Posts Categorized: News

Developer-in-the-loop: Building human-compatible approaches to source code summarization

Professor Eldan Cohen (MIE), a recipient of the Connaught New Researcher Award, aims to develop human-compatible machine learning algorithms for automating source code documentation. (Photo: Submitted

Professor Eldan Cohen (MIE), a recipient of the Connaught New Researcher Award, aims to develop human-compatible machine learning algorithms for automating source code documentation. (Photo: Submitted

Software plays an essential role in our modern systems, across all industries. However, the development, maintenance and management of software constitutes an expensive and laborious part of the process, says Professor Eldan Cohen (MIE). 

Cohen is leading a team of researchers to develop novel, human-centred machine learning algorithms for source code summarization with support from the Connaught New Researcher Award.  

Source code summarization is the process of automatically summarizing a snippet of code into clear and concise language. 

While well-documented source code can significantly reduce the cost of maintenance, manually documenting and summarizing code is tedious and time-consuming, which can also result in poorly documented code.  

These summaries are meant to capture the purpose of code, helping developers understand, maintain and work with the codebase. Code summaries are particularly important in large software development projects and involve both natural language processing techniques and machine learning. 

In recent years, there has been significant research into using artificial intelligence to develop automated source code summarization tools that can generate natural language summaries of code.  

“Yet even state-of-the-art deep learning models are prone to mistakes in prediction, yielding summaries that do not match the provided source code. In such cases, software developers must reject the proposed summary and resort to manually documenting the code,” says Cohen. 

To address this challenge, he recommends developing a human-in-the-loop technique for automated code summarization that considers the developer’s knowledge, preferences, and insight to overcome and learn from model mistakes. He is developing specialized machine learning algorithms designed to overcome limitations of existing approaches that suffer from limited diversity or from lower-quality summaries.  

“We plan on doing this by creating interactive approaches where developers are presented with a small number of diverse and high-quality code summaries to choose from, reducing the risk of generating a single, incorrect summary,” says Cohen.  

Human-in-the-loop code summarization allows developers to actively participate in the process of generating code summaries through machine learning algorithms. This method involves integrating human insights into the automated code summarization workflow.  

The long-term goal of this work is to significantly improve the effectiveness of automatic source code summarization. By developing these human-in-the-loop approaches they hope to incorporate developer input into state-of-the-art deep learning models to improve the quality of generated code summaries. 

The approach is expected to have significant scholarly impact with the potential to catalyze both research and commercial activity on human-in-the-loop automation in software engineering. 

Cohen is one of 49 researchers from across U of T — and one of four from U of T Engineering — supported in the latest round of the Connaught New Researcher Awards, which helps early-career faculty members establish their research program.    

“Students are involved in all stages of this project and are actively involved in developing and evaluating the novel human-in-the-loop techniques for automatic source code summarization,” says Cohen. “The funds from this award will primarily go to supporting their research.”  

The other three projects from U of T Engineering supported by the Connaught New Researcher Awards are:  

  • Margaret Chapman (ECE)  Risk-aware, adaptive and scalable algorithms for smart sewer technology in Toronto 
  • Christopher Lawson (ChemE)  Engineering untapped anaerobic bacteria for sustainable fuel and chemical production 
  • Jay Werber (ChemE)  Ultra-thin bipolar membranes for carbon dioxide removal applications 

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on December 7, 2023 by Selah Katona.

 


U of T marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

U of T students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at a memorial led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

U of T students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at a memorial led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

The University of Toronto community came together to honour the memories of the 14 women who were killed in the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989 and to acknowledge the ongoing struggle against gender-based violence.

In-person and online, students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni across the three campuses marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with a memorial, led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, that was held at Hart House on Wednesday — the 34th anniversary of the anti-feminist attack that claimed the lives of 14 women and left another 10 women and four men injured.

Students walked across the stage to say the name of each woman killed — Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte — followed by a moment of silence.

Separately, a group of women in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering prepared to unveil a student-led monument outside the Galbraith Building. The installation, led by Rebecca Ing (Year 3 MSE), Kaija Mikes (Year 3 EngSci), Natalia Espinosa-Merlano (Year 4 MechE) and Erika Narimatsu (Year 4 MechE) with the support of more than a dozen volunteers, features 14 figures in a circle with a plaque that explains its meaning.

