Posts Categorized: News

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.


ChatGPT 101: The risks and rewards of generative AI in the classroom

The rise of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT is prompting many educators to reimagine the role of technology in the classroom.

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Susan McCahan (supplied image)

 

At the University of Toronto, Susan McCahan, vice-provost, academic programs and vice-provost, innovations in undergraduate education, has been on the front lines of the response to this fast-evolving technology.

McCahan, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, says the proliferation of generative AI tools presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education.

Her office is supporting projects on the applications of generative AI in teaching and learning and providing guidance to help instructors navigate this emerging technology.

She recently spoke to U of T News about the lessons that have been learned about the academic implications of generative AI and the big questions that still remain.


What are some of the ways generative AI is impacting teaching and learning?

Large language models have significant implications for how we teach coding and writing because it will change the way people code and write – particularly when it comes to routine tasks.

A lot of the writing I do in a day isn’t deeply intellectual. It’s the kind of writing that LLMs do pretty well. However, it’s probably not going to write as well as me when I’m writing an academic paper, because of my knowledge and understanding of the field and my own unique perspective.

Right now, the technology is pretty good at writing at the level of a first-year or second-year student, but it’s not up to what would be expected of a student in their third or fourth year.

The biggest challenge is making sure students are still progressing to that third- or fourth-year level if they are taking shortcuts in their first years of university – or even high school or middle school.

People have compared this to a calculator, but I don’t think that’s the right analogy because a calculator is a very domain-specific tool and generative AI has much broader applications.

There was an existential crisis in math education in the 1980s when calculators capable of symbolic manipulation came along. Educators questioned if we should teach our students how to do differentials and integrals if these programs can solve those complex equations. Yet, we came through that, and we still teach students how to add and subtract, multiply and divide, do differentials and integrals. We also teach students how to use these symbolic manipulation programs in ways that allow them to go deeper than if they were to do it all by hand.

I think we will come to a point where people recognize when it is useful to use AI to help and when is it not going to be very helpful. Hopefully, we will arrive in a place where it allows people to advance through the basics faster and move on to more complex writing and coding.

Does U of T consider the use of generative AI tools to be cheating?

We expect students to complete individual assignments on their own. If an instructor decides to explicitly restrict the use of generative AI tools, then their use would be considered an “unauthorized aid” under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. This is considered an academic offence and will be treated as such.

Some might ask why we don’t classify this as plagiarism. One of the biggest misconceptions that people have is that LLMs take what’s on the internet, mash up the text and ideas and repackage it as a compilation. However, that’s not how the technology works.

Tools like ChatGPT are trained on large amounts of online materials to identify patterns of speech and make predictions about words most likely to go together. If I say, “one, two, three,” it knows that “four” probably comes next. It knows “four” is a noun, but it doesn’t associate the concept with a square or the horsemen of the apocalypse.

When you enter a prompt into ChatGPT, it’s not combing through information to produce sentences or paragraphs or ideas – it’s making word-by-word predictions that imitate patterns of speech around a subject. That’s why we don’t treat the use of these tools as plagiarism; we treat it as an unauthorized aid.

What resources are available to help instructors adapt to this emerging technology? Are there any best practices they should follow?

We’ve put together an FAQ addressing some of the considerations around generative AI, while providing instructors with resources to help them communicate what technology is – or isn’t – allowed in their courses.

I think we’re in a moment when it’s really important for faculty to be really clear on their syllabi about whether they explicitly allow it or explicitly don’t. If it is permitted, it should be clear how AI tools can be used, for what assignments and to what degree, and if students must explain, document or cite what tools they use and how.

This is new, and both faculty and students are not altogether clear if this will be the next Wikipedia of the world – where everyone uses it, but no one talks about it anymore. Or if it should never be used because it’s just unreliable.

What are some other considerations around the use of generative AI in an academic context?

LLMs often get things wrong – and very confidently wrong. For example, back in January, I asked ChatGPT for my biography. It told me that I had worked at the University of British Columbia and I was a leading researcher in biomedical engineering – things that seem believable, but are factually untrue. The technology has improved since then, but LLMs still get things wrong in ways that are not immediately apparent or obvious. These are called “hallucinations,” and they can be so subtle that they’re hard to detect unless you really know the subject.

