Since 2025, the Faculty of Engineering has welcomed several new professors and faculty lecturers. These new additions will help expand our expertise in architecture, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering. Learn about the research focus and interests of the fresh faces at our Faculty.
Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture
Célia Küpfer
Assistant Professor
Prof. Célia Küpfer’s research focuses on the reuse, repair, and adaptation of the existing built environment at the intersection of architectural design, ecology, and construction engineering and history. She has developed unique expertise in the deconstruction and reuse of structural building elements, particularly reused concrete.
She earned a D.Sc. in Architecture and Sciences of the City from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in 2024 and a M.Sc. in Architecture from EPFL in 2019. She was previously a visiting Ph.D. researcher at the University of Cambridge.
Areas of research: Sustainable and circular construction; existing built stock management
Courses you teach/will be teaching: ARCH 673: Architectural Design Studio 2; ARCH 405: Design and Construction 3
Last place you lived: Lausanne, Switzerland
Something you like to do during your time off: Skiing and hiking
Shota Vashakmadze
Assistant Professor
Prof. Shota Vashakmadze's research focuses on histories of architectural computing and environmental design through close readings of how architects built, used, and understood software between the 1960s and 1980s. He also works on more contemporary questions of architecture, technology, and climate change.
He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also holds an M.Arch. from Princeton University and a B.Sc. in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Areas of research: Architectural history and criticism; climate change and the built environment.
Courses you teach/will be teaching: ARCH406: Design and Construction 4; ARCH304: Design and Construction 2; ARCH 684: Contemporary Theory 1
Career highlight you’re most proud of: At UCLA, I launched "Building Climates," an interdisciplinary undergraduate program on climate change and the built environment, where students from a broad range of majors can think together about what is going on, where things are headed, and how they can participate in shaping its future.
Things you’re excited to get started at McGill: I'm excited to connect historical and theoretical questions of architectural practice to contemporary climate issues that inform the experiences of students and practitioners
Last place you lived: Los Angeles, CA
Last book you’ve read: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
What's a skill you'd love to learn someday? Woodworking
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Aren A. Babikian
Assistant Professor
Prof. Aren A. Babikian's research focuses on safety assurance for AI-enabled cyber-physical systems, with an emphasis on end-to-end assurance, rigorous operational-space coverage, and trustworthy safety arguments.
He earned his Ph.D. in Software Engineering from McGill University. He also holds a B.Eng. in Computer Engineering from McGill. Before returning to McGill as an Assistant Professor, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto.
Areas of research: Safety for AI-enabled Systems; Cyber-Physical Systems; Neuro-Symbolic Software Engineering
Courses you teach/will be teaching: ECSE 437: Software Delivery
Favourite aspect of your work: Working with motivated students and seeing them grow.
Things you’re excited to get started at McGill: Building my research group and reconnecting with Montreal’s software engineering research community.
Last place you lived: Toronto, Canada
Something you like to do during your time off: I enjoy staying active, especially playing futsal
Instruments you play: Trumpet
Katrina Poulin
Faculty Lecturer
Katrina Poulin earned her B.Eng. in Computer Engineering from McGill University, where she is completing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering focused on reduced-order models for nonlinear circuit simulation.
Courses you teach/will be teaching: ECSE 211: Design Principles and Methods; ECSE 223: Model-based Programming; ECSE 250: Fundamentals of Software Development
Favourite aspect of your work: Helping students connect concepts from the classroom to real-world engineering problems
Things you’re excited to get started at McGill: Exploring new ideas in engineering education and becoming more involved in the McGill community
Something you like to do during your time off: Jogging
What’s something you can’t live without? Coffee
Mechanical Engineering
Qianxi (Emily) He
Faculty Lecturer
Qianxi (Emily) He’s research focuses on advanced manufacturing, with an emphasis on developing functional coatings and surface modification strategies. Her work integrates tribology, materials characterization, and machining process optimization, particularly for difficult-to-machine materials. She also conducts research in engineering education, with interests in hands-on learning and supporting women and international students in engineering.
She earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University and before joining McGill, was a postdoctoral fellow and sessional faculty member at McMaster University.
Areas of research: High-performance manufacturing; coatings and thin-film development; surface engineering and tribology; materials characterization and process optimization; engineering education, student engagement, and inclusive and hands-on learning
Courses you teach/will be teaching: Statics; Conceptual Design; Computer Aided Design; Principles of Manufacturing; Machine Element Design; Mechanical Engineering Project; Interdisciplinary Design Project
Favourite aspect of your work: Working with students and seeing their ideas develop into practical engineering solutions
What do you hope students take away from your classes? A strong foundation in engineering fundamentals, together with the confidence to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and unfamiliar challenges
Last place you lived: Hamilton, Ontario
Something you like to do during your time off: Travelling, exploring new cities, and trying local food
What's a skill you'd love to learn someday? Playing the drums
Hendrik Nicolai
Assistant Professor
Hendrik Nicolai's research combines combustion science and advanced computational modelling to support sustainable energy technologies. He leads the ASEC Lab where his group develops predictive simulations that connect fundamental combustion physics with applications in aircraft engines, gas turbines and industrial energy systems.
He earned his Ph.D., Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Mechanical and Process Engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.
Areas of research: Computational thermofluids, turbulent combustion, and sustainable energy conversion, with a focus on hydrogen and alternative fuels, reactive multiphase flows, and high-performance computing
Courses you teach/will be teaching: MECH 265: Numerical Linear Algebra; MECH 309: Numerical Methods in Mechanical Engineering; MECH 501/600: Computational Turbulence; MECH 447: Combustion; MECH 652: Dynamics of Combustion
Favourite aspect of your work: Working with young people and seeing them grow is the most rewarding part of my work. I especially enjoy watching students gain confidence, develop their own ideas, and become independent researchers and problem-solvers. Supporting that growth, both professionally and personally, makes teaching and mentoring particularly meaningful to me.
What do you hope students take away from your classes? I hope students leave with a strong understanding of fundamental engineering principles and the confidence to apply them to real-world problems. I want them to think critically, stay curious, and learn to tackle unfamiliar challenges independently while recognizing the value of collaboration. Above all, I hope they develop the confidence and motivation to keep learning throughout their careers.
Something you like to do during your time off: I enjoy exploring the Canadian outdoors through hiking and canoeing. It’s a great way to discover new places, stay active, and unwind while spending time in nature.
What’s something you can’t live without? My Garmin watch! I enjoy tracking my activities, following my progress, and finding new ways to challenge myself. It helps me stay motivated, keep fit, and set new goals across different activities: though the engineer in me probably enjoys the data just as much as the exercise.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? “Be patient with the outcome, but persistent in the effort.” You cannot always control when success comes, but you can choose to keep learning, growing, and moving forward. Often, the person you become along the way matters as much as the goal itself.