A monument commemorating the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, was unveiled outside the Galbraith Building on December 6. Led by a group of women engineering students, the structure, which included 14 figures around a plaque, was built by student volunteers at U of T Engineering. (Photo: Shawn Ahmed)

A monument commemorating the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, was unveiled outside the Galbraith Building on December 6. Led by a group of women engineering students, the structure, which included 14 figures around a plaque, was built by student volunteers at U of T Engineering. (Photo: Shawn Ahmed)

Ing said the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is of particular importance to her, as a woman in engineering.

“I see myself reflected in the women we are remembering, as I attend classes that they once learned from,” Ing said. “To remember them and the gender-based violence that took their lives is not an option: it is our responsibility as students to encourage action and awareness to improve inclusion.”

“Every one of you are change-makers and change leaders, because you’re here at the University of Toronto,” Chow said. “You get the best education. You have the confidence — you have the skills — to know what needs to be done. So today, I urge you to make a commitment to put your passion and your intellect into it.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended the memorial at Hart House, and encouraged attendees to work for change. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended the memorial at Hart House, and encouraged attendees to work for change. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

Marisa Sterling, the assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism at U of T Engineering, said that while positive change has been made in the decades since the tragedy, women in engineering continue to face gender-based violence and harassment, along with other forms of discrimination.

“Until violence against women has been eradicated, we will remember these 14 women and their families and bring awareness for the need for further actions every year,” Sterling said. “The eradication of gender-based violence and all forms of oppression is collective work.”

Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean and Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism at U of T Engineering, said women in engineering continue to face discrimination, violence and harassment. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean and Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism at U of T Engineering, said women in engineering continue to face discrimination, violence and harassment. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

The event featured a keynote speech by author, performer and somatic sex educator Kai Cheng Thom — titled “Care, Healing, and Justice: Addressing Transmisogyny and Ending Gender-Based Violence for All” — and a musical performance.

Thom urged attendees to hold fast to the ideals of empathy and solidarity amid the rising threat of violence.

“The valley of fear threatens to swallow us whole, but the light of love moves within and between us — if only we let it,” Thom said. “The moment we begin to act as though a better world is possible is the moment that starts to be true.”

Keynote speaker Kai Cheng Thom, urged attendees to hold fast to the ideals of empathy and solidarity amid the rising threat of violence. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

Keynote speaker Kai Cheng Thom, urged attendees to hold fast to the ideals of empathy and solidarity amid the rising threat of violence. (Photo: Lisa Lightbourn)

Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students, announced this year’s winners of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in the Area of Gender-Based Violence, which recognizes U of T students for their exceptional commitment to issues of violence against women, girls, transgender and non-binary people.

The undergraduate recipient was Gabrielle Tavazzani, a third-year student specializing in bioethics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, who was recognized for her work and research efforts on providing pro-bono dental care to survivors of gender-based violence.

The graduate winner was Nil Basduraka, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Music. She was honoured for her interdisciplinary research examining media surrounding violence against women in Türkiye.

Wednesday’s hybrid event at Hart House was co-hosted by the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office; the Community Safety Office; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at U of T Mississauga; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at U of T Scarborough; the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering; Hart House; the Division of People Strategy, Equity, & Culture; the Institutional Equity Office; the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office; and the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, underscored the importance of providing opportunities for the community to engage with issues of gender-based violence and how it intersects with prejudices including transphobia and misogyny.

“Ending gender-based violence is possible through widespread, consistent, and ongoing action,” Hannah-Moffat said in a statement. “We can realize this possibility at the University of Toronto, one action at a time.”

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on December 7, 2023 by Adina Bresge.


New intelligent robotic technologies improve independence for older adults managing activities of daily living

Socially Assistive Robot Leia assisting with the eating ADL (Photo: ASB Lab)

Researchers in the Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Lab (ASBLab) have been developing assistive robots for over 15 years to help older adults perform activities of daily living (ADL) and maintain wellbeing and health to promote aging-in-place. Second-nature tasks such as dressing, eating and caring for ourselves can become more challenging as we age. New technology from the ASBLab is helping manage and restore independence through increased engagement by socially assistive robots.

