Academic Qualifications
PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria, Canada
Master of Engineering in Robotics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Bachelor of Science in Power Machinery Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Teaching Area
Dynamics
Mechanics of Materials
Feedback Control
Advanced Control
Robotics
Research Area
Dynamics and Systems Modeling
Vibration and Model-based Control
Multiple Cooperative Robots
Flexible Robots
Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition for Fault Diagnosis and Failure Prediction
Professional Services
Member, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant Evaluation Group 1512, 2024-2027
Technical Editor, IEEE/ASME Transaction on Mechatronics, 2020-2025
Advisory Board member, Advanced Equipment, 2024
Work Experience
Jan 2026 ~ present, Dean, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, MUST
July ~ December 2025, Vice Dean, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, MUST
January 2021 ~ June 2025, Professor and Head, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary
April 2014 ~ December 2020, Professor and Associate Dean, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary
July 2001 ~ March 2014, Associate Professor, University of Calgary
December 1996 ~ June 2001, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Professional Certification and Membership
Fellow, Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering, and Sciences (ELATES), 2022-2023
Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering, since 2021
Member, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), since 2000
Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) since 1995
Member, Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers (CSME) since 2021
Awards
Minerva Mentoring Award, Alberta Women’s Science Network, 2025
Women in Engineering & Geoscience Summit Award, APEGA, 2023
Global Engineering Deans Council Diversity Award, 2nd place finalist, 2024
University of Calgary Teaching Award for Curriculum Development – Bioengineering Summer Institute, 2022
LERN International Award for Excellence in Innovative Programming – Expanding Access through the Bioengineering Summer Institution, Learning Resources Network, 2021
Research Achievement Award, 2017
Invited and Keynote Speech
“Hybrid physics + AI for prediction, monitoring, and decision support”, 2026 China-ASEAN AI Capacity Building Training Program, Malaysia, January 24, 2026
“Across the modeling spectrum: analytical and hybrid approaches to vibration in mechanical drivetrains, the 32nd Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers Annual Congress, Montreal, May 25-27, 2025
“A digital twin framework for mechanical systems”, the 9th International Conference on Advances in Construction Machinery and Vehicle Engineering, Qinghuangdao, Chaina, Nov. 7-10, 2024
“Towards building a digital twin for prognostic health management of industrial assets”, Canadian Academy of Engineering Fellow Showcase, London, Ontario, May 27, 2024
“Bending the rules, how structural flexibility can be a game changer”, Chunxian Distringuished Lecture Series, Xiamen University, May 13, 2023
“Exploration through spaces”, 2020 NASA Space App Challenge, online, Oct 4, 2020
“From space to nano robotics”, 2019 NASA Space App Challenge, Calgary, Oct 19, 2019
“Understanding machine health condition from data”, Women in Data Science Conference, Calgary March 6, 2018
Research Support (past five years)
2025-2025 | Mitacs Accelerate IT46081 PI, “Development of AI-based Tools for Construction Projects” | $60,000 |
2025-2027 | AI NSERC DG Top-up PI, “Synergistic blending of physics-based and data-driven approaches for wind turbine modeling” | $40,000 |
2023-2028 | NSERC Discovery, RGPIN-2023-03774 PI, “Synergistic blending of physics-based and data-driven approaches for wind turbine modeling” | $250,000 |
2022-2024 | NSERC Alliance, ALLRP 571591-21 co-PI, “Non-linear material modeling and control of piezoelectric actuators and sensors” | $300,000 |
2022-2024 | NSERC Alliance, ALLRP 571334-21 PI, “Towards building digital twins for prognostics and health management (PHM) of industrial assets” | $300,000 |
2022-2022 | MITACS Business Strategy Internship (Ref. IT 28982) PI, “Mercator AI – Project Fit Innovation” | $15,000 |
2020-2021 | MITACS Accelerate Grant (Ref. IT21142) PI, “Field test and model validation of an actively controlled seat suspension system”, Partner Organization: Beasley Marine Engineering Ltd. | $30,000 |
