It’s been a busy summer for 91��ɫ's new Lassonde School of Engineering as it prepares to welcome its first cohort of new students in September.

Next year, the Lassonde School of Engineering will launch new programs in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, which will both drive the planned growth in students and faculty. The Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance has confirmed the final approval of the Mechanical Engineering program.

“It’s full steam ahead at Lassonde! This is yet another milestone in our speedy development," said Lassonde School of Engineering Dean Janusz Kozinski (right). "The swift approval of this program is a tribute to our dynamic Chair of Mechanical Engineering, Professor Alidad Amirfazli, who joined us only this year, and our fearless team in the Dean’s Office that has cut through the red tape like a hot knife through butter to get this done in record time. Next on the list is civil engineering."

Amirfazli joined Lassonde from the University of Alberta in January. “We’re very proud to put in place one of the foundations of Lassonde’s future with the approval of the Mechanical Engineering program,” said Amirfazli. “This progressive department will be at the nexus of the avant-garde and tradition, offering students an outstanding technical education combined with multidisciplinary skills reflecting Lassonde’s mission to create renaissance engineers.

          Alidad Amirfazli

“This is just the beginning. We look forward to working closely with everyone in the 91��ɫ community to turn our vision into reality,” he added.

Applications to other engineering programs at Lassonde increased by some 38 per cent this year.  Demand is expected to be high for the new programs.

The Mechanical Engineering program will launch at the Lassonde School of Engineering in 2014. Students can start applying in the Fall 2013 semester.

For more information, visit the website.

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Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent paid an informal visit to 91��ɫ's Keele campus yesterday to view first-hand the results of the government's investment in Canada's current and future scientists and researchers.

Above: From left, Environment Minister Peter Kent, senior project superintendent Chris Robinson and 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri review the building blueprints

Kent, who is also MP for nearby Thornhill, was on campus to tour the construction site of the new 160,000-square-foot Life Sciences Building. The facility's construction was made possible by $70 million in federal and provincial funding through the (KIP), part of the federal government's Economic Action Plan and the Ontario government's 2009 Budget.

Right: Kent congratulates Shoukri during a ceremony on the temporary steps leading to the Life Sciences Building

"91��ɫ is pleased to have received funding under the Federal-Provincial Knowledge Infrastructure Program," said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. "These investments are enhancing 91��ɫ's solid reputation as Canada's leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university, and strengthening our capacity for quality research and innovation."

The addition of the Life Sciences Building to the Keele campus will increase available learning and research facilities for students and faculty in high-demand science and health-related disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry and kinesiology.

"As Canada begins to emerge from global recession, the investment in state-of-the-art research labs is essential to creating and securing valuable skills jobs both now and in the future," said Kent. "By modernizing research and training facilities on Canada's college and university campuses, this will help build the foundation for future growth. Our government is working to ensure the best science and innovation opportunities as well as the world's best researchers are right here on Canadian soil."

Left: Kent addresses the group gathered for the tour

Construction of the Life Sciences Building is entering its final phase. Scheduled to open this fall, it will provide top-notch learning and research facilities for up to 1,700 additional undergraduate students and up to 50 new life science researchers. Leading-edge technologies, such as a radioisotope suite and a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer for advanced imaging will be among the high-tech equipment contained in the new structure.

"This building will provide an incredible opportunity for 91��ɫ to meet the growing demand by young Canadians who would like to study life sciences and health," said Shoukri. "It will also help our young researchers to build their careers and use their knowledge to advance the frontier of understanding for the world and it will create an opportunity to help economic development through innovation."

Constructed using Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) principles, the building uses strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.

The Government of Canada's Knowledge Infrastructure Program is a $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian postsecondary institutions. It is part of nearly $16 billion in new infrastructure investment allocated under the Economic Action Plan since 2009.

