Major gifts enhance School of ArchitectureNew funding for research

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Engineering your healthResearchers tackle healthcare

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editorial advisory Boarddean: rafik goubran, Phd/87, Pengassociate dean (research): garry tarrsenior development associate: corrie hobin, Ba/02executive assistant to the dean: anne Vandergreftstudent representative: Paul Frey, carleton student engineering society

chief advancement Officer: serge arpindirector, alumni services: Nancy lynn, Ba/91editor: amanda costendesign: catherine Pirie, richard Bootsma web site: darin cosgrove, Ba/95

Newsletter Mission statement Ingenious is published for the alumni, faculty, staff, friends and partners of the Faculty of engineering and design. the newsletter is intended to communicate the Faculty’s goals, strategic direction and activities in order to connect alumni to each other and the university. it is published in collaboration with the department of university advancement.

Newsletter OF the Faculty OF eNgiNeeriNg aNd desigN

The demand for engineering and design graduates continues to grow at a rapid pace. According to a study by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, current

employment in the Ottawa area for knowledge-based companies has exceeded past peaks and continues to grow, especially in companies with fewer than 100 employees. This trend is evident from the high demand for our graduates and co-op students. “Silicon Valley North” has left the tech bust behind and is eager for new ideas and new people. For students in information technology programs this is encouraging news.

As vital as it is, job preparation is not all university has to offer. The discovery of knowledge, exploration of new avenues of research, and formation of lifelong friend-ships are what make student life so exciting. The student experience comes through in this issue of ingenious with a story on the extracurricular activities for students and the initiative of two friends who met at EngFrosh. Recent graduates Mat Main and Jim Kratz established the Carleton Engineering Alumni Projects Fund to help students get the most out of their experience in the Faculty of Engineering and Design. This issue of ingenious features the spectacular gift of $5.5 million made by David J. Azrieli to the School of Architecture as well as the William and Jean Teron scholarships. We are very grateful to our donors. Their stories show a commitment to supporting and encouraging students and to increasing the scope of activity and profile of our Faculty. The financial support of these donors, and many like them, makes a significant difference to the Faculty and our students—their generosity will have a lasting impact.

As winter begins to wind down, Carleton prepares for the flood of applications for the coming academic year. The demand for engineering and design programs at the under-graduate and graduate levels continues to be strong. The introduction of two new under-graduate programs, sustainable and renewable energy engineering and biomedical and mechanical engineering, has generated much excitement and interest among students and applicants. I also invite you to check our graduate programs and consider applying to your program of choice. Those who decided to come back to our faculty after spend-ing years in the job market have excelled in their studies and have enjoyed their experi-ence. Additionally, our faculty continues to grow: after seven new faculty members joined us last summer, three new assistant professors (introduced in this issue) joined us this winter. Each brings research expertise to the Faculty and contributes to the academic environment and the greater university experience for our students.

Rafik Goubran, PhD/87, PEngDean, Faculty of Engineering and Design

Message from the dean

On the coveredgar Matida is developing a new concept for inhalers to more effectively deliver medicine

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Health of ITOttawa’s high-tech sector, once known almost solely for telecommunications, is now home to software, photonics and life sciences companies. information technology (it) for healthcare is also a growing segment of the industry. Ingenious catches up with a leading alumnus in this in-demand area.

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taking the pulse

Fast fact...!One of the country’s most information-intensive industries, canada’s public healthcare sector is a $100 billion-plus enterprise. in 2000, the government of canada established canada health info-way to accelerate the development and adoption of modern systems of health information. in 2006, infoway developed a comprehensive health it strategy to guide the next 10 years of investment in healthcare information systems.

Bruce wallace, Meng/91

To understand the revolution in healthcare technology that Bruce

Wallace, MEng/91, envisions, think back to the banking industry of the 1970s: your paper financial records were accessible at your branch and

daily banking was conducted with a teller. Today, your online records are accessible at any branch, ATM or com-puter screen. Now imagine a similar sce-nario that gives your primary care physician, emergency room

doctor and pharmacist access to the personal data they need, when they need it, to provide effective care.

“Healthcare has highly skilled workers who are dependent on data to do their job, but they don’t work at desks so IT resources are not always close at hand,” says Wallace, the leader of healthcare solutions at Nortel Networks in Ottawa, ON.

From centralized electronic records that give real-time access to patient information, to equipment tracking, to datasets on expected recovery times, technology can be deployed to increase

productivity, reduce error and improve efficiency. And while the healthcare industry won’t change over night—the banking industry underwent a 30-year transformation, after all—change is coming.

