MSc

Graduate
Programs in
PhD
Engineering
at the University of Alberta

MEng
 dvanced Fuel Cells Aerosols and Particle Dynamics Biochemical Engineering Biomechanics Biomedical Engineerin
arbon Capture and Storage Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Colloids Communications Computational Intelligenc
omputer Engineering Construction Engineering and Management Corrosion and Wear Drug and Gene Deliver
lectronic Materials and Devices Energy and the Environment Energy Systems Engineering Management Environmenta
ngineering Environmental Remediation Fluid Dynamics Geostatistics Geotechnical Engineering Information an
ommunications Technologies Integrated Circuits Interfacial Engineering Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Material
rocessing Mathematical Modeling Metamaterials Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems Micro- and Nanofluidic
Mineral Processing Mining Engineering Molecular Sieves Nanoelectronics Nanofabrication Nanotechnolog
Non-Aqueous Bitumen Extraction Oil Sands Tailings Oil Sands Upgrading Petroleum Engineering Petroleum
hermodynamics Photonics and Electromagnetics Pipelines and Pipeline Transport Plasmas Polymer Engineerin

RESEARCH STRENGTHS
Power Electronics and System
Process Control Rail Hazard
nd Safety Renewable Energy Robotics Safety and Risk Management Signal and Image Processing Smart Grid
oftware Engineering Solid Mechanics Structural Engineering Synthetic Biology Systems and Control System
iology Tailings Management Thermal Conversion Thermodynamics Thermo-fluids Transportation Engineerin
nconventional Oil Recovery Water Quality Management Water Resources Welding and Joining Wireless System
dvanced Fuel Cells Aerosols and Particle Dynamics Biochemical Engineering Biomechanics Biomedical Engineerin
arbon Capture and Storage Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Colloids Communications Computational Intelligenc
omputer Engineering Construction Engineering and Management Corrosion and Wear Drug and Gene Deliver
lectronic Materials and Devices Energy and the Environment Energy Systems Engineering Management Environmenta
ngineering Environmental Remediation Fluid Dynamics Geostatistics Geotechnical Engineering Information an
ommunications Technologies Integrated Circuits Interfacial Engineering Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Material
ng
ce

Where do you want

ry
al

to go as an engineer?
nd
ls
cs
gy Graduate school is an investment The benefits of pursuing graduate studies in the
in your future. In fact, it can make
m all the difference in the trajectory Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta
of your career. An advanced degree
ng is the first step on a career path to Our students have chosen to • Collaborating on- and off-
leadership positions in technology make that investment and pursue campus with world leaders in
ms companies, consulting, research and postgraduate education. They have multidisciplinary projects.
development organizations, advanced plans for their careers, and high
• Using state-of-the-art facilities,
ds design houses, government, policy expectations of their chosen school.
including world-class resources for
development, and academia. Your This is what our students say they nanofabrication, high performance
ds advanced engineering degree will appreciate most in the Faculty of computing, magnetic resonance
open doors to exciting challenges Engineering: imaging, patient rehabilitation and
ms as well as professional and personal surface characterization.
satisfaction. • Acquiring technical, problem
ng solving, professional development, • Having access to significant
and communication skills critical research funding (greater than
ms for the work force. $50M per year) and student
financial support ($19M per year).
• Working with highly respected
ng faculty members who publish in • Feeling welcomed, safe, and
prestigious journals and collaborate supported in the University
ce with international leaders. of Alberta and Edmonton
communities.
ry • Interacting directly with industry
partners, bridging industry and These are the underpinnings of the
al academia and building their graduate experience awaiting you
professional networks. in the Faculty of Engineering at the
nd University of Alberta.

ls
Greeting innovation
with open arms
Katherine Evans (BSc 13) is helping to design a
tactor system that will give upper-limb amputees
the sensation of feeling in their prostheses, allowing
them to control their artificial limbs intuitively rather
than consciously. Katherine, who is just beginning
her MSc under the supervision of Dr. Jason Carey
in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and
Dr. Jacqueline Hebert in the Division of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation, will be a member of the
interdisciplinary BLINC (Bionic Limbs for Improved
Natural Control) project. Through BLINC, experts
in rehabilitation medicine, computer science and
mechanical engineering are combining surgical
rearrangement of existing nerves with innovative
myoelectric devices to improve prosthetic function.

