Spring 2012 www.engineering.ualberta.ca

Keeping in Touch with Alumni

Rebuilding Through Old Testament torment to a miraculous rebirth, Brian Vance Slave Lake has been calm in the eye of a storm

Right on Track: Tapping into Engineering

Edmonton’s LRT Unbridled Creativity the EarthU of A Engineer Spring 2012 1 Message from the Acting Assistant Dean EngineerUofA External Relations Spring 2012 Issue 32 U of A Engineer is the Faculty of Engineering alumni magazine. It is published twice a year by the Dean’s Office and is distributed to Faculty of Connections count Engineering alumni, friends, students and staff. Dean of Engineering eveloping and maintaining relationships is the cornerstone of everything we do in the David T. Lynch (PhD Chemical ’82), PEng Faculty of Engineering’s External Relations Office. For many years, we have had the D Acting Assistant Dean, privilege of getting to know many of you, our alumni and industry partners and friends, External Relations through numerous events and activities planned throughout the year. Our events are designed Laurie Shinkaruk to bring people together, keep everyone up-to-date about the faculty and encourage your External Relations Team involvement in various aspects of the work being done at the Faculty of Engineering. Nena Jocic-Andrejevic, Linda Kelly, Corinne Longoz, Leanne Nickel, Cindy Spears, Trevor Wiltzen Engineers have a strong, long-standing tradition of expressing professional pride. This spirit Publisher/Managing Editor continually inspires us to find new and better ways of maintaining our relationships with you Richard Cairney and of offering new opportunities for you to stay connected to your former classmates and Copy Editor current colleagues. Karen Sherlock This year, the University of Alberta Alumni Weekend 2012 will be Art Direction held on campus from September 20 to 23 and we encourage all of you to Halkier + Dutton Strategic Design attend the festivities. The weekend is open to all graduates from all years, Contributing writers and photographers Andrea Collins, Isabelle Gallant, Jimmy Jeong, as well as those celebrating a milestone graduation anniversary (that is, a Larry Johnsrude, Judy Monchuk, Richard Siemens graduation year that ends in a “2” or “7”). More details are listed on pages Send Comments to: 10 and 11 of this issue. Richard Cairney Faculty of Engineering In addition to the many U of A campus-wide events scheduled for E6-050 Engineering Teaching Alumni Weekend 2012, we welcome you to attend the many engineering- and Learning Complex specific events we have planned for you during the weekend, such University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 as the Dean’s Reception, Engineering Expo, engineering department Tel: 780.492.4514 or 1.800.407.8354 tours, interesting lectures and information sessions and much more. Fax: 780.492.0500 email: [email protected] Historically, our engineering alumni have been well represented and we Website: http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca are looking forward to a similar turnout this year. Change of address: And as always, with the assistance of our local alumni hosts, we will continue hosting our [email protected] annual engineering alumni receptions in more cities than any other faculty. I encourage you to watch your mailbox or check out our engineering events calendar at www.engineering.ualberta.ca Publications Mail Agreement for dates of receptions near you. No. 40051128 The growth of the Faculty of Engineering over the past 104 years, and particularly in the Return undeliverable Canadian last decade, would not have been possible without the advocacy and support of our alumni and addresses to: Faculty of Engineering, industry partners and friends. You play a key role in the success of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta the university, your profession and your communities. The External Relations Team appreciates E6-050 Engineering Teaching and Learning Complex every opportunity we have to meet you, work with you and respond to your needs as alumni. Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 I look forward to seeing you at our events throughout the year, and I hope you enjoy this issue of the U of A Engineer.

Laurie Shinkaruk Acting Assistant Dean, External Relations

Vision To be one of the Mission To prepare top-quality Values Dedication, integrity, largest and most accomplished engineering professionals, to conduct professionalism and excellence engineering teaching and world-leading research and to celebrate in teaching, research and service research centres, a leader in the first-class reputation and outstanding to the global economy and North America. accomplishments of alumni. community.

2 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 Table Spring 2012 of Contents U of A Engineer is the Faculty of Engineering alumni magazine. It is published twice a year by the Dean’s Office and is distributed to Faculty of Engineering alumni, friends, students and staff. Dean of Engineering David T. Lynch (PhD Chemical ’82), PEng Acting Assistant Dean, External Relations Laurie Shinkaruk External Relations Team Nena Jocic-Andrejevic, Linda Kelly, Corinne Longoz, Leanne Nickel, Cindy Spears, Trevor Wiltzen Publisher/Managing Editor 5 Richard Cairney Copy Editor 22 Karen Sherlock Art Direction Halkier + Dutton Strategic Design COVER STORY 18 Right Honorable engineers 14 Three engineering alumni, two of Contributing writers and photographers 5 Rebuilding Slave Lake Andrea Collins, Isabelle Gallant, Jimmy Jeong, them former members of Parliament Larry Johnsrude, Judy Monchuk, Richard Siemens This wasn’t covered in class, and one of them a sitting MP, say Send Comments to: but Brian Vance (Mechanical ’81) there’s plenty of room for engineers Richard Cairney is overseeing the rebirth of who commit themselves to life in Faculty of Engineering a community after wildfires public office. E6-050 Engineering Teaching obliterated one-third of his and Learning Complex University of Alberta hometown last summer. As chief 22 Engineering the Earth Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 administrative officer for Slave Working toward her PhD at the Tel: 780.492.4514 or 1.800.407.8354 Lake, he is co-ordinating what University of Cambridge, Hilary Fax: 780.492.0500 email: [email protected] amounts to a megaproject. Costello (Mechanical [Co-op] ’10) Website: http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca is involved in a controversial 10 Alumni Weekend 2012 Change of address: geoengineering research project to [email protected] Mark your calendars and plan cool the planet. The SPICE project to attend Alumni Weekend is pushing technical and ethical festivities September 20 to 23. boundaries—and Costello couldn’t Publications Mail Agreement No. 40051128 12 Right on track be happier. Return undeliverable Canadian Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit 24 Tapping into unbridled addresses to: system is undergoing a huge Faculty of Engineering, creativity expansion. U of A engineers University of Alberta The Faculty of Engineering makes E6-050 Engineering Teaching are at the heart of the project, history by announcing six new and Learning Complex applying their expertise to bridge Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 NSERC Industrial Research Chairs— construction, smooth traffic flow leaders whose ideas and creativity and all stops in-between. could revolutionize the oil sands and construction industries.

24

DEPARTMENTS 31 Kudos 31 In Memoriam

On the cover: Brian Vance (Mechanical ’81) tours a Slave Lake neighbourhood being rebuilt after a wildfire ravaged the town. Photo by Jimmy Jeong. U of A Engineer Spring 2012 3 Messagefrom theEditor To boldly go...

he word “courage” doesn’t leap to mind As chief administrative officer, Vance holds Which brings us neatly to the subject of Twhen people think about engineering. the town’s highest unelected office and shows, governance and politics. Who among us has the But if this edition of U of A Engineer has any along with his fellow residents, that rebuilding courage of conviction to run for public office? subtext whatsoever, it is this: sometimes it is a quiet, dignified demonstration of courage. Three engineering alumni who have served takes a little courage to be In today’s political climate, the difficult as members of Parliament talk about their successful in engineering road to travel is not in posturing and pointing experiences in office and consider the unique and sometimes our courage out problems, but in rolling up our sleeves skill set engineers bring to public service. This requires a little engineering. and finding solutions. This is especially threesome also ponders the reasons there are Getting to the point: true with emotionally charged energy and so few engineers in public office. It’s surely not our main feature stories environmental issues, and four of our six a lack of courage. They serve as role models for spotlight engineers new NSERC Industrial Research Chairs us all; it matters not where you stand politically involved in projects that featured in this edition are involved in projects but what you do to serve your community. are challenging, risky and aimed at reducing the petroleum industry’s The same can be said about engineering. unconventional. Fresh environmental impact. The discoveries they As one of our fourth-year engineering students out of her final year of make and the knowledge they share will have recently said: “I know I can do my engineering studies at the U of A, profound impacts far beyond their labs. job but I also know I can do more than that. I Hilary Costello The other two new research chairs are can use my skills to make things better (Mechanical [Co-op] ’10) began working revolutionizing the construction industry for others.” towards her PhD at the University of with research on modular construction, It’s what so many of you do—make things Cambridge. This in itself is a bold move, but which is having a jaw-dropping impact on better for others. to then become involved in a controversial waste reduction and efficiency, and in leading- Enjoy this issue of U of A Engineer. geoengineering research project takes a edge research developing intelligence tools If you have any story ideas, comments certain amount of spine. There aren’t many that are helping construction managers make or questions, email me at engineering projects that help develop your better decisions. [email protected]. debating skills, but Costello jumped at the Our partners in these initiatives are also chance to be involved in something big. demonstrating a little chutzpah. Not willing When a wildfire swept into his hometown to settle for the status quo, bold—even of Slave Lake, Alberta, last summer, Brian outrageous—steps toward innovation are Vance (Mechanical ’81) stayed in town while being taken by our partners in industry and Richard Cairney his family fled to safety in a mass evacuation. government. Editor picture perfect

Send us your submissions for the Faculty of Engineering’s 2013 wall calendar. The theme for this year is Engineering Defined. Send us photos that define, for you, what engineering is all about. Submission deadline is May 1, 2012. Send your submissions to [email protected]. To receive your copy of the 2013 wall calendar, sign up at www.engineering.ualberta.ca/wallcalendar.

