Three School of Engineering (SoE) faculty members have been honoured with UBC Okanagan’s 2025/26 Outstanding Instructor award.

The SoE’s Dr. Nicolas Peleato, Ph.D. candidate Zahra Sarpanah Sourkouhi, and Dr. Mohammad Tiznobaik are among 29 instructors from across UBCO to be recognized. Read the full list from the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic.

The Outstanding Instructor Award recognizes exemplary instructors within each Faculty for their teaching over the past three years, with emphasis on the most recent academic year, based on an assessment of their teaching conducted by the Faculty in which they are appointed.

“Congratulations to Zahra, Mohammad, and Nicolas on this well-deserved recognition,” said School of Engineering Director Dr. Will Hughes. “Each of you demonstrates the care, creativity, and commitment that define excellent engineering education. Your dedication to student learning is clear, your impact is appreciated, and your example helps elevate us all. Thank you for modelling our school values and for making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students.”

Dr. Nicolas Peleato

Dr. Nicolas Miguel Peleato is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at UBCO. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto for his research on advanced characterization of organic matter for the evaluation of drinking water treatment processes and assessing source water quality. This research extended into a postdoctoral fellowship evaluating the role and mechanisms of protein conformation on membrane fouling on a fundamental level of model compounds.  Furthermore, he has focused on integrating data analysis and machine learning methods to leverage insights into water quality. The ultimate goal of his research is to find low-cost and simple pre-treatment methods to improve drinking water treatment systems.

Outside academia, Dr. Peleato worked for an environmental engineering firm specializing in issues related to drinking water treatment systems where he played a lead role in designing leachate collection systems, portable drinking water distribution systems for large-scale events.

Within his research group at UBC, Dr. Peleato seeks to advance the technology, evaluation and monitoring of drinking water treatment through integrated large-scale data analysis and hands-on research to further understand fundamental mechanisms relevant to advanced water treatment operations.

Dr. Peleato is an accredited professional engineer and a member of the American Water Works Association.

Zahra Sarpanah Sourkouhi

Zahra Sarpanah Sourkouhi is a Ph.D. candidate, graduate research assistant, and sessional lecturer at UBCO. She has served as the lab manager for the Okanagan MicroElectronic and Gigahertz Applications (OMEGA) lab under the supervision of Professor Zarifi.

Her main research is focused on material characterization, additive manufacturing for novel fabrications of microwave components, and the study of the performance of 2D MXene material at high frequencies and thermal impact. Her research background involves investigating microwave ring resonators and transmission lines sensitive to visible light illumination. She has been contributing to publications in multiple academic journals, including T-MTT, Small, and Advanced Materials Technologies, and assisting in writing academic and industrial proposals. Her teaching experience is related to VLSI and circuit analysis at Cadence (ENGR 466).

She serves as a reviewer for IEEE Sensors (Journal, Letter, and conference). She received the prestigious 2025 APS Professor Mojgan Daneshmand grant and was selected as the first-place award for Excellence in Microsystem Fabrication at the TEXPO 2025 CMC microsystem competition. She has background in data classifications and clustering and has job experience in the automotive industry as an R&D engineer with the responsibility of designing test circuits for electronic vehicle components. She is a member of the MTT-S TC-17 Microwave Materials and Processing Technologies volunteer Committee, IEEE Young Professionals, Women in Engineering, Women in Microwave, and MTTS student ambassadors. Her volunteer contribution involves attending mentorship programs when required by the university or the research group.

Dr. Mohammad Tiznobaik

Dr. Mohammad Tiznobaik is a lecturer in the School of Engineering at UBCO. He previously also served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow here. Dr. Tiznobaik is a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and brings 30 years of combined industrial and academic experience in design and construction engineering, including work on large-scale projects.

His research focuses on the behavior and curing of concrete pavements, the design and performance of cementitious materials, and the durability of concrete infrastructure under chemical and physical damage mechanisms.

Dr. Tiznobaik is the recipient of the 2025 Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, recognizing his outstanding contributions to engineering education. He is also a distinguished recipient of the ACI Wason Medal for Materials Research (2020), one of the most prestigious honors in concrete research. Additional accolades include the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (2015–2018) and the Gordon P. Osler Graduate Scholarship (2015).

Dr. Tiznobaik earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1996, followed by a Master’s in Structural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Concrete Materials from the University of Manitoba in 2014 and 2018, respectively. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in British Columbia, Canada.

