Faculty of Engineering 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 (online)

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"; the article itself is available here. 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 (scroll down)

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