Faculty of Engineering

Events

Honorary Degree recipient David Sandborn Scott's convocation address June 13, 2012.

News

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

UVic's CanDo app the Post-it note for the modern age

A proposed smartphone app to help individuals with cognitive disabilities easily navigate the challenges of daily life is $50,000 closer to reality, after the UVic group was named a finalist earlier this month in a nationwide challenge. Victoria News UVic News

Monday, July 15, 2013

Celina Berg, Computer Science

The post-doctoral student who won a $50,000 research award for her series of apps for CanAssist has also won herself a "thumbs up" from the Times Colonist editorial team on Sunday. UVic News

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Seaweed in the tank

The Times Colonist included editorial comment today about research by grad student Aaron Philippsen, which found there is strong potential to create a profitable, sustainable biofuel industry from farmed seaweed on the BC coast. The editorial questions some of the practical implications of using seaweed as an alternative fuel source. (The Sing Tao has also picked up the Vancouver Sun story from yesterday, in translation.) Times Colonist UVic News

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Seaweed could replace corn ethanol in B.C.'s fuel program

An article from the Vancouver Sun today highlights research by grad student Aaron Philippsen. His analysis indicates ethanol produced from large-scale seaweed farms could supply BC's current demand for ethanol and help the province meet its greenhouse gas emission targets. Vancouver Sun UVic News

Friday, June 21, 2013

Finally, nanoscientists can see what they're doing

The UVic STEHM microscope story continues to trend as a popular online story, including a recent post by techno weblog Gizmodo (also part of Gawker) as well as PhysOrg, a popular internet portal for news on science. UVic News

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

'Unseen world' revealed as UVic launches world's most powerful microscope

A prominent photo of Elaine Humphrey in front of UVic's STEHM microscope graces the front page of today's Times Colonist which also points to a story on the front of the business section. Humphrey says "we have bragging rights. We have the highest resolution in the world." Times Colonist UVic News

Monday, May 6, 2013

Biomedical engineers training for key medical roles

Stephanie Willerth has written a piece for the Victoria News about the influence of biomedical engineers on health care and how UVic began offering the first undergraduate degrees in biomedical engineering in Western Canada last fall. Victoria News

Friday, May 3, 2013

Leanne Hernndorf, Engineering

Leanne Hernndorf is one of several youth in BC who will be receiving the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. The award was founded by Prince Philip to encourage personal development and community involvement for young people. Hernndorf will receive her award from Prince Andrew on May 17 at a ceremony to take place at the parliament buildings. Comox Valley Echo

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Gadgets to help tend a garden

The front page of the business section in the New York Times features an article on the future of gardening. The NYT has turned specifically to UVic's project, the Garden Gnome Drone, designed by UVic engineering students to deter garden pests. Chandra Beaveridge, who was one of five on UVic's 499 Design Project Team, provides comment for this prominent article (circulation: approximately 915,000 readers). New York Times UVic News

Friday, April 12, 2013

The 9 best computer science schools in the world

A recent Huffington Post blog lists the nine best computer science schools and UVic is on the list as a hidden gem where the "student body with a strong sense of community and students that love programming for the pure joy of programming..." Huffington Post

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Mitacs Globalink now accepting professor projects for summer 2014!

Mitacs is offering Canadian professors an opportunity to work with exceptional undergraduate students from India, China, Brazil, and Mexico during a 10 - 12-week research project in summer 2014. Mitacs will advertise internationally, review applications and select shortlisted candidates who best match professors’ project requirements. Mitacs also oversees all logistical aspects of the visit, including payment of living costs, medical insurance and accommodation. Globalink is open to top senior undergraduate students with a minimum CGPA of 8 out of 10 (or equivalent), as well as strong letters of recommendation.

