User:Eshiller/College of Physical and Engineering Science (CPES)

The College of Physical and Engineering Science (CPES) is one of the colleges at the University of Guelph located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. In 1989 the Ontario Agriculture College (OAC) school of Engineering was merged with the College of Physical Sciences to become the CPES.

The College of Physical and Engineering Science offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in five disciplines. They are Chemistry, Computing and Information Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics. These five disciplines follow a three to five year structure with some programs including a co-op option. The dean of the college is Dr. Anthony Vannelli, and is further administered by ten personnel.

History of College
The College of Physical and Engineering Sciences was created in 1989 as a result of a number of significant department merges and divisions within the University of Guelph. The Ontario School of Agriculture (later changed to the Ontario Agriculture College and Experimental Farm in 1880. The Macdonald Institute and The Ontario Veterinary College were all created in 1874, 1903 and 1922 respectively and were subsequently merged under the University of Guelph Act of 1964 forming a single institution. Five years later these three departments were divided into three new colleges being the College of Arts, the College of Physical Sciences and the College Social Sciences, but not before the Macdonald Institute formally became the College of Family and Consumer Studies. Then, in 1971, the College of Biological Science was constituted from the College of Physical Education, OAC’s Department of Nutrition and parts of OAC’s departments of Botany, Microbiology and Zoology. Finally in 1989 OAC's school of Engineering was merged with the College of Physical Sciences to become the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences.

Engineering has been taught at the University of Guelph since 1984. The first building constructed was towards agricultural mechanics in 1905 and measured 146 ft by 64 ft. The program was developed in the early twenties through the Farm Power short courses and consultation services offered by the department. The Agricultural Engineering Department was created in 1928 with the incorporation of the Physics, Farm Mechanics and Manual Training departments. After World War I there was an increase in the mechanization of Ontario farms and an agricultural engineering option was planned to meet this development. Thus, in 1946, the first class of twelve enrolled in the new Agricultural Mechanics Option and in 1948 were awarded a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA).

With time, the University expanded its programs and in 1954 students had the option of completing an additional year in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto earning them a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) degree along with their BSA degree. Furthermore, in 1957 University of Guelph students had the option of completing Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. In addition, 1957 was also the year the Department of Agricultural Engineering changed its name to the Department of Engineering Science.

In 1965, the Senate of the University of Guelph established The School of Agricultural Engineering further adding the B.Sc. (Eng) degree. Students in their final year had the option of choosing Agricultural Engineering, Biological Engineering or Water Resources Engineering as one of their majors. This new undergraduate program began in the fall semester of 1969 and was fully operational in 1972-73 school years, after being certified by the Canadian Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. The program later expanded in the 1980s and included optional minors in Food Engineering and Environmental Engineering. Then, in 1984, a cooperative educational program was created for individuals with outstanding rankings.

In 2008, the University of Guelph launched Canada's first full-fledged Nanoscience major, which is provided by CPES. CPES also launched a new Mechanical Engineering program in 2009. The new program allows students to specialize in wind and solar energy, mechatronics, food and beverage engineering, biomechanics and prosthetics manufacturing or to do a combination depending on their interests.

In addition, on May 31 2010, the University of Guelph Senate approved a proposal to create the faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences which will include the CPES departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics & Statistics. Furthermore, the Department of Computing and Information Science (CIS) will be renamed the School of Computer Science, falling within the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Albert A. Thornbrough Building
The Albert A. Thornbrough building was opened on June 23, 1973. It was named after Albert A. Thornbrough, president of Massey-Ferguson Ltd., and Vice-Chairman of the University Board of Directors and Chairman of the University Finance Committee from 1968 to 1973. Massey-Ferguson Ltd., a major agricultural equipment manufacturer donated $750,000 toward the $2,000,000 building costs.

Department of Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry houses 20 faculty members active in the fields of analytical, physical, theoretical, organic and inorganic chemistry. Adrian L.Scwhan is the chair of the department and faculty members are located at both the McNaughton Building and the Science Complex.

Undergraduate programs contain a co-op option, giving students the opportunity to apply their education outside of the classroom. For graduate studies, the University of Guelph has a partnership with the University of Waterloo, which is highly recognized across Canada as one of the best chemistry graduate programs in the country.

Undergraduate Programs offered:
Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * For students who wish to maintain a strong chemistry core while being able to branch into biological and pharmaceutical chemistry, applied pharmacology, physics, or toxicology.

