In Winter 2023 I taught the following undergraduate course (for the 12th time):

MEC E 460 Senior Design Project is the senior design project course, which gives mechanical engineering students experiential learning in engineering design, using a team project approach. The project is supplemented with ongoing mentorship and lectures that cover material relevant to engineering design of products, processes, and systems. Generally, each team works on a different design challenge posed by an industrial client (or a researcher seeking a design for an apparatus). Student team select preferred choices for projects, and work closely with the client to define what will make for a successful design. The course follows three phases of design: problem definition & technical specification, conceptual design & analysis, and detailed design of a preferred option. Each phase has at least one reporting deliverable. Many of the graduate attributes required for program accreditation are covered in this singular course.

I also taught another undergrad course:

ENG G 260: Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship: A multidisciplinary intensive course  (based on the Reykjavik U model) that is a team-based, project-oriented introduction to defining a market need, creating conceptual product designs, and developing a business plan. And it’s fun.

I have previously taught:

ENG M 620 is a graduate course in technology investment analysis, which goes beyond the introductory material of undergraduate engineering economics (ENG M 401), including: time-series analysis for stock trending; decision analysis methods, including utility, uncertainty, and risk; real options valuation for risk-based strategic investment decision making; and modelling the value of different activities in an organization. Group project work includes a seminar in which groups present case studies on investment performance and possible future performance of technology firms.

MEC E 467 Modeling and Simulation of Engineering Systems. With lectures and a computer lab, is a course that shows us how sophisticated engineering analysis can be done based on a small number of basic formulations in mathematical physics. The key modelling approach is differential equations that are derived from lumped-parameter representations of a physical system. As well, the course looks at many engineering systems that can be very well represented without deep insights into the physics, using a discrete-event formulation. This course fulfills the technical elective requirement for a simulation course in the Mechanical Engineering program.

OM 501 Operations Management. Businesses use processes to produce and deliver goods and services to customers. This MBA course is about the conceptual and quantitative analysis of business processes. The emphasis is on strategic and tactical decision making about operations so as to create competitive advantage for the organization. The topics covered include process flow analysis, capacity management, inventory management, queueing, quality, and lean operations. The topics are illustrated through discussion and analysis of several case studies. The topics and techniques selected for this course are applicable to a wide variety of industries.

ENG M 401 Fundamentals of Engineering Finance is the course in which we discover that engineering is technology at the right price, and that not all value can be measured with money. The course first looks at how engineering creates value for society and commercial enterprises. Basic management accounting methods are presented in the context of interpreting financial statements and financial ratios in a technology company context. Finally, technology investment analysis is presented using different discounted time series methods.

MEC E 467 Modelling and Simulation of Technological Systems is an engineering analysis course focused on lumped parameter methods of formulating and solving governing equations of systems that can be expressed using mathematical physics, discrete-event modelling, and systems thinking. I like this course.

I teach parts of MECE 443 and ENG M 643 on nuclear power technologies, and MEC E 200 on how professional engineering will likely evolve in the 21st century. I teach how diversity and inclusion are part of effective teams, not only in design but also in interdisciplinary problem solving. And I taught an ENGG 100 lecture on goal setting and time management (for which I stayed up until 1 am preparing…).

Graduate Student Professional Development Seminars:

This set of discussion lectures covered basic elements of how to plan a thesis project, work through the inevitable challenges along the way, produce good outputs from your research, and have a good experience as a graduate student (without becoming a “gradual” student).

“How do I plan my research project?”
Prof Lipsett will introduce some simple concepts of research project management, in the context of planning the work, keeping organized, and monitoring progress of the work involved. Key outcomes will also be discussed, such as publications. A few helpful tools for planning and tracking will be suggested, including the Gantt chart and the self-administered progress report. Attendees will prepare a high-level project plan for their own research and bring it to the next session.  ProjectManagementforGradStudents

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Prof Lipsett will discuss how to develop and pitch an effective proposal for worthwhile and feasible research (for grant proposals, scholarships and awards), some of the thesis project pitfalls to avoid, and the role of modern media in academia: websites, communities of practice, and other forms of online forum, which can be powerful networking tools (or a total waste of time). ProjectTrackingforGradStudents

“My conference abstract was accepted, now what?”
The process of writing a manuscript for a conference or a journal. How submissions are made. Why peer review is good (and bad). Some tips on making an effective presentation and for developing the illusion of confidence while speaking. PublishingforGradStudents

“Having a great graduate student experience without turning into a gradual student”
Current Mechanical Engineering graduate students will talk about what other programs and informal activities make the grad student experience so worthwhile. The importance of networking and social events will be discussed for personal and professional growth. Other programs will also be discussed, such as foreign exchange programs, site visits, what internships are, different types (fellowship/academic, academic, simulated work environment, government, industry), how they work, and how to get the most out of an internship.etc. (This session was a discussion; and so there is no slide deck.)

“After the defence”
This session will consider how to be ready for what might be next after graduating. Options for a PhD are to apply for a post-doc or first academic position, and any graduate student may consider an industrial career or even creating their won business. Topics will include what elements are important to emphasize in a CV (and which details are irrelevant), how to reach potential employer, the role of your network, what kinds of questions might be asked during an interview, and whether you might consider commercializing your ideas. No-one else will manage your career (or your IP strategy). CareerOptionsforGradStudents

New courses under development:

I am developing new graduate courses on:

technology commercialization and how to create a technology company (after determining first whether there is actually a market need for the idea!); and

machinery condition monitoring and diagnostics, and designing equipment, processes, and predictive maintenance programs to improve system reliability, with an emphasis on robotic methods for inspection and diagnostics.