Mitacs Globalink offers professors the opportunity to:
- Preview a potential future graduate student through a 12-week research internship
- Foster global innovation by connecting their students with international peers
- Bring an international perspective to their research team
- Showcase their university as world-class research destination

Professor projects are due by July 31, 2013. For more information, including details on how to submit applications, please click here.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Job Growth for Engineers Strongest in Western Canada

The job market for engineers is strongest in western Canada according to data in a recently released report sponsored by Randstad Engineering in conjunction with Engineers Canada. The report shows there is job growth in that sector in BC, Alberta, and the prairie provinces. (Canada Newswire)

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Teamwork cracks tough problems

A Vancouver Sun article explores the efforts of researchers dispersed across a campus, a country, or the entire world but working together to find solutions to the world's challenges. Peter Wild, who leads a Carbon Management Canada Project involving four universities, is mentioned. Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

In memoriam: A life well lived, a degree well deserved

UVic grad, engineer and passionate environmentalist Trevor Williams, who was diagnosed with cancer after completing the bulk of his degree work except for the formal defence of his dissertation, passed away on Jan. 11 -- a day after receiving his PhD in a special convocation ceremony at the Royal Jubilee Hospital. His professors Zuomin Dong and Curran Crawford had moved the request forward quickly, and David Capson, dean of graduate studies, awarded Williams his doctorate of mechanical engineering. Saanich News

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Prying doctors from their pagers

After teaming up with Jens Weber through Mitacs-Accelerate, a federal program designed to fund research and development collaboration between industry and academics, Ben Moore and Mike Ferguson launched the start-up company SmartPager, which they hope will replace doctors' pagers. Saanich News

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Calgary students have designs on national title

An Edmonton Journal's story on the University of Calgary's engineering team mentions UVic as taking first place in the senior design category at an engineering competition. Both teams will advance to the National Competition from March 7 to 10 in Ottawa. Edmonton Journal

Monday, February 18, 2013

George Tzanetakis and Steven Ness (Computer Science)

George Tzanetakis and Steven Ness (Computer Science) were on CHEK News for a story on how old music is being used to make new music through computers and how this research can help with identifying whale songs and relating what the whales are singing to their behaviour. CHEK News

Friday, December 21, 2012

Lego competition trains young engineers

The Saanich News has picked up the story of the almost 200 elementary and middle school students that gathered at UVic for the Vancouver Island Fist Lego League competition aimed at helping seniors overcome daily challenges. Event co-ordinator and UVic PhD student Michael Hammond-Todd comments in the article. Saanich News UVic News

Monday, November 26, 2012

Rustom Bhiladvala, Engineering

The focus of this month's KnowlEDGE column, which also appeared in yesterday's Times Colonist, is UVic engineering professor Rustom Bhiladvala, who recently published an article about sneaking up on a small number of prostate cancer biomarker molecules. Bhiladvala along with his Penn State collaborators published a paper on the molecule PCA3 in the international journal Nanomedicine.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Grad’s robot dreams become reality

Growing up in southern China, Hui Zhang had the same dream as millions of children around the world—robots to do the household chores and farm work. Zhang decided to pursue the dream of designing “intelligent machines” by earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from China’s Harbin Institute of Technology and Jilin University, respectively, and completing a PhD at the University of Victoria last June. Read more...

Dr. Amirali Baniasadi and Dr. Yang Shi Receive Excellence in Teaching Awards

At Fall Convocation the university honours the outstanding talent, dedication and creativity of the faculty members and other teaching staff who provide such a high quality of education to our students. Read more...

Monday, November 4, 2012

UVic enters the space race

A small group of electrical engineering students completed designing and building a micro-satellite as part of the UVic ECOSat project, the school's entry into the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge. The UVic crew made the final round of three in the challenge, a brilliant accomplishment for the underdog team with little funding, few resources and originally, scant knowledge of satellite design.(Saanich News UVic News)

Friday, November 2, 2012

UVic instructor honoured

Mary Sanseverino, a senior instructor in the domputer science department, is being honoured by the Minerva Foundation for her volunteer efforts in the technology industry. She will receive the honour Nov. 28 in Vancouver at the Women In Technology Awards. Times Colonist