Dave Clark (Mechanical ’87)

4 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 Rebuilding Slave Lake Through Old Testament torment to a miraculous rebirth, Brian Vance has been calm in the eye of a storm By Judy Monchuk Richard Siemens, U of A Creative Services

Brian Vance (Mechanical ’81) rian Vance was struck by the surreal “It just seemed so eerie,” recalls Vance holds the town of Slave Lake’s silence as he drove through the (Mechanical ’81), chief administrative highest unelected office—and is streets of Slave Lake, Alberta, officer for the town of 6,782, nestled in helping steer a massive recovery B in the twilight before dawn on May 17, the boreal forest 200 kilometres northwest as his hometown re-emerges from 2011. Navigating through the smouldering of Edmonton. “There was just a sense of a natural disaster. ashes of homes and businesses, the disbelief that it was all gone—a feeling that destruction of his hometown was so it can’t be real.” complete it seemed to have been obliterated Facing a massive task of short-term by a bomb. survival and long-term rebuilding,

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 5 many people simply would have been ruin was overwhelming: 369 houses and all the emergency people who were experts overwhelmed by the situation. Not Vance. six apartment buildings destroyed, 732 at logistics. One of the best things I could “I think it’s part of my engineer’s mind. families homeless, and more than 8,000 do was ask for help and accept it because it We’re problem solvers,” he says. “We look at area residents evacuated. Gone were the was there.” the problem and think of the resources we new library and town office, including And ask he did. Vance’s connections need to solve it. Then we determine what all the paper and computer files of town enabled him to quickly find the key people the best solution is and get the best people administration. Luckily, the hospital, to help with the situation. Offers of aid you can find.” schools and local college were spared. poured in. Contacts in the engineering Sounds simple. But that was an Miraculously, there were no deaths. world offered assistance, while 65 people enormous order, given the devastation “One thing a lot of people can’t imagine, from other municipalities came to help Slave Lake encountered in 2011. It began and firefighters said they’d never seen, for up to two weeks at a time, from with an inferno so hot that homes literally was how complete the burning was,” says administration to operations to planning. evaporated in minutes. With little warning, Vance, 53. Houses, including the home his Vance enlisted pulp industry veteran Tom wildfires whipped by 100-km/h winds grandparents built in 1945, dissolved in the Boughner from British Columbia to oversee howled through the area with ferocious flames. “I’m used to seeing when there’s a the demolition and cleanup. A critical speed, incinerating homes, businesses and fire, there’s a frame left. The section of town move was bringing in his predecessor, Betty municipal buildings, leaving a third of that was burned was just flat. It literally Osborne, who had moved to the town the town in utter ruin. Communication melted things: melted metal.” of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, to handle Slave channels fell apart one after another: power The financial tally was astonishing: Lake’s regular CAO duties for a month. lines were destroyed; cellphone service was $700 million in insurance damages, with This allowed Vance to concentrate on overloaded; 92.7 “The Lake” FM, the voice the Alberta government pledging another other crises and issues that needed urgent of the community for 27 years, fell silent. $289 million to cover wildfire response and attention. The heat was so intense that chrome melted to help rebuild the community. But few “That decision spoke volumes,” Pillay- off bumpers in the firestorm. outside Slake Lake are aware of the colossal Kinnee says. “There was so much to focus Meanwhile, 1,200 emergency workers extent of the cleanup and recovery. Mayor on and Brian was able to recognize that he from the region and across the province Karina Pillay-Kinnee says Vance’s ability needed help. Betty was key because she had Jimmy Jeong scrambled to help save the community. to stay calm in the immediate crisis and experience with our staff and our council.” To many Canadians, mentioning Slave during the unprecedented rebuilding and The nation chipped in. Benefit concerts Lake conjures up images of disaster and restoration process has been extraordinary. were held for the town, and the Duke and heartbreak: a barren, burned-out swath of “He was so new in the post. CAOs have Duchess of Cambridge even visited the destruction; lineups of vehicles trying to one of the toughest responsibilities in the town, raising morale. evacuate, stymied by fire blocking three community,” she says. It’s a job that comes The sheer scope of the Slave Lake escape routes; neighbourhoods reduced to with a steep learning curve in the best of recovery was staggering. Huge parcels of row after row of scorched foundations. In circumstances, never mind throwing in a the municipality’s infrastructure were July, torrential rains and flooding reminded crisis. And this was one for the ages. Vance’s burned out, with all the electrical and residents that life would not return to engineering education and skills turned power lines needing to be replaced. Daily normal without a struggle. To top it all out to be a godsend in a situation with no meetings with stakeholders continued into off, at the end of the year, word that arson blueprint to follow. September to discuss updates on the status was being investigated as the cause of the “Brian’s very calm, cool and logical. He of utilities, clean-up, demolition, landfill catastrophe salted the town’s wounds. was truly outstanding at keeping focus and and the logistics of planning for three The grim spectre of Old Testament following the procedures we did have in subdivisions of temporary homes, torment was not the scenario Vance place: being strong when we needed him including new sewer lines. imagined when he signed on in March 2011 to be,” says Pillay-Kinney. “He also likes to Practical considerations, such as what to as CAO for the town he grew up in. After think things through before he acts.” do with the mountain of rotting food that years travelling the globe working as an Vance shrugs off the compliment. residents would return to after evacuation, engineer, Vance brought his wife and four “I guess I’m an optimist. I knew we’d needed an immediate plan. “The decision children home to the community where his eventually get through it. I knew we’d get was that the fridges and freezers would be grandparents settled and his parents still live. the resources to finish it. We had such a sacrificed,” says Vance, adding that disposal As soon as the flames were extinguished, tremendous group of resources and talent. kits were created for each household. A the scope of physical and emotional We had the mayor working with the people, staggering 4,500 refrigerators and freezers,

“I’m used to seeing when there’s a fire, there’s a frame left. The section of town that was burned was just flat. It literally melted things: melted metal.”— Brian Vance

6 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 An aerial view of a Slave Lake neighbourhood one day after a wildfire raced through the town shows the utter devastation residents faced.

wrapped with duct tape, were set out on the facilities and sewage pumping stations— projects for the region. Vance represents streets for pickup, with 1,000 units brought were generally unaffected. That’s a the town’s administrative interests in more to the local landfill in one day. The demand good thing from an infrastructure and than a dozen projects, adding a slate of on the local landfill was unprecedented. engineering standpoint. Says Fetter: “The responsibilities akin to running another Within the first five days, the equivalent of first step was, if we’re bringing people back, entire municipality. four months of waste was dumped, even where can we start putting them?” Vance, Fetter and Skowronski all stress with metals and concrete diverted out of A key logistical problem was that the leadership and communication the garbage flow. Remains from the fire and determining how to procure materials and skills they learned at the University of later flood damage brought a year’s worth manpower in a province that was already Alberta have been key in co-ordinating of waste to the landfill in just 10 weeks. in building overdrive and screaming for unexpected scenarios. Project management Among the many people Vance turned labour. Notes Vance: “How could you bring has been the biggest part of making the to for the rebuild were fellow U of A in a workforce of 1,000 people to build rebuilding process of Slake Lake a success. engineering alumni Jeff Fetter (Civil ’95) homes? Where would they go?” “A lot of people don’t understand that and Chris Skowronski (Civil ’88) at Things were hectic enough before what really helps engineers and their clients Associated Engineering, a firm that has the disaster. Slave Lake was a hub of is connection. Most people don’t really take been working with the town since 1986. development activity, with Vance overseeing engineers as communicators. Usually it’s Fetter’s initial look at the destruction the development of a $13-million engineers who provide that communication,” came in the early days after the flames multipurpose recreation centre and a new says Fetter, adding that it’s all part of were out. “The first reaction was, ‘Holy water reservoir project. To address concerns building a strong team. And in Slave Lake, a crap,’” he says. “Then, after the first four that the area would face in the aftermath, a large and diverse team had to pull together to eight hours, it was, ‘Really, they got off special tri-council secretariat of the Town to solve environmental, structural, regulatory very lucky.’” of Slave Lake, the municipal district and and logistical concerns. Most of the major systems—the water the Sawridge First Nation was created to “Your engineering undergrad years treatment plant, wastewater treatment oversee $64 million in broader recovery provide you with fundamental problem-

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 7 solving skills and understanding the about a year to examine an area, design packed timeline could leave Slave Lake benefits of working as a team, finishing what’s needed and put an application with a nightmare legacy of building- tasks as a team,” says Fetter. “Those process in place. “We had to do that in quality problems. Although it’s ultimately foundational skills you learn give you basics about a month,” he says. “It was very much the contractor, insurance company of building your career. Generally, you don’t compressed. We also had to free up people and homeowner who are responsible realize it. What you appreciate over time is to do that. So we did.” for any new construction, the town that you have to take your education for the Where most years the Town of Slave hired a temporary employee to inspect basics: problem solving, working in teams Lake issued about 10 building permits for elevations of homes and water and power and working to solutions.” new houses, more than 150 were given out connections. With so much work needing to be in 2011. By early 2012, 160 new homes were “The town can’t overly interfere,” says done so urgently, a sort of administrative under construction, with hopes that some Vance. “We can put all the processes in place triage system kicked in. Approvals were families will move in later this spring. and try to enforce them, but it is a business fast-tracked and red tape cut wherever Town administrators were concerned relationship between the homeowner and a possible. Skowronski said it generally takes that the frenetic work pace in a pressure- contractor. We can’t address that.”