Above: From left, 91��ɫ master's candidate Omar El-Ansari; Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner; Vice-President Research & Innovation Stan Shapson;  Environment Minister Peter Kent; President & Vice Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri; Vice-President University Relations Jennifer Sloan; Sidra Khan, a second-year life sciences student; Janusz Kozinski, dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering; and Paul Marcus, president & CEO of the 91��ɫ Foundation

The Government of Ontario also committed to investing in infrastructure by designating $780 million to colleges and universities to modernize faciilties and boost long-term research and skills training capacity.

By Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The key mandate for these meetings is to enable researchers from 91��ɫ and from across India to establish joint bilateral research and developmental projects. 91��ɫ, the third largest university in Canada, is the country's leading interdisciplinary research and teaching institution with an academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide.

Leader of the delegation is , dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering, and professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Earth & Space Sciences & Engineering. Among others, Kozinski's brainchild is an anti-terrorism project evocatively called eWAR (Early Warning & Advance Response) system that seeks to detect, quantify and initiate an effective response to chemical and biological agents released in public buildings.

In a special interview to Business Line during his visit to this newspaper office in Mumbai despite a hectic schedule, Kozinski shared for the benefit of readers the mission's objectives, research priorities, funding and related matters:

Kozinski: India is one of our three focal points. We want to engage in projects with practical social applications. Specifically, we are looking at, among other areas, space science which would cover micro and nano satellites to carry communications tools. Our focus would also be atmospheric monitoring to study global warming and climate change.

Also, we are keen to develop partnerships in the field of biotechnology for healthcare; analyse propagation of infectious diseases – their origin, spread, control and eradication through bio-sensors.

We firmly believe in creating value and sharing it with the society. Where societal benefits are involved, I am somewhat wary of creating barriers like intellectual property rights and so on. We want the society at large to benefit from our research.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The group will visit seven top-tier universities and research institutes during their trip. Along the way they will stop at the India Institute of Technology's facilities in Mumbai (Bombay) and Madras, the University of Calcutta, the Indian Space Research Organization, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research together with visits to other institutes and universities during the nation-wide trip

“Our faculty considers international partnerships as the key cornerstone supporting our strategic priorities. Partnerships like those with India stimulate the spirit of innovation with clear focus on research outcomes that have an international impact,” says Janusz Kozinski (right), dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering at 91��ɫ and a member of the delegation to India.

The key mandate for the trip is to enable researchers from 91��ɫ and across India to establish joint bilateral research and development projects. Halfway through their trip, the 91��ɫ delegation will pause to participate in a two-day workshop co-sponsored by the International Science & Technology Partnerships Canada, Global Innovation & Technology Alliance, the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research and India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

The workshop will bring together more than 100 participants from research institutes and universities from Canada and England, and will include researchers and university vice-chancellors from across India. Rajagopala Chidambaram, the principal scientific adviser to the government of India, and Vijay Kumar Saraswat, director-general of DRDO, the secretary of defence research and development and scientific adviser to Indian Defence Minister Raksha Mantri, are among the diginitaries participating in the workshop.

This workshop will give participants the opportunity to discuss advances and innovations in their respective areas of research, exchange information and ideas and create further opportunities to establish research collaborations. The gathering will be held at the DRDO building in New Dehli.

Travelling in the 91��ɫ Science & Engineering delegation are:

• , professor, Department of Chemistry;
• , professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy and associate dean of academic affairs in the Faculty of Graduate Studies;
• , professor, Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering;
• , professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering
• , professor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
• , professor, Department of Chemistry;
• , professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics;
• Paulina Karwowska-Desaulniers, research officer, Faculty of Science & Engineering;
• , dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering and professor, Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering;
• , professor, Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering;
• Brian Solheim, adjunct professor, Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering;
• , professor, Department of Biology.

For more information about the trip and the 91��ɫ Science & Engineering delegation, visit the website.

91��ɫ computer science Professor Andrew Eckford is also .

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The evening saw the presentation of the faculty's inaugural internal research awards to chemistry Professor Dasantila Golemi-Kotra, recipient of the ; biology Professor Chun Peng, recipient of the 2010 Established Researcher Award; and physics Professor (Kumar), the recipient of the 2010 Graduate Mentoring Award.

