On the November 12th broadcast of Global BC’s News Hour, UBC Mech’s Peter Cripton was featured in a segment on spinal cord research. Dr. Cripton was featured for his work with ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries), where he works to examine the biomechanics of human injury.
UBC Mech’s Peter Cripton featured on Global News
Mech Student Shares his Go Global Experience
Written by Daniel Schwirtz:
Brief Synopsis
Two mechanical engineers (Daniel Schwirtz and Daniel Cho), one chemical engineer (Tom Wu), and two environmental science students (Erica Hansen and Shasha Wang) went to Lesotho, Africa this summer. Their journey was part of a 6 week placement through an International Service-Learning (ISL) program put on by Go Global – A UBC organization that develops and facilitates international learning through exchanges, group studies, and graduate research, among other programs. Partnered with a grassroots community volunteer program called Mohoma Temeng (translates as “Educating to Feed Ourselves) and several students from NUL (The National University of Lesotho), the team from UBC embarked on constructing VIP (Ventilated Improved Pit) latrines and talking to community members about proper sanitation practices in several rural villages. As the program progressed the project expanded, under the direction of Mohoma Temeng, to include the implementation of a preschool for the community’s orphans and organizing and facilitating youth HIV education through the local hospital. By the end of the 6 week placement, 6 VIP latrines had been constructed, the preschool was in its first week, and a formal youth HIV education session had been put on by one of the counsellors from the local hospital. As much as they accomplished with their partners overseas, the students from UBC all feel that they gained and learned much more from the community than they were able to give. Upon returning to UBC, the team of students were eager to continue learning and engaging with the topic of international development and spreading awareness. Having already hosted a post-engagement event for friends and family, the team is looking for ways to fundraise for Mohoma Temeng’s continuing cause.
Have you considered volunteering overseas? But are you unsure of how to get involved and the potential impact you could have? Maybe international Service-Learning is just what you’re looking for. Follow the link below to find out more information and ways to connect with Go Global:
https://global.ubc.ca/go-global
Brief Background on Mohoma Temeng
Mohoma Temeng has long standing relations with UBC. The founder, Mathabo Tsepa, received her PhD in the Environmental Education Program at UBC in 2008. When Go Global caught wind of her community based volunteer program, a partnership was formed, and in 2009 the first group of ISL students was sent over seas to partner with the organization. Being an advocated for her country for many years, Mathabo Tsepa has just received the honour of being appointed Lesotho’s High Commissioner to Canada.
Short Story
When I stepped off the plane in Lesotho, I didn’t quite know what to expect. But as my eyes readjusted from the glare of the sun I was met with a familiar scene. Bright blue sky abutted against mountains in every direction, low, earthy coloured vegetation, and an uncanny likeness to a desert that I knew very well. Born and raised in the interior of British Columbia in the semi-arid desert city of Kamloops, I felt like I was coming home. Me and two other teammates from UBC had just arrived in Lesotho, Africa to start our six week placement through Go Global in partnership with Mohoma Temeng, a local grass roots organization, and the National University of Lesotho. A taxi had been arranged to pick us up to take us to the small house where our other two teammates were staying, so we stood outside the terminal taking in our surroundings chatting to the Lineo Ntho, the NUL student sent to pick us up. Less than a minute after we had stepped outside, Lineo signalled that our ride had arrived. We turned to see something like a red Sierra Ford from the 80s with a cracked windshield and a missing side view mirror come to a stop in front of us. The taxi-driver promptly put the car in park, and with a huge grin ran around the side of the vehicle to give us all a hug. That was our introduction to the country and the start of an unforgettable six weeks!
It’s easy to encapsulate what we were sent to Lesotho to do in words: we were sent to help with a water and sanitation project involving the construction of latrines and sanitary education. What’s harder to encompass is the actual experience we had; somehow a 2-D literary rendering seems to fall short. How do you explain what it feels like to be a minority for the first time in your life; or the feeling of having a local priestess bestow a Sesotho name upon you that means “happiness”; or how inadequate you feel when a local brick layer shows you how to lay a foundation for the first time; or how humbled you feel when someone expresses gratitude in a language you don’t understand; or how lopsidedly humorous and heartbreaking it can be walking hand in hand with a little local boy that you’re trying to say goodbye to, but he just smiles and nods, not understanding and still expecting to see you tomorrow. I have tried but every time it just doesn’t seem to get across. I just can’t manage to bring a friend or even a family member to understand what I experienced with my team half a world away.
The only way I think anyone could understand is to go and see and do for themselves. But it’s not as easy as getting the right visa and hopping on a plane. You have to consider the implications and ethics of what you’re engaging in. And when you start thinking about that you won’t stop. Even after coming back I still question what exactly we were meant to do and if we actually made an impact whether positive, negative, or a little of both. And that’s why I really appreciated the facilitation of Go Global: they introduce you to the broader context before you go, help you reflect and understand while you’re there, and engage with you after to continue unravelling your experience. I would encourage any student interested in international development to seriously consider taking on a placement with Go Global. Once you go and see and do, you will come back and see things differently, you will do things differently, and where you go from that point will be forever shaped by that experience.
