SITE VISIT PACKAGE
Welcome
January 27th, 2019
Vice-President, Strategy & Innovation
Dr. Rick Huijbregts
As Vice-President, Strategy & Innovation, Dr. Rick Huijbregts oversees strategic planning and partnership development to ensure George Brown College remains well positioned to evolve and adapt for the digital and rapidly changing future. He strives to advance community and industry innovation while providing students with relevant and hands-on learning opportunities through applied research and entrepreneurship.
Rick is responsible for shaping George Brown’s vision for 2030 and developing the corresponding business strategy. He leads the Registrar’s Office, Marketing and Recruitment, Publishing, and the International Centre. Rick is also responsible for Alumni Relations, Applied Research, Capital Planning, Entrepreneurship, Facilities Management, Institutional Research, and Strategic Partnerships.
Among his many career accomplishments so far, Rick spent 12 years with Cisco, most recently as Vice-President of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Cisco Canada. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his transformational work in municipal innovation in Canada. Rick is still also a frequent speaker and thought leader in matters of innovation, digital transformation, and Smart Cities and serves on various Smart City advisory boards such as Toronto, Markham, and Vaughan. Rick is a faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Executive Education where he focuses on Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, and Digital Transformation.
Before moving into his current role, Rick was an Executive-in-Residence at George Brown and Chair of the Building Automation Program Advisory Committee. In honour of his many contributions to the college, in 2017 he was granted an honorary Honours Bachelor of Technology (Construction Management).
As VP, Digital Transformation and Innovation at Cisco Canada, Rick engaged in digitization and business development in many sectors, including education, health care, oil and gas, financial services and real estate. Prior to his VP role, Rick was General Manager for Cisco Canada’s Smart + Connected Communities practice and he was Managing Director Americas, Internet of Everything (IoT) and Industry Solutions Acceleration. Before his time at Cisco, he was the Executive Director of the Center for Design Informatics at the Harvard Design School and was co-founder and CEO at Edificium, an internet-based construction collaboration platform.
Rick holds a Doctorate from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a Master’s of Science from Delft University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from the Tilburg Polytechnics College in the Netherlands.
Associate Vice President
Dr. Krista Holmes
Dean, Centre for Construction & Engineering Technologies
Dr. Adel Esayed
As Dean of the Centre for Construction & Engineering Technologies (CCET), Adel Esayed strives to deliver high quality education, develop valuable alliances with industry partners and ensure George Brown College is recognized as a leader in innovation. Serving the needs of the labour market and the development needs of Toronto are key priorities, as well as engaging more students in applied research projects.
Adel returned to George Brown to lead CCET in the fall of 2015 after nearly two decades of experience teaching and in senior administrative roles at George Brown and other southern Ontario colleges.
Previously, Adel was the associate dean of the technology division at Niagara College where he developed new programs and helped to grow international enrolment in the school’s technology programs. He created an applied research team and built relationships with universities and associations in Canada and abroad, including Wilfrid Laurier University, the Canadian Solar Industries Association, Limerick Institute of Technology in Ireland, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Colleges of Excellence and Hoseo University in South Korea.
Between 2006 and 2009, Adel served as an academic chair for the School of Engineering Technologies at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ont., reporting to the vice-president, academic. In this position he led the development of a partnership between the college and the University of Windsor, and another with Miceli Technologies Inc. From 1999 to 2006, he served as a teacher and program coordinator at George Brown’s School of Mechanical Engineering Technologies within CCET and was well-known for his participation in marketing and recruitment activities and other college-wide initiatives.
Adel earned a Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering at the University of Tripoli and completed his Master of Science in Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Windsor.
Chair, School of Engineering Technologies & Architectural Studies
Dr. Iain McNab
Iain has taught courses in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics at the Universities of Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Toronto, at Seneca College, Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and most recently at George Brown College. Iain has published over 50 scientific papers in international journals and is on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Applied Chemistry and the International Journal of Pure and Applied Physics and was a founding board member of “Technology Accreditation Canada”. Iain is currently a member of Council of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario. Iain is currently engaged by Cambridge University Press (together with Prof. Ralph Shiell, Trent University) to write an undergraduate textbook on Optics. He has a BSc in chemical physics and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Physical Chemistry from the University of Oxford.
Professor & Principal Investigator
James McIntyre
James McIntyre, M.Sc., leads George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Since 2007, under Mr. McIntyre’s stewardship, PDx teams have delivered over 91 prototyping solutions to partners across multiple sectors, not only aiding them to develop fully validated prototypes ready for downstream manufacturing, but also assisting them to integrate product design and development into their business models and develop the partnerships required to support full-scale manufacturing and commercialization.
Mr. McIntyre has been a Professor and Program Coordinator of Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design in George Brown College’s (GBC) Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies since 2000. With a Master’s degree in Product Development, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics (Mechanical), and 8 years of industry experience in manufacturing engineering, Mr. McIntyre has distinguished himself as a leader in industry-facing innovation and in building applied research capacity at GBC, energizing research across all the College’s strategic priority areas. For 16 years, he has continued to foster and expand meaningful relationships with his industry partners, students and research teams, ultimately enhancing the knowledge base across Canada. Within his Mechanical Engineering classes, he oversees up to 18 curriculum-based student capstone projects annually, nearly all of which have an associated industry partnership.
