Making Global Impact

P. Ravi Selvaganapathy, Canada Research Chair, Biomircofluidics (Mechanical Engineering)

Dr. Sarah Dickson (Civil Engineering) and Dr. Corinne Schuster-Wallace (Geography & Planning, University of Saskatchewan) sought to develop and pilot a mixed-methods approach to understanding the strengths, challenges and health impacts associated with water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in a rural Kenyan Community. Qualitative and quantitative data represented the condition of physical infrastructure, water quality, WaSH-related practices, perceived health and incidents of waterborne disease.

Dickson, Schuster-Wallace and their graduate students collaborated with the United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health and II Ngwesi Group Ranch on the project, which was piloted in partnership with three separate neighbourhoods in a rural Maasai community.

PUMA: Personal Urban Mobility Access. Dr. Dan Centea (W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology), together with an international group of students, designed a portable transportation device that would facilitate multi-modal connectivity to public transit. Specifically, it is the need to transport people between a transportation hub, such as railway stations or bus depots, and their workplace, school, home or other destination.

Students from nine universities in five countries collaborated to design and build a portable transportation device.

Academic Partners: Virginia Tech (USA), Howard University (USA), ITESM CEM Mexico, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), National Institute of Design NID (India), University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Canada)

Industry Partners: General Motors US, AUtodesk, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Oracle and Siemens

"The current challenges faced by humanity have no geographical or cultural boundaries, and engineers hold the key for innovative sustainable solutions. The Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) provides an excellent vehicle for engineering deans to network across the globe towards sharing knowledge and building on new partnerships that will leverage on combined strengths to address the complex global and local challenges we are all facing today." 

Hosted by McMaster University's Faculty of Engineering, the Global Engineering Deans Council Conference (GEDC) explored a range of issues from bio-innovation for social impact to teaching students about the Internet of Things to addressing climate change to inclusive engineering schools and workplaces in the future. This is the first time the event has been held in Canada.

"The world very much needs what engineers have to offer: namely, the harnessing of creativity, technology, and persistence to craft lasting and effective solutions to the global challenges of water, food, infrastructure, energy, jobs, and wealth inequality. The Global Engineering Deans Council was a signature event in Canada, under the patronage of McMaster Engineering, to discuss concrete ways of addressing these challenges." - Peter Kilpatrick, Chair of the Global Engineering Deans Council and Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame.

The Carbon Free Innovation Network (CaFIN) brings together academics, industry experts and government officials to explore challenges to reducing carbon emissions; pathways to creating a carbon-neutral economy; and how to better incorporate green technology approaches into engineering education.

A declaration was signed between the engineering deans of McMaster University, Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Notre Dame, Seoul National University, University of Hong Kong and leaders from the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) to pledge their commitment to developing carbon neutral innovations, spurring local and national economies as a result and improving the well-being of nations.

Mission Innovation: Clean Energy Challenge Workshops

Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 22 countries, including Canada, and the European Union to dramatically accelerate global clean energy innovation by driving research and development in key areas, such as sustainable biofuels, smart grids, off-grid access, carbon capture and clean energy materials.

McMaster Engineering hosted two workshops in 2018, co-led by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Secretaría de Energía (SENER) (Mexico), and the U.S. Department of Energy in partnership with CIFAR and the University of Toronto. The events identified critical research priorities and gaps in clean energy materials innovation and explored opportunities for deeper collaboration.

“McMaster Engineering has made a strategic decision to pursue research that is both excellent and relevant to the major challenges that society faces,” said John Preston, Associate Dean of Research & External Relations, McMaster Engineering. “Climate change is one of the greatest problems facing our world, and we are glad to be part of a group of esteemed researchers working to address the issue.”