Media
Contact
Communications Specialist
Faculty of Engineering
Spencer Engineering Building
Room 2072
Western University
Tel: 519-661-2111 ext. 87015
Email: engineeringcomms@uwo.ca
Nehdi elected Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada
December 16, 2020
Civil Engineering professor Moncef Nehdi has been elected a 2021 Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, in recognition of exceptional contributions to engineering and service to the profession and society.
Alumnus promotes real-world learning experience for students
December 14, 2020
Tim Fernihough, BESc'09, serves as Director of IT and Standards & Compliance at Toronto-based software studio Myplanet.
Honouring exceptional commitment in a year of change
December 11, 2020
Western Engineering's Director of Development Terra Ahrens and Undergraduate Services Manager Clare Tattersall received 2020 Western Awards of Excellence, which represent the highest honour for staff achievement at the university.
Darren Meister takes on new role at Ivey as Associate Dean, Faculty Development
December 10, 2020
After serving as Director of Western Engineering’s Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership and Innovation, Darren Meister has accepted a new role with the Ivey Business School as Associate Dean, Faculty Development, effective January 1, 2021.
Alumna adjusts leadership for today’s changing world
November 27, 2020
Western Engineering alumna Regan Stewart, BESc’94, has held multiple positions of leadership in manufacturing, supply chain and HR. Stewart now leads a team that encompasses all three areas of business, serving as Chief Operations and People Officer for Jamieson Wellness.
Donor support provides over 100 student awards annually
November 20, 2020
Thanks to the generous support of alumni, foundations, corporate sponsors and donors, Western Engineering granted over 100 awards this year valued at over $250,000 from over 1,700 applications.
Four Western faculty named to Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list
November 19, 2020
Four Western faculty have been named to the Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list, released this week by Clarivate, including Materials engineering professor Andy Sun.
PhD candidate receives CWRA award for wastewater treatment research
November 18, 2020
Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD candidate Sadaf Mehrabi received the CWRA 2020 Ken Thompson Scholarship for her work in using biofilm reactors to remove nitrogen from municipal wastewater.
Undergraduate Summer Research Awards support real-world learning
November 17, 2020
Donor support helped fourth-year civil engineering student Lucas Capretz conduct his own research using digital twin cities.
Engineering students expand Basket Project for homeless
November 16, 2020
Inspired by fellow Western students who started The Basket Project — a non-profit organization that provides COVID-19 hygiene and protection kits to the homeless — Liam Briggs, Sophie Hofmann and Keegan Mongru started a division in Oshawa this past summer.
Top honours for graduate students
October 27, 2020
The Governor General’s Academic Medals recognize outstanding students across Canada and are awarded for academic excellence at the graduate level. Biomedical Engineering graduate Armin Geraili, MESc'19, is one of three Western Gold Medal recipients this year.
Grad’s pitch for sport science helps Blue Jays
October 26, 2020
Clare Padmore, PhD'20, is putting her degree in biomechanics engineering to use in helping improve ballplayers' performance in the Blue Jays' organization.
Plexi-barrier project ensures safer return to campus
October 08, 2020
UMS has teamed up with Facilities Management here at Western to create, sell and install plexiglass barriers all throughout campus to ensure a safer return for students, staff and faculty.
‘Inside-the-box’ technology solves organ and vaccine transport issue
October 05, 2020
A team of researchers from Western University has designed, developed and constructed a new portable temperature regulating device, which can be used to transport a wide array of temperature-sensitive items including organs, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.
Alumnus ‘Lyfts’ company to new heights
October 05, 2020
Western Engineering alumnus Peter Lukomskyj, BESc’96, is navigating today's new normal in his role as General Manager for Lyft in Vancouver, BC.
Curling researchers dig deep into sweep science
September 29, 2020
Curler and PhD candidate Megan Balsdon co-authored a study that may explain why some broom heads affect a rock's curl.
