engineering and human health: from the...

ENGINEERING AND HUMAN HEALTH:

FROM THE INSIDE OUTEngineering research on

small scales could have huge health implications

College of Engineering

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S A S K AT C H E W A N C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G M A G A Z I N E 2 0 1 4

1U N I V E R S I T Y O F S A S K AT C H E W A N C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G M A G A Z I N E 2 0 1 4

CONTE

NTS D E PA R T M E N T S

01 Dean’s message

02 In the college

04 Student showcase

06 Faculty focus

13 Donor recognition

16 Involved industry

17 Alumni accolades

College of Engineering THOROUGHUNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING MAGAZINE 2014

DESIGN

Malary Cloke is a publications officer in Marketing and Communications in University Advancement and Community Engagement.

CONTRIBUTORS

Beverly Fast is a freelance writer who has written on a wide range of subjects. She recently penned E is for Engineering: 100 Years, a commemorative book on the U of S College of Engineering.

Kris Foster is a communications writer in University Advancement and Community Engagement.

Colleen MacPherson is the editor of On Campus News, the University of Saskatchewan’s official newspaper.

Michael Robin is a research communications specialist in University Advancement and Community Engagement.

Thorough is a College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, publication produced by the College of Engineering and the University Marketing and Communications team.

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RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:

College of EngineeringUniversity of SaskatchewanDean’s Office, 57 Campus DriveSaskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A9

D E A N ' S M E S S A G E

The endless opportunities Saskatchewan and the U of S have to offer made the

decision to move across Canada and make the U of S my new home quite easy. Our college—students, faculty, staff and certainly our alumni—is playing a pivotal role in building on Saskatchewan’s momentum, and I am quite excited to be involved.

Our college, over its 100-year history, has made significant contributions locally, nationally and globally through our research, undergraduate and graduate programs, outreach activities, and of course through our alumni. Our engineering graduates transition easily into their professions as well-rounded, people-oriented leaders, whether it is here at home or around the world.

As you read this issue of Thorough, you will see that what happens on campus continues to make a difference near and far. The college has produced an impressive cohort of alumni, including eminent professionals, successful entrepreneurs, influential leaders and responsible citizens, who are fiercely loyal and proud of their alma mater. This pride shines through our alumni’s generous support of the college—whether gifts of time, expertise or resources—which helps us shape the next generation of professional engineers.

We realize that the engineers of the future, in order to succeed in a competitive environment, will require more than the traditional technical education. Our goal is to continually build on the diverse educational opportunities available in our college and set ourselves apart from similar engineering schools.

Consider, as one example, the recently established Ron and Jane Graham School for Professional Development in the College of Engineering. With the support of our alumni we were able to create a centre, the first of its kind in North America, which focuses on preparing our students to present themselves as professional communicators and provides opportunities for graduate study in diverse areas of interest.

Equally important are the people in the college. Our faculty and researchers address the needs of society. They bring an excitement and love of research into the classrooms and labs, giving students the opportunity to experience research and hands-on learning the moment they step through our doors.

Looking forward, the College of Engineering will make every effort to continue to be known for its high-quality programs, innovation, and relevance to industry and society. To this end, we have identified the following priority areas: bio-science, bio-engineering and bioprocessing; environment, infrastructure and sustainable development; energy: production and processing, transport, electrical energy and utilization; information and communication technologies and intelligent systems; and materials science and applications.

This issue of Thorough provides a snapshot of these priorities and the people excelling within them. But I do encourage you all to learn more about the college, our ambitions and strategic direction by getting in touch with me by email at [email protected] or by visiting our new website at engineering.usask.ca.

Welcome (back) to the College of Engineering

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

Sincerely,Georges KipourosDean, College of EngineeringUniversity of Saskatchewan

It has been some time since the last issue of Thorough and a lot has changed in the college…

F E AT U R E S

10 Engineering and human health: from the inside out

Research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering that is taking place on small scales could have huge health implications.

14 Meet the dean As new dean of the College of Engineering,

Georges Kipouros is getting an idea on what his next moves are, and they are all about building relationships.

32 THOROUGH M A G A Z I N E U N I V E R S I T Y O F S A S K AT C H E W A N C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G M A G A Z I N E 2 0 1 4

I N T H E C O L L E G E I N T H E C O L L E G E

In June 2013, the University of Saskatchewan and the International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) announced a $1.67-million funding

agreement to develop and deliver five additional mining courses and the creation of three new undergraduate mining options in geological, mechanical and chemical engineering.

The three-year funding agreement is between Saskatchewan’s minerals industry, the Government of Saskatchewan and the College of Engineering. IMII’s role is to work with industry members to identify critical needs and then, with its partners, to facilitate program delivery using funds from industry and the province.

The College of Engineering will use the funding to recruit three new faculty members who specialize in mining engineering, to invest in mining engineering technology, and to develop undergraduate and post-

Mining options announced

The College of Engineering has been preparing for a significant change in the way accreditation is granted to engineering schools in Canada.

“The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board is moving from an input- to an outcome-based model,” said Aaron Phoenix, acting associate dean, academic. “This means that instead of assessing programs using only the material taught and time in lectures and labs, accreditation processes will measure the attributes (training or outcomes) demonstrated by the graduates.”

Fall 2014 will be the first time the college will undergo a review based on outcomes, but Phoenix said the college has “been actively moving towards an outcome-based model for a number of years now and we have been actively measuring student performance, skills they demonstrate and specific graduate outcomes.”

To measure the outcomes or what skills graduates are expected to demonstrate, Phoenix continued, the accreditation board has established 12 graduate attributes to be assessed.

