Electrical and Computer Engineering

An engineering graduate was honoured for his outstanding academic achievement this past weekend during the 108^th Convocation ceremonies held in the St. Denis Centre.

Lakshmi Varaha Iyer, who received a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2016, received the Governor General’s Gold Medal from Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Douglas Kneale.

The medals were established in 1873 by Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive, recognizing a student graduating with the highest grade point average among peers.

During his time at UWindsor Dr. Iyer received, among other honours, an NSERC Canada Graduate Doctoral Scholarship; a Tri-Council Recognition Scholarship; and the University of Windsor Graduate Scholarship and Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.

A team of students who designed a system to help visually impaired people navigate their surroundings are particularly excited about one aspect of their project: the difference it can make in the lives of users.

“It could help people in the real world,” says Hejir Rashidzadeh, one of three fourth-year students of electrical and computer engineering behind the “Intelligent Blind Man Aid,” which combines a camera and ultrasonic sensors with a voice command system.

The team set up an obstacle course to allow blindfolded guests try the experience for themselves, as part of Capstone Design Demonstration Day, Friday in the lobby of the Centre for Engineering Innovation. It was one of dozens of displays by groups of students in various engineering disciplines: electrical and computer; civil and environmental; and mechanical, automotive and materials.

His lasting contributions to engineering education and research in health, automotive, and aerospace industries earned UWindsor dean of engineering Mehrdad Saif induction as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Saif was one of 52 new fellows inducted at a ceremony June 26 in Ottawa during the academy’s annual general meeting. His citation noted more than 250 publications, discoveries incorporated into vehicles from the Chevrolet Malibu to the Cadillac Northstar, and innovative interdisciplinary academic programs including the UWindsor master’s program in engineering management (MEM).

Positioned in the middle of Narayan Kar’s lab sits an electric motor from the Ford Motor Company: a machine that had been scrutinized by researchers and engineers for countless hours.

Yet, the University of Windsor engineering professor has set out to take that motor and make it even better.

“Our work will never end and this will always be an open-ended problem,” said Dr. Kar. “There will always be an opportunity to make them lighter, compact and more efficient.”

Kar was among a group of University of Windsor researchers exhibiting their work at the 2017 annual conference of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), June 14 at Caesars Windsor.

Kar’s lab, the Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE), had a booth showcasing electric vehicle science and engineering. If its research progresses as planned, it will be utilized in Ford’s future electric vehicles.

The Faculty of Engineering also had a booth to highlight its expertise in vehicle-to-vehicle communication, alternative fuels, crashworthiness and metal forming.

It’s not often the dean of engineering receives hand-written letters, let alone one printed in pencil describing robots that catch and clean up after litterbugs.

Dean Mehrdad Saif was pleasantly surprised when he received a letter from Masha Dmitrenko, a Grade 4 student at John Campbell Public School. Dmitrenko wanted to know what she should do to become an engineer.

“What is the hardest part of engineering? What is the coolest part of engineering? I always wanted be an engineer. I have a question: can you make art robots?” the eight-year-old asked in her letter.

Meeting with Members of Parliament and government officials May 17 in Ottawa was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the research driving Canadian innovation — and to highlight the University of Windsor, says engineering professor Narayan Kar.

Canada Research Chair in Electrified Transportation Systems, he was one of the presenters during the Parliament Pop-Up Research Park, a project of the Council of Ontario Universities and the Ontario Council on University Research to share their latest discoveries with federal decision-makers.

“From an education perspective, it was a huge success,” says Dr. Kar. “Our government needs to be informed as to what we are doing.”

His presentation, entitled “Will an Electric Car be Able to Travel Coast-to-Coast?” attracted interest from MPs, senators, and civil servants, but Kar’s answer to the question he posed is “yes, but…”

He says electric vehicle technology will need improvements in affordability, convenience, reliability and durability before it are a true alternative to combustion engines.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne participated in a roundtable discussion with local business leaders, educators and politicians at the University of Windsor on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Wynne attended an announcement at the Ford Essex Engine Plant with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau where the provincial government, federal government and Ford announced a $1.2-billion investment in the automaker’s Ontario operations. Part of that investment will go to the Powertrain Engineering Research and Development Centre which works in collaboration with UWindsor engineering graduate students and faculty.

The Huffington Post has named the University of Windsor the number one university to watch in Canada.

Based on the Canadian University Rankings, The Huffington Post has selected five universities it considers to be "Canada's Rising Stars."

Local Girl Guides added three new badges to their collection on March 11 at UWindsor’s engineering and science themed Badge Day.

More than 60 Windsor and Essex County Girl Guides, ranging from Grades 3 to 8, earned recycling, bodyworks and physics badges by completing hands-on activities in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.