Ultimately, the student is responsible for the material they submit, and if they’re submitting material that is factually wrong, they’re responsible for it. You can’t blame the chatbot, the same way the chatbot can’t take credit. It’s not like a team project where you’re working with another student, and you can say, ‘It wasn’t me, it was my partner.’ If your partner is AI, you are responsible for all of the work you submit whether or not there are parts that were co-created with AI.

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s U of T News on September 13, 2023 by Adina Bresge.


U of T Engineering launches new certificate in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering

U of T Engineering undergraduate students attend a lecture in the Myhal Centre’s Lee and Margaret Lau Auditorium. This fall, students will be able to pursue a certificate in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering. (Photo: Daria Perevezentsev)

U of T Engineering undergraduate students attend a lecture in the Myhal Centre’s Lee and Margaret Lau Auditorium. This fall, students will be able to pursue a certificate in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering. (Photo: Daria Perevezentsev)

Starting in September 2023, U of T Engineering’s new certificate in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering will enable undergraduate students to strengthen their knowledge of concepts such as ethics, equity, justice and the interactions between technology and society.

“Social justice continues to be of great concern around the world: how do we ensure that we build societies that are as fair as we can make them?” says Professor Dionne Aleman, Associate Dean of Cross-Disciplinary Programs at U of T Engineering.

“Some people might think that engineering, due to its technical nature, is somehow immune to issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, but certainly it is not. Engineers, like everyone, are impacted by these issues, and they also have a direct impact on them through their work.”

To show how social issues are inextricably linked to the engineering ones, Aleman gives the example of siting a new water treatment plant.

“An engineer designing such a facility would consider the technical, economic and environmental factors. Social factors are very much part of that as well: how do your design decisions impact the communities who live near the site, versus those who are served by it? Are you considering the needs and concerns of those communities in fair balance?”

To earn the new certificate, students will enrol in three courses from an approved list. The courses are divided into three broad categories: equity and justice; technology and society; and ethics and broader considerations.

The courses are cross-disciplinary and are taught by professors from across the University of Toronto. Some are offered by divisions within the Faculty of Arts & Science, such as the Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology and the Women & Gender Studies Institute.

Other courses are offered by U of T Engineering’s Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice, for example: TEP 324 Engineering and Social Justice or CME 259 Technology in Society and the Biosphere I.

“As the engineering student body becomes more diverse, a growing number of our incoming students want to be agents of social change, both for their own communities and for others,” says Mikhail Burke (MSE 1T2, BME PhD 1T8).

While serving as Associate Director, Access and Inclusive Pedagogy at U of T Engineering, Burke was one of the key architects of the new certificate. In January 2023, he became the Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at U of T’s Division of Student Life.

“Engineering has always been a sociotechnical process — it both exerts social influence and is also shaped by a variety of social factors. The certificate leans into this notion, providing students with an avenue to broach these intersectional topics in the classroom, where learning and discourse can be collaborative in nature. This is something our students value.”

“The Canadian engineering profession’s North Star is to protect society’s wellbeing — this is the value proposition and why engineering is a regulated profession,” says Marisa Sterling, P.Eng., Assistant Dean & Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism at U of T Engineering. Sterling is also a past president of Professional Engineers Ontario.

“Engineering work done poorly can harm the public, the environment and society’s welfare. And while engineering problems may be viewed as technical in nature, they all will have an ultimate human consequence. We discuss justice in engineering as there are injustices in society. To increase knowledge of these, their history and root causes, helps engineering students better define the problems they are trying to solve and therefore produces engineering solutions that positively consider more people.”

“This certificate encourages students to mirror a practice that all licensed professionals adhere to, which is undertaking continuing competency and seeking out continuous practice evaluation and knowledge in fulfilling their duty to public protection.”

– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on August 31, 2023 by Tyler Irving.