“Knowledge base for engineering, as the first graduate attribute, refers to the traditional technical content we teach. Other traditional engineering attributes include analysis, investigation, design, and the ability to use engineering tools. The rest are complementary attributes, like teamwork, communication skills, professionalism, ethics, economics, lifelong learning, and understanding engineering’s impact on society and environment.”

At the time of the assessment, the college must demonstrate

Accreditationprocess underway

In September, the College of Engineering officially launched the Ron and Jane Graham School of Professional Development.

The school will focus on developing communication, leadership, design and entrepreneurship skills necessary for students to move beyond the technical dimension of their engineering studies, said the school’s director Richard Evitts (BE'90, PhD'97).

Major donors Ron (BE'62) and Jane (BEd'62) Graham of Graham Group, Ltd and the university are providing funding for the school.

The school, explained Evitts, is an academic unit and will focus on different areas of expertise that are important to engineering education.

Already home to faculty in the Ron and Jane Graham Centre for the Study of Communication and two endowed chairs in the college—the D.K Seaman Chair in Technical and Professional Communications and the Huff Chair in Innovative Engineering Education—the school will also provide opportunities for faculty members within the college to participate in its academic and scholarly programs.

Professional education

that graduates are meeting the expectations of the accreditation board, and that requires measurement of these attributes close to graduation, Phoenix explained. “We also have to show that the results of the measurements are being applied in the college within a process to continually assess and improve our programs.”

Another part of the college’s measurement plan is to get input from alumni and industry. “We want alumni to give us their reflection on how well we prepared them for their careers. We hope to reach graduates who are 16 months out, five years out and 10 years out. We also want to talk to those who are hiring our graduates.”

Phoenix said that the transition has been a learning experience for everyone in the college, but that he is “optimistic that this will help produce better graduates and better meet the needs of our students and their future employers.”

graduate programing that will build capacity for skilled mining professionals in the province.

“Together with agriculture and petroleum, the minerals industry is one of the three main pillars of the Saskatchewan economy and it’s vital that the province’s largest educational institution is developing programs in direct support of this industry,” said Ilene Busch-Vishniac, president of the University of Saskatchewan.

Another objective of the agreement is for the U of S to explore course development and delivery with the Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) and define pathways for graduates from technical schools to enter mining engineering programs at the U of S.

The new mining engineering options will be offered in September 2014.

PHOTO:College of Engineering Dean Georges Kipouros and Ron Graham (BE’62).

The whir of machines from the Engineering Shops is a familiar sound to anyone who has spent time walking through the maze of halls at the back of the College of

Engineering building.

What you might not be as familiar with is the breadth of jobs underway at any given time supporting projects ranging from cancer research and water retention of soil to material and synchrotron sciences.

“We do around 400 projects each year,” said Ken Jodrey, (BEd’93), Engineering Shops supervisor. “We provide complete manufacturing, repair, electronics, supply, shipping, receiving and service for the college.”

Jodrey, a machinist by trade, and the staff, including three instrument makers and one electronics technologist/rapid prototype specialist, work together to serve all student needs.

“That’s our main priority and we do a lot of work with student groups. We build parts for the SAE formula car, the quarter-scale tractor and the space teams. That’s the common work we do, everything else is uncommon,” said Jodrey with a laugh.

“Some projects are small,” he continued, holding a vial containing a pin with a diameter of 20 thousandths of an inch. “The largest project we did was a Split Hopkinson testing apparatus that weighs over 3,000 lbs. Some projects take an hour and others go on for months. It’s all over the place.”

The strangest project that Jodrey can remember is a piece they designed and created that will break the wrists of cadavers. “I didn’t even want to know why that piece was needed. Another unusual project involved making tensile specimens out of the hoof material of cows to help researchers determine which cows were more prone to certain diseases.”

Shop talk B Y K R I S F O S T E R

The shops include areas for plastic and acrylic work, electronics, welding, machining and rapid prototyping, and feature a range of equipment for drilling, milling, bending, shaping, grinding, turning and 3D printing. With all of this space and equipment, Jodrey and his team can also take on projects from external clients.

Engineering Shops welcome external business as long as it doesn't take away from the time students need.

One item produced for external clients is a Tempe Cell, which measures water retention capacity of soil under pressure. “This is used to test ground to determine if it is suitable to build on.”

The projects and the clients are varied, and Jodrey is never sure what tomorrow has in store, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I was an instructor at SIAST and a few of my students got jobs here. When I heard about the work they were doing, this was the only place I wanted to work.”

PHOTO:Ken Jodrey (pictured top left), Engineering Shops supervisor, and his team

complete about 400 projects each year.


S T U D E N T S H O W C A S E S T U D E N T S H O W C A S E

R ick Retzlaff ’s assignment for students in his second-year Introduction to Engineering Design class last year gave them real engineering experience, but it could also

change the life of a man who uses a wheelchair.

The instructor and class co-ordinator came up with the assignment after connecting with the Tetra Society of North America, a volunteer organization dedicated to developing assistive devices to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. As Retzlaff (BE'85, MSc'89) tells it, Tetra brings together “people who really like to build stuff with people who need stuff.” When he heard about the organization, his first thought was, “this would make a great student project.”

Through Tetra, Retzlaff was teamed up with Eric, a young office worker in Vancouver who was looking for a device that would enable him to easily access his backpack while in his wheelchair. In January 2013, Retzlaff and his students watched a video about Eric and then met him via Skype for a question and answer session. Eric explained to the students his physical limitations, the problem he needed solved (he cannot get his backpack onto his shoulders and when it is there, he cannot

retrieve it) and how much he was willing to spend. “This is very much client driven,” said Retzlaff, “which is as it should be in engineering.”