By the Numbers

8,000 732 369 6 3 Residents of Families left Homes Apartment Churches Slave Lake and homeless destroyed in blocks destroyed area evacuated Slave Lake destroyed for more than two weeks

8 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 It isn’t as if he has room on his plate. increased demand for police and social rebirth of the community is striking. The 12-hour days of the last year are likely services. Driving through the southeast sector of the to continue for the foreseeable future, says “By three years from now, we’d have to town, the new two-storey homes replacing the mayor. look pretty hard to find any remains,” Vance burned-out 1970s bungalows generates a The town is sticking to its goal of says of the recovery and rebuilding process. sense of excitement. eliminating all temporary housing within “By then, a lot of the social issues will have “It’s impressive when you go through two years. Yet the human cost of this settled out, as well. People will have dealt there now, to see how far we’ve come in just transition tempers the positive success with their losses. But I’m thinking by the months,” says Vance. story. One in three staff in local schools lost time they get back into their new homes… “When we looked at it before, it was their homes, as did half of the town council they’ll be in a lot better shape. I think that discouraging. There was nothing but and 11 of the town’s 13 doctors. Residents will follow the physical rebuilding by about destruction. Now it’s all new. There’s new who chose to remain in Slave Lake have a year.” activity. People are starting to get happy struggled to deal with the personal aspects Still, as Slave Lake approaches the first about their houses. You can see it coming of living. Family turmoil has meant anniversary of the wildfires, the physical together.”

Shopping list to rebuild a community ilding io 4,700 4,500 1,200 Impl nsi catof bu 369 homes over two years Hectares Refrigeration Emergency of forest units sent to workers 2.035 million man hours destroyed landfill (firefighters, Labour: police) (407 tradesmen equivalent working 50 hours/week for 50 weeks a year for two years) 31,500 tonnes Concrete: (not including apartments) nal lumber: Dimensio 3.145 million board feet (not including apartments) g : 81,400 4’ by 8’ sheets Sheath i n (2.60 million square feet)

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 9 Alumni Weekend 2012Thursday, September 20, through Sunday, September 23

Momentum is growing as we prepare for an exciting gathering of our alumni!

Each year, the Faculty of Engineering’s External Relations team works with the U of A’s Office of Alumni Affairs to put on a great weekend of activities for engineering alumni to enjoy. This year we are preparing to celebrate special anniversaries for anyone who graduated in years ending with “2” or “7,” as well as welcome all of our alumni back to our beautiful green-and-gold campus.

As with last year, the U of A’s Office of classes will be holding private class Alumni Affairs will not be mailing out a dinners, social evenings or other events full brochure with event information—all throughout Alumni Weekend. For specific information will be posted on its website. information on individual engineering However, to ensure you have all the class events, please contact the External information you need for events hosted Relations department facilitator as noted by the Faculty of Engineering, we will below or visit our alumni web page for be mailing out an Engineering Alumni more information at Weekend 2012 brochure in June to all www.engineering.ualberta.ca. alumni celebrating special anniversaries, Chemical, Materials, Metallurgical, Mineral as well as to all local alumni, regardless of their graduation year. Contact: Leanne Nickel 780-492-4159 or [email protected] We hope you attend the many great events we have designed particularly for you Civil, Environmental, Mining, Petroleum during this very special time on campus. Contact: Trevor Wiltzen 780-492-4004 or Those who come are glad they do! [email protected]

External Relations Team Contacts – Electrical, Computer, Engineering Physics Alumni and Individual Class Reunions Contact: Corinne Longoz 780-492-6192 or [email protected] In addition to the Faculty of Engineering special events planned Mechanical for all engineering alumni and those Contact: Linda Kelly 780-492-4160 or celebrating a milestone anniversary [email protected] year, many engineering reunion 10 U of A Engineer Spring 2012

Class Reunion Organizers

The engineering alumni below have Faculty of enthusiastically volunteered to be class reunion organizers for Alumni Weekend 2012. If you are a member Engineering of one of the classes listed below, you may already have received a call or email regarding plans for the reunion Alumni Special of your class. If not, please contact Leanne Nickel at 780-492-4159 or Events [email protected] to find out how to get in touch with your class Saturday, September 22 2012 organizer. If your class is not listed, Note: All Engineering Alumni Weekend you may want to consider volunteering events are FREE to alumni and their Dean’s Engineering Alumni Brunch to help ensure you don’t miss a great 9 to 11 a.m. opportunity to get together! guests. Unless otherwise noted, all our All engineering alumni who graduated in events will take place in the Solarium, 1952 chemical Engineering located on the 2nd floor (Maier Learning 1967 or earlier, along with their guests, Bill Laureshen Centre) of the Engineering Teaching and are invited to attend a complimentary Learning Complex (ETLC). hot brunch hosted by Dean David Lynch. 1952 civil Engineering Reunion class photos will be taken William (Bill) Boytzun Friday, September 21 during the brunch. 1952 electrical Engineering Robert (Bob) Choate Class of 1952 Engineering Alumni Engineering Expo 1957 chemical Engineering Luncheon 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fred Otto 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ETLC (Engineering Teaching and 1957 civil Engineering Faculty Club, Papaschase Room Learning Complex) (Jasper - October 2012) John Burrell, Douglas Ferrier, All engineering graduates from the Class The Faculty of Engineering welcomes Bill Lee of 1952 and their guests are invited to alumni, prospective students, parents celebrate their 60th anniversary and and guests to Engineering Expo 2012. 1962 electrical Engineering reminisce with their classmates at a Take in displays from our Engineering James Spalding, Rick Kampjes private lunch hosted by David Lynch, departments and student groups dean of engineering. Graduates from and attend free lectures on topical 1962 Mechanical Engineering before 1952 are also welcome! engineering-related subjects. Tours Walter Germaniuk of the engineering buildings will be 1967 chemical Engineering Dean’s Engineering Reception available. For tour times, visit David McNeil 4:30 to 7 p.m. www.engineering.ualberta.ca or 1967 civil Engineering Dean David Lynch invites all engineering phone 780-492-7050 after June 1. John McDougall, Ron Neuman, alumni and their guests to kick off Peter Rivers Alumni Weekend by joining him at his Engineering Cocktail Reception 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. 1967 electrical Engineering annual evening reception in the Solarium. Peter Van der Zee Along with enjoying complimentary hors Shaw Conference Centre 1972 chemical Engineering d’oeuvres and refreshments and a brief If you are attending the University of James Smith formal program beginning at 5:30 p.m., Alberta’s Alumni Dinner and Dance this event provides a great opportunity 1972 civil Engineering (ticketed event) on Saturday evening, to reconnect with old classmates and (Jasper - April 2012) plan to come a little earlier for the James Pyesmany friends, professors and professional complimentary Engineering Cocktail colleagues. 1977 Mechanical Engineering Reception. It’s a great place to socialize Ed Howes, Paul Humphreys, with other engineering alumni prior to Claus Littmann sitting down with your classmates for a 1977 Mineral Engineering great dinner. Bernie Goruk 1982 civil Engineering Gary Evans

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 11 hen Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit system opened in 1978, Wit was the first system in North U of A engineers America in a city with a population of less than one million. Built to accommodate the crowds attending the Commonwealth are behind an Games in Edmonton that year, the LRT was as much a cause for civic pride as hosting unprecedented period the Games. Fast forward 30 years and the LRT didn’t look all that different. The original north- of expansion for south line—which ran from Belvedere to the Coliseum and Commonwealth Stadium Edmonton’s LRT system and on to two underground stations downtown—had a few kilometres of track By Andrea Collins added and a few new stations installed, but the next major expansion wasn’t until 1992, when the system was extended across the North Saskatchewan River to the University of Alberta. This was a complex engineering challenge that required tunnelling below the surface to the deepest depth in the system and matching the variable grades between the river’s north and south banks. That feat will be replicated when another major LRT bridge is constructed from the east side of downtown across the North Saskatchewan to a point near the Muttart Conservatory. It is the pivotal project in a major southeast-west artery right that will stretch from Mill Woods in the city’s southeast to Lewis Estates in the far west end. “This bridge is part of an LRT on megaproject,” says Nat Alampi (Civil ’03), engineering project manager for this LRT section. “There will be a lot of geotechnical investigation required to ensure the stability of the banks, and value engineering will be performed to no end. We will need to determine the optimal bridge length, the best point of entry into the north bank and the options that are the most effective, while at the same time keeping costs in check. Track “Initial field data collection required for preliminary engineering of Phase 1 is expected to take four to six months, so it will be a while before work begins on design concepts. Jimmy Jeong

12 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 right

Track Nat Alampi (Civil ’03) and Adam Laughlin (Civil ’00) are in deep on LRT projects in Edmonton. The two are playing major roles in unprecedented expansions of the city’s public transit system.

