MacEngineer Winter 2006

F A C U L T Y O F E N G I N E E R I N G M C M A S T E R U N I V E R S I T Y W I N T E R 2 0 0 6

TheMacEngineerVOLUME 31 NUMBER 1TheMacEngineer

The evolution of engineering educationSee page 3

The evolution of engineering educationSee page 3

A message from the Dean

2 The MacEngineer M c M A S T E R U N I V E R S I T Y

Engineering News...................4

Upcoming Events .................10

Alumni Profiles.................8 & 9

Hey Alumni! Have you got something tosay, or any other news? We would like to hearfrom you. Contact Carm Vespi:

Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24906Fax: (905) 546-5492e-mail: [email protected]: www.eng.mcmaster.ca

The MacEngineer is published by the EngineeringFaculty for its alumni. Distribution assistance isprovided by the Alumni Office.

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inside this issue

Mo Elbestawi

As we enter 2006, the Faculty ofEngineering through a consultativeprocess has identified its new

strategic advancement priorities for thenext five years. It is certainly cause forcelebration that we successfully completedour set of goals established earlier forwhich we created three new schools in theFaculty in the areas of EngineeringPractice, BioMedical Engineering, andComputational Engineering and Science.With these new schools we are able toproceed with our new set of strategic prior-ities to build our resources so as to enableour outstanding faculty and student body toexcel at teaching and learning, research andtechnological development.

In order of priority, without question, themost critical need in Engineering is endowedfaculty positions. Universities with endowedchairs are able to attract and retain the verytop faculty to their institutions. High caliberprofessors, in turn, attract top students to auniversity. In addition to attracting the bestand brightest, endowed chairs will enablethe Faculty to build leadership in its keyareas of strength and promise. These areasinclude Nanotechnology, Biomedical Engi-neering, Sustainable Energy, and EngineeringEducation.

Our second priority is to ensure that ourundergraduate engineering students learn inthe best environment, in state-of-the-art labo-ratories with leading-edge equipment andresources. It is our intention to enhance theexisting MACLAB Endowment Fundcreated in 1997 by our McMaster Engineer-ing Students and supported by alumni,faculty and friends for the enhancement ofundergraduate labs. The Fund now exceeds$1 M and will continue to grow as we expandits capital. The endowed fund is invested toearn income each year, and as the principalgrows, so does the income available to awardto laboratory refurbishment.

Our third priority is to build ourGraduate Scholarships so we can increaseour enrolment from 600 students to 900 inthe next few years. While it is true that highcaliber professors attract top graduatestudents, competitive financial aid canalso determine the quality of the graduatestudent body. Outstanding graduate studentsenable the Faculty to maintain considerablestrength in both research and educationalactivities.

Fourthly, our goal to expand the “Inter-nationalization of the Faculty” remainsstrategic. In my last Dean’s Message, Imentioned how we are looking at ways toexpand our programs internationally. Wehave embarked on a series of initiatives thatwill draw new international students to bothour undergraduate and graduate program

Mo Elbestawi, Dean of Engineering

Building on success andplanning for the future

from countries such as Brazil, Mexico,India, South Korea and China. This buildson the links we currently have withnumerous European and US universities.Plans are currently underway to launch acooperative summer study abroad programin Russia in cooperation with MichiganState University. The Faculty has becomeincreasingly involved around the world inexchange agreements, institutional collabo-rations and international student exchangeprograms. These partnerships with overseasfaculty promote cutting-edge research in thefields of engineering, technology and thesciences, and help to strengthen our work athome.

Our final priority is to continue to findresources to support UndergraduateScholarships as we attract the best studentswith entrance awards to our Year Oneprogram, and offer in-course scholarshipsto retain the brightest in our engineeringprogram. As competition increases, ourlevel of support to attract and retain the beststudents is crucial.

These priorities will see the Faculty moveinto 2006 and beyond. They will supportour strategic objective of growth whileimproving quality and our position as one ofCanada’s top engineering schools.

offered through the School of BiomedicalEngineering and will lead to a B.Eng.H.Sc.degree. In contrast with our existing disci-pline-specific biomedical programs, theengineering portion of the curriculum willbe broad-based. In addition, students in thisnew program will join those in theBachelor of Health Sciences program in a

series of inquiry-based courses. Thesecourses encourage students to take respon-sibility for their learning and provide themwith significant latitude to focus on healthissues of interest to them.

As seen in previous issues of TheMacEngineer, the evolution of engineeringeducation is also taking place at the post-graduate level. The School of BiomedicalEngineering, the School of ComputationalEngineering and the School of EngineeringPractice (with its M.Eng. programs inEngineering Entrepreneurship & Inno-vation, Engineering & Public Policy, andEngineering Design) all emphasize multi-disciplinary studies and represent a sharpdeparture from traditional graduateeducation.

The effect on the engineering professionwill likely be profound. Many graduatingengineers will have much more varied andmulti-disciplinary backgrounds. We feelthat this will be key to helping Canadacompete on the world stage.

Peter SmithAssociate Dean (Academic)

A message from the Associate Dean

The MacEngineer 3M c M A S T E R U N I V E R S I T Y

Dr. Peter Smith Associate Dean of Engineering

Most people are not aware of therate at which the engineeringeducation is evolving. For the

two decades leading up to the 1990s,students at most universities had a choiceof traditional engineering disciplines thatincluded Chemical, Civil, Computer,Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.Depending on the university, students mightalso have had the choice of other disciplines.For example, at McMaster they could havechosen Materials Engineering, CeramicEngineering, Metallurgical Engineering orEngineering Physics, and they could combineany of these disciplines with the Managementoption. The 1989-90 Undergraduate Calendarlists a total of 18 programs.

By contrast, the 2005-06 UndergraduateCalendar includes a choice of 33 programs.All of the traditional disciplines are stillthere, and these can now also be combinedwith the Society option. Ceramic andMetallurgical Engineering are gone, replacedby programs such as Software Engineering,Software Engineering & Game Design, andElectrical & Biomedical Engineering, or bystreams (specializations) such as Nano-materials, Water/Environmental and Pho-tonics. In addition, all programs can be takenwith or without co-op.

This trend is expected to continue, withuniversities across North America intro-ducing programs in response to technolog-ical development, societal need and studentdemand. In 2006, we will be introducingtwo new undergraduate programs: one inMechatronics and the other in Engineering& Health Sciences.

Mechatronics Engineering will be a four-year program, offered through theDepartment of Computing and Software,leading to a B.Eng. degree. The curriculumwill encompass aspects of mechanical, elec-tronic and software systems, as well as theirinteraction. Students will have the optionof continuing for one additional year andobtaining an M.Eng. degree in the field.

The Bachelor of Engineering & HealthSciences will be a five-year program

The evolution of engineering education

Video gaming – to a degreeMcMaster University has launched

Canada’s first undergraduate degreeprogram in video game design. The four-year Software Engineering and GameDesign program involves animation,real-time simulation, multimedia andeverything to do with designing andimplementing interactive games and datavisualization. Graduates will earn a B. Eng. in software engineering, and are expected to find employment in the computer gaming, animation, datavisualization and high-fidelity simulationindustries, as well as other softwaredevelopment jobs.

Courses are provided by both theFaculty of Engineering and the Facultyof Humanities through its Multimediaprogram. Engineering courses includecomputer architecture and graphicsprocessors, 4D modeling for virtualreality, real-time systems and control,real-time animation, and computer gameinterface design. Multimedia programcourses include the digital image, audioand visual digital media, animation andinteractive digital culture.

