As one of SFU's most outstanding graduate students from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dr. Christopher Hynes is recognized with the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal. On behalf of SFU, we congratulate Dr. Hynes on his outstanding achievements.

Christopher Hynes’ PhD thesis, Reception of Dipole Sources using Dual-Loaded Loop Antennas, extended the theory of a fundamental electromagnetic sensor and performed experimental validation by introducing a novel wireless electromagnetic sensor. As a part of the research involved in this, he developed the theoretical foundation for the dual-loaded loop antenna, correcting long standing (and previously unnoticed) errors in the classical electromagnetic formulations and validated the results with simulations and measurements.

With more than a decade of industrial antenna designing and consulting for various companies in BC, Hynes took his experience to invent new antennas, develop sophisticated simulations for a wide range of antennas and propagation problems, design and build computer-controlled prototypes, and also design and undertake extremely complex physical measurements to validate theory and simulations.

Hynes received several awards throughout his doctoral studies, including the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral (CGS D) and the Kaiser Foundation Graduate Scholarship in Engineering Science (twice) as well as others.

Hynes’ supervisor, Dr. Rodney Vaughan is supportive of Hynes’ achievements. Says, Vaughan, “Chris has been an exceptional graduate student, enriched by a decade of industrial designing in BC companies. He is an unrivaled engineering theorist at SFU (and a leading one internationally), and yet is also, from his background, an unrivaled practical engineer. On top of this, he has been a tireless helper of the other graduates and undergraduates who have worked in these areas. His thesis is top class.”

Hynes is honoured by this award, acknowledging the arduous lives and significant research contributions of his fellow SFU graduate students.  SFU's academic environment - one that fosters interdepartmental collaboration - helped Hynes to excel in his academic pursuits.  His supervisor, Professor Rodney Vaughan, played an instrumental role in this achievement by providing unwavering guidance, encouragement, and support.

Hynes is working on a postdoctoral fellowship at SFU to research novel antenna solutions in the fields of wireless energy harvesting and biomedical electromagnetic sensors.