UBC profs elected to Canadian Academy of Engineering

Purang Abolmaesumi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Rehan Sadiq, a professor of civil engineering and the executive associate dean of the School of Engineering at UBC's Okanagan campus, have been named fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) for their "distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession."

Nominated and elected by current fellows, inductees into the academy have made contributions — be they in business, academia or government — that have advanced the art and practice of engineering or otherwise made a significant impact on society. Fifty-two new fellows were announced at the CAE's 2020 Annual General Meeting, which was held by video conference on June 15.

Along with the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the CAE is a founding member of the Council of Canadian Academies. Election to the CAE is one of the highest professional honours an engineer in Canada can receive.

The UBC inductees' CAE citations read as follows:

Purang Abolmaesumi, Professor, The University of British Columbia

Prof. Abolmaesumi is an outstanding and innovative researcher with an international reputation for his contributions to cancer imaging and image-guided interventions. His work covers medical image analysis, from theory to practice in computer-aided diagnosis and therapy systems. His innovations in ultrasound imaging are used globally at leading research institutions. He has mobilized an international network of interdisciplinary researchers and industry on development of new biomedical engineering solutions with direct impact on patient care.

Rehan Sadiq, Executive Associate Dean, The University of British Columbia

Dr. Sadiq is a leading researcher in the field of environmental risk analysis and lifecycle assessment of built environment. His pioneering work on asset management of water distribution networks is a basis for policy-making in countries around the world. Dr. Sadiq has been instrumental in building the School of Engineering at The University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus as a leading incubator for high quality engineering education and research. He is a member of many engineering societies, and sits on the editorial board of leading journals in his field. He is one of the top cited civil engineering researchers globally.

Bill Adams, an industry advisor in UBC's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Joe Zhao, an adjunct professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, were also elected to the CAE this year.  

The CAE Induction Ceremony, which will honor both the 2020 and 2021 elected fellows, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to June 2021, when it will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

For more information about the 2020 CAE Fellows, please visit Fifty-two new Fellows elected into the Canadian Academy of Engineering.