Meet the MIE graduate students awarded 2023 Vanier Scholarships

Five U of T Engineering graduate students working on a range of problems — from mitigating the issue of space debris to enhancing the affordability of diabetes monitoring — have been awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for 2023 

Providing $150,000 in funding over three years, the scholarship recognizes PhD candidates at Canadian universities who demonstrate excellence in the areas of leadership, research impact and academics.   

This year’s recipients are:   

Craig Fernandes (MIE PhD candidate)  

Fernandes’s research applies mathematical optimization techniques to ‘superstar’ labour markets — such as sports and entertainment — where a select few workers earn disproportionately higher salaries compared to their peers.   

To address this income disparity challenge, he is using income pools as a risk-mitigation strategy.   

“An income pool involves participants voluntarily agreeing to share a portion of their future earnings with the group if they reach a specific salary level or career milestone,” he says.  

Co-supervised by Professors Timothy Chan (MIE) and Ningyuan Chen (Rotman Management), the team’s study is the first mathematical analysis of these pools, exploring the economic incentives, stability and optimality. 

I’ve been interested in operations research ever since my undergrad studies in industrial engineering at U of T,” says Fernandes. “This interest has been further fostered by Professor Chan’s great mentorship.   

“I was really interested in how these methods could apply and help real-world, interesting scenarios, which is what led me to income pools. 

Pedro Guerra Demingos (MSE PhD candidate) 

Guerra Demingos is supervised by Professor Chandra Veer Singh (MSE) and researches materials simulations at the atomic scale.  

“These models are a powerful tool to study new nanomaterials and how to enhance their properties, which is the focus of my PhD thesis.”  

Guerra Demingos is designing materials that show promise for a wide range of applications.    

For example, some can be used in glucose detection and quantification, which can be leveraged for diabetes monitoring at lower prices than current technologies,” he says.  

As a child, Guerra Demingos watched his father sketch atomic structures on his notebook.  

“He was an established civil engineer, with a passion for research that led him to pursue a masters in material science,” says Guerras Demingos. I knew then that I wanted to work on research on the same field.  

“It feels reassuring to receive a Vanier scholarship – it tells me that other people are as excited about my work as I am.”   

Muhammad Maaz (MIE PhD candidate)

Maaz is working in matching theory, a field that studies how to best match two sets of things, which can be used as a framework to design and study all sorts of markets.  

Inspired by healthcare applications of matching, he is particularly interested in studying what happens when matching algorithms have subpar performance. He is doing this through the lens of other fields of mathematics such as graph theory and combinatorics.   

“All markets with two sides can be thought of as matching problems: for example, connecting buyers and sellers on an online marketplace, pairing riders and drivers on ridesharing apps, or matching organ donors with patients,” says Maaz.  

“My work can be used by market designers to increase the performance of such markets, thereby ensuring more people are matched, or finding higher quality matches.”  

Maaz is especially grateful to be supervised by Professor Timothy Chan, who is world-renowned for his work in optimization and healthcare, he says. 

Stefan Mladjenovic (BME PhD candidate) 

Delivering nanoparticles to targeted areas of the body can help clinicians treat cancer while leaving healthy cells alone. Mladjenovic’s research focuses on the barriers that these nanoparticles still face in terms of their ability to target tumours.   

“Currently, only about 0.7% of injected nanoparticles reach tumours,” he says.   

Supervised by Professor Warren Chan (BME), Mladjenovic is working to better understand the biology of solid tumours and the barriers that impede drug delivery.   

“This improved understanding may guide us to design nanoparticles that can bypass these barriers so that more drugs in nanoparticles can reach tumours and improve clinical outcomes,” he says.   

“We may also be able to screen tumour biopsies to evaluate which nanoparticle drugs will be useful for treatment.”  

Mladjenovic became interested in cancer research during his mother’s six-year battle with cancer. She passed away less than a month before he began his undergrad studies.   

Being a Vanier Scholar connects me with a network of peers across Canada who care about helping their communities and are committed to leadership and research,” he says.  

