Research Chairs
It takes the best to attract the best.
The Faculty of Engineering partners with government, industry, and other supporters to create faculty positions called research chairs. Research chair positions provide funding to attract and retain the best engineering researchers from around the world.
The Faculty of Engineering attracts more than $70 million in sponsored research funding from external sources annually, which directly impacts our more than 210 professors and 1,500 to 1,600 graduate students. The Faculty of Engineering is one of the most successful faculties across the University of Alberta in attracting Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding and is a leader in securing partner-based NSERC programs nationally.
The Faculty of Engineering currently hosts:
- 15 Canada Research Chairs (CRCs)
- 4 NSERC Industrial Research Chairs (IRCs)
- 13 Endowed Chairs and Professorships
- 2 Foundation-Supported Chairs
Canada Research Chairs (CRCs)
The Canada Research Chairs Program aims to achieve research excellence in engineering and natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. They invest up to $311 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds.
- Aminah Robinson
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support Systems for Construction (Tier 1) - Amit Kumar
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Assessment of Energy Systems (Tier 1) - Clayton Deutsch
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Natural Resources Uncertainty Management (Tier 1) - Hao Liang
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Intelligent Energy Systems (Tier 2) - Hongbo Zeng
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Intermolecular Forces and Interfacial Science (Tier 1) - Janet Elliott
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Thermodynamics (Tier 1) - João Soares
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Advanced Polymer Reaction Engineering (Tier 1) - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Wastewater Treatment for Reuse (Tier 1) - Peichun (Amy) Tsai
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Fluids and Interfaces (Tier 2) - Tongwen Chen
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Intelligent Monitoring and Control (Tier 1) - Tian Tang
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Multiscale Modeling of Soft Materials and Interfaces (Tier 1) - Tony Qiu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Cooperative Transportation Systems (Tier 2) - Vicente Gonzalez
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Canada Research Chair in Digital Lean Construction (Tier 1) - Xuehua Zhang
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Soft Matter at Interfaces (Tier 1)
- Yang Liu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Future Water Services (Tier 2)
NSERC Industrial Research Chairs (IRCs)
The NSERC Industrial Research Chairs Program aims to create collaborations between universities and partners in industry and the public sector. These grants are funded jointly by the IRC program and the partner organization.
- David Zhu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Urban Drainage
Partners: City of Edmonton, City of Calgary, Stantec Consulting Ltd. - Michael Hendry
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Railway Engineering
Partners: Canadian National Railway Company, Transport Canada, National Research Council Canada - Tony Qiu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Intelligent Transportation Systems
Partners: TELUS, Stantec, IBI Group, ATS Traffic, City of Edmonton - Yang Liu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Sustainable
Urban Water Development
Partners: EPCOR Utilities Inc., Alberta Innovates, WaterWerx
Endowed Chairs and Professorships
Endowed chairs and professorships are the most prestigious positions offered by the university and ensure the University of Alberta continues to successfully compete for exceptional educators and researchers who bring a wealth of expertise. The Faculty of Engineering is currently home to chairs in a variety of fields of engineering research.
- Arno De Klerk
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Mancal Professorship in Coal Technologies - Carlos Cruz Noguez
Civil and Environmental Engineering
MCAA Northern Region Chair in Masonry Systems - Erin Bobicki
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Teck Cominco Chair in Mineral Process Systems - Farook Hamzeh
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ledcor Professor in Construction Engineering - Hongbo Zeng
Chemical and Materials Engineering
CNOOC Professor of Bitumen Processing - James Hogan
Mechanical Engineering
George Ford Chair in Materials Engineering - Karim El-Basyouny
Civil and Environmental Engineering
City of Edmonton Chair in Urban Traffic Safety - Lianne Lefsrud
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Risk, Innovation, and Sustainability Chair - Marnie Jamieson
Chemical and Materials Engineering
William G. Magee Chair in Process Design - Michael Lipsett
Mechanical Engineering
Ernest and Gertrude Poole Chair in Management for Engineers - Qi Liu
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Glencore Chair in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering - Robert Driver
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Supreme Steel Professorship in Structural Engineering - Robert Burrell
Biomedical Engineering
Jim Sorensen Chair in Biomedical Engineering
Foundation-Supported Chairs
- João Soares
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Campus Alberta Innovates Program Chair in Interfacial Polymer Engineering for Oilsands Processing - Yaman Boluk
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Nanofibre Chair in Forest Products