Making change in a complex world: UBCO students invited to Map the System 

The world’s most pressing challenges cannot be solved through a single lens. 

Human rights. Climate change. Waste management. Urban resilience. These are issues shaped by interconnected systems—where policy, economics, environment, infrastructure and human behaviour all intersect. 

This spring, UBC Okanagan students are invited to take on those complexities through the inaugural UBCO Map the System Competition Showcase, an event that highlights systems thinking, sustainability and interdisciplinary problem solving. 

UBCO Map the System 

• Date: May 15, 2026
• Time: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Location: UNC200, UBC Okanagan Campus
• Cost: Free 
• Open to: UBCO students, faculty and staff; community members

Learn more

Register

The showcase invites the campus and wider community to explore how students are examining complex global issues through research, mapping and systems-based analysis. 

Developed through the School of Engineering’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, Map the System challenges students to move beyond surface-level solutions and instead understand the deeper forces that shape persistent societal problems. 

“Engineering increasingly requires us to understand complexity as opposed to trying to solve isolated technical problems,” says Dr. Alon Eisenstein, Associate Professor and Entrepreneurship Lead with the UBC Okanagan School of Engineering.

“Map the System encourages students to think more deeply about interconnected challenges and to recognize the value of systems-level understanding in creating lasting impact.” 

Student teams are asked to investigate interconnected drivers, stakeholders, policies and unintended consequences—developing a richer understanding of how meaningful change can occur. 

This year’s competing projects span a diverse range of topics, including: 

• Economics & Rights — The Powerplay of Indigenous Economics, Rights & Freedom 

• Natural Resources — Industrial timber harvesting and the loss of primary forests in British Columbia 

• Campus Sustainability — The Cost of Convenience: Barriers to Campus Waste Diversion & Management in Kelowna, B.C. 

• Ecological Policy — Extractive Economies and Government Failures in Sumatra, Indonesia 

Prizes 

UBCO Map the System finalists will take home cash prizes and advance to the global semi-finals. 

UBCO Map the System Campus Finals 

• 1st Prize – $500 cash prize – AND The 1st place winning team will be invited to attend the global finals. 
• 2nd Prize – $300 cash prize 
• 3rd Prize – $200 cash prize 

Map the System Global Final 

The Global Final will take place on July 9 – 12, 2026 in Oxford England at the University of Oxford 

• All campus finalist teams will compete at the global semi-final event 
• The top teams will compete in the final for prize monies:
  • 1st Prize – £5,000 cash prize
  • 2nd Prize – £4,000 cash prize
  • 3rd Prize – £3,500 cash prize 

Innovation through systems thinking – and serious play 

Dr. Nadine Ibrahim

The event will feature student presentations, expert judging, networking opportunities and a keynote presentation and workshop led by Dr. Nadine Ibrahim, Associate Professor and Turkstra Chair in Urban Engineering at the University of Waterloo. 

Dr. Ibrahim’s work bridges engineering education, sustainability, resilience and climate adaptation. 

Her keynote, “Mapping World Cities Towards Sustainability and Beyond,” will explore how systems-based thinking can support resilient urban futures. 

Participants will also take part in an interactive LEGO® Serious Play® activity focused on moving beyond sustainability toward resilience. 

A showcase of learning, curiosity and collaboration 

The day begins with welcome remarks and student judging sessions before transitioning into lunch, networking and the keynote workshop. 

The competition concludes with the announcement of winners and closing reflections. 

The event also brings together a panel of community and industry judges, including: 

• Leanne Hammond, Executive Director, Community Foundation North Okanagan 

• Stephanie Gnissios, Co-Founder and COO of Climate Risk Services 

While this is the inaugural year of UBCO hosting a Map the System campus competition, this is the third year UBCO students have participated. Past teams from 2025 and 2024 have gone on to compete nationally and internationally.  

UBC Okanagan School of Engineering and FortisBC celebrate a decade of partnership and impact

It was a day not only to celebrate innovation in clean energy research, but to recognize that the future is in good hands.

Leaders from UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering and FortisBC recently gathered to mark more than a decade of meaningful collaboration and impact.

The event brought together researchers, students and partners to reflect on a relationship defined not only by investment, but by shared purpose—advancing applied research, supporting student learning and delivering practical solutions for British Columbia’s evolving energy landscape.

