Below are 10 of the most memorable news stories from McMaster Engineering in 2024. From a student-designed torch appearing at a worldwide event in Normandy, France to lifesaving bacteriophages and groundbreaking research on hockey equipment, our students, faculty and staff are engineering a brighter future in diverse ways.
Researchers developed way to make lifesaving phages accessible, transportable and much easier to use
Until now, though, there hasn’t been a way to access phages quickly and efficiently, especially in emergency cases of antibiotic resistant infections. Researchers at McMaster University, working with a colleague from Université Laval, developed a simple new way to store, identify and share phages, making them more accessible to patients in need.
McMaster Engineering received national Actua Experience Award for its Black Youth in STEM Program
The Community Outreach team in the Faculty of Engineering was honoured with a Actua Experience Award for their exceptional contributions to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programming geared towards Black youth. The award was presented at Actua’s national conference in Ottawa, Ontario on February 7.
International Women in Engineering Day celebrated with four Canadian women engineering deans
At June Convocation, Suzanne Kresta, the first woman dean of engineering at both the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Prince Edward Island, received an honorary doctorate. She joined fellow deans of engineering Heather Sheardown (McMaster), Mary Wells (Waterloo), and Jane Goodyer (York) to discuss breaking barriers, just ahead of International Women in Engineering Day.
Revolutionizing hockey safety: McMaster Engineering lab conducted groundbreaking research on neck guards with Niko Apparel Systems
Researchers at the McMaster Injury Biomechanics Laboratory are working to make sport safer. They tested the protection of hockey neck guards, including the AEGIS Impact Interceptor neck guard by Niko Apparel, which proved to stand out amongst big-name brands.
Students’ final-year torch project designed at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute burned bright in Normandy, France
The D-Day landings along the shores of Normandy, France, changed the course of the Second World War. While most students learn about this part of history as a chapter in a textbook, three McMaster Engineering students found themselves immersed in its significance. They brought a remembrance torch they designed to the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemoration at Juno Beach. Not only did they speak at the internationally broadcast event in front of the Prime Ministers of Canada and France, they were able to connect Veterans in attendance with the commemorative torch.
Community Energy Transition Workshop united nationwide partners and researchers for dialogue on energy security in northern and remote communities
As Canada and First Nations look to a future of achieving safe, reliable and zero-emission energy, collaboration with residents from northern and remote communities is key to exploring viable and long-lasting solutions. The need to build relationships and mutual understanding inspired a two-day Community Energy Transition Workshop at McMaster University on May 6 and 7.
First-year engineering design course yielded accessible solutions for client with spina bifida
The Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects in Engineering course – or ENGINEER 1P13 – brings together a team of faculty mentors, instructional coordinators, instructional assistants, lab technicians and teaching assistants to support students in developing group projects. Each year, as the final project of the course, students are introduced to a client with special needs and assigned to design, prototype and build a product that strives to improve accessibility. This year’s winning design, WheelBeats – an app aimed at improving accessibility for wheelchair users at concerts – went on to be a runner-up at the Canadian James Dyson Awards.
Engineering change: Ramla Karim Qureshi took action when confronted with seemingly insurmountable challenges
On October 8, 2005, Pakistan was struck by a devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake, causing over 80,000 casualties. Among those aiding the internally displaced survivors was a teenage Ramla Karim Qureshi. This experience profoundly impacted her, inspiring her to found Women Engineers Pakistan and eventually join McMaster’s Department of Civil Engineering as an assistant professor.
Engineering student named McMaster University Co-op Student of the Year
Materials Science and Engineering student Irenaeus Wong was this year’s recipient of the McMaster Co-op Student of the Year award. Wong, who was also the recipient of the Undergraduate Co-op Student of the Year award from the Faculty of Engineering, was recognized for his work at an internship with Rivian Automotive.
Engineering student pursued experiences that make her space dreams a reality
When she was only 17, Magalie Durepos-Létourneau took a giant leap towards her career ambitions when she worked with the Canadian Space Agency and Science Timmins on her own experiment, which was then launched on a stratospheric balloon.