The students, who were universally enthusiastic about the challenge, were divided into 17 teams and given the task of coming up with possible backpack retrieval devices, evaluating them, doing drawings and then building a prototype in the college’s fabrication lab. And they did it all for marks. Retzlaff said their grade factored in how well they used the design process, a written report, a presentation and a question period about the design.

“This is hands-on experiential learning,” he said. “We haven’t had a fabrication component in the curriculum for a lot of years but it’s a big thing. It teaches them accountability in design through building, testing and demonstrating.”

The students went to work. Retzlaff observed that “the majority were thinking of some kind of swing arm,” but there were also ideas involving ropes, pulleys and even drawers under the wheelchair seat. Then, when he looked at the

the details ofstudents’ initial ideas, “three-quarters were unbuildable. I had to be a little blunt but they’re thanking me for it now.”

As the designs developed and the prototypes took shape, Retzlaff spent a lot of time shopping for the bits and pieces the students needed for their projects with support from the various sponsors of the “fab lab”—the potash company Mosaic, Rona and The Bolt Supply Company.

In addition to being an exciting project for both instructor and

students—“if this is not fun, we’re doing something wrong,” said Retzlaff—the class has a point to prove. Retzlaff said a senior design group at the University of British Columbia took on Eric’s challenge but was unable to come up with a solution. By mid-March, the rush was on to complete the prototypes because Eric was scheduled to visit the college

March 25 to meet the students, hear their presentations and test their prototypes. There were independent judges on hand to rate the student presentations but “nobody has quite as much stake in this as Eric does,” said Retzlaff. “He is the ultimate judge.”

Retzlaff believes the partnership with Eric and Tetra has had an enormous benefit for the students. The experience of working through the process from concept to prototype helped them understand “there’s more to engineering than just a good idea.”

It is also an opportunity for them to think a bit differently, he said. Most engineering students “are not very good at broad creative thinking so when they have blinders on or are thinking in a linear way, I encourage them to think about chickens.” What Retzlaff means is they should come at a challenge from a totally different angle, and that imagining chickens as part of the solution stimulates creative thinking.

“There’s no engineering problem that can’t be solved with chickens.”

desi nB Y C O L L E E N M A C P H E R S O N

PHOTO:Rick Retzlaff (left) and some of his students in Introduction to Engineering Design work on a prototype for a backpack retrieval system for a man in a wheelchair.


FA C U LT Y F O C U S : C H R I S H A W K E S , C I V I L A N D G E O L O G I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G

C hris Hawkes is putting the squeeze on rocks in a project that will involve laboratory testing and the development of new, powerful computer simulations

to find out how to inject carbon dioxide (CO2) deep underground and make sure it stays there.

“What we have to do is emulate the conditions that exist in Earth’s subsurface,” explained Hawke, associate professor of civil and geological engineering.

The project is supported by a $633,000 grant from Carbon Management Canada, a Network of Centres of Excellence that supports game-changing research to radically reduce carbon emissions from the fossil energy industry.

The multi-institution project is an integral part of finding out whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a viable option to help deal with CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. There are about 50 such plants in Canada, each producing more than a million tonnes of the greenhouse gas per year.

For years, oil companies have injected CO2 into porous oil-bearing rock formations to “push” the oil towards the well heads in a process called enhanced oil recovery. With CCS, the aim is to use similar injection techniques to store CO2 underground indefinitely, where it won’t contribute to global climate change. However, for this process to work, the porous rock needs to lie under a layer of impervious “caprock” that must remain intact.

To help predict performance of these porous rock-caprock formations, Hawkes and the U of S geomechanics

group are collaborating with researchers at the University of Waterloo and the University of Calgary.

“This unconventional approach brings together state-of-the-art tools and methods from geomechanics and reservoir engineering and is expected to yield better, more powerful computer simulations,” Hawkes said.

To mimic field conditions, the researchers squeeze rock cores to simulate conditions deep underground, then inject them with pressurized water or CO2 to see how they deform under stress and how fluids flow through them. The cores can also be heated to test how they hold up to temperature change—an important consideration, as sudden temperature changes can cause some rock types to crack.

This information will form the basis for computer simulations to predict how injected CO2 might behave underground. These powerful tools will allow assessment of potential CCS sites, from deep saltwater aquifers to mature oil reservoirs, and point to the most effective injection methods.

“These enhanced tools are badly needed to determine whether underground CO2 storage is a viable and secure option that can be scaled up to play a significant role in managing global emissions,” Hawkes said.

While the typical rate of injection in CO2 storage pilot studies is one megatonne (million tonnes) per year or less, it is thought this rate needs to be several times higher. Enhanced simulation tools, such as those developed by this research, will allow engineers to predict and respond to changing conditions at CO2 storage sites where the rate of injection is an expected 10 to 30 megatonnes per year.

Deep underground B Y M I C H A E L R O B I N

FA C U LT Y F O C U S : A J AY D A L A I , C H E M I C A L A N D B I O L O G I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G

A jay Dalai (PhD'90), Canada Research Chair in Bioenergy and Environmentally Friendly Chemical Processing in the Department of Chemical and

Biological Engineering, has made significant contributions to the development of catalysts for biodiesel, biolubricant and biosyngas production, carbon dioxide and mercury adsorption, and hydroprocessing of gas oils and gas-to-liquid technologies.

“The impact of the research is tremendous in terms of combating pollution and finding alternate energy and bioproduct resources,” explained Dalai. “The ultimate goal is to pilot test new catalysts, products and processes and eventually commercialize them, but innovative research is needed in the laboratory before that can happen.”

