September 21, 2024 | Toronto Star
Class of 0T2 Civil Engineering Karen Liu Memorial Award
This class award honours the legacy of Karen Liu (CivE 0T2, MASc 0T4) , a beloved U of T alumna known for her engineering leadership and dedication to helping others. Through the Boundless Promise Program, this award will support undergraduate Civil Engineering students in need.
An accomplished and beloved alumna of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Karen Jin Song Liu — known as Jin to her friends and colleagues – was renowned for her exceptional engineering skills, leadership in her industry, and unwavering dedication to helping others.
Karen’s journey from earning both her BASc and MASc in Civil Engineering at U of T to her impactful career in Bridge Engineering and Infrastructure Development exemplified her commitment to excellence. Beyond her leadership achievements in the profession, Karen was a devoted Christian served extensively at her congregation, and a pillar of support and inspiration to her family, friends, colleagues, and others around her. Her kindness, positivity, and dedication to serving others deeply touched the lives of many in her community.
Inspired by Karen’s unwavering commitment to helping others, her classmates from both undergraduate and graduate studies, Wilson Lam, Amaris Liu, and Enzo Ierino are initiating the Class of 0T2 Civil Engineering Karen Liu Memorial Award. This award will play a crucial role in supporting undergraduate Civil Engineering students at U of T, carrying forward Karen’s passion for nurturing the next generation of professionals. We invite you to join us in honouring Karen’s remarkable legacy by contributing to this meaningful cause.
How You Can Get Involved:
The class of 0T2 Civil Engineering is working to raise a minimum of $50,000 by the end of 2025 to establish an endowed award that will provide essential support to Civil Engineering students in need. The success of this initiative depends on the collective support of our class. We hope to award this by the class’s 25th anniversary. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in bringing this award to life.
From now until December 31, 2024, an anonymous donor has generously offered to match your contribution dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. Additionally, once the award is established, the University will match the annual payout dollar for dollar, further doubling the impact of your generosity. This is a unique opportunity to make 2X the difference.
Ways to Contribute:
Support can be given through one-time donations, multi-year pledges, planned gifts, or contributions in honour of special occasions. Every donation helps honour Karen’s memory and support future engineers.
All gifts, of any size, are much appreciated. Your support will ensure that Karen’s inspiring spirit lives on through the students who will benefit from this fund.
CivMin alumnus, Olugbenga Olubanjo (CivE MASc 1T9), is to receive early career recognition in the form of the Rising Star Award from the Engineering Alumni Network (EAN). He is one of four alumni members from U of T Engineering to be presented an EAN Award for 2024 at an upcoming ceremony in late September.
The Rising Star Award recognizes a U of T Engineering graduate early in their career, who has achieved outstanding professional achievements and/or had an impact on their field. Nominees may be working within or outside of engineering but must demonstrate impact in their field with the likelihood of continued growth. Nominees should be 40 years of age or younger in the nomination year.
Olugbenga Olubanjo exemplifies how one person’s vision can have a global impact. With a master’s degree in civil engineering, Olubanjo is driven by a commitment to social impact. His passion for sustainable development led him to found Reeddi Inc., a company that provides clean, reliable and affordable energy to energy-poor regions worldwide.
As a graduate student, Olugbenga conceived the idea for Reeddi and received mentorship from The Hatchery at the University of Toronto. His innovative Reeddi capsule, recognized globally, was named one of TIME magazine’s Best Inventions for 2021. Olubajo’s work has received many accolades, the most important being its direct impact on improving quality of life for many. His lithium battery-based energy solution is available in Nigeria’s energy-poor communities, offering a safer, more affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional energy sources.
In addition to his work with Reeddi, Olugbenga actively engages in community service. He served as the former Co-Chair of the Massey College Community Service Committee and organized events that raised significant funds for various social causes.
Olugbenga Olubanjo is indeed a rising star, using his unwavering “why-not” attitude and visionary leadership to light the way toward a more sustainable and equitable future. He is a testament to the transformative power of engineering education.
To read about the other 2024 Engineering Alumni Network Awards Recipients, please see the original article published by Alumni Relations.
Read more about Olu and Reeddi Inc:
Putting power in the hands of the people
CivMin alumnus is finalist for £1-million Earthshot Prize
September 16, 2024 | TVO – The Agenda
September 13, 2024 | Daily Commercial News
Collaborative workshop brings Engineering and Architecture students together for computational design and digital fabrication of timber systems
Robot Made is an innovative hands-on project combining research and active learning to involve both Engineering and Architecture students, at undergraduate and graduate levels, in the process of computational design and digital fabrication. This unique initiative's 2024 iteration focused on exploring techniques for designing, simulating, and digitally fabricating timber systems.
The course kicked off with classroom sessions - workshops, where participants delved into advanced wood design, robotic kinematics and systems, exploring digital workflows and engineering tools like parametric robot control (PRC) and COMPAS_FEA. The course then shifted into high gear as students moved to their computers, crafting custom designs through scripting and hands-on modelling.