More information about the programcan be found at http://gamer.mcmaster.caor by e-mailing [email protected]

nership involves having our Chapter takean active role in supporting an overseasproject during its implementation andhelping the project achieve its goals.

These placement experiences and initia-tives provide the Chapter with a strongknowledge base on the issues and chal-lenges to International Development. Weactively disseminate this knowledge inmany ways. We host campus-based educa-tion workshops on a wide range of topics,staff information booths in JHE and MUSC,participate in the UN Festival day, andcontinue our strong High School Outreachprogram. This initiative introduces highschool students to the issues of InternationalDevelopment through interactive presenta-tions and class activities including “Waterfor the World” and “Food for Thought.”

More recently, EWB influencedMcMaster’s Engineering curriculum!Engineering students can now do a firstyear design project worth 25% of theirfinal grade.

The project must consider an issue rele-vant to International Development. Oneexample is the project that involved sheanut processing equipment typically usedin the semi-arid Sahel region of WestAfrica. Students had to determine howexisting equipment that normally pro-cesses oil from the seeds could be used toprocess a quality bio-diesel fuel for use indiesel engines.

As a charitable organization, EngineersWithout Borders relies on funding from the school, community, businesses andorganizations. To learn more about theMcMaster Chapter of Engineers WithoutBorders, and to inquire about sponsorship,e-mail us at [email protected] or visit ourwebsite at http:// mcmaster.ewb.ca

In January 2006, the McMaster Chapterof Engineers Without Borders (EWB)is sending 31 delegates to Ottawa for

a national conference on InternationalDevelopment. Delegates will consider theprogress being made toward meeting theUnited Nation’s Millennium Developmentgoal of reducing poverty by half by 2015. Itseems clear that this goal may not bereached given the current level of action,and conference delegates will be asked toexplore what should be done on the localand global levels, and consider the role ofEWB in achieving this goal. We expect ourdelegates will return with inspiration, moti-vation and a wealth of knowledge whichthey can apply to their own work, and tothe benefit of the rest of the Chapter andthe Hamilton community.

Every summer, McMaster’s EWB hassponsored two engineering students totravel to Africa to work on a developmentproblem with a local group/organization.We are excited to announce that in 2006, theChapter is sending Robert Borzychowski(Mech Eng & Society IV) to work on amarket development project with ruralfarmers in Zambia, and Marka Jansen(Chemical and Bioengineering III) to workon a water and sanitation project in Ghana.

This year we also plan to develop a jointproject with another EWB Chapter tosponsor a long-term volunteer in a workpartnership program in Zambia. The part-

McMaster engineers tackle InternationalDevelopment issues


Engineering news

$upport for Engineers Without BordersAt its fall semi-annual general meeting,

The McMaster Engineering Society votedto provide additional support to theMcMaster University Chapter of Engi-neers Without Borders (EWB).

The student club will receive $2,000for its national conference and $6,000 tosupport EWB’s work across campus and

in the community. Some of the funds willalso be used to support the long-termwork partnership commitment theMcMaster EWB Chapter is making with aZambian community, starting this year.

“The vote is the result of an increas-ingly globally aware communitycatalyzed by the global and local educa-

tion initiatives of organizations includingEngineers Without Borders,” says SuraAbdul-Razzak, a member of McMaster’sEWB. “Now, more than ever before, asense of urgency and responsibility to the development of Third World nations is manifesting itself in the world ofengineering.”

Peek-a-boo. Obre, an orphan whose parentswere killed by aids, entertains McMaster EWBvolunteer Tyler Woychyshyn during his place-ment in rural Zambia.


McMaster has teamed up withCleanfield Energy Corp to helpbring wind energy to individual

homes and businesses. Cleanfield Energyhas developed a modular Vertical-AxisWind Turbine (VAWT) capable of pro-ducing reliable clean energy for residentialand commercial markets. The VAWT isdesigned for both tower and rooftop instal-lation. With assistance from researchers inthe Faculty of Engineering, the company istesting and evaluating the turbine prior tocommercial development.

Research is blowing in the wind

Cleanfield Energy is working with McMaster University and the Ontario Centres of Excellence on the commercial development of a new wind tur-bine for residential and commercial use. From left to right: Samir Ziada, Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Michael Stern, Cristian Stan,Alexander Trica and Tony Verrelli of Cleanfield Energy; Stephen Tullis, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Paula Claudino,Mechanical Engineering and Management student.

New lab will enhance MRI technologiesMcMaster University is establishing a

new medical imaging laboratory. Thestate-of-the-art research lab will be part ofthe new School of BiomedicalEngineering and the Department ofElectrical and Computer Engineering.Mark Haacke, an adjunct professor withboth the School of BiomedicalEngineering and the Brain-Body Instituteat St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton,will direct research in cardiovascular,neurological and oncological imaging atthe new facility.

One area of research focus will bedeveloping MRI techniques for research

into the human brain and conditions suchas stroke, trauma, tumor identification andAlzheimer’s disease. MRI is an indispen-sable tool in medical research and prac-tice; the Brain-Body Institute at St.Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton uses MRItechnology to study interactions betweenthe brain and nervous system, and bodilydisease processes.

Haacke is the founder and director of The Magnetic Resonance ImagingInstitute for Biomedical Research and aprofessor of Radiology at Wayne StateUniversity in Detroit, Michigan. Heearned both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees

in physics at the University of Toronto. In2004, he was awarded the gold medal ofthe ISMRM for his innovative contribu-tions to magnetic resonance imaging inKyoto, Japan.

The medical imaging laboratory is thethird of seven laboratories to beannounced by the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering. Previously,MDA Robotics announced the establish-ment of a Robotics Research Laboratory,and Bell University Laboratoriesannounced the establishment of anIntegrated Systems Laboratory.

The 2.5kW modular Vertical-Axis WindTurbine (VAWT) features three, narrow,three-metre vertical blades that rotatearound a central axis. The Department ofMechanical Engineering is studying theperformance of the turbine in urban windconditions. The research is being conductedat the McMaster Manufacturing ResearchInstitute facility in Ancaster. Field trials willbe conducted at the newly establishedMcMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton.Testing of the new VAWT is a crucial stepin the product development process.

Cleanfield Energy Corp.(www.cleanfieldenergy.com) is the developer, manu-facturer, marketer and distributor of propri-etary renewable energy products. Thecompany believes that with the rising costsof electricity and the increasing demandsfor power generation, the timing is right forcommercial and residential wind turbines.

Funding for this research project comes,in part, from the Ontario Centres ofExcellence – Centre for Earth andEnvironmental Technologies (formerlyCRESTech) and from private investors.

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The first Science in the City lecturefor Fall 2005 focused on the topic ofbioengineering and took place at the

new McMaster Innovation Park onLongwood Road. On September 27th,bioengineer Kim Jones discussed the pastsuccesses and the future direction of thisexciting and groundbreaking field.

In Canada, up to 30 percent of people inneed of a solid organ transplant die whilewaiting for an organ donation. Jones andresearchers like her hope to alleviate thedemand for organ donations as a result of

Lecture highlights directions inthe bioengineering field

their work in the field of tissue engineering. Tissue engineering devices are manu-

factured artificially and include both livingbiological materials, such as cells, and non-living materials. The devices range fromskin and cartilage to artificial corneas and,possibly one day in the near future, to fullyfunctioning artificial organs. Jones’research focuses on studying the interac-tions between the body and the materialsused in tissue engineering devices.

