Awards

George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research – Emerging Professors

2020 - Awarded to Dr. Benoît Lessard

The Faculty of Engineering is proud to announce Dr Benoît H Lessard as the recipient of the 2020 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research: Emerging Professors.

Dr. Benoît Lessard joined the University of Ottawa as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2015, the same year he was awarded the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials and Organic Electronics. Since then, he has published an impressive 53 peer reviewed journal articles (>81 total), has received numerous awards for his innovative research contributions such as the 2015 Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry and the 2018 Ontario Early Researcher Award, was nominated as one of 3 Emerging Leaders of Chemical Engineering by the Canadian Chemical Engineering society in 2017 and again in 2019, was selected as one of the Emerging Materials Researchers at the Can. Chem. Conf. (CSC 2019) and was highlighted as a J. Mater. Chem. C. Emerging Investigator in 2018. Since 2015, Prof. Lessard has mounted an innovative program and research lab as well as mentored over 49 graduate students, postdocs and undergraduate students in the process. He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2019.

Prof. Lessard’s applied research establishes strong links with Canadian industry in advanced manufacturing. In fact, he has worked with 9 different Canadian companies since 2019 from small research contracts to multi-year projects. For example, with OTI Lumionics, a Toronto based OLED manufacturing company, Prof. Lessard works on developing thermally stable carbon derivatives with a greater processing window for the manufacturing of OLEDs leading to 7 patent filings, 2 peer reviewed journal articles and multiple student exchanges and knowledge transfer from lab to industry. Prof. Lessard is also a co-founder of Ekidna Sensing a startup company based on cannabinoid sensors developed at the University of Ottawa in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Science..

An outstanding number of recommendation letters highlighting Professor Lessard’s accomplishments were sent by his peers and colleagues. Aside from his research contributions, they have emphasized his participation in the faculty life as a creative, driven and passionate professor who is well known for inspiring his students and other young researchers.

“As his colleague in the department and peer in his research field, I am very proud of him, and I can say that his peers at the Department of Chemical Engineering have the highest degree of praise for Benoit as a colleague and as an emerging researcher with tremendous potential to make an impact in his field”. - Professor Xudong Cao, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

“Success of this sort takes more than talent – it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. And yet, despite the demands this level of success has placed on Benoît, he is a generous and conscientious colleague actively participating in the life of the Department and the Faculty. We are fortunate to have amongst our ranks many whose outstanding research contributes to Engineering’s success both within the University community and upon the global stage”. - Professor Bogusław Kruczek, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering congratulates Dr. Benoit Lessard for his highly deserved reception of the 2020 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research – Emerging Professors.

J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Faculty of Engineering is proud to announce that the 2020 J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching has been awarded to Dr. Arturo Macchi and Dr. Daniel Amyot.

2020 - Awarded to Dr. Arturo Macchi

Professor Macchi has continuously gone above and beyond to provide a dynamic and thorough education to his students as well as having mentored, inspired, and guided many throughout his career.

Dr. Macchi has not only received extremely positive teaching evaluations year after year, but he also showed his dedication to the success of students outside of the classroom through his role as Associate Chair - Undergraduate Studies from 2008 to 2016, and is currently a member of the curriculum committee for the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. His passion for his field has also made him an excellent research supervisor to many graduate students, as he is well known to adapt his mentorship to each student’s individual needs and interests.