An open challenge has been a robot’s limited autonomy in assisting with a wide range of ADLs. This then requires additional human assistance in initiating interactions between an older user and the robot when the goal is to have the robot help independently. Professor Goldie Nejat, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Robots for Society, and her ASBLab have developed a novel multi-modal deep learning human activity recognition and classification architecture for socially assistive robots that is capable of autonomously identifying and monitoring ADLs to provide further assistance to older adults. They have also incorporated embedded and wearable sensors to create more intuitive human-robot interactions and create more opportunities for older adults to age-in-place in their homes.

“Our aging population is expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050,” says Nejat, who is also part of U of T’s Robotics Institute. “We are exploring new ways of integrating technologies to assist older adults and those living with cognitive impairments by increasing the perceptions and behaviours for socially assistive robots to provide individualized person-centred care.”

By adding wearable sensors to clothing and using multi-modal inputs to track ADLs, ASBLab researchers are enabling robots to learn from their environment and be more responsive to a user’s changing needs. Assistive behaviours for dressing, eating and even exercising have been tailored to address any changes that happen during interactions.

“Wearable sensors were designed into clothing to give our socially assistive robot Leia more intuitive prompts when dressing,” says Fraser Robinson, ASBLab researcher and MASc candidate in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. “Alerts from the sensors inform Leia if a user has put a shirt on inside-out, or has become distracted during dressing. These alerts enable Leia to intelligently guide the user through the next best step.”

Robinson is collaborating with fellow MASc student Zinan Cen (MIE) from both the ASBLab and the Toronto Smart Materials and Structures Lab (TSMART). This research, funded by both AGE-WELL Inc. and NSERC, demonstrates the value of adding wearable sensors to clothing in order to develop further autonomy and intelligence in socially assistive robots.

-Published November 27, 2023 by Kendra Hunter


How AI could help optimize nutrient consistency in donated human breast milk

The new data-driven framework bypasses the need for a device to analyze the donor milk. (Photo: Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank)

The new data-driven framework bypasses the need for a device to analyze the donor milk. (Photo: Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank)

A team of U of T Engineering researchers, led by Professor Timothy Chan (MIE), is leveraging machine learning to optimize the macronutrient content of pooled human donor milk recipes.  

The researchers introduce their data-driven optimization model in a new paper published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. 

Chan and his team worked with Mount Sinai Hospital’s Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank — which provides donor milk to preterm and sick babies who are hospitalized across Ontario — as well as Professor Debbie O’Connor (Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Nutritional Sciences). 

“For a variety of reasons, many hospitalized infants do not have a full supply of mother’s milk. In this instance human donor milk can be lifesaving particularly as it helps to protect preterm infants from necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening bowel disease,” says Dr. Sharon Unger (Temerty Medicine, Nutritional Sciences), a neonatologist and the medical director of the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank.  

“The new program developed by Dr. Chan helps to ensure that each batch of human donor milk meets the protein and calorie needs of preterm infants.”  

Currently, many milk banks, including Mount Sinai’s, rely on individual decision making when pooling donor milk. This presents a significant challenge in producing a consistent donor milk product that contains sufficient macronutrients for premature and sick babies in neonatal intensive care units.  

“It takes a lot of time to create these recipes without a defined method,” says Chan.  

“While there are studies that show that milk that comes from donors who are early in their postpartum period tends to be more protein rich, our approach provides a good prediction of the actual macronutrient content that will allow milk bank employees to make better pooling decisions.”  

Given that milk banks are often non-profit entities operating on lean budgets, a low-cost alternative to obtaining a consistent, nutrient-balanced product could be useful across the entire sector.   

Devices known as human milk analyzers can be used to measure the exact macronutrient content of each milk sample at a milk bank. However, these devices are costly and require extensive regulatory approval for use, with the result that only half of all milk banks in North America use one. On top of that, analyzing every donation is a costly endeavour that is labour and resource intensive.  

“Our data-driven framework bypasses the need for a device to analyze the donor milk by using an artificial intelligence model to predict the macronutrient content of each donation,” says Rachel Wong (MIE MASc 2T2), a lead researcher of the study.   

“In addition, by using an optimization model to choose which donations to pool together, we can increase the consistency of macronutrient content in the donor milk product.”   

Four beakers hold pooled donor milk
Four beakers hold pooled donor milk at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. (Photo: Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank)

The multi-phased study included a one-year implementation trial at the Rogers Hixon milk bank that was designed to test whether AI-informed models could help to fill the gap.   