Information from an article by Graham Jansz –SPARK writer

Over 150 business, government,community and education leadersmet in November under the leader-

ship of the Faculty of Engineering atMcMaster and the Faculty of EngineeringTechnology at Mohawk to exploreincreasing the collaborative opportunitiesbetween the two institutions for providingtechnology education.

The Community Think Tank focused onthe potential of providing joint degreeprograms in technology and management.Participants provided insight and advice onmatters related to curriculum and desiredgraduate knowledge. They concluded thatmore education programs that combineboth the practical and theory are needed toallow technology employees to upgrade,and to attract more students to post-secondary education in this field.

The discussion resulted in the draft oftwo possible collaborative programs. Oneis a four-year fully integrated programleading to both a Diploma in Technologyand a Bachelor of Technology andManagement. Entrance would be directlyfrom high school. A second is a two-year

Technology education needs explored

degree program for graduates of theMohawk College three-year Diploma inTechnology.

Key McMaster and Mohawk partici-pants included Donald Green, chair of theMcMaster Board of Governors, MaryLynnWest-Moynes, president of MohawkCollege, and Mo Elbestawi, dean of the

Faculty of Engineering at McMaster. Theywere joined by Bob Magee, president and CEO of Woodbridge Group and chairof the Human Resources DevelopmentWorking Group established by the federalgovernment. Magee was also the keynotespeaker at the luncheon which concludedthe event.

Front row from left to right: Catherine Drea, Don Green, Cheryl Jensen and Barb McKenna. Backrow: Mo Elbestawi, Hans Bastel, Ken Norrie and Art Heidebrecht.

Can youhelp?

Chemical Engineering grad JohnHarling (’73) has contacted TheMacEngineer with a request for assis-tance in helping with the recoveryefforts at a wildlife refuge. The ExoticCat Refuge and Wildlife Orphanage inKirbyville, Texas, was devastated byHurricane Rita which slammed into thesouthern United States in September.The Refuge accepts and heals/rehabili-tates animals seized by the State Parksofficials. To learn more about theRefuge and the damage it sustained,visit www.exoticrefuge.org. To donate,contact www.alamorx.com. John Harlingcan be reached at [email protected].

On November 9th, the Universityofficially established the School ofComputational Engineering and

Science – the first of its kind in Canada.The School brings together 50 faculty fromengineering, science, business and healthscience who will work collaboratively,conducting research and teaching classesin simulation, modeling and optimization.

This is an important initiative forMcMaster and for Canada. Study in thisarea is helping to advance understanding ofa wide range of issues and opportunitiesfrom pandemics and weather patterns toimproving automobile safety and the designof computer chips. Computational engi-neering and science is an important methodof scientific investigation. It utilizes mathe-matics, particularly the development ofalgorithms, and the increasing processingpower of today’s computer networks tosimulate, model and optimize solutions tovarious problems, and to design new prod-ucts and services. The School will use theprocessing power of SHARCNET, the mostpowerful supercomputer in Canada, whichis comprised of a “cluster of clusters” ofhigh-performance computers linked byadvanced fibre optics.

Tamás Terlaky, a professor in theDepartment of Computing and Softwareand Canada Research Chair in Optimiza-tion, has been appointed Director of theSchool; Bradd Hart, Chair of the

Department of Mathematics and Statistics,has been appointed as the School’sAssociate Director.

Graduate programs will be offered at theMaster’s, Ph.D. and post-doctoral levels,and focus on three major research areas:Computational Physical Sciences; Compu-tational Optimization, Design and Control;and Computational Biosciences. It is antic-ipated that graduates of the School will beemployed by engineering design, informa-tion technology, financial, biotechnolog-ical industries, governments, and academicinstitutions.

As part of the official launch of theSchool, the University community and thegeneral public were invited to hear twokeynote speakers at a special eveninglecture: Bill Pulleyblank, vice-president,Center for Business Optimization, IBMGlobal Services and former director ofIBM’s Deep Computing Institute and theBlue Gene Project, and Margaret Wright,chair of the Department of ComputerScience at New York University. Theyspoke on how advances in computationalengineering and science are enhancingeveryday lives.


The message is in the light Recent innovations in communication

techniques focus on increasing speed,distance, quality and efficiency. SteveHranilovic, an assistant professor in theDepartment of Electrical & ComputerEngineering, is leading the research in thearea of wireless optical communications.

Wireless communication technologiesuse electromagnetic (EM) waves totransmit data. Different types of EMwaves – radio, microwaves, infrared light,visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays andgamma rays – have different wavelengthsand frequencies. Current wireless tech-nologies, such as those used in laptopcomputers, involve transmitting datathrough radio waves. Radio waves have awavelength around one tenth of a meter to one meter; however, Hranilovic isfocusing on using light which has a wave-length of around 850 to 900 billionths ofa meter.

Because the waves Hranilovic uses areso small, many more waves reach areceiver each second. Hence, a great deal

of information can be transferred in a verysmall amount of time.

Hranilovic’s research includes buildingprototype optical modems, and workingon developing methods of transmittingdata through many waves of lightgrouped together. The result of this workwould be extremely fast communication– billions of bits per second.

The applications for such research arefar-reaching. Wireless optical communi-cations technologies are being incorpo-rated into satellites, probes and spacestations; they could be used for commu-nications between different componentsof computers; they may be most useful inmetropolitan areas where radio interfer-ence is common; and they would beuseful in situations where radio commu-nication cannot be used safely such as inhospitals and airplanes.

Adapted from an article by Graham Jansz,SPARK writer (SPARK – Students PromotingAwareness of Research Knowledge, anNSERC program).

A first forCanada

Tamás Terlaky, newly appointed Director of theSchool of Computational Engineering andScience.

From left to right, back row: Tamás Terlaky, Carl Fuerst, John Kutzy, William R. Pulleyblank, BraddHart, Peter George, John Capone, Mo Elbestawi, and Imre Pólik. Seated in front: Margaret Wrightand Barbara Keyfitz.


Alumni profiles

Shawn Murray – enjoys the crash-bang of success

We typically think of engineers asdesigners and builders of usefulstructures such as bridges or

telecommunications towers. However,manufacturing engineering grad ShawnMurray (’84) takes things apart for a living.

As the owner of Toronto-based MurrayDemolition, he oversees a variety of demo-lition projects and ensures that thecompany’s specialized services such as theremoval of hazardous waste, materials and equipment are performed efficientlyand safely.

“We offer an array of demolition, abate-ment and remediation services for indus-trial, government and commercial clients,”Murray explains.

Murray, who has been in the business for20 years, started the company with amanagement buy-out of the demolition arm of Philip Services Corp. in 2002. AsPresident and CEO, he has grown thecompany four-fold into the largest demoli-tion firm in Canada. Murray Demolitioncurrently has 400 employees, including Macgrad Anthony Cicconi (’83, Commerce) asits Corporate Financial Officer.

The MacEngineer wanted to profileMurray because his company won thecontract to demolish the old Camco planton Longwood Avenue in Hamilton. Once itis cleared of the defunct buildings, the sitewill become the home of the University’snew Innovation Park.

Murray admits he really wanted thisparticular project because he feels theUniversity’s initiative is a positive one forHamilton. “As a Mac grad, I really wantedto make sure my company was here doingthis job.”

The $1.8 million teardown includes notonly careful demolition of the variousstructures, but also the removal ofhazardous waste materials such as asbestosfrom around piping, and PCBs andmercury from transformers and switches.As is customary in this business, MurrayDemolition intends to generate incomefrom the sale of scrap steel and metal. Thatis one reason that such care and precision

is being taken when pulling apart the struc-tures. The brick and concrete will becrushed for use in the construction ofroadbeds or as fill. Murray says most ofthe building materials will end up at Stelcoand Dofasco, meaning that the site will berecycled totally in Hamilton.

