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Faculty members earn senior awards and fellowships from the Engineering Institute of Canada
Western Engineering professors Jerzy M. Floryan, Jesse (Jingxu) Zhu, Abdallah Shami and Charles (Chunbao) Xu have received top honours from the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).
Western Engineering professors Jerzy M. Floryan and Jesse (Jingxu) Zhu have been awarded the 2023 John B. Stirling Medal and the 2023 K.Y. Lo Medal, respectively by the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). The senior awards of the EIC are the highest distinctions made by the Institute and are awarded to deserving members of its 14 constituent societies.
Abdallah Shami, acting associate dean (research) for the Faculty of Engineering and Charles (Chunbao) Xu, a professor in the department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, were both elected as 2023 Fellows of the Engineering Institute of Canada in recognition of their outstanding achievements and service to the engineering profession.
Ken Coley, dean of the Faculty of Engineering said, “I am delighted to hear that four of our faculty members have received top honours from the EIC this year. It highlights their commitment and dedication to advancing the profession, Faculty and Western University.”
John B. Stirling Medal
The John B. Stirling Medal is awarded for leadership and distinguished service in Canada. Floryan, a professor in the department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, is being recognized for his contributions to fluid mechanics. As President of the Canadian Society for Mechanics Engineering from 2018 to 2021, he modernized its operations and raised the profile of the organization.
In his role as a representative to the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM), he increased Canada’s role in the organization and brought the 24th International IUTAM Congress to Canada.
K.Y. Lo Medal
The K.Y. Lo Medal was established in 1997 to honour Lo, a professor emeritus in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Western, for his outstanding contributions to the field of geotechnical and civil engineering. Recipients of the Medal are recognized for making significant engineering contributions at the international level.
Zhu has been awarded the K.Y. Lo Medal for his extraordinary achievements in the field of fluidization and particle technology. A Distinguished University Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Zhu is credited with the development of novel fluidization theories, including the four-quadrant fluidization regime map and the nano-modulation theory for fine particles.
EIC Fellowship
Shami and Xu are among the 22 outstanding engineers that will be inducted as 2023 EIC Fellows for their exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada. Shami, a professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, heads the Optimized Computing and Communications (OC2) Laboratory at Western University and is a global leader and innovator in telecommunications network planning, orchestration and optimization.
His research has led to breakthroughs in the development of 5G telecommunications virtualized service orchestration algorithms which have been adopted widely in the industry and resulted in significant operating and capital expense reduction.
Xu is an internationally recognized leader and innovator in biomass conversion, biorefinery, bioproducts and green process engineering.
His work has generated over 20 inventions and 16 patents in the conversion of forestry/agricultural biomass/residues/bio-wastes/glycerol/sugars into bio-based materials, green hydrogen, bioenergy, biofuels, and bio-chemicals. Additionally, his research has helped to transfer new technologies to industries with the establishment of Western Maple Bioresources Inc. — a successful start-up company for the commercialization of volatile organic compound-free coatings and formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Ying Zheng (Submitted)
Last year, chemical and biochemical engineering professor Ying Zheng, was inducted into the EIC Fellowship. The Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Chemical Reaction and Intensification at Western has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of fundamental knowledge in applied catalysis.
Zheng has developed innovative catalysts and processes for waste-to-energy, clean fuels, and CO2 reduction. Her technologies are creating valuable economic benefits for Canada by creating jobs and helping industries reduce harmful environmental impacts globally.
Founded in 1887 and established as the Engineering Institute of Canada in 1918, the EIC develops and promotes continuing education, initiates and facilitates interdisciplinary activities and services and leads member societies in defining and building the future of engineering. EIC is committed to advocating the values and benefits of engineering.
The induction and awards ceremony will honour recipients from 2020 to 2023 and is scheduled for April in Gatineau, Ottawa.