In the first phase, researchers collected the necessary data to create a machine learning model to predict the macronutrient content of the pooled recipes, and then designed an optimization model to create the recipes based on macronutrient requirements, that is, the necessary levels of protein and fat.  

The team then created a simulation model to test the method before embarking on an experiment in the milk bank, which took place over 16 months in 2021 and 2022.  

“Since our study was performed in the milk bank during regular operating hours, rather than in a controlled environment, there were a number of unexpected challenges that we had to adapt to,” says Wong.  

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of donations fluctuated based on the provincial restrictions — during the lockdown periods there was an unprecedented increase in the number and volume of donations.  

“We also needed to adapt the AI decisions that had already been proposed to ensure that we abided with the milk bank’s operating protocols.”   

The last phase of the study began by observing the milk bank’s operation for six months and measuring the fat, protein and bacteria levels in the pooled recipes.   

For the following six months, the milk bank used the data-driven optimization framework to create the pooled milk recipes. At the end of the year, the researchers compared the optimized recipes to the previous ones to assess which recipes met the macronutrient targets.   

“We found that our pooled recipes met the bar for protein and fat simultaneously up to 75% more often, without compromising other factors like an increase in bacteria,” says Chan. “And it took us 60% less time to make the recipes.”  

The team’s optimized recipes also have an added benefit for pre-term and sick babies, who have underdeveloped digestive systems that make it especially crucial to ensure that the milk they are consuming isn’t overly rich in protein or fat.  

Chan’s team is currently working towards expanding this research to measure other nutrients in human donor milk to see if their models can optimize them. The research has won INFORMS’s 2023 Pierskalla Best Paper Award and an Excellence in Quality and Safety award from Sinai Health.  

“Our ultimate goal is to show that our tool is applicable to other milk banks,” says Chan. “We would like to design a system that can plug into hospital systems to optimize recipes in a way that is sustainable for milk bank staff.”  

Wong says that the entire team is grateful to all those who have made the project possible.  

“We couldn’t have done this without all of the mothers who donate to the milk bank and the staff who work incredibly hard to provide donor milk to infants across Ontario and beyond,” she says.   

I hope that this research will provide a framework to help milk banks across North America increase the consistency of macronutrient content in their donor milk product. The eventual end goal would be to see a downstream impact of improved growth and developmental outcomes for the infants that receive this donor milk.”  

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on November 20, 2023 by Safa Jinje.


Engineering soft connective tissues with biomimetic mechanical properties

A team of researchers at the University of Toronto, led by Professor Craig Simmons, has introduced a novel method to engineer soft connective tissues with prescribed mechanical properties similar to those of native tissues. This finding, published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, can propel the generation of more realistic tissues and organs for regenerative medicine in the future.

“Soft connective tissues, including heart valves, possess highly nonlinear and anisotropic mechanical properties that haven’t been accurately replicated in tissue-engineered structures before,” said Bahram Mirani, a PhD candidate and the leading author of the research. “Current tissue-engineered heart valves often fall short of accurately mimicking the intricate mechanical properties of native valves, leading to their eventual failure.”

The research team’s innovative approach combines computational modeling, statistical optimization, and a cutting-edge fabrication method known as Melt Electrowriting (MEW). MEW, a fusion of 3D printing and electrospinning, enables the precise deposition of fine fibers with complex architectures. This method stands out for its ability to create structures with microscopic features that yield native tissue mechanics.

“Melt electrowriting is a powerful biofabrication method to produce intricate fiber architectures. Its ability to precisely print fibers with complex shapes in specific patterns has garnered significant attention in the biomedical field, especially in recent years.” said Mirani.

 

One of the critical features of soft connective tissues is their nonlinearity and anisotropy. Nonlinearity refers to how a tissue stiffens as it is stretched, whereas anisotropy means that the tissue’s stiffness varies in different directions. The MEW method, coupled with computational modeling, enables the replication of these intricate mechanical characteristics.

The computational modeling aspect played a pivotal role in streamlining the optimization process. Mirani elaborated, “Without an optimization method or computational modeling, we would have had to test hundreds of conditions experimentally. Through computational modeling, we reduced the number of experimental conditions needed for optimization down to only five. This significantly accelerated the entire optimization process.”

