News
Sampath joins UofT Institute for Aerospace Studies
Jan. 20, 2012, Toronto - Dr. Sam Sampath, who has more than 35 years of experience conducting research and development toward reducing the environmental impact of aviation, has joined the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS).
January 20, 2012 By Carey Fredericks
On January 24, Sampath will be formally named the NSERC/ P&WC Industrial Research Chair in Aviation Gas Turbine Combustion/Emissions Research and Design System Optimization, a position made possible thanks to the generous financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC).
In his new role, Dr. Sampath, along with UTIAS Professors Ömer Gülder, Clinton Groth, and Adam Steinberg, will help to create the preeminent group in Canada, and one of the top groups in the world, working on combustion research in aviation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that aviation is currently responsible for approximately 3% of man-made carbon dioxide emissions, and the aviation industry is seeking to cut those emissions in half by 2050.
Dr. Sampath worked as a senior combustion researcher at Pratt & Whitney Canada, a global leader in the design and manufacture of aircraft engines. He holds 14 U.S. patents and has published more than 35 research papers. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and has been a member of numerous government and industry organizations, including the IPCC, the International Business Aviation Association, the Canada/India Environmental Committee, the Canadian Aviation Environmental Working Group, and the Green Aviation Research and Development Network. Dr. Sampath's environmental impact studies for the IPCC contributed to its receiving the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
The addition of Dr. Sampath further strengthens the research undertaken at UTIAS that seeks to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. That focus is a strategic direction for the Institute, which is the premier aerospace engineering department in Canada and among the best in the world.
"Our objective is to establish UTIAS as the world's top research centre focused on reducing the environmental impact of aviation. This Executive Industrial Research Chair program substantially strengthens UTIAS's research efforts toward this end and reflects its commitment to collaborating with Canadian industry to improve the competitiveness of the Canadian aerospace sector," states Professor David Zingg, Director of UTIAS and Canada Research Chair in Computational Aerodynamics and Environmentally Friendly Aircraft Design.
"At NSERC, we are proud to be making investments in people who are pursuing some of the most ambitious and creative ideas in the world," said Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC. "Dr. Sampath is a highly respected leader in the field of combustion for aviation gas turbine engines. His novel research program will bring critical advancements for the development of green aircraft engines."
