The applied sciences – architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, nursing, and planning – change society's conception of what is possible as a matter of course. Applied scientists make dreams real, turn ideas into practice. We embody the interface between present and future.

The Faculty of Applied Science comprises a unique constellation of professional disciplines including; Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Nursing and Community & Regional Planning. The core purpose shared across all of our four disciplines is to discover, create and apply knowledge, provide unwavering top-tier education and champion a community of responsible professionals devoted to serving a thriving, sustainable and healthy society. Our work and the professions which our graduates represent span the entire human-centred built environment. 

The disciplines within the Faculty of Applied Science are celebrated for the scope, strength and impact of their research activities. Our Faculty claims the spotlight in the global arena for our research in clean energy, communication and digital technologies, health and health technology among many others. We offer disciplinary-specific research based graduate programs as well as a range of professional graduate programs and pride ourselves on our ability to open doors of opportunity to students beyond their time within our Faculty.

Mission
We shape the people and the professions that shape the world.
 

Graduate Degree Programs

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Applied Science.

 

Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2010 Dr. Tang studied the dynamics of collaboration and interaction with large, interactive, wall displays. Although many applications have been designed for these displays, Dr Tang's work helped to lay the groundwork for an entirely new way of designing these applications with a specific focus on how users transition between different modes of work. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Rashid developed novel resource allocation schemes based on advanced analytical models to improve quality of service in high speed wireless systems. He subsequently applied these schemes in a number of emerging broadband wireless access networks. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Xie examined fundamental aspects of solvent extraction of copper and cyanide from cyanide solution with guanidine and mixture of quaternary amine and alkylphenol. The research results provide an economic way of recovery of valuable metals and cyanide from cyanide effluent in gold mining industry. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Danon-Schaffer explored how brominated flame retardants reach the environment, transfer from waste streams to water and soil, and transport to distant locations (Northern Canada), focusing on landfills which receive products containing these compounds. Simultaneously she developed simulations that indicated that these contaminants persist for decades. This has clear policy implications. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Howard examined how women at high risk for hereditary cancer make risk management decisions. She drew attention to the diverse trajectories of decision making and highlighted the role of personal and social contexts in shaping decisions. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the provision of decision support. Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
2010 Dr. Mackay studied whether there are gender differences in symptoms of heart attacks. She found that although women report more throat and neck discomfort, they report chest discomfort as frequently as do men. These findings will inform both patients and health professionals about women's symptoms of heart attack. Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
2010 Dr. De Rybel developed a new method for computing transmission-line matrix simulations. These computations are used in many fields to study, for example, acoustic, electro-magnetic, and thermal propagation and diffusion problems. The new method allows for significant computational speed gains while maintaining accuracy. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Mirfakhrai showed that twisted yarns of carbon nanotubes contract and expand like natural muscle when electrically stimulated. Through extensive experiments, he showed that these novel artificial muscles generate 800 times the force per cross-sectional area that natural skeletal muscle can produce. Applications range from medical prostheses to robotics and toys. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Darbandi developed a new technique in the field of computer vision to describe and recognize three-dimensional objects with high accuracy. The proposed technique has interesting geometric properties, and its effectiveness is primarily due to its descriptive power and the size of the descriptors it creates. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2010 Dr. Senousy numerically and experimentally studied the characteristics of an electromechanically coupled material, namely piezoelectric actuators, to be employed in the next generation of fuel injection systems. His developed models provide an invaluable tool for designing piezoelectric actuators for fuel injectors. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

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