MECH researchers receive $2M funding towards innovative air quality project
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded $2 million to the Rapid Air Improvement Network (RAIN) project lead by Dr. Steven Rogak and Dr. Naomi Zimmerman. They are working with several co-investigators and colleagues in the Department of Mechanical Engineering including Dr. Amanda Giang, Dr. Patrick Kirchen and Dr. Adam Rysanek, as well as […]
Grad Students Compete in 2021 Three Minute Thesis Heat
On February 25, five graduate students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering faced off on Zoom to see who could best explain their thesis research in three minutes or less. The Department’s second annual 3 Minute Thesis heat challenged graduate students to hone their communication skills by packing their complex research projects into a quick […]
Media Mention: Dr. Amanda Giang quoted about lead pollution cleanup efforts in Trail, BC.
NATIONAL OBSERVER: For more than 30 years, a small city nestled in the mountains of British Columbia’s West Kootenay region has been working to clean up lead pollution that spewed from the local smelter for almost a century. Teck Metals has upgraded the smelter, and that led to major improvements, but blood lead levels among […]
Media Mention: EGBC’s Innovation Magazine features mask research by Dr. Steven Rogak
INNOVATION: With the advent of multiple COVID-19 vaccines, things are definitely looking up. But experts warn that the wearing of masks will not end any time soon. Many of us prefer wearing reusable cloth masks over disposable medical masks, but which fabrics are the most effective? A Surrey Memorial Hospital anaesthesiologist and a UBC engineer […]
Media Mention: Delta Optimist shares SmellVan App – “What’s that Stink in Delta?”
DELTA OPTIMIST: Delta residents now have a new option if they smell something rotten in their neighbourhood. A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently launched a public web application called Smell Vancouver — or SmellVan, for short — that’s designed to track reports of odours throughout the greater Vancouver area. The app was developed […]
Researchers receive NSERC Alliance grants for sustainable energy collaborations
Two faculty members at the Department of Mechanical Engineering have received NSERC Alliance grants to support their collaborations with local sustainable-energy companies. A relatively new initiative, the NSERC Alliance grants began in 2019, and aim to bring together academic and industry expertise, seeking to more quickly translate research results into wider use. Dr. Walter Mérida […]
Media Mention: Dr. Steven Rogak comments on the efficacy of wearing two masks
NATIONAL POST: Should we all be wearing two masks? What experts say about the latest COVID-19 debate. Some experts are considering whether people should wear two masks to increase the likelihood of protecting themselves from more transmissible COVID-19 variants. Amid growing concern over vaccine deliveries and new reported cases of contagious COVID-19 variants, health experts […]
Clean Energy Engineering: a holistic perspective for energy-sector leaders
As we find ourselves in the midst of the climate crisis – the drivers of which are linked to other global sustainability crises, including biodiversity loss, pollution and the current pandemic – there’s an urgent need for transformative change that acknowledges the interconnections between systems. We see this in policy and planning discussions around the […]
New algorithm can identify cells that humans can’t
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed an algorithm that can accurately identify different types of cells pictured in microscope photos, even when those cells are indistinguishable to the human eye. The advance may help pave the way for new technology — a so-called “electronic eye” — that could help scientists rapidly identify […]