Two of Dalai’s research projects in particular have shown significant potential to change fuel production in terms of environmental impact and economics.

Dalai and Hui Wang, associate professor of chemical engineering, along with their team have developed a catalyst that can be used to transform carbon dioxide and methane—potent greenhouse gases—into synthesis gas, or syngas, a basic feedstock for producing gasoline and other liquid fuels. This technology was recognized with the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award.

“This catalyst simultaneously addresses the problem of greenhouse gas as well as the need for energy,” Dalai explained. “It offers high conversion rates with no significant carbon build-up which allows it to remain active over long periods of time —more than 2,000 hours in bench top tests.”

In 2011, the university’s Industry Liaison Office brokered a deal to license the catalyst technology to Carbon Sciences Inc., a company based in California. Dalai’s work on catalyst development has also resulted in five filed patents.

Another project under Dalai’s watch has led to the development of a process to produce biodiesel from low- cost raw materials such as soya, green seed canola and mustard, and to develop catalysts for conversion of glycerol, a byproduct from the biodiesel production process, to biochemicals which have a wide range of uses in medicine, food and fuel industry.

“Additionally, by using low-grade oils like those from weather-damaged canola and mustard seeds, the technology will provide additional income to oilseed farmers,” said Dalai. “The process produces higher-quality biodiesel at a lower cost and with reduced water usage compared to existing methods.”

Government funding agencies have also recognized the potential of Dalai’s work. He was one of two scientists at a Canadian university with the highest level of funding from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Dalai received $2.9 million in NSERC funding between 2006 and 2010 and was a recipient of two new NSERC grants per year during that time.

With the world’s fuel consumption continually rising, Dalai’s green fuels and alternative production processes will prove to be important components in meeting future energy needs.

How does yourgreen-gas grow?

The fuel industry is becoming a little “greener” thanks to Ajay Dalai’s research.

PHOTO:Chris Hawkes in

Geological Engineering’s Rock Mechanics lab.


FA C U LT Y F O C U S : K H A N WA H I D , E L E C T R I C A L A N D C O M P U T E R E N G I N E E R I N G

K han Wahid, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and his team are developing new patent-pending technology for video endoscopy

capsules.

When it comes to getting a good look at your ailing innards, there are few tools more useful than these high-tech pills, which contain a video camera, battery, light-emitting diode (LED) and a transmitter, explained Wahid. They are especially valuable for diagnosing causes of bleeding or abdominal pain like Crohn’s disease, peptic ulcers or colorectal cancer.

“Doctors are not satisfied with the current image quality from endoscopy capsules. We are working to improve the technology in several ways, which will lead to more consistent, accurate diagnosis,” Wahid said.

One of the problems with endoscopy capsules, which measure only 11 millimetres by 26 millimetres, is they can “jump” areas of tissue without imaging them, so doctors do not get a continuous picture, he explained. To meet the challenge, Wahid’s team has developed algorithms that much more efficiently capture and process images, decreasing the

Inside view B Y M I C H A E L R O B I N

Khan Wahid wants to help your doctor see a whole other side of you.

PHOTO:Khan Wahid displays a

chip (centre of the metallic device)—that will be

used inside their next-generation endoscopic

capsule—and sample intestinal images.

workload of the onboard computer chip while increasing quality and the frame rate to provide images more frequently. This helps extend battery life, ensuring the capsule remains in operation throughout its eight-to-10-hour journey. The result is technology that allows for a more complete, real-time diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases, and may make it possible to add features to future endoscopy capsules.

Wahid and his team are also looking at the rather intrusive data recorder worn by patients after swallowing the capsule. Their solution is a mobile device application and a SIM card-sized adapter that transmits information directly to the patient’s smartphone.

With two patents pending, the U of S Industry Liaison Office (ILO) is evaluating ways of taking the technology to market, whether it be through licensing or a start-up enterprise. Research work so far has been supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the ILO as has provided additional funding through their Forge Ahead Fund for Wahid and his team to develop a prototype.

FA C U LT Y F O C U S : C H R I S Z H A N G , M E C H A N I C A L A N D B I O M E D I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G

C hris Zhang wants to build machines that can understand human emotion to help people make better decisions.

“People have emotions, they react to them and base decisions upon them,” explained Zhang, a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering. “If machines cannot understand human emotions, communications are compromised.”

Zhang and his team are working to incorporate emotional cues into how people interact with machines. An example is the warning light that comes on when a car is getting low on gas; the light will prompt some drivers to pull in at the next gas station, while others will decide to put it off until later. There is no emotional cue to tell the driver how urgent the warning is.

“If you could give it an interface that is emotional, it could help make the human take action at the proper time,” Zhang said.

But to deliver the right response, machines need more and better inputs from the human side of the conversation.

To get these inputs, Zhang’s team used cameras and sensors to capture information on blood pressure, heart beat, skin conductivity (think sweaty palms) and eye movement. For example, rolling the eyes could signify fatigue or exasperation, while a wandering gaze might indicate boredom.

These data are analyzed and interpreted by custom-written computer software to predict human emotions. Zhang said the system can accurately predict a person’s emotional state about 90 per cent of the time.

The work has many potential applications, including physical rehabilitation. One machine in Zhang’s lab has the patient hold the end of a mechanical arm attached to a computer. The person manipulates the mechanical arm to move objects on a computer screen, mimicking a wrist rehabilitation.

Sensors track the patient’s performance and software infers when they are getting frustrated or fatigued.