Celebration of Achievements 2010
The Department of Mechanical Engineering recently held the annual Celebration of Achievements ceremony. See photos from the event here.
The event was held at the First Nations House of Learning, and was an opportunity to recognize the achievements of exceptional students within the Mech department. Congratulations to all those who received awards, and thanks to all who attended.
Dr. Van der Loos and Colleagues Author New Book
UBC Professors Meeko Oishi (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Ian Mitchell (Computer Science), Mike Van der Loos (Mechanical Engineering) have a new book out. Design and Use of Assistive Technology: Social, Technical, Ethical, and Economic Challenges was recently published by Springer. The book is the result of an interdisciplinary UBC workshop hosted by the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS) and the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies that the three researchers ran last year on assistive technologies.
Dr. Steven Rogak receives federal boost to develop natural gas fuel injection prototype
From left to right: Bruce Hodgins, Dr. Steven Rogak, Don Brooks, Andrew Saxton, and Dr. Sheldon Green celebrate Dr. Rogak’s new federal grant
The University of British Columbia welcomed the announcement of federal support for research and development of natural gas engine technology.
The federal research grant was announced today at UBC’s Vancouver campus by Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry.
UBC researcher Steven Rogak will receive, under the Automotive Partnership Canada program, $499,824 over five years to develop fuel injector prototypes for natural gas engines. Partnering with UBC on this initiative is Westport Innovations Inc., a Vancouver-based UBC spin-off company that will provide financial support and essential in-kind contributions. Westport is a leading developer of technologies that enable vehicles to operate on clean-burning alternative fuels.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Government of Canada’s clear and continued support for university-industry partnerships promoting excellence in research,” said Don Brooks, UBC Assoc. Vice President Research and International. “This investment will significantly boost UBC’s collaborations with the automotive industry to provide Canadians with efficient and environmentally responsible transportation technologies.”
“Our goal is to develop a fuel injector that will make natural gas engines competitive with diesel engines, by eliminating dangerous particulate emissions without sacrificing efficiency or adding cost,” said Rogak, associate director of the UBC Clean Energy Research Centre and an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science.
“Natural gas has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 per cent, compared to conventional engines,” said Rogak. “But until our society places a higher price on carbon emissions, it is essential that the cleaner engine technology can compete with the incumbent technology on cost and performance.”
“Our government recognizes the importance of leadership and vision in the industry and has created Automotive Partnership Canada to help the industry make greener, better-performing vehicles,” said Saxton. “This program will create jobs and strengthen the economy for future generations.”
Industry Minister Clement announced this morning in Hamilton four projects under the Automotive Partnership Canada program, representing an investment of more than $14.9 million over five years for automotive R&D projects worth a total of $28.6 million.
Announced by Clement in April 2009, Automotive Partnership Canada is a five-year, $145 million initiative to support collaborative research and development to drive the Canadian automotive industry to greater levels of innovation.
BACKGROUND
Fuel Injection and Natural Gas Engines
In all internal combustion engines, the quality of fuel injection has a profound influence on the emissions and performance of the engine.
UBC Mechanical Engineering Assoc. Prof. Steven Rogak is working on a prototype fuel injector using Westport Innovation’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology that will allow heavy-duty diesel engines to run primarily on natural gas and retain some of the advantages of diesel engines, including reliability and high thermodynamic efficiency.
The operation of the injector is complex and the cost of prototyping is high because of the large number of high-precision parts, such as gas-tight sliding needle valves and the nozzles, which include an array of injection holes less only half a millimeter in diameter. The timing and duration of injections must be controlled to within about 50 microseconds.
Single Cylinder Research Engine
To evaluate fuel injector prototypes, the UBC research team tests the gaseous emissions via a sophisticated piece of UBC equipment called the Single Cylinder Research Engine (SCRE). The SCRE – with its engine, compressors and controls – represents more than $1 million of infrastructure and costs more than $80,000 per year to operate due to the sophisticated instrumentation and technician costs
Injector Visualization Chamber
A benefit of the project has been the development of the Injector Visualization Chamber, which can determine injector flow and spray characteristics at realistic fuel and background pressures.
Drs. Altintas and A. Hodgson recognized for excellence
Mechanical Engineering professors Yusuf Altintas and Anthony Hodgson were each singled out for excellence by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) at its annual awards ceremony last week.
Professor Yusuf Altintas has received APEGBC’s highest honour—the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award—for his outstanding professional and community service.