Students and colleagues of Professor Macchi have sent numerous letters of recommendation in his favor, highlighting his commitment to deliver a unique and interactive learning experience while continuously improving his teaching methods and materials in the aim to challenge his students:

“Throughout my seven years of studies at uOttawa, Arturo Macchi has been recognized perennially as one of the most dedicated and most respected professors in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and beyond. His leadership, his enthusiastic teaching and his motivational tactics have been an inspiration to so many of the students that he has taught. Moreover, Arturo’s passion for teaching as well as his personality made every single one of his lectures a pleasure to attend.” - Antonio D’Orazio

“He is an excellent teacher who is passionate and extremely knowledgeable in his subject, but also because he cares about his students. Dr. Macchi is innovative in that he strives to expand on his research subjects and keeps up to date in the latest developments for subjects pertaining to microreactors and multiphase reaction engineering. He always provides great feedback when asked for guidance and is always able to provide a sense direction when the student is lost in research.” - Robert Ge, student

“There are a number of paths by which individuals may contribute to excellence in teaching. We often focus on the obvious: outstanding teaching evaluations, glowing student testimonials, and the like. Arturo enjoys all of this. But he is also part of the brigade of unsung heroes who labour behind the scenes to make everyone else’s job in teaching that much easier and more pleasant.” - Professor David Taylor, Vice-Dean, Quality Assurance and Teaching Innovation

The Faculty of Engineering congratulates Dr. Arturo Macchi for his highly deserved reception of the 2020 J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching.

2020 - Awarded to Dr. Daniel Amyot

Dr. Amyot has demonstrated a passion for teaching since becoming a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa in 1993. His dedication to students’ personal and professional success has always extended beyond the classroom, resulting in innovative changes to many programs and courses at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Dr. Amyot is known to challenge and motivate his students by introducing stimulating projects, such as video games and client-focused experiences, to the courses he teaches. He also made numerous contributions to the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science through his roles as EECS ambassador, as Graduate Coordinator in Computer Science, and as COOP Coordinator for the Software Engineering program, in addition to contributing heavily to the development of the successful and collaborative Ph.D. program in e-Business.

While having supervised over 50 graduate students, Dr. Amyot’s mentorship extends beyond research guidance as he always pushes students to get involved in university life and to seize professional opportunities, leading them to become brilliant researchers and teachers. Many letters of recommendation were received describing his unconditional commitment to students’ professional development and wellbeing.

“Going from a student who lacked motivation and vision in my first year to someone who can confidently take aim at a problem and attempt a solution to the best of my abilities, I owe a great deal to professor Amyot for the transformation I underwent. I believe his persistence, openness, and willingness to be of assistance helped fuel and drive me to become better. The greatest prize that can be given to Dr. Amyot, in my eyes, is the knowledge that his generosity, kindheartedness, and guidance have contributed to the betterment of the students he taught, and that he has made a real difference in the lives of those students.” - Rawaz Kader Kahraman, student

“Dr. Amyot is a passionate teacher. I have talked to many students who have either been supervised by Dr. Amyot or have taken his graduate courses. Without an exception, they all expressed their profound gratitude, high respects, and strong acknowledgement for the deep knowledge, great skills, passionate teaching, caring and supportive personality of Dr. Amyot.” - Professor Bijam Raahemi, Telfer School of Management, Co-Director of the Digital Transformation and Innovation Program

The Faculty of Engineering congratulates Dr. Daniel Amyot for his highly deserved reception of the 2020 J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Glinski Award for Excellence in Research

2019 - Dr. Shervin Shirmohammadi

The Faculty of Engineering is proud to announce Dr. Shervin Shirmohammadi as the recipient of the 2019 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research for his work at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Dr. Shirmohammadi is recognized by Google Scholar as being one of the world's top ten researchers in the field of multimedia systems and networks, specializing in gaming and video systems and networks, and their applications in health care. Since 2010, his research has also included elements of Applied AI in these fields.

After completing his doctorate in electrical engineering at the University of Ottawa in 2000 and spending three years in the industry as a senior architect and project manager, Dr. Shirmohammadi was hired in the Faculty of Engineering as an assistant professor in 2004, and was eventually promoted to full professor in 2012. After taking on the role of Associate Editor for multiple IEEE journals, Dr. Shirmohammadi became the current Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. Shortly before, he became a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest association of technical professionals.

Dr. Shirmohammadi has also completed the supervision of 16 PhDs, 39 MA students and has worked with 10 post-doctoral fellows. He is currently at the helm of a team of seven PhD students.

