News
& Media
Documented stories are frequently featured on mass media of how our team of engineers and researchers are generating impact in a smart and sustainable way.
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad wins the 2023 ASTech Award for Digital Technology Innovation
Award | November 3, 2023
The Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) Awards recognize and celebrate our brightest minds and the greatest achievements of outstanding individuals and organizations in the Alberta science and technology innovation community.
From Adversity to Innovation
Article by APEGA | November 22, 2022
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad’s passion for problem solving leads him to do what most only think about—helping to fix or improve what’s gone awry in the world. Dr. Ahmad says he can sleep well when he’s contributed to the creation of a better world, but we hope not too well. After all, it’s his dreams of global solutions to improve society for everyone that keep him up at night.
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad wins the 2022 Edify Top 40 under 40 Award for Engineering Streamline Technology that Helps Society
Award | November 1, 2022
The Edify Top 40 under 40 Awards, issued by the Edify Magazine, honor 40 Edmonton-and-area residents under age 40 for the great work they do in bettering the community — and putting the city on the global map.
Leadership in the Age of Digital Transformation with Dr. Rafiq Ahmad
Podcast by TEC Canada | March 31, 2022
Dr. Rafiq Ahmad believes that smart manufacturing and production systems based on data, sensors, automation, green technologies, and AI are key to the innovation and sustainability of future industries and society. In this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast, host Gair Maxwell and Dr. Rafiq Ahmad discuss digital transformation and the challenges and opportunities that it presents.
Engineering student designs snorkel-like mask with fan to help protect healthcare workers from COVID-19
Article by CBC News | August 1, 2021
Emanuel Martinez Villanueva’s memory of his mother being proud of him has kept him going for his work on a respirator he designed to help keep front-line workers safe from COVID-19. The respirator — a face mask that filters air for the person to breathe in — was the brainchild of the engineering department at the University of Alberta under Rafiq Ahmad, an engineering professor.
Front-line battle against COVID-19 inspires innovative respirator project
Article by University of Alberta | July 28, 2021
University of Alberta engineering professor Rafiq Ahmad felt helpless when the earliest images of the toll COVID-19 was taking in Italy and Spain started making headlines in North America. “There are many millions of people out there who want to do something, but they don’t have the capacity, they don’t have the capability or the resources,” he said. “We are engineers—we can solve problems, we have the capacity, we have the resources.
SMART Lab 