The real excitement unfolded when digital met physical — students stepped into the Kuka robotic cell, driving industrial robots to fabricate their creations. In the final days, the digitally crafted design came to life in a thrilling build, as the class collaboratively assembled a full-scale structure, experiencing the transformative power of digital fabrication and automation.
The Design Build course was designed by Nicholas Steven Hoban from John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto; Professor AnnaLisa Meyboom from School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia; and Professor Aryan Rezaei Rad from the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Robot Made 2024 culminated in the installation of a pavilion at the University of Toronto, showcasing the collaborative efforts of the participants. This experience was particularly valuable as it brought the design-to-fabrication process, typically confined to industrial settings, into an academic environment. Through this Design Build course, students were able to explore cutting-edge applications in timber construction while developing advanced skills in design and assembly techniques.
Robot Made marked the first time students from both the Engineering and Architecture faculties at the University of Toronto collaborated to innovate in material usage, pushing the boundaries of construction methodologies. The resulting experimental structure exemplifies the potential of combining Design for Assembly principles with high-precision robotic fabrication and engineering-integrated computational design.
Robot Made forms part of a broader investigation into wood and mass timber construction, encompassing design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA), as well as the development of open-source digital frameworks. These frameworks integrate simulation-based engineering science and timber engineering, considering the role of integrated data workflows and digital fabrication technologies in shaping the future of building with wood-based products.
September 4, 2024 | Toronto Star
Alumnus Phil Feldman (CivE 5T9) takes a trip down memory lane with a visit to U of T Camp on Gull Lake.
Some 65 years after graduating from U of T with a civil engineering degree, alumnus Phil Feldman (CivE 5T9) made a visit to Camp, thrilling students with his energy and baffling them with old technology.
A pleasant surprise appeared for CivMin students at this year’s Camp 1 on August 14, 2024 when Feldman arrived with Engineering Dean Chris Yip. Feldman eagerly took in the sights as students worked in the field and classrooms, also exploring the new bunkhouse. A highlight was certainly visiting the old, original bunkhouse replete with a century of monuments on the ceiling and rafters.
Feldman baffled students with his slide rule and marvelled at the newest technology for topographic mapping. As he recalled fewer electronics in his day, “Back in 1957 we did star shots and sun shots, with calculations in our field book, to figure out our latitude and longitude.”
The now 86-year-old retired school teacher recalls his three-week course, then called Survey Camp, required a great deal of hiking through the woods and canoeing to various locations to complete the assignments. At the time, enrolment was so great, the course was held simultaneously at the Gull Lake location as well as at Dorset. Feldman attended at Dorset, so did not stay in the large, one-room bunkhouse known to most at Camp. Instead, the lodge had two roommates to a room, which he recalled as very comfortable.
After graduation in 1959, Feldman worked as a civil engineer for a few different companies in the Scarborough area, as well as a consulting engineer, before becoming a private contractor. Later, in 1962, there was a large push to hire teachers. He recalls his tutoring experience, along with his skills as an engineer, made him a fantastic candidate to teach science and math. A six-week course in the summer allowed him to begin his career as a public school teacher, following up with a second six-week course the next summer, giving him permanent teaching credentials. A teaching career spanning 33 years saw him begin in Scarborough, move to North York, then finish in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) due to amalgamation.
The octogenarian, who sports a hat emblazoned with “Made in 1937” remarks, “Back in our day there was only four women in all of Engineering. It sure has changed.”
As the balance nears parity in the Faculty, Camp has changed too with new facilities. What was once a large, one-room bunkhouse for only male students has been ameliorated to include new facilities with flexible use spaces. The newer bunkhouse, first opened in 2021, has six separate spaces allowing for greater mix of genders and age groups too, along with greater privacy. The new shower rooms are a decided improvement over what was once a shower hall.
The series of fortuitous events leading to the day at Camp began with Feldman chatting with Dean Yip about Camp. They later met so the alumnus could deliver his field book and some photos from his Survey Camp days. Yip remarked, “Wonderful memories of days past. Really honoured that he has gifted his field book and some photos to the Faculty.” Adding, “What wonderful cursive handwriting. Wow.”
As a result, the pair made a day trip to Camp on Gull Lake with Feldman remarking, “It was a wonderful day for me!”
Before leaving, they joined in a group photo for Camp 1 as part of U of T Camp tradition.
By Phill Snel
Learn more about Camp on the CivMin website
Undergraduate student, Michel Herrera Viyella (Year 2, ElecE) won the award for best overall poster presentation at the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD), hosted by the Faculty of Engineering.
Herrera Viyella reflects, “With over 130 competitors from all four years, I am pleased to say I won the award for best overall poster presentation, a feat that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of CivMin Prof. Daman Panesar and Dr. Marani.”
Responding, Prof. Panesar notes, “Michel was an outstanding UTEA undergrad student with me – I taught him CIV100 in the Fall 2023 term, and then was excited to have him as a researcher with my team all summer. We are super proud of his early achievements.”
August 29, 2024 | CBC News