The research has far-reaching implications beyond cardiovascular applications. Mirani stated, “While our examples focused on heart valve and pericardium tissues, the methodology we’ve developed is applicable to a wide range of tissues and organs with non-linear mechanical properties, such as tendons, ligaments, and skin.”

The ultimate goal of this research is to develop living tissue constructs that can be implanted into patients in the future, such as children with congenital heart conditions. These engineered tissues could grow and remodel alongside the patient, potentially reducing the need for multiple interventions over their lifetime.

“Current treatments for children born with defective heart valves are quite limited. The living replacement heart valves engineered with this new biofabrication approach have unmatched mechanical function, which we expect will contribute to longer-term success than what is possible currently,” said Simmons, the corresponding author of this research.

Collaborators from Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa played crucial roles in the success of this research. The project received funding from various sources, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Translational Biology and Engineering Program in the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research.

This pioneering study opens up new avenues in tissue engineering, promising not only improved clinical outcomes for patients with heart conditions but also paving the way for advancements in various other fields of medicine.

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Biomedical Engineering News Site on November 15, 2023.


The next generation of STEM leaders: Meet U of T Engineering’s 2023 Schulich Leaders

From top left to right: Manroop Kalsi, Lucas Hilden, Adam Omarali, Serewaya Latif and Samantha Sedran.

From top left to right: Manroop Kalsi, Lucas Hilden, Adam Omarali, Serewaya Latif and Samantha Sedran.

Lucas Hilden (Year 1, MechE) was a Grade 8 student in the rural town of Falmouth, N.S., when he developed an aid that uses facial recognition technology to help Alzheimer’s patients recognize their loved ones.

Inspired by his grandfather, who suffers from the disease, the project won him a gold medal and innovation award at the Canada-Wide Science Fair that year.

“That experience showed me that the world of STEM is definitely where I belong and where I could make the most impact on society,” says the now-17-year-old, who is one of just 100 students from across Canada to win a coveted 2023 Schulich Leader Scholarship — including 10 now studying at the University of Toronto.

Awarded to incoming undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional promise and leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and entrepreneurship, the Schulich Leader Scholarships are designed to foster the next generation of global STEM pioneers.

For Hilden, who started three businesses in high school while nurturing his love of STEM and hosting coding camps for children, winning the scholarship reassured him that he was on the right path.

“I read the Schulich Leader Scholarship requirements and thought, ‘Wow.’ If I could write scholarship criteria to describe what I’m good at and what I do, it would literally be this scholarship,” he says. “When I found out I had won it, it felt like an important confirmation that I’m doing what I should be doing.”

The Schulich Leader Scholarships are an investment in Canada’s brightest minds

The Schulich Leader Scholarships were established in 2012 by businessman Seymour Schulich, who credits his success to a scholarship that enabled him to attend McGill University’s first-ever MBA class in 1965.

Valued at $120,000 each for students pursuing engineering programs and $100,000 each for science, technology and mathematics students, the scholarships cover the total cost of an undergraduate education — allowing Schulich Leaders to focus entirely on pursuing their goals.

“Schulich Leaders are extraordinary young people with big dreams, big ideas and unparalleled potential to change the world,” says University of Toronto President Meric Gertler.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome the newest Schulich Leaders to U of T, and we could not be more grateful to Seymour Schulich and the Schulich Foundation for investing in the ambitions of these remarkable students.”

This year, the 10 Schulich Leader Scholarship winners attending U of T come from across Canada — from Nova Scotia to British Columbia — and are pursuing engineering, computer science and actuarial science programs. Their interests range from robotics to artificial intelligence, programming to entrepreneurship in STEM and beyond.

For U of T’s Schulich Leaders, the future starts now

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s Vice Provost, Students, says it’s been inspiring to witness the impact of the Schulich Leader Scholarships on some of Canada’s brightest students year after year.

“These scholarships open doors to unlimited opportunity for some of our country’s most ambitious and brilliant young minds,” she says.

“They not only provide the financial support students need to pursue a U of T education, but they also come with an incredible network of peers, mentors and supporters and offer access to world-class faculty and leading industry experts. We are incredibly grateful to the Schulich Foundation for helping these future STEM leaders start their journeys here at U of T.”