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Franklin's ships remain lost

From Aug. 24 to Sept. 21, robotics experts from UVic’s ocean technology laboratory ventured into the Arctic archipelago during Parks Canada’s fourth mission to unlock the mystery of what happened to Sir John Franklin's HMS Terror and HMS Erebus. Although the ships were not located, Alison Proctor comments in the Saanich News article about collecting data through the Bluefin-12 AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle). Saanich News UVic News

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Natural curiosity drew computer scientist to her profession

In a profile in the Vancouver Sun, Mary Sanseverino makes the statement that computer science is the new English. Sanseverino wants her students to know the extent to which computer science is used today. She is also a key player in UVic's Women in Engineering and Computer Science group, which addresses the gender disparity within the sciences. Vancouver Sun

Monday, October 22, 2012

Rise of the robot musicians

On Friday the Saanich News profiled George Tzanetakis and his music-computer lab where he hopes to create robot musicians. Tzanetakis wants to teach music to a computer, and for the computer to pick up on musical cues while jamming with humans. Saanich News

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Students aim to send satellite into space

University of Victoria students are aiming to take their engineering expertise to new heights.

The university’s extracurricular ECOSat team was one of three finalists out of 12 university teams competing in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge, which wrapped up Sept. 29 in Ottawa with the announcement of a second offering of the competition with similar parameters.(Read more...)

UVic Engineering's six ideas that could change the world

Having even one idea that will change the world is no small claim; yet, at UVic’s homecoming celebration on Sept. 29, the Faculty of Engineering touted having no less than six ongoing projects that will contribute significantly to the world. Over the course of the day, everything from Arctic exploration to synchronized smart devices was covered in a series of six one-hour lectures from different engineering departments.(Read more...)

Monday, October 15, 2012

Alumnus: Mark Grambart, Mechanical Engineering

Mark Grambart is the president-CEO of Contech, a Victoria company that sells the ScareCrow, a motion-activated sprinkler that banishes unwanted pests from gardens by delivering a powerful but harmless jolt of water. Sales grew to about $15 million last year and Grambart projects sales could grow to $50 million in three to five years. The Province

Friday, October 5, 2012

Pioneering the next step in an ever-evolving info age

According to UVic computer scientist Yvonne Coady, we're on the threshold of a technological change that promises to be every bit as revolutionary as the Web. This is the focus of UVic's next Knowledge column. KnowlEDGE (monthly research column) Coady: Faces of UVic Research (video)

Monday, October 1, 2012

Fuel cells may help propel new vessels

A Canadian Press article featured in the Vancouver Sun and Globe and Mail is reporting that the federal government has issued a tender calling for the design of low-emission Coast Guard ships that would incorporate hydrogen fuel cell technology. The new ships would be constructed at the Seaspan Marine Corp. shipyard in Vancouver. Zuomin Dong comments in the article about the benefits of hybrid technology. Vancouver Sun

Nigel Syrotuck & Dan Kennedy, Engineering

Over the past weekend, a dozen Canadian universities battled it out all week in Florida, where the Canadian Space Agency tests commercial satellites before launch. Nigel Syrotuck, the leader of the UVic team, and Dan Kennedy both commented in an Ottawa Citizen article. Ottawa Citizen

Friday, July 20, 2012

UVic engineering students tackle green-car challenge

UVic is one of 15 North American universities - and one of only two in Canada - with teams competing in EcoCar 2: Plugging into the Future competition. The students will spend the next two years testing and refining their vehicle, but at a recent judging in Los Angeles the UVic team received several awards. Howard Brunt comments in the Times Colonist article. Times Colonist UVic News

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

UVic to offer undergrad biomedical engineering

UVic is offering the only undergraduate degree program in biomedical engineering west of Ontario. The program will be launched this September and students in the five-year program will graduate with a bachelor of biomedical engineering. Vancouver Sun Online

