Faculty News

Faculty Hiring

UBC Civil Engineering invites applications for 2 tenure-track faculty positions at the rank of Assistant Professor

Dr. Ryan Ziels receives the ISME/IWA BioCluster Rising Star Award

in recognition of interdisciplinary research at the interface of microbial ecology and water/wastewater treatment.

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French appointed Head, pro tem

She has held a number of additional administrative and leadership roles, and has received several awards

Faculty Promotions: Dr. Kim, Dr. Swei, Dr. Jelovica and Dr. Molina-Hutt

This well-deserved recognition highlights their exceptional contributions to research, teaching, and service.

Dr. Omar Swei receives prestigious Killam Teaching Prize

This award is nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni and recognizes exceptional contributions through teaching.

UBC Civil Engineering welcomes a new Assistant Professor in Coastal Engineering

His research and teaching interests are toward a more sustainable management of coastal hazard risk

UBC Civil Faculty Among Funded Research Excellence Clusters

Among the funded research clusters, two led by UBC Civil faculty are set to redefine disaster resilience and infrastructure development.

Dr. Tamara Etmannski named Co-Director of Environmental Engineering

Dr. Tamara Etmannski, with her illustrious journey in academia, is set to embark on a new chapter.

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French Receives NSERC Funding

This grant is about laying the foundation for a future where STEM education is truly inclusive

Rain gardens could save salmon from toxic tire chemicals

Salmon holds immense ecological and cultural significance in B.C. However, the survival of these magnificent fish is under threat due to multiple stressors. Among the challenge salmon fac is a toxic chemical associated with car tires, which finds its way into our rivers and streams when rainwater washes it off roads. Fortunately, there’s a ray […]

Professor Michael Isaacson retires after 47 years from UBC Civil Engineering

Joining UBC in 1976, Professor Isaacson remained at the forefront of research, teaching, and professional engagements.

Dr. Jongho Lee and Dr. Ryan Ziels promoted to associate professor with tenure

This recognition is a testament to their dedication to teaching and exemplary service to the university.

Professor Tony Yang Awarded CAE Fellowship

Dr. Yang’s election to the CAE is a testament to his remarkable contributions and career in the field of engineering

Civil Engineering Researcher Recognized for Editorial Leadership

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has bestowed upon Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad, a distinguished Senior Researcher at UBC Smart Structures, the esteemed ASCE Associate Editor Award of the year. This recognition is an exceptional honor, given the competitive nature of the award, with nearly 1,000 Associate Editors hailing from eminent universities across more than […]

Dr. Amy Kim and Dr. Tarek Sayed receives 2022 UBC Faculty Research Awards

Dr. Amy Kim and Dr. Tarek Sayed are among the 2022 recipients for UBC’s prestigious Killam Research Prize and Accelerator Fellowship.

Professor Nemy Banthia receives UBC’s highest academic honour

Dr. Nemy Banthia has been named a University Killam Professor, UBC’s highest academic honour.

Pamela Wolf receives first APSC Inclusion and Belonging Award

Ms. Wolf is recognized for her leadership and practice in fostering inclusion and belonging within engineering education at UBC.

Professor Nemy Banthia Recipient of Medal of Distinction

Dr. Nemy Banthia has been recognized for his contributions to the advancement of the Faculty’s vision, mission and mandate.

Prof. Banthia receives $1.5 million to rehabilitate sewerage

The project will develop carbon-neutral geopolymer materials to coat pipes and manholes.

Turning skyscrapers into trees

Assistant Professor Jongho Lee takes a leaf from nature’s book with new technology that turns buildings into giant trees.

Civil Engineering faculty and students win Best Paper awards

Congratulations to Professor Tarek Sayed and PhD students Weijia Cai and Lei Huang.

Dr. Rachel Scholes featured as Emerging Investigator by RSC

The series highlight research by newer voices with potential to influence future directions.

Professor Yang receives $1 million NSERC Alliance Missions grant

Dr. Yang and his team of researchers received the grant to develop advanced structural and robotic technologies.

Global structural materials expert awarded top UBC research prize

Professor Nemy Banthia has been awarded the Jacob Biely Research Prize, UBC’s highest research accolade.

UBC Civil In The Media – Sensor network can reduce flood damage

Originally published in: Journal of Commerce Nemy Banthia, a professor of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and his doctoral student Mohammed Farooq have developed a sensor network that can detect the early stages of mudslides and bridge foundation failures that are caused by flooding. What happens when rushing water assaults a […]

Professor Susan Nesbit retires after 22 years at UBC Civil

Dr. Nesbit’s passion for education transformed the way sustainability education is conceptualized and delivered.

How UBC women in STEM are supporting each other to succeed

In honour of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UBC profiled a number of outstanding women scholars, including Dr. Sheryl Staub-French.

Prof. Wijewickreme honoured by Engineering Institute of Canada

Professor Dharma Wijewickreme has been awarded the prestigious 2022 John B. Stirling Medal by the Engineering Institute of Canada.

Two Civil community members receive Dean’s Service Award

Dr. Michael Isaacson and Scott Jackson honoured by the Faculty of Applied Science with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service.

UBC Civil In The Media – Better forecasting could prevent disasters

Faculty members from the Department share their preliminary observations on the November BC floods.

