Get to know this year’s engineering awards recipients as we acknowledge their achievements.
Engineers Canada is an organization of engineering regulators that license the 290,000 members of the profession across Canada. One way the organization works to advance the profession in public interest is through their annual engineering awards ceremony.
More specifically, the Engineers Canada Awards acknowledges engineers’ efforts to give back to their community, contribute to the safety and well-being of Canadians, as well as professional excellence.
The engineering awards have been an opportunity to recognize Canadian engineers, projects, teams, students, and their achievements since 1972.
Here are this year’s most notable recipients:
The Young Engineer Achievement Award
The recipient of this award is Amy M. Bilton, Ph.D., P. Eng., Assistant Professor at University of Toronto. Bilton is recognized for appealing to students through her focus on international development along with her work on technologies aimed at water and energy solutions for the developing world.
The Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education
The engineering awards selected Jonathan F. Holzman, Ph.D., P.Eng., Associate Professor at University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan, has been honored for his innovative teaching methods.
Additionally, Holzman is recognized for his dedication to ensuring that his students understand practical applications, often implementing technology and using live demonstrations that incorporate lasers during his lessons.
The Gold Medal Student Award
Veronica Knott, Undergraduate Engineering Student at UBC, was recognized by the engineering awards for promoting diversity and inclusivity within the engineering profession.
“She’s at the forefront of students in engineering so she is a clear leader amongst leaders. She’s somebody who communicates easily with a wide range of people, all the way from the president of UBC down to the individual students,” said Chad Sinclair, Ph.D., P. Eng., Professor at UBC.
The Meritorious Service Award for Community Service
Eduardo Maulucci, P. Eng. is the President of SmartONE Solutions Inc., who was honored for his dedicated time and passion to enriching learning experiences for engineering students in the IT sector.
Among other community-centered achievements, Maulucci has served on several college boards and community and government agencies.
The Meritorious Service Award for Professional Service
Ross Peters, Ph.D., FCAE, FEC, P. Eng., Professor Emeritus at Memorial University (MU), was named the recipient due in large part to his role in globally recognized Canadian engineering and accreditation systems. Ross dedicated 30 years of service at MU, where he held several leadership positions.
Throughout his fifty-year career, he significantly contributed to the engineering field through leadership and selfless guidance during his work with numerous organizations throughout Canada and internationally.
The Gold Medal Award
The engineering awards named Larry E. Seeley, Ph.D., P. Eng., Chair and CEO of Seeley Group, the recipient of the Gold Medal for his outstanding achievements in engineering.
As a world-renowned chemical engineer, research leader, and executive, Seeley has become an important part of the growth of Canada’s mining and metallurgical sectors. Additionally, he has fostered and promoted new technologies and businesses within the minerals and recycled metals industries globally.
Seeley has remained involved in the engineering community by dedicating time to mentoring young engineers and taking leadership roles.
The Support of Women in the Engineering Profession Award
This year’s winner of this award is Mary A. Wells, Ph.D., P. Eng, Professor at the University of Waterloo, who is highly regarded internationally for her research advances in the processing of advanced metallic alloys and the development of lightweight materials for automotive applications.
Wells passionately works on connecting with young girls and women through outreach, community events, her research, teaching, and professional service. She is considered a natural and effective role model for all women.
The National Award for an Engineering Project
The engineering awards recognize the FLIR Systems engineering team of Laval, Quebec. They are a leading maker of sensor systems, for significantly pushing the boundaries of target detection with regards to minimum detectable velocity, accuracy, false-alarm rate, and range.
With the use of an electronic antenna, advanced processing, and innovative architecture, FLIR has created a radar—the R20SS—that matches or outperforms the best of the industry. This is all with a per unit cost that is significantly less than the competition.
Canada’s engineering sector is ever thriving, and it is essential that contributors to this success be recognized so that this sector may continue its upward trajectory of worldwide recognition.