“If we can understand the emotional state of the patient, we can know this state may significantly disturb the functional performance,” Zhang said.

Now that the researchers have a system that can read a patient’s emotional state, the next step is to create passive and active feedback systems. Zhang uses the analogy of gym equipment: an exercise bike is passive in that the user must decide to pedal while a treadmill is active—the user must keep moving. The team wants to take this one step further.

“We want both physical and mind,” Zhang said. “This is the novel aspect of our approach.”

For example, as the wrist rehabilitation system monitored emotions, it could cue messages to encourage the patient. The system could also prevent patients from overdoing it if it sensed they were pushing themselves too hard.

Zhang explained that one of the challenges is keeping the sensors unobtrusive and easy to use. “The key to having machines understand human emotion is to have sensors that can non-intrusively and non-obstructively get the signals from the human.”

At home, the system would become a virtual partner. That is, the computer would learn from the patient and help them direct their own rehabilitation.

“My plan is not only management of patient function and performance, but also that emotions become active in rehabilitation. We would have onscreen advisor—like a friend,” Zhang said.

“This whole project is based on the concept of home-based rehabilitation. That is very important for Saskatchewan, where many people live far away from cities and major hospital facilities and they prefer to stay at home.”

Building emotional computersB Y M I C H A E L R O B I N


Could biomaterial scaffolds heal spinal cord injury?

C hen (PhD’02) established the Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) in 2007. It is a multidisciplinary group that brings researchers from

engineering and life sciences together in a quest to produce biomaterial “scaffolds” to help heal damaged tissues or organs such as spinal cord injury.

“A scaffold is a three-dimensional structure with interconnected pore networks that supports cell growth in damaged areas,” Chen said. “We use the word scaffold, which is an engineering term, for a structure that helps patients build new tissues. Our research is looking for ways to build scaffolds from biodegradable, biocompatible materials that are also capable of incorporating living cells.”

The principle behind Chen’s research is that cells obtained from a patient’s tissue could be seeded onto a scaffold, growing into functional tissues or organs that could then be implanted at the site of an injury for healing.

The implications for human health are profound. Biomaterial scaffolds could one day help the body self repair various kinds of damage.

“There are a lot of applications, but we are currently working on scaffolds for repair of peripheral nerve, articular joint cartilage (the tissue covering the ends of your joint bones), spinal cord injury and damage caused by myocardial infarction (heart attack),” explained Chen. “We need to fabricate different scaffolds for different tissues and organs, so we are researching what kinds of materials are best for specific applications, and what kind of scaffold structure works best for specific types of repair.”

Chen and his team fabricate the scaffolds in his Bio-Fabrication Lab using an advanced 3D Bioplotter. “We start with a biomaterial solution and build the 3D scaffold layer by layer. From a technical point of view, one of the most significant challenges is fabricating a scaffold with the vascular network necessary to transport nutrients and metabolic waste. This is very important.”

Another challenge is integrating the living cells into the bio-fabrication process so they retain their cellular properties and function. He relies on research collaborators in medicine and life sciences for the cells. Research to date is promising, with the scaffolds working well in models of peripheral nerve, spinal cord and myocardial infarction damage.

PHOTO:Professors Daniel Chen and Qiaoqin Yang, both in the

Department of Mechanical Engineering, are exploring some of the many ways engineering can improve health.

B Y B E V E R LY F A S T

Engineering that takes place on small scales could have huge implications for human health.Daniel Chen and Qiaoqin Yang, both professors in the Department of Mechanical Engineering,

are exploring very different research paths. Chen leads the Tissue Engineering Research Group; Yang is the Canada Research Chair in Nanoengineering Coating Technologies. Both are

involved in research that could one day improve human health from the inside out.

OUT

ENGINEERING AND HUMAN HEALTH:

FROM THE INSIDE


D O N O R R E C O G N I T I O N

A recent donation from Jack Mollard (BE'45) will give engineering students learning opportunities in interpreting the geological landscapes of

Saskatchewan.

The Dr. Jack Mollard Sensing the Earth Tour—established this past September thanks to a $100,000 gift—will give about 130 second-year civil, geological and environmental engineering students a chance to explore about a half dozen geologically significant locations between Saskatoon and North Battleford, said Jim Kells (BE'77, MSc'80, PhD'95), head of the Department of Civil and Geological Engineering.

“The number one goal is to get the students out of the building and into the field,” explained Kells, who worked with his colleague Grant Ferguson and the Mollard family to figure out how the gift could be put to best use in the college. “Students get to see features of the physical landscape that are important to our profession—like river valleys, glacial features and unstable slopes—explained to them.”

Human interaction with the natural environment—such as road construction or pipeline development—is

critical to civil, geological and environmental engineers, Kells continued, comparing the field trip to medical students getting time in the operating room.

“The visual experience of the site, what we can infer by seeing the environment, how one can understand the engineering significance expressed in the features of the physical terrain, is an important tool,” Kells explained. “This one-day field trip will help students interpret the landscape. We’re an earth-based discipline and we need to be able to determine and predict how the land will behave if we build (on it).”

Sensing how the Earth might behave, said Kells, is how Mollard made a name for himself.

“Remote sensing of the landscape through aerial photography is what Dr. Mollard is well known for. He brought this technology to Saskatchewan and Canada and is a pioneer in the area. Through his work, he has had such a profound effect on remotely sensing the terrain for engineering purposes.”

Mollard graduated from the U of S in 1945 and completed his master’s and PhD at Purdue University and Cornell University, respectively, before returning to Saskatchewan where he set up J.D. Mollard and Associates in 1956.