Katherine will be building on her significant

undergraduate research experience thanks to
scholarships from Alberta Innovates – Technology
Futures and the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada (NSERC). She has
already assisted in the testing of internal composite
casts to stabilize broken bones as an NSERC
summer student, built an ultrasound-enhanced
tipping table for the treatment of scoliosis at the
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital as a co-op student,
and launched a sounding rocket (at the University of
Oslo) through the CaNoRock program.

Katherine has chosen to remain in the U of A’s

Faculty of Engineering for her MSc because she’s
“not ready to leave the people, resources and
interdisciplinary collaborations - yet.”

Katherine’s enthusiasm is infectious. “My main goal

is to be a professor,” she says. “I’m really motivated
by the opportunity to mentor younger students.”
 Faculty of
The Faculty of Engineering
at the University of Alberta
Established in 1908, the Faculty of
Engineering ranks in the top five per
Engineering
are offered in five departments:
Biomedical Engineering, Chemical
Key Research
Facilities
THE OIL SANDS TAILINGS RESEARCH
FACILITY A facility designed to
cent of more than 400 engineering and Materials Engineering, Civil and support substantial fundamental
schools in North America. This Environmental Engineering, Electrical THE NANOFAB An open access tailings research at a pilot scale
vibrant community of scholars and Computer Engineering and micro and nano fabrication research (600 and 2000 kg solids per hour)
conducts basic and applied research, Mechanical Engineering. facility with approximately $60 M and accommodate multiple,
collaborating extensively with industry worth of state-of-the-art fabrication concurrent interdisciplinary research
Students have the opportunity
and leading international partners. equipment and infrastructure projects (www.ostrf.com).
to work with outstanding faculty
Research conducted here has made (www.nanofab.ualberta.ca).
(including more than 30 internationally THE PETER S. ALLEN MAGNETIC
Alberta a world leader in a wide
recognized NSERC Industrial Research THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESONANCE RESEARCH CENTRE
variety of fields ranging from oil sands
Chairs and Canada Research Chairs) NANOTECHNOLOGY (NINT) A joint A 100 per cent research dedicated,
technologies to nanotechnology.
in state-of-the-art facilities. Since venture with the National Research state-of-the-art facility located inside
Students in our PhD, MSc and MEng 2001, the Faculty of Engineering has Council Canada (NRC) that hosts the University Hospital that houses
programs will join the largest graduate added over one million square feet world-leading facilities and research 1.5 T, 3 T and 4.7 T full-body MRI
engineering program in Canada, of new teaching and research space, programs involving more than 300 systems (www.invivonmr.ualberta.ca).
working with world-renowned scholars creating exceptional opportunities for researchers (www.nint.ualberta.ca).
WESTGRID A Western Canadian
who attract over $50M in research collaboration, learning, professional
THE ALBERTA CENTRE FOR SURFACE consortium of high-performance
funding annually. Graduate programs growth and interdisciplinary research.
ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE (ACSES) computing facilities, including
A $20M multi-disciplinary integrated machines with some of the fastest
surface characterization and computational speeds in Canada
modification facility (www.westgrid.ca).
Katherine Evans (left) is excited to start her first graduate-level teaching (www.ualberta.ca/ACSES).
assignment this fall, and plans to someday teach engineering design.
Meanwhile, she will be continuing to supervise high-school students
in the WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and
Technology) Summer Research Program and to contribute biomedical
content to DiscoverE, the Faculty of Engineering’s Engineering, Science
and Technology outreach program.
Faculty of
Engineering
Key Research
Initiatives
INGENUITY The Nanotechnology
Accelerator - A large scale ($100M),
THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR CLEAN
COAL/CARBON AND MINERAL
PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES (C5MPT)
A research and education centre
supporting sustainable and responsible
10-year, multidisciplinary research and energy and mineral development technologies, aiming to address global
