MIE - newsletter 11

MC330 Open House
To celebrate the new renovation of MC330, there will be an Open House on Friday September 25 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM in MC330. Pizza will be served at noon hour; donuts and beverages will be available throughout the afternoon.

AMIGAS Welcomes Everyone to the 2009/10 Year
amigas On Friday, September 11, AMIGAS (Association of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Graduate Students) held another successful orientation to welcome new and returning graduate students to the department. Presentations made by MIE Chair, Jean Zu; Graduate Chair, Markus Bussmann; MIE Professor, Axel Guenther; Graduate Administrator, Brenda Fung; AMIGAS representative, Mike Marr; and GSU (Graduate Student Union) representatives Joel Kuhn and Dan Sellan, helped familiarize over 120 new graduate students with the department's many resources and functions. Thanks to several volunteers, over 170 staff, faculty and graduate students stood in line to enjoy hamburgers, hotdogs, salads and sweets at a BBQ lunch. It was a great chance for everyone to take a break from the hectic back-to-school rush and relax outside with friends and colleagues. The day ended with a social at The Duke of York Pub, where new students were treated to free drinks and pub snacks. Thank you to everyone who came out; we hope you enjoyed the day and look forward to seeing everyone at the next AMIGAS event this fall!

Watch for more pictures; coming soon to the MIE Website.

First Meeting of the Task Force on Improving Graduate Studies Held
The Task Force on Improving Graduate Studies had its first meeting on September 18, 2009. The most important goal of the Task Force is to improve graduate courses.

Professor Jean Zu Awarded OCE Project Funding
Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), through its Centre for Energy, has awarded Professor Jean Zu a two-year project entitled Development of a New Synchronized Segmentally Interchanging Pulley and Transmission System. The total amount of the OCE funding is $383,622.75 including 35% overhead. In addition to the OCE funding, the industrial partner, Vicicog has contributed $132,014.40, including 40% overhead.

C-MORE Hosts IMEC 2009
imec2009 Approximately 100 maintenance and reliability professionals from around the world, along with academics with a passion for research in maintenance, converged in Toronto last week for the annual International Maintenance Excellence Conference, from September 9 to 11.

This year, the conference was organized by MIE's Centre for Maintenance Optimization and Reliability Engineering (C-MORE) in partnership with Applied Technologies Publications (ATP), a respected publisher of high-quality information for asset management practitioners in North America.

Conference participants hailed from around the world, some with direct industry experience, while others were academics and researchers, yielding a unique opportunity to share insights with like-minded people from both perspectives. Although the conference offered a valuable opportunity for participants to learn from global experts, it wasn’t all work: arguably the most popular session was the CN Tower dinner.

A few of the many outstanding speakers included Nelson Montano, La Silla Paranal Observatory, Chile; David Oberhettinger, NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Lab; Bob Platfoot, Covaris Pty Ltd, Australia; Lloyd Chiotto, Enbridge Gas, Toronto; Norm Hann, Hydro One, Toronto.

University of Toronto and Andrew Jardine’s C-MORE lab featured prominently at the conference: Dr. Ali Zuashkiani acted as liaison between C-MORE and ATP’s Bill Kiesel and also gave a conference session on “Tacit Knowledge in Asset Management;” C-MORE graduate students capably handled the technical details, acted as chairs of sessions and room monitors, and answered participants’ questions; Neil Montgomery, Senior Research Associate, led a day-long workshop; Professor Emeritus Andrew K.S. Jardine opened the conference, welcoming the participants to Toronto. Conference delegate Professor Baris Balcioglu says, “As always, I enjoyed the IMEC experience. I benefited tremendously from the exchange of ideas.”

Mainnovation of the Netherlands agreed to be the conference’s General Sponsor, and Guy Delahay, Mainnovation’s Managing Partner gave the opening keynote address. Other sponsors and exhibitors reflected IMEC’s international nature: IFS, of Sweden; IDCON; LAI Reliability Systems; NOBREAKDOWNS, and Strategic Work Systems from the US; Conscious Asset Management; BANAK; OMDEC, and PEMAC from Canada; Artesis, from the UK.

Due to the extremely positive reactions from delegates, C-MORE, in partnership with APT, has agreed to host a sixth International Maintenance Excellence Conference, to be held in September or October 2010.

SOPO 2010 Call for Papers
The International Symposium on Photonics and Optoelectronics (SOPO 2010), held in Chengdu, China from June 24 to 26, 2010, is accepting paper submissions until November 27, 2009. Notification of acceptance will be sent by January 10, 2010.

Possible topics include:

Laser Technology and Applications
Image Processing
Optical Communications
Optoelectronic Devices & Integration
Medical and Biological Applications

Please contact sopo@scirp.org or click here to visit the website for more information on this conference.

VERY IMPORTANT!! Changes to NSERC Application Process
As you prepare to apply to NSERC, please note some very important changes have been made to the way you must submit your application to Research Services.

Click here to read the new rules and regulations.

RIS Forms for Contract and Grant Applications
Please be advised that there is a revised RIS form for researchers submitting contract and grant applications.

Click here to see the revised form.

MIE Seminar Series
Chang Liu, from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Northwestern University, will give the second talk in the MIE Departmental Seminar Series on Friday, September 25 at 2:10 PM in MC102. He will present an Invited Lecture titled, Biologically Inspired Sensor. Coffee and cookies will be served and everyone is welcome to attend.