Among Mollard’s more than 5,000 consulting projects is work he did on the Gardiner Dam project in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

More recently, but much further from home, Mollard is doing work on terrain analysis of Mars. “He’s looking at imagery of Martian landscapes, in particular water features,” Kells explained.

“He’ll be 90 this January (2014), and still goes to the office every day. He is so passionate about the profession and loves what he does so much that he admits that he may not have worked a day in his life,” said Kells with a laugh.

His passion for the work is obvious to those who meet him too. “As part of the inaugural field trip, Dr. Mollard not only joined the students on the tour but also made a presentation to the participating students the day before. The students were enthralled listening to his story and Dr. Mollard enjoyed the opportunity to share his knowledge and passion.”

Earth's explorers

B Y K R I S F O S T E R

PHOTOS:(top) When the inaugural “Sensing the Earth” Tour stopped at North Battleford, the class posed with Jack Mollard (BE’45) whose donation is supporting the annual tour.

(bottom) Mollard and a few students shown at Borden Bridge.

E N G I N E E R I N G A N D H U M A N H E A LT H : F R O M T H E I N S I D E O U T

PHOTOS:Samples of the 3D

scaffolds Chen and his team fabricated in his

Bio-Manufacturing Lab using an advanced 3D

Bioplotter.

Could nanocoatings lead to lifetime artificial joint replacements?

U sing nanostructured coatings to improve the durability and performance of biomedical implants is just one area of Yang’s research program, but it is

generating great interest in the health community. Every year in Canada, more than 60,000 people undergo hip- or knee- replacement surgery—a number that continues to climb. Here’s the rub: the average lifespan of an artificial joint is 15-20 years. For patients who have joint replacement surgery in their 50s or early 60s, a second replacement will likely be necessary. The cost—in patient quality of life and health-care system dollars—is huge.

Component wear leads to device loosening, which is the major failure mechanism limiting joint lifespan. “Artificial hip and knee joints provide stability and carry body weight so they have to be strong and flexible, which requires high- strength ductile metal as a major component,” said Yang. “The biggest problems with metals are low wear resistance, high friction coefficient and limited corrosion resistance. These limit the life of artificial joints.”

But what if you could apply a nanocoating that would increase wear and corrosion resistance, while keeping friction low? The possibility intrigued Yang. “Nanocoatings have many applications, but first you have to understand the surfaces. When you know the surface of materials, you can develop coatings that improve wear resistance and extend material lifespans.”

One thing to know about Yang’s research is its scale—in her world, things are measured in nanometers (nm). One nanometer is a billionth of a meter. To put that into perspective, a human hair is about 60,000 to 80,000 nm wide. When she applies a nanostructured coating to the surface of a material, each layer of coating is a few nanometres thick. It might require the application of several layers of nanocoating to get the desired effect.

Yang uses a laser or ion beam to vaporize a solid material. The vapour then deposits as a coating on the substrate material. But you have to design a system with controlled conditions so the vapour creates a uniform deposit.

“The coating we have developed is a diamond-like coating combined with nanoparticles,” Yang explained. “It’s very low friction with really high wear resistance and corrosion resistance. It could improve the lifetime of artificial joints up to 40 years, maybe longer.”

The major challenge right now is getting the nanomaterial to adhere well to the metal so it will last. But challenge is what drives most research. “For me, the most exciting part is when we overcome a challenge,” Yang said, adding, “and we overcome them one by one.”

Both Chen and Yang rely on the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron to advance their research. Chen and TERG have developed new synchrotron biomedical imaging technologies to characterize scaffolds and tissue samples.

Yang and her team use the CLS to investigate nanostructured diamond-like films. “The nanostructure plays a key role—that is a major hurdle—and we need the CLS to know we’ve got the structure,” said Yang.

It may be hard to predict how soon tissue scaffolds and nanocoatings could become viable treatments; medical research is painstakingly slow. A process has to work consistently and predictably at every step, and researchers have to fully understand how and why it works before they can move on to the next step. Still, both Chen and Yang are hopeful they’ll see their work evolve into viable treatments for improving human health from the inside out.


A fter only a few months on the job as the new dean of the College of Engineering, Georges Kipouros is getting an idea on what his next moves will be—and

they all involve building relationships.

“It’s very soon to start making plans,” said Kipouros who took up his new role Sept. 1. “I need to listen to everyone—people in the college, students and alumni—before I make concrete plans.”

So his first step, in between all the meetings a new dean is required to attend, is to get to know all faculty and staff in the college.

“I want to speak with everyone here, see labs, ask questions and hear about what they do, what they are proud of,” explained Kipouros, who came from Dalhousie University where he held positions that included assistant dean of the Faculty of Engineering, director of the Minerals Engineering Centre, and head of the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering. “I want at least a half hour with everyone to talk; not an evaluation, but the start of a personal relationship.”

While his priority right now is getting to know the university, and “everything we do in the college,” the new dean also recognizes the importance of reaching out to the student body. But beyond current students, Kipouros wants the college to build relationships with prospective students.

“Some of my mandate was prescribed before coming here, like increasing enrolment by 30 percent, and that is certainly a priority.”

Kipouros believes that by attracting more students from across Canada as well as more Aboriginal and female students, demographics typically underrepresented in engineering, the enrolment targets are achievable but work needs to be done to encourage these groups to enroll.

“I would like to create a summer camp inviting high school students to the college so that they could see firsthand what engineering is all about,” he explained. “Somewhere in the college, I also want to have groups of women and

Meet theAboriginal engineers who can act as sort of mentors to prospective women and Aboriginal students—they can talk about their experiences in the field.”