He says the former Camco project istypical of most industrial site decommis-sionings. “There were challenges in iden-tifying the environmental issues, and inevaluating the types of technologies andequipment that would be needed to do thejob that would be acceptable to all theauthorities having jurisdiction. At the sametime, you have to maintain a good rela-tionship with the neighbourhood.”

It’s sad to be demolishing a manufac-turing plant, he adds. Even though thework is good for his company, “I hate itwhen we lose industry in Canada.”

When reminiscing about his Mac days,two events stand out especially. FroshWeek in first year was “fantastic”. Butmore importantly, he met KimberlyOlynyk, his future wife, during first year.They have been married 19 years, andenjoy raising and spending time with theiridentical twin girls.

As much as it may hurt to take down oldstructures that were once the pride of theCanadian economy, such work is a neces-sary and important part of land redevelop-ment. Murray Demolition prides itself onhaving an excellent safety record in whatcan often be quite hazardous working situ-ations. Recently the company made thefinals for the 50 Best Managed Companiesin Canada. In addition, it has recently beenawarded the contract to demolish theToronto Lakeview Generating Plant, thelargest demolition contract in Canada.

Shawn Murray at the site of the old Camco plant now being demolished for the University’s newInnovation Park.

2006 Veronika Czerneda Staff AwardThe Faculty of Engineering congratulates Dave Schick on being nominated for the

2006 Veronika Czerneda Staff Award. Dave has been with the Department ofMechanical Engineering for over 30 years, having started as a Department Technicianin 1974. Currently, he is the Department’s Technical Services Coordinator (ChiefTechnician) with responsibility for the daily activities of technical staff, the budget forlaboratory and shop upgrading and maintenance, and the smooth operation of the labsand efficient service of the shops.

The Veronika Czerneda Staff Award, is presented annually in recognition of a staffmember who has made an outstanding contribution.

tiveness. In addition, the property itself isunique. It has both the dark brown claytypical of the area, which produces a grapethat is rich and earthy, and a lighter redclay that produces grapes that are fruiterand more perfumed. The combination ofgrapes has resulted in outstanding winesthat have won seven medals in two yearsfrom the Canadian Wine Awards, includingthe Pinot Noir of The Year for 2005.

Even these successes don’t always trans-late into greater visibility and acceptance.“The most challenging aspect of a smallwinery is operating within the anachro-nistic Ontario regulatory regime which isdesigned to service the larger, typicallyforeign suppliers over the domestic ones,”Aubry says. “I get scant attention from thegovernment monopoly distributor, the

LCBO. I sell more product in the moreopen markets of Alberta and Manitoba thanI do in Ontario stores!”

Despite being in a business that seemsfar removed from his engineering degree,Aubry says the Mac Engineering experi-ence has proven itself. “Engineeringtrained me to think analytically and logi-cally. These skills are essential to any smallbusinessman.”

One of the fondest memories of his timespent at Mac was playing 3-pitch for theMaterials team – but, admittedly, thismight have something to do with the oblig-atory after-game visit to the Phoenix.

Aubry is married to Patti Nakonechny,also a McMaster grad (MBA ’98). Theyare now the busy parents of two youngdaughters: Holly, who is two-and-a-half,and Lauren who is not yet a year old.

Returning to the topic of wine, Aubry’spassion about the fruit of the vine isevident when he speaks about the productand the potential for continued success ofthe vintages produced at Coyote’s RunEstates. The winery grows most of its owngrapes which are processed entirely on site,from crushing through to bottling.Coyote’s Run wines are known for theirelegant, full-flavoured and well-balancedtaste. All of the company’s wines are 100%VQA certified – meaning they are createdfrom 100% Niagara grapes.

“Good wines can never be commoditized.Each and every vintage is entirely unique.”Aubry explains that because of the verynature of the craft of wine-making, eachvintage is a product of the grapes grown in aparticular season on a particular piece ofproperty, and prepared by a particular wine-maker incorporating the choices that hemade at various stages of the process.

“Simply put, good wine is art.”


The MacEngineerwelcomes your

comments...Send your news and views to

the editor at [email protected]

Although wine has been a life-longpassion for Material Sciences gradJeff Aubry, he became a partner in

one of Ontario’s newest wineries almost byaccident. After graduating with a MEngand a MBA, both from McMaster (’96,’98), Aubry found himself laid off twice infive years. This lead to some introspectionand the realization that he’d rather workfor himself.

Aubry is now President and partner(with his father Gerald Aubry) of Coyote’sRun Estate Winery, located on 58 acres justoutside the village of St. David’s in theNiagara peninsula. The property had beenoperating as a vineyard for over 30 years.

“My role is all-encompassing,” he sayswith a smile. “I do the dirty work likeshoveling the snow and mowing the lawnand picking the grapes. But I also do themore presidential duties like arrangingfinancing and meeting agents and buyers. Idon’t make the wine, though, and that’s agood thing!”

That duty is left up to master wine-maker David Sheppard, who has over 20years experience making wines in Niagara(at Inniskillin Wines). He has had spectac-ular success owing to a number of factors:a focus on small batches of hand-craftedwines, and attention to quality and distinc-

Jeff Aubry – the engineering of good wine

Jeff Aubry with daughter, Lauren.

Calling all ChemEng grads!The Department of Chemical Engi-

neering invites all alumni currentlyworking in industry to attend theDepartment’s Graduate Seminar Day onThursday April 6, 2006.

The annual event offers an excellentview of current research with high-calibrepresentations by graduate students, andprovides a forum for discussing potentialcollaborative research. Seminar Day isalso an opportunity for industrial partici-pants to identify and recruit talentedgraduates. In addition to the presenta-tions, graduate students will exhibit theirwork in a poster session, which offersfurther opportunity for interaction anddiscussion.

A focal point of Seminar Day is alwaysthe keynote address, which is given by a

distinguished graduate alumnus. Thisyear we are honoured to have Dr. PaulSanterre, Associate Dean (Research) andProfessor at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Santerre has enjoyed an illustriousacademic career in biomaterials whileworking in both the Faculties of Engi-neering and Dentistry.

Further details may be viewed at thedepartmental web page: www.chemeng.mcmaster.ca. Attendance is free, butregistration is required. Please register nolater than March 16th to facilitatecatering and venue selection. Lunch willbe provided.

To register or obtain further informa-tion please contact Laura Wells [email protected] or by calling 905-525-9140, ext. 27404.


Alumni Events

Sharing good cheer at Scotch and Wine Tasting events

Salsa NightWednesday Jan. 25, 2006

Time: 6:00 p.m.Location: Faculty Club, Great HallAdmission: Alumni/Friends/Faculty & Staff $12Students $7

Agenda

5:45 p.m. Guests arrive and register6:00 p.m. Welcome and introduction of

instructors: Carlos and Laura Escalante6:15 p.m. Dancing begins7:15 p.m. Dance lesson concludes and farewell

Mexican Buffet and Punch will be provided.Contest: Salsa your way to a beautiful prize!