Sean Wolfe (UTIAS PhD candidate) 

Wolfe, who is supervised by Professor Reza Emami (UTIAS), is researching space debris and minimoons, which are small asteroids that briefly become a second moon.  

“Space debris is a big concern for the aerospace community,” he says. “Researchers believe that if we can remove the biggest pieces of debris — those that when they collide with other debris create much more debris — then the problem can be mitigated in its entirety.   

“Minimoons, on the other hand, are a completely new concept.” 

Wolfe is investigating the use of a new 4D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor to better characterize space debris. His research team is also planning a mission to a minimoon to learn how to better detect them.  

Currently, bringing back several hundred grams of asteroid costs around $1 billion US,” he says.   

“By targeting minimoons, we would be bringing back metric tons of asteroid — hopefully at a fraction of the cost.” 

 

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


New human-centred automation tools could ease stress on overburdened health-care systems

Professor Enid Montague (MIE) works on human-centred automation, focusing on processes in health care that can be automated using digital tools. (Photo: Safa Jinje)

Professor Enid Montague (MIE) aims to engineer a better health-care experience and help ease the current stress on the system using an approach known as human-centered automation. 

Canada faces a critical doctor shortage that has left more than six million Canadians without a primary care physician — and the after-effects of COVID-19 have only magnified the strain. But Montague notes that the burden is not shared equally.  

“The challenges of having too few physicians have disproportionately affected equity-seeking groups, particularly individuals who are racialized, or come from low-income or rural environments,” she says.  

“We can use engineering tools to help our health-care systems do more with fewer resources — and build systems that are equity-focused, while also meeting the demands of our aging population.”   

Montague’s project Automation and Equity in Healthcare Laboratory is one of seven from U of T Engineering — and 35 from across the University of Toronto — being supported in the latest round of funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (CFI JELF).  

Montague doesn’t see her work as designing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to replace humans. Instead, it’s about using AI to free up human attention for more important work, such as spending time with patients.  

Her work includes designing systems that leverage AI to assist physicians with clerical tasks, leaving them more time for clinical duties. She is also building applications that use virtual agents known as chatbots to help patients seek out health care or manage their medication. 

“This support from CFI means everything,” says Montague. “I’ll be able to have a physical laboratory where we can do human-centred participatory design. A big part of understanding how to automate is understanding human capabilities and limitations.  

“I’ll be able to take data from clinical settings and analyze it in the lab to look for opportunities for automation and build models that can predict the effectiveness of those automation scenarios.”  

Montague is also developing human-centred guidelines for automation in health care. These provide safeguards for the tools and ensure that they lead to better equity and access to care for all people seeking treatment.  

Growing up in a rural part of the United States, Montague witnessed the stark reality experienced by people who live without access to health care. This motivated her at an early age to find solutions that enable equitable health care for all.  

“We are already starting to see the consequences of not having enough primary care doctors in Canada, including poor diagnoses, and overcrowded emergency rooms with patients who have missed their window for early disease intervention,” she says.  

“While automation isn’t always the answer, it can help free up resources and allow us to take full advantage of our global infrastructures.  

“I want my work to help physicians avoid burn out and feel less burdened, and I also want to expand access to care for more communities in a way that is more equitable.”   

The other six U of T Engineering principal investigators and their associated projects receiving support from CFI JELF are:  

  • Professor Ali Dolatabadi (MIE) — Advanced Cold Spray Facility 
  • Professor Sarah Haines (CivMin) — The Indoor Microbiology and Environmental Exposures Laboratory 
  • Professor Xilin Liu (ECE) — Integrated Circuits for Wireless Brain Implants with Multi-modal Neural Interfaces 
  • Professor Emma Master (ChemE) — Accelerating Biomanufacturing Innovation Through Enhanced Capacity for Scale-up and Downstream Bioprocess Engineering 
  • Professor Ibrahim Ogunsanya (CivMin) — Establishment of Metallurgical Materials and Corrosion Laboratory Group for Corrosion Microscopy Studies 
  • Professor Yu Zou (MSE) — Multifunctional Materials for Biomedical Applications 

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


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