About the Dean

Dean of Engineering and Computer Science, Robin Drew

In August 2008, Robin Drew was appointed Dean of the Faculty Engineering and Computer Science, and professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, at Concordia University. He now heads a Faculty complement of more than 160 academics and a combined undergraduate and graduate population of over 5,500 students. With the invaluable support of his team of Associate Deans and Department Chairs, as well as the dedicated help of faculty and support staff, he provides academic leadership and vision for a Faculty that is one of the largest and most dynamic of its kind in the country.

When it comes to academic research, Dean Drew—who is internationally renowned for his work on metal foams, metal-ceramic composites, metal-ceramic interactions and joining processes—remains active in the field and is primarily interested in advanced materials. He is author and co-author of nearly 200 papers on ceramics, metal-ceramic composites and metal-ceramic interactions and joining; and has contributed chapters to several books and conference proceedings. He has served on a number of international advisory and organization committees for conferences and symposia, and has been an invited speaker at many international meetings. He has ties with international research groups and, in particular, has developed strong collaborative associations with researchers in Mexico and in Europe.

In 1998, he received the Dofasco Award in Materials Engineering from the Canadian Metallurgical Society. In 2006, Dean Drew was awarded a Fellowship by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum for his outstanding contributions to materials science and engineering education, research, and professional development of individuals. That year also marked his election as a member of the World Academy of Ceramics, making him one of only two living Canadians to have received this prestigious award. He became a Fellow of the UK Institute of Materials Institute in 2008 and was awarded the prestigious MacDonald Young award of the American Society for Materials in 2008. His most recent accolade is the receipt of the Canadian Materials Physics Award in 2009.

Prior to joining Concordia, he was Professor of Materials Engineering at McGill University, where he was on faculty from 1984 and served as Departmental Chair between 1999 and 2007.