Dean's Message
This has been a pivotal year for U of T Engineering: in March, we released our Strategic Academic Plan 2026-2031.
Building on the solid foundation that has served us well for over 150 years, the plan spells out our vision, mission, values and priorities going forward. It is built around four key pillars: educating adaptive thinkers to address complex challenges; research excellence; community, collaboration and resilience; and building transformative partnerships.
All of the stories in this interactive, multimedia report relate to one or more of these key pillars. Together, they paint a vibrant picture of how we are creating bold solutions for a better world, while also nurturing a community that is larger, more diverse and more inclusive than ever before. We’re leaning into our strengths, but we’re also pushing ourselves to the next level.
Our impact truly reaches across the entire globe — from student success in international competitions, to innovations that advance the frontiers of research to rich learning experiences via exchanges, work terms and capstone projects.
No matter how many times I sit down for coffee with students, professors, industry partners or alumni, I always hear something new and amazing that reminds me what a privilege it is to be a part of U of T Engineering. I hope this report gives you a taste of that experience, and on behalf of our entire community. thank you for everything you do to make it all possible.
– Chris Yip, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Engineering For The World
Sydney, Australia
In September, the Space Travel Analog Research Team (START) travelled to Sydney, Australia to present the results of their stratospheric balloon experiment at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress.
Abingdon, U.K.
For his PEY Co-op work term, Benjamin Humer (EngSci 2T5) spent months working with General Fusion, a Canadian startup focused on bringing clean, reliable energy through fusion technology to the grid. Following this, Humer spent two weeks attending the Culham Plasma Physics Summer School in Oxfordshire, England.
Paris, France
In the fall of 2025, a team composed of both undergraduate and graduate students headed to Paris to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. They brought home several awards, including Best Overgrad Therapeutics Project and Top Overgrad Team in North America.
Coimbatore, India
Professor David Meyer (CivMin) worked with Professor Nidhi Subramanyam from the Department of Geography & Planning on an open data/smart cities case study from Coimbatore, India. Together, they analyzed what worked and what didn’t when the municipal water provider began posting their water supply schedules online.
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador
Alumnus and current graduate student Rahul Goel (EngSci 1T6, UTIAS PhD candidate) is the CEO and founder of NordSpace, a company that aims to complete the first Canadian commercial rocket launch from a private Canadian spaceport. The facility, the Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX), is located near the town of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador. Hear more from Rahul Goel on Coffee with Chris Yip.
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Sabaa Aziman Rashid was born in Bangladesh and completed high school in the United Arab Emirates. She is passionate about renewable energy, and how engineering can create meaningful change in communities. She is one of three Lester B. Pearson Scholars who joined U of T Engineering this year, and among the more than 30% of incoming undergraduate students from outside of Canada.
Mexico City, Mexico
A group of undergraduate students, mentored by Professor Sarah Haines (CivMin), is collaborating with Mexico-based GSE Biomedical and Kolab Ventures to advance medical device manufacturing and distribution in the country. They presented their work at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City earlier this year.
Hong Kong, China
The Canadian Engineering Asia-Pacific Conference, held in January 2026, brought together more than 300 engineering professionals, industry leaders and academics from across the Asia-Pacific region. Organized in collaboration with the deans of eight Canadian schools, the evening celebrated engineering excellence, ethics, and innovation, as well as cross-cultural partnerships.
Stuttgart, Germany
Nadia Scharnhorst (Year 4 EngSci) spent two summers on two different continents: first through a summer research exchange at Stuttgart University in Germany in 2023 and then, in 2025, at the National University of Singapore, via the Enterprise Summer Program in Entrepreneurship.
Loja, Ecuador
Hailing from Loja, Ecuador, Cristhian Quinonez Riofrio (UTIAS MEng 2T5) came to U of T to work with Professor Craig Steeves (UTIAS) on a new optimization model to design lightweight and efficient aircraft components. More than 45% of our MEng graduates come from outside of Canada, enriching our community with diverse perspectives.
Manzini, Eswatini
From June 22 to August 10, 2026, students from the Engineers In Action team were in the Manzini region of Eswatini to help construct a water and sanitation system for Ngwazini Catholic Primary School. The new system includes a solar-powered borehole pump connected to two new 10,000-liter storage tanks, providing a two-day supply reserve of clean water.
Ácora, Peru
From May 4 to June 4, 2026, students from the Engineers In Action team were in Ácora, a rural district and town in the southeastern Puno Region, Peru. They were there to help construct the Aguas Calientes pedestrian footbridge, which spans 65.5 metres across the Rio Blanco and serves a community of over 300 people.