This fall, four new faculty members joined the Faculty of Engineering along with 11 adjunct faculty members, 16 associate members, seven visiting members and 42 postdoctoral fellows.
New Faculty
Department of Computing and Software
Claudio Menghi, Assistant Professor
Claudio Menghi received his BSc and MSc degrees in computer science from Politecnico di Milano, where he also did his Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Carlo Ghezzi. Then, he was a post-doctoral researcher at Chalmers | University of Gothenburg and a research associate at the University of Luxembourg. His research interests lie in formal methods and software engineering, with an emphasis on automated verification and how it can be used to support the development of systems. Claudio spent several years researching in collaboration with the industry. He collaborated with industrial partners working in the robotic domain, i.e., BOSCH and PAL Robotics, and in the aerospace and cyber-physical domains, i.e., LuxSpace and QRA Corp.
Jelle Hellings, Assistant Professor
Prior to his arrival at McMaster, Jelle Hellings worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, Davis, where he worked on resilient systems. His current research is centered around the foundations of future high-performance large-scale data management systems, with a main focus on database theory, graph databases, and the theory and technology of resilient systems that can manage data while dealing with faulty behavior (e.g., hardware failures, software failures, and malicious attacks). This successful work has already resulted in a recently-published book on transaction processing on blockchains and publications at DISC, VLDB, SIGMOD,ICDT, ICDE, and EDBT. Jelle studied Computer Science and Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands.
Shahab Asoodeh, Assistant Professor
Shahab Asoodeh joins McMaster from Harvard University where he was a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences from 2019 to 2021. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Chicago as a postdoctoral fellow. He obtained his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Mathematics from Queen’s University in 2017 and 2012, and his M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering jointly from ETH Zurich, Switzerland and TU Delft, Netherlands in 2010. His research interests include responsible machine learning, differential privacy, distributed optimization and learning, social and economic networks, discrete geometry, and information theory.
Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Hoda Kamel, Assistant Professor
With an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Kuwait University, Hoda Kamel also holds a MASc in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. Hoda is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. She has worked as a Product Manager for multiple semiconductor companies and hearing instrument manufacturers throughout Southwestern Ontario where she led key projects from the idea-phase to launch by working with teams of professionals from different areas of the organization.
Hoda also spent four years as a part-time faculty member at the McKeil School of Business, Mohawk College teaching various marketing and business courses. Since 2014, she has been a sessional instructor for GENTECH courses at McMaster University. She is also a Certified True Colors Facilitator with experience in personality assessment and team building.
Adjunct Faculty Appointments
Robert Black has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. Black is a Research Officer with the National Research Council (NRC). Drew Higgins has been working alongside Black on a project supported by NRC’s Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge Program.
Li Ningyuan has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. Ningyuan’s expertise is in the field of infrastructure management technologies, including roads, bridges, structures, safety facilities, traffic signs and control management facilities.
Mehrnoosh Askarpour has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Computing and Software effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. Askarpour has ongoing research collaborations with McSCert, which will continue as she moves into a new role at GM, including co-supervisions of MSc students.
Dimitris Kolovos has been appointed as an adjunct professor in the Department of Computing and Software effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. Kolovos is a Professor of Software Engineering at University of York, UK. His expertise is in the areas of Model Driven Engineering and automated software engineering.
Jonathan White has been appointed as an adjunct professor in the Department of Engineering Physics effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. White is a Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at Yuan Ze University with research collaborations in the areas of IoT and 2DM.
Greg Zilberbrant has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. Zilberbrandt will support the development of opportunities in carbon offsetting and carbon insetting research, projects, and land-based education.
Frances Lasowski has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term. Lasowski will be advising MEEI and MED students on their applied research in health care technology commercialization, linking activities of both the Booth School undergraduate and graduate program students to working professionals within her professional network and playing a lead role on community engagement initiatives of key strategic interest to the Booth School, that rest at the intersection of entrepreneurship and biotechnology.
Ahmed Damir has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term. Damir will collaborate and provide co-op opportunities for students which provide state of the art training in advanced design, materials and manufacturing of aerospace components.
Anthony Cupido has been appointed as an adjunct associate professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term. Cupido will advise MEPP students on their applied research in engineering and public policy that rest at the intersection of climate change readiness, green buildings, and engineering and public policy.
Andrea Hemmerich has been appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term. Hemmerich will teach SEP 760/ Design Thinking and SEP 761 / Human-Centred Design courses, supervise MED students performing design projects within the SEP 700 course and complete project work in the areas of Health & Wellness and Sustainability.
Mikhail Sorin has been appointed as an adjunct professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term. Sorin will be teaching several graduate courses.