Watch the video

A partnership rooted in purpose

In her opening remarks, Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, spoke to the importance of partnerships in advancing both research excellence and real-world outcomes.

“What we have built together goes well beyond funding. It is a relationship grounded in shared purpose—a commitment to innovation, sustainability and community impact. The impact is tangible here in our region, across British Columbia, and increasingly on a global stage.”

Dr. Currie emphasized that partnerships like FortisBC’s expand what’s possible—supporting applied research in clean and smart energy systems, hydrogen and carbon solutions, while shaping the next generation of engineers through hands-on, meaningful learning experiences.

Remarks from FortisBC leadership reinforced this shared vision. CEO Roger Dall’Antonia and Vice President Energy Supply and Resource Development Joe Mazza spoke to FortisBC’s pride in working alongside UBC Okanagan—highlighting the value of advancing meaningful, applied research with tangible impact in the communities they serve.

Joe Mazza, FortisBC’s Vice President Energy Supply and Resource Development

Over the past ten years, the partnership has generated significant impact:

• $3.14M invested by FortisBC
• $3.4 million leveraged through matching partners such as MITACS
• 52 students trained
• 73 scholarly publications
• 26 industry collaborations supported

As the School of Engineering’s Director of Research & Industry Partnerships Colin Wilson noted, these numbers tell only part of the story. Behind them is a growing ecosystem connecting industry, academia and community to tackle complex energy and sustainability challenges together.

“We are deeply grateful to FortisBC for its investment and partnership. What it enables our professors and instructors to do is nothing short of amazing. It’s game-changing. And there is no better illustration than the success of our highly trained students—and the young people gaining early STEM experiences through FortisBC’s support,” said Wilson.

Advancing research for a clean energy future

Dr. Kasun Hewage, UBCO Civil Engineering Professor and FortisBC Smart Energy Chair

Attendees heard from leading UBC Okanagan researchers whose work has been enabled—and amplified—through this partnership.

Dr. Kasun Hewage, FortisBC Smart Energy Chair, highlighted research advancing lifecycle thinking in infrastructure, smart cities and net-zero energy systems—developing tools and frameworks to guide sustainable urban development.

Dr. Joshua Brinkerhoff (H2 Lab Phase 1 & 2) shared progress on hydrogen systems research, including blending, storage and safety—key to supporting British Columbia’s transition to low-carbon energy.

Dr. Dimitry Sediako (H2 Lab Phase 3) showcased advancements in hydrogen materials and infrastructure, including testing capabilities to better understand hydrogen embrittlement in pipelines.

Dr. Lukas Bichler (H2 Lab Phase 4) explored emerging applications of hydrogen-derived materials, including solid carbon for industrial uses, while building collaborations with First Nations and global partners.

Together, these efforts reflect a coordinated, multi-phase research ecosystem building capacity, infrastructure and knowledge for a clean energy future.

Inspiring the next generation

FortisBC’s support is helping UBCO expand its Geering Up program for youth

The partnership’s impact extends well beyond research labs.

Through FortisBC’s support of Geering Up Engineering outreach, hundreds of youth and educators have engaged in hands-on STEM experiences—building confidence, curiosity and pathways into engineering.

This support has expanded camps, workshops and outreach programs across the region, including initiatives like Go ENG Girl and programming with Indigenous communities, most recently with the Osoyoos Indian Band.

Attendees also experienced a live Geering Up demonstration, where the team created an edible water bottle—an engaging example of how energy, physics and fun come together for young learners.

Geering Up Program Assistant Manager Adam Cornford noted:

“A huge thank you to FortisBC. These programs are bringing energy conservation and efficiency education to more learners across the region. It’s helping build confidence, curiosity and a sense of belonging.”

A partnership that builds people, not just projects

Closing the event, School of Engineering Director Dr. Will Hughes reflected on what makes the partnership truly distinctive.

“What we have heard today is more than a list of projects or milestones. This is a transformative partnership. It’s locally rooted, grounded in the needs of this region, and creating impact far beyond it.”

He emphasized its generational impact:

“Through your support, FortisBC is helping us build not only knowledge, but capacity, talent and momentum: the engineers who will shape our communities, industries and clean energy future.”

Looking ahead

As UBC Okanagan and FortisBC look to the future, the foundation built over the past decade offers a powerful platform for continued collaboration.

It is a partnership defined not only by what has been achieved, but by what is still possible—measured not just in dollars, but in meaningful impact on people and place.

