Three researchers from the Lassonde School of Engineering at 91亚色 have received support for innovative interdisciplinary research projects from the Lassonde Innovation Fund (LIF), an initiative that helps advance work that addresses global challenges and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This year鈥檚 LIF initiatives focus on a range of topics, spanning from green roof innovation to exploring planetary skies. Through these projects, faculty members are committed to advancing scientific research and creating solutions for a more just and sustainable world.

Learn more about this year鈥檚 LIF projects below.

Project: 鈥淎ssessing Hydraulic and Thermal Performance of Green Roof鈥� by Magdalena Krol

Krol, an associate professor of civil engineering, will leverage her expertise, and that of civil engineering Professor Usman Khan, as well as the testing capacity of the , to compare the performance of conventional roofs against green roofs.

Green roofs have the ability to both mitigate flood risk by retaining storm water and reduce energy costs of buildings and homes. Currently, there is limited research that critically evaluates the performance difference between conventional and green roofs, creating a significant knowledge gap in urban sustainability.

This project 鈥� a first of its kind 鈥� aims to bridge the gap by constructing modules of both roof types and monitoring their behaviour under realistic conditions such as fluctuating temperature, precipitation and humidity. Using various tools and technologies, data will be collected over time to analyze specific performance indicators, including storm water retention and energy dissipation.

Establishing a thorough understanding of green roof efficiency is crucial for further development of design guidelines and encouraging the adoption of these systems in urban areas.

Project: 鈥淚nterpretable Learning of Bio-signaling Systems via Data-driven Graph Analysis鈥� by Gene Cheung

A professor of electrical engineering and computer science, Cheung鈥檚 initiative will build on existing research exploring the use of a graph-based tool to evaluate and classify biological signals, as well as evaluate the response of cells, in the eye.

In collaboration with Andrew Eckford, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, as well as Yuji Nakatsukasa, an associate professor at the University of Oxford, the researchers will apply their expertise to refine the graph-based classifier to determine exactly which cells are responding to particular visual information.

This advanced tool has the potential to increase understanding of the visual system, helping inform the development of assistive technologies for visual impairments. The project also serves as a foundation for future work that aims to extend analyses to more diverse and complex biological signals.

Project: 鈥淧erceiving Planetary Skies through Space, Time, and Experience鈥� by John Moores

Moores, an associate professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, will pursue a project that blends art and science to create space-themed immersive experiences inspired by data gathered from planetary skies. This research is driven by the idea that engaging with planetary data in a more captivating way can help reshape our understanding of other planets.

Moores will work in collaboration with Sarah Rugheimer, an associate professor in the Faculty of Science; Jennifer Steeves, a professor in the Faculty of Health; and Ian Garrett, an associate professor in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

The project includes three objectives: utilizing radiative heat transfer techniques to model alien skies, developing immersive exhibits that simulate exotic space environments, and analyzing individuals鈥� psychological and physiological responses to these space-themed displays.

This interdisciplinary research promises to investigate, inform and inspire, fostering a deeper connection between space and humanity, while advancing understanding of planetary skies.

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A major new declaration co-initiated by 91亚色 professor and philosopher Kristin Andrews affirms there is strong scientific evidence that not just mammals and birds, but potentially all vertebrates and many invertebrates, possess conscious experiences.

The New 91亚色 Declaration on Animal Consciousness, unveiled on April 19 at a conference at New 91亚色, states that the empirical evidence indicates 鈥渁t least a realistic possibility鈥� of conscious awareness in reptiles, amphibians, fish, cephalopod mollusks like octopuses, decapod crustaceans like crabs and lobsters, and even insects. Andrews co-initiated the declaration along with Jeff Sebo from New 91亚色 and Jonathan Birch from the London School of Economics.

鈥淩ecent research has shown stunning evidence of consciousness-related behaviours in a wide range of animals,鈥� says Andrews, a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. 鈥淭he declaration affirms that we can no longer assume these creatures are insentient or incapable of feeling.鈥�

The declaration 鈥� which has already been signed by more than 80 leading scientists and philosophers across disciplines 鈥� focuses on the most basic form of consciousness 鈥� the subjective experience of being an organism and the ability to feel sensations such as pain, pleasure and hunger. While higher-order consciousness involving self-awareness is not attributed, the statement says it would be 鈥渋rresponsible to ignore鈥� the possibility that these animals can have positive and negative experiences.