development initiative co-located at (www.c5mpt.ualberta.ca). issues on energy and the environment.
the University of Alberta, the Faculty of
Engineering and the National Institute THE HELMHOLTZ-ALBERTA INITIATIVE WATER INITIATIVE The University of
for Technology. Ingenuity is focused (HAI) An international research Alberta Water Initiative brings together
on groundbreaking bionanotechnology partnership between the Helmholtz researchers from across campus to
advances and innovative business Association of German Research participate in multi-disciplinary water
practices that will enable Alberta to Centres (Germany) and the University projects. The researchers are from
become a world-leading centre for of Alberta (Canada) to jointly develop engineering, nanotechnology, public
nanotechnology innovation solutions to major challenges in fields health, environmental and natural
(www.thepowerofn.ca). such as energy and the environment, resource economics, law and business
ecosystem and resource informatics, and scientists in biology, chemistry,
THE CENTRE FOR OIL SANDS and health (www.helmholtzalberta.ca). geology and hydrology all working
INNOVATION (COSI) A $50M dollar, on water related issues. The multi-
multidisciplinary research centre SINO-CANADIAN ENERGY AND disciplinary approach is enabled by the
focused on developing the oil sands ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH AND University of Alberta’s extensive water
production facility of the future - one EDUCATION INITIATIVE (SCENEREI) research capacity.
that uses little or no water, consumes A partnership that brings together the
less energy, occupies less area, University of Alberta and the Tsinghua
integrates upgrading operations and University as partners in contributing
Zhen Lei (right) is mentored by Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein, a member of
costs less to build and operate through research, and subsequent
the Hole School of Construction Engineering, which emphasizes industry-
(www.cosi.ualberta.ca). development of innovative and efficient
oriented graduate student research in the management, industrialization,
and strategic modeling of construction. Industry-funded research
programs and interdisciplinary collaborations ranging from business to
architecture to mathematics combine to create exceptional learning and
networking opportunities for graduate students.
Taking on the
heavy lifting
Zhen Lei (BSc 09, MSc 11) is developing an
automated approach to crane path planning for
heavy industry, including the ongoing module-
based construction in Alberta’s oil sands.
Supervised by Dr. Mohamed Al-Hussein (NSERC
Industrial Research Chair in the Industrialization
of Building Construction) and working closely with
PCL Industrial Management Inc., Lei is replacing
a tedious and error-prone manual process for
lift planning with an automated calculation
and visualization methodology. In the words of
one industry insider, this project is “taking the
construction industry from the 19th to the 21st
century.”

As a PhD student in the Department of Civil and

Environmental Engineering, Lei has benefitted
from working with multiple companies in Canada
and Germany over the course of his research.

“There is no question in my mind that my post-

graduate experience will put me on the fast track
to success and leadership in industry,” says Lei.

Lei has been a leader in graduate student

government since his arrival from China in 2009.
Most recently, Lei was the VP Academic for
the Faculty of Engineering Graduate Research
Symposium. This annual, student-run event
features professional development workshops,
high-profile invited speakers and more than 100
interdisciplinary presentations from graduate
students in all five engineering departments. For
students, this event is an opportunity to meet their
peers in other departments and broaden their
knowledge base.
MSc
Graduate Programs in Engineering

PhD
All five Faculty Other post-graduate The MBA/MENG combines advanced The MD-PHD PROGRAM allows you
engineering knowledge with managerial to earn both MD and PhD degrees,
of Engineering program options skills for a competitive advantage in the preparing you for a career as a medical
departments offer The MASTER OF ENGINEERING (MENG) global marketplace. Students study the research scientist. To be accepted
MSc and PhD is a course-based degree intended for key areas of business in Year One and into this program, you must have
programs the working professional and foreign- focus on graduate-level courses within already been accepted into the MD