“Personnel shortages and an aging population mean we can’t continue to deliver healthcare in a fragmented, pa-per-based way,” says Wallace, whose job is to understand the challenges in health-care and define and deliver solutions to problems. “Healthcare is an early adopter of diagnostic technology, but it’s a late adopter for information technology.”

Whether using off-the-shelf Nortel technologies, adapting them for specific needs or creating new technology, Wal-lace is educating customers (primarily hospitals) on what IT can do for them. With more than 20 years of experience at Nortel, he has the depth and breadth of his own experience—in designing hardware, software and systems, in business and technology strategy, and in product design—to drive the vision of healthcare IT forward.

No stranger to revolutionary tech-nology, Wallace holds seven patents and early in his career was the overall systems designer for a product that, when deployed, was the first known use of speech recognition within the public telephone network. When he made the move to strategic business around 2002, he combined his passion

for new technology with the excitement of understanding what need it fills. Re-cently, he has been invited to speak at a number of public events to shape the direction of healthcare IT, including the Institute of Healthcare Management conference in Scotland.

“My job is always changing,” he says. “I’ve been here more than 20 years, and my job description hasn’t been con-stant for more than 18 or 24 months. Change and growth are characteristic of jobs at Nortel—it’s a very dynamic environment.”

“Twenty years ago, Ottawa was about telecommunications, but today it is truly about information technology. There is a richness to the sector that presents students with many employ-ment and growth opportunities,” says Wallace, who points to the needs of the healthcare IT sector in particular. “It’s an exciting time.”

Ottawa, dubbed Silicon Valley North, is the high-tech capital of Canada. With the most developed and dynamic technology sector in the country driving Ottawa’s economic activity, the city boasts the highest level of research and development spending per capita in the country, according to the 2007 Ottawa Report released by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation in November 2007. The report shows that Ottawa companies added 3,340 employees into the high-tech sector over the past

12 months, but that overall growth is “limited by the shortage of venture capital and availability of critical talent to fill the increasing number of vacant positions”.

Signs of a coming talent crunch are clear: total enrolment in science and technology courses at Ottawa’s three major universities decreased by 21 per cent between 2001 and 2005. (However, the number of first-year students entering information tech-nology programs at Carleton in 2007 was 527, up from 463 in 2006.) Last fall, the universities received more re-quests from employers seeking co-op

engineering students than they were able to fill.

Carleton’s successful recruitment is buoyed by the strong reputation of its degree programs, the intro-duction of new areas of study, and the efforts of recruiters like Jodi Huettner, BEng/07, and John Scroggie, BEng/07. In addition to visiting high school classrooms, the pair organizes Saturday engineering and design ses-sions, consisting of a lecture, lunch and hands-on lab activity on campus, from December to March, to expose high school students to the Faculty of Engineering and Design.

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Fast fact...!in addition to making a gift to establish an endowed fund for the school of architecture, david J. azrieli has also volunteered to chair a fundraising campaign to raise the endowment to $10 million. he is challenging canada’s architectural community—especially carleton alumni—to support this initiative.

to read more about the life and accom-plishments of david azrieli, see the spring 2000 issue of Carleton University Magazine, online at magazine.carleton.ca.

The Azrieli School of Architecture will transform the future of architectural study and ensure that graduates lead the way in advancing research and pushing innovative design forward.

david J. azrieli’s previous gifts to carleton have established the david J. azrieli Pavilion, and the azrieli academic symposiums Fund.

Give it what you’ve got

Mat Main (standing) and Jim Kratz (seated) with the 300-pound toboggan that won their team the 2005 great Northern concrete toboggan race in calgary.

By his own admission, David J. Az-rieli is living his dream. The hus-

band and father is an internationally renowned architect, philanthropist and commercial developer—and at 85 years of age, he continues to make his mark on the world of architecture.

“My own experiences at Carleton University illuminated the philosophy for my professional success and per-sonal fulfillment: Never stop learning, do what you love, and give back to the community,” says Azrieli, who gradu-ated from the School of Architecture with a master’s degree in 1997 and was given an honorary doctorate in 2003. “It is time to return the favour so that aspiring architects can live their dreams too.”

Azrieli is donating $5.5 million to the School of Architecture. This brings Azrieli’s lifetime investment in Carleton to more than $8 million, the second-highest level of philan-

throphic support of any donor in the university’s history.

