News

UBC Civil In The Media – Flight wastewater to be tested for COVID

Originally published in: Victoria News Pilot project coming into effect alongside new federal mandate for COVID tests. The Vancouver International Airport will soon be testing wastewater off flights arriving from China and Hong Kong, as part of the federal government’s efforts to track how many cases of COVID-19 may or may not be entering Canada from […]

UBC engineers want to save whales from drowning…in noise

Originally published in: UBC News Chronic ship noise can lead to stress, hearing loss and feeding problems for marine mammals like whales, dolphins and porpoises. UBC researchers are diving in to help address the issue. According to project lead Dr. Rajeev Jaiman, an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering, propeller noise accounts for much […]

Civil Engineering PhD candidate receives Momentum Fellowship

Caron received the inaugural award for his research on Indigenous worldviews in engineering.

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.

UBC Civil In The Media – Are there toxic chemicals in B.C.’s water?

Professor Rachel Scholes has applied to do research on how much of the toxic substances lurk in B.C.’s drinking water.

Prof. Banthia receives $1.5 million to rehabilitate sewerage

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

Mount Polley mine tailings in Quesnel Lake eight years after spill

Although most metal-rich suspended sediment from the disaster has been flushed, some remains in circulation.

UBC Civil led student team aims to build a net-zero student space on campus

Student design team Third Quadrant Design is about to start construction of a new student space on campus that redefines sustainable design.

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.

Beverley Ng: “Maximizing friendships and opportunities”

Beverley received the APSC Rising Star Award for her passion and dedication for making meaningful contributions to society.

Dr. Rachel Scholes featured as Emerging Investigator by RSC

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

UBC Concrete Canoe wins first place at ASCE PNW competition

The team’s victorious finish this year was the result of perseverance and hard work.

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 PhD students gather for Three Minute Thesis competition

Presenters had three minutes to showcase their research to a non-specialist audience.

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.

UBC Civil In The Media – Artist paints Chinatown’s historic buildings

Donna Seto was featured on CBC for her paintings of Vancouver Chinatown’s historic buildings.

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.

UBC Civil In The Media – Sewage samples show drop in Omicron infections

Assistant Professor Ryan Ziels talks about his research on detecting COVID in wastewater.

All CIVL courses to remain online until February 7, 2022

UBC Engineering returning to in-person classes on February 7.

UBC Civil Engineering remembers Dr. Mehran Abtahi

Two years ago, Dr. Mehran Abtahi was among those who were tragically lost in the Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 crash.

Classes moving online January 10-23, 2022

UBC has announced a two-week transition period when students will take most courses online.

UBC Civil In The Media – Predicting B.C. mudslides, bridge collapse

Originally published in: North Shore News 5G Internet technology is powering a new generation of smart technologies collectively known as the ‘Internet of Things.’ After the worst flooding in B.C.’s modern history, could the new tech also save our homes and bridges? The next generation of wireless internet technology has led to some big promises — […]

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.

UBC Civil In The Media – B.C. Flooding and Landslides

UBC Civil faculty spoke to media to offer their analysis and expertise on the challenges ahead with infrastructure rebuilding.

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.

BC Natural Disaster Technical Briefing – Webcast Recording

Watch a recording of the webcast featuring our faculty members sharing their observations on the impact of the recent BC natural disasters.

UBC Civil In The Media – Better forecasting could prevent disasters

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

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Feedback

The Faculty of Applied Science invites your feedback regarding your EDI experiences.

2021 Term 1 Student Advising Protocol

Inquiry Type How to Get in Touch Quick Questions1 to 5 minute question(registration issues, course conflicts, program or process info, resources, contact info, directions, etc.) Zoom Drop-in AdvisingTues/Wed @ 1:30-2pm Undergrad:Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3C5n5YAPasscode: 676321or Phone: 604-827-5821 (Kali) Grad:Zoom link: https://bit.ly/393v7ETPasscode: Amt2F8or Phone: 604-822-4429 (Kevin) No appointment is required. During advising hours, join via the QR […]

UBC Civil team places first at 2021 Seismic Design Competition

After working virtually on their design over the past year, UBC Civil Engineering student team UBC Seismic placed first in the 2021 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition. The competition, organized by the EERI Student Leadership Council (SLC), annually brings together students from over 50 universities across the globe. The goal is […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. 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 […]

PhD researcher receives Public Scholar Initiative fellowship

Preetish Kakoty (PhD, ’22) has been awarded the 2020-2021 UBC Public Scholar Initiative fellowship. He is one of two UBC Faculty of Applied Science students to receive the honour this year. The metro Vancouver region faces major seismic risk due to its close proximity to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This risk is further elevated because of […]

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 […]