New and returning students have started to once again fill the halls of the engineering buildings at the University of Toronto as another academic year begins. September is a good time to reflect on why students choose to pursue their undergraduate and graduate studies at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Conducting groundbreaking research, working with world-renowned faculty and driving change in industry are just some of the reasons featured in a new promotional video posted to the MIE Youtube channel.
The video highlights the research conducted by faculty members Marianne Touchie, Goldie Nejat and Timothy C. Y. Chan. Touchie’s research group, the Building Energy and Indoor Environment Lab, works to improve the energy efficiency of buildings while maintaining comfortable and healthy living spaces for its occupants. The Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics (ASBLab), headed by Nejat, develops intelligent robotic systems to help humans in dangerous situations including search and rescue operations as well as social robots to enable older adults to live healthy, independent lives. Chan is the director of the Centre for Healthcare Engineering, where the focus is using big data to save lives including the strategic placement of publicly accessible defibrillators in locations where cardiac arrests are most likely to occur.
Students have the opportunity to learn from, and work closely with, experienced MIE faculty members through coursework and research opportunities. As the lecture halls and laboratories start to fill again with the buzz of a new year, we are reminded that students may choose to attend MIE for various reasons, but the underlying common thread is the pursuit of knowledge.
-Posted September 9, 2019 by Pam Walls, pam@mie.utoronto.ca
