Women in Engineering & IT – Faculty of Engineering and Design https://carleton.ca/engineering-design Carleton University Tue, 19 Mar 2024 20:33:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.1 Protecting Cities from Urban Flooding https://challenge.carleton.ca/creating-climate-resilient-housing-infrastructure/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 20:32:43 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=34228 As record-breaking rain and snowfall become regular events due to climate change, cities must work quickly to address the increased risk of urban flooding – a destructive new reality for many Canadian homeowners and a multi-billion-dollar challenge for governments.

Urban flooding happens when a city’s hard concrete surfaces and sewers struggle to sop up and redirect large, sudden amounts of precipitation or meltwater.

With nowhere to go, the excess water can cause significant and expensive damage to homes and businesses.

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Empowering with Purpose: Workshop Day for Women in STEM https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/story/empowering-with-purpose-workshop-day-for-women-in-stem/ Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:53:52 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=33907 Hiring diverse talent helps organizations improve their bottom line. The Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University has been a leader in helping support the student to professional talent pipeline as shown through its partner backed Women in Engineering & IT (WiE&IT) Program.

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Carleton Researchers Author Chapter of United Nations Environmental Programme Climate Technology Report https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/2023/carleton-researchers-author-chapter-of-united-nations-environmental-programme-climate-technology-report/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:41:20 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=33007 A rising tide may lift all boats, but a flood can destroy everything in its path. With climate change driving higher temperatures and more rainfall around the world, the risks posed by weather events are growing increasingly acute. And when extreme weather events strike, it is often society’s most vulnerable that live in the areas most exposed to the consequences.

But there is hope. In November 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published its Climate Technology Progress Report, which seeks to provide assessment of current climate technologies, innovation, policies, and financial investment. In early December, Carleton professor Dr. Elisabeth Gilmore of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering presented on its key findings at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

As the lead author of one of the report’s five chapters, Dr. Gilmore assessed the state of technologies that can play a critical role for climate action for water management, public transport, building cooling, social housing, and energy distribution and generation. Her team found that many of the technologies we need the most are already available and feasible to implement.

“There is high feasibility, but there are barriers too. Institutional challenges are hindering the implementation options that are already available, and there is a need to improve this,” says Anas Alhusban, a PhD candidate who served as a chapter fellow on the project.

PhD candidate Anas Alhusban and Professor Elisabeth Gilmore.

“There are lots of high synergy solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to a changing climate. And, this can be achieved by prioritizing equity and justice through technological responses that help bring along everyone.”

Some of the most effective and impactful technologies do not require complex engineering or even large amounts of money. For example, green roofs and urban canopies can help absorb heavy rainfall, and can be highly effective tools in managing heavy rainfalls.

“Green roofs can store greenhouse gases and absorb water, and have been implemented in many places, especially Germany. This is just one of the examples that is highly feasible technologically but underutilized due to institutional barriers,” says Alhusban.

Alhusban’s PhD research is in air pollution modelling. While the UNEP Climate Technology Progress Report was not directly aligned with this work, he was eager to contribute when Dr. Gilmore presented this opportunity. Growing up in water-scarce Jordan, he had seen the UNEP’s contributions to identifying issues with the country’s water supply, and remedying the issues to the benefit of its people. He began working on the report as a chapter fellow, but his outstanding contributions ultimately earned him a contributing author credit.

 Need for Change in Entire Systems, Not Just Individual Technologies

One challenge to implementation is that no single climate technology can be a comprehensive solution to the problems we face. But this report approaches climate technology through the lens of urban systems transitions. The scale of the climate crisis does not demand single innovations, but rather many technologies that come together to advance more sustainable systems.

“Instead of saying, here is one technology, and here is what it can do for, say, transportation in an urban centre, we looked all the things you would do to transform transportation within that urban centre,” says Gilmore.

“We want to shift from the less sustainable systems we have today to a whole new set of technologies and practices. Together, these technologies produce the urban system transition.”

Dr. Gilmore’s chapter assesses the state of technologies that can play a critical role for climate action with a focus on urban systems transitions, in which many technologies come together to establish more sustainable systems.

“This is the difference between simply putting in electric vehicles (EVs), and having those EVs in place along with better public transit and better urban planning to establish more transformative ways of how we choose to move ourselves around.”

But for Gilmore, the Climate Technology Progress Report provides something more than assessment of the status of climate technology and possible blueprint for the future. It provides a dose of hope in a troubling time.

“This report stands out from other UN climate reports because it is much more hopeful. People read about the harms of climate change all the time, and this underscores the need for immediate action,” she says. “But the Climate Technology Progress Report is a place we can find hope that we can meet these challenges. It is not just about barriers, but also about how we can enable innovation and further climate action. Technology is not going to do everything, but there are so many ways that it can help.”


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The fellowship provides recipients with a stipend, resources to develop and pilot new ideas and tools and opportunities for professional development and community building.

Professor Scott Bucking (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) will use Artificial Intelligence in the classroom by integrating large language models (LLms) into HTML lecture slides, enabling real-time student feedback and improving student interaction with the lecture content.

Professor Jennifer Drake (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) will be exploring the use of virtual reality field trips and augmented reality models of inaccessible underground municipal infrastructure (drinking water distribution, storm sewers, etc.) to allow civil engineering students to learn through directly experiencing and engaging with these systems.

Professor Rose Gomar (Department of Systems and Computer Engineering) plans to use learning analytics to enhance the educational experience for all students by exploring effective strategies to promote equity, address bias and create data-driven pedagogy.