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 13 “We always develop several concepts “The current LRT expansion is about the neighbourhood. This means engineers for consideration,” Alampi says. “One much more than moving people; it’s part and planners such as Laughlin also need to option being considered is to remove the of a bigger vision for our city,” says Adam be well versed in landscaping, streetscaping pedestrian/cyclist footbridge now linking Laughlin (Civil ’00), until recently the and architectural features such as art and the Muttart Conservatory and Louise director of facility and capital planning street furniture. McKinney Park, and replace it with a for the City of Edmonton. That vision “A single LRT line has the capacity to dual-purpose LRT and pedestrian/cyclist is contained in The Way Ahead, the accommodate the equivalent of six lanes bridge. In that model, we would be taking city’s strategic plan, and detailed in the of vehicular traffic,” says Laughlin. “A train an existing transportation corridor and transportation master plan approved can carry approximately 700 people a long modifying it in order to minimize our by city council in 2009, which “balances distance in a short time span. That means environmental footprint.” our long-term transportation needs less traffic congestion, shorter commuter with a commitment to grow green and travel times, cleaner air and reduced costs create a compact, more integrated urban for road repairs. We want to become “A single LRT line environment where roads move goods and a transit-oriented city based around transit moves people.” neighbourhood transportation hubs where has the capacity to The plan calls for an urban LRT design people meet, visit, shop and live.” accommodate the with frequent train stops that are integrated The current LRT expansion began with into the surrounding area. The tracks the construction of 8.2 kilometres of new equivalent of six lanes primarily will be dedicated surface lanes track, starting with an expansion from of vehicular traffic.” that will not mix with traffic, except when University Station to the University of crossing intersections, with speeds consistent Alberta Hospital in 2006 and then heading — Adam Laughlin to roadway speed limits. Why not use south, ending at Century Park (23 Avenue), elevated lines like the Monorail in Seattle or where major residential and commercial an underground system like the New York services are being built on the old Heritage The bridge and the southeast-west Subway? Cost, safety and convenience are the Mall site. Completed in 2010, the new south artery are only part of the massive plan factors cited by Laughlin. “An underground line has three major LRT hubs: University for LRT expansion encapsulated in the system would cost five to 10 times more to of Alberta, Southgate Mall and Century City of Edmonton’s LRT Network Plan build and an elevated system, three to five Park, which is designed to be a transit- adopted in June 2009. The long-term times as much. Both add a level of separation oriented residential and service complex. plan defines the size, scale and operation that is inconvenient for riders.” Convenient bus-LRT connections can of the LRT system to 2040, part of a new Other features include low-floor train be made at all three sites. When opened vision for transportation that includes cars that accommodate bicycles, baby in 2010, the new south route instantly neighbourhoods modelled around LRT strollers and mobility aids and LRT tracks proved itself with higher-than-anticipated stations, complementary parking and bus designed to minimize noise and vibration. ridership, which was resolved quickly by service, bicycle lanes and pedways—all Train stops will incorporate visual elements adding more train cars. The number of aimed at reducing residents’ over-reliance that minimize intrusion, maximize weekday LRT boardings increased from on vehicles. openness of space and reflect the culture of 74,400 in 2009 to 93,600 in 2010. City of Edmonton

These renditions show a proposed LRT station near the Muttart Conservatory, south of the North Saskatchewan River; and right, a view of the planned LRT route along Stony Plain Road.

14 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 LRT expansion will see a new line running along 102 Avenue.

project in the expansion plan because the land for the LRT end destination was in place and the proposed route was relatively level and barrier-free. The second major LRT project, now under construction, is a downtown expansion northwest from the Churchill Station to NAIT, scheduled for completion in 2014. Though it adds only an additional 3.3 kilometres of track to the system, it presents several technical challenges. It needs to link downtown’s underground system to an above-ground system and it bisects an area dense with businesses, highrise residential buildings and post- secondary institutions. One unique aspect of the design is the tunnel below the recently constructed EPCOR Tower. City staff worked with Anticipating use is one of the big Alampi. “The LRT has to be accessible, the tower developer to jointly design and challenges for LRT planners and engineers. comfortable and convenient for people build their respective portions of the As Alampi points out, “We need to design to want to ride it.” It’s also important to infrastructure—the LRT will pass between for the number of riders we’ll have in 30 integrate into the design park-and-ride the foundation’s support piles—resulting to 40 years, and make the infrastructure locations, express bus connections and links in construction efficiencies and mutual cost durable enough to last 100 years. You can’t to pedestrian and cycling corridors. savings. The line begins to emerge from build enough roads to accommodate a Determining which leg of expansion this tunnel as it approaches the MacEwan major influx of vehicles as a city grows, comes first is another major decision. University station, where it is still partially but you can add train cars and frequency. “Our initial evaluation for each project below ground. It then rises to the surface That’s the beauty of LRT: it can expand or is broad based; it needs to consider land for stops at the Royal Alexandra Hospital contract as needed.” use, movement of people and goods, the and Kingsway Mall before reaching NAIT. Building frequent stops into the design natural environment, the feasibility of Churchill Station will remain the major will encourage use outside of rush hour. constructing the proposed route, the impact LRT downtown interchange that connects “People with flexible schedules or who on parks and the river valley, and the social the existing system to its future branches. don’t work are more likely to use the LRT environment,” says Laughlin. For example, The plan calls for the station to be midday if it’s right around the corner,” says the new south line was chosen as the initial revamped with elevators, escalators, stairs,

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 15 well-lit platforms and security systems for on the second level of the mall and the community for extensive consultation,” says people coming to and from street level. This Misericordia Hospital. Laughlin. “This consultation process can station and others on the line will Trouble spots need to be identified take as long as three years for each project; have additional amenities such as bike early to avoid problems. For example, it is only after it’s over that we can begin to lockers for cyclists. in the southeast-west LRT project, one zerothe in on the engineering design elements.” The next project will be the southeast- option being considered is to run the new The cost is always under scrutiny by to-west LRT line managed by Alampi. downtown segment of the line past the taxpayers. Each kilometre of LRT runs an Preliminary engineering is now underway Citadel Theatre and Winspear Centre. Sound average of $100 million, which includes and scheduled for completion in 2013. quality is essential to both performing everything from planning to construction Phase 1 will see the line cross the North arts centres, and the Winspear contains a to the purchase of land and trains (now Saskatchewan River from near the recording studio. Planning engineers may running at $4.5 million per car). Where the Shaw Conference Centre to the Muttart need to develop alternative track structures work is more complex, such as the tunnel Conservatory and then on to Bonnie to minimize noise and vibration, and, while and bridge over the river, costs are even Doon Mall. It will then continue south on doing so, consider the noise and activity higher. There is no long-term funding source 83 Street, passing through the residential expected in future, not just today. in place, meaning each stage of development communities of King Edward Park and More growth will follow: expansion requires separate funding approval. Avonmore and a large industrial area, of the new south line to Ellerslie Road The investment of time is also high. Take to a major transit centre at Whitemud at the outskirts of the city; extension of the new southeast-to-west line, for example. Drive and 75 Street. This station will the northeast line to developing areas; It has taken three years to get corridors and include Edmonton Transit’s operations extension of the north line beyond concept plans for the project approved, and and maintenance facility for the new LRT NAIT to serve the City Centre Airport Phase 1 will absorb another three years in system, and a regional park-and-ride redevelopment, northwest Edmonton design and construction procurement, and facility. The line will then continue into and the City of St. Albert; and perhaps, in another four years for construction before Mill Woods. future, a line into Sherwood Park. the line becomes operational. Funding for Will the LRT be extended as far as the construction still needs to be approved and airport? can cause further delays. Even if funds were “There will be more Not at this time, says Laughlin. But in place today, this new line would take until Leduc County is operating a bus service 2017 to complete. Although there are many than one generation from Century Park to Nisku, Leduc and factors that can accelerate or slow plans, of engineers who will the Edmonton International Airport planners are optimistic that the LRT network during peak hours and it is probable that plan will be completed by its 2040 target. work on it...” express transit service from the airport to For now, there is more than enough to Edmonton will be added. Indeed, the LRT occupy the engineers who plan and manage —t Na Alampi plan includes premium bus service with the complex projects in the current LRT dedicated lanes to offer express service to plan, and the many others who focus on and from LRT stations during peak hours. specialized functions of the design, such There are two major technical challenges The park-and-ride stations at the major as acoustical engineering (noise and in this project: the river crossing, where interchanges will be a boon, not only to vibration studies are incorporated at the both the bridge and tunnel sections must be people in the suburbs, but also to people planning stages). designed to accommodate the differences coming into Edmonton from neighbouring The end result is expected to be worth in grades between the higher north river communities such as Devon, Sherwood the investment of time and money. bank and lower south bank, and another Park, St. Albert or further afield. “Even though I won’t still be a practising significant bridge-and-tunnel section Though the vision is exciting, it has engineer by the time the LRT expansion is crossing Argyll Road, Mill Creek Ravine, come with a price. There has been frequent finished, I will have had the opportunity 75 Street and the CN and CP rail tracks. controversy when proposed routes are to see many of the sections designed Although this phase represents only planned through mature neighbourhoods. and constructed,” says Alampi. “What one-third of the length of the total The LRT planning engineers are often drawn I’m working on today is a legacy project. 27-kilometre leg of the LRT expansion, into the maelstrom and the emotional There will be more than one generation it is by far the most technically difficult. discussions with community members. They of engineers who will work on it and even Phase 2, the west line, will be built support city council by providing technical more generations of people who will ride it. from downtown to Lewis Estates, crossing rationale and justification for options under It’s satisfying to know I’m helping to lay the through the Stony Plain Road Business consideration. groundwork for something that will benefit District to West Edmonton Mall, where its “We develop different concepts and many people, including my own children only elevated section will deposit riders take the one approved by council out to the and grandchildren.”

