Humber College is proud to be home to a diverse group of faculty members and researchers who are passionate about conducting applied research and promoting a lifelong love for learning and knowledge. Hamid Dehkordi, professor in the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) at Humber, is one such researcher and educator who combines more than seven years of post-secondary teaching experience with a wealth of expertise in research.

Hamid’s passion for applied research and his dedication to sharing his knowledge and skills with industry partners and students are an exemplar of Humber College’s commitment to creating a transformational educational experience.

Background

Originally from Iran, Hamid arrived in Canada in 2009 to begin his PhD studies in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Québec at Chicoutimi (UQAC). Hamid recalls that he barely knew any French when he arrived in Canada, but thanks to his hard work and commitment, he was able to quickly integrate into the social and cultural fabric of his new community. Only two years after his arrival in Canada, Hamid started teaching in French as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. He was also promoted to serve as a president of the International Student Association (AEI-UQAC), as part of which he oversaw the organization of many social and cultural activities that helped international students adjust to life in Canada.

During his studies at UQAC, Hamid received several recognitions for the research he conducted, including a Masoud Farzaneh Award for research activities in the field of generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical energy as well as an Andre Leblond Award from the Syndicate of Professors. Through funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Hamid also worked with Hydro-Québec for four years during his studies.

Focus on applied research

Hamid shares that after he completed his PhD studies, he had the choice to continue theoretical research as part of a university or to conduct more applied research as part of a college community. Hamid recalls that he was ultimately drawn by the opportunity of collaborating with industry partners to create practical solutions for various challenges. Hamid also credits Farzad Rayegani, Senior Dean at FAST, and Shaun Ghafari, Associate Dean at FAST, for inspiring him to conduct more applied research projects. 

Current research project

Hamid’s latest research project is a partnership with NEEB Engineering for the project Design and Simulate Leaf Guard to Improve Drainage Capability. The research project was awarded an NSERC Engage grant ($25k) in 2022. As part of the project, Hamid is partnering with NEEB Engineering, a consulting firm in the building construction industry providing sustainable engineering design services and development of innovative technology solutions in water conservation and management. NEEB Engineering has developed a rainwater harvesting system (RWH) to address the growing challenge of water scarcity and to satisfy the growing trend for sustainable technologies in the building construction sector. The leaf guard is an important component of the RWH technology in ensuring optimum water quality. The research project will help NEEB Engineering improve the efficiency of its water capture and drainage capability.

Cooperation with the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation

Hamid shares that he is looking forward to collaborating with the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) team to 3D-print the sample designs for the research project with NEEB Engineering. Hamid states:

I previously worked with the team of an extremely professional group of technicians and project managers at the Barrett CTI, and I’m very much looking forward to working with them again. The Barrett CTI team is the best. Additionally, the facilities for 3D printing and advanced manufacturing at the Barrett CTI are amazing. —Hamid Dehkordi

Collaboration with industry partners

Hamid works tirelessly to build partnerships with industry partners. Here is what NexFlow Air Products Corp., an industry partner Hamid previously collaborated with, shares about their experience:

Hamid was responsible for implementing a research project to improve both air amplification technology and venturi technology as used with compressed air. As the information on this technology is sparse and spread out, this required significant research into the topics to understand the idiosyncrasies of the technologies as well as the similarities and differences.

Pneumatics is one of those subjects that lacks written resources and is even biased among many different sources, which created challenges that Hamid was able to overcome. Sorting through conflicting information was also identified by Hamid and then jointly discussed and addressed. Even with the additional challenges of teaching students to understand much of the testing and results, reliable and useful results were obtained within the timeframe allowed for the research project.

—Les Rapchak, President, NexFlow Air Products Corp.

Support from Humber’s Office of Research and Innovation

Hamid gratefully recognizes that the support from Humber’s Office of Research and Innovation has been valuable for his receiving the NSERC Engage Award for his current research project. He says:

I believe the key characteristics to do applied research besides having technical knowledge are being passionate, patient and dedicated, and I found all of those in Office of Research and Innovation's team. I really appreciate their help and support, and I hope I can work with this team on other applied research projects. —Hamid Dehkordi

Inspiring future researchers

Hamid acknowledges that the research journey is not always easy—there can be unexpected challenges or unforeseen changes in the project that require the researcher to be patient, flexible and persistent. Hamid notes that what makes the researcher journey rewarding is overcoming these hurdles and developing one’s skills to navigate various challenges. Hamid shares that he is passionate about helping his students develop both technical and soft skills through hands-on research projects. He states:

As it is in life, it is the same in research. You need to be patient, and you need to be persistent. And you should not give up easily. Those skills are an important part of what students can learn through research. One of the things that we as faculty members can teach them is by being a role models for soft skills by being punctual, being persistent, and not being afraid to express our ideas. These skills are important for students when they leave college, and these soft skills are as important as technical skills. —Hamid Dehkordi

Get to know Hamid a little more. Here are five things to know about him:

1. Favourite books: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. Favourite website/ social media platform: LinkedIn, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube, SoundCloud
3. Favourite music: Jazz and blues
4. Favourite way to de-stress: Playing soccer and working out 
5. Tea or coffee: Coffee

Learn more about ways to get involved in research projects taking place at Humber.

We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.