MEng
trained professionals interested in the student’s engineering discipline in Program, and have the approval of the
The MASTER OF SCIENCE (MSC) is becoming familiar with North American Year Two. An engineering project and MD/PhD Committee. This combined
a full-time, research-based degree industry. Course content is more a business strategy course complete degree program is offered jointly
requiring the completion of a thesis. As applied than in thesis-based MSc the program requirements. This degree by Biomedical Engineering and the
an MSc student, you will concentrate and PhD programs and is typically program is offered jointly with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.
on one area of study, developing more delivered in formats designed to better Alberta School of Business.
advanced skills and knowledge that accommodate working professionals.
will benefit you as you enter or re-enter The MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
industry. The ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INTERNETWORKING (MINT) is a two
MENG, MSC AND PHD DEGREES year course-based degree focused
The DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD) is provide unique graduate opportunities on Internetworking leadership
a rigorous, research-oriented degree that allow you to broaden your training. Course content addresses
requiring the completion of a thesis. management knowledge and both theoretical (academic) and
Taking specialization to the next expertise for leadership in technical practical aspects of Internetworking in
level, this program builds on your organizations. Many courses are intensive weekend sessions to better
analytical skills and leads to careers in offered during evening hours to better accommodate working professionals.
academia or corporate research and accommodate working professionals. This degree program is offered jointly
development. by the Departments of Electrical and Andrew Walsh (right) believes that access to
Computer Engineering and Computing a dedicated MRI facility offers students the
Science.
opportunity to make significant discoveries
and innovations. “Having almost unlimited
access to the MRI systems means individual
students can take an idea and move it
from development to verification to patient
application.”
Engineering better
patient outcomes
With one foot planted in the world of engineering and
the other in medicine, Andrew Walsh (BSc 08,
PhD 13) is poised to become a world leader in
medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Andrew,
an MD-PhD student, recently completed his PhD in
Engineering and has now returned to medical school
at the University of Alberta. Combining advanced
medical training with advanced scientific knowledge,
Andrew plans to make an impact in both research
and patient care as a clinician scientist.

“It’s like a positive feedback loop,” he explains.

“The synergy between the two sets of knowledge
makes you better in both roles.”

Andrew completed his PhD under the supervision

of Dr. Alan Wilman in the Department of Biomedical
Engineering and was funded by a Vanier Scholarship
(Canada’s most prestigious doctoral award). He
developed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
method to evaluate iron levels in the deep grey
matter of the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS)
patients. He subsequently found a correlation
between high iron levels in these brain areas and
the disease’s severity, especially when evaluated
longitudinally. Over the long-term, MRI assessment
of iron could be used to evaluate MS disease
progression and/or treatment effectiveness.

Andrew’s work was facilitated by his having access

to the Peter S. Allen MR Research Centre, a 100 per
cent research dedicated, state-of-the-art MRI facility
at the U of A. Unique within Canada and recently
expanded through a $17.5M grant anchored by the
Canada Foundation for Innovation, the facility has
three MRI systems for full-body human imaging
(field strengths: 1.5 T, 3 T and 4.7 T), all located
inside the University Hospital.
Small things lead to
big opportunities
Ryan Tucker (BSc 09) hopes to build a greener
future for our planet by developing nanostructured
electrodes for low cost, high efficiency energy
conversion devices. He discovered a method to
control the growth of transparent conductive single-
crystal nanostructured materials with extremely
high surface areas, making them ideal electrodes
for next generation optoelectronic devices. This
work was completed in the lab of Dr. Michael
Brett (Micralyne/NSERC/iCORE Senior Industrial
Research Chair, Canada Research Chair and Senior
Research Officer with the National Institute for
Nanotechnology) and has already resulted in a
provisional patent application.