For Andrews, the 91亚色 Research Chair in Animal Minds who has studied animal cognition for more than 30 years, the evidence from recent studies on seemingly conscious behaviours in creatures including bees, crayfish and wrasse fish is compelling.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen bumblebees exhibiting placid, playful behaviours for no apparent reason other than enjoyment,鈥� she says. 鈥淐rayfish show anxious behaviours that change when given anti-anxiety medication. Wrasse fish seem to recognize bodily markings when shown a mirror.鈥�

Such findings challenge the assumption that invertebrates and cold-blooded animals are insentient automata. The declaration argues that when there is a realistic chance an animal has conscious experiences, we are ethically obligated to consider its welfare interests.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 ever eat them or use them,鈥� clarifies Andrews. 鈥淏ut it does mean we need to recognize they likely can feel pain and pleasure, and minimize the negative experiences we impose on them.鈥�

While the declaration doesn鈥檛 prescribe policies, Andrews hopes it will prompt wider consideration of how human activities impact invertebrates. She points to the need to include cephalopods and crustaceans under animal welfare regulations in Canada, alongside chickens, pigs and fish.

More profoundly, Andrews sees an opportunity for new scientific insights by studying consciousness across a broader range of organisms. 鈥淚f even simple animals like worms or flies are conscious in some way, they could provide a revelatory model for understanding the fundamental nature of consciousness, without the confounding factors like language that make human consciousness so complex.鈥�

By expanding our 鈥渃ircle of moral consideration,鈥� as Andrews puts it, the declaration opens perspectives on the richness of subjective experiences pervading the natural world. 鈥淚t offers the possibility of feeling a wider, deeper connection to all the creatures around us.鈥�

Andrews and her colleagues hope The New 91亚色 Declaration will be an impetus for more research, greater ethical deliberation and, ultimately, a heightened societal valuation of the experiences of non-human minds.

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A research paper by master's student Ethan Owen, from 91亚色's Faculty of Science, was recently published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation. Titled "," Owen's first-ever published study involved scouring 43 sites across California鈥檚 deserts with his team to understand how the density of native shrubs affects local wildlife.

Armed with high-resolution satellite images and citizen science data sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) 鈥� an international, open-access network and data infrastructure funded by the world's governments 鈥� the researchers set out to uncover hidden patterns in these rugged landscapes.

The team's findings showed that areas with higher shrub density had significantly more abundant, rich, and diverse reptile and amphibian communities, proving the shrubs are indispensable for the creatures' survival by creating microhabitats that offer cooler temperatures and crucial hiding spots.

鈥淭hese shrubs are more than just plants; they are lifelines,鈥� explains Owen. 鈥淚n the central drylands of California, they provide essential shelter, food, and protection for a variety of reptile and amphibian species, helping them survive the extreme conditions.鈥�

But the study didn鈥檛 stop at counting reptiles and amphibians. Owen鈥檚 team looked at different levels of aridity to see if the relationship held up. 鈥淚t was fascinating to see that regardless of how dry the area was, the presence of these shrubs consistently boosted the diversity and abundance of the local wildlife,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t really underscores their importance in these arid ecosystems.鈥�

Owen believes the implications of this research are profound, offering valuable insights for conservationists and land managers alike. 鈥淏y maintaining and promoting native shrub species, we can support biodiversity, even in the face of climate change,鈥� he says.

As the natural world continues to suffer the consequences of global warming, Owen hopes that research like his will serve as a reminder that even small interventions 鈥� like protecting existing shrubs or planting new ones 鈥� can have significant positive impacts on the health and diversity of the Earth鈥檚 ecosystems.

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Each year on June 23,  honours the efforts and achievements of women while highlighting the need for diversification in the field. In celebration of this day, 91亚色's Lassonde School of Engineering is spotlighting Zoi Ralli, Stavroula Pantazopoulou and Baoxin Hu 鈥� three of the many inspiring women at Lassonde who are demonstrating excellence in engineering through their passion, expertise and solutions-driven research.

Zoi Ralli

A postdoctoral fellow in the Civil Engineering Department, Ralli has developed and tested a novel, sustainable concrete formulated with recycled waste material instead of cement.

鈥淐ement production is a very energy-intensive process," explains Ralli, "and it is responsible for seven per cent of carbon dioxide emissions globally.鈥�

Ralli鈥檚 cement-free concrete addresses the extreme sustainability concerns of traditional concrete production, boasting a 70 to 90 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The material was developed with byproducts from a Canadian quarry, comprised of Earth materials and minerals like silicon and aluminum. She also designed the concrete with microfibers to improve its overall strength and performance. These steel, needle-like fibers allow the concrete to withstand harsh conditions, while minimizing cracking and increasing durability.

