University of Saskatchewan Students Offer New Ideas for Tomorrow’s Vehicles
2010-06-21 07:30:47
A team of student researchers from the University of Saskatchewan was nationally recognized for their contributions to automotive advanced technology. The team was awarded first place in the AUTO21 Highly Qualified People (HQP) Poster Competition, sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. The competition is open to student researchers within the AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence program.
More than 70 student teams from 27 Canadian universities took part in the competition, which was held at the APMA-AUTO21 2010 Conference and Exhibition in Windsor, Ontario. Supported by AUTO21 funding as they complete graduate and post-graduate degrees, each student’s research contributes to one of AUTO21’s automotive research projects.
The winning team contributes to the Second Generation Biofuels for Sustainable Transportation project, which is led by Professor Murray Thomson of the University of Toronto. The student researchers are supervised by Dr. Ajay Dalai, a professor of chemical engineering and include Kathlene Jacobson, Majak Mapiour and Ramin Azargohar.
“The knowledge and technology that will drive tomorrow’s vehicles are being developed today,” said Dr. Peter Frise, AUTO21 Scientific Director and CEO. “AUTO21 students are actively contributing to these innovations. The winning team is an excellent example of the research excellence that is thriving in universities across Canada.”
“Innovation is essential for Canada to remain a leader in the global auto industry,” said Sandra Pupatello, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade. “The valuable research conducted throughout the AUTO21 Network is shaping the vehicles of the future and the future of Canada’s auto industry as a whole.”
The annual HQP Poster Competition is held each spring and boasts a total prize purse of approximately $15,000. Fifteen semi-finalist teams are selected from the initial pool of entrants, with each team member receiving a $50 voucher for a bookstore. The semi-finalists provide an oral defence of their research poster, and five winners are selected upon this evaluation. The winners receive a cash prize to be divided amongst the team members. Judges are external to AUTO21 and include senior industry, government and R&D experts.
Final ranking of the top five student teams:
Project name |
University | Ranking/prize |
| Second Generation Biofuels for Sustainable Transportation | University of Saskatchewan | First/$4,500.00 |
| Inertial Sensor Cluster for Adaptive Path Prediction | University of Alberta | Second/$3,500.00 |
| Infrastructure for Wide Market Adoption of PHEV | McGill University | Third/$2,500.00 |
| High-Strength Lightweight Cast Powertrain Components | Ryerson University | Fourth/$1,500.00 |
| Micro-Machining of Dies and Moulds | University of British Columbia | Honourable Mention/$1,000.00 |
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