Ryan, a PhD candidate in the Department of

Electrical and Computer Engineering with 14
journal publications and a long list of awards
(including the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial
Scholarship), is convinced that alternative energy
technologies can solve the world’s energy problems.

“It’s completely possible as long as engineers can

overcome the manufacturing challenges we face
right now.” For his part, Ryan intends to continue
to contribute to these solutions by pursuing what
he loves – inventive research and technology
development.

With more than 150 professors and 1400 total

interdisciplinary researchers (including 22 Canada
Research Chairs, six NSERC industrial Research
Chairs and a Canada Excellence Research Chair),
the University of Alberta is a destination of choice
for graduate students interested in nanotechnology
research.
 Admissions Requirements
Admission
and Deadlines
If you currently hold a degree in For more information on the different graduate programs, REMEMBER – graduate programs are
Engineering or a related field and visit each department’s graduate studies site: highly individualized and academic
plan to apply to a graduate program, qualification alone is not sufficient for
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
please contact the department admission in thesis-based programs.
www.biomed.engineering.ualberta.ca/en/Graduate.aspx
offering the area of research in You must identify a specific project and
which you are interested. Individual CHEMICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING have it agreed upon by a prospective
departments have different www.cme.engineering.ualberta.ca/en/Graduate.aspx thesis supervisor. For this reason, it
application and entry dates, as well is essential to approach individual
as different application procedures. CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING professors working in areas of interest
Students are admitted for both www.civil.engineering.ualberta.ca/en/Graduate.aspx to you early in your search process.
September and January start dates.
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING Admission to all programs is
www.ece.engineering.ualberta.ca/en/Graduate.aspx administered through the Faculty
of Graduate Studies and Research.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Please visit www.gradstudies.ualberta.
www.mece.engineering.ualberta.ca/en/Graduate.aspx
ca for additional information about
applications to graduate programs
and other information about graduate
studies at the University of Alberta.

Graduate students in the Faculty of Engineering have access to $200M

in state-of-the-art nanotechnology facilities on campus, including the
nanoFAB, an open-access fabrication facility housed in Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“These facilities give students access to all of the tools they need to follow
their curiosity,” say Ryan Tucker (left). “If someone asks ‘Can we try that
experiment here?’ the answer is ‘Yes! We can do that today.’”
International
International Financial Support for
Applicants Graduate Studies
The University of Alberta’s Faculty English is the Faculty of Engineering’s Almost all thesis-based graduate Addition information on funding for
of Engineering is home to more language of instruction. International students receive financial support graduate students can be found on
than 1200 international graduate applicants will require proof of their through external and internal the University of Alberta’s website:
students from more than 65 countries. proficiency in English in order be scholarships, research assistantships, www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca/
International students and alumni admitted. Proficiency is typically tuition support and teaching awardsfunding
praise the Faculty of Engineering for demonstrated using the Test of assistantships. Support levels vary, but

Financial
its highly respected and accessible English as a Foreign Language are generally sufficient to cover tuition
faculty members and cutting-edge (TOEFL). costs and basic living expenses.
research facilities. They also appreciate The Faculty of Engineering provides
Canada’s safe, welcoming and approximately $19M in financial
supportive multicultural community.
International support to graduate students annually.
admission

Support
International agreements
application deadlines The University of Alberta has signed
agreements to co-sponsor international
If you are applying from outside of student admission into several U of A
Canada (or from within Canada with graduate programs. The agreements
a study permit), you should be aware promote collaboration in a variety
that most departments have earlier of fields. Details can be found
application deadlines for international at: www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca/
applicants to accommodate timelines applyadmission/intlagreements.aspx
to secure any necessary visas. Immediately after completing her PhD, Lucy Nolan (right) was hired as
a yield engineer with Intel in Portland, Oregon. Because she sees new
chip designs long before they come to market, the specifics of what
she does are top-secret. Lucy now balances life in a lively city with the
pursuit of a dream career.