Dr. Shirmohammadi is also widely recognized for his impressive body of work. Over his career, he has conducted research projects totalling over $14 million, resulting in 86 journal papers and 216 conference papers. He also has over 20 patents and technology transfers, and his work is often cited by other professionals in academia and the industry. This expanse of work has earned him three Best Paper Awards over his career thus far.

The Faculty of Engineering wishes to congratulate Dr. Shirmohammadi for the reception of this award of which we find him to be most deserving.

J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching

2019 - Dr. Ghasan Doudak

The Faculty of Engineering is proud to announce Dr. Ghasan Doudak as the recipient of the 2019 J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching for his contributions to the Department of Civil Engineering.

Since joining the Faculty of Engineering’s team as an associate professor in 2010, Dr. Doudak has single-handedly introduced structural design in timber to both undergraduate and graduate curricula, which was greatly appreciated by students in the Faculty. During his last nine years of teaching both in English and in French at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Doudak has consistently received excellent teaching evaluations at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

As a testament to Dr. Doudak’s dedication to his students, he was awarded a Teaching and Learning grant and received funding from the Ontario Wood Promotion Program. These awards have allowed him to expand and improve the resources available in his classrooms, in order to create an environment promoting curiosity and growth for his students.

While Dr. Doudak has supervised a number of graduate students, he is also an active mentor and the supervisor of a number of undergraduate students in various programs. These include six CO-OP, five Science without Borders, two NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards, three students with the uOttawa Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and one uOttawa Women Undergraduate Summer Student Research Award.

As well as recognizing Dr. Doudak’s dedication to teaching and mentoring, the Faculty would also like to acknowledge his contribution as a volunteer for many university activities. As an ambassador of the Faculty of Engineering, he has, among others, participated in many recruitment events, and supervised the Faculty’s Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race.

For his continuous dedication to his students, the Faculty of Engineering wishes to congratulate Dr. Doudak for the reception of this award of which we find him to be most deserving.

Frank Giacobbi Award for Outstanding Service

2019 - Mr. Samer Sader

The Faculty of Engineering is proud to announce Mr. Samer Sader as the recipient of the 2019 Frank Giacobbi Award for Outstanding Faculty Service in recognition of his outstanding contribution within the IT Services of the Faculty.

For the last 19 years, Mr. Sader’s services have played a pivotal role in supporting all members of the Faculty of Engineering, students and teachers alike.

In a letter of support for Mr. Sader’s nomination, Dr. Mustapha C.E. Yagoub states:

“(…) as soon as I found out that Samer was to be nominated for this prestigious award, I absolutely wanted to present my testimony to acknowledge the remarkable work he has accomplished as part of this institution; tasks where the positive effects can be observed on a daily basis, and this for the greater benefit of our university community as a whole. [...] Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge another aspect of his personality, and that is his total and unconditional dedication for his work. He is always giving people his full attention, and I have often seen him freely offer his time and energy when the well-being of the faculty was at stake.”

Alan Stewart, who is a Computer and Electronics Technician for the Faculty, and a previous recipient of the Frank Giacobbi award, also reflected these sentiments in a letter of support for Mr. Sader’s nomination:

“Samer’s passion and his readiness to share his expertise with the faculty has brought him great respect from professors and staff alike. (He) is a very dedicated and enthusiastic colleague with excellent character personality, always ready and willing to help.”

Frank Giacobbi Award for Outstanding Service

2018 - Alan Stewart

Lab technician Alan Steward is recognized for years of support lent to professors and students of EECS

After years as a member of the technical staff at EECS, Alan Steward is regarded a valuable asset to staff and students working on projects in electrical and computer engineering. The quality of his work has earned him the 2018 Frank Giacobbi Award for Outstanding Service, which will be officially awarded in June during the Faculty’s annual BBQ.