Monday, July 9, 2012

Advances in art reproduction

The National Post has done a piece on how technology is helping the Smithsonian Museum to scan and upload millions of items in its collection in the hopes of bringing a portion of the collection to the world. Bruce Gooch comments in this article. National Post

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Reading the rhythms of your keyboard

The Saanich News has picked up the story of the software designed by UVic professor Issa Traore and PhD student Ahmed Ahmed that can detect and lock out an unknown computer user -- just by analyzing how they type. Saanich News UVic News

Friday, June 1, 2012

Back in the barber's seat

Engineers at CanAssist have done an outstanding job in getting Bob Egely of Enderby, BC back to work as a barber. The story of the CanAssist team and the $65,000 motorized barber chair they developed has made it into the Globe and Mail, front page of today's Times Colonist, Metro News, Business Examiner, Vernon Morning Star, Kelowna Courier, Okanagan Advertiser and Enderby Rivertalk. Globe and Mail Times Colonist UVic News

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Cells of hope

As a biomedical engineer in UVic’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Division of Medical Sciences, Stephanie Willerth is making advances in a field that has huge medical potential -- stem cell bioengineering. She is the focus of this month's KnowlEDGE column, published in last Sunday's Times Colonist.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Students: Engineering

Five UVic engineering students believe they might have just the thing to deal with nibbling deer and intruders in local gardens: the garden gnome drone. Times Colonist UVic News

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Scope puts UVic in global lead
Dr. Rodney Herring, Mechanical Engineering

The front page of today's Business section featured a large photo and story regarding UVic getting a one-of-a-kind electron microscope that will allow scientists to discover secrets hiding in subatomic worlds. The microscope is expected to arrive in April after a decade's long effort. Times Colonist

Carbon control takes new breed of specialists
Dr. Peter Wild, IESVic/Engineering

The business of managing carbon — from carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects in the oil and gas sector to taking carbon dioxide out of the air — is an emerging field that’s opening up job opportunities for engineers. Also, researchers such as UVic's Peter Wild are pioneering ways to capture CO², sequester it in vast underground chambers and monitor those sites to ensure safety and reliability of the technology. National Post

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Drone maker eyes skies

A Victoria company is hoping to turn its theoretical work into a business that could literally take off. "We are seeing if we can manoeuvre and establish a viable business model [because] we see plenty of applications for it," said vice-president of research and development Afzal Suleman, who is also a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Victoria. (Times Colonist)

Grad student goes undercover to infiltrate “Water Army”

A virtual flood is on the rise. There’s a growing “water-army” of online posters at work who earn their name by flooding websites with fake comments and paid endorsements in an orchestrated deluge. And now a UVic graduate student wants to ensure that you don’t take a bath from their cyber confidence tricks.(UVic Ring)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Entrepreneurship program catalyst for BC startup’s success

Six months out of BCIC’s entrepreneurship@UVic program, a business accelerator program supported by federal and provincial partners, a Victoria‐based startup called YUPIQ is already finding success. Late last year, the company announced a partnership with prairieFyre Software, a global leader in delivering business communication solutions for enterprise telephony, call center and business process automation.(Read more...)

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Schools need to train engineers, not teachers

BC Energy and Mines Minister Rich Coleman commented recently about training more engineers versus teachers to meet a shortage of skilled labour in resource-based fields. (The minister’s comments referred to workforce round tables announced as part of the government's jobs plan.) Vancouver Sun

Thursday, November 24, 2011

UVic researching future of radio

Electrical engineering and computer science students at UVic are getting a jump on their counterparts at other Canadian schools thanks to a new course that made its debut this fall. "It's a sea change," says UVic's Dr. Peter Driessen, the professor in electrical and computer engineering who introduced the new SDR course. UVic News Saanich News

Monday, November 14, 2011

'Father of computing' says we're vulnerable to attack

Computing pioneer Calvin Gotlieb warns that computer systems running operations such as power grids, hospitals and airports should be protected at all costs. Gotlieb, 90, was in Victoria on Thursday to accept an honorary doctorate of engineering from UVic. Times Colonist/Gazette

