S&C Division AGM Nov 5, 3pm EST

S&C Division AGM Nov 5, 3pm EST

The Annual General Meeting of the Systems & Control Division will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams at 3pm EST (noon PST) on November 5. Dial-in phone numbers are also available for audio participation. All division members or CSChE Stats & Control community adherents (i.e. you forgot to pay your dues!) are welcome to attend.

Normally we would hold in-person meetings at CCEC, but due to the virtual conference structure it is not reasonable to hold virtual meetings that week.

For security reasons, please contact the division chair (Thomas A. Adams II at tadams@mcmaster.ca) for an invitation to the Teams meeting or the dial-in conference code. Dial in phone numbers will be:

+1 289-335-1807 (Hamilton)
+1 647-749-9438 (Toronto)

Out-of-Canada dial-in numbers listed here: https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/eb651493-795f-45a2-9c8a-22ed7df10557?id=963372877

We will also post the dial-in conference code shortly before the meeting on this space.

Agenda:

  1. New members introduction
  2. Treasury Report
  3. President’s Report
    1. Division supported projects (PSEcommunity.org, LAPSE)
    2. Communications and mailing list
    3. Partnership with Standards Council of Canada on developing ISO Standard for eco-Technoeconomic Analysis
    4. Website changes, handover to Yankai Cao
    5. Discussions: New ventures for 2021
  4. New business

Please send agenda item requests to tadams@mcmaster.ca

AGM Notes and Division Election Results

AGM Notes and Division Election Results

The Division’s AGM was held yesterday at the CCEC in Halifax. Thank you for all that attended. There was much discussion about current issues and projects such as membership, the LAPSE database, the ISO standard development project, and an upcoming workshop in Toronto on IDAES. We continue to need volunteers to help with the website, LAPSE, and many other areas. Any interested people are encouraged to contact Tom Adams (tadams@mcmaster.ca).

Slides from the talk are available here:

The election for the 2019-2022 cohort of officers was held, with some positions uncontested. The new cohort is:

  • Chair – Thomas A. Adams II (McMaster)
  • Vice-Chair – Jinfeng Liu (Alberta)
  • Treasurer – Nicolas Hudon (Queens)
  • Secretary – Yankai Cao (UBC)

Thank you to everyone who was interested in participating as officers, and for Xiang Li and Zukui Li for their service over the past three years!

Academic positions in PSE at West Virginia University

Academic positions in PSE at West Virginia University

The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University invites applications for two positions in the area of process systems engineering.


Post-Doctoral Fellow: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline with expertise in the area of process systems engineering. Applicants must also have expertise in one or more of the following areas: 1) artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques; 2) nonlinear estimation techniques; 3) fault detection and diagnosis; 4) uncertainty quantification and robust analysis.

Research Assistant Professor: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline with expertise in the area of process systems engineering. Applicants must also have expertise in one or more of the following areas: 1) artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques; 2) nonlinear estimation techniques; 3) fault detection and diagnosis; 4) uncertainty quantification and robust analysis; 5) first-principles dynamic modeling and transient analysis. In addition, applicants should have at least 1 year of postdoctoral experience in academia, government or industry.

Responsibilities for both positions will include but not limited to guiding graduate and/or undergraduate students who will also work on the project; meeting deadlines, preparing, presenting, and reporting results effectively; working with other researchers from national labs, academia, and industry on all aspects related to this work; assisting with writing proposals to seek funding; communicating effectively both orally and in writing as demonstrated through monthly and quarterly reports, preparation of peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at national and international meetings and conferences.

The Statler College continues to grow, and currently has eight academic departments with over 4,700 students and 135 faculty members. It is nationally recognized for high quality teaching and research, as well as for its excellent faculty and students. The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering has 14 faculty members and approximately 260 undergraduate and 44 graduate students. The Department offers degrees at the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. levels.

WVU is the State’s comprehensive Land Grant University with an enrollment of about 29,000 students and a R1 Carnegie Classification. Morgantown and vicinity has a diverse population of about 62,000 residents and is ranked highly among the most livable small cities in the country. The community lies within a high technology corridor that also includes several federal research facilities as well as industries active in shale gas operations. The city is readily accessible and within driving distance from Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC. For more information on WVU and Morgantown, see http://www.wvu.edu and http://www.morgantown.com.

Morgantown is a safe, inclusive, and family-friendly community. WVU provides faculty members with a supportive environment for developing a visible and productive career (https://talentandculture.wvu.edu/new-employees) and a range of progressive policies to support work-life integration (https://faculty.wvu.edu/policies-and-procedures/work-life-integration). WVU also offers a Dual Career Program to assist partners in their career transition and job search and belongs to the

OH/Western PA/WV Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (https://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv).

