Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 08/21/2024 - 19:17

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Connaught Fund

McLean Award

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Amy Bilton (photo by Pam Walls)

Amy Bilton, an associate professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and director of the Centre for Global Engineering, has received the 2023-24 McLean Award.

Jointly funded by the University of Toronto’s McLean endowment and the Connaught Fund, the McLean Award is given to an early-career scholar to assist in attracting and supporting graduate students and post-doctoral fellows involved in basic research in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences or statistical sciences.

Bilton’s research lies at the intersection of theoretical design and control techniques and the development of physical electromechanical systems – with applications in water purification, desalination and renewable energy. She is the director of the Water and Energy Research Lab, which focuses on developing innovative water and energy technologies and computer-based design methods.

“Amy Bilton has distinguished herself as an exceptionally accomplished researcher in the field of sustainable energy and design for global development,” said Leah Cowen, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From finding ways to encourage adoption of rainwater harvesting to leveraging solar-powered systems to improve water quality for fish aquaculture, her research stands to have a real-world impact on communities in Canada and around the world.

“I would like to congratulate her on this most deserved recognition of her work.”

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Aimy Bazylak receives 2024 Dorothy Killam Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:29:04 +0000

Aimy Bazylak receives 2024 Dorothy Killam Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 04/11/2024 - 15:29

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Dorothy Killam Fellowship

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Professor Aimy Bazylak (photo by Jeremy Sale)

Aimy Bazylak, a professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, is among the recipients of a 2024 Dorothy Killam Fellowship.

Awarded by the National Research Council, Dorothy Killam Fellowships support scholars whose groundbreaking research stands to have a significant impact in their respective fields on a national or global scale. They are valued at $80,000 per year for a total of two years.

Bazylak and her research group are advancing clean energy technologies by developing new catalyst-coated membranes to overcome cost and durability challenges of fuel cells, water electrolyzers and CO2 electrolyzers.

“I am tremendously honoured to receive this fellowship,” says Bazylak, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Clean Energy. “The two years of dedicated time to focus on my research is an invaluable opportunity to move our work forward at a pace that would not otherwise be possible.” 

Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said Bazylak’s research “opens doors to new collaborations, both nationally and globally, and will bring us closer to creating sustainable and thriving global communities.”

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Kamran Behdinan recognized with Connaught Global Challenge Award

lanthierj — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 21:41:31 +0000

Kamran Behdinan recognized with Connaught Global Challenge Award

lanthierj Fri, 10/22/2021 - 17:41

Connaught Global Challenge

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

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(Photo courtesy of Kamran Behdinan)

Kamran Behdinan, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and an expert on harvesting biomechanical energies from physical movements, is the recipient of a Connaught Global Challenge Award.

Behdinan, who is researching battery-free wearable and implantable devices, aims to create a multidisciplinary global network of experts in the field of energy harvesting for biomedical applications. He is one of four researchers receiving the award for collaborations involving leading University of Toronto researchers and students from multiple disciplines, along with innovators and thought leaders from other sectors.

“Through collaboration, this network will speed up the development of new devices and train a new generation of experts in this emerging field,” he says. “Harvesting energy from body movement is an efficient and promising technique, and a crucial step toward true self-powered devices.”

Behdinan and his team design piezoelectric energy harvesters which can be configured to generate electricity from repeated human movements such as walking, or even the regular expansion and contraction of lung and heart tissue. In the future, electricity generated in this way could be used to provide power for various medical devices such as implantable glucose meters, artificial retina systems, smart contact lenses or even cardiac pacemakers.

“Implantable or wearable electronic devices need to be highly biocompatible, resilient and efficient,” says Behdinan, who heads the Advanced Research Laboratory for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures. “We’re getting there: current devices are very small and have low power requirements. But the need for battery power is a real bottleneck. Batteries are bulky, and they need to be replaced regularly, which interrupts the operation of the device. Also, if they leak, they can be very toxic.”

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Michael Carter recognized with President's Impact Award

lanthierj — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 21:16:10 +0000

Michael Carter recognized with President's Impact Award

Community

lanthierj Wed, 03/31/2021 - 17:16

President's Impact Award