Monday, October 24, 2011

APEGBC

Austin Warren and Nathaniel Kitzke won first prize in APEGBC's video contest on "why I like engineering" with this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfytuOWdzIA. First prize was $1000 plus all expense paid trip to the APEGBC annual meeting in Kelowna.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Making catastrophes look all too reel

The Times Colonist launched a new Innovators series this week on the trailblazers of Vancouver Island -- about "forward-thinkers noteworthy for their creativity and for blazing new paths." This morning, an article about a local special Fx team headquartered at UVic's VITP has another UVic connection: the computer graphics research lab at UVic, staffed by six Intel researchers led by adjunct professor Dr. Paul Lalonde. Times Colonist

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

UVic takes CanAssist technology east

Innovative technology that helps people with disabilities will be highlighted by a UVic delegation heading to China. UVic President David Turpin will lead the group, which leaves on Tuesday. Times Colonist

Friday, July 29, 2011

Smart meters on the way

UVic electrical and computer engineering professor Dr. Peter Driessen continues to provide comment for media coverage on BC Hydro's smart meter plans, in this case with a Q&A in the local Press Group paper. Saanich News

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Angels of adaptation

UVic's CanAssist is featured in the July 2011 edition of Boulevard magazine under the above title, with the lead "Magic happens in the unlikeliest places." It's a three-page article including extensive comment from Dr. Nigel Livingston and several full-colour photos of devices and clients. Boulevard

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

UVic Centre for Advanced Security, Privacy, and Information Systems Research (ASPIRe)

Dr. Stephen Neville, director of the new UVic Centre for Advanced Security, Privacy, and Information Systems Research (ASPIRe), was on CBC Radio Victoria's "On the Island" this morning talking about the new centre and the important work it will be doing. UVic News

Monday, May 9, 2011

UVic names top researchers for 2011

Gold Medal for Career Achievement in Research - Engineer Dr. Andreas Antoniou is internationally known for his invention of the ?Antoniou gyrator,? which paved the way for the miniaturization of circuits used in everyday devices such as cell phones and HDTVs.

Silver Medal for Excellence in Research - Advances by engineer Dr. Reuven Gordon, who studies how light interacts with metal surfaces at scales as tiny as atoms, could lead to the development of sensors for the early detection of cancers, new tools to study viral infection and more efficient solar devices.

Friday, May 6, 2011

BCNet Digital Media Challenge

ECE graduate student, Siyuan Xiang, has won the third place prize in thestudent competition of the 2011 BCNET Digital Media Challenge for hisproject entitled "Scalable streaming - adaptive scalable video streamingover HTTP". The award was presented in Vancouver on May 6, 2011.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

UVic Engineering

Three UVic engineering students would like to change how Greater Victorians catch the bus. The local Press Group papers have now picked up details of the "My Next Bus" app. Saanich News

Friday, April 15, 2011

Mechanical Engineering

Martin Jun of the Mechanical Engineering Department is one of 12 winners of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award. This award recognizes young manufacturing practitioners who have made exemplary contributions and achievements in the manufacturing industry. Dr. Jun is the only Canadian among the winners.

EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future

The UVic EcoCAR team led by Curran Crawford and Zuomin Dong has been accepted into EcoCAR 2 along with two other Canadian Universities. Established by the DOE and GM, EcoCAR 2 is a three-year collegiate engineering competition and the only program of its kind. The mission of EcoCAR 2 is to educate the next generation of automotive engineers through an unparalleled hands-on, real-world engineering experience. The competition challenges 16 North American universities to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

BC Business Award for Engineering Entrepreneurship@Uvic

BC Businessonline.ca has published a list of the 20 most innovative companies in B.C for 2011. Engineering and Entrepreneurship@Uvic came in at number 7. BC Businessonline.ca