New international partnership launches Western into space
September 23, 2020
Western signed a game-changing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the MILO Institute, where Jayshri Sabarinathan and her Western Space collaborators will contribute a one-unit CubeSat to a MILO Institute and University of Texas at El Paso flight mission planned for June 2021.
Research leads to re-design of transmission lines to resist downbursts and tornadoes
September 15, 2020
The first guidelines in the world that provide means to design transmission line structures to resist tornadoes and downbursts were published by the American Society of Civil Engineering as a result of research conducted at Western Engineering.
Royal Society celebrates five Western scholars
September 08, 2020
New Royal Society of Canada honours go to Western Engineering scholars Jin Jiang and Slobodan Simonovic.
Yeznabad receives 2020 Canadian Dam Association Graduate Student Award of Merit
September 08, 2020
Western Engineering PhD candidate Ali Fallah Yeznabad is the first student from Western University to be recognized by the Canadian Dam Association for his outstanding research efforts.
Reimagined lab work changes engineering courses
August 31, 2020
Even before the pandemic struck, Professor Michael Naish pondered ways to work through the heavy student demand for time in the mechatronics lab. Those months of planning gave him a head start during this fall’s transition to remote labs.
Alumna speaks on new role as OSPE President
August 24, 2020
Four months into her new leadership role as President and Chair of OSPE, Western Engineering alumna Réjeanne Aimey, BESc’03, is thriving as she faces the unique challenges that come with these unprecedented times.
Schulich Leader creatively resolves career tug-of-war
August 17, 2020
Elizabeth Olsson, from Surrey, BC, is enrolled in Engineering and is one of six incoming Western students awarded a prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship this fall.
Research touts lower-cost, longer-life battery
August 17, 2020
New materials engineering research led by professor Andy Sun could translate into significant real-world benefits like greater range for electric vehicles and longer battery life for cell phones.
Feds fund innovative Western research
August 14, 2020
A dozen research programs representing six Western faculties and schools - including three Engineering faculty members - will share almost $3.6 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund.
Athlete, singer, scholar receives Schulich Leader Scholarship
August 13, 2020
Katja Murray from Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of six incoming Western students awarded a 2020 Schulich Leader Scholarship.
Schulich Leader Scholar shows early signs of success
August 10, 2020
As she heads into Western’s Engineering program, Schulich Leader Scholarship winner Natalie Loewen is looking forward to a deeper dive into physics and biology.
Experiential Learning grants brew innovative courses
August 04, 2020
Engineering students will have a double-double learning experience when professor Lauren Briens guides them through the chemistry and business of a perfect cup of coffee in a new course, "Engineering Coffee."
Medical Innovation Fellows to generate new solutions
July 30, 2020
Congratulations to Western Engineering graduate student Michael Lavdas who was named as part of the sixth cohort of Western's Medical Innovation Fellowship (MIF) program.
JMP Solutions plays key role in Canadian ventilator manufacturing team
July 30, 2020
JMP Solutions is helping in the fight against COVID-19 by contributing its manufacturing expertise towards the production of ventilators for use in Canada.
Engineering researchers receive COVID-related grants
July 24, 2020
Western Engineering researchers Jin Zhang and Eric Savory have received funding for partnership research projects that will help understand and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Hydro One Scholarships support Women in Engineering
July 08, 2020
Of the 10 Hydro One Women in Engineering Scholarships given to university students across Ontario this year, Western Engineering students Sarah Flatley and Stephanie Marinacci each received one.
Investment bolsters pandemic research
June 19, 2020
Nine additional research projects received university backing for their work in supporting recovery efforts for current and future disease outbreaks, including Engineering professor Chris DeGroot's project, A lab-scale sewer simulator to enable wastewater based epidemiological quantification of COVID-19 infection rates.
Dean Ken Coley’s one-year reflection
June 18, 2020
Western Engineering Dean Ken Coley reflects on his first year with Western and the successes of the Faculty.
‘Learning to fall’ fuels grad’s performance
June 15, 2020
In the short term, Mechanical Engineering student Dean Kernaghan has recently begun a job working for Tesla’s Battery Module Team. In the long term, he hopes to tackle the world’s energy crisis.