School of Engineering PhD students showcase sustainable solutions at UBCO 3MT Finals

Congratulations to UBC Okanagan School of Engineering (SoE) PhD Students Rubaiya Rumman and Fatemeh Niknahad who represented the SoE at UBCO’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Finals on April 14 at the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna.

Rubaiya Rumman was awarded Runner Up overall and Alumni UBC People’s Choice Award as selected by the audience.

Rumman’s day was especially momentous—in the morning, she successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled “Wood-Ash Modified Low-Carbon Cementitious Composites and Concrete.” Her groundbreaking research advances sustainable construction by transforming industrial by-products into innovative, low-carbon building materials. That evening, she distilled that three hour thesis defence into just under three minutes on stage.

Rumman’s PhD supervisor Dr. Shahria Alam was in the audience to cheer her on, noting: “Rubaiya is an outstanding student. She has incredibly high expectations for herself and always exceeds. We are so proud of what she has accomplished through her studies, from winning many awards and scholarships to the quality of her research. We know she will continue to accomplish great things and inspire our School.”

When asked how she felt after the competition, Rumman said: “Relieved! I wasn’t as nervous as I expected to be. Defending my thesis earlier in the day took the pressure off in some ways, so I could just show up and get through the three minutes tonight. It was an incredible day, and I was honoured to be part of the 3MT competition.”

WATCH PRESENTATION

Fatemeh Niknahad was also a crowd favourite for her presentation Microwave Ice Sensor. Her project explored building a smart, durable sensor that can detect black ice as it forms, to improve road safety in cold climates, such as Canada’s North.

“Participating in 3MT was a truly rewarding experience. It challenged me to step back from the technical details and focus on the broader impact of my research. It was also a big personal milestone for me and gave me a new sense of confidence,” said Niknahad.

Watch presentation

She is currently completing her PhD supervised by Dr. Mohammad Zarifi, who said:

“3MT is a powerful platform that challenges graduate students to communicate complex research clearly and concisely beyond academia. It encourages students to engage with industry and society by developing essential skills in storytelling, public speaking, and knowledge translation. By building confidence and clarity, 3MT prepares participants to effectively showcase the real-world impact of their work.”

Added Dr. Zarifi: “Fatemeh has demonstrated outstanding and remarkable progress in her thesis while also delivering a strong performance in the 3MT competition, making OMEGA Lab proud of her achievement.”

Rumman and Niknahad presented alongside seven other finalists from graduate studies programs across UBCO to an esteemed panel of judges from the City of Kelowna, UBCO’s Academic and Career Advising Office and UBC Venture Finance Mentoring program.

The event was emceed by Dr. Sabre Cherkowski, Associate Dean, College of Graduate Studies. UBCO’s Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr. Lesley Cormack and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies also spoke about the quality of the students’ research. The audience was treated to a research presentation by UBCO Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Seth McCarthy from the Faculty of Health and Social Development.

What is 3MT?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a global academic competition started by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia in 2008. Since then, the competition has spread throughout universities across the globe.

The competition showcases students’ innovative research while helping students develop effective presentation and communication skills. Research-based master’s and doctoral students are challenged to present their research in a mere 180 seconds using just one static slide.

The judges look for clear language, a well-structured presentation that engages the audience, and a slide that is designed to support the speaker’s points.

At UBC Okanagan, 3MT is organized by the College of graduate studies. Learn more on the event page.

Students impress at annual APSC 171 Design Showcase 

Students in the Applied Science 171 course at UBC Okanagan (UBCO) School of Engineering showcased their skills and knowledge in an exciting and fast-paced design competition on April 9. 

“As one of the School’s long-standing flagship design showcase competitions, this annual event remains a hallmark of creativity, innovation, and experiential learning within our engineering program,” said Dr. Ray Taheri, Professor of Teaching. “Over the years, this showcase has become not just an important academic event, but one that builds community as well. It highlights the ingenuity of our students while reinforcing the School’s commitment to design-based education and socially relevant engineering practice.”  

This year, two timely and highly consequential design themes were selected. The first focuses on supporting older adults in their daily lives and enhancing overall quality of life through thoughtful, practical, and user-centred engineering solutions.  

The second addresses the urgent challenge of climate change and its wide-ranging impacts. Projects under this theme may explore issues such as wildfire mitigation, flood resilience, reduction of individual and community carbon footprints, and approaches to more sustainable living.  

