UBC engineers among UBC’s research stars

UBC professors Xiaotao Bi, Vikram Krishnamurthy and Don Mavinic are among the winners of UBC’s annual research awards.

Bi, a chemical and biological engineering professor, has been awarded a UBC Killam Faculty Research Fellowship, which assists faculty members in devoting full time to research and study in their field during a recognized study leave.

Awarded annually to UBC’s top researchers in recognition of distinguished research and scholarly contributions, UBC Killam Research Prizes have been awarded to two Applied Science professors.

Krishnamurthy, an electrical and computer engineering professor, is an internationally leading expert in the area of statistical signal processing. His research has resulted in pioneering contributions to hidden Markov model signal processing, defense sensor networks and smart radars, and cross layer optimization in wireless communication.

Civil engineering professor Mavinic’s primary scholarship contribution over the last 25 years has focused on biological treatment of wastewater. This includes nutrient removal, biosolids treatment and disposal and recently, nutrient recovery in the form of a phosphorus-based fertilizer. This latter effort resulted in the formation of a UBC spinoff company, Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, Inc.