“Working here is fantastic!” she says. “I’m working on projects that are
on the absolute cutting edge. It’s amazing.”
Putting the polish
on a bright future
After spending a semester at the University of
Alberta in 2003 on exchange from the University
of Wollongong in Australia, Lucy Nolan (BSc 04,
PhD 12) realized she felt right at home in Edmonton.
So, in 2008 she returned to the Faculty of Engineering
to pursue her PhD as part of a research group led by
Dr. Ken Cadien in the Department of Chemical and
Materials Engineering. Dr. Cadien had recently left
one of the most senior technical positions at Intel
Corporation to become the Canada Research Chair
in Nanofabrication.

Lucy’s research focused on chemical-mechanical

polishing of copper in the production of
semiconductor devices. Copper has become
the material of choice for the tiny ‘wires’ within
microchips, but its use requires polishing with
chemicals and nano-sized abrasives. Industry has
been doing this successfully for years, but no one
is entirely sure how it works, making the process
difficult to improve.

“I discovered that, with literally thousands of

variables, completely unpredictable outcomes, and no
effective computer modeling system, the challenges
in this field were enormous and incredibly exciting.”

In addition to challenging herself intellectually at

graduate school, Lucy found work-life balance by
joining a local women’s Australian Rules football
team. After two years, she wound up playing for
Canada in the 2011 International Cup in Australia
(and wining a silver medal). It was a complete change
from life in the lab.

“Graduate research is an individual pursuit,”

Lucy notes, “and to be part of a team was a great
counterbalance. Practices and games were a real
release.”
Sinking his teeth
into innovation
While Cristian Scurtescu (BSc 03, MSc 07) was still
working on his graduate degree, he helped develop
an innovative device to facilitate non-invasive
treatment and prevention of dental root problems.
In 2008, he founded his own start-up company,
SmileSonica Inc., with that early stage technology.
“There was no question in my mind that I’d
matched a technical solution to a defined market
need,” he says.
Today, SmileSonica employs more than 10 people –
the majority of whom hold advanced degrees from
the University of Alberta. Cristian plans to ship
devices for use in dental practices within a year.
Cristian joined the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering in 2004. He was one of
three students to receive the iCORE International
Student Award. During his MSc studies, Cristian
participated in a collaboration between Engineering
and Dentistry to design, test and fabricate
microelectronic circuits and transducers for new
intra-oral ultrasound devices intended to stimulate
dental tissue repair.
After graduation, Cristian decided he needed to
move the technology from the lab to dentists’
offices. His initial financial support and mentorship
came from the MSTRI entrepreneur development
program administered by the Faculty of
Engineering (now called nanoBridge). With this
funding and coaching, Cristian was able to build a
solid business plan and work on early prototypes.
 The University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is one of
U of A
Faculty, staff and students in the 400
the top 100 universities in the world, research laboratories on campus
and a leader amongst Canada’s are focused on cutting-edge,
comprehensive, research-based multidisciplinary research and are
universities. Founded in 1908, the supported by $1.1B in new building
University serves more than 38,000 construction and Canada’s second
students and has annual external largest library system. Technology
research funding in excess of translation at the university, an
$500M. important focus for many members of
the Faculty of Engineering and their
collaborators, has resulted in 1,150
invention disclosures, 360 patents,
and 70+ spin-off companies in the
last 13 years.

