U of T ENGINEERING

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

An external review of the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice and its programs has been scheduled for May 27-28, 2026. Four eminent colleagues have agreed to form the review team:

  • Robert (Bob) Brennan Professor, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Vice-Dean, Schulich School of Engineering University of Calgary
  • Erica Dawson Professor of Practice, Engineering Leadership Assistant Dean and Director, Selander Center for Engineering Leadership Cornell University
  • Carol Jaeger Professor of Teaching, Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Dean, Academic (Undergraduate Engineering Programs) University of British Columbia
  • Simon Pitts Professor of Practice, Engineering Leadership Director and Head, Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership Northeastern University

Members of the Faculty who would like to offer comments toward this review are asked to send them to governance.fase@utoronto.ca.

Please circulate this memorandum to any member of the Faculty who may not have received it through the general distribution.

An external review of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and its undergraduate and graduate programs has been scheduled for February 1-2, 2027. Four eminent colleagues from peer institutions have agreed to form the review team:

  • Sylvain Coulombe Professor, Chemical Engineering Assistant Dean (Global Engagement), Faculty of Engineering McGill University
  • Charles Haynes Professor, Chemical Engineering Department Head, Chemical & Biological Engineering University of British Columbia
  • Ah-Hyung (Alissa) Park Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering University of California, Los Angeles
  • Brian Pfleger Karen and William Monfre Professor Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor R. Byron Bird Department Chair, Chemical & Biological Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison

Members of the Faculty who would like to offer comments toward this review are asked to send them to governance.fase@utoronto.ca.

Please circulate this memorandum to any member of the Faculty who may not have received it through the general distribution.


To the U of T Engineering community,

I am excited to share our new Strategic Academic Plan, 2026-2031, a vision shaped by our community and inspired by the limitless potential of what we can achieve together.

The plan isn’t just a document — it’s an invitation for every member of this incredible community to be part of a future where:

 

  • Every student experiences an education that empowers them through rich opportunities for learning and support to explore bold ideas, ultimately graduating with an interdisciplinary skillset that will fuel lifelong career success.
  • Research pushes traditional boundaries, sparking discoveries that address the world’s greatest challenges while fostering a research culture of entrepreneurship and social impact.
  • Our diverse community grows stronger and more connected, and where every person feels they belong, can contribute and thrive.
  • Partnerships open new doors to high-value collaborations with industry, academia, government and community partners, driving meaningful real-world change.

 

We’ve created a webpage to serve as a one-stop shop for everything related to the plan: uofteng.ca/SAP. Here, you’ll find top-level information about the framework guiding our goals, as well as links to download the full plan and a summary. We will also share the faculty’s progress against our ambitious goals on this webpage over thenext five years.

The Strategic Academic Plan belongs to all of us. It’s about the passion we bring to teaching and learning, the curiosity that drives our research and the dedication that supports our community and operations.

As you read through the plan and its goals, I invite you to consider the role you can play in bringing this vision to life. That might involve applying a fresh lens to an old approach, launching a new idea or collaborating with people you’ve never worked with before. Every action moves the needle toward the bright future we are building together.

I’d like to extend a special thanks to the Office of the Vice-Dean, Strategic and the Strategic Academic Planning Committee for leading the process and getting us to this point.

Chris Yip
Dean

 

Professor Ramin Farnood’s first term as Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, ends December 31, 2026; he is eligible for reappointment to a second term. In accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, we will be forming an Advisory Committee to support the appointment process.

The Advisory Committee should normally be composed as follows:

  • The Dean of the Faculty
  • Three to five members of the teaching staff of the department
  • The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or representative
  • One or two members of cognate departments
  • One or two students
  • A member of the administrative staff

I invite nominations for membership to this committee. Nominations may be submitted by email to: dean.engineering@utoronto.ca, and should be received no later than noon March 11, 2026. The committee membership will be announced shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your engagement in this important process.

Professor Heather MacLean’s first term as Vice-Dean, Strategic will conclude on October 31, 2026. She is eligible for reappointment to a second term.

In accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, we will be forming an Advisory Committee to support the review and appointment process.

The Advisory Committee will normally be composed of the following members:

  • The Dean (Chair)
  • At least 3 Chairs or Directors
  • One or more administrative staff (staff who work closely with the Strategic portfolio)

The first task of the committee will be to conduct a review of the Vice-Dean, Strategic portfolio.

 I invite nominations for membership to this committee. Nominations may be submitted by email to: dean.engineering@utoronto.ca,and should be received no later than by noon March 11, 2026. The committee membership will be announced shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your engagement in this important process.