鈥� shows that it is possible to completely eliminate the use of cement by replacing it with geological and industrial waste materials to develop a high-performance and sustainable concrete,鈥� she says.

Stavroula Pantazopoulou

Another achievement worth celebrating is the recent recognition of Lassonde Professor Stavroula Pantazopoulou 鈥� coincidentally, Ralli's supervisor 鈥� as a fellow of the prestigious Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). This distinction reflects her significant research impact and dedication to science and engineering, further underscoring the exceptional contributions of women at Lassonde.

鈥淔or me, this award represents the most important recognition of my work," says Pantazopoulou, who was one of a small number of highly accomplished individuals to be selected as a CAE fellow this year. "No other award compares to this one.鈥�

This commendation is a testament to the transformative efforts Pantazopoulou has made to the field of structural engineering. Her research focuses on addressing a range of complex and emerging infrastructure concerns. In particular, she dedicates her work to enhancing the structural design of various infrastructure, to improve resistance against earthquakes and other extreme events. Though modern infrastructure is typically developed with resilient materials, many older buildings are constructed with less advanced components, posing safety risks to occupants. To address this concern, Pantazopoulou鈥檚 work aims to upgrade and retrofit older buildings with new and innovative materials.

As a newly appointed CAE fellow, she is positioned to further advance the field of structural engineering and elevate her research to new heights.

Baoxin Hu

Hu, a professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, is an accomplished researcher at Lassonde who recently secured significant funding 鈥� three grants in total 鈥� from the Canadian Space Agency and Forestry Futures Trust Ontario. She will use this support to advance her forest management research through remotely sensed data analysis and the development of various artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Motivated by the urgent demand for accurate information regarding carbon sequestered forest ecosystems, as well as the need for highly qualified personnel with particular skills and knowledge to help tackle climate change, Hu is leading a multidisciplinary team to address and create solutions for carbon stock in forest ecosystems. Through funding from the Canadian Space Agency, the team will use satellite Earth observation data to develop AI methods that can accurately quantify carbon flux and stocks in Canadian forests.

With funding from Forestry Futures Trust Ontario, Hu's second project is aimed at improving sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation by developing AI methods to survey lichens in Canadian forests. These organisms play many critical roles in forest ecosystem dynamics, like serving as a dietary source for various animals and supporting water and nutrient cycling. Using single photon LiDAR (SPL) data, Hu and her team will map and characterize lichens in the Ontario boreal forest and use this information to develop AI methods that can effectively predict lichen distribution in other forest ecosystems.

Hu's third project, also funded by Forestry Futures Trust Ontario, will explore drone-based AI technologies, referred to as remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), and their ability to analyze conditions of forest ecosystems. Specifically, these RPAS will collect data concerning the effects of silviculture, which is the practice of controlling the growth and composition of forests. By collecting this data, different forest ecosystems can be classified based on the intensity of silviculture, enabling forest managers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of forest environments.

To learn more about the ways Lassonde provides support, resources and opportunities for women in engineering, visit Lassonde's .

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Moustapha Seck, an electrical and electronic engineering graduate from 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering, has created a company in Ghana that provides loans, market access and guidance to small-scale farmers in Ghana.

One of every two adult Ghanaians work as smallholder farmers, and many of them merely subsist, struggling to achieve profitably year after year. Seck created a company called Fluid Finance Technologies after identifying the need for those farmers to be able to obtain loans, despite their lack of collateral, to improve their businesses with more modern equipment and the latest agricultural knowledge, thus creating wealth for them. 鈥淭here was a lot of education needed and lots of people have taken advantage of them, so their work was often a zero-sum game,鈥� Seck says. 鈥淲e wanted to turn that into a win-win situation.鈥�  

Fluid Finance Technologies looks to create those scenarios by offering aid to smallholding farmers in Ghana and creating a bridge between them and the banking community so they can obtain business loans. Seck had no contacts in the banking industry as he was starting out, so it required a lot of cold calls and a lot of research and attending conferences to convince people that his company could be trusted. One bank got on board in 2022, and now Fluid Finance works with nine financial institutions in Ghana and about 6,000 farmers.

The company and its success is driven, in part, by Seck's time at 91亚色.

Seck was born in Canada and split his childhood between Senegal, his parents鈥� birthplace, and Canada, where his father taught finance at the University of Windsor. As he enrolled at 91亚色, Seck had a firm goal. 鈥淔or me, it was all about studying something that would help me be an asset to the African continent,鈥� he says.