Together, these themes encourage students to engage with pressing societal issues and to consider how engineering design can contribute meaningfully to human well-being and environmental stewardship.  

This year, a total of 70 student groups participated, whittled down to the top 20 teams that advanced to the live competition on April 9. The event was attended by numerous community and industry leaders who served as judges, including City of Kelowna Councilors Ron Cannan and Loyal Woolridge.  

“The event is designed not only to celebrate outstanding design work but also to provide students with valuable experience in communication, presentation, and the defence of their ideas before a professional audience,” explained Dr. Taheri. “The skills they build and demonstrate today they will carry and continue to hone throughout their education and long after they graduate.” 

Adds Taheri: “On behalf of the School of Engineering, we’re incredibly proud of all the students who participated. Great job, everyone. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.” 

APSC 171 Design Showcase has been an integral part of the first-year engineering experience since the School’s inception and the opening of UBC Okanagan in 2005. This year marks the 21st year in a row that Dr. Taheri has coordinated the event.  

“The APSC 171 Design Showcase is a powerful – and empowering – way to cap off the first-year engineering experience at UBC Okanagan,” said Dr. Will Hughes, Director of the School of Engineering. “Our students are already demonstrating creativity, empathy and a deep commitment to solving real-world challenges. I want to recognize Dr. Ray Taheri for his leadership and dedication to this event over the past two decades, along with all our faculty, staff, students and friends from the community who make this impactful day possible.” 

TEAM VIDEOS

Watch video presentations from this year’s top teams: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tXWUnB15zk  (Top 4 SolidWorks projects) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH4UB2lYxKA  (Pillbox, aiming to patent it) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt5EAFQ0Eb8  (Landslide-Detect) 

https://youtu.be/-IA-H5JUbto?si=Yg024ar_IsgK-2xM  (Stabilizing Pen, aiming to patent it)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4lnUT–uIo  (Buoy, floating water quality data collection) 

View the photo gallery 

Dr. Feng’s projects explore security and reliability of quantum and cryptographic systems

The School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan is proud to recognize Dr. Chen Feng, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, on receiving two NSERC Alliance International Catalyst Quantum grants—an achievement that underscores both the strength and momentum of quantum research at UBC Okanagan.

Dr. Feng is one of four UBC researchers funded in this national competition, and the only researcher in this round to receive multiple Alliance Quantum grants.

Together, these awards – valued at $25,000 each – support two complementary projects at the forefront of quantum computing and cryptography, fields that are rapidly shaping the future of secure communications, critical infrastructure, and advanced technologies.

One project focuses on strengthening the security and reliability of quantum and cryptographic systems, developing rigorous methods to verify correctness and trustworthiness in emerging technologies such as threshold signatures. The second tackles a key challenge in quantum computing: designing methods that are both practically implementable and provably secure, helping to reduce the cost and complexity of fault-tolerant quantum systems.

For both projects, Dr. Feng is working in close collaboration with leading international partners, bringing together expertise that does not exist in any single institution. These partnerships will accelerate progress on foundational challenges, while creating valuable training opportunities for Canadian students and postdoctoral researchers.

“These projects are about building trust in the next generation of computing systems,” said Dr. Feng. “By combining rigorous theory with practical design, we aim to make quantum and cryptographic technologies both secure and deployable in real-world settings. This work is inherently collaborative, bringing together complementary expertise from our international partners while creating meaningful opportunities for our students and postdoctoral researchers to contribute at the frontier.”

Beyond advancing theory, the projects are designed to deliver practical impact: producing new frameworks, prototype systems, and openly shared research that will help position Canada as a leader in secure and scalable quantum technologies.

“Ultimately, our goal is to develop solutions that not only advance fundamental knowledge in quantum research, but also deliver lasting impact for Canada’s digital and critical infrastructure,” said Dr. Feng.

“This is a significant achievement for Dr. Feng and for our School,” says Dr. Will Hughes, Director of the School of Engineering. “Chen’s work sits at the intersection of security, mathematics and emerging quantum technologies, areas that are increasingly vital to Canada’s future. These projects not only deepen UBC Okanagan’s research strength in this area, they also contribute meaningfully to Canada’s quantum ecosystem at a critical moment.”

The Canadian Society of Senior Engineers (CSSE) has bestowed one of its highest honours upon a UBC Okanagan School of Engineering faculty member.  

