Associate-Dean, FEAS International

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS), Toronto Metropolitan University

Dr. Ahmed Shaker is a full Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering and the Associate-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Dr. Shaker is currently the President of the Canadian Remote Sensing Society, formerly the Vice-President of the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Commission III (Remote sensing) (2016-2022), and Vice-President of the Association of Egyptian American Scholars AEAS (2020-2024). Dr. Shaker is the recipient of several national and international Awards: the National Science Progress Award in Surveying and Mapping from China in 2005, the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship in 2006, a Faculty Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity Award in 2011, the Bronze Medal Award from the Canadian Remote Sensing Society in 2011, the Dean’s Teaching Award in 2015 from TMU, and the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in 2023. His research interests cover the fields of LiDAR data processing, satellite sensor modelling, image segmentation and classification, and 3D modelling. Dr. Shaker has two patents and over 150 international journals and conference publications in the Remote Sensing field. He has international work experience in Canada, Spain, Hong Kong, China, Egypt, and Kuwait.

Associate Professor

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS), Toronto Metropolitan University

In the environmental engineer's lab, she's tackling this issue through her research on aerobic granular sludge – naturally occurring bacteria used to consume organic matter in sewage, which then settles and separates from the treated water. By providing optimal conditions, Hamza "trains" the bacteria to grow and amass together in large particles. "When the bacteria are healthier, they form aggregates, which settle faster and can remove more waste, including some toxic materials," she says.

Hamza's work, which has earned her the title of "bacteria whisperer" among family and friends, can improve conventional wastewater treatment technologies, ensuring our drinking water, lakes and rivers are clean. "Canada has beautiful and awesome water resources, and that makes people take it for granted," she says. "But now, everybody should be thinking about wastewater differently."