2020 - 2021 Electrical & Computer Engineering Awards
Faculty Award Winners
Faculty of Engineering Undergraduate Teaching Award
Dr. Mani Vaidyanathan
Graduate Award Winners
LE Gads Teaching Assistant Award
Mikael Sabuhi
George Walker Award for Best Doctoral Thesis in Fall 2020
Aindrila Ghosh
“The focus of the thesis is Dimensionality Reduction (DR). More specifically, three different challenges associated with the DR process are addressed namely: the selection of the most appropriate algorithm, interpretation of its outcome, and evaluation of the quality of the reduced dimensions. In order to achieve the research goals, at first, a large-scale experimental study is performed, where 15 of the most popular DR techniques are statistically analyzed and the first-ever practitioners’ guideline for selecting DR algorithms in a given analytical context, is created. Next, two novel algorithms namely Local Approximation of Preserved Structure (LAPS) and Global Approximation of Projection Space (GAPS) are presented that help with the interpretation of the structural quality of the outcome of any DR technique. Finally, to enable a user-driven evaluation of DR methods, a visual interactive toolkit namely: Visual Explanations of Preserved Structure (VisExPreS) is presented with Proactively Guided LAPS and GAPS. The value and novelty of the presented solutions are demonstrated using extensive evaluations throughout the thesis.”
Dr. J Miller
George Walker Award for Best Doctoral Thesis in Winter 2021
Andrew Longman
“The PhD thesis of Andrew Longman represents a significant advancement in the understanding of the interaction at high intensities of a new class of optical modes incorporating a controlled amount of angular momentum into the light beam. These modes, referred to as Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) modes or Vortex modes have a twisted helical wavefront structure and are of great interest at present for applications where the extra angular momentum can be used for carrying information or, at high intensities, for transferring angular momentum to the target system. The thesis begins with the development and application of a new technique to generate OAM modes in high power laser facilities using off-axis spiral phase mirrors fabricated by Andrew in the Nanofabrication facility. It follows with the derivation of the correct description of these modes when focused to high intensities. It then explores the interaction at high intensity focused laser beams with low density plasma and the generation of extreme magnetic fields due to the relativistic circular electron current driven by the absorbed angular momentum. The thesis is remarkable in covering all aspects from formation and characterization of such modes to experimental investigations of the interaction of these modes with plasma and state-of-the-art particle in cell supercomputer modeling of the plasma interactions. The ability to introduce and control angular momentum in interactions of light with matter opens up a whole new parameter regime for control of responses obtained and this thesis stands as an important first work on the high intensity interactions of such modes with plasma.”
Dr. R Fedosejevs
C.R. James Award for Best Master of Science Thesis in Fall 2020
Changpeng (Andy) Jiang
"Changpeng (Andy) Jiang started his BSc study at the University of Alberta in Electrical Engineering in 2012. Upon completion of his BSc Cooperative Program in 2017, Andy began a thesis-based MSc degree in the area of Energy Systems under my supervision. The topic of his thesis research is “Investigation and Reduction of the Common-Mode Voltage Effects in Transformerless Solar PV Inverters”. During his MSc study, he took an 8-month internship as an Electrical Engineer - Wind & Solar Operation at TransAlta in Pincher Creek, AB. Andy’s research work was supported by Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarships and Canada First Research Excellence Funds. He has published two top conference papers in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Expo, and one journal article in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, all serving as the first author. He is currently working as a Product Safety Engineer & Certifier at CSA Group in Edmonton, AB."
Dr. Y Li
C.R. James Award for Best Master of Science Thesis in Winter 2021
Sara Ghaemi
“Sara Ghaemi started her thesis-based MSc study in software engineering and intelligent systems, under the supervision of Dr. Hamzeh Khazaei and Dr. Petr Musilek, in September 2018. Her research focuses on blockchains and distributed ledger technologies and the topic of her thesis is "Analysis and Design of Open Decentralized Serverless Computing Platforms". During the course of her program, Sara worked on analyzing the performance of distributed ledgers and designing blockchain-based systems that can solve some of the fundamental issues of centralized systems. One of these systems was a blockchain-based serverless computing platform called ChainFaaS that she designed, implemented, and evaluated. This platform allows people to rent out the computational power of their personal computers to be used towards distributed computing. This has been enabled by the use of blockchain which provides a secure communication platform. After the implementation of this platform, it was observed that ChainFaaS needs to interoperate with other blockchain networks to reach its full potential. Therefore, in a collaboration with the Linux Foundation, Sara designed a blockchain interoperability solution for permissioned blockchains that enables these networks to achieve a common goal by providing a communication platform between them.”
Dr. P Musilek
Undergraduate Award Winners
Governor General Silver Medal
Mia Thomas
The Rt Honourable CD Howe Memorial Fellowship
Mia Thomas
The Dean's Medal in Engineering
Mia Thomas
Ronald E & Jackie Phillips Award
Mia Thomas
Jordy Sehn
Kevin Quinn
Willard Farmer
APEGA Past Presidents' Medal
Ayushi Patel - Computer Engineering
Mia Thomas - Electrical Engineering
Boden Eakins - Engineering Physics
Peer of Peers Award
Owen Stadlwieser
J Graham Dale Memorial Software Design Prize
Micheal Antifaoff
Dale Naviza