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A triumphant trifecta for the Schulich School of Engineering saw three faculty professors recognized for their achievements at Alberta’s top engineering awards gala last month.

Nashaat Nassar, Yang Gao and Lynne Cowe Falls received their accolades at the Summit Awards, an event hosted by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) to honour leading individuals and projects in professional engineering and geoscience.

The trio was honoured for excellence in leadership and and innovation:

• Nashaat Nassar, P.Eng., PhD, and associate professor, received the Early Accomplishment Award for his considerable influence in the engineering community in the early stages of his career. He has been published extensively, and he has given many national and international presentations. An associate professor in the U of C’s department of chemical and petroleum engineering, he leads a diverse research group of PhD and master’s students, as well as post-doctoral fellows and research associates. Together, they are researching how nanotechnology can innovate the CO2 capture and conversion, oil and gas, wastewater treatment and natural gas–conditioning industries.

• Yang Gao, P.Eng., PhD, and professor, received the Research Excellence Award for his innovative
  research in improving location technology. His success has contributed to Canada’s technical
  innovation leadership in satellite navigation. Global navigation satellites constantly send time-stamped data to receivers on the ground. By gathering and processing the information from navigation satellites, the receiver can pinpoint its location. Slight errors in the satellite feeds can lead to large errors in location, and that’s where Gao steps in. Using a precise point positioning (PPP) algorithm to correct various error sources, Gao can improve location accuracy to within a few centimetres. And, by making the technology more affordable, he’s opening it up to mass-market applications.

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• Lynne Cowe Falls, P.Eng., PhD, and professor, received the Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award for encouraging women to cultivate a career in engineering. By demonstrating how engineering can make a difference in the lives of others, she represents the positive effect the profession has on society. Fondly called “Dr. Mum,” she commonly has a lineup of students at her office door looking for advice. She has mentored and motivated many budding professional engineers, encouraging them to be actively engaged in their learning. In the words of one former mentee, “Her impact on young women specifically is notable. Her practical and resilient approach to being a professional and contributing member of society in the context of the challenges we face as young women has been especially impactful.”

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The APEGA Summit Awards honour leading individuals and projects in professional engineering and
geoscience for their role in building stronger communities across Alberta.