UBC Applied Science profs named fellows of Canadian Academy of Engineering

Three members of the UBC Applied Science faculty have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of the highest professional honours an engineer in Canada can receive.

Walter Mérida, a professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean of research and industrial partnerships; Warren Poole, a professor of materials engineering and Canada Research Chair in Through Process Modelling of Advanced Structural Materials; and Sheryl Staub-French, a professor of civil engineering and associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion were recognized for their "distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession."

Nominated and elected by current fellows of the CAE, inductees into the academy have made contributions that have advanced the art and practice of engineering or otherwise made a significant impact on society. Their accomplishments "surpass what would normally be considered a successful career" in their field.

This year, fifty new fellows and two new International Fellows were announced in conjunction with the CAE's Annual General Meeting. A virtual induction ceremony honouring both the 2020 and 2021 elected fellows will be held in October 2021.

The UBC Applied Science inductees' CAE citations read as follows:

Walter Mérida
Associate Dean, Research and Industrial Partnerships, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia

Dr. Mérida is an internationally recognized clean technology innovator. He has developed energy system architectures, integrated hydrogen solutions, and techno-economic models to enable a low-carbon society. His research spans the scales of energy conversion: from fundamental materials characterization, to supercritical water electrolysis, to city-scale testbeds linking energy storage, transportation, telecommunications and urban design. He is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, the Associate Dean of Research and Industrial Partnerships for Applied Science, and a Senior Advisor to UBC's President and Vice Chancellor. He serves on several Advisory Boards, and most recently, he co-chaired UBC's Climate Emergency Taskforce.

Warren Poole
Professor, The University of British Columbia

For innovation in applying academic research on through-process modelling to practice in industrial manufacturing; for significant impact on new technologies for light-weighting in transportation and the resulting reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and for sustained leadership in the field of materials and manufacturing engineering.

Sheryl Staub-French
Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia

Dr. Staub-French is an innovative, multidisciplinary researcher enabling the digital delivery of sustainable building projects through collaborative use of building information modeling (BIM). She has made significant contributions in developing guidelines and best practices for technology adoption; collaborating with industry and government to advance technology transfer; and developing tools to support virtual design and digital delivery. She is the first Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC and was the Goldcorp Professor for Women in Engineering. She is a strong leader and advocate in advancing equity and diversity in engineering education and the engineering profession. Through her innovative research, dedication to the community, and tireless outreach efforts, Dr. Staub-French has had a significant impact on the work practices and diversity of the engineering profession.

For more information about the 2021 CAE Fellows, please see the official CAE announcement.