Queen's Engineering is pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Keith Pilkey as Head of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME) for a 5-year term, effective January 1, 2023.
Dr. Pilkey, BASc, MASc (University of Waterloo), and PhD (Carleton University), obtained his PhD in the area of microstructure-property relationships and formability of aluminum alloy sheet developed for automotive structures. Prior to joining Queen’s in 2000, Dr. Pilkey was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University.
Dr. Pilkey has led the department since 2018 and was complimented by the committee for his leadership style, the ability to tackle difficult problems and build consensus for the benefit of the department.
He has been named a Champion of EDI by Engineers Canada and has made this a priority. He established a Women in MME working group and an EDII committee in the department. He also serves as the member-at-large in the “Circle of Advisors” for the Indigenous Futures in Engineering program at Queen’s. Dr. Pilkey was also part of a small group who developed the mandate and secured an endowed donation for the new Chair for Women in Engineering at Queen’s. Finally, Dr. Pilkey played a leadership role in the establishment of the new undergraduate program in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering.
Dr. Pilkey’s research interests lie in the areas of material deformation and failure mechanisms as they relate to a wide variety of engineering materials and applications, ranging from steel and aluminum alloy sheet used for the manufacture of automotive structural components to cancellous bone and the decrease in fracture strength caused by bone-degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis. He teaches undergraduate courses in materials science, solid mechanics, and deformation processing, and courses in metal forming and materials selection in design at the graduate level. His dedication to teaching and the support of student activities at Queen’s has also been recognized; Dr. Pilkey is a three-time recipient of the Silver Wrench Award and a nominee for the Frank Knox Award.
The focus of the next term for Dr. Pilkey will involve: building upon multiple initiatives in the area of EDII; continuing to increase research intensity in the department, with an emphasis on collaboration and faculty engagement; and contributing to the development of a new undergraduate program in Biomedical Engineering.
Queen's Engineering acknowledges the members of the Selection Committee for their support throughout this process.