2019-2022 | Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service Foundation Research Grant (Ref. #13571) co-PI, “Intelligent Systems Monitoring for Pre-hospital Transport of Critically Ill Patients” | $350,000 |
2019-2022 | NSERC PromoScience PI, “Cybermentor Program Expansion” | $120,000 |
2019-2021 | MITACS Accelerate Grant (Ref. FR35563) PI, “Pipe acoustical characterization of packaged screw compressors”, Partner Organization: AP Dynamics Inc. | $53,333 |
2019-2020 | University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grant – Development and Innovation stream co-PI, “Creating ethical space for indigenization of academic programs at the university of Calgary” | $7,500 |
2019-2021 | University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grant – SoTL co-PI, “Enhancing student-centered tutorials in engineering courses” | $19,500 |
2017-2022 | NSERC Discovery Grant - Individual (RGPIN-2017-04143) PI, “Development of an integrated modeling framework for wind turbine health condition assessment” | $155,000 |
2016-2020 | Government of Alberta Science Awareness Program PI, Cybermentor Online Mentoring Program | $280,000 |
Academic Publication (selected)
1. Alhasadi*, M.; Bayram, A.; Sun, Q.; Federico, S., 2025, “Finite Element Analysis of Materially Uniform Dielectric Elastomers”, Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10812865241301716
2. Z. Huang*, C. Liu, Q. Sun, 2025, “Dynamics analysis and multi-objective optimization for a dry friction damper”, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 287, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2025.109930
3. M. F. Alhasadi*, L. Shahsavari*, Q. Sun, S. Federico, 2025, “Rate-Independent Model of Ferroelectric Materials: Finite Element and Finite Difference Solution”, Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik, 76 (1), 36, DOI: 10.1007/s00033-024-02348-y
4. G. Shao*, Q. Sun, Y. Gao, Q. Zhu, F. Gao, J. Zhang, 2023, “Sub-pixel convolutional neural network for image super-resolution reconstruction”, Electronics 2023, 12, 3572. 15 pages. https://doi.org/10.3390/
5. M. F. Alhasadi*, P. Ghansela, Q. Sun, S. Federico, 2022, “Thermodynamical analysis of hysteresis in rigid ferroelectric bodies”, Zeitschrift für angewandte Mathematik und Physik, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00033-022-01802-z
6. P. Bagheri *, L Behjat, Q. Sun, 2022, "Nonlinear control of a class of non-affine variable-speed variable-pitch wind turbines with radial-basis function neural networks", ISA Transactions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isatra.2022.05.004
7. A. H. Yarschenko*, D. H. Yannitsos, S. Weppler, L. Barbera, H. Quon, Q. Sun, W. Smith, 2022, Comparing the M.D. Anderson symptom and Dysphagia Inventories for head and neck Cancer Patients. The Laryngoscope. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.30096
8. A. Hajnayeb*, Q. Sun, 2022, “Study of gear pair vibration caused by random manufacturing errors”, Archives of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 92, pp. 1451-1463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00419-022-02122-4
9. M. Alhasadi*, Q. Sun, S. Federico, 2022, “Theory of uniformity applied to elastic dielectric materials and piezoelectricity”, European Journal of Mechanics / A Solids., Vol. 91 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euromechsol.2021.104391
10. S. Hildebrandt* and Q. Sun, 2021, “Evaluation of operational strategies on wind turbine power production during short icing events”, Journal of Wind Energy and Industrial Aerodynamics. Vol. 219, 104795, ISSN 0167-6105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2021.104795
11. J. Sun* and Q. Sun, 2021, “Bearing prognostics: an instance-based learning approach with feature engineering, data augmentation, and similarity evaluation”, Signals, 2(4), 662-687. https://doi.org/10.3390/signals2040040
12. V. Saberi Nasrabad*, A. Hajnayeb*, and Q. Sun, 2021 “Effective wind speed estimation based on a data-driven model of the wind turbine tower deflection”, Proc. IMechE Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954406221993845
13. A. Hajnayeb*, J. Fernando*, Q. Sun, 2021, “Effects of vehicle driveline parameters and clutch judder on gearbox vibrations", Proc. IMechE Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544070211015939
14. E. Mollasalehi*, D. Wood, and Q. Sun, 2017, "Indicative fault diagnosis of wind turbine generator bearings using tower sound and vibration", Energies, Vol. 10.