“I am extremely proud of my Car-leton degree,” says Azrieli, president of Canpro Investments Ltd. “I have a vision of contributing to the educa-tion of architects around the world, and I believe that Carleton can best enact this vision.”

The gift will be used to establish a permanent endowment for the newly named Azrieli School of Architecture that will provide annual funding to introduce a variety of academic ini-tiatives, such as a PhD program (only the third in Canada) and the contin-ued research and teaching of sustain-able architecture principles.

“Good architects are deeply con-cerned about society and culture and have a visionary, though grounded, at-titude toward the future,” says Marco Frascari, director of the school. “This endowment will give our students better access to cutting-edge archi-tectural knowledge and techniques that will help them shape the expres-sion of culture and preserve values and patterns for future generations.”

In addition to expanding the Directed Studies Abroad program for overseas work and exchanges, the endowment will fund prestige scholarships, continuing education

opportunities, and a host of techno-logical upgrades.

The gift is being made through the Azrieli Foundation, a Montreal-based organization established to realize Azrieli’s philanthropic vision.

“As a family foundation, we support initiatives that align with my father’s interests and passions,” says Naomi Azrieli, chair and executive direc-tor. “Architecture and education are fundamental to him, and this gift rep-resents an extraordinary opportunity to advance his goals.”

ask recent graduates how they spend their money, and you’re likely to hear “pay down student loans” or “have a night out”. But ask Jim Kratz, Beng/07, and Mat Main, Beng/07, and you get a very different answer: establish an endowed fund at carleton.

“we don’t have extra money,” says Main, “but we knew if we didn’t give now, we would forget what it was like to be a student scrounging for funds. we want to make it easier for students to get funding

for projects they’re passionate about.”in order to establish the engineering

alumni Projects Fund, which will supply annual funds in perpetuity for academic and extracurricular engineering student projects, the pair made individual cash donations, pledged further monthly payments and solicited additional dona-tions from friends. Main’s engineering colleagues at dymech engineering—all carleton alumni—are also contribut-ing. with the seed money in place, the

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Community builders nurture the next generation

“Our community has been extremely kind to us,” says Jean teron, Ba/56, who, with husband Bill teron, has made a major gift to the school of architecture. “in turn we want to help this into an even greater community in any way we can.”

the teron scholarships and graduate prize will help recruit exceptional talent to the school of architecture. students with the potential to become star architects will be given the opportunity to develop their skills and discover their potential—even if university may not have seemed like a possible path for them.

William and Jean Teron Undergradu-ate Scholarship will provide full domestic

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to contribute to any of the endowments in the Faculty of engineering and de-sign, please contact corrie hobin, senior development associate, at 613-521-2600 ext. 1031 or corrie_hobin@carleton.ca.

By Kris Foster

Whether through planning, design, architecture or philanthropy, Bill

Teron and his wife Jean Teron, BA/56, are no strangers to building communi-ties that matter. Bill, the former head of the Canada Mortgage and Hous-ing Corporation and former deputy minister of urban affairs, is recognized as the founder and designer of Kanata, ON, a community he was instrumental in developing from a green field to the thriving “Silicon Valley North” of today.

The Terons’ most recent community project is taking place at Carleton. The couple has established the William and Jean Teron Undergraduate Schol-arship, the William and Jean Teron Graduate Scholarship, and the William and Jean Teron Graduate Prize.

“We respond to institutions and causes that have been significant to us,” says Jean, who met Bill at Car-leton in her freshman year in 1953. “Carleton has been a meaningful part of our lives for more than 50 years.”

Bill and Jean both served Carleton in volunteer roles on the board of gover-

nors (which Jean chaired) and various committees; Jean and son Christopher Teron, BArch/81, are both Carleton graduates, and a granddaughter is now in her first year of study at Carleton.

“The essence of our scholarship was to increase the number of outstanding architects that graduate from Carleton,” explains Bill, a self-trained designer and planner who is an honorary fellow of the Royal Architectural Society of Canada, an honorary member of the Ontario Association of Architects and an officer of the Order of Canada. “It will not only help individuals become great architects, but also help the School of Architecture maintain its reputation of producing some of the finest architects and architecture in the world. And hope-fully the architecture in Ottawa will benefit from all of this, too.”