Areas of Expertise:Design, Product Development, Rapid Prototyping, Mechanical engineering, Electronics, Manufacturing, Management
Professor, PI
Paul O’Brien
Paul O’Brien, B.Tech., B.Sc., has been a Professor of Engineering Technology in GBC’s CCET since 2011. With a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and over 20 years of experience in electronic instrumentation and rehabilitation engineering, Paul has worked in research across all of the College’s strategic priority areas. For the last 3 years, he has fostered meaningful relationships with his industry partners, students and research teams.
His applied research contributions offer a range of collaboration with industry and community partners, providing a cost-effective way for SMEs to develop innovative products and services. His work in applied research supports the culture of innovation at GBC and helps develop new avenues for experiential student learning. As a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator Paul O’Brien has developed, scoped and planned new research projects between college researchers, students and our industry partners.
Areas of Expertise:Electrical Engineering, Interaction, Sensors, Instrumentation, Digital Elec-tronics, Educational Informatics, Building Automation, Medical Rehabilita-tion Technology, Micro-Controller Programming
Senior Program Manager
Yuchen Sun
Yuchen Sun oversees the operations and growth of the GBC research programs. Since starting with the Office of Research and Innovation in 2013, Yuchen has established a track record of delivering successful applied research projects and programs in the Building Information Modeling, Building Science, and Mechanical Engineering fields. She provides expert support to industry partners and research staff, whether they are engaging in initial project scoping conversations, applying for funding, or executing a funded research project. Yuchen is a certified Project Management Professional and a MA Candidate in Education with the University of Central Michigan.
Areas of Expertise:Program Management, Project Management, Risk Management, Process Improvement, Grant Development & Administration
Email:ysun20@georgebrown.ca
Program Manager
Arbab Khan
Arbab draws from his extensive project management and business development experience as well as his practical experience in the construction industry to provide expertise and guidance to partners seeking solutions to mechanical engineering and construction sector research and innovation challenges. Skilled in managing projects in the fields of advanced prototyping, robotics information technology, building automation, IoT, and software development, Arbab has helped multiple clients execute projects and achieve success in developing innovative processes and products. His background working for numerous organizations is complimented by his master’s degree in Project Management (NICMAR), his post-graduate certificates in Construction Management (Fanshawe College, President’s Honor Roll) and Building Information Modelling (George Brown College, Dean’s List), and his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering (Jamia Millia Islamia University).
Professor, Technologist, Principal Investigator, Research Asst.
John-Allan Ellingson
John-Allan Ellingson, B.Eng., has since 2017 worked in George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Since 2007, PDx teams have delivered over 91 prototyping solutions to partners across multiple sectors, not only aiding them to develop fully validated prototypes ready for downstream manufacturing, but also assisting them to integrate product design and development into their business models and develop the partnerships required to support full-scale manufacturing and commercialization.
John-Allan has been a Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering Technology since 2018, teaching courses in the Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering Technician and Technologist programs. His work as a researcher supports the culture of innovation at GBC and creates new avenues for industry-focused teaching, as well as employment and mentorship for student researchers. He has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from Lakehead University.
Areas of Expertise:Design, Prototyping, CNC, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Programming
Professor, Applied Research Technician
Ryan Billinger
Ryan Billinger is a Professor and Principal Investigator working within George Brown College’s Product Development Exchange (PDx), an interdisciplinary design, prototyping and assessment facility for industry experimental development of new products through iterative and rapid prototyping. Ryan Billinger has been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design in George Brown College’s (GBC) Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies since 2017. As a George Brown College graduate (2015), Mr. Billinger has been working on various research projects since 2013, when he was first employed by the Research and Innovation Department. In addition to Graduating from George Brown College, he competed his third-year capstone project at the University of Toronto, where he teamed up with two University of Toronto students to design and manufacture a fully function four-stroke engine. The engine was later used in an ultra fuel-efficient vehicle which competed at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Houston, Texas winning First Place (3421 MPG).
Areas of Expertise:Electrical Design, Product Development, PCB Schematics and Layout, CNC machining, CAM programming, Data Acquisition and Analysis
Industrial Designer, Professor & Principal Investigator
Shayva Steinberg
As a part-time faculty member teaching in both the engineering and architecture streams at George Brown College (GBC), Shayva Steinberg brings an unusual combination of skills to the table. In addition to a Master of Education in Guidance Counselling, and a wealth of experience in the field of employment, Shayva also holds an advanced diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Industrial Design, and has managed her own (product, environment and lighting) design business for several years.
In her work as a Principal Investigator, Shayva Steinberg leads and plans applied research projects between college researchers, students and Industry Partners. With an extensive background in industrial design, Shayva creates the ergonomic, interface and aesthetic aspects of the prototypes engineered by students and faculty. As a researcher, writer and editor, Shayva sources a broad range of relevant and tertiary information to deeply understand concepts and coalesce information from many sources for comparative analysis.
Areas of Expertise:Human Factors, Engineering Design, Materials Processing/fabrication, Cognitive Science, Graphics, Social sciences and humanities, Industrial Design
Student Researcher
Anastasiia Shulik
Student Researcher
Diego Cristancho Paez
Student Researcher
Jamshedshoh Kamolzoda
Student Researcher
Reynaldo Maniquis
