Congratulations To Harald Schrempp On His Retirement
Congratulations to Harald Schrempp, Manager of Civil Labs & Workshops, who has retired from UBC Civil Engineering after 33 years with the department! Harald Schrempp joined the Department in September 1985 as an Engineering Technician 4. In July 1998, he was promoted to Workshop Supervisor (Eng. Technician 5), and in January 2014, he was promoted […]
Best Wishes to Professor Eric Hall On His Retirement
Congratulations to Professor Dr. Eric Hall, who has retired from UBC Civil Engineering after 26 years with the department! Dr. Hall obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Biochemistry from McMaster University in 1972 and 1974. He then pursued studies in the Water Research Group at McMaster, where he received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering […]
UBC Civil Teams Wins 2018 WEFTEC Student Design Competition
Congratulations to UBC Civil Environmental students (left to right) James Craxton, Steven Rintoul, Lutz Subagio, Johnson Li, as well as supervisor Professor Noboru Yonemitsu, who won first place in the 2018 WEFTEC Student Design Competition! The Student Design Competition begins at the Member Association (MA) level. Each MA is encouraged to develop their own Student Design […]
UBC Civil Professor Loretta Li Featured as Keynote Speaker at 2018 STEM Career Conference
On Sept. 16 2018, UBC Civil Professor Dr. Loretta Li was featured as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s STEM Career Conference, held at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. The conference is an annual event for high school and university students who excel at or are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and […]
2018 Civil Undergraduate Student Scavenger Hunt and Bridge Building Competition
On September 4th, 2018, the Department welcomed new Civil Engineering majors with its annual undergraduate student orientation. The orientation consisted of a scavenger hunt and popsicle stick model bridge-building competition, the latter being a new addition to the 2018 activities. This Fall, we welcome 121 new majors into the Bachelors in Civil Engineering program. The […]
UBC Civil Engineering Hosts International Students for Vancouver Summer Program
On July 14- August 14, 2018, the Department of Civil Engineering hosted dozens of international undergraduate students for the annual Vancouver Summer Program. The Vancouver Summer Program (VSP) is a four-week academic program offered by various Faculties at the University of British Columbia, Canada for students from cooperating universities. The program provides the opportunity to take two […]
UBC Study Co-Authored By Professor Tarek Sayed Examines Distracted Pedestrian Cellphone Use in Crosswalks
(Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) UBC Civil Engineering Professor Tarek Sayed‘s research on pedestrian cellphone use was featured this week in The New York Times and CBC News. In the UBC study, led by engineers, two cameras were mounted at pedestrian crossing intersections monitoring the movement of over 350 pedestrians over a two-day period. Observations from the study found that over […]
Professor Alex Bigazzi Challenges the Concept of “Ideological War on Transportation” In Vancouver
According to a study on global traffic patterns , Vancouver has the 203rd worst traffic in the world. In an effort to solve the congestion issue in city, Vancouver Mayoral candidate Wai Young proposed to remove separate bike lanes and demolish the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts if she gets elected. But are these infrastructures really the ones […]
IC-IMPACTS Conference connects Canada-India infrastructure, water and health research
IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability) marked the completion of its first five years by bringing together researchers to discuss their progress on infrastructure, water and health challenges. Special guests at the two-day research conference included India’s High Commissioner to Canada, His Excellency Vikas Swarup, and the Consul […]
UBC Team Takes Home Two Awards at 2018 EERI Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition
Last week, nearly 350 students participated in the 15th Annual EERI Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition (SDC) at the 11th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (11NCEE) and 2018 EERI Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. The Seismic Design Competition (SDC) includes over 30 teams from universities across the US and around the world. Each team designed a complex tall building model […]
Another Year of Success: UBC CSCE Wins National CSCE President’s Best Student Chapter Award
The UBC CSCE Student Chapter came first in a nation-wide selection of the best student chapters of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), an organization that aims to unite civil engineering communities across Canada. Having won the same award in 2015, this is another year of great success for the Student Chapter. After thorough review and evaluation of […]
