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YEAR IN REVIEW 2013 Table of Contents Our Story ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 Welcome from the Department Chair The Undergraduate Experience _______________________________________________________________________________________4 The Graduate Experience _____________________________________________________________________________________________8 The Research Perspective ___________________________________________________________________________________________12 Features: Discoveries are Made With Teamwork: LegUp ______________________________________________________________________________________16 Across Disciplines: Jeff Cassidy ______________________________________________________________________________18 In Unexpected Places: Professor Deepa Kundur ________________________________________________________________20 Through Collaborations: Robotics _____________________________________________________________________________22 Our Community _____________________________________________________________________________________________________26 Features: Discoveries are Made While Looking to the Future: TELUS & ECE ____________________________________________________________________32 With Shared Commitment: Grbic Brothers _____________________________________________________________________34 Research Directory ____________________________________________________________________________________________________37 Quick-Search Colour Coded Listing by Category and Lead Researcher _____________________________________________________39 Alphabetical Listing by Lead Researcher ________________________________________________________________________________46 Our Story Our History The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Toronto Our Story was launched in 1909 as an offshoot of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Up until the early 1960s only two such departments existed in Ontario — the other was at Queen’s University in Kingston. With the return of First World War 1st veterans in the fall of 1919, the The ECE Department at the University department saw enrolment swell of Toronto ranks first in Canada according to from 241 to 819 students. QS World Early research groups included In June 2000, Ted Rogers Jr. It offered a practical University Ranking 2013. those based in classical made a substantial donation in undergraduate curriculum electromagnetic theory, followed honour of his father, who was a similar to that of the mechanical 4,400 by control engineering (dubbed student of the department from colleges in the United States. It Square metres of research systems disciplines) in the 1919 to 1921. The department was this North American model labs in ECE. 1950s. Shortly thereafter came is now known as The Edward The past year has been one of growth, change and discovery in and admissions. We have now rolled out five courses designed under which the department communications engineering, S. Rogers Sr. Department The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer specifically and exclusively for MEng students, in electronics, developed, as engineering was and electronic device and of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Toronto. In this year’s annual computers, power systems, and two in communications. We also not considered a discipline for circuit engineering. In 1962 the Engineering. report we have collected key statistics and stories that reflect the saw MEng enrolment reach the 150 mark including both full- and academic study in Britain or 2,700 department formed the Institute state of our department over 2012–2013. part-time students. Western Europe at the time. Square metres of lab space of Biomedical Electronics, now for undergraduate By the mid-1920s, the With 78 research faculty, more than 1,200 undergraduate and As chair, I am delighted to announce the formation of ECE’s Alumni called the Institute of Biomaterials teaching in the ECE department. department expanded its 500 graduate students walking our halls, ECE hums with energy. Board of Advisors. This diverse group of graduates and industry & Biomedical Engineering, We have much progress to report: over the past 12 months we leaders meets throughout the year to consult on and assist with applied science component and and was joined by photonics. have undergone two external reviews, scaled up our offerings the department’s alumni and advancement activities and strategic instituted the Master of Applied Computer engineering found and enrolment in the Masters of Engineering (MEng) program, direction. You can find profiles of our board members in this issue’s Science degree. The first PhD its place in the department assembled an Alumni Board of Advisors, and invested in our Community section (page 26). 6 in Electrical Engineering was around 1965. The number of buildings that students and infrastructure. Finally, the University of Toronto’s Boundless Campaign is fully awarded in 1951. comprise the ECE infrastructure. In May 2013, we presented the results of an exhaustive self-study underway and ECE is dedicated to raising support for more to an external review committee composed of faculty members from graduate student scholarships, an ambitious renovation of our leading Canadian and American universities. The group evaluated Energy Systems Lab, and the new Centre for Engineering Innovation our department on its academic programs, research, organizational & Entrepreneurship, which is slated to break ground in 2014. Many Canadian-trained engineers wear an iron ring on the pinky finger of their working hand. This and financial structure, long-range planning and internal and tradition originated with University of Toronto mining engineering professor Herbert Haultain after the The stories in this magazine highlight the successes of our world- external relationships. The results were released in September collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907, a construction disaster that killed 75 construction workers class students, faculty, partners and alumni. I hope you find the 2013, and the review committee praised the outstanding quality and was caused by poor planning and design, and inadequate diligence by the project’s engineers. issue both informative and enjoyable, and I hope it makes you of our faculty, research, students and programs. Also this past Iron proud of this department, as I am. I welcome your comments and Professor Haultain wished to create stronger bonds between engineers and remind them of the academic year, our undergraduate program underwent a thorough feedback on this publication and our direction—you may reach me obligations and ethics inherent to their profession. He enlisted the help of English writer Rudyard review by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board to ensure at [email protected]. Ring Kipling (author of The Jungle Book) to create a dignified obligation and ceremony known as The its compliance with professional engineering standards. The Board Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, where new engineers undertake the obligation and receive their renewed our accreditation and gave ECE a glowing review. rings. The iron ring is worn as a symbol of the engineer’s responsibility to society. As part of our ongoing focus on strengthening ties with industry and practicing engineers, we continue to expand our MEng curriculum 2 | www.ece.utoronto.ca | ANNUM 2013 | 3 The Undergraduate Experience UNDERGRADS AT A GLANCE: The Undergraduate Experience Undergraduate Awards Professional Experience Year World Solar Challenge 12th ECE Student Among The Next 36 University of Toronto ranks 12th in the world for Engineering/Technology and LegUp IEEE pg16 Computer Science, according to WISE the Academic Ranking of World GLEE Universities 2013. Undergraduate Awards The Undergrad Experience Academic Awards Design Awards project titled “Navigation System for the Each year ECE recognizes the top three Engineering is about more than marks— Visually Impaired.” students in both Electrical and Computer teamwork, creativity and execution are eated at the heart Undergrad Enrolment 2004–2005 to 2013–2014 Engineering with ECE Outstanding Student essential to success. Each year ECE The Gordon R. Slemon Design Award was of most technical Awards. awards three prizes for teams who have awarded to Miad Fard, Richard Medal advances made 30% demonstrated excellence in their final year and Mehrad Mashayekhi for their project % International Students Part-time The Sedra Medal is awarded annually to design projects. For 2012–2013: titled “Digitally Configurable Lab Platform Stoday, electrical and computer 25% Full-time two students in the graduating class who for Design-Oriented Teaching of Analog 1,500 engineering is the engine 20% have earned the highest cumulative grade The CNIB Hochhausen Prize for Electronics.” that powers 21st century % Female Students 1,200 point average in Electrical and Computer Excellence in Accessible Design in 15% Engineering. For 2012–2013 the recipients Engineering for People who are Blind or The Aloha Design Award was awarded to technology. An undergraduate 900 were Zhi Li (CompE) and Weijian Zhou Partially Sighted was awarded to Wasif Iqbal, Leon Chan, Guo Qin Low and Chia Chen Tan 10% degree in electrical and 600 (ElecE). Ahmad Diab Marzouk and W. A. Kavindu for their project titled “FPGA Video computer engineering offers 5% 300 Gayanath Amarasingha for their design Processing
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