Professor Dawn Kilkenny’s first term as Vice-Dean, First Year will conclude on October 31, 2026. She is eligible for reappointment to a second term.

In accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, we will be forming an Advisory Committee to support the review and appointment process.

The Advisory Committee will normally be composed of the following members:

  • The Dean (Chair)
  • At least 3 Chairs or Directors
  • One or more administrative staff (Registrar or a staff who work closely with the First-Year portfolio)
  • One student representative

The first task of the committee will be to conduct a review of the Vice-Dean, First Year portfolio.

I invite nominations for membership to this committee. Nominations may be submitted by email to: dean.engineering@utoronto.ca, and should be received no later than noon March 11, 2026. The committee membership will be announced shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your engagement in this important process.

Professor Stark Draper’s first term as Vice-Dean, Research will conclude on December 31, 2026. He is eligible for reappointment to a second term.

In accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, we will be forming an Advisory Committee to support the review and appointment process.

The Advisory Committee will normally be composed of the following members:

  • The Dean (Chair)
  • At least 3 Chairs or Directors
  • One or more administrative staff (staff who work closely with the Research portfolio)

The first task of the committee will be to conduct a review of the Vice-Dean, Research portfolio.

I invite nominations for membership to this committee. Nominations may be submitted by email to: dean.engineering@utoronto.ca, and should be received no later than noon March 11, 2026. The committee membership will be announced shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your engagement in this important process.

Professor Chris Damaren’s second term as Director, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), will conclude on June 30, 2026. As he is not eligible for reappointment, the following Advisory Committee has been established to recommend the selection of a new Director, in accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators:

• Chris Yip, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (Chair)
• Sarah Sharma, Acting Vice-Dean Research and Program Innovation, SGS
• Deepa Kundur, Chair, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Dept of Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Craig Steeves, Associate Professor, UTIAS
• Alis Ekmekci, Professor, UTIAS
• Jonathan Kelly, Professor, UTIAS
• Morgan Hooper, Assistant Professor-Teaching Stream, UTIAS & EngSci
• Carmela Versace, Manager, UTIAS
• Justin Pascual, Graduate Student, UTIAS

The Committee welcomes nominations for the position of Director. Nominations, along with the
justification for them, should be submitted to the attention of the Dean by January 9, 2026, via
email at dean.engineering@utoronto.ca.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful nominations and engagement in this important process.

Professor Chris Damaren’s second term as Director, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), will conclude on June 30, 2026. As he is not eligible for reappointment, we will begin the process to seek approval of an Advisory Committee to the Dean for the appointment of a new Director for UTIAS, in accordance with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators.  

The Advisory Committee shall normally be composed as follows:

•             the Dean of the Faculty or School or representative who shall chair the committee;

•             three to five members of the teaching staff appointed to the Centre or Institute;

•             one or two students where appropriate;

•             two to four other qualified individuals, at least two of whom shall be from outside the Centre or Institute; and

•             a librarian, where appropriate.

The extended deadline for the nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee is 5pm November 25, 2025. Please forward all nominations to the attention of the Dean at dean.engineering@utoronto.ca.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful nominations and engagement in this important process.

The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) launched a Strategic Academic Planning
(SAP) process to define its future direction and reaffirm its leadership in Canadian engineering. Led by the Vice Dean,
Strategic, and a steering committee, the initiative will articulate a clear, forward-looking academic vision that reflects FASE’s strengths, ambitions, and global impact. The steering committee included a broad representation of community members, including:

  • Dean
  • Vice Deans, Unit Chairs & Directors
  • Faculty across career stages (early, mid, and later career) and streams (teaching and tenure stream)
  • Undergraduate & Graduate students
  • Accessibility advocates
  • Senior administration

Consultation with Faculty members, staff, learners, alumni and partners has been ongoing since 2023, with the Faculty External Review, Facility Master Planning (FMP) and Strategic Academic Planning consultations. Throughout these consultations we invited members from across the FASE and U of T community to share their insights.

Draft Internal Strategic Academic Plan

What we heard was a strong desire to continue collaboration across the community to define a distinct identity that reflects the faculty’s strengths, ambitions and leadership role in Canadian and global engineering education.

I would like to thank everyone for their engagement, positivity, and the significant contributions that have been
considered in articulating our renewed mission, priorities, and goals. We especially thank the SAP steering committee for their dedication, guidance, and perspective.

As we work through implementation planning and drafting of the plan, we would like to provide you with another opportunity to give additional thoughts on the Strategic Academic Plan.

The survey link is available here to all FASE members to provide additional feedback on the Strategic Academic Plan content. The link will close on Oct 21, 2025, at 4:00PM EDT.

© 2026 Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering