Killam 2023 | Queen’s Gazette

Claire Davies and Praveen Jain acquire the Killam Fellowship and Killam Prize, two of Canada’s most competitive study honours.

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Two scientists from Queen’s have been awarded prestigious honours from the Countrywide Killam Application. The Killam Fellowships and Prizes understand exceptional vocation achievements in the wellbeing sciences, engineering, humanities, organic sciences, and social sciences that contribute to creating Canada’s future and raising the scientific effect of Canadians by research.

Claire Davies (Mechanical and Resources Engineering) is the receiver of just one of eight Dorothy Killam Fellowships (valued at $160,000 over two years) to aid students in carrying out groundbreaking projects, though Praveen Jain (Electrical and Computer system Engineering) is a single of 5 researchers nationally to receive a Killam Prize (valued at $100,000), which acknowledge and celebrate Canada’s most inspiring scholars and considered leaders.

“To have two of our top scientists recognized with two of Canada’s best honours is an fascinating instant for Queen’s and it showcases the effect of our analysis neighborhood,” claims Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “The work of Drs. Jain and Davies represents equally vocation-very long achievement as well as analysis possible, all foremost to a more inclusive and technologically superior culture.”

Advancing available communications

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Dr. Davies is identified internationally for her leadership in engineering procedures to increase independence and engagement for people with disabilities. Her Killam Fellowship undertaking titled “Participation demands communication” will utilize participatory-based study and comments strategies to look for consensus on and assistance the improvement of guidelines for option and augmentative conversation products, to notify the new Obtainable Canada Act.

People today with speech, interaction, and bodily disabilities encounter profound social isolation, marginalization, and participation limitations. With far more than 440,000 Canadians residing with significant communications disabilities, there is an urgent want to update our insurance policies to reflect developments in technologies that are integrated into every little thing from the workplace to recreation. And, though intercontinental criteria exist for program growth and interface style and design, there is minimal guidance all-around augmentative and substitute interaction components this sort of as desk-mounted displays, electronic interaction boards, and speech-making units.

Research proof signifies that technologies and augmentative and alternate interaction units assistance social interaction, and that conversation in various configurations can allow far larger participation. With the new Accessible Canada Act, the hope is that this investigate undertaking will affect policy in the development of standards necessitating universally available design and style throughout all conversation gadgets.

“Evidence exhibits that representation of Canadians with disabilities is lacking in the workforce,” says Dr. Davies. “We will have to listen to their voices in the co-design and style of resources, techniques, and insurance policies to be certain equitable inclusion, and the Dorothy Killam Fellowship will give the funding and support to assistance us progress this important discussion.”

Powering vitality improvements

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A trailblazer in the subject of electric power electronics, Dr. Jain has manufactured many first, large-effects contributions to significant-frequency electrical power conversion technologies that have led to its use in telecommunications, house, computer design and style, induction melting, and renewable power industries. Dr. Jain is also the named inventor of more than 100 patents and the founder of two successful companies, CHiL Semiconductor and SPARQ Systems, the latter which a short while ago went community as a result of a listing on the TSX Undertaking Exchange.

As the director of the Centre for Electricity and Electrical power Electronics (ePower) at Queen’s, Dr. Jain collaborates with scientists and field around the world to acquire modern options to energy issues and thinks that distributed renewable electrical power represents the foreseeable future of electricity devices.

In addition to the Killam Prize in Engineering, Dr. Jain has been identified with several worldwide awards and honours for his groundbreaking study. He obtained the 2021 IEEE Medal in Electric power Engineering for contributions to the theory and practice of large-frequency electricity-conversion systems—the best award in his area. He also gained the 2017 IEEE Canada Electric Energy Medal, the 2011 IEEE William E. Newell Technical Industry Award in Electric power Electronics, and the 2004 Engineering Medal from the Skilled Engineers of Ontario. He is a Fellow of the Royal Culture of Canada, a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

“It is a good honour for me to obtain the 2023 Killam Prize in Engineering,” states Dr. Jain. “This prize symbolizes above 40 years of my life’s get the job done in the practical purposes of electricity electronics and is not a little something I could have dreamed of increasing up in rural India. I am indebted to Queen’s for furnishing me the globe-class research natural environment to realize this aspiration.”

Queen’s has a extensive heritage of engagement with the Nationwide Killam Program, relationship back to the 1990s. For extra details on the Killam Application and past recipients, check out the site.