Fall2018_PEG

Movers & Shakers

LATITUDE

FACES OF SCIENCE INVESTMENT II AND III Edward Roberts, P.Eng., PhD, (photo left) and students look for better ways to remove contaminants from water; and Henry Leung, P.Eng., PhD, who wants to bring human-like decision processes to data analysis, chooses a classic pose.

sludge production and reduce use of additives. Working with teammates Milana Trifkovic, PhD, and Anh Pham, PhD, Dr. Roberts wants the treatment to remove contaminants as they are made, increasing water recycle rates and lessening effects on the environment. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Ground Effects Environmental Services are collaborators in the project, which could eventually be modified to work in the recycling of industrial wastewater, potable water, and greywater. Henry Leung, P.Eng., PhD , a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $505,500 from the NSERC SPG for his research on software that emulates human decision- making when analyzing large chunks of data. Organizations using big data typically receive it from multiple sources and in various formats, leading to irregularities. Detection of those anomalies is hindered by their tendency to change over time. Dr. Leung is working on a system that will learn and change to keep up, enabling the software to monitor and analyze data in real time. The software is being

developed with Defence Research and Development Canada, General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, Hifi Engineering , and Larus Technologies. CREATE funding recipients get up to $1.65 million over six years to improve training and provide relevant experience for students and postdoctoral fellows by encouraging collaboration, addressing research challenges, and aiding new researchers in becoming productive employees. Through SPG, the Government of Canada is investing in 80 projects across the country, to the tune of more than $78 million. The funding supports researchers working to solve Canadian challenges involving the environment, communications, natural resources and energy, and manufacturing. Says Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport: “We are investing in [the recipients] because we know that when we invest in science and research we are investing in Canadians. The bold ideas your innovative partnerships will generate will have an important impact on our economy, creating good jobs and unique training opportunities for scientists and engineers across the country.”

20 | PEG FALL 2018

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