Initially, that ambition took Seck on a different path than where he has ended up today. 鈥淚n Senegal, there used to be a lot of power outages, so I thought an electrical engineering degree would help me fix that problem,鈥� he says. Seck did pursue opportunities in that direction, like an internship at Hydro One and jobs with a startup venture and a technology company. That is, until an experience with a lender that helped e-commerce businesses get started got the wheels in his brain spinning with ideas.

鈥淚 see everything through the lens of creating opportunities in Africa,鈥� he says. He saw value in how he might be able to help business in Africa get off the ground or achieve greater profitability. 鈥淪o, I transitioned to finance and learned on the job.鈥�

Now four years into existence, Fluid Finance Technologies assists banks with collecting and digitizing the information about farming they need to make decisions about providing loans to individual farmers. The company also brings in agronomy experts to teach farmers about appropriate fertilizers and new harvest methods and how to troubleshoot problems. In addition, Fluid has worked to ensure that farmers have fair and available markets for their crops. 

The result? Banks understand the needs of the local farmers and a willingness to work with them means new banking customers. Meanwhile, farmers get the financial, marketing and agricultural assistance they need to succeed and earn a living wage.     

Looking ahead, Seck hopes to expand the business to other African countries in the Global South. He is also thinking about how to provide farmers with markets on a global scale and trying to be proactive about climate change, 鈥済iving farmers access to resources ahead of time so they can withstand shocks.鈥�

For Seck, it鈥檚 all about advancing a singular passion, one readily found on his LinkedIn page like a motto: 鈥淐reating opportunities for people in the Global South is my calling.鈥�

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A new augmented reality (AR) experience offered at the pollinator garden at 91亚色 looks to engage the community in the greening of campuses and serves as the latest example of 91亚色鈥檚 broader sustainability efforts and leadership.

91亚色 community members who decide to travel to visit the pollinator garden 鈥� designated as a haven for birds, bees and butterflies 颅鈥� on Chimneystack Road at the University鈥檚 Keele Campus will find an innovative surprise among the native plant and wildflower species.

Posted on new signs are QR codes that 鈥� when captured with smart phone or tablet 鈥� invite a special visitor to their screens: an augmented reality butterfly, eager to land on the user鈥檚 palm. The AR experience is meant to reward and delight those who visit the gardens, while fostering an awareness of the vital role pollinators 鈥� like butterflies, along with birds and bees 鈥� play in the world鈥檚 ecosystems.

鈥淭hrough these gardens, we not only provide essential foraging and nesting sites for pollinators but also create green corridors that promote biodiversity and ecological connectivity,鈥� says Stewart Dankner, director of property management, facilities services at 91亚色.

The garden is one of several naturalized spots strategically dispersed across University campuses 鈥� ranging from rooftop gardens to designated wildflower patches 鈥� that are designed to 鈥済reen鈥� the landscape and support diverse pollinator species. The pollinator garden has been recently seeded and is expected to grow and thrive over the coming years 鈥� in good part because of the creatures that will visit it.

In that way, the AR experience is designed to encourage community members to think about the importance of pollinators. In addition to butterflies, bees are a particular target of these gardens, as they are among nature鈥檚 most specialized and efficient insect pollinators 鈥� collecting pollen and nectar from flowers to feed themselves and their larvae 鈥� that contribute to one in every three bites of food we eat.

Bees are also an area of 91亚色 leadership and study through experts in the field like Distinguished Research Professor and the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution & Conservation (BEEc), which strives to advance research in the fields of bee ecology, evolution and conservation to increase the long-term sustainability of bees and the vital ecosystem services they provide.

The gardens then are reflective of not just BEEc efforts but tied to broader ones around 91亚色 looking to advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goals centred on contributing to protection, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems to halt biodiversity loss.

鈥淭he collective effort to establish and maintain pollinator habitats aligns with broader sustainability goals, underscoring dedication to environmental stewardship and conservation,鈥� says Dankner.

Those goals and efforts have led to the University being recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers and the recent announcement that it would be aiming to 鈥� a decade sooner than its previous commitment.

The seeds for reaching that goal are being nurtured by initiatives like the new AR experience and the pollinator gardens, which students, faculty, staff and others are encouraged to enjoy 鈥� whether during a walk, a living lab supporting teaching and research, or more. Further information about the pollinator habitats can be found through the Office of Sustainability website.

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