The director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Claude D’Amours wrote on Mr. Stewart’s contributions, “I recently visited the lab while students were working. All students in the lab know Alan well. This is because he is approachable and available to help them with any questions they may have regarding the equipment they are using or the projects they are working on. Being good at one’s job, however, is not what sets a person apart from his or her colleagues when being considered for an award like the Frank Giacobbi Award. Those fit for consideration are people who go above and beyond their job descriptions for the benefit of the Faculty as well as the University. In Alan’s case, he certainly goes above and beyond his role, and he has been doing so for many years.”

He further writes to illustrate another example among many of Mr. Stewart’s exceptional dedication to staff and students: “Back in 2013, he received a microscope from the Faculty of Science. The microscope was in disrepair and deemed too old for use. Mostly on his own time, Alan repaired and improved this microscope, and donated it to the high school L’Escale in Rockland Ontario in the name of the Faculty of Engineering and EECS. The donation was received and we were invited to give a presentation on how to use the microscope; Alan was on hand to demonstrate how to use it during a half-day event at L’Escale.

The event was well received and certainly did much to improve the image of the Faculty and the University of Ottawa in a school in our own backyard.”

Mr. Stewart has facilitated other collaborations with organizations. He negotiated a partnership between the University and the RCMP related to capstone projects. From this collaboration, numerous student groups have gone on to complete projects alongside the RCMP and some students have subsequently found employment.

The Faculty of Engineering extends its gratitude to Mr. Stewart for his dedication and its congratulations for this much-deserved award.

George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research

2018 - Majid Mohammadian

The Faculty is pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Glinski Award for Excellence in Research, Professor Majid Mohammadian. Since joining the Department of Civil Engineering in 2009, Professor Mohammadian has rapidly distinguished himself as a researcher and as an engineer.

Several letters of recommendation highlighted Professor Mohammadian’s widespread recognition, and the strength of his research within the field of civil engineering. In his time at the University of Ottawa, he has established an impressive research program; he procured research grants of over $2.4 million from various funding sources to study high performance computational methods and mixing processes.

Early establishment of his research program has generated exceptional research productivity. Professor Mohammadian has at present a total of 54 journal papers published in high quality refereed journals, including papers published in journals such as the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and the Journal of Computational Physics. Of these papers, 40 have been published in the past 5 years, which is astonishing for an emerging scholar. Most of these papers have been first-authored by graduate students under his supervision, which is an indication of the quality of his supervision. Additionally, Professor Mohammadian has supervised 6 Ph.D. students, 16 Master’s students and 2 post-doctoral fellows; his students have received several research awards.

By evidence of his performance as a researcher, the committee has determined Professor Mohammadian a highly deserving candidate of the Glinski Award.

Faculty of Engineering J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching

2018 - Magdi Mohareb

The Faculty is pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Faculty of Engineering J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching, Professor Magdi Mohareb. Since joining the University of Ottawa in 2000, Dr. Mohareb has established himself as an exceptional professor in the Civil Engineering department.

Due to his exceptional course evaluation scores, Dr. Mohareb has received six letters of commendation from the Dean for excellence in teaching, as well as three letters from Dr. Colin Rennie, the Civil Engineering Department Chair. These letters were issued when all students in a given course evaluated Dr. Mohareb as an excellent or a good teacher.

Since 2000, Dr. Mohareb has delivered courses in both English and French. As graduate coordinator for 7.5 years, he proposed and delivered a mandatory graduate seminar series for MASc and PhD students to give them an opportunity to practice and improve their oral presentation skills.

Dr. Mohareb has supervised 12 fourth year capstone engineering design projects. He has graduated 8 Ph.D. students and 18 Master’s students. Remarkably, five of the Ph.D. theses and five of the M.A.Sc. theses he supervised were nominated for awards. He is currently supervising an additional four Ph.D. and two post-doctoral students.

By evidence of his outstanding course evaluations and his strong commitment to student success, the committee has determined that Professor Mohareb is a highly deserving candidate for the Faculty of Engineering J.V. Marsh Award for Excellence in Teaching.