Hilden, who is studying mechanical engineering, isn’t sure yet what his future career will look like, but he knows he wants to combine his interests in business and engineering.

“I’m really interested in the entrepreneurship side of things, and I have big goals for the future,” he says. “There are so many opportunities in the city and at the University to explore the different paths available to me. I’m just getting started.”

Meet the 2023 U of T Engineering Schulich Leaders

Adam Omarali, Engineering Science

A graduate of the Crescent School in Toronto, Omarali is passionate about developing innovative solutions to improve lives and build stronger communities. As an apprentice with the Moonshot Factory in California, he helped create a design solution to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion and has worked on innovations to reduce doctor and nurse fatigue.

 

 

Lucas Hilden, Mechanical Engineering

A graduate of Avon View High School in Falmouth, Nova Scotia, Hilden won a national award for facial recognition technology he developed for Alzheimer’s patients, ran coding camps for children and started three businesses when he was in Grade 10. Hilden brings his dual passion for STEM and entrepreneurship to his mechanical engineering studies at U of T.

 

 

 

Manroop Kalsi, Engineering Science

Kalsi hopes to leverage her education in engineering science to further the development of the field of robotics. As a student at Sandalwood Heights Secondary School in Brampton, she pursued research into neuro-prosthetics. She worked as an Innovator and

Activator with The Knowledge Society, which offers “Olympic-level” training for future CEOs.

 

 

Samantha Sedran, Engineering Science

While engaging in robotics competitions at Bayview Glen School in Toronto, Sedran developed a passion for motivating young girls to pursue STEM. In addition to fundraising to send girls to robotics camp, volunteering with robotics programs and engaging with industry leaders, she also launched the GirlsCrewClub, an all-girl robotics club running at one of Toronto’s elementary schools.

 

 

Serewaya Latif, Computer Engineering

Latif brings a wide range of skills and interests to her computer engineering studies at U of T. A graduate of Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ontario, Latif has worked as a freelance full-stack developer and an innovation developer intern at RBC. She is also the founder of Resource ASK, an organization that connects Black entrepreneurs to the business resources they need to succeed.

 

 

 

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on November 7, 2023 by Janet Rowe.


In Memoriam – James (Jim) Fennell Keffer (1933-2023)

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is saddened to announce the passing of Professor Emeritus James (Jim) Fennell Keffer in Toronto on September 29, 2023. A distinguished professor, researcher, teacher and administrator at U of T, Professor Emeritus Keffer made lasting innovations in fluid mechanics and heightened the international research profile of the University of Toronto during his remarkable career.

Born in 1933, Jim pursued his undergraduate mechanical engineering studies at U of T. Maintaining an honours standing while playing football for the Varsity Blues, Jim was also a member of the U of T Hall of Fame team that won the Yates Cup in 1954. After graduating in 1956, Jim joined the research division of Canadian General Electric, which led to his return to U of T for graduate studies. Advised by Professor Doug Baines, Jim obtained his PhD in mechanical engineering in 1962 and then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. On his return to Canada, he joined U of T’s Department of Mechanical Engineering as an Assistant Professor.

Jim’s lifetime of research advanced understanding of fluid mechanics with emphasis on two fundamental shear flows: the wake and the jet. He used novel experimental techniques to investigate these basic flows, which are relevant to environmental problems such as pollutant dispersion, smokestack dispersion, and climate effects. Jim and his students developed rigorous theoretical analyses to support their experimental data and to evaluate their validity and limitations, an important contribution to computer models.

Jim had a keen ability to recognize and plan for the future. Through his efforts, he helped the department and university acquire a unique wind tunnel in the 1970s that remains in use to this day. This facility allowed him to perform sophisticated measurements for the first time and contributed to his widely-cited and highly respected work. The quality and significance of his research brought many interested students to his lab. Those under his supervision graduated to become university professors and global industry leaders who continue to contribute to turbulence measurement and analysis.

Jim’s roles at U of T extended far beyond the classroom and his lab, as he undertook several administrative positions. He served as the Director of Graduate Studies for Mechanical Engineering, which led to appointments as the Associate Dean at the School of Graduate Studies, and later as Vice-Provost, Professional Faculties. Before retirement, Jim’s final appointment was as Vice-President, Research and International Relations. In this role, he firmly established a professional service orientation within the portfolio, made major organizational innovations that his successors have built on to increase U of T’s international research profile; and brought the first Cray supercomputer to the campus.