Grad builds a career, new opportunities at Western
June 15, 2020
Western Engineering student Javier Gomez Ospina has worked in construction and project management for 13 years. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, he has completed projects in Peru, Venezuela, Brazil and Miami.
Floryan inducted into Canadian Academy of Engineering
June 15, 2020
On June 15, 2020, Mechanical and Materials Engineering Professor Jerzy Floryan was among the 52 new Fellows inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).
Grad finds volunteering, advocacy ‘life-changing’
June 12, 2020
Wesam AbdElhamid Mohamed will join more than 300,000 Western alumni living around the world as a newly minted graduate and member of the Western Class of 2020.
Syrian grad dreams of rebuilding homeland
June 09, 2020
On June 19, Civil Engineering student Mohammad Noor Tamim will join more than 300,000 Western alumni living around the world as a newly minted graduate and member of the Western Class of 2020.
‘Perfect fit’ opens door to new opportunities
June 09, 2020
On June 19, Biomedical Engineering student Ian Villamagna will join more than 300,000 Western alumni living around the world as a newly minted graduate and member of the Western Class of 2020.
Journey to graduation no game for ‘Shorthop’
June 08, 2020
On June 19, Computer Engineering student Kyle Raposo will join more than 300,000 Western alumni living around the world as a newly minted graduate and member of the Western Class of 2020.
Engineering grad ‘just kept climbing’ to reach success
June 08, 2020
On June 19, Western Engineering student Katrina Petahtegoose will join more than 300,000 Western alumni living around the world as a newly minted graduate and member of the Western Class of 2020.
Tim Kwan receives 2020 L.S. Lauchland Engineering Alumni Medal
June 04, 2020
The 2020 recipient of the Lauchland Medal is Tim Kwan, BESc’73, Founder and President of Sheppard Group and Chairman of the Mon Sheong Foundation.
Western experts talk tornadoes: predicting, mapping, protecting people and property
May 29, 2020
On May 21, 2020, tornado and extreme weather experts Greg Kopp and Dave Sills took part in a webcast to discuss the upcoming tornado season and how to best detect tornado occurrence throughout Canada.
Kelly Sexsmith recognized for dedication to students’ career success
May 26, 2020
Kelly Sexsmith, Career Services Officer, is the recipient of this year’s Engineering Award of Recognition.
Homegrown idea looks to solve ventilator shortage
May 25, 2020
The 'Emergency ventilator system using additive manufacturing' project was one of 13 to recently receive funding from the Research Western Catalyst Grant: Surviving Pandemics initiative.
Alumnus sparks innovation in automation
May 21, 2020
Alumnus Andrew Perkins, BESc’09, currently works as the Manager of the Sales and Marketing department at BOS Innovations, a local leader in advanced automation, and a proud sponsor of Western Engineering Outreach initiatives.
Graduate Coordinator Kristen Edwards honoured for outstanding achievement
May 19, 2020
This year’s recipient of the Sharon A. Ling Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement by a Staff Member is Kristen Edwards, Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Research fortifies soil against potential disasters
May 14, 2020
By adding urea and calcium to the soil, Abouzar Sadrekarimi and his team at Western Engineering have created a bio-cement that improves the structural integrity of the ground we walk – and build – upon.
Alumna eases customers’ transition to working from home
May 13, 2020
With nearly five million people nationwide making the transition from office life to working from home, there are likely to be some obstacles along the way. That’s where Western Engineering alumna Nour Zourob, BESc’18 Electrical Engineering, and her team at Cisco come in.
Tutunea-Fatan honoured for Excellence in Teaching
May 11, 2020
Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME) professor Remus Tutunea-Fatan is this year’s recipient of the R. Mohan Mathur Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Western, General Dynamics team on face shields
May 06, 2020
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and Western have teamed up to produce and deliver more than 8,800 face shields – completely free of charge – to 45 hospital, health-care systems, health teams, and extended-care facilities.
