionals strengthen Canada-U.S. relations by examining a wide range of subjects which are critical to the relationship between the two countries.

Operating in over 150 countries worldwide, the Fulbright program has long been regarded as the world's premiere academic exchange.

Dr. Andreas Athienitis, Professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering--and Tier 1 Concordia University Research Chair in Solar Energy--recently received a letter from the Honorable Jim Prentice, Canada's Minister of the Environment.

The letter thanked Dr. Athienitis for his participation in, and invaluable contributions to, the US-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue Roundtable, which was held in Washington DC on June 29-30, 2009.

"Continental action is an important part of Canada's climate change strategy," Mr. Prentice writes, "and will complement Canada's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, from 2006 levels, by 2020. The Dialogue is a key element of this continental action. It will help advance clean energy solutions that will further support our commitment to ensure that 20 percent of Canadian electricity comes from non-emitting sources by 2020."

Canadian and US officials will now prepare a Clean Energy Dialogue Action Plan, which will then be presented to President Obama and Prime Minister Harper for their consideration.  Dr. Athienitis will likely continue to provide his expertise and guidance on the implementation of this Action Plan over the coming months.

Dear Engineering and Computer Science Students,

As you're probably aware, the global financial crisis has had an impact on many different sectors: universities haven't been immune to this. ENCS has long been proud of that fact that it was the only faculty at Concordia that let its students print their documents for free. Unfortunately, even "free" things cost money: things like toner cartridges, paper, and staff time have cost us a lot over the years. So, it is with a great reluctance, that we are ending our program of free printing for ENCS students.

But don't worry! Printing your documents still won't break the bank. From September 1 on, you will be able to print at a very reasonable cost of 6 cents per black-and-white page. You can pay for your printing by buying a special card at Printing Services, located in the library building.  Your new card will work with ENCS printers in the Hall building, as well as Library printers in the LB building.

To help you with this transition, we're giving all ENCS student their first 200 pages of printing for free. After you've used up your quota of 200 pages, you can make the switch over to using the printing cards to pay for any extra printing. The quota will expire at the end of the 2009/10 academic year.

The money that ENCS saves on printing will help us to keep providing students with popular services like our computer labs and the Microsoft Academic Alliance membership that gives students free downloads of many popular Microsoft products.

I do apologize for this inconvenience and hope that it won't have too much of a negative effect on the start of the fall semester.

With best wishes,

Dr. C. W. Truman
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs