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Students, faculty and staff in the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science (FEAS) have been recognized for their excellence in the classroom and the lab.

In all, two grad students, six faculty and two staff members were acknowledged for their outstanding and exceptional leadership at a recent awards luncheon.

"The FEAS Excellence Awards recognize the best and brightest stars in the faculty. The tremendous success of the faculty and its programs is a reflection of the commitment and dedication made by the students, faculty and staff," said Mohamed Lachemi, interim dean.

Mechanical and industrial engineering professor Alan Fung was presented with two awards, one for research excellence and the other from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for promotion of sustainable practices. The CMHC Excellence in Education Award recognizes educators in Ontario who have integrated sustainable concepts in housing and community development into the academic curriculum. Fung has been undertaking a research program in the area of sustainable energy systems for the past four years. He has led innovative projects in the area of green energy, including building solar-powered homes both for local construction and in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon.

"It feels great to have the university and CMHC recognize the contribution of my research efforts. But most importantly, I would not be able to achieve this without the support of my research team - our students," Fung said. "Being able to enrich students' learning experience is enough motivation to seek out relevant research projects for them to be involved in. I believe research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Bringing research to all aspects of teaching will not only accelerate the transfer of knowledge but also provide opportunities for students to explore the exciting career of research."

Here's the full list of the award winners:

Research Excellence:
Alan Fung, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Mohamad Jaber, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Ana Pejovic-Milic, Department of Physics

Teaching Excellence:
Said Easa, Department of Civil Engineering
Marina Milner-Bolotin, Department of Physics
Ravi Ravindran, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Best Graduate/Teaching Assistants:
Shahryar Rafiei, engineering
Behnaz Ghoraani, science

Service Recognition Awards:
Dorothy Opasinis, administration manager, FEAS
Frank Bowen, senior workshop technician, Department of Architectural Science

"This teaching award motivates me to do more for the students. I enjoy teaching and the research that goes into finding ways to serve the students better," said Said Easa, civil engineering professor.