Register online at:www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engalumni/salsa.htm

4th Annual Women in EngineeringExperience

Saturday Feb. 18, 2006

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.Location: John Hodgins Engineering BuildingRoom A114

Don’t miss this great opportunity!Register by January 27, 2006

Register online at:www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engalumni/womenexp.htm

YOU COULD

WINA

ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIP

A message from the Dean


Engineering News...................4

Upcoming Events .................10

Alumni Profiles.................8 & 9

Hey Alumni! Have you got something tosay, or any other news? We would like to hearfrom you. Contact Carm Vespi:

Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 24906Fax: (905) 546-5492e-mail: [email protected]: www.eng.mcmaster.ca

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inside this issue

Mo Elbestawi

As we enter 2006, the Faculty ofEngineering through a consultativeprocess has identified its new

strategic advancement priorities for thenext five years. It is certainly cause forcelebration that we successfully completedour set of goals established earlier forwhich we created three new schools in theFaculty in the areas of EngineeringPractice, BioMedical Engineering, andComputational Engineering and Science.With these new schools we are able toproceed with our new set of strategic prior-ities to build our resources so as to enableour outstanding faculty and student body toexcel at teaching and learning, research andtechnological development.

In order of priority, without question, themost critical need in Engineering is endowedfaculty positions. Universities with endowedchairs are able to attract and retain the verytop faculty to their institutions. High caliberprofessors, in turn, attract top students to auniversity. In addition to attracting the bestand brightest, endowed chairs will enablethe Faculty to build leadership in its keyareas of strength and promise. These areasinclude Nanotechnology, Biomedical Engi-neering, Sustainable Energy, and EngineeringEducation.

Our second priority is to ensure that ourundergraduate engineering students learn inthe best environment, in state-of-the-art labo-ratories with leading-edge equipment andresources. It is our intention to enhance theexisting MACLAB Endowment Fundcreated in 1997 by our McMaster Engineer-ing Students and supported by alumni,faculty and friends for the enhancement ofundergraduate labs. The Fund now exceeds$1 M and will continue to grow as we expandits capital. The endowed fund is invested toearn income each year, and as the principalgrows, so does the income available to awardto laboratory refurbishment.

Our third priority is to build ourGraduate Scholarships so we can increaseour enrolment from 600 students to 900 inthe next few years. While it is true that highcaliber professors attract top graduatestudents, competitve financial aid canalso determine the quality of the graduatestudent body. Outstanding graduate studentsenable the Faculty to maintain considerablestrength in both research and educationalactivities.

Fourthly, our goal to expand the “Inter-nationalization of the Faculty” remainsstrategic. In my last Dean’s Message, Imentioned how we are looking at ways toexpand our programs internationally. Wehave embarked on a series of initiatives thatwill draw new international students to bothour undergraduate and graduate program

Mo Elbestawi, Dean of Engineering

Building on success andplanning for the future

from countries such as Brazil, Mexico,India, South Korea and China. This buildson the links we currently have withnumerous European and US universities.Plans are currently underway to launch acooperative summer study abroad programin Russia in cooperation with MichiganState University. The Faculty has becomeincreasingly involved around the world inexchange agreements, institutional collabo-rations and international student exchangeprograms. These partnerships with overseasfaculty promote cutting-edge research in thefields of engineering, technology and thesciences, and help to strengthen our work athome.

Our final priority is to continue to findresources to support UndergraduateScholarships as we attract the best studentswith entrance awards to our Year Oneprogram, and offer in-course scholarshipsto retain the brightest in our engineeringprogram. As competition increases, ourlevel of support to attract and retain the beststudents is crucial.

These priorities will see the Faculty moveinto 2006 and beyond. They will supportour strategic objective of growth whileimproving quality and our position as one ofCanada’s top engineering schools.


New Faculty MembersChemical EngineeringThe Department welcomesPrashant Mhaskar whojoined us in September2005 as Assistant Professor.Dr. Mhaskar received hisB.Tech from Indian Insti-tute of Technology, hisMASc. from LouisianaState University and hisPh.D. from the University of California(Los Angeles). His research interestsinclude process control, nonlinearLyapunov-based and model predictivecontrol, fault-tolerant control, and controlof hybrid systems.

Civil EngineeringWael El-Dakhakhnijoined the Department inOctober 2002 as a post-doctoral fellow in the Centrefor Effective Design ofStructures (CEDS). In July2005, he became AssistantProfessor in the area ofstructural engineering. Dr.El-Dakhakhni completed both his M.Sc.(2000) and Ph.D. (2002) at Drexel University;he obtained a B.Sc. (1996) at Ain-ShamsUniversity, Egypt. His current researchfocuses on structural health monitoring,behavior of masonry structures, and seismicrehabilitation of structures using FiberReinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcement.

Susan Masten joinedthe Faculty of Engineeringin July 2005 as the Directorof Engineering 1. Dr.Masten received a Ph.D.from Harvard University inEnvironmental Studies.She joined us from theMichigan State University,USA, where she taught for 16 years inCivil and Environmental Engineering, andserved in various administrative capacitieswith the Environmental EngineeringStudent Society, the Waste-ManagementEducation and Research Consortium(WERC) design teams, and EngineersWithout Borders. Professor Masten’sresearch involves the use of chemical

oxidants for the remediation of soils, water,and leachates contaminated with hazardousorganic chemicals. Professor Masten is alsoan Associate Member of the Center forMicrobial Ecology.

A. Ghani Razaqpurjoined the Department inJuly 2005 as Professor andChair in Effective Designof Structures. He is also theDirector of the Centre forEffective Design of Struc-tures. He joined us fromOttawa’s Carleton Univer-sity where he taught for 22 years andserved in various administrative capacitiesincluding chair of the Department of Civiland Environmental Engineering andAssociate Dean of the Faculty of GraduateStudies and Research. His research focuseson the mechanics of materials and struc-tures, including concrete reinforced withFiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) rein-forcement, advanced finite elementmodeling of the mechanical behaviour anddeterioration mechanisms of reinforcedconcrete structures, response of structuresto blast and explosion and seismic behav-iour of concrete arch dams. He currentlyserves as an associate editor of theInternational Journal of Cement andConcrete Composites, and of the CanadianJournal of Civil Engineering.

Electrical EngineeringSorina Dumitrescujoined the Department asan Assistant Professor inJuly 2005. Dr. Dumitrescureceived her B.Sc. inMathematics (1990) andher Ph.D in Mathematics/Computer Science (1997)from the University ofBucharest, Romania. She has worked as aPostdoctoral Fellow at the Department ofComputer Science of University of WesternOntario prior to coming to McMaster as aPostdoctoral Fellow and ResearchAssociate. Dr. Dumitrescu’s current researchinterests are in the broad areas of datacompression and multimedia communica-tions. More specifically, her interests

include the design of efficient algorithmsfor robust multimedia transmission overunreliable networks, joint source-channelcoding, multiple-description quantization,scalable codes and steganalysis

Engineering PhysicsThe Department welcomesQiyin Fang who joinedus in November 2005 as anAssistant Professor. Dr.Fang received a Ph.D. inBiomedical Physics fromEast Carolina University in2002. Most recently he hasbeen a Research Scientistin the Minimally Invasive SurgicalTechnology Institute at Cedars-SinaiMedical Centre in Los Angeles. He wasrecently awarded a Canada Research Chairin Biophotonics. His research will focus onissues in biophotonics – a fast growinginterdisciplinary field that concentrates onapplying physical, chemical and engi-neering advances to biological and medicalchallenges.

Materials Sciences & EngineeringThe Department is de-lighted to welcome backHatem Zurob, a Ph.D.graduate of 2003, whoreturned to MSE as a full-time faculty member as ofSeptember 1, 2005.

