Who revived the electric car?

a news release from the Medial Relations team.

A million electric cars could be on roads across North America before the end of the decade with the help of research by the United States Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Waterloo.

Professor Zhongwei Chen is part of a team led by the Los Alamos National Laboratory looking to develop non-precious materials to replace the expensive platinum catalysts in fuel cells.

“One of the biggest barriers to the adoption of fuel cells in vehicles is the cost of the units. The pure platinum needed for the catalysts in the cells contributes about 40 per cent of the total cost,” said Professor Chen, of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering. “Platinum is so expensive, and is obviously a limited resource, we have to find a way to replace it if fuel cell cars are going to succeed."

An average fuel cell car requires about 30 grams of pure platinum to produce enough power to make them run and will last for around 150,000 kilometres. That amount of platinum is around $4,000 at current prices.

“Here at Waterloo we are using nanotechnology to create advanced non-precious alternatives for platinum that are a fraction of the cost of platinum and yet provide comparable durability,” said Professor Chen who is also a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology. “If we can find a suitable alternative to platinum, it could help pave the way for the motor industry to adopt hydrogen fuel cells for more than a million new vehicles by the end of the decade.”

Fuel cell vehicles have the potential to significantly reduce dependence on oil for transportation and lower pollution levels as they produce no greenhouse gases from their exhaust. However, the vehicles are currently too expensive and not durable enough to compete with conventional cars or hybrids.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that platinum-based catalysts need to use roughly four times less platinum than is used in current fuel cell designs in order to represent a realistic alternative to internal combustion engines. Eliminating the platinum completely, which is the target of Professor Chen’s research, would be a major accomplishment.

Uniquely for a Canadian institution, the research is supported by a three-year grant of $4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Other members of the team led by the Los Alamos National Laboratory are Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Rochester and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, along with industrial partners - IRD Fuel Cells Inc. and General Motors Corporation.

“The Department of Energy Hydrogen Program supports research and development that has substantially improved the state-of-the-art in fuel cell technology, especially with technical challenges to fuel cells,” said Professor Chen.

The partnership also allows Waterloo graduate students to get involved with Los Alamos, one of the leading research institutions in the world. PhD student Drew Higgins will be the first student based out of Los Alamos from this coming January.

“It’s very difficult for non-American institutions to be directly involved in U.S. Department of Energy funded projects and be provided the valuable opportunity to collaborate with the Los Alamos National Laboratory,” said Higgins. “There’s so much focus on this technology by researchers in America, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea and China. It’s thrilling to get the opportunity to work with world-leading experts as we try to find ways to make fuel cells a viable option for the auto industry in the near future.”

 

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Thanking the community for supporting talent

A first work term co-op student brings a unique contribution to their first co-op job; bright-eyed and eager to learn, they hold a fresh perspective that can spark new ideas and refresh old ones.

For first work term students, competition with others looking for their second, third or fourth work term can be tough. Despite this, there are many employers who see the benefits of hiring a junior student. For example, organizations can have multiple opportunities to bring that student back on future work terms and, in turn, multiple opportunities for that student to discuss with their peers their experience with that employer. In addition, students on their first work term are open to taking on a variety of tasks to gain broad work experience. Enlisting a co-op student early in their career can give them an opportunity to foster their loyalty with the company and potentially turn into a full-time recruit after graduation.  

This past March, Co-operative Education and Career Action hosted a networking event to recognize local, existing employers who hire first work term students. The theme of the event was ‘thank you for supporting our budding talent’—which included hand-delivered invitations along with a tulip to each organization in the Region of Waterloo that hired a first work term student in the previous two years. The evening featured networking and presentations on the benefits of hiring first work term students in a reception setting at the Tannery in Kitchener. Each employer was presented with a personalized Top Employer recognition plaque from their CECA account manager (Pictured above is Brenda Lee of Tutoring Beyond Borders receiving a 2013 Top Employer award from CECA account manager Colin Ross.)

