Last term, Pearl Sullivan’s appointment as the incoming Dean of Engineering was the big news. While that generated a lot of publicity, there have also been other important changes in UW Engineering administration that you may have missed while you were away on co-op. Here is a run-down of all of the new faces we will welcome (or have already) into big leadership roles this term.
Almost brand-new to Waterloo, Chris Backhouse has started his job as the Director of Nanotechnology Engineering this term. He is replacing Mario Ioannidis, who held the position since the program’s inception seven years ago. Dr. Backhouse is a professor from the Electical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department whose background is in physics and electrical engineering, particularly radio astronomy research. His current research involves miniaturization and quantum devices, which makes him a great fit for the nanotechnology program. He has been on the job since the beginning of the Spring 2012 term and his major work in the future includes transferring a large part of the Nanotechnology Engineering program’s resources to the new Quantum Nano Centre (QNC) near the SLC. This includes new labs, clean rooms, offices, classrooms, and more. The QNC is scheduled to open in early September, where we hope to see Dr. Backhouse cutting the ribbon (finally)!
This past year, Thomas Duever was appointed as the Chair of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Duever specializes in statistical analysis, polymer reactions, and pulp and paper engineering. He is a long-time Waterloo resident, having completed his undergraduate, master’s, and PhD at this university. More recently, Niel Thompson has been reappointed as the Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), but has started a year-long sabbatical this term. During his absence, Don Burn will be the acting chair. Dr. Burn is a CEE professor whose research specializes in water systems and flood and drought analysis.
Another temporary change has been the appointment of Fathy Ismail as the Interim Chair of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (MME). Dr. Ismail is a mechanical engineering professor with research in machining techniques and modal analysis. He will hold the position until December 2012 while a permanent Chair is chosen. Of course, we must remember that the outgoing head of MME was Pearl Sullivan, who resigned this past January to prepare for her installment as the new Dean. She previously held the position of MME Chair for eight years. Her position as Dean of Engineering officially begins July 1, 2012 after the current dean, Adel Sedra, steps down.
All of these changes have been thoroughly considered by our engineering staff and let’s wish them all success in their new positions!
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