Friday, March 25, 2011

UVic team might help you catch bus

Four UVic engineering students are hoping software they are developing will make waiting for the bus a walk in the park. The project is one of 15 on display today in the lobby of UVic's engineering complex. (It also made the front page of the Times Colonist this morning.) Times Colonist UVic News

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Paralympics as much about inclusion as competition

Lauren Woolstencroft, alumna

The provincial government has proclaimed March 15, 2011 as"Lauren Woolstencroft and Karolina Wisniewska Day" as part of a programto recognize British Columbia's medal-winning athletes from the 2010Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In a Toronto Star article, UVic alumna and paralympic athlete Lauren Woolstencroft is featured as part of a larger story on the upcoming paralympics.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Catching the wave

Mechanical engineering professor Brad Buckham's wave energy research is the focus of this month's KnowlEDGE.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Taking a cue from UVic technology

UVic?s CanAssist team has unveiled its most recent invention -- a first-of-its-kind device that allows people with severe disabilities to shoot pool. The Times Colonist ran a front-page feature photo this morning, captioned "Player robbed of mobility takes a cue from UVic technology"; UVic News

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Technology park eager for expansion

One of the Vancouver Island Technology Park's biggest tenants has signed on for another three years, adding to the argument the epicentre of the local tech industry is ripe for expansion. Dale Gann, president of UVic's tech enterprise, provides comment for an article this morning about VITP's growth and continued full capacity. Times Colonist

Monday, December 20, 2010

Things that work: Helping hand

Reporter Justine Hunter describes recent inventions by UVic's CanAssist in her report today for the Globe's special series on "Things That Work." (The CanAssist section appears online on Page 2 of an unrelated feature story, but was a separate sidebar in the newsprint edition of the paper.) Globe and Mail

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Research chair sounds sweet to UVic prof

The Press Group papers have run a story about UVic's newest Canada Research Chair, computer scientist Dr. George Tzanetakis. Oak Bay News UVic News

Friday, December 10, 2010

UVic scientist makes inroads on HIV

The groundbreaking HIV research by UVic biomedical engineer Dr. Stephanie Willerth using DNA sequencing is all over the news this morning after yesterday's announcement by UVic. The Times Colonist story was picked up on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, and a second story by another PostMedia journalist has appeared in several of the network's papers including Province, Ottawa Citizen and online for National Post. The local Press Group papers have also run a story. Times Colonist National Post Saanich News UVic News

Monday, December 6, 2010

Researcher spreads word

Bringing computers to the next level is part of the research of UVic's latest Canada Research Chair, computer scientist Dr. George Tzanetakis. Times Colonist writer Jeff Bell picks up the news from last month's announcement alongside his summary of a CRC at RRU. Times Colonist UVic News

Friday, November 26, 2010

CanAssist

A pair of video goggles created for a Belmont high school student by UVic's CanAssist has allowed the 15 year old to play the trombone for his band class. Goldstream News Gazette

Friday, November 19, 2010

Green Guide

On Sunday, the Times Colonist printed its special Green Guide insert. UVic mechanical engineer Dr. Brad Buckham and the West Coast Wave Collaboration Project were featured in a story "Powering up on water" on Page 4 of the insert. (Electronic link not available.) Also in the Green Guide was a feature on food sustainability and UVic (Page 16) and one on UVic's Social Sciences and Mathematics Building (Page 20) being the third gold-level UVic LEED building.

Monday, October 18, 2010

VW Bug Push

Local media picked up coverage of the Engineering Students' Society annual charity event, the VW Bug Push, both before and after the old beetle was pushed around Ring Road. According to the Times Colonist, the push brought out almost 70 students, faculty and staff, the car travelled 97.2 km and made 36 laps around campus, and the ESS exceeded its expectations for fundraising for the UVic United Way campaign. Times Colonist Victoria CFAX CHEK (scroll to bug push clip) UVic News

Thursday, October 14, 2010

UVic attempts engineering entrepreneurship

In the current issue of BC Business, the Engineering Entrepreneurship @ UVic pilot project is prominently featured in a lengthy article. The pioneering new program "aims to address the imbalance" between government spending on research and commercialization of that research. BC Business UVic News

