December 13, 2019
Carolyn Farrell
Professor Nazir Kherani (ECE/MSE) is one of four U of T Engineering professors and one alumnus included in the latest cohort of individuals to be elected fellows of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). The appointments honour their exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada.
“On behalf of the Faculty, congratulations to the new fellows on this well-deserved honour,” said Christopher Yip, Dean of U of T Engineering. “EIC’s recognition of so many U of T Engineering community members reflects our track record of excellence across a wide range of sectors and research fields.”
Since 2009, 30 U of T Engineering faculty members have been appointed as EIC fellows. The 2019 recipients are:
Professor Nazir Kherani (ECE, MSE)
Kherani has made sustained contributions in the field of semiconductor and nanostructured materials and devices during a career that spans industry and academia. His fundamental studies have shaped scientific developments in various areas while his practical contributions have advanced Canadian industry. He has inspired researchers and young entrants to the field of sustainable energy and enhanced the solar industry in Canada and internationally.
His research advances in the area of solar energy include record-setting silicon photovoltaic solar cell development, and ushering novel and disruptive integration of energy-efficient spectrally selective coatings in windows for buildings, greenhouses and emerging electric vehicles. Kherani’s research in passivation and photonic crystals has applications for high-efficiency ultra-thin flexible silicon solar cells. His recent advances in the field of nano-plasmonics are leading to the development of low cost, rapid, high-sensitivity whole-blood biosensors for point-of-care applications.
Kherani’s leadership in his field has been recognized with the Ontario Professional Engineers R&D Medal, and fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the American Physical Society, and the Royal Society of Arts.
Professor Michael Carter (MIE)
Carter is the founder and director of the U of T Centre for Research in Healthcare Engineering. Carter is recognized internationally as a leader in systems engineering approaches to healthcare, and his research has influenced health policy and practice throughout Canada.
Together with his team, Carter is using simulation modelling and other operations research tools to help the healthcare industry make decisions that will improve quality, reduce costs and increase efficiency. He has been a pioneer in demonstrating the important role of engineering in Canada’s health care system, and the tools he has created are used by government and healthcare organizations throughout the country. Carter also created one of Canada’s first healthcare engineering courses and spearheaded the creation of the Master of Health Care Engineering program at U of T.
He is a fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and a recipient of the Canadian Operational Research Society Award of Merit for lifetime contributions to operations research. He has also received several teaching awards, including the U of T Northrop Frye Award.
Professor Doug Reeve (ChemE)
Reeve served as Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry from 2001-2011, and was the founding director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (ILead) from 2010-2018. ILead’s research on engineering leadership in the workplace and the classroom has been funded by 13 engineering companies and has won international acclaim. Reeve was also founding director of the U of T Pulp & Paper Centre. Under his leadership, the centre created more than twenty-five million dollars in research programs with financial support from 45 companies from seven countries.
Beyond U of T, Reeve has acted as a consultant to the pulp and paper industry in 18 countries and taught numerous professional development short courses attended by over 3000 pulp and paper industry professionals. He also helped develop the Rapson-Reeve Closed Cycle Mill, designed to eliminate the principal cause of pulp mill water pollution.
Reeve is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Chemical Institute of Canada, and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). He has received all the major awards from the three key divisions of TAPPI and has been inducted into the International Pulp and Paper Hall of Fame.
Professor Craig Simmons (MIE, IBBME)
As the UofT Distinguished Professor of Mechanobiology, Craig Simmons’ research in cardiovascular engineering has revolutionized our understanding of the critical role of biomechanics in heart valve disease and regeneration. He is also recognized for inventing novel microfluidic technologies that have been commercialized to improve drug discovery.
As a Scientific Director in the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Simmons established the U of T Translational Biology & Engineering Program, an initiative that integrates over 100 researchers from engineering and medicine to find new ways to detect and treat heart disease. He has led several educational initiatives in biomedical engineering, founding a nationally-unique curriculum in Biomedical Systems Engineering and a graduate training program in microfluidics and cardiovascular health, and has co-authored a popular biomedical engineering textbook.
Simmons is a fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and the American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, and has received several awards for research and teaching, including the Canada Research Chair in Mechanobiology, the Ontario Professional Engineers R&D Medal, and the U of T Northrop Frye Award.
David Poirier (IndE 8T1)
Poirier is the founder and CEO of The Poirier Group, a global company that specializes in helping organizations to successfully implement and integrate significant change.
Prior to founding The Poirier Group in 2005 he held senior executive roles in the retail, general merchandise, food distribution, health and life sciences and manufacturing sectors. He has published articles and reference materials and is a sought-after speaker on organizational change, values-based leadership and international business. Throughout his career, Poirier has been active in supporting and developing the next generation of industrial engineers.
He served on the Advisory Board for the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering from 1995-2009 and has served as Chair of their Industry Advisory Board since 2010. He is also Chair of the Wardens of Camp 1 – Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer and a member of the U of T College of Electors. Poirier is President-Elect of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). He is a Fellow of IISE and received their Outstanding Management Award in 2010 and their Medallion Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2011. He has been honored by U of T with the Arbor Award and the Engineering Alumni Network 2T5 Mid-Career Achievement Award.
This story originally appeared on U of T Engineering News.
More information:
Jessica MacInnis
External Relations Manager
The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
416-978-7997; jessica.macinnis@utoronto.ca