Closely connected to students are Kipouros’ plans to expand the internship program in the college, an area of strength but one that doesn’t receive a lot of attention. “I am going to promote the co-op/internship component of the college to private and public corporations because I believe professional education needs a hands-on experience. I think a lot of students would be surprised to find out about this (program) as well.”

By building and stewarding relationships with corporations, Kipouros said he believes that more businesses would see the quality of the students in engineering and be more likely to employ graduates in the future, adding that businesses would also be much more likely to approach the college to build research partnerships.

“I’ve seen both sides. I know how to create win-win partnerships for both universities and corporations,” said Kipouros, who was a senior research scientist with General Motors (GM) for a number of years after finishing his post-doctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “After receiving my master’s and PhD from the University of Toronto and my post doc, I worked at GM for some time, but I missed academia and decided to return, accepting a position with the Technical University of Nova Scotia which amalgamated with Dalhousie in 1997.”

But it was his time with GM down in Michigan and Indiana, not to mention his time at MIT, that helped Kipouros realized the importance of being a fundraiser, a realization that has served him well in his academic career. “You have a lot of freedom in academia to explore ideas, but you have to generate the funds you need.”

His experience in both the public and private sectors has prepared him to take on the challenge of being the college’s chief fundraiser. “Having lived in the U.S. for 10 years, I have seen the difference between deans there and in Canada. In the U.S., the dean is 10 per cent academics and 90 per cent fundraising. In Canada, it is as much academics as possible and very little fundraising. I think we need to make it about 70 per cent academics and 30 per cent fundraising.”

Kipouros also wants to involve alumni more in education in the college. “Alumni can contribute much more to the college. By providing feedback on how their education prepared them for professional life, they can make a real contribution to education here. I want relationships with alumni that are more than social dinners and golfing.”

After listing all the things he wants to accomplish, Kipouros admitted there are a lot of challenges ahead.

“It is a big job with a lot of challenges, but also a lot of opportunities. There is so much development going on in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon. Everyone is coming here. Saskatoon is the fastest growing city in Canada, so that tells you just how much opportunity there is.

“But because Saskatoon is developing so much, finding a house to live in might be my biggest challenge right now,” he added with a smile.

B Y K R I S F O S T E R

As the new dean, Georges Kipouros wants to introduce himself to as many people connected to the College of Engineering as possible.

dean:

I want to speak with everyone here and hear about what they do, what they are most proud of."


I N V O LV E D I N D U S T R Y A L U M N I A C C O L A D E S

A few years ago, U of S Civil Engineer Lee Barbour (BE’79, MSc’81, PhD’87) took his wife Twila to the Mildred Lake oil sands mine site operated by

Syncrude, just north of Fort McMurray. Barbour had been working with Syncrude on reclamation research projects since 1998 and wanted to show his wife his work.

“Driving towards Fort McMurray, along the Athabasca River in the middle of boreal forest, is just beautiful,” said Barbour. “After a short drive along the beautiful Athabasca River valley we came up over a small rise and suddenly in front of us was this panoramic view of the highway, passing like a long causeway between two gaping open pits steaming with newly placed tailings—the dark shadow and flares of the refinery at the end of the causeway. For a moment we felt like a couple of hobbits on a quest towards Mordor,” a reference to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Barbour recalled looking at his wife and seeing a tear in her eye as she asked, “What are they doing?” However, when he took Twila to a reclaimed overburden at the same mine site later that day, “I noticed how her face lightened as we came across a beautiful wetland, surrounded by trees and grasses, birds flying overhead.” The site was called Bill’s Lake, named after a colleague who started reclamation research at Syncrude with Barbour many years ago. Barbour added that Bill’s Lake is much closer to the Shire than Mordor.

Barbour’s Tolkein analogy is quite apt for his research. “The discussion around oil sands mining is becoming increasingly polarized in our society. Some see only Mordor while others wistfully dream of the Shire. There are lots of good reasons to believe that there is a path between Mordor and the Shire but it is a path that will be mapped out through sound research partnerships.”

Barbour will now have more support than ever in his quest to find that path—he was awarded a five-year

Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Hydrogeological Characterization of Oil Sands Mine Closure Landforms, funded with $2.6 million contributed equally by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Syncrude. Syncrude and the U of S will provide an additional $1 million of in-kind support.

“The key questions revolve around what it will take to restore these mine sites back to naturally performing landscapes with an equivalent capability to that which existed prior to mining. The industry works to establish uplands with water and nutrient balances, which are similar to natural sites. They then try to understand the key processes that are operative as they monitor the evolution of these landforms towards fully functioning natural systems.”

It is easy to blame corporations, explained Barbour, but they are working within the rules and regulations government and society have put in place.

“We all want to crucify big business, but these companies have agreements with the government. Part of that agreement is to restore the environment to an equivalent capability to that present before their temporary use of the land for mining. The research helps to guide the industry efforts in reaching their reclamation goals.”

Barbour’s new research will examine the movement of water and chemical species of interest within the large upland structures built during mining. “We want to help develop strategies to ensure that water released after mine closures doesn’t have a detrimental impact on the environment. The methods developed in this research will be applicable not only at oil sands mines but at other mine sites as well.”

He noted that it is a daunting project, and yet just a small component of the much larger research program funded by Syncrude that includes support for 10 other NSERC-IRCs.

In carrying out his work, Barbour will call on the expertise of many colleagues in many different units—including geology and soil science—across the U of S campus. “I often remind young engineers that their career success will depend on their ability to cultivate strong relationships. This type of research would not be possible without strong, relationship-based, multidisciplinary, collaborative research.”