Friday, October 8, 2010

Driving into the Future

A modified GM SUV isn?t a time traveling Delorean by any standard, but the University of Victoria Engineering Departments? efforts to convert an SUV into a plug-in hybrid electric car, could be the tipping point, pushing North America society Back to the Future. To Tread Lightly Blog

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tech firms clamour to set up shop on camp

Also in the Globe and Mail this morning, the Business section contains an article on business/tech parks in Canada including UVic's, with comment from VITP president Dale Gann. Globe and Mail

Friday, September 17, 2010

'Green garage' at UVic

UVic's research into green automotive technology got some acceleration yesterday with an injection of federal funds for its new "green garage," reports the Times Colonist. The article is front-page of the Business section today. Western Economic Diversification Canada handed over a cheque for $550,000, and UVic has already started construction on campus of the Green Vehicle Research and Testing Centre, which includes a garage, separate laboratory and new testing equipment. Times Colonist CFAX Radio UVic News

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Age of Ingenuity

The next great invention could come from University of Victoria engineering students. Oak Bay News

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Alumni: Ryan and Bryson Robertson and Hugh Patterson, Engineering

UVic engineering grads Ryan and Bryson Robertson and Hugh Patterson are setting out on the last leg of OceanGybe -- from Maui to northern Vancouver Island and finally to Vancouver -- after starting their global research mission in the summer of 2007 in La Paz, Mexico. It's all about plastics littering the ocean, and sending their own message in a bottle. Times Colonist

Downtown in the picture

In a "My Downtown" photo contest, UVic's Rajinder Nirwan, Mechanical Engineering, was the grand prize winner garnering more than 3,400 online votes for his image and story entitled The Majestic Legislature. (The Times Colonist also published a photo of Rajinder this weekend, with news of the win.) Victoria News

Award honours green pioneer

The name Joe Van Belleghem might not mean much to the average Joe on the street, but the man has done much to change the face of housing. In the Calgary Herald's coverage this weekend on the developer, VITP was also mentioned as the "high-tech complex in Victoria that was awarded a gold LEED rating by the United States Green Building Council, making it the first LEED-certified building in Canada." Calgary Herald

Monday, July 26, 2010

Students show off cool creations

A small robotic device designed to help schoolchildren and others explore the underwater environment has been created with the help of a trio of UVic engineering students. The Times Colonist also picked up additional details of other projects in its coverage this weekend of Friday's student project demonstrations on campus. Times Colonist Uvic News

Friday, July 23, 2010

Getting plugged in

The Province reports that a new era in sustainable mobility has begun in BC, with Toyota Canada's delivery of a Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid to its provincial testing partners. UVic is listed as one of those. Province

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A passage from India

A government-sponsored program has brought 49 undergraduate students from India's top technology schools to BC this summer to learn how to do university research. One of those is Pranav Sakulkar, who is being mentored by UVic engineering professor Dr. Peter Driessen. Times Colonist

Monday, July 19, 2010

Toyota kicks off Prius trial program

On Friday, Toyota handed over the keys to one of five Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid test vehicles that will be plying Canadian streets for the next year as part of the Japanese company?s global test trial program. UVic's IESVic is one of fifteen trial partners. Canadian Driver

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Robots to boost comp-sci enrolment

A US defence agency is sponsoring a university program that will use robots to try to drive up enrolment in computer and other science courses. The AUCC's director of research says the situation with falling enrolment is similar in other countries including Canada. CBC News

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Citizens can safeguard shared data

UVic associate professor Dr. Jens Weber, director of Software Engineering for the Faculty of Engineering and an adjunct associate professor in UVic's School of Health Information Science, has an opinion piece in today's paper about privacy concerns related to networked databases of health records. Times Colonist