Dr. Hewage, Professor of Civil Engineering, has been named a CSSE a Fellow in recognition of more than two decades of distinguished service, leadership and impact in the engineering profession. He is also a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, and Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.  

This prestigious designation is awarded only to engineers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in engineering practice or education, and who have made significant contributions to their field. 

“I am truly honored to be a Fellow of the CSSE,” said Dr. Hewage. “There is nothing more satisfying in life than seeing the direct positive impacts of my contributions to the society; and successes of my HQP in both academia and industry, and their personal lives.” 

Dr. Hewage is widely recognized for his leadership in sustainable infrastructure, life cycle management and smart energy systems. His work sits at the intersection of climate action, resource management and resilient infrastructure—helping communities develop practical, scalable solutions to global challenges. 

“On behalf of the School of Engineering, congratulations to Dr. Kasun Hewage on this well-deserved honour,” said SoE Director Dr. Will Hughes. “Kasun’s election as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Senior Engineers is a reflection of the depth and impact of his work, and the leadership he brings to our School and broader community. His commitment to advancing sustainable engineering solutions, grounded in real-world application and meaningful partnerships, embodies the very best of what we strive for at UBC Okanagan.”  

About Dr. Kasun Hewage 

Dr. Hewage holds the FortisBC Smart Energy Chair at UBC Okanagan and is also Associate Director of UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre. A recognized leader in life cycle management of built assets, green construction and smart energy planning, his research has informed key policies and practices, including the BC Energy Step Code, FortisBC energy initiatives and municipal transit electrification strategies.  

He brings extensive interdisciplinary experience from both academia and industry, with research spanning sustainable construction, circular economy, and the energy–carbon nexus in infrastructure systems.  

Graduating students showcase impactful projects 

It was a moment where ideas, dreams and teamwork took flight. A moment to lift each other up. To present real solutions to problems in the Okanagan and beyond.  

It was a moment for friends, families and community to come together. And for a group of soon-to-graduate engineering students, it was both a swan song and a new beginning.  

More than 350 final-year engineering students landed at the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence on Friday, April 10 for the 2026 Capstone Design Showcase and Competition, sharing their innovations with the UBC Okanagan community and the public. 

This year’s showcase featured 59 projects, developed in collaboration with industry and community partners from across the Okanagan, the province and beyond. 

The popular annual event represents a culminating moment in students’ learning through the School of Engineering’s ENG499 Engineering Capstone Design Project course. Drawing on the full breadth of their education—engineering design and science, project management, communication and more—students bring their ideas to life with guidance from faculty coaches.  

Projects spanned a wide range of themes, including automotive and aerospace, community and humanitarian engineering, infrastructure and construction, innovative devices and systems, software and data systems, and sustainable and environmental solutions. 

The quality, depth and breadth of work once again impressed the panel of judges, comprised of 12 local industry leaders and six graduate students from the School of Engineering. But the most common theme of the day?  

Community. 

“Capstone is about amazing technical work and solutions, but even more so it’s about relationships and connection,” said Capstone faculty co-lead Dr. Ken Chau, an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Associate Director Innovation at the School of Engineering.  

Capstone is one of the ways the School of Engineering is deepening a sense of community among its own students and faculty—and with the scores of alumni and industry partners who participate each year, agreed Capstone co-lead Dr. Alon Eisenstein.  

“Some of our judges this year are alumni and have gone through the Capstone course themselves,” explained Dr. Eisenstein, an Associate Professor of Teaching, Technology Entrepreneurship and Professional Development. “They were blown away by how Capstone has evolved and how much the quality of the students’ work has developed over the years. From what we saw at this year’s event, we’re incredibly excited for these students’ futures and for the future of UBCO and our region.” 

2026 Capstone Showcase and Competition judges.

UBCO’s Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr. Lesley McCormack echoed that sentiment in her address to the teams and their supporters at the closing ceremony. 

“Each one of these ideas is an engine that can change the world,” said Dr. Cormack. “When you walk through the showcase, you don’t just see projects—you see applied solutions that can have an impact through tackling our region’s distinct challenges and opportunities.” 

In congratulating the students, Cormack also thanked the many industry partners across the region who support the program, from pitching projects to mentoring students over the course of the term.    

James Seabrook, CEO of Vitalis and a UBCO Engineering alum encouraged the students to keep growing their ideas locally.  