Above: From left, Janusz Kozinski, dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering; physics Professor Anatharaman Kumarakrishnan, biology Professor Chun Peng; and chemistry Professor Dasantila Golemi-Kotra

“These awards were created in 2010 to honour and celebrate the outstanding dedication of our faculty to research and graduate student mentoring. This year's recipients are examples of the excellent talent we have at FSE and we are proud to support our researchers in their fundamental, groundbreaking and innovative research endeavours,” said Janusz Kozinski, dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering.

Since 2004, Golemi-Kotra has studied the mechanisms of bacterial resistance. Over the course of her research, she has secured significant funding to create a reputable team of researchers. She has established herself as a rising star in the field of biological chemistry. Her research focuses on an emerging and persistent problem of bacterial resistance.

Right: Dasantila Golemi-Kotra

Specifically, Golemi-Kotra's research focuses on the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, a leading cause of hospital- and community-acquired infections. Extensive use of antibiotics has invariably been followed by the development and spread of resistance in this organism.

Her research aims to elucidate genes involved with the bacteria’s response to antibiotics that specifically target cell wall biosynthesis. Essential to the survival of the bacterium, the cell wall is the organism’s first line of defense against antimicrobial agents. As a result, the cell wall remains an important target in drug development. Golemi-Kotra’s research seeks to identify new factors involved in antibiotic resistance, which will ultimately lead to the design of new antimicrobial agents.

A world expert in the area of ovarian cancer and the molecular basis of complications in pregnancy, biology Professor Chun Peng is the recipient of the 2010 Established Researcher Award. With an impressive track record of awards and publications, a strong research program and team, Peng has made a significant contribution to the understanding of reproductive biology and the role of hormones in human health.

Right: Chun Peng

She discovered new proteins and their role in the molecular mechanism of receptor signaling that have led to the discoveries of mis-regulation during placental pathologies. These studies are critical in understanding placental development and are important landmarks in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of hormonal control in reproduction.

Significantly, her research team has identified a novel mechanism by which chemo-resistance, a major problem in cancer therapy, is developed. Currently, as a result of those discoveries, novel serum markers may be used to predict preeclampsia, a major disorder of human pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Peng's studies focus on ovarian cancer as well as diseases that result from complications of pregnancy. Her research has the potential to not only advance current knowledge but may also lead to potential diagnostic tools and treatment for complications arising from pregnancy.

Kumarakrishnan (Kumar), a professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, is this year's recipient of the Excellence in Graduate Mentorship award. A large number of both graduate students have successfully completed their research under his mentorship and moved onto becoming valuable members of the scientific community.

Right: Anatharaman Kumarakrishnan (second from the left) with his team of graduate student researchers

Kumar's  research utilizes the wave nature of cold atoms and the coherent transient response of a collection of laser-cooled atoms to carry out tabletop studies of light matter interactions and precision measurements in atomic physics. The goals of these efforts are to achieve a better understanding of the theoretical foundations of atomic physics as well as to develop cutting-edge techniques and instruments for industrial applications in photonics and optics.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Above: Standing, from left, Professor Tang Wenzhong, director, Institute for Science & Technology, Beihang University; Professor Wang Huiwen, dean, School of Economics & Management, Beihang University; Dr. Ma Jinxi, director international division, Beihang University; Professor Huai Jinpeng, president, Beihang University; MPP Michael Chan, Ontario minister of tourism & culture; Professor Bernie Frolic, director, Asian Business Management Program, 91��ɫ; Ivy Lerner-Frank, trade commissioner & manager InfoCentre China, Canadian Embassy. Sitting, from left, Professor Lorna Wright, associate vice-president international, 91��ɫ, and Professor Tang Xiaoqing, vice-president, international relations, Beihang University.

“91��ɫ recognizes that we now live in a global village and to remain on the forefront of knowledge we – and our students – must be global in our scope. Such exchange agreements are key to providing our students with opportunities to add an international component to their academic program,” said Lorna Wright, 91��ɫ’s associate vice-president international.