Jim formally retired from U of T in 1999, but continued to pursue research and graduate teaching in the following few years.

For more information about Professor Emeritus Jim Keffer and his family please see: https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/james-keffer-obituary?id=53244726


U of T partnership will bring graduate students from South Korea to Toronto for six-month applied AI program

Representatives from the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation, a South Korean government institution funding this program, visited U of T in July 2023 to discuss the applied AI program for South Korean graduate students. (Photo: Aaron Demeter)

U of T will welcome a cohort of competitively selected graduate students from across South Korea to study applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) in January 2024.

Funded by the government of South Korea and administered through U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, the six-month program is designed for students from diverse disciplines in technology, engineering, and the natural and mathematical sciences with ambitions to drive the innovative use of AI in their fields.

At U of T, the students will participate in intensive coursework in Machine Learning (ML) and AI, offered through the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering (MIE), with support from the Centre for Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Engineering (CARTE).

“This partnership builds on the very successful Master of Engineering program offered by the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, with many of our students taking courses in ML/AI; and it represents another engagement with South Korea, as MIE already hosts an international doctoral cluster with KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,” says Professor Markus Bussmann, MIE Chair.

“We very much look forward to hosting and welcoming the first cohort of Korean students in January.”

Throughout the program, students will have access to customized AI drop-in clinics provided by CARTE, which provides research and training support in AI to external academic and industry partners. Students will also have access to a number of applied AI seminars offered at U of T, AI and ML projects from industry, government and non-profit sectors, as well as a dedicated workspace to facilitate collaborative opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in the booming AI ecosystem in Toronto.

“This partnership is another example of the influence of the University of Toronto and the CARTE program in AI training,” says Professor Alex Mihailidis (BME), Associate Vice-President International Partnerships at U of T. “Our partnership with South Korea is an important one to our institution, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them to provide this opportunity to their students.”

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on September 29, 2023 by Somayeh Sadat.

 


U of T Engineering professor leads new global collaboration to advance net-zero hydrogen economy

Professor Murray Thomson and Lab Members

From left to right: George Saegh (MIE MASc candidate), Mehdi Salakhi (MIE PhD candidate), Professor Murray Thomson (MIE), Franciska Toth (MIE MASc candidate) and Luke Di Liddo (MIE PhD candidate) are working on methane pyrolysis research to advance net-zero hydrogen production. (Photo: Safa Jinje)

Hydrogen will play a crucial role in enabling countries worldwide to reach net-zero emission by 2050. But a sustainable hydrogen economy will require global collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive the necessary technological developments, says Professor Murray Thomson (MIE).  

Thomson is the one of four national leads of the newly established Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center, along with professors from Arizona State University in the United States, the University of Adelaide in Australia and Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.   

The Center will advance net-zero hydrogen production technologies with the goal of making it more energy efficient and affordable by reaching US$1 per kilogram. Researchers will also explore the social and environmental system changes that are needed to build a global hydrogen economy.  

“Our goal is to connect researchers and students worldwide to share insights and work synergistically to create a sustainable energy resource,” says Thomson.  

“It is about connecting Canadians who work in hydrogen production and technology, but also connecting Canadians with researchers around the world, which I think is a great benefit to our students to promote new ideas, expertise and approaches.”  

The Canadian component of the project will receive $3.6 million over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), providing the Center with a total of $25.5 million to support student training and mobility.  

Two researchers wearing protective lab coats, gloves and googles look back while working in a laboratory.
Mehdi Salakhi (MIE PhD candidate) and Franciska Toth (MIE MASc candidate) work with a 1kW microwave-driven pyrolysis reactor in Professor Thomson’s laboratory at the University of Toronto. (Photo: Safa Jinje)

Thomson’s research is focused on methane pyrolysis, and he has co-founded a company, Aurora Hydrogen, which is creating low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen production. 

Aurora Hydrogen is growing very quickly,” he says. “We’ve hired 30 people and should have a pilot-scale plant built by the end of the year.” 

He is also the methane pyrolysis leader of the new HyPT Center, which is one of three technologies the Center aims to advance. The methane pyrolysis subgroup includes researchers from Adelaide, University of British Columbia (UBC), Stanford and Cambridge.  