Award Citation: Dr. Yusuf Altintas is recognized internationally as a leading engineering researcher in the field of machining and machine tools. Over the past two decades he has made innovative scientific contributions in modeling the mechanics, dynamics, stability and control of machining operations. He has contributed significantly to industry literature—particularly his theory of kinematics and chatter vibration stability in milling. He has authored a popular book and published 120 journal articles. An exemplary engineer and leader, Dr. Altintas is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, International Academy for Production Engineering Research, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and Pratt & Whitney Canada. He is the founder and president of MAL Manufacturing Automation Laboratories, which distributes practical applications of his state-of-the-art research to more than 130 companies and universities worldwide. Inspiring the next generation of engineers, Dr. Altintas is an accomplished professor of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He pioneered and led the mechatronics engineering option at UBC. He has been an invaluable presence in his community as a tireless advocate for the Turkish Canadian Society. His passion for machining technology, and dedication to research and education make him an outstanding candidate for APEGBC’s highest honour for a professional engineer, the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award.
Professor Anthony Hodgson has received APEGBC’s Teaching Award of Excellence.
Award Citation: Preferring to adopt an unconventional approach when educating the next generation of engineers, Dr. Antony Hodgson, director of the Biomedical Engineering Program at UBC and NSERC Chair in Design Engineering, is a champion of curriculum and program enhancements that have gained international recognition. As an engaging and open-minded educator, he is primarily interested in active learning techniques and in situating course material within a realistic context, often incorporating team-based learning, case studies, projects and site visits in his courses. Through his versatile teaching style, Dr. Hodgson enables students to exceed their own expectations, and by fostering a socially responsible outlook, he enables them to develop a sense of purpose within the profession—accomplishments which have earned him UBC’s prestigious Killam Teaching Prize. Dr. Hodgson’s invaluable mentorship and contagious passion for the profession have led many of his students to the top of their respective fields, and he will invariably continue to play a pivotal role in the lives of his future students.
Jen Pelletier of UBC Mech recognized for enhancing the UBC experience
Jennifer Pelletier receives her award from Prof. Stephen Toope, UBC President.
Manager of Undergraduate Affairs and Special Projects Jennifer Pelletier in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has received a UBC President’s Staff Award of Excellence in recognition of her outstanding contributions in helping UBC achieve its vision and goals.
“Jennifer exemplifies the ethic of service-leadership that we continually strive to demonstrate in everything we do throughout the Faculty of Applied Science,” says Dean of Applied Science Tyseer Aboulnasr. “She has taken many service roles beyond her department, and these roles (in nature and number) are ones not normally taken on by a single departmental staff member—indicating her versatility, her leadership and the value she gives in this service.”
Some of Ms Pelletier’s contributions include serving on faculty-wide committees, liaising with engineering student groups and volunteering in the community on science and engineering initatives, such as the GEERing Up! program, a non-profit engineering and science camp for kids. She also holds a joint appointment as Manager, NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (BC and Yukon Region).
Earlier this year, Ms Pelletier was honored by the UBC Engineering Undergraduate Society as its Honorary President, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the student experience. This was the first time that a staff member has been selected by the student body to hold this position.
Ms Pelletier is the second Faculty of Applied Science employee to be recognized with a UBC Staff Award this fall. Facilities and Finance Assistant Karen Seddon in the School of Engineering on UBC’s Okanagan campus received a Service Award for Excellence for her outstanding customer service.
Professor Elizabeth Croft named NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
University of British Columbia Mechanical Engineering Professor Elizabeth Croft has been named the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the British Columbia and Yukon Region.
The primary focus of the Chair is to increase the participation of women in science and engineering and to provide role models for women active in, and considering, careers in these fields.
“This is a powerful program that has encouraged many young women to pursue the exciting opportunities that the natural sciences and engineering disciplines provide,” said Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC. “Dr. Croft conducts high-level research in the cutting-edge field of human-robot interaction and this makes her a fantastic role model. I am looking forward to the response she will inspire from young women in high schools and universities.”
Although women comprise more than half of UBC’s undergraduate population, only 18% of engineering undergraduates are women. Women are also under-represented in computer science, physics and mathematics. Within engineering and high-technology careers, attrition rates of females are estimated as high as 40%.
As Chair, Croft will focus on awareness and outreach programs to recruit women and under-represented minorities into engineering and technology-related sciences; develop strategies for educational mentorship and support; and create networks for advancement as professionals.
“There is great demand for highly trained scientists and engineers to sustain economic development, and we need to attract and foster a diverse talent pool with a global perspective,” says Croft. “We cannot truly succeed as a profession—and ultimately a society—if we do not have the opportunity to attract and retain the brightest minds, male or female.”