Alumnus investigates machine learning to predict COVID-19 cases from chest X-rays
May 05, 2020
By repurposing code that was originally built for internal projects, Blake VanBerlo, BESc'17, and his colleagues are developing a machine learning model that automatically classifies chest X-rays of severe cases of COVID-19.
Professor Charles Xu honoured for Excellence in Research
May 04, 2020
This year’s recipient of Western Engineering's Award for Excellence in Research is Chemical and Biochemical Engineering professor Charles Xu.
Engineering brings STEM studies home for kids
April 21, 2020
With schools closed and social interactions limited, it is undeniably a difficult time for parents and teachers as they try to engage kids in at-home learning activities. That’s why Western Engineering Outreach has launched a new digital program, STEM @ Home.
Smoldering-hot idea nabs 3MT top prize
April 16, 2020
Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD candidate and Western's 2020 3MT winner Taryn Fournie is researching the ability to extract metals and nutrients from sewage sludge, which can then be repurposed for agriculture or new products.
‘Cough chamber’ shows six-feet not far enough
April 14, 2020
A recent study led by Mechanical and Materials Engineering professor Eric Savory says two meters might not be far enough away if someone lets an uncovered cough loose in your direction.
Engineering alumnus and professor earn Ontario Professional Engineers Awards
April 09, 2020
Western Engineering alumnus and President of Zibi Canada Jeff Westeinde, BESc’89, PEng, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor and NSERC/UNENE Senior Industrial Research Chair Jing Jiang have both earned 2020 OPEA medals.
El Naggar earns top scholar honour
April 08, 2020
Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Hesham El Naggar has been honoured with a Distinguished University Professorship. The award acknowledges sustained excellence in scholarship over a substantial career at Western.
Amit Chakma Engineering Building achieves LEED Platinum status
April 03, 2020
Effective March 26, 2020, Western’s Amit Chakma Engineering Building (ACEB) officially received LEED Platinum certification, making it only the third academic building in Canada to achieve that level.
Helping bend, shape needs of Western, world
April 02, 2020
Earlier this month, Clayton Cook and his University Machine Services team constructed a much-need bracket for a local neurosurgeon – a devise to hold a patient’s head in place during lifesaving surgery.
Advanced Manufacturing pivots to face shields
March 31, 2020
The advanced manufacturing team at University Machine Services (UMS) – an ancillary service based in Western Engineering - is producing low-cost, medical face shields that could be in hospitals for healthcare workers (HCW) within days if not hours.
Network unites students in disaster resiliency efforts
March 10, 2020
Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Clare Robinson is the principal investigator on the Scholars Network for Building Disaster Resilient Communities project, a recently funded partnership between Western and Cuban institutions on physical and social resiliency around natural disaster management.
Oldest, youngest campus buildings earn top honours
March 09, 2020
The newly constructed Amit Chakma Engineering Building received top honours from the Don Smith Commercial Building Awards.
Memorial Lecture Speaker Gina Cody Calls for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
March 09, 2020
Canadian-Iranian engineer, business leader and philanthropist Gina Cody served as the distinguished guest speaker at Western Engineering’s 29th Annual Lynda Shaw Memorial Lecture on March 5, 2020.
Alumna flies in the face of adversity
March 09, 2020
We caught up with Western Engineering alumna Pam Lewis, BESc’83, PEng, CD, to learn more about her journey from being held back from pursuing her passion over 40 years ago, simply because of her gender, to becoming a notable leader in the field of Aerospace Engineering.
Big data project lights path to energy savings
March 02, 2020
Software Engineering professors Miriam Capretz and research partner Katarina Grolinger are collaborating with six partners, including London Hydro, on a $3-million project that could transform how utilities around the world predict and share energy use and supply.
Former Dean Mohan Mathur’s Celebration of Life
February 26, 2020
Former Western Engineering Dean Mohan Mathur (1936 – 2020) passed away peacefully in British Columbia, Canada on February 6th, 2020. Mohan's Celebration of Life will take place Saturday, March 7th, 1.00 – 4.00 pm at the London Hunt & Country Club.