Wendy Cheung, an Associate with FH&P Law Firm in Kelowna, presented a cheque for $1,200 to the winning team. “Capstone projects are a powerful example of our future in action—skills that matter not just in engineering or business but in every profession,” said Cheung. FH&P’s support allowed for the creation of the cash prize, which was new for this year. 

This year’s top team was Semi-Autonomous Depth-Resolved Water Quality USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) for Okanagan Lake, made up of Nathan Carscadden, Kevin Cserhalmi, Connor Kirkpatrick, Wesley Wang, Adiyar Yelyubayev and Yuriy Storozhuk.  

Their system addresses a monitoring gap in source water monitoring for Okanagan Lake. To respond, they developed a semi-autonomous catamaran equipped with a winch-deployed sensor hub for studying turbidity and temperature. The rig is capable of delivering depth-resolved profiles at the City of Kelowna’s four drinking water intakes, supporting the City’s efforts to protect drinking water quality for approximately 86,000 residents. 

The team engaged the City of Kelowna as their client, working with Ed Hoppe, the City’s Water Quality and Customer Care Manager. Their faculty coach was UBCO Engineering Associate Professor Dr. Nicolas Peleato. 

“Kelowna is where we grew as engineers, and this project gave us the chance to put that education to work for the community directly. We went through a lot of iterations refining both the problem and the solution alongside the City, and landing on something that addresses a real operational need made the win feel meaningful. We’re preparing a white paper for the City and, as a team, we’re excited to see where it takes us,” said the team.  

Hundreds gathered for UBCO Engineering’s Capstone Showcase and Competition.

RESULTS 

Automotive and Aerospace 

Tire Cooling Solution for Mining Haul truck  

Client – Kal Tire MTG Innovation Center 

Community and Humanitarian Engineering 

Acting on Limitations: Improving Front Drive Power Assist Devices in Collaboration with Accessible Okanagan  

Client – Entrepreneurial Capstone (student owned) 

Infrastructure and Construction 

Skaha Hills Amenity Building  

Client – Greyback Construction  

Innovative Devices and Systems 

Novel area thermal pressure relief device  

Client – Hexagon Agility  

Software and Data Systems: 

BIM-AI Integration for Smart Construction  

Client – Dr. Qian Chen, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, UBCO 

Sustainable and Environmental Solutions (and First Place Overall) 

Semi-Autonomous Depth-Resolved Water Quality USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) for Okanagan Lake 

Client – Entrepreneurial Capstone (student owned) 

This year marked the third in a row that a student-owned (entrepreneurial) team took top spot in the competition, a result that Capstone co-lead Dr. Eisenstein is remarkable but not completely unexpected.  

“Entrepreneurial teams need to demonstrate exceptional initiative,” says Dr. Eisenstein. “They must bring their own problem forward to solve and then secure a client to work with to make an impact in the world,” says Dr. Eisenstein. “Our School continues to invest in the entrepreneurial education opportunities and support for our students, to add to their engineering skills.”  

Community and Humanitarian Engineering 1st Place Team

In his closing remarks, School of Engineering Director Dr. Will Hughes spoke about how society needs engineers who are both technically skilled and motivated to advance creative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.  

“The world needs not only great engineers, it needs good engineers,” said Dr. Hughes. “We need engineers who bring ingenuity, but also humility, kindness, resilience and a willingness to put the greater good before themselves across the whole gamut of civil, environmental, social and technological issues.” 

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UBC Okanagan School of Engineering Student Noah Kaiser is helping redefine what reconciliation looks like in research—through mentorship, representation and design rooted in both land and community

When Noah Kaiser talks about engineering, he starts with people.

This fall, the fourth-year UBC Okanagan student will join classmates and researchers travelling to the Upper Nicola Band to help create a community database of local building knowledge—an effort that combines technical design with lived experience.

For Kaiser, who is Dakelh from the Stellat’en First Nation near Fraser Lake, the project reflects how engineering can expand beyond calculations and concrete to include cultural understanding.

“We’re learning from knowledge keepers about traditional building practices and the values behind them,” he says. “It’s about listening first and seeing how that knowledge can shape the way we build today.”

Although Kaiser’s roots are in northern BC, his own story begins much further south. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, he moved to Kelowna before his first birthday and grew up attending local schools.

His father, Kevin Kaiser, serves as the Indigenous district vice-principal for Central Okanagan Public Schools and helped launch one of the province’s first Indigenous leadership courses for middle and high school students.