In particular, 91��ɫ aims to expand its expertise in the areas of life science, space science, and engineering, said Janusz Kozinski, dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering.

“91��ɫ, and in particular the Faculty of Science & Engineering, is delighted to initiate this partnership with Beihang University, which is one of the most prestigious universities in China,” Kozinski said. “We will collaborate on specific research projects, aligned with mutual strategic research priorities. We will also exchange students and researchers across disciplines. These activities will strengthen 91��ɫ’s character as one of the most interdisciplinary and international universities in Canada.”

Kozinski noted that in the next decade, there will be a significant increase in opportunities for 91��ɫ students to participate in experiential education activity, both domestically and internationally, as a component of their degree program.

The signing took place in the run-up to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s . His team will meet with Chinese officials and business leaders to highlight Ontario’s expertise in clean water technology, financial services, international education and other areas, part of the Open Ontario Plan.

91��ɫ’s relationship with China and Chinese universities has a long history, dating from the University’s beginnings.

For more information, see the .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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The search committee will be drafting an advertisement to announce the start of the search, which will appear shortly in various publications and websites. In addition, the committee is working on a position profile to describe the priorities over the next five years, and what they are seeking in candidates in terms of experience, background and qualifications. The committee is soliciting input on the following questions in order to help shape the position profile:

• What are your aspirations for the VPRI portfolio over the next five to 10 years? What do you see as the issues and challenges facing the University during this period?
• What do you think the search committee should be seeking in a leader in terms of professional background and experience, personal attributes, qualifications and credentials?

91��ɫ community members can send their confidential suggestions to the search committee by e-mail (see below) or directly to the search firm, no later than Wednesday, Nov. 3.

Search committee members:

• 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, committee chair, at mshoukri@yorku.ca,
• Patrick Monahan, vice-president academic & provost, at provost@yorku.ca,
• Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Allan Hutchinson, at hutch@yorku.ca,
• Barbara Crow, professor of communication studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), at bacrow@yorku.ca,
• History Professor Jonathan Edmondson, LA&PS, at jedmond@yorku.ca.
• Wendy Taylor, professor of physics and astronomy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, at taylorw@yorku.ca,
• Roger Keil, directory of the City Institute and professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, at rkeil@yorku.ca,
• Psychology professor Fran Wilkinson, Faculty of Health, at franw@yorku.ca,
• Janusz Kozinski, dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering, at Janusz.Kozinski@yorku.ca,
• Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues, chief of staff and secretary to the committee, at ijade@yorku.ca.

Or directly to the search firm, e-mail yorkvpri@jwasearch.com.

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"This unique investment demonstrates the bold new vision for life sciences research at 91��ɫ and asserts our role as a world-class research hub through a significant expansion of 91��ɫ's research infrastructure,” said Faculty of Science & Engineering Dean Janusz Kozinski (right).

“Faculty of Health research addresses health and human science at all levels - molecular to global - and builds on disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth,” said Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner (left). “Being part of 91��ɫ's renewed commitment to research in life sciences ably facilitates our goals.”

Kozinski, in partnership with Skinner and the chairs of the Departments of Biology and Chemistry and the School of Kinesiology & Health Science, were part of a committee to coordinate the selection of the new equipment.

In total, nine research tools will be acquired, and will play an integral role in the creation of two new multi-user research hubs – the Biomedical Imaging Facility and the Bioanalytical Facility. Once completed, these facilities will be among the most innovative and unique in Canada, with equipment for advanced biomedical imaging, electrophysiology, cellular imaging and bioanalysis. They will be the nerve centre of the Life Sciences building’s fourth-floor research hub.