As a Professor at UBC, Dr. Croft has spearheaded several initiatives to support women in engineering. In 2003, with the help of two graduate students, Dr. Croft launched (and continues to be involved with) UBC Engineering’s Mentoring (formerly Tri-Mentoring) program. The Mentoring program, which connects undergraduate and/or graduate students with engineering professionals from both industry and academia, provides a sense of community and support, and can help reduce feelings of isolation while increasing self confidence.
Dr. Croft has also co-founded UBC’s Women in Engineering (WIE) program. WIE organizes speakers, brown bag socials and a two-day retreat for women in engineering, “Creating Connections,” that has attracted more than 100 participants.
“Gender or ethnicity should not inhibit people from pursuing a career in which they can truly make a difference in our world,” says Faculty of Applied Science Dean Tyseer Aboulnasr. “With NSERC and industry support and Dr. Croft’s leadership, we will continue to build an inclusive and diverse community and work to inspire a new generation of professionals. Our future depends upon engineers and scientists who will develop the technology necessary to address the challenges facing us all. It only makes sense that those engineers and scientists reflect the diversity of our society.”
NSERC has contributed $350,000 in support of the Chair program for five years; industry sponsors have contributed matching funds.
Lead sponsors include BC Hydro, Dr. Ken Spencer, WorleyParsons Canada, Teck Resources Ltd., Stantec, and Mr. Henry Man. Contributing sponsors are Ms. Catherine Roome, Mr. Stan Cowdell, the APEGBC Division for the Advancement of Women in Engineering and Geoscience, Nemetz and Associates, and Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers. Ms. Karen Savage and Golder Associates Ltd. have also supported the Chair.
Professor Croft is the third UBC professor to hold the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering since the program’s launch in 1996. Her predecessors include UBC Professors Maria Klawe and Anne Condon from the Department of Computer Science.
NSERC is a federal agency whose vision is to help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators to the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports some 28,000 students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11,800 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.
Chairholder Profile:
Elizabeth Croft, Ph.D., P.Eng., FEC, FASME
Elizabeth A. Croft received a B.A.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering in 1988 from the University of British Columbia, an M.A.Sc. degree from the University of Waterloo in 1992 and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 1995.
A professor in UBC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, she is director of the Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory. Her research interests include industrial robotics, human-robot interaction, and mechatronics.
Dr. Croft’s research is centred around human-robot interaction, and more specifically, how interactions with robots can be designed to naturally adapt to what their non-expert human users want them to do. Her aim is to make industrial robotic systems more adaptive and applicable to the changing manufacturing landscape – involving a significantly higher level of interaction with people. Thus, her research delves into how robotic systems can behave, and be perceived to behave, in a safe, predictable, and reliable manner. Applications of this work range from manufacturing assembly to healthcare and assistive technology. This work is highly interdisciplinary and requires collaboration with people working in computer science, psychology, health and biological sciences.
Second Place at the ASHRAE 2010 Student Design Project Competition
Second place was awarded to MECH 457 students for their entry in the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers) 2010 Student Design Project Competition in the HVAC System Design Category.
There were 14 schools that made it to the national level in the HVAC System Design category. This year’s competition included the HVAC system design for the Ginsburg Tower at Florida Hospital in Orlando.
The UBC team is affiliated with the Mechanical Engineering Design Project (MECH 457) course, where students work on a variety of design projects including HVAC design.
The UBC’s ASHRAE Design Team included; Jacob Allen, Kelly Ng, Branislav Cvijetinovic, Jason Le, Esteban Kello. Geoff McDonell P.Eng. from Aerius Engineering was the mentor, and Dr. Nima Atabkai from the Mechanical Engineering Department served as the team advisor and supervisor.
The award includes a trip for one team representative to attend ASHRAE’s Winter Meeting in Las Vegas in January 2011. It includes travel and hotel for two nights. The team representatives will be attending the ASHRAE Student Program on Sunday, January 30, 2011 for recognition.
Congratulations to our students and many thanks to Dr. Van der Loos, Mr. Cramond, Mr. Fengler, Dr. A. Hodgson and Mr. Winkelman, as well as all Mech Department staff and faculty that were a part of the MECH 457 class and helped make the project such a success.
The UBC ASHRAE Design Team: (from left to right) R Kelly Ng, Jacob Allen, Jason Le, Baki Cvijetinovic, Steban Kello (not present)
CARIS Lab in Popular Science
Two UBC robots are highlighted in this August’s issue of Popular Science. The human-interaction robots RISER and TAMER are profiled in PopSci’s feature article “Rise of the Helpful Machines” – both involving researchers from Mechanical Engineering’s Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory. Check out images #5 (TAMER – a collaboration between Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering) and #7 (RISER – a collaboration between Mechanical Engineering and Human Kinetics) here: http://www.popsci.com/technology/gallery/2010-07/gallery-rise-helpful-machines
Follow the link to see the CARIS Lab in Popular Science, images 5 and 7