16 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 the crossing

Timing LRT guard

Wai Cheung (Civil ’84), seen here at one of Jimmy Jeong crossings is a Edmonton’s busiest LRT intersections, is responsible for timing LRT crossings with delicate balance pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. By Andrea Collins That process worked, in theory. But once and all the parameters that need to be the new south line opened, there was a glitch. factored in when modelling for a new line.” atched pots never boil, red lights The unexpectedly high usage of the south Today, Cheung is working on the new Wnever turn green and, for motorists in LRT meant that at peak times it took longer LRT line that will connect downtown to Edmonton, LRT crossings are always busy. than anticipated to load and unload the train. NAIT, a line he expects will have fewer When Edmonton’s South LRT line was The LRT’s speed and frequency changed, problems. The busiest downtown sections under development, Wai Cheung (Civil ’84) resulting in a long wait for the gates to lift for of the line are underground, and once the of the city’s modelling group was given vehicular traffic—sometimes as much as 15 line emerges to the street level, LRT stops a challenge: evaluate the sequencing minutes at the 51 Avenue crossing. will be at dedicated platforms or train and and timing for the crossings of vehicles, “The software is exacting,” says Cheung. transit centres built apart from roads. pedestrians and LRT trains and co-ordinate “But it can only model on the assumptions “However, we’ve tried to consider every them in the most efficient way possible. you enter, like anticipated speed and conceivable thing that could affect LRT No pressure there, right? To get the job acceleration rates of each type of vehicle, speed and stop times,” says Cheung. “For done, Cheung collected data he’d need and or the frequency of LRT crossings. We example, we’ve looked at how long it takes ran it through a special software package to were told that the trains on the south line each conductor to walk from one end of the simulate different traffic scenarios. would run five minutes apart and stop train to the other when they need to reverse “We took information provided by for 30 seconds at each station. When the direction at the end of the line, and we will Edmonton transit regarding the anticipated high usage changed things, the south- and use a range from the slowest to the fastest speeds and stops for the LRT trains, in northbound trains passed within a few turnarounds in our computations.” conjunction with what we knew about minutes of each other and that meant that As for the next big challenge, Cheung buses, trucks, automobiles and pedestrians, the gates didn’t always have time to come expects it to be the southeast-to-west and put them into our model,” says Cheung. up between trains. The quick fix was to have surface line, which is currently in the “That data was fed into the simulation and the traffic signal team adjust the timings planning stage. “It’s a long line with was used to co-ordinate the traffic lights and they resolved the situation quickly. numerous surface crossings. We’re looking and LRT crossing gates so the new LRT line However, having this problem enabled our for the optimal system for that one; good would have minimal impact on traffic flow.” team to learn more about transit operations modelling will be crucial.”

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 17 There are many rewards for engineers who bring their talents to public office, but few heed the call. Three alumni talk about their experiences in public office and encourage their peers to join them in public service By Larry Johnsrude Right Honorable engineers

18 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 n the satirical novel The Best Laid reason, engineers don’t heed the call to (Left to right): Harvie André (Civil ’62, PhD Plans, a cantankerous engineering public office in the same numbers as those ’66) served as an MP for Calgary Centre professor strikes a Faustian deal to in other professions. Pity that. With their for 21 years. Tom Siddon (Mechanical ’63) I served as MP for Burnaby-Richmond-Delta run for the House of Commons on the instinct for building, solving problems and from 1978 to 1993. Bernard Trottier (Civil ’88) condition that there is no hope he can making things work, engineers should be a was elected as MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore win. His opponent, the sitting MP in an natural fit for political life. in the most recent federal election. Ottawa-area riding, is a young and good- “I don’t know why more engineers looking cabinet minister riding a wave of aren’t in politics,” Trottier says, with equal and white, in ways that can be proved or local popularity. The reluctant challenger amounts of disbelief and regret in his voice. disproved, without much wiggle room in spends the campaign out of the country, “People with an engineering background do between. But public life is more nuanced in refusing to debate, meet with voters or have a lot to offer. We’re the kind of people varying shades of grey, which can be difficult give media interviews. A recipe for failure, who like to get things done. You present for scientific purists to reconcile, he explains. it would seem. But in fiction and politics us with a problem, we review the science “When you’re an engineer, your nature (spoiler alert!) things don’t always turn out and gather the facts and come up with a and your training is to judge things based as planned. solution. That’s the kind of approach that on science and fact,” he says. “In politics, it’s Novelist Terry Fallis’s whimsical tale isn’t would be very helpful in the running of our all about compromises. Engineers find that lost on real-life engineer Bernard Trottier government.” frustrating. To be successful in politics, you (Civil ’88). The 46-year-old University of have to see it from both competing points Alberta engineering alumnus scored a dark- “People with an of view.” horse victory of his own in the 2011 federal engineering background A contemporary of André’s, former election with his win over Liberal leader have a lot to offer. We’re MP Tom Siddon (Mechanical ’63), agrees. Michael Ignatieff in the Toronto riding of “Everything in politics is about trade-offs the kind of people who Etobicoke-Lakeshore. While Cinderella- driven by public expectations for solutions story electoral upsets like this obviously like to get things done.” that don’t cost anything,” says Siddon, also a do happen, they are rare. Even more rare, — Brian Trottier U of A alumnus and engineering professor however, are members of the engineering before entering politics. “We stand by our profession making the jump to elected office. The question puzzles other engineers- principles that we know are right. And that Trottier is one of only 10 MPs in the turned-politicians, as well. With his can be a hard sell when you’re around a entire 308-member House of Commons experience as a retired engineering professor, cabinet table.” who can put the initials “P. Eng” behind MP and cabinet minister, Harvie André That isn’t to say that as engineers their names. In an environment dominated (Chemical ’62, PhD ’66) offers some they weren’t effective at bringing their by lawyers, business people and academics, personal observations. He served as MP for perspectives to government. On the engineering is one of the least-represented the Alberta riding of Calgary Centre for 21 contrary. André, 71, who received his PhD professions, not just at the federal level but years. By inclination and training, he says, in chemical engineering from the U of A in provincial legislatures, as well. For some engineers tend to see the world in black in 1966, rattles off a list of science-based

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 19 accomplishments in his various posts in the Brian Mulroney cabinet, including service as associate minister of national defence, minister of regional industrial expansion and overseer of Canada Post, turning the money-losing mail service into a profitable Crown corporation.

“We stand by our principles that we know are right. And that can be a hard sell when you’re around a cabinet table.” — Tom Siddon

One of André’s earliest experiences in the triumph of science over emotion at the government level came with his introduction of controversial patent-drug legislation, which raised fears of higher drug costs. “With my background, I knew that extending patent protections was the right thing to do based on the evidence and the facts,” he says. “But it became a very heated discussion because there were concerns about rising drug costs. We had to make decisions based on our analysis of the science that would also satisfy public concerns. We were able to do it but it took a certain amount of political sensitivity.” Siddon’s CV from his time in Ottawa (he served as MP for the B.C. riding of Burnaby-Richmond-Delta from 1978 to 1993) weaves a pattern of scientific and political accomplishments. As minister of state for science and technology in the Mulroney cabinet, he laid the groundwork

Top: Tom Siddon, then serving as Indian affairs minister, signs the Agreement in Principle to establish the northern territory of Nunavut with Paul Quassa, president of the Tungaviq Federation of Nunavut, and Dennis Patterson, government leader of the Northwest Territories, in April of 1990. The agreement was the basis of the final settlement to create Nunavut, which Siddon concluded in 1993. Middle: Freshly minted MP Bernard Trottier, who defeated former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff in the 2011 federal election, is serving his first term in the House of Commons. Bottom: Harvie André with cabinet colleagues Otto Jelinek, left, and former Mulroney finance minister Mike Wilson.

20 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 for the Canadian Space Agency and signed he won one of the city’s federal seats the All three would like to see engineering the international space station agreement following year and has been a local political students encouraged to learn about and take with the U.S., making Canada a partner institution ever since. (He sold a 16-year-old part in community service and public life. in space exploration. Closer to home, Alison Redford, now Alberta’s premier, her Siddon says students could be required to he engineered the creation of the new first Conservative membership.) take classes on citizen responsibility or work northern territory of Nunavut. He tackled Siddon marched in campus protests at on community service projects. “We have got the armed standoff at Oka as Indian affairs the U of A in the 1960s and entered elected to cultivate role models so they know it is an minister, and as defence minister, he politics through the municipal route in B.C. important part of a career and emphasize piloted the controversial EH101 helicopter before jumping to the federal scene in the to them that public service is a worthy and purchase, which was ultimately killed when 1978 election. worthwhile expectation in an engineer’s the Liberals swept to power in 1993. Also Getting today’s crop of engineers education.” in the engineering vein, the Confederation interested in political life remains a André wants to cut through the Bridge to Prince Edward Island was built challenge. And it’s not just a Canadian one. cynicism many young people have about under Siddon’s watch. A study by The Economist magazine found politics and make it more attractive. “I’ve always had an instinctive interest that worldwide, the engineering profession “Nothing else out there compares to it,” in how things work and what keeps ranked ninth in its representation in he says. “In politics, you’re either elated or things running,” he explains. Growing government, while lawyers were most likely depressed. You’re never bored.” up in Drumheller, Alta., his early interest by far to be in elected politics. U of A engineering students have was in cars, which drove him to earn his opportunities to get involved in community undergrad degree from the U of A, and then “We have got to cultivate service and governance through the a master’s and PhD from the University of role models so they Engineering Students’ Society, the Toronto, before becoming a professor at the [students] know it is an Students’ Union and elective courses University of British Columbia specializing important part of a career such as Science, Technology and Society. in acoustics and aerodynamics. “I think it and emphasize to them The U of A student chapter of Engineers prepared me quite well for politics,” he says Without Borders (EWB) provides students that public service is a with a chuckle, “because politics is all about with opportunities to develop leadership acoustics, noise and turbulence.” worthy and worthwhile skills, support international development Unlike other professions, there is no expectation in an and even influence foreign policy. Late in direct career path for engineers to get into engineer’s education.” 2011, Canada signed the International Aid public life. In law, for instance, it’s not much — Tom Siddon Transparency Initiative committing to more of a jump to go from arguing legal points effective Canadian aid; EWB student and in court to using the same oratorical skills As a political newcomer, Trottier isn’t professional chapters had been encouraging to shape laws in Parliament, or for political entirely convinced the exacting mindset the federal government to become a science grads to adapt their academic skills required to be a successful engineer is too signatory to the document. to real life, or for business and salespeople uncompromising for politics. “There’s André says if politicians thought more to press the flesh with voters. always a recognition among engineers like engineers, and if people in engineering, Engineers usually follow a circuitous that you can’t always have ‘perfect’ but science and business had a broader route into public life. Trottier says his initial sometimes have to live with ‘good enough,’” understanding of how politics works, interest in politics goes back to when, as an he says. “They are very principled people they might be better at solving problems 18-year-old growing up in St. Paul, Alta., he but I don’t believe they always have to think before they happen. He cites the recent participated in a parliamentary internship in terms of black and white.” decision by the Obama administration in program at the House of Commons. “I In his short time in office, Trottier says the U.S. to delay TransCanada’s Keystone experienced a side of politics long before he has come to experience both the rewards XL pipeline, and says all levels of business I was ever elected, so the idea of running and the frustrations of public life. He has and government should have been better for office wasn’t foreign to me,” he says. drawn on his educational background prepared for the environmental backlash. After graduating from the U of A in 1988, to work on the government’s copyright “The technology of the project was he earned an MBA from the University of legislation, aimed at preserving intellectual pretty strong but the politics wasn’t,” he Western Ontario in 1992 before going into property rights in the Internet age. But he says. “They (TransCanada) thought it was business. acknowledges: “There are some days where a good project, and from an engineering André, originally from Edmonton, I roll my eyes and think there must be standpoint, it was. But they would have became politically active in the early 1970s in better ways to use our time, and I wonder played it a whole lot different if they hadn’t a group of young Conservatives surrounding why someone has to make a 20-minute thought it was going to be a slam-dunk. Peter Lougheed, elected as Alberta’s premier speech when he can say the same thing There are concerns out there—the kind of in 1971. A professor at the University of better in two minutes—that it’s not about political reasons that have nothing to do Calgary’s engineering faculty at the time, content but all about performance.” with logic.”