Professor Steven Pong (School of Industrial Design) will use Augmented and Virtual Reality to elevate industrial design education and provide students with essential digital skills required for success in their design careers. The project will have students create immersive prototypes, simulations and virtual spaces, allowing real-time collaboration with students and instructors, regardless of their physical locations.


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Reducing Aircraft Noise: Award-Winning Carleton Researcher Aims to Make Flights Silent https://newsroom.carleton.ca/story/reducing-aircraft-noise-silent-flights/ Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:20:58 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=32733 A bird of prey swoops silently through the night, and grasps a catch in its talons. Owls are not the fastest fliers, but the shape of their wings enables them to glide with barely any sound. And the evolutionary advantage conveyed by nearly silent flight has allowed these highly efficient predators to thrive for tens of millions of years.

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Carleton’s Winnie Ye Named Fellow of Optica – Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/2023/carletons-winnie-ye-named-fellow-of-optica-advancing-optics-and-photonics-worldwide/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:18:19 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=32595 Professor Winnie Ye of the Department of Electronics has been elevated to the Fellow rank of Optica (formerly OSA), as part of its newly elected 2024 Fellow Class.

Founded in 1916, Optica is dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving, and dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics worldwide. Optica Fellows are selected based on several factors, including outstanding contributions to research, business, education, and engineering, as well as service to Optica and its community.

“Congratulations to the 2024 class of Optica Fellows,” said 2023 Optica President Michal Lipson. “It is a pleasure to honor these members who are advancing our field and society. We are grateful for their exceptional work and dedication.”

Fellow membership within Optica is limited to no more than ten percent of its membership and is reserved for individuals who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics.

Professor Ye has been honoured as part of the 2024 Fellow Class “for exemplary volunteer leadership and outstanding contributions to silicon photonics research and technology including pioneering investigations in waveguide stress engineering.”

She is one of only four recipients from a Canadian institution among the 129 newly elected Optica Fellow Members for 2024. New Fellows will be honored at Optica conferences and events throughout 2024.

Professor Ye is the former Canada Research Chair in Nano-scale IC Design for Reliable Opto-Electronics and Sensors (Tier II). This past October, she was elected Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Committee for the 2025-2026 term.


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Carleton’s Women in Engineering and IT Program Expands Support with New Partners https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/2023/carletons-women-in-engineering-and-it-program-expands-support-with-new-partners-2023/ Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:00:14 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=32456 Carleton University’s Faculty of Engineering and Design is pleased to share the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Hydro Ottawa have partnered with us on the Women in Engineering and IT Program! Their partnership is vital to our efforts to help close the gender gap in engineering and information technology. Both companies will be present at our Women in STEM Career and Networking Fair and support our study lounge and resume book.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect health, safety, security and the environment. CNSC also implements Canada’s international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and disseminate objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public. This is the third-year the CNSC has supported the program.

Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company wholly owned by the City of Ottawa. Their core businesses include electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, energy solutions, telecommunications and utility services. This is the first-year Hydro Ottawa is joining the program.

Questions?

For questions about the program, contact Sharmila Antonipillai, the program administrator at wie@carleton.ca.

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Carleton’s Winnie Ye Elected Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering Committee https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/2023/carletons-winnie-ye-elected-chair-of-the-ieee-women-in-engineering-committee/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:03:07 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=32433 Carleton University’s Winnie Ye, professor in the research-intensive Faculty of Engineering and Design with the Department of Electronics, was recently elected Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE) Committee for the 2025-2026 term.

IEEE WiE is a global network that connects over 40,000 members in over 125 countries to advance women in technology at all points in their lives and careers. Through their programming, they help members make connections, acquire influential mentors and address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

“As WiE Chair-Elect, I am committed to recruiting and retaining more women in engineering to advance and empower women in the workplace,” said Ye. “I’d like to increase the presence and impact of WiE by connecting our members with industry leaders through conferences, workshops, seminars, and webinars.”

In 2018, Ye became the first Canadian recipient of the international IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Inspiring Member Award. She also received the 2018 Engineering Medal for Research and Development from the Ontario Professional Engineers (PEO), and the PEO Ottawa Chapter’s 2018 Engineering Excellence Award. In 2020, Ye received the Partners In Research’s Technology and Engineering Ambassador Award. Most recently, she won the prestigious 2021 IEEE MGA Leadership Award.

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. The organization is a leading developer of international standards that underpin many of today’s telecommunications, information technology, and power-generation products and services. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering and Design https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/story/new-associate-dean-edi/ Wed, 04 Oct 2023 18:33:53 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=32371 Throughout 2023, the Faculty of Engineering and Design (FED) has moved forward on its commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) just as Carleton has continued its EDI commitments across the university as a whole.

The Carleton University EDI Action Plan touches on every aspect of the institution. This allowed FED the chance to create its own tailored plan to identify concrete actions toward tangible outcomes that directly impact its staff, leadership, students and communities.

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Information Technology PhD Student Hannah Johnston Wins Prestigious 2023 Vanier Scholarship https://gradstudents.carleton.ca/2023/congratulations-to-carletons-2023-vanier-award-winners/ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:30:43 +0000 https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/?p=31940 Carleton University PhD students Hannah Johnston (Information Technology) and Evan Wicklund (Sociology) are the recipients of a prestigious 2023 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Valued at $50,000 per year for three years during a student’s doctoral studies, the coveted Vanier scholarships are awarded to Canadian PhD students who conduct exceptional research.

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