Friday, June 18, 2010

18th-century painters give photography new perspective

Wide-angle lenses are great for taking dramatic photos with a big scenic sweep, but they've got a big weakness of distorting objects. Now software can make wide-angled digital photos with perfect perspective, thanks to a secret of 18th-century painters (the 'Panini' effect). UVic computer scientist Daniel German was part of the Panini team and presented its work at London's Computational Aesthetics 2010 conference this week. New Scientist

EcoCAR team from UVic fourth in North America

The local Press Group papers have posted a story on the success of UVic engineering students who placed fourth in the continent-wide EcoCAR contest. The coverage includes a photo. Saanich News

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Rising in the environmentally friendly auto world

UVic is briefly mentioned -- as last year's second-place winner -- in a New York Times 'Climatewire' web post about Mississippi State University winning the EcoCAR competition. New York Times

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Potential oil spill solution

A semi-retired welder from Cobble Hill thinks he has a solution to the oil spill in the Gulf but he just can't get anyone to listen. He has designed a tapered plug that could be fired into the damaged well pipe on the sea floor. UVic's Arthur Makosinski has given him some feedback already. Cowichan Valley Citizen

Monday, June 7, 2010

Canadian teams win awards

Canada's online auto magazine Canadian Driver picked up the news announced by the federal government that UVic placed fourth overall in the EcoCAR Challenge in San Diego in the 2010 finals. The three Canadian university teams have been named winners of individual awards, with the overall winner for 2010 being University of Mississippi. Government Release Canadian Driver

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Finding strength in the studio

This weekend, two CanAssist clients were profiled in the Times Colonist. (Please note that the device was incorrectly named "CanAssist" in the article; a correction has been requested.) Times Colonist

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Tech park reaches capacity

UVic's Vancouver Island Technology Park is fully leased and home to 29 tech companies with 1,300 employees who contribute more than $280 million annually to the BC economy, says Dale Gann, president of UVic's technology parks. Read more at the Times Colonist.

Tech incubator non-profit targets B.C. universities

A new national non-profit aimed at developing university students into budding technology entrepreneurs is establishing a presence in Victoria and Vancouver. Read more at Business in Vancouver

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Venture kickstarts young entrepreneurs

Wesley Clover has partnered with the two senior levels of government, the University of Victoria and the B.C. Innovation Council in a venture designed to give young entrepreneurs a chance to hit the ground running in the business world. Read more at the Times Colonist.

Monday, April 12, 2010

New blue bridge as imagined by students

The Blue Bridge coverage included a photo in local Press Group papers of UVic engineering students with their model replacement. Saanich News

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Engineering students model bridge designs

The vision of a medieval gateway to downtown Victoria was one of the more creative of 80 bridge designs by UVic first-year engineering students last night. Their imagined replacements for the Johnson Street Bridge were built as part of an engineering design and communications course. Times Colonist

Monday, March 29, 2010

Working in a small world

Dr. Reuven Gordon is UVic's newest Canada Research Chair. A photo entitled "UVic researcher works in a small world" appeared in the front section of Saturday's Times Colonist announcing the naming of Gordon as CRC in nanoplasmonics. (An electronic photo link is currently unavailable. The photo is on Page A3 of the March 27 newspaper.) UVic News Government Release Related radio coverage

Toronto to take Toyota?s Prius plug-in for a spin

UVic is participating in a national program to test Toyota?s Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle. Toronto Star

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Editorial: Paralympics raised the bar

The Winter Olympics were a huge success, bringing Canadians together as never before, shining a new light on our province, and proving that yes, we can do it. Athletes such as Lauren Woolstencroft, the University of Victoria graduate who won five gold medals in skiing, made the news across Canada. They have been recognized for what they achieved, just as the able-bodied athletes have been acknowledged. Times Colonist

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A tour to remember

Victoria guitarist Tyson Yerex, after getting his degree in computer science from UVic, did what few computer nerds would do -- he dove headfirst into punk rock. Pop-culture columnist Mike Devlin profiles Yerex and his band Acres of Lions in the front page of today's 'Arts' section. Times Colonist