Civil Engineering’s Dr. Loretta Li Speaks at Young WISE Event
Growing up in a family of only daughters and attending an all-girls school run by nuns, Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Loretta Li never thought to differentiate activities between genders. A rarity in 1950s Hong Kong, her father emphasized the importance of education for girls, supporting his daughters’ academic aspirations despite bewilderment from extended family and friends. Professor […]
Professor Bernard Laval wins prestigious Killam Teaching Prize
Civil Engineering Professor Bernard Laval has been awarded a 2018 Killam Teaching Prize for the Faculty of Applied Science. Nominated by students, faculty and alumni, the Killam Teaching Prizes are the highest recognition of an exceptional teaching awarded to instructors by UBC. Dr. Laval’s commitment to graduate and undergraduate learning has been a positive impact on Civil […]
Yes, It Floats: UBC Concrete Canoe Team Rises to the Challenge at National Competition
UBC’s Concrete Canoe team recently competed at the Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition (CNCCC) at Waterloo University in Ontario. This three-day event brought together civil engineering students from all over the country from May 10th – 12th. The UBC team has been preparing for the better part of the year, designing and testing their material, designing […]
Professor Donald Mavinic interviewed by Star Vancouver about new approaches to Canadian wastewater management
UBC Civil Engineering Professor Emeritus Donald Mavinic spoke to the Star Vancouver about the need to update Canadian wastewater management standards. As the chair of a panel that spent six months reviewing water contaminants in Canadian cities, Mavinic discusses the need for treatment infrastructure to catch up with the new pollutants entering our water. The […]
Civil Research Associate Listed in CBC Environmentalist Roundup
Dr. Asha Srinivasan listed among powerhouse Canadian environmentalists like Naomi Klein and David Suzuki for her work in waste reduction To celebrate Earth Day, CBC released an article listing “13 Canadian environmentalists and innovators changing Earth for the better.” In addition to household names like David Suzuki and Naomi Klein, the list included a member […]
Spring 2018 Undergraduate Roundup: The Iron Ring, Student Awards, and Grad Trip to Cuba
With the spring term coming to a close, the 2018 class of Civil Engineering students are celebrating their graduation and transition into the engineering world outside of UBC. Amidst the celebrations, graduates affirm their commitment to engineering ethics, recognize the contributions of students to the UBC community and explore the field of civil engineering around […]
2018 Civil Undergraduate Teaching Award Recipients
Friday, April 20, 2018 | By Amelia Pitt-Brooke Pitt-Brooke After a vote by the undergraduate student body, the Civil Engineering Club has announced the recipients of this year’s Civil Undergraduate Teaching Awards: Undergraduate Teaching Award Winner 2nd year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Gregory A. Lawrence 3rd year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Noboru Yonemitsu 4th year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Reza Joghataie Exceptional […]
Steel Bridge Team Places 3rd at 2018 Pacific Northwest Regional Competition
Civil Engineering Students Progress to ASCE Nationals in Illinois The UBC Steel Bridge team won 3rd place in last week’s regional competition held by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE). The 20 member team took their 17’ model bridge to the ASCE Pacific Northwest Conference in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to face off against 18 other […]
UBC-Based IC-IMPACTS Deepens Canada-India Ties with Water Research in Iconic Varanasi City
Clockwise left to right: Dr. Banthia meets with representatives from DBT and DST, the location of Varanasi on the Ganges river, the river rejuvination scoping workshop held in Varanasi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s riding). Organization led by UBC Civil Engineering Professor taps into National River Ganges Rejuvenation The Ganges River is a lifeline for over […]
Civil Engineering Alumni Celebrated with Dean’s Medal of Distinction
Peter Taylor and Michael Jacobs to be honoured at 2018 Applied Science Celebration Peter Taylor and Michael Jacobs will be recognized on Thursday, April 12th for their contributions to civil engineering in BC and to the Department at UBC. Starting in 2015, the Dean’s Medal of Distinction was created to celebrate the 100 year history […]
Dr. Nemy Banthia Interviewed on Global National about the Florida Bridge Collapse
Civil Engineering professor Dr. Nemkumar (Nemy) Banthia was interviewed by Global National about the March 15th pedestrian bridge collapse in South Florida that killed six people, and the safety of Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques. Watch the interview here (starts at 2:44).