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 21 Engineering the

EarthGeoengineering is a relatively new concept that pushes technical and ethical boundaries. That’s why Hilary Costello is so passionate about her PhD project. by Richard Cairney Jason Franson

ilary Costello (Mechanical people to think about climate change.” [Co-op] ’10) remembers the Costello is part of a large research Hengineering ethics sections of initiative: SPICE is a collaborative effort her Engineering 100 and 400 courses but involving the universities of Cambridge, never imagined she would one day be part Oxford, Bristol and Edinburgh and the of a research project that is embroiled in private-sector firm Marshall Aerospace. controversy. Now working towards her Succinctly put, SPICE is investigating PhD at the University of Cambridge as a the possibility of using a balloon to lift Churchill Scholarship recipient, Costello a pipeline 18 to 20 kilometres above the is part of an interdisciplinary, multi- Earth’s surface and release small particles university project established to assess into the stratosphere to reflect solar the viability of geoengineering the Earth’s radiation and cool the Earth’s temperature climate. The Stratospheric Particle Injection by perhaps 2 C. The project is inspired for Climate Engineering (SPICE) project by naturally occurring events, specifically is investigating the feasibility of pumping volcanoes, which spew sulphate particles reflective particles into the stratosphere into the stratosphere. In 1991, Mount to cool down global temperatures. The Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted, project is rife with technical and ethical releasing 10 million tonnes of sulfur into challenges—and those are precisely the the stratosphere, cooling the Earth’s surface reasons Costello chose to take part in it. the following year by 0.5 C on average. “When I first arrived at Cambridge, SPICE represents a monumental I really didn’t know exactly what I’d be engineering task. Costello, for her part, is example, how the tether interacts with the doing. My supervisor offered me other studying the dynamics of the pipe, which environment and with the internal flow.” opportunities on other projects, but this would also serve as the balloon’s tether. Costello says the research group one, just in terms of its technical aspects Specifically, she is investigating ways to reduce expects to conduct a technology test in the and the theory involved, was challenging drag on the tether by using non-cylindrical near future. A tethered balloon will lift a because I’m interested in aerodynamics shapes. While solving some problems, using 1.3-centimetre-diameter hose one kilometre and dynamics and then, on top of the aerodynamic shapes potentially introduces above the ground at an abandoned air field engineering, it is an interesting project in other issues, such as flutter. north of Cambridge University. Over the terms of the ethics and politics,” she says. “There is another PhD student working course of a week, about enough water to fill “I can tell anyone what I’m working on on the (pipe) material—he is investigating a bathtub would be pumped up through and get into a discussion about it, whether the use of a fibre similar to Kevlar, and I am the hose. The test would serve to validate it’s technical or not. The research encourages looking at the dynamics and vibrations: for Costello’s mathematical models and allow

22 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 researchers to observe the way the hose and balloon behave over time and in changing weather conditions. But given the controversial nature of the project, the test, originally scheduled for October 2011, has been postponed to allow for further public consultation. This turn of events illustrates the sensitive nature of Testbed the research and the importance of public consultation. Deployed “There are so many different facets Position of academia involved in the project— climatology, engineering, chemistry—and there are a lot of social scientists, as well, because there is a big public-engagement aspect to the project,” Costello says, adding that she has attended focus groups to discuss SPICE with members of the public. This aspect of SPICE is conducted by social scientists, adding to the interdisciplinary nature of the work. “They choose their words very carefully so that they are not asking questions that are loaded or weighted to either side of the case,” she says. “The stakeholder- engagement portion of the project is really interesting but also sometimes frustrating

because information can be easily twisted N ote:

or even just misunderstood—especially N ot to scale with something that is so controversial. It is really easy for people to quickly say ‘no’ or ‘yes’ but I don’t think geoengineering is a yes-or-no question. I can see both sides of A week-long technology test for the SPICE project would see a balloon lift a hose one kilometre the argument. above the Earth’s surface to release water droplets. The test would help validate mathematical “A lot of people are concerned that we models designed by Hilary Costello (Mechanical [Co-op] ’10) and give researchers a chance to observe the system at work over time and under changing weather conditions. A Churchill are doing this research because we want Scholarship recipient, Costello is working on her PhD at the University of Cambridge. to do geoengineering, when in fact, we are doing it to determine the positive and negative effects of geoengineering and answer questions such as, ‘Is this feasible?’ technology—that the research per se will but some people argue it [the research] is And ‘Do the positive effects far outweigh somehow cause geoengineering to be put ethically wrong.” the negatives?’ ” into practice. For the next two years, Costello will Those opposed to engineering the “None of the people involved in this continue to wrestle with the complex climate cite a variety of reasons for their are advocates of geoengineering,” says technical challenges the SPICE project position. One argument Costello feels Costello. “We are advocates for researching presents while pondering its complex presents the most valid point is the fear geoengineering. None of us is saying ‘Let’s ethical dimensions. All in all, she says, it’s a that if geoengineering works and mitigates go out and do this tomorrow.’ perfect combination. the warming effect of CO2 emissions, “The project itself is trying to deem “Especially in terms of doing a PhD, individuals and industries will feel they have if this is something that is safe. If it is an opportunity for me to step out of “permission” to follow a business-as-usual unabated climate change is likely to cause my comfort zone and try something that approach to greenhouse gas emissions. catastrophic change and coastal cities will is different,” she says. “It has technological She dismisses the argument that disappear, then, potentially, something challenges but also encompasses some of geoengineering research shouldn’t be like this might be important to do. I don’t those ethics we covered in the Engg 100 done at all because it is an “enabling” think it would be an ultimate solution, and Engg 400 courses.”

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 23 tapping unbridledinto creativity The Faculty of Engineering makes history with six new NSERC Industrial Research Chairs b y Richard Cairney

The Faculty of Engineering made history last fall by announcing the Richard Siemens, U of A Creative Services establishment of six new industrial research chairs, capitalizing on research and teaching leadership in areas as diverse as oil sands water treatment and decision-making tools for the construction industry. The research chairs are funded through a unique partnership Faculty of Engineering professors involving the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Subir Bhattacharjee, Tayfun Babadagli, of Canada (NSERC), the university and industrial and government Biao Huang, Aminah Robinson Fayek, partners, representing a total investment of $14.2 million. Mohamed Al-Hussein and Mohamed Gamal El-Din have been The announcement brings the number of NSERC research chairs appointed as NSERC Industrial in the U of A Faculty of Engineering to 16, a figure that on its own Research Chairs. tops any other entire university in the country. Dean of Engineering David Lynch says these kinds of partnerships are the key to having a successful “triple bottom line” that considers the environment, the economy and society. “It is through these kinds of collaborations that these three elements come together,” he says.