15. D. Ju* and Q. Sun, 2017, "Modeling of a wind turbine rotor/blade system", Journal of Vibration and Acoustics (Transactions of the ASME), Vol.139(5), https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4036633
16. M. R. Ghazavi* and Q. Sun, 2017, "Bifurcation onset delay in magnetic bearing systems by time varying stiffness", Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 90, pp.97-109.
17. G. Wilson*, A. Ramirez-Serrano, and Q. Sun, 2017, "Geometric-based tyre vertical force estimation and stiffness parameterization for automotive and unmanned vehicle applications", Vehicle System Dynamics, Vol. 55, Issue 2, pp. 168-190.
18. P. Bagheri* and Q. Sun, 2016, "Adaptive robust control of a class of non-affine variable-speed variable-pitch wind turbines with unmodeled dynamics", Journal of ISA Transaction, Vol. 63, pp. 223-241.
19. J. Fernando* and Q. Sun, 2015 "Bandwidth widening of vibration energy harvesters through a multi-stage design", AIP Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Vol. 7, Issue 5.
20. J. Sun* and Q. Sun, 2015, "Further development of adaptable automated visual inspection - part I: concept and scheme", The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 81, Issue 5, pp. 1067-1076.
21. J. Sun* and Q. Sun, 2015,"Adaptable automated visual inspection - part II: implementation and evaluation", The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 81, Issue 5, pp. 1077-1096.
22. J. Fernando* and Q. Sun, 2013, "Improvement of vibration energy harvesters through a two-stage design: power production at a single frequency excitation", Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 84, No. 10.
23. I. Vincent* and Q. Sun, 2012, "A combined reactive and reinforcement learning controller for an autonomous tracked vehicle", Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 60, No. 4, pp. 599-608.
24. Q. Sun, 2011, "An existence condition for the inverse dynamics solution of a slewing Euler-Bernoulli beam", Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 46, No. 7, pp. 845 - 860.
25. Q. Sun, R. A. Wolkow, and M. Salomons, 2009, "Low frequency vibration isolation through an active-on-active approach: coupling effects", Journal of Vibration and Acoustics (Transactions of the ASME), Vol 131, No. 6.
26. K. Jui*, and Q. Sun, 2005, "Path tracking of parallel manipulators in the presence of singularity", Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control (Transactions of the ASME), Vol. 127, No. 4, pp. 550-563.
27. Q. Sun, Y. Tang*, W. Lu and Y. Ji, 2005, "Feature extraction with discrete wavelet transform for drill wear monitoring", Journal of Vibration and Control, Vol. 11, pp. 1375-1396.
28. Q. Sun, P. Chen*, D. Zhang*, and F. Xi, 2004, "Pattern recognition for automatic machinery fault diagnosis", Journal of Vibration and Acoustics (Transactions of the ASME), Vol. 126, pp. 307-316.
29. Y. Tang* and Q. Sun, 2003, "Diagnosis of rolling element bearing defects using continuous wavelet transform", Journal of Tribology (Transactions of the ASME), Vol.125, pp. 871-873.
30. Q. Sun, 2002, "Control of flexible-link multiple manipulators", Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control (Transactions of the ASME), Vol.124, pp. 67-75.
31. Q. Sun and Y. Tang*, 2002, "Singularity detection using continuous wavelet transform for bearing fault diagnosis", Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 1023-1039.