Jon Jeronimus, BArch/06, currently in the master’s program, is the in-augural recipient of the William and Jean Teron Graduate Scholarship and he couldn’t be more grateful. “Receiv-ing the scholarship has allowed me

to continue pursuing my chosen path of study at one of the top architecture schools in Canada,” he says. “I look forward to when I am in the profes-sional field, contributing to the archi-tecture of society. My contributions will be possible in part because of the generosity of the Terons.”

tuition to an exceptional student entering first year in the school of architecture. recipients who maintain excellence in the studio will be eligible to renew the schol-arship for all four years of the architecture program.

William and Jean Teron Graduate Scholarship, providing full domestic tuition, is a prestigious entrance schol-arship to attract exceptional students

to the master of architecture program. recipients who maintain excellence in the studio will be eligible to renew the scholarship for a second year.

the $10,000 William and Jean Teron Graduate Prize will be awarded annually to an outstanding architecture student who excels in the comprehensive studio design project.

department of university advancement secured matching funds for the first $20,000 of the endowment and the Faculty of engineering and design will contribute $10,000.

Once the endowment reaches $20,000, a project selection committee will oversee the distribution of funds based on student-submitted proposals. unlike the carleton undergraduate engi-neering student equipment Fund, which is restricted to equipment purchases, the projects fund can be used for competi-tion registration fees, travel, materials

and other costs associated with fourth-year and extracurricular projects.

“these projects are the bridge be-tween the classroom and the real world for students,” says Kratz, who was a member of the geosurv ii unmanned air vehicle system team and is now studying composite materials as a master’s student at Mcgill university. “we want students to make the most of the opportunities to build things and compete with them—and have the means to explore new activities, new materials, new venues.”

“sleeping in a classroom while wait-

the gifts that keep on giving

ing for paint to dry, testing your product in the middle of the night—these are the memories you take with you,” says Main, a member of the 2007 Formula sae race team. “the people you work with and the projects you get involved in are what make your university experi-ence unique.”

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Muhammad arsalan, centre, and atif shamim, right, receive the itac strategic Microelec-tronics council industrial collaboration award at the cMc texpo exhibit.

Just the right dosimeter

Better, stronger, faster

Fast fact...!researchers Murray woodside, John chinneck, greg Franks and dorina Petriu were selected by iBM to collaborate with the Ontario centre of excellence and researchers from eight other universities in the centre of excellence for research in adaptive systems (ceras) to create a one-of-a-kind virtual research centre. the researchers will work together to develop the next-generation web 2.0 software ap-plications and management tools.

used to an internet response time of a fifth of a second, waiting longer

for websites to load or requests to be processed can feel like an eternity. with another enterprise willing to sell the same product or service only a click a way, businesses need to give site visi-tors consistent and smooth service or risk losing customers.

to track the behaviour of it systems for better performance planning, tao Zheng, Meng/02, Phd/07, applied methods previously used to track space vehicles and aircraft. in collabo-ration with Murray woodside, profes-sor of systems and computer engi-neering and the principal investigator for the project, and the iBM centre for advanced studies (cas), Zheng tracked the parameters of computer systems while they operated in order to adjust the system to improve its quality of service.

“we use a performance model to represent a web service system and monitor things like user response time, throughput and server utilization,” says Zheng. “the model then predicts what configuration will result in the best quality of service and minimum cost so that the system can reallocate resources dynamically and automatically.”

the project, Model-based analysis for service level Management, was named the cas project of the year in 2007 for its research excellence and potential to influence new products. Zheng, confident in the project’s meth-ods, is currently applying them to virtual computer systems.

Using radioactive sources to kill cancer cells without harming

healthy tissue is a fine balance, but improvements in radiation sensing devices will help doctors deliver more precise doses. Two doctoral students in the Department of Electronics have invented a new wireless dosimeter that overcomes the limitations of current models that are too large or restricted by wires, or have low sensi-tivity to radiation or a short trans-mission range.

“Our device is self-powered, more sensitive, and completely integrated with a transmitter including an on-chip antenna,” say researchers Atif Shamim, MASc/04, and Muhammad Arsalan, MASc/04.

Smaller than a dime, their new dosimeter is convenient for the user because it is wireless and small. The disposable, battery-operated dosimeter is more sensitive and

accurate than its competitors and is capable of continuous radiation dose monitoring. It is also inexpen-sive to make.

Shamim and Arsalan were awarded the ITAC Strategic Microelectron-ics Council Industrial Collaboration Award in 2007 for their innovative project with potential for commer-cialization.

With a prototype working as ex-pected, the next step is to develop a network of sensors that will expand on the existing device and enhance the dosimeter’s commercial potential.