Applied Pharmaceutical Chemistry B.Sc. (Tech) (Co-op only)
 * Designed to train students looking to work in the pharmaceutical industry.

Chemistry B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * Studying how molecules behave, and creating new molecules to analyze.

Biological Chemistry B.Sc.
 * Looking at the biological sciences from a perspective rooted in chemistry.

Chemical Physics B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * A well-rounded program marked by the combination of chemistry and physics.

Environmental Monitoring and Analysis B.Sc. (Env) (Co-op available)
 * Using the study of air, soil, and water to look at the environmental and societal impact of anthropogenic chemicals and energy.

Graduate Programs Offered:

 * There are combined graduate programs offered between the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo with close to 60 graduate students in the Department of Chemistry specializing in chemistry and biochemistry.

School of Computer Science (SOCS)
The department is located at the Reynolds building, where over 20 department faculty reside. The chair of the School of Computer Science is Deborah Stacey. The department is committed to first rate research and innovation within the computing and information sciences. They offer a wide variety of co-op programs to give students a head start on their careers.

Undergraduate Programs offered:
Computer Science B.Comp. (Co-op available)
 * Providing a solid foundation in computing with a focus on software, hardware and theory.

Software Engineering B.Comp.
 * A program aimed at developing professional and teamwork skills with a focus on the development and design of software.

Graduate Programs Offered:

 * The Department of Computer Science offers both MSc and PhD programs in the fields of applied modeling, artificial intelligence, distributed computing and human computer interactions.

Department of Mathematics and Statistics
The department is located in the McNaughton building with over 20 faculty members and O.B. Allen is the chair of department. Chris Bauch is a member of the department who was recently featured at the TEDxGuelphU conference where he gave a talk on infectious diseases, vaccines and statistics. Co-op programs are offered for some majors.

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Undergraduate Programs offered: ===== Mathematics B.A., B.Sc., B.A.S.
 * For the math-minded, or those interested in studying pure mathematics.

Statistics B.A., B.Sc., B.A.S., Diploma—Applied Statistics
 * A math base with a focus on modern statistical methods.

Applied Mathematics and Statistics B.Sc. (Co-op only)
 * A math and statistics education with the option of applying concepts in a co-op position.

Environmetrics B.Sc. Env.
 * Last admission 2009

Graduate Programs Offered:

 * There are nearly 50 graduate and PhD students specializing in dynamical systems, mathematical biology, numerical analysis and operations research and applied statistics. Also, some faculty members participate in an interdepartmental graduate program in Biophysics.

Department of Physics
The department of physics consists of 18 faculty members located in the MacNaughton building. In addition, the department has its own observatory located on top of the building. The telescope has four eyepieces and has a focal length of 3910 mm. Faculty members collaborate with many different institutions such as the Perimeter Institute and TRIUMF. The department also features numerous seminars and events on topics such as fusion energy, particle colliders and many more. Faculty member Ralf Gellert is a lead scientist for the Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) that is on board the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER).

Undergraduate Programs offered:
Physics B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * Program focuses on covering fundamentals of physics such as electromagnetism, quantum physics, subatomic particles, and mechanics.

Nanoscience B.Sc.
 * Program includes research based curriculum, small classes and exciting career opportunities in this new fast growing field.

Theoretical Physics B.Sc.
 * Designed for those students who value taking additional mathematics courses in order to prepare them to work in the modern field of theoretical physics.

Chemical Physics B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * Major focuses on quantum mechanical basis of molecular structure and materials science.

Biophysics B.Sc. (Co-op available)
 * This program includes unique disciplines such as molecular biology, biochemistry and the study of ecosystems.

Graduate Programs Offered:

 * The department offers a combined graduate program in physics alongside the University of Waterloo through the Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute. The second option is the interdepartmental Graduate Program in Biophysics. There are about 40 graduate and PhD students enrolled in graduate programs within the physics department.

School of Engineering
Guelph's engineering programs focus on applying theory into practice and by the end of the undergraduate degree in engineering students complete at least six design projects. The department is located in the Thornbrough building, which holds over 30 faculty members and the department director is Hussein A. Abdullah. There are seven different majors with a co-op option for each of them. In addition, since students take the same introductory courses in the first year, it is very easy to switch between the programs. The University of Guelph offers a wide variety of support to engineering students via counseling, cluster living in residence and peer helpers. Guelph's engineering programs focus on applying theory in practice, and thus, by the end of the undergraduate degree in engineering students will complete at least six design projects. Guelph emphasizes that when you enroll to any of the seven engineering programs, students become very familiar with their peers and teachers because of the amount of interaction between them.