“Methane pyrolysis is a process that uses heat to break down natural gas into hydrogen gas and solid carbon particles, so that you don’t produce carbon dioxide. But that carbon is also a useful product,” says Thomson.   

“My team at U of T is using microwave energy to break apart methane. Stanford and Cambridge are working more on the carbon byproduct side, while Adelaide and UBC are exploring different catalysts.  

“We each have a different focus, but by interacting as a group we can work together to provide a more compelling technology.”  

The other two hydrogen technologies the Center is exploring are water electrolysis, where water is split into hydrogen and water using electrical energy; and photocatalytic water splitting, which uses sunlight to separate hydrogen and oxygen.   

Since both methods require lots of clean water, the Center is also exploring challenges related to this crucial resource.   

“Hydrogen production is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade,” says Thomson.  

“We have a role to play in better training the next generation of students working in hydrogen energy, in developing the scientific foundations that these hydrogen production technologies are based on, and in ensuring our approaches consume less electricity, use better catalysts and make more efficient use of the carbon and oxygen byproducts.  

“The goal is to provide the energy that the world needs with much less greenhouse gas emissions — that is the motivation.”

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on September 26, 2023 by Safa Jinje.


IBET Momentum Fellow LaShawn Murray aims to use human factors engineering to advance health equity for marginalized populations

LaShawn Murray (MIE PhD candidate) is one of three IBET Momentum Fellows joining U of T Engineering this fall. (Photo: Tyler Irving)

LaShawn Murray (MIE PhD candidate) is one of three IBET Momentum Fellows joining U of T Engineering this fall. (Photo: Tyler Irving)

LaShawn Murray (MIE PhD candidate) comes from a long line of engineers and educators — and though she grew up in Toronto and Oakville, she always felt connected with her family’s roots in the Caribbean and South America.

“My family taught me the importance of understanding my identity and being proud of who I am and the legacy of my community,” she says.

“I have been reminded that I am here to make a difference in the lives of others.”

That motivation led Murray toward the health sciences. She recently completed her master’s degree in health informatics at DePaul University in Chicago. It was there that she first became aware of the field of human factors engineering in healthcare.

“I took a course called System Design in Healthcare, taught by Professor Enid Montague,” she says.

“My research for the course examined unintentional acetaminophen errors and overdose in children through a system analysis of the role of parents and caregivers in the home administration of acetaminophen. This project demonstrated the interdisciplinary nature of human factors engineering.”

Murray is one of three 2023 recipients of the IBET Momentum Fellowships, along with fellow graduate students Raylene Mitchell (MIE PhD candidate) and Chantel Campbell (BME PhD candidate). Fellowship recipients receive financial support, mentorship, training and networking opportunities to foster a robust professional community.

For her PhD at U of T, she will once again be working with Professor Montague, who joined U of T’s Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering in 2022. Murray will also work with Professor Myrtede Alfred (MIE), as both professors work through an equity lens to understand disparities and improve safety and outcomes in marginalized populations both within Canadian and American contexts.

“My proposed doctoral research aims to explore the role of human factors engineering in advancing health equity for marginalized populations with an intentional focus on the health of Black communities,” she says.

“Specifically, I’ll be examining the role of automation in primary care. Automating certain types of clinical work can improve clinician work life and professional well-being, mitigating burnout. This in turn can improve access to quality care for patients.

“But in order to decide what to automate and how to go about it, we need to first understand whether historically and currently marginalized communities have equitable primary care experiences, and then design our systems accordingly.”

Murray says that she is proud to be a recipient of the IBET Momentum Fellowship.

“I am appreciative that the University recognizes the historic and systemic barriers faced by Black and Indigenous students,” she says.

“This fellowship affords me the opportunity to deepen my scholarship through mentorship opportunities with industry leaders and professors whose work focuses on artificial intelligence and human factors engineering.”

In addition to her scholarly work, Murray says that helping to nurture the next generation will be a key focus of hers over the next few years.

“Working within the community is part of my lived experience, and I expect to continue with this endeavor through mentorship with young students who will be able to see this as a pathway for the future,” she says.

“I’m hopeful that through this fellowship and my doctoral studies, I can encourage others who look like me to pursue opportunities within the intersection of STEM and academia.”

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on September 13, 2023 by Tyler Irving.


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