For more information about the

University of Alberta, please visit:
www.ualberta.ca

Cristian Scurtescu’s startup company, SmileSonica, is currently focused

on product development, thanks to a combination of private funds and
provincial and federal grants. The company is housed in incubator space
in the National Institute for Nanotechnology where Cristian and his team
(left) can access prototyping tools in the nanoFAB, design software in
the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, and product development
resources from the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products.
Edmonton
About Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of The University of Alberta’s main The campus is also a short walk from Edmonton is served by the country’s
Alberta and home to more than campus is located on the south side Old Strathcona, a historical district fifth largest airport, Edmonton
one million people. Located along of the North Saskatchewan River. that is home to some of Edmonton’s International Airport (EIA). Located
the North Saskatchewan River, the From campus, you can travel easily most unique shops, movie theatres, approximately 20 minutes from the
city is safe, welcoming and values to other parts of the city via light rail restaurants and coffee houses. For city’s southern boundary, EIA offers
multiculturalism. It boasts North transit and an extensive bus network. those wishing to venture farther afield, non-stop air service to more than
America’s largest expanse of urban Downtown, which is approximately 10 a few hours’ drive west will bring 50 national, US and international
parkland, which includes more than minutes away by transit, is home to you to Jasper and Canada’s Rocky destinations.
97 km of multi-use trails. the head offices of many of Canada’s Mountains, where you can explore the
For more information about the city,
largest engineering firms, including outdoors by camping, hiking, skiing,
Often called “Canada’s Festival City,” please visit: www.edmonton.ca
those who are close collaborators or simply enjoy the stunning scenery.
Edmonton hosts over thirty cultural
with the Faculty of Engineering.
festivals throughout the year to
These firms help to drive Edmonton’s
celebrate the arts, music, food and
diverse and robust economy, which
sport. Major annual events include
ranges from knowledge-based to
Canadian Finals Rodeo, Edmonton
resource-driven industries, including
Street Performers Festival, K-Days,
oil production, petrochemicals,
Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Nadia Shafie Zadeh (right) chose the Department
agriculture, forestry, mining and
Fringe Theater Festival.
construction. Edmonton is also of Civil and Environmental Engineering at
considered Canada’s gateway to the the University of Alberta for its outstanding
robust resources sector in northern international reputation and was pleased to
Alberta and northern Canada. accept a Provost Doctoral Entrance Award.
“At the University of Alberta, I’ve found a caring
supervisor, excellent facilities and an interesting,
industry-facing project,” Nadia says. “All the tools
for success in graduate school are here.”
Looking beneath the
surface for solutions
Nadia Shafie Zadeh (BSc 99, MSc 04) is trying to
accurately characterize stresses in caprock materials
for oils sands steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD)
and carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. Caprock
lies between a reservoir and the surface, and having
an accurate understanding of the far-field stresses in
this material improves reservoir safety and recovery.
Combining data collected in-lab (for estimating
geomechanical properties) with in situ micro-hydraulic
fracturing data from industrial partners pursuing SAGD
in Alberta’s oil sands, Nadia is using numerical methods
to provide new insights into caprock in situ stress
interpretation.

Dr. Rick Chalaturnyk, Nadia’s mentor, is the theme lead

for CCS projects in the Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative
(HAI). The HAI is a $33M strategic alliance between the
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
and the University of Alberta that fosters international
research collaborations in sustainable use of energy
resources. As an HAI student, Nadia travelled to
Germany to participate in the 2nd HAI Science Forum
where she met her collaborators face-to-face. For
Nadia, it was an important opportunity to observe
alternate approaches to energy research.

Nadia’s scientific curiosity has driven her to become an

expert in her field. After completing both her BSc and
MSc, and several years of work with Lar Consulting
Engineers in Iran, Nadia chose to pursue further
education in Canada.

“I was drawn to the combination of high technology

research and a safe, friendly environment,” she
explains.
Graduating to a career
Christopher Lin (BSc 06, PhD 09) earned his PhD in a fast-
paced research group, working directly with companies
like NOVA Chemicals, General Electric and Imperial Oil.
Mentored by Dr. Steven Kuznicki (Canada Research Chair
and NSERC/NOVA Chemicals Senior Industrial Research
Chair in Molecular Sieves) of the Department of Chemical
and Materials Engineering, Christopher learned to critically
analyze research questions and pursue inventive solutions.
Along the way, he authored five patent applications and 18
peer-reviewed publications, all addressing the synthesis and
applications of zeolite molecular sieves.