Click here for details on this seminar..

Ph.D. Thesis Seminar
Kevin D. Ferreira will present The Pricing of Innovative Products with Upgrading and Advertising Decisions
Date: Friday, September 25, 2009
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Venter Room (MB101), Mining Building
Exam Committee: Prof.essors C.G. Lee (Supervisor & Chair), B. Balcioglu and J. Milner (Rotman)

Ph.D. Thesis Seminar
Nima Tabatabaei will present Non-Destructive Evaluation of Materials Using Photothermal Radiometry
Date: Monday, September 21, 2009
Time: 1:30pm
Location: Clarice Chalmers Conference Room (MC 331), Mechanical Engineering Building
Exam Committee: Professors J.K. Spelt, M.J. Thomson and A. Mandelis (Supervisor & Chair)

NSERC and OGS Application Deadlines
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS/CGS) - Monday, October 5, 2009
Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) - Monday, October 12, 2009

NSERC and OGS applications must be submitted to the MIE Graduate Studies office, RS214.
Applications for postdoctoral fellowships should be submitted directly to NSERC.

Registration 2009/2010 deadlines
Last day to add courses: Oct. 5, 2009
Last day to drop courses without academic penalty: Nov. 2, 2009

Master Tuition Bursary for 2009-2010
Tuition fee bursaries are awarded to master's students who still have a small amount of work outstanding. These students will have registered full-time from the beginning of their programs and their minimum period of registration (i.e. program length) will have ended by or before either August or December of the current year. Students receiving tuition fee bursaries will not be eligible for fellowships, scholarships and other awards. Essentially the bursary allows the recipient to pay the part-time fee for one term.

Please click here for details.

Doctoral Thesis Completion Grant for 2009-10
The Doctoral Thesis Completion Grant is awarded to domestic and international doctoral students who are registered full-time, paying full-time fees, and currently in their 5th or 6th year of study. Students can receive the grant in both their 5th and 6th year of study and need to apply each year.

Click here for the application form, available on the SGS website.

Enter 5th/6th year of Doctoral Studies in May 2009 - Application deadline: September 30th 2009
Enter 5th/6th year of Doctoral Studies in September 2009 - Application deadline: September 30th 2009
Enter 5th/6th year of Doctoral Studies in January 2010 - Application deadline: January 30th 2010

Clilck here for details.

November 2009 Convocation: M.A.Sc. and M.Eng. Students
M.A.Sc. and M.Eng. students planning to graduate in November 2009 must complete all degree requirements by Wednesday, September 30, 2009.
Please send your graduation request to Brenda Fung by Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

Please click here for details.

November 2009 Convocation: Ph.D. Students
PhD students planning to graduate in November 2009 must complete all degree requirements by October 2, 2009.

Please click here for details.

Study in Iceland!
Scholarships Available for M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Science
The School of Renewable Energy Science in Iceland is accepting applications for a 1 year M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Science.

Click here for details of this exciting opportunity.

Wanted: A Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student for Design Project
Remuneration: Negotiable
Location: Toronto
Number of Positions: 1
Details: Looking for a talented, reliable and astute mechanical engineer who has enough spare time to help design and model a new consumer product to be manufactured. The product will be about the size of a standing floor lamp and be able to hold a variable weight at the end of an arm, with a number of links/arms that must be able to move in all directions without tipping over. More information to be disclosed upon signing of a confidentiality waiver.

Necessary skills and software:

Concept development;
2D and 3D modeling, mechanical design, assembly fit-form-function, finite element analysis;
Detailed design and engineering of components from basic sketches;
Material and weight considerations for all components;
Stress analysis;
3D renders.

Qualifications:

Currently enrolled in a graduate engineering program;
Access to software needed for 3D CAD modeling and stress analysis;

Please contact Lance to apply for this opportunity.

Position: MIE221S Course Instructor
CUPE 3902 Unit 1 - Job Posting - Course instructor to teach a portion of MIE 221S - Manufacturing Engineering, Winter 2010

Click here for information.

Bike to Campus for Car Free Day!
On September 22, in participation with Car Free Day in Toronto, the University is having a Bike to Campus day event in Hart House Circle.
Activities for the day include;

Group Commutes in the morning,
The Really, Really Free Market - Goods and Service Swap,
Free Bike Tune-Ups from The Bike Pirates,
Street Decoration,
Games & Contests, with prizes,
Breakfast by The Hot Yam! ($4/PWYC and free for the first 100 students who show their card),
Bike polo demonstration,
Eco Scavenger hunt, with prizes,
Barbeque hosted by UTSU ($2),
Info Sessions on Changing a Flat, Intro to Bike Maintenance, and Road Safety.

Contact bikechain@utoronto.ca for more information.

Please note that Hart House Circle will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 4:00PM on the day of the events.

Professor Tony Sinclair Takes on a New Role
Congratulations to Professor Tony Sinclair, who has agreed to act as Provost's Assessor on the promotions committee in the Faculty of Arts & Science for the 2009-10 academic year.

IEEE/ASME Appointment
Congratulations to Professor Yu Sun, who has accepted an appointment by the IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics as a Technical Editor, effective October 1, 2009.