“This is a prime example of what our department researchers do best—applying unique expertise to carry out innovative and practical research in collaboration with industry,” says Langis Roy, Department of Electron-ics chair and co-supervisor of the students’ work with local partner Best Medical Canada.

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Fast fact...!Visiting campus? alumni are always wel-come at leonardo’s lounge, the Mack-enzie Building third floor snack bar/social hotspot run by the carleton student engineering society. it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee, meet current students, and hear the latest Faculty buzz.

“Getting involved in student life has made me very proud of the environment I am able to study in, allowing me to gain practical and theoretical experience in and outside of the classroom.”

— Nicole MacDonald, environmental engineering

the engFrosh boat race on the rideau canal is an annual tradition.

whether dyed purple, wearing a blue flight suit or sporting a red leather

jacket, students in the Faculty of engi-neering and design are a colourful bunch. More than just a flashy statement, this at-tire is a sign of carleton pride, a commu-nity uniform that garners instant recogni-tion. whether you are from the class of 2008 or the class of 1968, you are a part of the traditions and the accomplishments that bind generations of engineering and design students together.

From students’ first week on cam-pus—that whirlwind of activity known as engFrosh—the carleton student engineering society (cses) strives to engage and connect them to each other and to the Faculty. a volunteer organiza-tion, cses has been serving students for more than 30 years. its goal is to provide undergraduates with academic, profes-sional and social resources to help them get the most out of carleton.

“we not only bring 400-500 first-year students together every fall, but we connect them with upper-year students too. we introduce students to their future friends, mentors and lab partners,” says Marc richard, cses president and aero-space student. “there is a larger sense of

community in the Faculty.”the sense of community is evident

from the variety of activities and level of student engagement in the Faculty. discipline-specific societies (such as the industrial design students association, school of architecture association of students, and carleton Mechanical and aerospace society), clubs (like Virtual Ventures), and carleton chapters of larger organizations (such as engineers without Borders, women in science

and engineering, and the institute of electrical & electronics engineers), bring students together, help them network and challenge them to apply classroom knowledge to real world projects.

“every student can get involved in something that enriches their experience,” says richard. “cses even allocates part of its budget to support the soft costs of ac-tivities. among the projects we supported this year, we helped send a delegation to a software conference in Montreal.”

in addition to applying for funds from cses, student groups can ap-ply to the carleton undergraduate engineering student equipment Fund (cueseF) for equipment costs associ-ated with their projects.

“Fourth-year and extracurricular proj-ects provide great real-world design ex-periences for students, but material and equipment costs for these projects can be very high. cueseF can help meet some of these costs and make challeng-ing projects possible,” says garry tarr, associate dean of research.

“ask alumni what grade they got on a particular exam, and no one will remem-ber,” says richard, “but ask how their boat did in the rideau canal race or how they placed in a national competition, and you’ll get the whole story. we take our friendships and experiences with us, and that’s what student life is all about.”

For more information on student-run clubs and societies, visit carleton.ca/engineeringdesign/student.html. Visit alumni.carleton.ca for information on the Carleton University Alumni Associa-tion. Alumni chapters and events for architecture, engineering and industrial design will help keep you connected to the Faculty and fellow alumni.

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Banu Örmeci will use a portion of her early researcher award funding to create a series of free one-day mini-camps to expose high school girls to engineering. “i’m passionate about outreach,” says Örmeci, who is the program coordinator for the Ottawa chap-ter of women in science and engineering. “i want to reach students who might be intimidated by the field, and expose them to what we do and what they can do with an engineering degree.”

a theorist turned applied engineer, Matida began simulating aerosols as a gradu-ate student in Japan and branched into pharmaceutical aerosols as a post-doctoral researcher at the university of alberta.

Make the medicine go down

Most of us take for granted that water is clean and safe when we

turn on the tap. We only think about how it gets that way when something goes wrong, as it did in Ontario when water contaminated with E. coli bac-teria caused seven deaths in Walker-ton in 2000 and the evacuation of the residents of Kashechewan in 2005. But for Banu Örmeci, water treatment is always top of mind.

The assistant professor in the De-partment of Civil and Environmental Engineering is the Canada research chair in wastewater and public health engineering. She received a $100,000 Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation to support her research on the fate and survival of pathogens through treatment processes and their impact on public health.