The five support tools to be acquired for the Biomedical Imaging Facility are:

1. The Multiphoton Imaging System will enable researchers to investigate aspects of cell biology in much greater detail than before. It will give them the ability to visualize – in real time – dynamic biological processes in live cells, tissues, organs and organisms.
2. The dual-beam Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) will be one of two in Canada. It gives researchers access to structural, morphological and chemical information on thin film materials, which are covered hard samples that include metal and oxide films and have applications in magnetic sensors and solar cells. Soft materials which are based on biological building blocks such as proteins and peptides can also be assessed with the SEM. This versatile instrument will benefit researchers in the Faculties of Health and Science & Engineering.
3. The Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) is also a versatile tool, and its superior capabilities will be useful for research in cellular and molecular biology. The FACS system will help to accelerate the research of 91��ɫ faculty members who focus on cancer, biomarker discovery, diabetes, obesity, stem cell biology, immunology and cardiovascular research.
4. The Scanning Ion-selective Electrode Technique (SIET) and Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique (SVET) system will allow researchers to measure absolute concentration of ions and molecules including their flow and direction of movement. These techniques have a wide array of applications including research into how fish cope with environmental changes, and how insect populations react to climate change factors.
5. The Spinning Disk Confocal System is an optical imaging device that lets researchers reconstruct three-dimensional images of specimens in real time with a very high degree of optical resolution and contrast.

The four support tools to be acquired for the Bioanalytical Facility are:

1. The High Resolution Mass Spectrometer is a highly sensitive tool that will enable state-of-the-art protein identification and characterization. This holds promise for breakthroughs in the characterization and early detection of many human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. This instrument will not only facilitate the identification of complex mixtures of proteins and peptides, but will also enable the identification of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and the mapping of these sites on targeted proteins. Phosphorylation is one of nature's most abundant PTMs, which act as switches to activate and inactivate protein functions. Thus, this instrument will benefit life and health scientists, and all researchers interested in developing diagnostic and prognostic tools and methods.
2. A current research objective at 91��ɫ is to study how protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions affect basic signalling processes in the cell. In the most general sense, many cancers and other diseases are a product of cell signalling being misregulated. The 700MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer will enable various research groups to study biopolymers, including proteins, DNA and RNA, at a much higher level of detail and sensitivity than is currently possible. The ability to study large molecule/small molecule interactions is also central to the development of molecular probes to study biological pathways – the starting point to the potential development of small-molecule therapeutics (i.e. new drug candidates).
3. The Peptide Spot Synthesizer is an instrument used to generate peptide arrays (600-1200 peptides) on a single membrane or slide. Peptide arrays are a powerful tool with multiple applications including the detection of protein interaction partners, analysis of gene expression in various organisms and the development of new biomarkers.
4. The microRaman-AFM-FTIR will allow researchers to perform for the first time, real-time, simultaneous observations and measurements of phase properties, structural growth/decay and chemical interactions. It will also be the only experimental system in Canada capable of simultaneous quantitative mapping in the leading-edge Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) mode. Currently only four labs worldwide conduct TERS measurements.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Although technically he would need only one person to achieve his goal, Balaskas has set his sights on 500 – a round number he developed based on the total number of individuals who have flown in space since the start of manned space flights 50 years ago, plus a few more for good measure.

Right: Janusz Kozinski, dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, takes a ‘walk’ on a piece of the red planet

A laboratory technologist in the Faculty of Science & Engineering’s and a 91��ɫ physics grad who studies meteorites, Balaskas (BSc ’79) hit upon the idea when he became interested in a meteorite known as (photo, left © Royal Ontario Museum). This orthopyroxene-bearing nakhlite from Mars was found in the Sahara Desert and purchased by meteorite dealers in 2002. The dealers, Adam and Greg Hupe, have shared fragments of the meteorite for research while the main portion is now part of the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection.

Balaskas purchased a couple of tiny fragments from the Hupes and invited 91��ɫ students and friends of 91��ɫ, including a who’s who of distinguished Canadians, to become the first to “walk on Mars” for his world record attempt. Each person who joins Balaskas’ select group treads a careful step (barefoot or socks, their option), receives a certificate of achievement and will be listed among those who helped establish the record, which Balaskas eventually plans to submit to the publisher of the Guinness Book of World Records for official recognition.