Mechanical EngineeringMehran Kasra joined the Departmentas an Associate Professor in July 2005. Dr.Kasra holds a B.Sc. degree from TehranPolytechnique and M.Eng. and Ph.Ddegrees from Ecole Polytechnique. Priorto coming to McMaster, he was anAssociate Professor at the University ofTennessee. Dr. Kasra’s areas of researchinterest include Computational andExperimental Biomechanics (dynamicsof spine, dynamics of knee joint, softtissue and bone mechanics, design ofimplants and prostheses) and TissueEngineering.

Prashant Mhaskar

A. Ghani Razaqpur

Qiyin Fang

Sorina Dumitrescu

Hatem Zurob

Wael El-Dakhakhni

Susan Masten


Chemical Engineering

Congratulations to Chemical Engi-neering Undergraduate StudentClub for winning the 2005 StudentChapters’ Merit Award of the CanadianSociety for Chemical Engineering. Theselection was made recently by membersof the Society. The plaque was presentedduring the 55th Canadian ChemicalEngineering Conference in Toronto inOctober.

Dr. Tom Marlin and Rhoda Bakerattended a two-week course on ProcessSystems Engineering in Iguazu Falls,Argentina. Dr. Marlin taught the topic onProcess Control Design, and Ms. Bakerwas selected as one of the 45 graduatestudents to attend from North and SouthAmerica. The course was organized by thePan American Advanced Studies Instituteand was given financial support by the USNational Science Foundation.

Congratulations to Todd Hoare onwinning an NSERC Innovation ChallengeAward for his work on “Glucose-responsiveMicrogels for Self-regulating InsulinDelivery”. The Innovation ChallengeAwards honour students pursuing graduatestudies in the natural sciences, engineeringor computer sciences who have demon-strated an entrepreneurial flair by thinkingof ways to transform their original ideas intoproducts and processes that will potentiallybenefit Canadians. These awards recognizeand reward the power of imagination andinnovation within Canada’s brightest minds.Todd is in his final year of Ph.D. studiesunder the supervision of Dr. Bob Pelton.

Bob Pelton is to be congratulated onbecoming a TAPPI (Technical Associationof the American Pulp and Paper Industry)Fellow. The honorary title is bestowedupon less than one percent of TAPPI’smembership, and is given to individualswho have made extraordinary technical orservice contributions to the industry and/orthe Association.

Don Woods has recently published abook on “Successful Trouble Shooting forProcess Engineers” (ISBN 3-527-31163-7).

At the 55th Canadian ChemicalEngineering Conference in Toronto inOctober, Cecilia Rodrigues presented“Troubleshooting and Monitoring of anIndustrial Batch Process” co-authored byJ.F. MacGregor and T. Kourti in thegraduate student poster competition.

The Department was well-representedat the national conference of the AmericanInstitute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE),held from Oct. 30 to Nov.1 in Cincinnati,Ohio. Chris Swartz provided informa-tion about Graduate Studies at McMasterat a special Graduate Fair for prospectivegraduate students. He also presented paperson “Interior Point Solution of MultilevelQP problems Arising in Embedded MPCFormulations” co-authored with RhodaBaker, and “Dynamic optimization of anIntegrated Multi-Unit System Under FailureConditions” co-authored with AnthonyBalthazaar. John MacGregor,Theodora Kourti, S. Garcia-Munoz, D. Neogi and S. Mehtapresented a paper on “Optimization ofBatch Processes Using Data Driven LatentVariable Models”.

Andy Hrymak, chair of the Depart-ment, completed his term as chair of theComputing and Systems Technology(CAST) division of the AIChE. Hrymakwas also awarded the 2005 Excellence inProcess Development Research Award bythe Process Development Division of theInstitute. The presentation was made at theAIChE Annual Meeting in November. Theaward recognizes individuals who havemade significant technical contributions tothe advances in industrial process devel-opment disseminated by means of well-documented materials.

Don Woods presented a workshop at the Department Heads forum on“Recruiting, Rewarding and MentoringFaculty”. He also presented a workshop on“Assessing Teaching”.

Computing & Software

The Department is preparing to offer aMechatronics Engineering Program,and will accept the first students in

September 2006. (Senate approval ispending.) Mechatronics Engineeringfocuses on the design and control ofelectro-mechanical devices. The programwill offer a balance of mechanical, elec-trical and software content, with a focuson Embedded Systems Design.

The Department congratulates studentsWolfgang Thaller (M.Sc. ComputerScience) and Shiqi Cao (SoftwareEngineering, 3rd year) who, with theencouragement of Associate ProfessorWolfram Kahl, created a computerizedversion of “Cops and Robbers” which wasa winner in the 8th annual InternationalConference on Functional Programmingcontest.

Engineering Physics

Congratulations to Jen-Shih Changwho received an Honorary Award inOctober from the Plasma & Laser ResearchCentre, Polish Academy of Sciences.

The Department congratulates OiyinFang, who has been awarded a presti-gious Canada Research Chair (CRC). AsCanada Research Chair in Biophotonics,Dr. Fang will work on photonics-basedtechnologies for applications in themedical field. His research will lead toreal-time minimally-invasive techniquesfor the diagnosis and treatment of variousdiseases including artery plaques and braincancers. This brings the total of CRCs atMcMaster to 58.

On November 14, Trish Laurie of theEngineering Physics Club organized acareer night for students interested inworking in the nuclear industry.Representatives from Atomic Energy ofCanada Ltd., Babcock & Wilcox, B.C.Instruments, Bruce Power, CandescoResearch Corporation, Nuclear SafetySolutions, Namet Engineering and OntarioPower Corporation were on hand to givestudents insights on career opportunities. Asocial time followed, where students wereable to talk informally with the representa-tives and get further details on careeropportunities in nuclear engineering.

Departmental newsbriefs

continued on page 14

This year’s Alumni Forum andSocial will be held on Tuesday, March28, 2006. More details will be posted onthe Department’s website at http:/engphys.mcmaster.ca as they become confirmed.

Materials Science &Engineering

Richard Meguerian, a final yearstudent, won first place in the 2006 TMSOutstanding Student Paper contest –Undergraduate Division, from TheMinerals, Metals & Materials Society. Hewill be presented with a scholarshipcheque and certificate at the TMS AwardsBanquet in March 2006 during theSociety’s 135th Annual Meeting &Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas.

Mechanical Engineering

Professor emeritus Ross Judd receivedunique recognition from Canadian GeneralElectric over the summer. On August 26th,he was presented with an award at a dinnerhosted by GE Canada in recognition of hispioneering contribution to the developmentof nuclear power in Canada. The dinnerwas part of a two-day CAPD PioneerReunion and Dinner in Peterborough,Ontario.

Dr. Judd and about 300 other formerscientists and developers involved in thereactor project were given a tour of AECand each received a commemorative plaque.

Dr. Gary M. Bone and his co-authorsK. Gopalakrishan and K. Goldberg(University of California, Berkeley) alongwith M. J. Zaluzec, R. Koganti and P.Daneszczuk of the Ford Motor Companyreceived the IEEE Transactions onAutomation Science Best Paper Award for2004. The title of the paper is “UnilateralFixtures for Sheet-Metal Parts withHoles”. The award was presented atIEEE’s 2005 International Conference onRobotics in Barcelona, Spain.

A research paper authored by graduatestudents Harley Chan (MechanicalEngineering) and Philip Mitchell

(Electrical & Computer Engineering) andfaculty members Dr. Allan Spence,Dr. Matthew Sklad (MechanicalEngineering) and Dr. David Capson(Electrical & Computer Engineering)received the Best Paper Award in theManufacturing Engineering Division at theASME International Mechanical Engineer-ing Congress held November 5-11, 2005 inOrlando, Florida. The paper was entitled“Laser Digitizer/Stereo Vision Methods forSimultaneous Measurement/Analysis ofSheet Metal Forming Strain/Geometry”.