That connection gave Noah an early sense of belonging and purpose.

“My dad has always been involved in education and community,” he says. “Because of him, I’ve always felt proud of my Indigenous heritage and understood the importance of sharing it.”

In high school, Kaiser joined a student team that designed an outdoor classroom built in a circle—a shape symbolizing equality and connection to the land. The project, still in progress, was the spark that led him toward civil engineering.

“I’ve always been interested in math and science,” he says, “but I wanted to do something practical—something you could see take shape in the world.”

That hands-on mindset led him to the School of Engineering’s Seed2STEM program, where he spent summers working in university labs before entering UBC Okanagan.

He later earned two Undergraduate Student Research Awards and joined the Disaster-Resilient Buildings Lab led by Dr. Lisa Tobber, studying precast concrete systems and sustainable construction practices.

Dr. Tobber, a Principal’s Research Chair in Disaster-Resilient Buildings, describes him as a standout.

“It’s too rare to see Indigenous students in engineering,” she says. “Noah is exceptional—he’s bright, consistently among the top students in his courses and a genuine role model. He’s deeply committed to learning from Indigenous knowledge and encouraging other students to pursue engineering.”

Kaiser’s own message to future students is equally direct.

“It’s OK to be intimidated at first,” he says. “You have to take that first step. Once you’re in, you realize everyone around you wants you to succeed.”

That drive has earned him multiple scholarships and awards, including the Presidential Scholars Award, the S.D. Harold Pope Award in Civil Engineering and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Scholarship for Continuing Indigenous Students. But Kaiser views each achievement as a step on a much longer path.

His next goal is graduate school—and eventually, a PhD with Dr. Tobber’s group.

Through students like Noah Kaiser, that future looks broader and stronger: an engineering discipline that measures success not only in structures that stand, but in communities that stand together.

“Engineering is about solving problems you can see and touch,” he says. “But it’s also about people—their homes, their history and the future they want to build.”

UBC Okanagan (UBCO) School of Engineering Professor Dr. Zheng Liu has been recognized with a significant international honour that reflects his extraordinary impact in research, industry engagement and leadership in the field.

A Career-Defining Honour from SPIE

Dr. Liu is a recipient of the Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Lifetime Achievement Award from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The award recognizes sustained excellence, leadership, and transformative contributions to smart structures and non-destructive evaluation over the course of a distinguished career. It is one of the field’s most prestigious distinctions.

The award was presented in March at the SPIE Smart Structures + NDE Conference in Vancouver—an especially fitting setting to honour Dr. Liu’s long-standing influence on both the research community and the next generation of engineers in Canada.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from SPIE,” said Dr. Liu. “This award reflects the collective efforts of the many talented students, colleagues, and industry partners I’ve worked with over the years. As the field evolves from traditional inspection to AI-driven digital twins, I hope this recognition inspires the next generation of engineers to advance safer, more reliable non-destructive evaluation systems.”

“This is a truly career-defining moment,” said UBCO School of Engineering Director Dr. Will Hughes. On behalf of the School of Engineering, congratulations to Dr. Zheng Liu on this well-deserved lifetime achievement award which recognizes not just the volume of his contributions, but their lasting impact. We are incredibly proud to count Zheng as a colleague and a leader in our School. His work has shaped the field, strengthened our research culture and inspired countless students and colleagues along the way.”

Strengthening Global Industry Partnerships

Complementing this lifetime recognition, Dr. Liu has also been selected to participate in the 2026 Boeing Visiting Professor Program, a highly competitive initiative that brings together leading academics from around the world to collaborate directly with industry.

Through the program, Dr. Liu will spend time in Seattle engaging with Boeing executives, technical leaders, and research teams, including a focused learning pathway with Boeing’s Visualization and Visual Analytics in Engineering group. The experience will support knowledge exchange, deepen industry-academic collaboration, and open new pathways for applied research and innovation.

This appointment reflects Dr. Liu’s international standing and the relevance of his expertise to real-world engineering challenges, while also strengthening UBC Okanagan’s connections within the global aerospace and advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

“The Boeing Visiting Professor Program is an exceptional opportunity to bridge academic research with real-world industrial challenges,” said Dr. Liu. “Working with Boeing’s Visualization and Visual Analytics teams aligns perfectly with my research in digital twins and intelligent inspection systems. I look forward to fostering collaborations that create lasting impact for both UBC Okanagan and Boeing’s innovation efforts.”