Associate Member Appointments
Chi Tang, Assistant Professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology has been appointed as an associate member in the Department of Civil Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Hamidreza Mahyar, Assistant Professor in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology has been appointed as an associate member in the Department of Computing and Software effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Tapas Mondal, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics has been appointed as an associate member in the Department of Computing and Software effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Ayse Turak, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics has been appointed as an associate member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a three-year term. She has also been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Anthony Adili, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Baraa Al-Khazraji, Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Nabil Bassim, Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Alexandra Papaioannou, Professor in the Department of Medicine has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Kourosh Sabri, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Sarah Svenningsen, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Rong Zheng, Professor in the Department of Computing and Software has been appointed as an associate member in the School of Biomedical Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Wael El-Dakhakhni, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective March 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Zoe Li, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective March 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Philip Koshy, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective March 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Heather Sheardown, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective March 1, 2021 for a three-year term.
Mo Elbestawi, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been appointed as an associate member in the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology effective July 1, 2021 for a five-year term.
Visiting Appointments
Song Xu will be a visiting scholar in the Department of Civil Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for one year.
DongYeob Han will be a visiting professor in the Department of Civil Engineering effective July 1, 2021 for one year.
Amr Sabry will be a visiting professor in the Department of Computing and Software effective July 1, 2021 for one year.
Paolo Noronha will be a visiting professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2022 for six months.
Ahmed Abdelall will be a visiting researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective September 1, 2021 for seven months.
Zhenhe Li will be a visiting researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective September 1, 2021 for one year.
Fan Liang will be a visiting researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective September 1, 2021 for one year.
Postdoctoral Fellow Appointments
Computer and Software Engineering
Zhao Yuhang, Supervisor: Wolfram Khal, effective April, 2021
Chemical Engineering
Madeline Simpson, Supervisor: Todd Hoare, effective January, 2021
Karim Soliman, Heather Sheardown, effective January, 2021
Lisha Zhao, Supervisor: Todd Hoare, effective January, 2021
Si Pan, Supervisor: Raja Ghosh, effective May, 2021
Sudheesh Veeranmaril, Supervisor: Drew Higgins, effective May, 2021
Honfeng Zhang, Supervisor: Robert Pelton, effective May, 2021
Sayedesmael Balaghi, Supervisor: Drew Higgins, effective June, 2021
Civil Engineering
Feras Alsheet, Supervisors: Drs. Ghani Razapur & Younggy Kim, effective January 2021
Mohamed Ismail, Supervisor: Wael El-Dakhakhni, effective January 2021
Hui Guo, Supervisor: Younggy Kim, effective May 2021
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Diego Valencia Garcia, Supervisor: Ali Emadi, effective January 2021
Zekun Xia, Supervisor: Ali Emadi, effective January 2021
Bo Zhang, Supervisor: Rong Zheng, effective January 2021
Khaled Ahmed, Supervisor: Liz Hassan, effective February, 2021
Sumit Majumder, Supervisor: Jamal Deen, effective May 2021
Chuanning Niu, Supervisor: Xun Li, effective April 2021
Chonglei Sun, Supervisor: Xun Li, effective April 2021
Engineering Physics
Jeremy Miller, Supervisor: Drs. Jonathan Bradley & Peter Mascher, effective February, 2021
Sudip Saha, Supervisor: Leyla Soleymani, effective February 2021
Basma Borai, Supervisor: David Novog, effective June 2021
Ranjan Das, Supervisor: Andy Knights, effective June 2021
Richa Pandey, Supervisor: Leyla Soleymani, effective June 2021
Ekram Wassel, Supervisor: Soleymani, effective June 2021
Mohammed Alqahtani, Supervisor: Aadrian Buijs, effective July 2021
Javier Gonzalez Mantecon, Supervisor: David Novog, effective July 2021
Payel Sen, Supervisor: Leyla Soleymani, effective July 2021
Mechanical Engineering
Majid Abdoos, Supervisor: Stephen Veldhuis, effective January, 2021
Bipasha Bose, Supervisor: Stephen Veldhuis, effective January, 2021
Elhameh Narimani, Supervisor: Jim Cotton, effective January, 2021
Romina Rodriguez, Supervisor: Ali Emadi, effective January, 2021
Ali Ahmed, Supervisor: Jim Cotton, effective February, 2021, 2021
John Polansky, Supervisor: Jim Cotton, effective March, 2021
Sneha Shanbhag, Supervisor: Ravi Selvaganapathy, effective March, 2021
Mostafa Yakout, Supervisor: Mo Elbestawi, effective May, 2021
Atriya Biswas, Supervisor: Ali Emadi, effective June, 2021
Materials Science and Engineering
Darren Feenstra, Supervisor: Drs. Joey Kish & Hatem Zurob, effective January 2021
Yi Feng, Supervisor: Andre Phillion, effective January 2021
Gopi Krishnan, Supervisor: Nabil Bassim, effective February, 2021
Morteza Narvan, Supervisor: Andre Phillion, effective April 2021
Imed-Eddine Benrabah, Supervisor: Hatem Zurob, effective July 2021
Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Herlys Viltres Cobas, Supervisors: Drs. Amin Rajabzadeh & Sesha Srinivasan, effective April 2021