“The goal of treatment is to remove, reduce or eliminate bacteria, viruses and other pathogenic microorgan-isms from the water,” says Örmeci. “Because not all pathogens can be removed to a satisfactory degree due to the limitations of current treat-ment processes, I want to know what happens to micro-organisms. Know-ing what circumstances they survive under will enable improvements to existing treatment processes and the development of better alternatives.”

Environmental conditions, chemical

resistance and wastewater charac-teristics, such as suspended par-ticles, may increase the survival rate of pathogens. Örmeci will examine widely used wastewater disinfectant methods like chlorination—which although it can form harmful com-pounds, is in widespread use due to its availability and low cost—and alternatives such as ultra-violet dis-infection to understand the fate and survival of micro-organisms through-out the treatment process.

The treatment and disposal of sludge, the solids left over from wastewater, is a more complex pro-cess that combines physical, chemical and biological processes. Because treated sludge—biosolids—is used as fertilizer, surviving organisms pose a safety concern. Örmeci will examine the effectiveness of the treatment process at eliminating bacteria.

“To protect public health and the environment, the development of alternative and sustainable treat-ments that are safe, simple, energy efficient and environmentally friendly is important,” says Örmeci, who in collaboration with the organization U.S. Filter has received two patents for a method of reducing the quantity of sludge disposed of in the environ-ment while decreasing treatment plant operational costs.

“We also need to remember that

a treatment plant is designed to remove specific things; it can’t remove everything,” she says. “Just because you flush something away—solvents, pharmaceuticals, waste—doesn’t mean it’s gone.”

For an asthma sufferer, the tight chest, coughing, gasping and fear during an attack can be gruelling. For the more than two million Canadians diagnosed with asthma, a few puffs of a quick-acting medication usually spells relief. Inhaling medication de-livers the drug to the lungs where it’s

needed and where the large surface area and high blood flow ensure rapid access to circulation. Unfortunately, part of the dose is lost as the fine mist is deposited in the mouth, throat and trachea.

“Up to 81 per cent of the original drug dosage is deposited mostly in the mouth and does not even reach the lungs,” says Edgar Matida, as-sistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engi-neering. “Swallowing the residue left in the mouth can have side effects,

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A look inside

while andy adler concentrates on medical uses for electrical impedance tomography, he has also been approached to apply the technology to oil and gas flow in pipes and the changing shape of volcanoes.

as can taking extra doses to com-pensate.”

Matida wants to improve the effec-tiveness of drug delivery both through the mouth and nose—and not just for asthma. Decongestants, vaccines, in-sulin, migraine medication: just about anything is fair game. The challenge is understanding the aerodynamics of inhalant devices and the geometry of the oral and nasal cavities.

“This isn’t like engineering with a standard one-inch pipe,” says Matida. “Everything varies from person to person: the shape of the nasal passage, structures in the nose, even hair.”

Studying the spray and spreading angles of solid or liquid particles from nebulizers, pressurized metered dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers, Matida uses computer simulations to analyze the flow of medication coming out of the inhaler and where it lands. After measuring and characterizing the velocity of spray through spac-ers—an add-on device that slows de-livery of the spray—he has a concept to improve the device’s aerodynamics and therefore the drug delivery.

With a recent grant from the research infrastructure program of the Ontario Research Fund, Matida

can invest in essential lab equipment that will help him prove his con-cept, such as a cluster of computer nodes to speed up simulations and a Phase Doppler Particle Analyser/La-ser Doppler Velocimetry system that measures particle velocities and size distribution.

“Research is 50 per cent equipment and 50 per cent people,” he says, “so building up the lab infrastructure is essential. Our new equipment will al-low us to compare how our models do against precise measurements.”

And that may one day change how we take our medicine.

Breathe in, breathe out. Our mouth, nose, windpipe, lungs and diaphragm all work without conscious ef-

fort thanks to specialized centres in the brainstem that regulate the rate and depth of breathing depending on the body’s needs. But when the body can’t breathe on its own, patients rely on ventilators to control the volume, speed and frequency of breath and the pressure and concentra-tion of gases—and achieving the ideal setting for individu-al patients is no easy task.

“What I hear from doctors is that the technologies now available to monitor pulmonary function don’t always deliver correct information on a timely basis,” says Andy Adler, associate professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering and Canada research chair in biomedical engineering. “What medical staff need are low-cost monitoring systems that not only provide faster and more accurate data, but are also portable.”

Enter electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a medical imaging technique that measures differences in electrical conductivity and permittivity and creates a three-dimen-sional image of processes, such as lung activity and blood chemical concentrations, underway inside the body.