CSA grant backs Western Space rover tech
February 25, 2020
Western will play a key role in humanity’s return to the Moon, thanks to a major investment by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in a university-led advancement that could represent a flagship Canadian contribution to international missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Degrees, scholarship to honour Flight 752 students
February 21, 2020
Western announced the creation of the Flight 752 Memorial Graduate Scholarship in Engineering and Science. The scholarship will forever serve as a tribute to these students and landmark of these days.
Future-focused network to boost industry
February 19, 2020
WIN 4.0 (Western’s Industry Network) is utilizing the latest industry revolution – cyber-physical systems – to give businesses the ability to anticipate what will happen in their facilities and address problems even before they happen.
WETT places 3rd at national concrete toboggan race
February 07, 2020
During the week of January 29 – February 2, 2020, members of the Western Engineering Toboggan Team (WETT) travelled to Toronto to compete in the 46th annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race with teams of students from across the country.
Building communities by building bridges
February 06, 2020
The Western chapter of Engineers in Action, a non-profit organization, will help build their third footbridge in Bolivia this summer.
29th annual Lynda Shaw Memorial Lecture
February 03, 2020
The Lynda Shaw Memorial Distinguished Lecture Series was established in memory of Lynda Shaw, a third-year mechanical engineering student at Western who was murdered near Highway 401 in 1990.
Former Dean named among Order of Canada recipients
January 29, 2020
Former Western Engineering Dean (1987 – 1999) and nationally renowned electrical engineer Mohan Mathur is among the latest Canadians to join the Order of Canada for his outstanding contributions to engineering.
The 15th UNENE Annual Workshop on Nuclear Instrumentation and Control (I&C) held at Kinectrics Inc.
January 27, 2020
University researchers, and industry experts and representatives from government gathered on November 22, 2019 at Kinectrics Inc. for the 15th University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) Annual Workshop on Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Systems for Nuclear Power Plants.
Schulich Scholars program doubles size
January 24, 2020
Starting this year, the now $200-million Schulich Leader Scholarships program will provide 100 undergraduate scholarships across top Canadian universities.
The Engineer’s Impact
January 21, 2020
In this new Q&A series, we’ll feature Western Engineering faculty members to gain a succinct overview of their research, understand its impact on society, and discover intriguing little-known facts.
Alumnus leads infrastructure projects for Indigenous communities
January 20, 2020
Western Engineering alumnus and President of Neegan Burnside Limited Cory Jones, P.Eng., BESc’97, has spent his entire career working with Indigenous communities to implement water treatment and distribution systems.
Ghazal Nourian: Absence of ‘a great presence’
January 15, 2020
Ghazal Nourian, 26, was working towards a PhD in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and was one of four Western students who lost their lives when Flight PS752 from Tehran airport was shot down, killing all 176 people aboard.
Milad Nahavandi: A loss felt with each passing day
January 15, 2020
On Jan. 8, Milad Nahavandi was one of 176 passengers on board Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 scheduled to fly from Tehran to Kiev. Nahavandi was part of Professor Charles Xu’s lab and was tasked with researching the process of converting sugar to chemicals, to be used in plastic.
Sajedeh Saraeian: The one we didn’t get to meet
January 15, 2020
Sajedeh Saraeian and her husband, Mohammad Javad Mianji, were among 176 passengers killed when their Kiev-bound plane was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran airport. Saraeian was one of four Western graduate students on that plane.
Vigil honours students lost in Flight PS752
January 08, 2020
The Western and London community gathered in a sombre memorial Wednesday to mourn the deaths of four Western students who were aboard Ukraine International Flight PS752 when it crashed near Tehran earlier that day.
Kopacz named to Mayor’s List
January 07, 2020
This year’s annual Mayor of London Honours List boasted some ‘purple pride’ as Western Engineering alumnus Alex Kopacz, BESc'13, was honoured by London Mayor Ed Holder in the Sports category.