Dr. Stephen Tullis and Dr. S.Ziada have been awarded a majorresearch contract to conduct wind turbineresearch. The total value of the contract is$650k and is supported by CleanfieldEnergy Corp. and Crestech. This develop-ment will give the Faculty of Engineeringa boost in developing research and educa-tional programs in the area of SustainableEnergy Systems.

Tomasz Glawdel was awarded the2004/05 Iroquois Trophy at a luncheonheld at the University Club in August,2005. The Iroquois Trophy is awardedannually to an undergraduate student in thegraduating class who demonstratesacademic excellence by attaining thehighest graduating average in theDepartment. The trophy was presented byDr. A. D. Spence, Undergraduate StudentAdvisor for the Department.

The 2004/05 CSME (Canadian Societyof Mechanical Engineering) Medal waspresented to Dr. Ian Menzies by Dr.Allan Spence and Dr. Phil Koshy at aluncheon held at the University Club inSeptember 2005. The CSME Medal isawarded annually to a graduating studentwho has demonstrated both academicexcellence and participation in campussocieties, clubs or other activities.

Elizabeth Azhikannickal was pre-sented with an award for the Best GraduateResearch Seminar for Winter 2005 by Dr.Samir Ziada, Chair of the Department. Thetitle of Ms. Azhikannickal’s seminar was“Material and Process Models for theForming of Oriented Polymer Tubes”.

Fourth year Mechanical Engineeringstudents Chris Evans and SanjivSooriyadevan through their work intheir M.E.4M06 final year project (underthe supervision of Dr. Philip Koshy) helpedto set a new North American record. Oneof the safety regulations for the recentNorth American Solar Car Challengerelates to the driver vacating the vehicle.The driver needs to be able to egress thecar unassisted in less than 10 seconds. Thestudents designed and built a system thatled to a new solar car egress record of 2.73seconds. The team extends special thanksto Ronny Theiss, the Technicians in theDepartment of Mechanical Engineeringand the entire Solar Car Team.


Departmental newsbriefs (continued)

Dr. A.D. Spence presents trophy to TomaszGlawdel.

Elizabeth Azhikannickal receives her awardfrom Dr. Samir Ziada.

continued from page 13

McMaster University’s LisaFederico, a master of appliedsciences student in the

Department of Civil Engineering, isfocusing her research on studying theimplications of adding waste glass tonormal clay bricks.

Her work is supervised by professorsSamir Chidiac and Robert Drysdale, and isbeing done in partnership with BramptonBrick. Federico uses the plant’s facilitiesfor mixing and firing her prototype brickswhich are then tested using the advancedfacilities at McMaster’s Applied DynamicsLaboratory. She is specifically testing forstrength, amount of water absorbed, andability to withstand freeze-thaw cycles.Federico hopes that by studying the chem-ical components of the glass she uses, shecan produce a brick that won’t require ahigh firing temperature and that will bemore durable than the current product.

The work is currently funded by theNatural Sciences and EngineeringResearch Council (NSERC), theMcMaster University Centre for EffectiveDesign of Structures and Materials andManufacturing Ontario.

Adapted from an article by Graham Jansz,SPARK writer (SPARK – Students PromotingAwareness of Research Knowledge, an NSERCprogram).


Engineering students news

Lisa Federico is studying the implications of adding waste glass to normal clay bricks.

When is a brick more than a brick?

Annual olympics challenge studentsMore than 800 high school students

from across Ontario joined in somefriendly competition during the annualMcMaster Engineering and ScienceOlympics held in October at McMasterUniversity.

For the first time in the history of theevent, a class from Quebec attended.Students of St. George’s School inMontreal jumped in with typical enthu-siasm, joining their Ontario colleagues ina variety of engineering and science-

related competitions with the opportunityto earn tuition entrance awards.

Challenges included a physics papertriathlon, photonics puzzles, the buildingof a mechanical transporter for golf balls,an egg drop event, and various mathemat-ical mental gymnastics.

This year, over $20,000 in McMasterentrance awards were available to bewon, in addition to $7,000 in tuitionawards for students selected by theirteachers.

Concentrating on the release of the vehicle forthe Mechanical Transporter event.


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The McMaster School for Engineering Practice (MSEP)

One new interdisciplinary graduate and professional school,and three new engineering Centres:

– The Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurshipand Innovation

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– The Centre for Engineering and Public Policyin partnership with Dofasco

PUSHING BEYOND TRADITIONAL ENGINEERING BOUNDARIES.

http://[email protected] 525-9140 ext. 26566

Asurvey of organizations in Ontarioemploying engineers undertakenby the Faculty of Engineering

found that almost 70 per cent of respon-dents plan to hire engineers in the comingyear and that almost 80 per cent of thoseplan to hire engineering graduates.

“This will be music to the ears of engi-neering students and recent graduates,”said Mo Elbestawi, dean, Faculty ofEngineering, McMaster University. “The

McMaster engineering survey shows Ontariofirms looking to hire engineering graduates

experience required to qualify as a P.Eng.).Ninety-six per cent of these organizationsplan to hire graduates with a Bachelor'sdegree, 35.7 per cent with a Masters degreeand 15.2 per cent with a Ph.D.

“It's essential that educators, employersand the profession get the word out tostudents that engineering is redefining theeconomy and society they live in and thatthey can make a real difference,” saidElbestawi. “There are careers waiting forenterprising men and women in both tradi-tional and emerging areas of engineeringsuch as software, entertainment, the envi-ronment, mechatronics and biomedicalengineering. We're introducing newprograms in all these areas at McMaster.”

When asked about which universitieswere important for recruiting engineeringgraduates, 91 per cent indicated McMasterEngineering. And for co-op and internshipwork placements, 74 per cent selectedMcMaster Engineering. This was wellahead of most other Ontario universities.

As to the skills and qualities organiza-tions look for when hiring a graduate,related work experience gained throughsuch programs as co-op and internshipsranked 99 per cent. This was followed bysoft skills (leadership, teamwork, collabo-ration) at 94 per cent, specialized knowl-edge (93%), high marks (84%), andpost-graduate education (74%).

More than 79 per cent of respondentssaid they hired students for co-op or intern-ship work terms.

The survey was conducted by the Facultyof Engineering at McMaster Universitybetween July 21 and August 26 of this year.The purpose of the study was to betterunderstand the engineering hiring plans ofOntario organizations, and the skills andknowledge they will require in future.Personnel and human resource managers,owners, senior executives, and engineeringmanagers at 760 organizations in Ontarioemploying engineers were surveyed. Theresults are considered accurate plus orminus 7.5 per cent 19 out of 20 times.

For more survey highlights, visithttp://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/survey .

survey confirms what we know anecdo-tally. Firms are counting on engineers tolead innovation and stimulate growth bydeveloping new products, advancingproduct design, and finding technical solu-tions in a range of fields from manufac-turing to computing to the environment tomedicine.”

Of the respondents planning to hire, 79.4per cent plan to hire recent engineering grad-uates (i.e. have less than the four years work


Moving? Got news to share? Fill out and fax to 905-546-5492 or e-mail info to Carm Vespi at [email protected]

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Grad Yr. & Dept.: _____________________________________________________________________

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Postal Code: __________________ E-mail:_________________________________________________

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Any comments provided will be included in the next issue.

