Movers & Shakers
LATITUDE
IF YOU BUILD IT… As the Chair in Masonry Systems, Dr. Carlos Cruz-Noguez, P.Eng., centre, is developing ways to ensure the trade stands up to the years. -photo courtesy University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering develop safer, higher-performing masonry systems that are more energy efficient—using materials and processes that are centuries old and have a proven record—and engineer it into the next century.” Dr. Cruz-Noguez will work with a team of academics to conduct his work, some of whom are researching energy and thermal efficiency, reliability and simulation, and composite walls. This research has piqued the interest of many of the graduate students needed to support the research, adding additional expertise to the team. Dr. Cruz-Noguez won the Provost’s Award for Early Achievement of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2018 and is a strong proponent of including students in the masonry program’s strategic plan. “I incorporate masonry into the undergraduate curriculum where it’s appropriate, and we get them working with us through research programs,” he said. “They are an investment. They are the next generation.”
NEW FUNDING GIVES MASONRY AN UPGRADE The Great Wall of China, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal—some of history’s most compelling architectural structures were made with masonry. Appealing to architects and builders because of its artistry, durability, and ability to weather the centuries, masonry has been used for thousands of years. And now, thanks in large part to a $3-million endowment funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Masonry Contractors Association of Alberta (MCAA), the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering can help ensure the trade continues to have a future. Under the endowment, engineering professor Carlos Cruz-Noguez, P.Eng., PhD , has been appointed as the Chair in Masonry Systems for the MCAA— Northern Region. He will orchestrate research programs to bring masonry up to speed with modern- day expectations. “Our project will tackle issues of climate change, energy efficiency, and resource use,” Dr. Cruz-Noguez said in a story on the U of A website. “We have to
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