The chair appointment will allow Barbour to train two postdocs, two PhDs, six master's students and two undergraduate students. He and his team will also have the opportunity to work with Syncrude’s scientists and engineers. “It is in large measure the energy and passion that these researchers bring to this journey that gives me the encouragement I need to take this on.”

Road to reclamationB Y K R I S F O S T E R

PHOTO:Bill’s Lake, a reclaimed wetland on a former Syncrude mine site, is named after the late Bill Stolte, a U of S hydrologist.

1950sDick Carpani, BE’58, was a 2012 recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

1960sRon L. Graham, BE’62, DCL’13, of Blaine, WA, USA, received an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

1970sNorman B. Beug, BE’74, of Regina, SK, received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

Zenneth K. Faye, BE’74, of Saskatoon, SK, has been inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Bill Dean, BE’76, of Saskatoon, SK, was appointed director-at-large for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Ken B. From, BE’79, of Regina, SK, received the Brian Eckel Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

Ching Kong Kong (Don) Poon, BE’79, of Saskatoon, SK, received the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Meritorious Achievement Award.

W. Brett Wilson, BE’79, of Calgary, AB, received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

2000sAndrew R. Lockwood, BE’01, of Saskatoon, SK, was appointed a fellow of Engineers Canada.

Xiongbiao Chen (Daniel), PhD’02, of Saskatoon, SK, received the New Researcher Award from the University of Saskatchewan.

Tara D. Reichert, BE’03, of Saskatoon, SK, was appointed secretary-treasurer on the board of directors for Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan.

Curtis P. Olson, BE’04, of Saskatoon, SK, was named one of CBC Saskatchewan's Future 40.

2010sTavish O. Russell, BE’12, of Saskatoon, SK, has been hired by Sikumiut Environmental Management Ltd. in St. John’s, NL.

Class notes

Share recent highlights of your career, achievements and personal updates with the U of S alumni community. You can submit your story online at alumni.usask.ca/classnotes or send us an email at [email protected].

Your story will be shared online in class notes and may be published in the next Green & White alumni magazine or other university publications.

Group on

Visit our new website at engineering.usask.ca for information on upcoming events in your area.

Two new engineering alumni groups have been launched…

An engineering alumni chapter, headed up by Rod Karius, (BE’76) has been launched in Edmonton and Nicole Mills (BE’07) will be leading the Women in Engineering group that just got started in Saskatoon.For more information on these two new groups, or to get your own engineering alumni group started, contact Shawna Jardine, alumni relations co-ordinator at [email protected] or 306-966-5286.

Alumni events

On June 19, about 60 alumni in Edmonton gathered at a mixer event at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald to gauge interest in starting an alumni chapter. Those in attendance were among the first to meet new dean Georges Kipouros.

Jim Hopson, CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was the speaker at the Calgary Alumni Chapter’s annual luncheon to kick off the EAT campaign on Oct. 25. About 80 people attended and had a chance to meet Dean Kipouros.

The Nov. 20 alumni reception at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre included a panel discussion featuring U of S engineering and political studies faculty who talked about the downfall of the Avro Arrow. The event was part of the exhibit titled Touch the Sky: The Story of Avro Canada.

1980sTimothy A. G. Jansen, BE’80, of Fort Qu'Appelle, SK, received the McCannel Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan.

Michael J. Webb, BE’80, of Calgary, AB, has been appointed president and CEO of OMERS Energy Inc.

Don George, BE’81, has been appointed senior project manager, Saskatoon Infrastructure Division for Associated Engineering.

Myron M. J. Stadnyk, BE’85, Saskatoon, SK, has been appointed president and CEO of ARC Resources Ltd.

1990sRichard E. Florizone, BE’90, MSc’92, of Saskatoon, SK, has been appointed president of Dalhousie University.

Travis L. Jorgenson, BE’94, of Humboldt, SK, has been elected a city councillor for the City of Humboldt.

Dena W. McMartin, BE’97, MSc’00, PhD’04, of Regina, SK, was appointed a fellow of Engineers Canada.

Ben K. Voss, BE’99, of Saskatoon, SK, was named one of CBC Saskatchewan's Future 40.

Lesley A. McGilp, BE’99, of Saskatoon, SK, received the Women of Distinction Science, Technology or Research Award from the Saskatoon YWCA.

C.J. Mackenzie was the first dean of the College of Engineering and in 1984, when he passed away, the college adopted the Mackenzie dress tartan tie.

University Archives and Special Collections (A-2740).

C.J. MACKENZIEGalaConnecting students, industry, alumni and our college.

Since 1976, the annual C.J. Mackenzie Gala of Engineering Excellence has celebrated the achievements of distinguished College of Engineering alumni.

Students, faculty and staff in the college, members of the university community, industry representatives, and of course engineering alumni, are all invited to attend this one-of-a-kind networking event.

J A N UA RY 21, 2014CO C K TA I L S 5 PM P R O G R A M A N D D I N N E R 6:30 PM TC U P L AC E, S A S K ATO O N

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit engineering.usask.ca/cjmackenzie or contact Loranna Laing by email [email protected] or by phone 306-966-2633

2014

College of Engineering

G R A H A M CO N S T R U C T I O N I S T H E P R E M I E R S P O N S O R O F T H I S YE A R ’S G A L A

This year’s gala features Charles Till (BEng’56, MSc’58) who will deliver his presentation:

DEVELOPING NUCLEAR POWER: A LIFE IN FULL

The story of how the University of Saskatchewan gave a boy from rural Saskatchewan the foundations for an exciting life of accomplishment at the center of international nuclear power research and development.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40683196

engineering and human health: from the...

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