“EIT can provide the detail needed to understand what’s happening in the lungs,” says Adler. “It can show how much air there is, where it’s moving, and the presence of fluid or obstructions in real time.”

Using sophisticated sensors and portable computing power to process complex biosensor data, EIT can image physiological processes involving movement of conductive fluids and gasses in the lungs, heart, gastrointestinal tract, brain and breasts. This allows medical practitioners to do advanced patient monitoring that is non-invasive, non-cumbersome and low cost.

Adler was awarded the 2007 Dr. Michael Smith Promis-ing Scientist Award from the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) for his contribution to biomedical engineering and his ground-breaking work in EIT. Adler has played a leading role in enhancing EIT as well as in

the development of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Bio-medical Engineering and Carleton’s new master’s degree in biomedical engineering.

Adler’s contributions to EIT focus on the algorithms that make sense of the data collected by the sensors for the heart and lungs. As many as sixteen electrodes are at-tached to the patient’s skin and small alternating currents are applied. Sensors read how well different parts of the body conduct electricity and computers then convert the data into images. Adler is working on creating more pow-erful software to control data errors arising from patient movement and changes in electrode contact, and to accom-modate more electrodes.

“It is motivating to receive this OCRI award,” he says. “I have the drive to look at a problem and wonder if I can solve it, and in doing so I can help people.”

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Working in parallel

the Natural sciences and engineering research council of canada recently awarded funding to three Faculty of engineering and design research projects through the strategic Project grants (sPg) program. in addition to Michel Nakhla’s project, funding is also support-ing the research of Paul Van geel and co-investigators from the university of western Ontario on real world soil-NaPl wettability: tools for site assessment and implications for site remediation. rafik goubran and co-investigators Frank Knoefel and heidi sveistrup were award-ed $372,000 over three years for their project on smart environments and com-munications for the independent living of seniors. the project proposes the use of smart sensor systems to monitor the health and well being of seniors living in their own homes and combines expertise from engineering (goubran), medicine (Knoefel) and rehabilitation (sveistrup). the project is carried out in collaboration with Nortel, tactex corporation, scO health services and the Élisabeth Bruyère research institute.

From left, Pavan gunupudi, Michel Nakhla, Q.J. Zhang and ram achar are researching high-performance design algorithms and methodologies with funding from Nserc.

Many hands make light work—true enough, when a large job is

divided among several people work-ing simultaneously. With the advent of multi-processor computing power came the promise of computers work-ing in parallel to solve complex prob-lems (such as in biomedical research and weather prediction) much faster than ever before. Unfortunately, the development of computational algo-rithms that harnesses the efficiencies of multi-processors hasn’t always kept up with hardware advances.

A prime area where algorithms aren’t maximizing the computing potential is in computer-based design automation tools for high-speed electronic systems such as comput-ers, medical devices, and wireless and communications networks.

“We’re reaching a bottleneck where more complex circuits are needed in electronic systems but the ability to devise them is limited by the design tools,” says Michel Nakhla, Chancel-lor’s professor in the Department of Electronics. “Most current design tools are based on single-processor, sequen-tial-type algorithms that can’t take advantage of the computational power offered by multi-core computers.”

Nakhla wants to change that. He is leading a research project on high-

performance design algorithms and methodologies for mixed-domain high-speed circuits and systems with de-partmental colleagues Q.J. Zhang, Ram Achar and Pavan Gunupudi. The group received funding for three years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s strategic project grants program.

The research aims to develop a new generation of modeling, simulation and optimization algorithms for itera-tive interactive design techniques requiring repetitive analysis of large high-speed systems—and that are suitable for parallel computing.

“Engineers are waiting weeks for results, when our preliminary results show that two weeks of computing can be reduced to a few minutes,” says Nakhla. “Our algorithm research will allow people to design electronics that they can’t design today, and design them faster and more efficiently.”

The research will be carried out with industry collaboration, says Nakhla, to avoid “pie in the sky” approaches and to strengthen Canadian competitiveness in the next generation of communica-tion and computer networks.

In addition to securing equipment, the grant allows Nakhla to increase the number of graduate students and research assistants working on the

project. “The research activities will contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel in a technological area that is essential for the success of the Canadian industry,” he says.

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Faculty news

New faces on facultythe Faculty of design and engineering is committed to ensuring an outstanding experience of learning, discovery and innovation for its students. here’s what the newest teachers and researchers are working on.

