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