91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri became the latest person to walk on Mars when Balaskas visited his office in the 91��ɫ Research Tower. Janusz Kozinski, dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, joined Shoukri in his Mars trek and said the record attempt was a good way of drawing attention to 91��ɫ’s space programs. Balaskas said his goal in starting the project was to raise awareness of 91��ɫ’s ever-increasing reputation as one of the leading space science universities in Canada where 91��ɫ students and members of the 91��ɫ community play a big part.

Left: From left, President Shoukri with Balaskas and Dean Kozinski

91��ɫ researchers achieved world recognition in 2008 when, as part of the Phoenix Mars Mission team led by Professor Jim Whiteway, they helped determine that, like the Earth, it even snows on Mars (see YFile, Oct. 1, 2008).  A new team of researchers from 91��ɫ’s Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering led by Professor Jack McConnell will take part in the , a partnership between the , the (CSA) and .

Whiteway is the director of the ; McConnell is also a member, as are many faculty involved in space research at 91��ɫ.

91��ɫ grad Steve MacLean (BSc ’73, PhD ’83, Hon. DSc ’93), a former Canadian astronaut who was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency in 2008, is a member of a smaller and exclusive group of 91��ɫ space scientists who have walked on a different world and have certificates to prove it. Balaskas said he told Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, an honorary degree recipient at this year’s 91��ɫ Spring convocation, that her colleague McLean had done something she hadn’t done – walked on the moon! McLean was presented with a certificate and a fragment of NWA 482, a meteorite that originated from the Lunar Highlands that is geologically identical to the Genesis Rock brought back from the Moon by the Apollo 15 astronauts.

Left: A fragment of NWA 998, a meteor from Mars

But his project is more than just a promotional gimmick, says Balaskas, who during the day oversees the Faculty’s undergraduate physics labs. He and Sal Boccia, an engineering technologist in the metallurgy lab at the University of Toronto, have examined samples of NWA 998 under an electron microscope and found things they feel are worth further study, which they plan to pursue.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Kozinski will begin a five-year term at 91��ɫ on July 1. He has been dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan since 2007, but spent much of his career at McGill University.

A widely acknowledged expert in sustainable energy systems and immune building concepts (focused on anti-bioterrorism), Kozinski has created and led multidisciplinary teams throughout his career, linking research on energy, environmental issues, public health and security.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Dean Kozinski to our Faculty of Science & Engineering,” said President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “His research achievements and leadership skills will help to ensure that students receive an excellent education and will enhance 91��ɫ’s reputation for innovation.”

Right: Janusz Kozinski

Educated in Poland, Kozinski earned master of engineering and PhD degrees from AGH University of Science & Technology in Krakow, and did post-doctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining McGill University’s Faculty of Engineering in 1994.

He was appointed associate vice-principal (research & international relations) at McGill in 2005. He has also completed the Oxford Advanced Management & Leadership Programme at Oxford University's Saïd Business School and the Executive Education Crisis Leadership in Higher Education program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Kozinski’s research includes projects related to sustainable energy systems, the next generation of nuclear reactors, environmental impact of energy technology, greenhouse gas mitigation, and many other topics, including Mars exploration.

In 2006, he was named International Chair in Bioenergy for the Institute for Advanced Studies and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France. While at the CNRS in 2002-2003, Kozinski researched how to mix metals from Mars’ crust and CO2 from its atmosphere to generate enough energy for a return trip from Mars − a project that took him to space on a series of zero-gravity parabolic flights organized by the European Space Agency.

“Being asked to lead a Faculty that includes both scientific research and engineering expertise, at a major university in Canada, is a unique opportunity,” said Kozinski. “I would characterize 91��ɫ as ‘i-squared’ − a very interdisciplinary and very international university. Those are among the key things that are going to be the driving force in science and engineering in the 21st century.”

Kozinski will succeed Interim Dean Walter Tholen. "I want to thank Interim Dean Tholen for his outstanding leadership and efforts during this past year," said Shoukri.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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