Hanspeter Frei, assistant professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeringthe impact of bone fracture or loss of bone tissue on patients and the health-care system is enormous. Frei combines his background in orthopaedic biomechanics and bone tissue engineering to develop interdisciplinary approaches to fracture fixation and bone regenera-tion. he is developing novel implants to enhance the fixation of bone screws in low quality bone and “smart” adaptive implants that ensure appropriate loading of healing bone. com-bined with tissue engineering, this technology will ensure an optimal biomechanical and biological environment for fracture repair and bone regeneration.

Joshua Marshall, assistant professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeringwhether in weightless space or deep underground in mines, an unmanned vehicle that operates autonomously in dynamic, unstructured and harsh environments would be a boon to exploration. Marshall’s research is focused on the development of robotic systems and associated control algorithms that serve both space and terrestrial applications. he has worked on equipment automation and robotics-related r&d with the canadian space agency, atlas copco rock drills aB, the ut institute for aerospace studies, eJc Mining equipment inc., and inco ltd. Prior to joining carleton, Marshall served as a r&d and control systems engineer on robotics programs at Mda space Missions.

Edward Sherwood, assistant professor, Civil and Environmental Engineeringinfrastructure deterioration—particularly of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, such as bridges, buildings and underground structures—is a challenge for all levels of govern-ment across canada. through large-scale experimental studies in the structures laboratory at carleton, sherwood integrates modern, durable materials with existing concrete construction practices, such as high-performance concrete, fibre-reinforced concrete and corrosion-resistant reinforcement. his research develops design methods for practicing engineers that accurately model the structural behaviour of these new materials. improved design methods encourage the integration of innovative ideas and new technologies with existing concrete construction practices, thereby improving the sustainability of the built infrastructure.

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As part of the Forum lecture series, the School of Architecture presents Spanish architect Teresa Sapey at 6 p.m. on March 10 at the National Gallery of Canada. The lecture is free and open to the public. Alumni are invited to join the architecture chap-ter of the Carleton University Alumni Association for a reception after the lecture.

The annual student industrial design show will be held April 18-22 at the Carleton University Art Gallery. Details on a reception hosted by the industrial design chapter of the Car-leton University Alumni Association will be available at alumni.carleton.ca closer to the date.

Graduates from the classes of 1958, 1963, 1968, 1978, 1983, 1988 and 1998 are invited back to campus for Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 23-25, 2008. Visit carletonreunion.com for details.

A memorandum of understanding signed by Samy Mahmoud, president and vice-chancellor pro tem-pore, and H.E. Guillermo José Miguel Russo Checa, the ambassador of the Republic of Peru, will lead to a significant collaboration between Carleton and uni-versities in Peru, and promote cooperation between Carleton and institutions working in the areas of electrical engineering and trade policy and law.

The agreement will support academic partnerships and capacity building in designated economic sectors with the potential to extend to other disciplines such as biomedical engineering and management of technology.

Faculty in the Department of Electronics at Carleton will work with the Universidad Nacional de Huancavelica to develop a Department of Electrical Engineering to train engineers needed in Peru’s hydroelectric sector. Carleton’s Centre for Trade Policy and Law will work with Peruvian officials to provide expertise on trade policy and law issues. A needs assessment to be completed in Peru will determine the specific areas of cooperation.

International collaboration

Call for volunteersare you looking for a way to become more involved in alumni life? are you inter-ested in keeping former carleton engineering classmates connected to each other, the Faculty and carleton? the engineering chapter of the carleton university alumni association has volunteer leadership positions open. Please contact alumni services at 1-866-cu-PrOud (287-7683) or cu_proud@carleton.ca.

Douglas Millar honoured with scholarshipWhen Krishnan Suthanthiran, MEng/71, was a young man searching for direc-tion in his life, he was admitted to the Department of Mechanical and Aero-space Engineering by Douglas Millar. That was in 1969, but Suthanthiran, now the president of Best Medical International, Inc., has never forgotten it.

In 2007, Suthanthiran established the Douglas Millar Scholarship, to be awarded annually to an outstanding student entering or proceeding in a gradu-ate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“I know how critical financial support is for students. I am a firm believer in helping those in need,” says Suthanthiran, who has also established the Krish-nan Suthanthiran and Richard Kind Endowment and contributed to the William J. Rainbird Engineering Scholarship. “I can also honour and recognize individu-als who have crossed my path and made my career better and more successful than it would have been otherwise.”

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