Christopher was hired as a Tailings Management Specialist

at Imperial Oil immediately after graduation. His first
assignment was to develop technologies to reduce oil sands
tailings toxicity and accelerate reclamation. For Christopher,
it represented a significant challenge in a new field.

“I immediately realized that I didn’t know the answer or even

where to start,” he explains. “Fortunately, I had learned how
to tackle a new discipline and new research questions in
graduate school.”

With that experience and knowledge behind him, Christopher

has been able to make significant and rapid progress in
his work. In fact, the technology developed by his team has
become a lead option for tailings management.

Christopher’s current focus is on the use and re-use of water

in oil sands operations. He represents Imperial Oil’s water
research programs in Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance,
an industry-wide consortium. Christopher also acts as
steward for projects within the Centre for Oil Sands Innovation
(COSI) at the University of Alberta. The $50M research centre
is developing technologies for cleaner, lower-cost oil sands
operations that reduce water and energy consumption, and
greenhouse gas emissions. Through COSI, Christopher has
the opportunity to work with Engineering faculty members
who share his goal of “making Alberta’s energy a sustainable
resource for the world.”
Mineral Processing Mining Engineering Molecular Sieves Nanoelectronics Nanofabrication Nanotechnology
Non-Aqueous Bitumen Extraction Oil Sands Tailings Oil Sands Upgrading Petroleum Engineering Petroleum
Thermodynamics Photonics and Electromagnetics Pipelines and Pipeline Transport Plasmas Polymer Engineering
Power Electronics and Systems Process Control Rail Hazards and Safety Renewable Energy Robotics Safety and Risk
Management Signal and Image Processing Smart Grids Software Engineering Solid Mechanics Structural Engineering
Synthetic Biology Systems and Control Systems Biology Tailings Management Thermal Conversion Thermodynamics
Thermo-fluids Transportation Engineering Unconventional Oil Recovery Water Quality Management Water Resources
Welding and Joining Wireless Systems Advanced Fuel Cells Aerosols and Particle Dynamics Biochemical Engineering
Biomechanics Biomedical Engineering Carbon Capture and Storage Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Colloids
Communications Computational Intelligence Computer Engineering Construction Engineering and Managemen
Corrosion and Wear Drug and Gene Delivery Electronic Materials and Devices Energy and the Environmen
Energy Systems Engineering Management Environmental Engineering Environmental Remediation Fluid Dynamics
Geostatistics Geotechnical Engineering Information and Communications Technologies Integrated Circuits Interfacia
Engineering Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Materials Processing Mathematical Modeling Metamaterials Micro
and Nano-Electromechanical Systems Micro- and Nanofluidics Mineral Processing Mining Engineering Molecula
Sieves Nanoelectronics Nanofabrication Nanotechnology Non-Aqueous Bitumen Extraction Oil Sands Tailings Oi
Sands Upgrading Petroleum Engineering Petroleum Thermodynamics Photonics and Electromagnetics Pipelines
and Pipeline Transport Plasmas Polymer Engineering Power Electronics and Systems Process Control Rail Hazards
and Safety Renewable Energy Robotics Safety and Risk Management Signal and Image Processing Smart Grids
Software Engineering Solid Mechanics Structural Engineering Synthetic Biology Systems and Control Systems
Biology Tailings Management Thermal Conversion Thermodynamics Thermo-fluids Transportation Engineering
C
Unconventional Oil Recovery Water Quality Management Water Resources Welding and Joining Wireless Systems
 Faculty of Engineering
Donadeo Innovation Centre
for Engineering
9211-116 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6G 1H9

Phone: 780.492.3320
Toll free: 1.800.407.8354
Fax: 780.492.0500

www.engineering.ualberta.ca
eng.grad@ualberta.ca

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