Civil Engineering Professor a BC Business 2018 STEM Star
Dr. Sheryl Staub-French recognized in the magazine’s list of influential women in STEM Civil Engineering Professor Sheryl Staub-French was recently acknowledged in BC Business Magazine’s B.C.’s Most Influential Women 2018: Stem Stars, a list that included six faculty members from UBC Applied Science, and several students and alumni. This year’s edition highlights influential women who are industry leaders and […]
Civil Engineering MASc Takes Second Place in 3MT@UBC
Rajat Jain, a civil engineering MASc student, claimed the second place prize in the 3MT@UBC competition. Tasked with the challenge of presenting their thesis research in a condensed but engaging three minute talk, competitors in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) came from a variety of departments across campus. On March 15th, these graduate students went head to […]
Putting Diversity Front and Centre: Civil Professor Sheryl Staub-French named Dean’s Advisor on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
At last Sunday’s Academy Awards, Lee Unkrich, the director of the animated film Coco, concluded his acceptance speech by reminding viewers that “representation matters.” The story of a Mexican boy’s journey through the Land of the Dead, Coco features an almost all-Latino voice cast and was inspired by Mexico’s rich culture and traditions. Another hit […]
Civil engineering professor uses UBC electric-assist velomobile pilot to study new patterns in transportation
Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Alex Bigazzi and his students are using the data from these pedal and solar powered rental vehicles to look at how alternate forms of transportation change the way we move. Working with the Veemo pilot project happening across the UBC campus, Dr. Bigazzi wants to see if the app-activated electric-assisted tricycles […]
Civil grad students take a on a “world’s challenge” at UBC
Civil Engineering Graduate Students won second place in the World’s Challenge Challenge at UBC for their work on a clean drinking water technology that could have applications in First Nations and small remote communities without access to potable water. The World’s Challenge Challenge is a competition hosted by the UBC Global Lounge encouraging students to […]
Civil Engineering graduate students get ready to take clean drinking-water technology to San Francisco in competition for the Hult Prize
An interdisciplinary team of UBC students is ready to take their drinking water technology case one step closer to the $1 million Hult Prize. Rajat Jain, Jatin Maheshwary, and Karan Grover have joined forces to create a business case for the drinking water technology developed under the supervision of Civil Engineering professor Pierre Bérubé. Their entry […]
Civil Engineering Graduate Students Turn Up the Heat, Advancing in the 3MT @UBC Competition
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 Graduate students from the Department of Civil Engineering competed in a 3MT @UBC heat on Friday, February 9th, putting their communication skills to the test. Started by the University of Queensland, the 3MT, or Three Minute Thesis, is a way for students to practice presenting their research in a concise but […]
Earthquake system reality check
UBC Civil Engineering research associate Kent Johansen, with the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility, spoke to CBC following the recent earthquake and tsunami warning in coastal British Columbia. The segment starts at 6:54. View Segment
Receive missile text alert on your phone? Not yet in B.C.
Kent Johansen, a research associate with the earthquake engineering research facility, spoke to CBC about earthquake warning systems. He said traditional SMS text messaging wouldn’t reach everyone fast enough, and that we need dedicated earthquake warning devices. The story also appeared on Yahoo.
UBC BCWWA Student Chapter runners-up at WEF Student Design Competition
L-R: team members Brad Jenks, Kit Caufield, Jenikka Javison, Tim Burton; Tom Kunetz (WEF vice president). Not pictured: team members Antonio Castro and Gregory Vettese. The UBC Student Chapter of the BC Water and Waste Association placed second in the Student Wastewater Design Competition at WEFTEC 2017, the Water Environment Federation’s annual Technical Exhibition & […]
Civil spin-off company highlighted in Business in Vancouver magazine
Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies has been recognized, along with four other APSC-affiliated companies, in a Business in Vancouver magazine feature called 50 BC Innovations to Watch. Professor Don Mavinic invented the nutrient recovery technology that takes phosphorus, in the form of struvite, from wastwater treatment systems and turns it into a valuable, environmentally friendly fertilizer. This technology has […]
Researchers are using tweets to identify transit snarls
Vice reported on transit research by Saeid Allahdadian, a UBC Civil Engineering PhD graduate. Allahdadian is using AI technologies and social media data to map travel routes to identify areas that need better transit service. Read More
Civil researchers take new earthquake-resistant material outside the lab for a real world trial at Vancouver elementary school
A new earthquake resistant, fibre-reinforced composite material developed by Civil researchers has been taken out of the lab and into the real world for a trial application at a Vancouver elementary school. Older buildings in cities like Victoria, Vancouver, and Portland, especially unreinforced masonry buildings, are at risk for structural damage or collapse in a major earthquake event. […]
Professor Dharma Wijewickreme named Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada
