Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back! This marks our first 2020-21 newsletter. I hope you are settling into the first few weeks of classes. I know that the start of this year is very different from last.

The summer was a busy time for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Please enjoy a few of our stories from over the summer. Since we couldn't fit everything into this newsletter, you can find other features, news, events on our CEPS website.

This summer marked the passing of a colleague and friend to many of us, professor Paul Rowntree. Paul was a caring, passionate individual whose leadership and personality greatly benefited the Department of Chemistry, the College, the University and its students.

Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you with a successful semester.

- Gerarda Darlington, interim dean, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

University Mourns Passing of Faculty Member

The University of Guelph mourns the passing of chemistry professor and chair, Paul Rowntree. Prof. Rowntree was a celebrated member of the CEPS community for many years.

In Paul's honour, his estate will match charitable contributions up to $50. A public memorial service will be held on May 29, 2021. If you missed these email communications, please contact Alex Rodgers at rodgersa@uoguelph.ca for details.

Gut Feeling

A healthy gut microbiome can aid digestion, while an unhealthy microbiome has been linked to serious diseases, so understanding its relationship to human health is important. Mathematics and statistics professor Zeny Feng and team have developed a mathematical model to examine patterns in the human gut microbiome.

Hack Attack

Many of us have likely been the victim of malware, or malicious software, at some point in our lives. Computer science professor Ali Dehghantanha has collaborated with researchers from around the globe to create a novel machine learning system to help prevent malicious software attacks.

Buzzworthy Math

Honeybees are important pollinators that play a crucial role in the health of the Earth’s natural ecosystems. Mathematics and statistics professor Hermann Eberl and Nasim Muhammad, a former PhD graduate from U of G, are using math to uncover honeybee disease dynamics and protect these important pollinators.

Catalysts for Change

From melting polar ice caps to devastating natural disasters, we are feeling the impacts of global warming. Chemistry professor Marcel Schlaf, PhD student Maryanne Stones, and their team are exploring chemical methods that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

2020 Convocation Awards

CEPS PhD students Fatima Haque, School of Engineering, and Ryan Dunlop, Department of Physics, have received two of the top University of Guelph convocation awards: the D.F. Forster Medal and the Governor General Gold Medal, respectively.

CARE-AI Launches Annual Report

The Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence has launched its inaugural annual report, celebrating a year of research, education, and collaborative achievements.

2020 CEPS Awards

The CEPS Awards were presented to six faculty and staff at the College’s virtual Annual College Meeting on June 26, 2020. Congratulations to Ali Dehghantanha, Huan Yang, John Dutcher, Manjusri Misra, Ryan Clemmer, and Jay Leitch!