Research Chairs
It takes the best to attract the best.
As part of building our vibrant research community, 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.
Our Faculty attracts more than $60 million in sponsored research funding from external sources annually, that directly impacts our more than 200 professors and 1,400 to 1,600 graduate students. The Faculty is one of the most successful in attracting Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding and is a leader in securing NSERC Industrial Research Chairs (IRCs).
The Faculty of Engineering currently hosts:
- 16 NSERC Industrial Research Chairs-more than any engineering faculty in Canada
- 16 Canada Research Chairs
- 16 Endowed Chairs and Professorships
- 2 Foundation-Supported Chairs
- 1 Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate
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.
Amit Kumar
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Energy and Environmental Systems Engineering
Partners: Cenovus Energy Inc., Alberta Innovates, Suncor Energy Inc., Natural Resources Canada/Ressources naturelles Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Aminah Robinson Fayek
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Strategic Construction
Partners: Aecon Industrial, Building Trades of Alberta, Capital Power Corporation, Christian Labour Association of Canada, Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA), Merit Contractors Association, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada, Suncor Energy
Derek Martin
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Railway Geomechanics
Partners: Canadian National Railway/Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway/Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique Limitée, Transportation Technology Centre, Inc., Transport Canada/Transports Canada, National Research Council Canada/Conseil national de recherches Canada
Ward Wilson
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Oil Sands Tailings Geotechnique
Partners: Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), Tailings Environmental Priority Area (EPA), Alberta Innovates - Energy and Environment Solutions
Sean Sanders
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Pipeline Transport Processes
Partners: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Fort Hills Energy L.P. - Petro Canada, Nexen Canada Ltd., Saskatchewan Research Council, Shell Canada - Albian Sands Energy Inc., Syncrude Canada Ltd., Total E&P Canada Ltd., University of Alberta
Wilsun Xu
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Power Quality
Partners: Informatics Circle of Research Excellence of Alberta (iCORE), AESO Alberta Electric System Operator, ALTALINK, L.P. Management Ltd., ATCO Electric Ltd., EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc., FortisAlberta Inc.
Biao Huang
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Control of Oil Sands Processes
Partners: Syncrude Canada Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc.
Mohamed Gamal El-Din
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Oil Sands Tailings Water Treatment
Partners: Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), Syncrude Canada Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Imperial Oil Ltd, Teck Resources Limited, EPCOR Water Services Inc., Alberta Innovates, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP)
Tayfun Babadagli
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Unconventional Oil Recovery
Partners: Schlumberger of Canada Limited, CNRL/Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Suncor Energy Inc., Petrobank, Sherritt International, APEX Engineering, PEMEX
Mohamed Al-Hussein
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Industrialization of Building Construction
Partners: ACQBUILT Inc., Alberta Innovates, All Weather Windows, ATCO Structures, Cormode & Dickson Construction, Essence Cabinets, Kent Homes, Landmark Group, Modular Building Institute, NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul, NRB Inc., SEMA GmbH, Uniao Comercial Barao Ltda
Arno de Klerk
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Field Upgrading and Asphaltenes Processing
Partners: Nexen Energy ULC and Alberta Innovates
David Zhu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Urban Drainage
Partners: City of Edmonton, City of Calgary, Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Yang Liu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sustainable Urban Water Development
Partners: EPCOR Utilities Inc., Alberta Innovates, WaterWerx
Alireza Bayat
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Underground Trenchless Construction
Partners: TELUS, The Crossing Company, Evolution Energy Services, INROCK, BGC Engineering
Ying Hei Chui
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Engineered Wood and Building Systems
Partners: Landmark Homes, Rothoblaas, Western Archrib, Nordic Structures, Pink Wood, MyTiCon, SNC Lavalin, FP Innovations, InnoTech, Canadian Wood Council
Canada Research Chairs (CRCs)
The Canada Research Chairs Program aims to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. They invest approximately $265 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds.
Simaan AbouRizk
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Operations Simulation
Clayton Deutsch
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Natural Resources Uncertainty Management
Janet Elliott
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Thermodynamics
Witold Pedrycz
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computational Intelligence
João Soares
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Advanced Polymer Reaction Engineering
Tongwen Chen
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Intelligent Monitoring and Control
Tian Tang
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Nano-biomolecular Hybrid Materials
Peichun (Amy) Tsai
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Fluids and Interfaces
Hongbo Zeng
Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Intermolecular Forces and Interfacial Science
Aminah Robinson Fayek
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support Systems for Construction
Tony Qiu
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Cooperative Transportation Systems
Yang Liu
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Future Water Services
Hao Liang
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Intelligent Energy Systems
Endowed Chairs and Professorships
Rick Chalaturnyk
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Foundation CMG Chair in Reservoir Geomechanics
J.J. Roger Cheng
Civil & Environmental Engineering
C.W. Carry Chair in Steel Structures
John Cocchio
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Conoco Phillips Industrial Professor in Engineering Safety & Risk Management
Arno De Klerk
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Nexen Professor of Catalytic Reaction Engineering
Clayton Deutsch
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Alberta Chamber of Resources Industry Chair in Mining Engineering
Karim El-Basyouny
Civil & Environmental Engineering
City of Edmonton Assistant Professor in Urban Traffic Safety
Witold Krzymien
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rohit Sharma Professor in Communications Signal Processing
Amit Kumar
Mechanical Engineering
Cenovus Energy Endowed Chair in Environmental Engineering
Qi Liu
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Ron Nolan/Hatch Professor in Sustainable Energy and Mineral Process Technologies
Michael Lipsett
Mechanical Engineering
Ernest and Gertrude Poole Chair in Management for Engineers
Patricio Mendez
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Weldco-Beales/Industry Chair in Welding and Joining
Aminah Robinson Fayek
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Ledcor Professor in Construction Engineering and Management
Reinhard Vehring
Mechanical Engineering
George Ford Chair in Materials Engineering
Gord Winkel
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Industrial Professor of Safety and Risk Management
Zhenghe Xu
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Teck Professor in Mineral Process Systems
Foundation-Supported Chairs
M. Yaman Boluk
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Nanofibre Chair in Forest Products
João Soares
Chemical & Materials Engineering
Campus Alberta Innovates Program Chair in Interfacial Polymer Engineering for Oilsands Processing