Dharma Wijewickreme, PEng, Professor of Civil Engineering and Co-Director of the Pipeline Integrity Institute, will be made Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada.The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) is a federation of twelve Canadian engineering societies that develops, serves, and advocates for engineering in Canada. The EIC elects up to 20 new Fellows annually, on […]
Civil alumnus donates $1 million to support UBC startups
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Thanks to two $1-million contributions from UBC alumni Greg Peet and Glenn Walsh, UBC ventures now have access to additional early-stage seed capital to help build their businesses. Walsh, a Civil Engineering alumnus and founder of mining construction company, the Tercon Group, and Peet, a Sauder School […]
Prof. Staub-French brings outreach expertise to Engendering Success in STEM (ESS)
Prof. Sheryl Staub-French brings outreach expertise to Engendering Success in STEM (ESS), a new partnership working to advance gender equity in science, technology, engineering and math. This important initiative is a collaboration between scholars, experts in computer science and engineering, and educational and industry partners who aim to close the gender gap and improve experiences […]
Civil undergraduate receives S-FRAME Prize
Civil undergraduate student Zhuo Nan Chen has been selected to receive the 2017 S-FRAME Software Inc. Prize in Structural Engineering, a $1,000 award offered to the student with the highest academic standing in CIVL 228 Introduction to Structural Engineering. The donor, S-FRAME Software Inc., is a company headquartered in Richmond, BC, that produces a suite […]
How to thrive in spite of imposter syndrome
Sheryl Staub-French, Goldcorp Professor in Women in Engineering, spoke with CBC about the ongoing efforts to promote engineering as a career choice for young women, the imposter syndrome students sometimes face, and potential ways to deal with it. The Goldcorp Professorship in Women in Engineering focuses on promoting engineering as a creative and rewarding career. Learn […]
Road pricing in Vancouver
CBC Radio’s On The Coast featured an interview with Civil professor Alex Bigazzi about road pricing. He discussed how natural boundaries of downtown Vancouver peninsula could be a good starting point for setting up road pricing. The segment starts at 23:47.
Prof. Victor Lo’s research receives $300,000 boost from BC Innovation Council
A wastewater treatment research project led by Professor Emeritus Victor Lo has received a $300,000 Ignite Award from the BC Innovation Council, to support the continued efforts to bring Prof. Lo’s “sludge-busting” solution to market. The technology, which uses microwave radiation to pre-treat solid sewage, helps reduce the volume of biosolids resulting from the treatment […]
UBC hosts 1st China-Canada Symposium on Structural and Earthquake Engineering
Tuesday, September 5, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC Civil Engineering successfully hosted the 1st China-Canada Symposium on Structural and Earthquake Engineering (CCSSEE) from August 20 to 24, welcoming students, researchers and industry professionals to the Vancouver campus. Beginning in 2008, UBC and Tongji University have enjoyed a strong, collaborative research alliance, and have jointly […]
Media: Civil postdoc finds trees can make or break city weather
Thursday, July 27, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Even a single urban tree can help moderate wind speeds and keep pedestrians comfortable as they walk down the street, according to a new University of British Columbia study that also found losing a single tree can increase wind pressure on nearby buildings and drive up heating […]
Media: Professor Bérubé’s low maintenance water filtration technology aims to clean Canada’s dirty water
Thursday, July 27, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Pierre Bérubé spoke with Business News Network about his gravity- and bacteria-powered water filtration system. Watch Video
Civil grad students host successful fourth annual WEST conference
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Water and Environment Student Talks (WEST) had its fourth annual conference from June 11-13, 2017 at the AMS Student NEST with great success. Over 60 students, professors, and young professionals from seven countries gathered to share research, knowledge and interest in water-related fields. The conference began with […]
Recommended reading list for new B.C. NDP cabinet
Thursday, July 20, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Georgia Straight quoted two UBC professors in an article that recommends a reading list for Premier John Horgan’s NDP cabinet. Civil professor Perry Adebar is quoted in the book Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest, by science reporter Sandi Doughton, about earthquake preparation […]
Researchers recycle tires to strengthen, clean up concrete
Thursday, July 20, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Research by Ciivl Professor Nemy Banthia was featured on Business News Network. Prof. Banthia’s team worked to develop a stronger and cleaner type of concrete by using recycled tire fibre.
Civil Engineering spin-off company harvests wastewater systems for profit
Thursday, July 6, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Journal of Commerce mentioned a wastewater system that was developed at UBC. Professor Don Mavinic’s research led to the spin-off company Ostara, which employs his nutrient recovery technology to extract valuable phosphorous and nitrogen from wastewater, creating a revenue stream for treatment plants while protecting waterways. The […]