Speakers included University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur, CECA Executive Director Peggy Jarvie, Co-op Student of the Year Dominique Souris, and Maureen Hossack (Human Resources Specialist) and Mo Elgadi (Manager of Quality Control Engineering) from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.

The event was a success, with over 130 employers from 74 different organizations attending to network with other local employers and mingle with their CECA support staff.

CECA is hosting a variety of employer thank-you events in the future. The next event takes place on June 26^th in San Francisco, California to acknowledge the Bay Area employers who hire uWaterloo students. If you are an employer, student, or alumni interested in attending, register online or email krsurtees@uwaterloo.ca for more information. 

 

Last week’s question: 64% of you guessed correctly! Bioinformatics is not an Engineering program.  Congratulations to Luke Johnson, Geomatics student.

This week’s question: Approximately how many students will begin to search for their first co-op job in the Fall of 2013? Take a guess and enter to win a water bottle.

 

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Waterloo Golf coaches hang up their clubs

a media release from the Athletics department

At least in an official capacity, that is.

Waterloo men’s golf coaches Dave Hollinger and Jack Pearse will be handing over their duties after announcing their retirement from the program. The two long serving and well-known coaches have molded the Warriors into one of the top University golf programs in the country.

“We would like to thank the Department of Athletics for their continued support and guidance over the past decade,” said Hollinger (pictured at right). “Working with the over 80 student-athletes has been a tremendously rewarding experience but it’s our time to pass the torch and watch the program grow from the clubhouse.”

In 2003 Hollinger and Pearse served as assistant coaches to head coach Doug Painter and after two years Hollinger took over the reigns while Pearse stepped in as Coach Emeritus having previously served as head coach from 1968 to 1975.

Pearse led the Warriors to two Ontario-Quebec Championships (1969 & 1970), and two Ontario Championships (1972, 1975). In 1972, his team won the first Canadian University Championship, amidst a season in which the Warriors were undefeated. Jack instilled the ‘team’ concept into the ‘individual’ sport of golf, promoting a spirit of co-operation and cohesiveness amongst the players that continues to be evident after some 30 years.

Jack was a founding faculty member of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at uWaterloo. He then returned to Warrior Golf in 2003 with Hollinger leading the charge this time around.

Hollinger continued the winning ways of the Warriors golf program coaching Waterloo to nine OUA championship medals (4 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze) and two top 10 finishes at the Canadian University/College Golf Championship. Hollinger is a four-time OUA golf coach of the year and was also an assistant coach of team Canada at the World University Golf Championship in 2002 (China), 2006 (Italy), and 2010 (Spain).

In 2010 the golf coaches association of Canada introduced the ‘Jack Pearse Coaches Award’ presented to the coach that has contributed to the growth of post-secondary golf and fittingly enough, Hollinger was the inaugural winner of the award.

“It is difficult to put into words the pioneering contributions that both Dave and Jack have made in advancing the golf program at Waterloo and in the OUA,” said Director of Athletics Bob Copeland. “Beyond the championship success they have achieved, their most important contribution has been influencing so many exceptional student-athletes through their authentic leadership and mentorship.”

Hollinger and Pearse may not be seen as often on the greens but any Warrior fan knows they will not be far from home as the two are frequently seen supporting their Warriors on the court, field and ice.

“Both Dave and Jack exemplify everything you could ask for in a coach,” added Copeland. “The Department of Athletics and University of Waterloo owes them both a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service.”

 

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Wednesday's notes

Image is everything: VeloCity Campus will be hosting a design workshop featuring designer Christopher Howlett from Howlett Studios, who will be sharing tips and tricks on what makes a good logo. Registration details are online. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. in EV3 4412. VeloCity Campus events are free and open to all University of Waterloo students. And there will be free pizza.

The Employee Assistance Program is offering a free Staff Yoga session on Friday, June 21 in PAC's Studio 1 from 12:05 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. This event "brings you the benefits of yoga to our workplace environment. Yoga enhances relaxation, energizes the body, boots circulations, relieves stress and tension and much, much more! No experience required." To sign up or get more information send an email to Sandra Gibson or call et. 36358.

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