UBC Steel Bridge places first at Canadian Nationals

The UBC Steel Bridge design team, comprised of 50 UBC Civil Engineering undergraduate and Master’s students, recently won first place at the 2021 Canadian National Steel Bridge Competition. While the team had consistently placed in the top three in previous years, this was their first time winning the top prize. Supervised by faculty members Drs. Noboru Yonemitsu and Carlos Molina Hutt, the […]

Ryan Ziels develops increasingly accurate DNA sequencing method

Researchers can now eliminate almost all errors produced by a widely used portable DNA sequencer, thanks to a new method developed by UBC Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Ryan Ziels. This advancement will potentially enable scientists out in the field or in smaller labs to study microorganisms, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, much more accurately […]

Initiative led by Dr. Bérubé receives $1.6 million in CFI funding

The Used-Water to Resources (U-WatR) initiative, led by Civil Engineering professor Pierre Bérubé, has been awarded $1.6 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s 2020 Innovation Fund competition. The competition, which funds up to 40 per cent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs, aims to “enhance and optimize the capacity of institutions and research communities […]

Dr. Jongho Lee receives NFRF grant to build weather-resilient cities

UBC Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Jongho Lee has received the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) grant to develop a tri-layer film that mimics natural trees’ water management function – a technology that will help build extreme weather-resilient cities. A naturally effective dewatering instrument, a tree transpires 97% of the water absorbed by its roots […]

Dr. Sara Beck brings global collaboration to UBC Civil Engineering

The Department of Civil Engineering adds to our roster of world-class researchers and educators and welcomes Assistant Professor Sara Beck to the Environmental Engineering research group. Dr. Beck joins the Department after completing post-docs at the University of Colorado and Eawag, the Swiss Federal institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, opportunities that followed a Fulbright at the […]

Dr. Tamara Etmannski receives Killam Teaching Prize

Assistant Professor of Teaching Dr. Tamara Etmannski has been recognized with the 2020/2021 Killam Teaching Prize. This award is nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni and recognizes exceptional contributions through teaching. In addition to serving as a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Etmannski holds several academic leadership roles in the Faculty of Applied […]

Initiative led by Dr. Pierre Bérubé receives $4 million in CFI funding

Update on June 24, 2021: Total amount for U-WatR CFI Innovation Fund has been awarded at $4M, which consists of funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation, BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), and various sources.  The Used-Water to Resources (U-WatR) initiative, led by Civil Engineering professor Pierre Bérubé, has been awarded $1.6 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s […]

UBC Civil Engineering welcomes Amy Kim and Zhengbo Zou

The Department of Civil Engineering is pleased to extend a warm welcome to two new faculty members: Dr. Amy Kim joins the Department as an Associate Professor in the Transportation Engineering specialization. Dr. Kim’s research centres on modeling various aspects of multimodal transportation systems, and how this can help support strategic planning efforts and policy decisions. […]

Jongho Lee elected to Journal of Membrane Science editorial board

Assistant Professor Jongho Lee has been selected to join the Journal of Membrane Science Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB). Among hundreds of candidates from across the globe, Dr. Lee was chosen as one of three from North America and the only scholar from Canada. The Journal of Membrane Science is the preeminent journal in the field of membrane […]

UBC Civil Engineering professor brings innovative teaching

The Department of Civil Engineering is pleased to welcome Dr. Tamara Etmannski as Assistant Professor of Teaching within the environmental engineering specialization. As the Academic Director of the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) degree programs and Co-Director of the Joint UBC/UNBC Environmental Engineering undergraduate degree, Dr. Etmannski is a familiar name in the Faculty of Applied Science and has come […]

Fourth-year student receives two Pipeline Engineering awards

Jezarah Ebel was always destined for a bright future in engineering. After excelling in math and physics in high school, choosing to study Civil Engineering at UBC was a no-brainer. Driven by a newfound interest in project management, she decided to further specialize in pipeline engineering. This year, Jezarah is one of three students (along with […]

In Memoriam: Dr. William Kaye (Bill) Oldham

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. William Kaye Oldham (Bill to his friends and colleagues.) Bill died peacefully on Tuesday, Oct. 6th at his home in Merville, B.C.—just a few miles from where he was born. Born in Cumberland on Vancouver Island, BC on May 27, 1936, Bill graduated […]

Professors Li and Yang receive province’s top awards for engineers

We are excited to announce that two faculty members in our Department received the 2020 President’s Awards from Engineers and Geoscientists BC. The awards are the province’s top awards for professional engineers and geoscientists and recognize those with outstanding achievement in professional, technical, and community contributions. Professor Loretta Li received the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award, while […]

Years after Mount Polley disaster, study reveals ongoing problems

Six years ago – on August 4, 2014 – the Mount Polley mine spill released 24 million cubic metres of waste. The spill flowed into Hazeltine Creek, Quesnel Lake, and other waterways in the Likely, B.C. area and is by far the largest mine waste spill in Canadian history. In the years that followed, tests […]

Pamela Wolf hired as Assistant Professor of Teaching

We are pleased to announce that Pamela Wolf (previously Rogalski) has been hired as Assistant Professor of Teaching with the UBC Department of Civil Engineering. Pamela joined UBC School of Applied Science as a Faculty Lecturer in 2013 and has developed and delivered numerous technical communication courses to students in Civil Engineering, Material Engineering, and […]

UBC Civil professor to develop wastewater testing for COVID-19

Update: July 9, 2020, The team’s research, titled “ Expanding the wastewater-based epidemiology toolkit for monitoring COVID-19 community transmission in Canada,” has received the NSERC Alliance COVID-19 grant for one year. NSERC is providing up to $15 million in total support to stimulate collaborations between university academic researchers and the public and not-for-profit sectors, and industry […]