To apply for this opportunity, visit www.jobs.wvu.edu or directly at: https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/faculty/jobdetail.ftl?job=13125&tz=GMT-04%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York. Applicants must include a cover letter, curriculum vita and a statement of research interests, and the contact information for at least three professional references. Applicants should clearly identify in the cover letter which position they are applying for. It should be noted that complete and professional quality documentation must be submitted in order for any candidate to be considered for this position. Review of the applications will begin October 31, 2019. For further information, contact Prof. Debangsu Bhattacharyya at (304) 293-9335, or e-mail: Debangsu.Bhattacharyya@mail.wvu.edu.
West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff and students, and invites applications from all

Division AGM Announced

Division AGM Announced

The Annual General Meeting of the Systems & Control Division will be held at the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference 2019 in Halifax, NS, on Monday Oct 21, at 5:15pm in room 613 of the Halifax Convention Centre. The tentative agenda is below. Please contact the division chair, Tom Adams (tadams@mcmaster.ca) for the addition of agenda items.

Tentative Agenda:

  1. Review of year’s activities
    1. Chair’s Report
    2. Treasury Report
  2. New ISO Standardization Committee Announcement
  3. New Officer Elections
Tenure-Track Faculty Position, Chemical Engineering, McMaster University

Tenure-Track Faculty Position, Chemical Engineering, McMaster University

The Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University is seeking an outstanding individual for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor, depending on the qualifications of the candidates.  Candidates with expertise in the areas of process systems engineering (with emphasis on data analytics), polymer engineering, and water/energy are encouraged to apply. The position is available from July 1, 2020.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline. Registration as a Professional Engineer of Ontario or eligibility to acquire registration in Canada is an essential qualification. The successful candidate will teach both undergraduate and graduate level courses.  They will also be expected to establish a strong externally-funded research program, supervise graduate students, and foster existing or new collaborations with other departments and faculties.  Evidence of leadership skills, excellence in service, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures is also required. 

The Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University has a reputation for innovative programs, cutting-edge research, leading faculty, and aspiring students. It has earned a strong reputation as a centre for academic excellence and innovation. The Faculty has approximately 180 faculty members, along with close to 4,500 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students.

McMaster University is committed to building an inclusive community dedicated to teaching and learning within a diverse environment.  The Faculty of Engineering seeks to attract an active, culturally and academically diverse faculty member of the highest caliber and welcomes applications from highly qualified candidates with skills and abilities that will contribute to the values of equity, diversity and inclusion in research, teaching, and the workplace.  The Faculty of Engineering promotes a nurturing and inclusive environment where opportunities are made available for personal growth and professional development. McMaster Chemical Engineering has a very strong reputation in both research and teaching as one of the top schools for Chemical Engineering in Canada. 

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, a research dossier that includes a statement of research interests and plans, a selection of research publications, a teaching dossier that includes a teaching philosophy, as well as evidence of teaching experience and effectiveness.  Kindly provide the names of at least four references who can speak to your academic and research performance (with postal and email addresses).  In both your research and teaching statements, please also describe how you will further equity and inclusion to advance McMaster University’s commitment to fostering a culture that embraces and promotes the rich diversity of our campus community.  Some current examples of activities, include diversity-related programming, contributions to student success, committee work, and appropriate mentoring of individuals, especially those from groups that have been historically marginalized or disadvantaged.

Complete applications must be made online at www.workingatmcmaster.ca/careers (Faculty Postings, Job #) to the attention of:

Chair of the Selection Committee
Department of Chemical Engineering
McMaster University,
Hamilton, ON Canada L8S 4L7

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. All applicants will receive an on-line confirmation of receipt of their application; however, only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority.  If you require any form of accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection procedure, please contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 905‐525‐9140 ext. 222‐HR (22247).

To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens.  Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications must include one of the following statements:

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.  The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence.  The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.  While all qualified candidates are invited to apply, we particularly welcome applications from women, persons with disabilities, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of visible minorities, and LGBQT+ persons.  Job applicants requiring accommodations to participate in the hiring process should contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247) to communicate accommodation needs.

Nominations for Elections for Officers of the Systems & Control Division

We will be holding elections for all four officer positions at the at the upcoming annual general meeting of our division in Halifax (date not yet set but most likely will be the afternoon of October 21, 2019). The open positions, for three year terms beginning October 24, 2019 and ending on the last day of the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in 2022, are: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasury, and Secretary.

Anyone who is interested in running for a position should contact the Secretary (Dr. Zukui Li) at zukui@ualberta.ca on or before October 19, 2019. All candidates will be given the opportunity to speak at the AGM prior to the vote of the membership.

Keynote videos from CSChE 2018 Uploaded

Videos from the Systems & Control Division’s keynote lectures given at the XXIX Interamerican Congress of Chemical Engineering Incorporating the 68th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Toronto are now available for viewing.

The speakers include national and international PSE leaders Leo Chang (Dow Chemical), Prof. Tom Duever (Ryerson), Prof. Anna Inés Torres (Universidad de la República, Uruguay), and Prof. Martin Guan (Queens).

Check out the Recorded Seminars section to watch.

Process Systems Engineering à la Canada Special Issue Extended

The deadline for submissions to the special issue in Processes called “Process Systems Engineering à la Canada” has been extended to May 31. PSE researchers in Canada and anyone presenting at the 2018 CSChE Conference in Toronto are especially encouraged to submit to this issue in order to highlight the best of Canadian PSE research.

Remember, there is a 20% discount on publication fees for Systems & Control division members!