Undergraduate Programs offered:
Biomedical B.Eng.
 * A program that focuses on designing future medical instruments and mechanical implants by applying engineering principles to medicine.

Biological B.Eng.
 * For those who want to enhance human, animal and plant life by applying engineering principles to controlling biological processes.

Computer B.Eng.
 * Computer engineers focus on artificial intelligence and robotics, software, microsystems design and electronic design automation.

Environmental B.Eng.
 * This program focuses on the ways engineering principles can help to minimize the impact of humans on the environment.

Mechanical B.Eng.
 * Students can specialize in mechatronics, wind and solar energy, food and beverage engineering, biomechanics and many more.

Systems and Computing B.Eng.
 * A multidisciplinary field that combines principles of general engineering along with strengths of computer science.

Water Resources B.Eng.
 * Program focuses on hydrology, environmental science, meteorology, geology, conservation and resources management in order to address modern concerns surrounding water.

Graduate Programs Offered:

 * The department offers MEng programs in Water Resources Engineering, Engineering Systems and Computing, Environmental Engineering, Biological Engineering. There are also PhD and M.A. Sc options. The Graduate Engineering Society represents graduate engineering students by facilitating social events as well as providing trivial services such as photocopying and printing.

Math & Stats Learning Centre
The Mathematics & Statistics Department within the CPES assists students by providing a centre in which tutoring is available for various 1000 & 2000 level Math & Stats courses. Tutors are available in the fall and winter semester to work with drop-in students. The center is located in the McLaughlin Library, on the third floor and the hours vary depending on the time of year.

Senior undergraduate & graduate students are welcome to work at the Learning Centre for wages. They can apply at the Mathematics and Statistics office in the MacNaughton Building.

The Learning Centre also posts Self-Study Modules on its website which include problems such as Exponents & Logs, Trigonometry, Quadratics, Graphs, Equations and Lines. Students or anyone interested have the ability to attempt these modules at their leisure.

The website also hosts access to a repository of modules covering various topics to assist all University students with improving their numeracy and quantitative reasoning abilities. The Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning Initiative, which began in 2005, was responsible for the creation of the Repository. The University of Guelph Library & Learning Commons, the Data Resource Centre (DRC), the Teaching Support Services (TSS) and the Computing and Communications Services work alongside with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to maintain the success of the Repository. Subjects include Percentages & Percentiles, Nominal, z-scores, Measures of Central Tendency, and t-tests, with the option to search the Repository for various topics.

Students are encouraged to reach out to the Learning Centre and to seek assistance through the Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning Repository. Further help for Math & Stats students can be found through seminars held periodically in sections such as Colloquium Series, Thesis/Project Presentation, Applied Analysis, Biomathematics & Biostatistics, Operations Research, Quantum Information & Geometric Statistics, and Computational Statistics.

A program also exists through the Supported Learning Groups (SLG) which helps Math & Stats students with MATH 1080 (Elements of Calculus I) and STAT 2040 (Statistics I) by providing sessions lead by Peer Helpers. Students are given the opportunity to work on course concepts, program vocabulary and are thereafter able to test themselves.

Extracurricular
The college encourages students to get involved in their respective fields of study by offering things such as social networking in the Computer Science department and job opportunities to undergraduate & graduate students. These are just some examples of ways students can get involved. Many of the people on the Gryphon Racing team, a student run club that builds an open-wheeled racecar each year, are Engineer majors.

The college also hosts various events involving high-school students such as the School of Engineering's WindEng design competition and Roboticon, which is held by the School of Computer Science.

CPES Student Council
The CPES Student Council (CPESSC) is a student run organization within the CPES that brings the college students together for social activities and also allows their voice to be heard by the college, the Alumni Association and the university community. The hub of CPES is in the Science Complex, where weekly meetings occur and offices of council members reside. These elected positions include a President, VP Internal, VP Social, VP Finances, VP Operations and Chairperson.

CPESSC also has the duty to support registered academic interest groups within the college. Each club has the right to vote on CPESSC issues during their weekly meetings. The clubs currently registered with the CPESSC are:
 * Astronomy Club
 * Bachelor of Arts & Science Student Association
 * Chemistry & Biochemistry Club
 * Engineering Society
 * Environmental Science Student Executive
 * Math & Stats Club
 * Physics Club
 * Society of Computing & Information Science
 * Women in Science & Engineering
 * Nanoscience Club