24 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 Aminah Robinson Fayek decidedly radical decision-making

Attention to detail and precision are the gold standards of any engineering pursuit. From planning and designing a project—whether it’s a car, house or a spaceship—calculations are checked and rechecked, plans drafted and revised, until a team is confident everything has been accounted for.

ivil engineering professor Aminah CRobinson Fayek is conducting important research that can bring a new level of precision to construction projects by accounting for intangible aspects of a project, such as the motivation and skill of a work crew, the quality of project teams and even a company’s organizational structure. Robinson Fayek, who holds the NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Strategic Aminah Robinson Fayek

applies fuzzy logic to bring a Richard Cairney Construction Modeling and Delivery, is a new level of productivity to the leading researcher in “fuzzy logic,” which construction industry. incorporates aspects of planning and construction often overlooked because they lack hard-and-fast values. “Traditionally, we deal in binary values. “We can now look at all the factors that But not all values are binary,” says Robinson industry. She is a professor in the Hole affect productivity: tools, materials, Fayek. “Temperature can be measured School of Construction Engineering attendance, training and skill level of in degrees, but it can also be expressed in the U of A Department of Civil and the workers, and other intangibles like linguistically. It can be hot to an extent and Environmental Engineering. Last year, how motivated people are, because simultaneously cold to an extent, and what is she was awarded the Canadian Society for with different levels of motivation you hot for one person may feel cold to another. Civil Engineering’s Walter Shanly Award can get vastly different results.” “Fuzzy logic is a great modeling for her contributions to the development technique to handle uncertainty that is not and practice of construction engineering — Aminah Robinson Fayek random or statistical in nature but is due in Canada. She also holds the Ledcor to subjectivity, approximate reasoning and Professorship in Construction Engineering. natural language. We can now look at all Robinson Fayek’s industry partners “We have owners, contractors the factors that affect productivity: tools, represent construction owners, contractors, and labour groups contributing their materials, attendance, training and skill labour groups and their respective perspectives. This provides us with a level of the workers, and other intangibles associations, who are coming together in a tremendous opportunity to learn from like how motivated people are, because with unique research relationship. them, and it means that the solutions we different levels of motivation you can get “For the first time, we have all three come up with will likely be better solutions vastly different results.” parties coming together in a formal collabor- because of the fact that we have input from Robinson Fayek is uniquely positioned ation to address issues that are significant to all parties and we have looked at a problem to have an impact on the construction the construction industry,” she says. in a more inclusive and holistic fashion.”

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 25 Subir Bhattacharjee

Mechanical engineering professor Subir Bhattacharjee ideas about water are holds the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Quality Management for Oil Sands Extraction. His research flowing focuses on finding new ways to recycle water used in steam It’s a sunny morning on the U of A assisted gravity drainage oil recovery operations. campus and Subir Bhattacharjee His industrial partners has assembled supporters from have already doubled their Suncor Energy and Kemira Oil and investment in the research. Mining to review progress being made by his lab, on the sixth floor of the National Institute for Nanotechnology at the U of A.

hattacharjee is investigating new ways to recycle water used to extract

B Jason Franson bitumen buried too deep below ground “There are other universities that to be mined. The process used to coax have sizeable research programs this heavy oil to the surface, called steam but the [water] chemistry is different assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), involves here because we’re talking about oil heating water to more than 240 C, injecting them immensely—the companies have sands. It’s heavier oil than elsewhere steam deep underground to warm the doubled their contributions to the five-year . . . Other researchers will tell you there bitumen deposits and then pumping the oil research program, from $150,000 a year are shortcuts you can take but they and water back up to the surface. Sensitive each for the next three years to $300,000 don’t have the very heavy oil and high to greenhouse gas emissions and water use, per year each. the oil sands industry recycles 90 per cent It’s great news, but it prompts the temperatures that we’re working with.” or more of the water used in the process question: why do global corporations — David Pernitsky but strives to improve its performance. If with their own research and development water can be recycled without continually departments and expertise turn to university cooling and then reheating it, the operation researchers to help solve urgent problems? around the world, and some partnerships becomes more efficient and has less impact Based in Helsinki, Kemira has four high- make better sense than others. His own on the environment. level research centres around the world. PhD research into drinking water was partly Bhattacharjee, a professor in the The company serves customers in water- funded by Kemira, he says, and in this case, Department of Mechanical Engineering intensive industries, including mining and working with the U of A is a natural fit. who holds the NSERC Industrial Research oil. But, says Kemira’s vice-president of “There are other universities that have Chair in Water Quality Management for business development, Tuomas Törmänen: sizeable research programs but the [water] Oil Sands Extraction, is being asked to “One company cannot do it all alone. We chemistry is different here because we’re “clean up water of quite poor quality for plug in external resources in collaboration talking about oil sands. It’s heavier oil than the most demanding purpose imaginable,” with our internal resources as a way to elsewhere. We are trying to maintain the says David Pernitsky (Civil ’91, MSc innovate across multiple technology areas heat of these fluids, and other researchers Environmental ’93), a senior engineer with in order to create real breakthroughs.” will tell you there are shortcuts you can take Suncor Energy’s in-situ technical services. The U of A has an important history of but they don’t have the very heavy oil and The research would not be possible oil sands discovery. In the late 1920s, U of A high temperatures that we’re working with,” without financial support through engineering professor Karl Clark developed Pernitsky says. partnerships with Suncor, Kemira, Outotec the hot-water separation process that led to “Researchers need to know the (an international equipment manufacturer today’s oil sands separation technologies. conditions that exist in our cold region, with mining industry operations), the His knowledge has been passed along and and you also have all this cold-climate Alberta Water Research Institute and improved upon by successive generations of engineering work that has been done here NSERC. And what the industry partners researchers. at the U of A. Just the fact that people have seen since the research chair was Pernitsky observes that there are water live here through our winters helps them established two years ago has impressed researchers working on different problems understand it more clearly.”

26 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 Biao Huang controlling the oil sands

As a newly appointed NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Control of Oil Sands Processes, Biao Huang feels the IRC program is making a real difference in Alberta’s oil sands industry.

is research on process control— Biao Huang, who holds the Husing computer control systems NSERC Senior Industrial to automatically operate key oil sands Research Chair in Control of

processes—is making the industry more Oil Sands Processes, sees the Jason Franson efficient and environmentally friendly. bigger picture in controlling oil sands operations. Huang’s research focus is aiming for a big impact through the cumulative effect of many small gains in efficiency. “Helping the industry become more Heavier particles like sand settle toward from Edmonton to Calgary and you are in sustainable and environmentally friendly the bottom of the tank while bitumen rises Red Deer, one minute later I know that you and recover more oil is an important issue,” to the frothy surface. The bitumen and are still driving towards Calgary and you he says. “If we can improve recovery a little froth are skimmed from the surface but are near Red Deer.” bit, even 0.1 per cent, it translates to a huge the process is not always precise. Huang is The algorithm, he says, means industry impact.” researching ways to minimize the amount doesn’t have to spend more money on more Huang explains process control by of bitumen that is lost to the tailing stream sensors. “You can use information that you comparing it to driving a car, where the that comes out of the PSV. already have to calculate something which car is the process and our brain is the For this job, sensors are a key you do not know. You don’t have to buy controller. component—they can tell how much new equipment or dig a new hole or install “To control the car we need to have some bitumen is in the tailings and how much a new sensor,” he says. “It is a soft sensor— sensors, such as eyes to see what’s going on in water is in the froth. This makes it possible an algorithm.” front of us,” says Huang. “At the same time, to optimize PSV operations. Besides the satisfaction he gets you also need to operate the car, so you have Reducing the amount of bitumen in from knowing he’s helping make such actuators to make sure the car moves. In this tailings improves the recovery of oil and a vital industry reduce its impact on case, they include your hands and feet.” reduces the industry’s environmental the environment, Huang also enjoys footprint. the technological challenges of helping “We solve problems by reducing the equipment and instruments operate “If we can improve recovery a little environmental impact and improving more reliably in harsh conditions. He’s bit, even 0.1 per cent, it translates production, in real time,” says Huang. happy to be in a partnership with such a to a huge impact.” One challenge industry faces in process unique industry. — Biao Huang control is the fact that the vessels and pipes “You cannot find the same solution are hostile environments—sensors can foul anywhere else. You cannot just borrow and and provide inaccurate data. Huang and his buy; it’s impossible. You really have to do Huang and his team of graduate students team are using an algorithm called dynamic the groundwork to have these innovations.” are working on the control of oil sands Bayesian inferencing, which uses accurate Huang says the role of industry partners mining, extraction and upgrading processes. information inferred from hardware is indispensable in the support they provide. One example of Huang’s work is on the sensors to make informed decisions about “The funding is mainly used to educate primary separation vessel, or PSV, used in oil sands processes. the high-quality personnel—the students,” the extraction process. It’s a large tank used “We look at relationships over time,” he says. to separate oil from sand using hot water. says Huang. “For example, if you are driving – With Isabelle Gallant

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 27 Mohamed Al-Hussein rebuilding the building construction industry

A U of A engineering professor’s research is at the forefront in a bring the work to where the people are. In construction revolution that would move most construction workers the factory, the same philosophy applies: you stay where you are and the work comes into factories—dramatically improving work quality and productivity to you,” he explains. and reducing waste and environmental impact. One of Al-Hussein’s biggest supporters is Edmonton’s Landmark Group of Builders. y designing a process in which five than 100 kilometres from the construction CEO Reza Nasseri calls industrialization Bthree-storey student dormitories were site, delivered to the campus and then lifted “a game changer” for his company and the built in 51 days at a U.S. college in 2005, into place with cranes. industry. The company’s goal is to develop Mohamed Al-Hussein of the Department Now, Al-Hussein, who holds the net-zero buildings by the year 2015, and of Civil and Environmental Engineering new NSERC Senior Industrial Research Al-Hussein’s research is bringing that goal and his industrial partners proved there Chair in the Industrialization of Building closer to reality. are enormous efficiencies to be gained by Construction, is working on ideas that will Construction sites are “incredibly prefabricating buildings and constructing revolutionize the industry, prefabricating wasteful,” says Nasseri, but industrialization them modularly. Entire sections of to a greater extent in a sort of assembly-line virtually eliminates material waste. the student dorms at Pennsylvania’s fashion. “It would sound like an exaggeration Muhlenberg College in Allentown—from “The efficiencies come from the if I told you how much waste we have flooring and fixtures to exterior brick manufacturing philosophy that, instead of eliminated,” he says. “In our factory, waste finishes—were assembled at a factory more moving people to the construction site, you has disappeared.” His firm estimates that Al-Hussein’s

process has eliminated five tonnes of CO2 emissions per home by eliminating nearly 200 vehicle trips to each construction site— just to complete the framing and roofing. Al-Hussein says industry supporters are both drivers of and contributors to the research process. “They are really interested in applying this research and they are demanding more of it,” he says. “This type of research needed industry and the industry came forward. They provide our students with a place to access information. . .these companies are working on a daily basis with my students.” One of his upcoming projects is the construction of a 34-storey apartment building in Brooklyn, New York—in less Richard Cairney NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair than 90 days. in the Industrialization of Building “I think that what we are seeing today is Construction, Mohamed Al-Hussein is just scratching the surface,” he says. “I’d like bringing revolutionary ideas to the building to see it grow to 20 or 40 or 50 per cent of the construction industry, dramatically Canadian industry moving to reducing waste and environmental impact this method.” while increasing profits. “It would sound like an exaggeration if I told you how much waste we have eliminated. In our factory, waste has disappeared.” — Reza Nasseri 28 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 Tayfun Babadagli taming the unconventional

Unconventional oil such as heavy oil and bitumen found in Alberta’s oil sands is more difficult to coax from the ground because it has a thick consistency—and sometimes even forms rock. Oil companies in Alberta and around the world are trying to get the most out of these challenging reservoirs.

he steam-assisted gravity drainage T(SAGD) method commonly employed to pump this oil from the ground involves injecting steam or solvents into the ground, causing heavy oil to flow more freely and

making it easier to bring to the surface. Richard Cairney Tayfun Babadagli, who holds the NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Unconventional Oil Recovery, is researching Tayfun Babadagli, who holds the NSERC Senior Industrial ways to improve this technique, enabling Research Chair in Unconventional Oil Recovery, is oil companies to recover as much oil in as researching ways to enable oil companies to recover as efficient a manner as possible. much oil as efficiently as possible. SAGD can be “a very difficult technology,” says Babadagli. Heat (in the form of steam, air or electrical heating) or one has yet devised a way to flush the oil “Our job is to optimize these solvents are used to get the thick, heavy oil from these tightly packed rock formations. techniques to minimize the costs to flow more freely. It’s another challenge Babadagli and his “Our job is to optimize these techniques team are investigating. and maximize recovery.” to minimize the costs and maximize Babadagli has patented a recovery — Tayfun Babadagli recovery,” says Babadagli, a professor technique that alternates the use of steam in the U of A Department of Civil and and solvents to make bitumen more Environmental Engineering’s School of easily accessible. Variables, such as the Mining and Petroleum Engineering. “You temperature, length of time spent heating want to find ways to use the least amount the oil and the strength of a solvent, can be of steam or the least amount of solvents. experimented with. Our main goal is to find ways to reduce the “Injection times, waiting times and reservoir oil that gets left behind.” the strength of the solvent are all critical Another challenge for the industry is the elements. Sometimes you might be heating fact that up to 25 per cent of Alberta’s heavy for two weeks but maybe one week is oil is trapped in carbonate minerals—no enough.”

U of A Engineer Spring 2012 29 Mohamed Gamal El-Din clearing the path to clean water

Oil sands mining operations use hot water to help separate bitumen from the soil, creating ponds of toxic tailings. One of the major challenges the industry faces is finding ways to remove contaminants from the tailings water so the water can be recycled for other oil sands uses or discharged safely into

the environment. Mohamed Gamal El-Din, NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings ohamed Gamal El-Din, a professor Water Treatment, is working to develop water in the U of A Department of Civil treatment technologies that recycle or safely

M Richard Cairney and Environmental Engineering, is meeting discharge oil sands process-affected waters the challenge head-on. As the NSERC into the environment. Senior Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Water Treatment, Gamal El-Din’s goal is to develop and assess different water-treatment technologies helping to establish one of the best water “It’s important to ensure that as the oil and strategies to recycle or safely discharge management education and research sands industry grows into the future, that it water affected by the oil sands process into programs in Canada, and perhaps in the does so in a sustainable manner,” he says. the environment. world, positioning the U of A as a leader in “We can’t just keep storing this water He admits the task is technically water treatment and management research forever. You have to treat this water—you daunting. Tailings water contains and innovation. have to be sure there won’t be any adverse suspended solids, salts, organic and Realistically, Gamal El-Din knows the effects.” inorganic compounds, ammonia, chloride oil industry will continue to grow as global Gamal El-Din hopes that this water and trace metals, and other contaminants at energy demands increase. could one day be reused for irrigation concentrations that are toxic to many living or industrial applications, or it could organisms, including aquatic biota such as eventually be safely released to the invertebrates and fish, as well as mammals. “I have a young family and environment. “There is not going to be a quick, I want to be sure my kids While there’s a lot of hard work ahead, easy solution,” he says. “To come up with are living in a healthy and Gamal El-Din believes the end result is well worth the effort. As the saying goes, failure treatment systems and approaches will take sustainable environment. some time, and you need to consider that is not an option. It’s not only treating water; there may be residuals coming out of the “I have a young family and I want to treatment processes themselves—how do it is about protecting both be sure my kids are living in a healthy and we manage these residuals?” the environment and public sustainable environment. It’s not only Gamal El-Din says the NSERC Senior health.” treating water; it is about protecting both Industrial Research Chair Program is also — Mohamed Gamal El-Din the environment and public health.”

30 U of A Engineer Spring 2012 In Memoriam

Taking pride in achievement The Faculty of Engineering sincerely regrets the Kudos passing of the following alumni and friends. Andy Barnes, Mining ‘57, in October 2011 Glenn Brant, Petroleum ‘51, DANIEL, PATRICK PEng OSPINA, CARLOS PEng in December 2011 (Chemical ’68, LLD Hon. ’10) (MSc Structural ‘96, PhD ‘01) Norman Budgen, Electrical ‘55, Has been named Canada’s Has been named a Fellow of the American in August 2011 Outstanding CEO of the Year by Concrete Institute. Members of the ACI are Leonard Checknita, Chemical ‘78, the Caldwell Partners. Pat Daniel elevated to Fellows in recognition of contributions in January 2012 is the outgoing president and to “production or use of concrete materials, Victor Cox, Civil ‘49, in October 2011 James Dunn, Chemical ‘48, CEO of Enbridge Inc. and has products, and structures in the areas of education, MSc (Chemical) ‘52, in October 2011 more than 30 years of experience research, development, design, construction, or Gordon Duthie, Civil ‘55, in August 2011 in the energy sector. management” or significant contributions to Douglas Ells, Civil ‘48, in January 2012 ACI through service on committees at the local Terry Engelhart, Electrical ‘62, MSc (Electrical) KVISLE, HAROLD (HAL) PEng chapter level. Ospina is a senior engineer with ‘71, in September 2011 (Civil ’75) BergerABAM, working in Panama and Colombia. Brian Gerbrandt, Civil ‘89, in January 2012 Has been appointed as an advisory A. Ralph C. Hargrave, Civil ‘43, in April 2011 board member with Canada’s RAJARATNAM, NALLAMATHU PEng Thomas Horn, Chemical ‘59, Outstanding CEO of the Year, Has been appointed as a Fellow in September 2011 Stanley Jones, Eng Physics, ‘50, operated by the Caldwell Partners, of the Engineering Institute in November 2011 Business News Network and of Canada for exceptional Allan Lovlin, Mechanical ‘61, National Post. A former TransCanada contributions to engineering in in October 2011 Corporation CEO, Kvisle was recognized as Canada. Rajaratnam is a professor David Lozinski, Electrical ‘70, Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year in 2008. In in the Department of Civil and in September 2011 2009, he received the Canadian Business Leader Environmental Engineering. Fred McBean, Petroleum ‘52, in November 2011 Award and in 2010, he received the Distinguished Robert O’Brien, Mining ‘46, in October 2011 Business Leader Award. TAYLOR, DONALD PEng Victor Pedscalny, Electrical ‘58, (Civil ’58, MSc Civil ’60) in January 2012 MARTIN, DEREK PEng Has been appointed as a member George D. Raitt, Chemical ‘40, Has been awarded the Engineering Institute of of the Order of Canada, one of the in September 2011 Canada John B. Stirling Medal for leadership and Lyman Sortland, Chemical ‘60, country’s highest honours, for his MSc (Chemical) ‘62, in August 2011 distinguished service at the national level. Martin contributions as an “innovative William Wanat, Chemical ‘50, is a professor in the Department of Civil and entrepreneur and generous MSc (Chemical) ‘51, in June 2011 Environmental Engineering. philanthropist.” Taylor is president Reginald Williamson, Electrical ‘71, of the Calgary heating, ventilating and air in December 2011 conditioning company, Engineered Air. Russell Zaharko, Petroleum ‘63, MARQUEZ, HORACIO PEng in December 2011 Has been appointed as a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada ZUO, MING PEng The Faculty of Engineering was recently made for exceptional contributions to Has been appointed as a Fellow of aware of the passing of the following alumni more than a year ago: engineering in Canada. Marquez is the Engineering Institute of Canada chair of the Department of Electrical for exceptional contributions to Henri D. Bonnet, Mining ‘44, in May 2010 and Computer Engineering. engineering in Canada. Zuo is a Harvey Elbe, Civil ‘64, in January 2011 Robert Westendorf, Mechanical ‘62, professor in the Department of date unknown Mechanical Engineering.

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