Chem Eng alumni re-connectA very successful reunion of Chemical

Engineering Alumni was held on October17th in the Metro Toronto ConventionCentre. Over 50 alumni attended and re-connected with their colleagues, facultymembers and Alumni Office representa-tives over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.Dean of the Faculty, Mo Elbestawi, wasjoined by Drs. Cameron Crowe, James

Dickson, Andy Hrymak, Dora Kourti,John MacGregor, Tom Marlin, BobPelton, Chris Swartz, John Vlachopoulos,Don Woods and Shiping Zhu. PaulWatkinson (’62) was the most seniorChem Eng grad in attendance! All thedecades were represented along withrecent grads from the 2005 class. It was afun and memorable evening!

Engineering Co-op & Career Services

Season’s Greetings and Happy NewYear! McMaster University’s Engi-neering Co-op & Career Services

(ECCS) is looking forward to the new year,and we are in the process of planningseveral career information/networkingpanels. An invitation is extended toMcMaster Engineering alumni who areinterested in participating on these panels.

After conferring with degree-relatedstudent societies, ECCS has planned thisseries of discussion panels/networkingevents for the Winter 2006 term. Eachevent will focus on career opportunitiesrelated to a specific engineering field (seebelow for dates). The format will be adiscussion-based panel. Each panellist willhave the opportunity to introduce them-selves and their respective employers, andthen discuss career opportunities (fromtheir perspective) associated with thedegree program of topic. A “Question andAnswer” session will follow the panellistintroductions and perspectives. An in-formal “networking” event will also beheld after the discussion panel – at whichstudents may speak directly with panellists.

In addition to the career developmentaspect of these events, we hope that thatthe panellists also will have the opportunity to enhance their employers’ “campusbranding” – such as distributing informa-tion materials and “giveaways.” All eventswill begin at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006:Chemical EngineeringMaterials Science and Engineering

Tuesday, February 7, 2006:Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering

Tuesday, February 28, 2006:Civil Engineering

Wednesday, March 8, 2006:Mechanical Engineering

Thursday, March 16, 2006:Computer ScienceSoftware Engineering

We look forward to working with youduring the upcoming year! If you are inter-ested in participating in any of theseevents, or if more information is needed,please contact ECCS at 905-525-9140, ext.22571 or at [email protected].

Co-op & InternshipPositions Wanted

We’re moving into the key recruitmentperiod for student experience work terms.Whether your organization recruits stu-dents for 4 month co-op work terms overthe summer or students who remain on sitefor 12-16 months, now’s the time to forward

your job description to Engineering Co-op& Career Services.

Your job will be posted, students willapply online and you’ll receive all applica-tions electronically in PDF format. Tell uswho you’d like to interview and we’ll makeall arrangements, including hosting lunchat the University Club for your recruiters.

For more information please contactECCS at 905-525-9140 ext 22571; or e-mailyour positions to [email protected].

Thank you for your support ofMcMaster Engineering Students.

Anne Markey, Manager Engineering Co-op & Career Services.

Can you help us find these lost alumni?Class of ’66 Mitsuru Aizawa, Chemical Gary Carpenter, Chemical Donald Jaffrey, Metallurgical Sunil Jha, Mechanical Suresh Kacker, Mechanical William Kucharski, Electrical Thomas Place, Metallurgical John Plewes Metallurgical Thomas Reid, Mechanical Harry Rumble, Electrical Azfar Saeed, Civil Donald Stephens, Metallurgical David Weber, Mechanical Chuan-Sung Yeh, Mechanical Alistair Young, Metallurgy

Class of ’71 Robert Ball, Chemical Maged Beshai, Electrical Winston Blair, Chemical Umesh Bonde, Mechanical Ho Chan, Civil Dung Dang, Chemical Howard Heffler, Chemical Norman Husemeyer, Mechanical Albert Klein, Chemical Stephan Lane, Chemical Michael Lovett, Chemical Alejandro Lozada, Chemical Moosa Mahomed, Mechanical Vincent McGowan, Mechanical Frederick Neil, Mechanical Richard Rynard, Mechanical Gerhard Schneider , Eng. Physics

Allan Scott, Electrical Trevor Sutherland, Chemical

Class of ’76 Stephen Cheong, Mechanical Ian Hope, Chemical David Johnston, Mechanical Yuen Kwok, Mechanical Pak Lee, Civil Douglas Little, Chemical William McCann, Civil Nicholas Quzas, Eng. PhysicsJohn Small, Electrical Andrew Speziale, Chemical James Sullivan, Metallurgical Richard Vilim, Eng. Physics Stephen Willey, Eng. Physics Man Wong, Civil

Class of ’81 Alan Arbour, Mechanical David Arnott, Civil Jacqueline Cameron, Chemical Castaneda Carbajal, Electrical Ngai Chan, Civil Ning Chan, Electrical Lucio Cinelli, Eng. Physics Surya Dumpala, ElectricalLaila El Hifnawy, Civil Alaa El Zawahry, Civil Ezzat Hanafy, Civil Steven Ho, Chemical David Joyce, Eng. Physics Elizabeth Kesler, Electrical Keith Lam, Mechanical

Sander Lam, Electrical David Lau, Computer Mark Lemon, Ceramic Kwok Leung, Civil Michael Mcdougald, Mechanical Randell McFarlane, Chemical Lynne Morin, Eng. Physics Patrick Naraine, Electrical Soo Noh, Chemical Sunny Omorodion, Chemical Andrew Pang, Civil Shirish Patil, Civil Douglas Prowse, Electrical Zvika Shtifter, CivilKuen Siu, Civil Yan Tam, Civil Wing Tong, Civil Stephen Topham, Eng. Physics Philip West, ElectricalSarkis Zeiter, Electrical

Class of ’86 Terrence Atherton, Civil Chi Chong, Computer Micahel Chou, Mechanical Alain Cyr, Chemical Ronald D'Oliveira, Eng. Physics Congtru Doan, Computer Hieu Duong, Electrical Sai-Kiu Eng, Electrical Seng Fung, Civil Philip Gensey, Manufacturing Kwok Hui, Electrical Scott Iseppon, Mecahnical Joel Kao, Computer

Eddy Ko, Electrical Rajeev Krishnamurthi, Electrical Pak Ku, Computer Gregory Lai, Electrical Amanda Lau, Eng. Physics Wing-Biu Law, Mechanical Thomas Lee, Mechanical Terry Liu, Electrical Marian Matson, Civil Martin McKeown, Eng. Physics Christopher Meadowcroft,

Eng. PhysicsDavid Mitchell, Civil Foad Mojgani, Electrical Thomas Munding, Mechanical Fong Ng, Computer Cong Nguyen, Electrical Nuu Nguyen, Electrical Kiem Nguyen, Mechanical Kwang Oh, Electrical Francis Omani, Electrical Hadi Omar, Civil Cong Pham, Electrical Kiet Quach, Electrical Dante Quiroz, Electrical Edward Robb, Computer Alfred Seto, Chemical Narinder Singh, Electrical Eric Tam, Electrical Alan Thomson, Chemical Chi Tran, Chemical Ali Unal, Civil Richard Wu, Computer Kwong Yeung, Electrical Ralph Yeung, Electrical Wai Yue, Computer

Chemical EngineeringEmery, Greg ’91: Greg and Joanna nowlive in Lynden, Ontario. Greg is an activemember of the Hamilton Amateur Astrono-mers, and volunteers as their observingdirector and International Dark Sky Associ-ation contact. If you are interested in thishobby, contact Greg at [email protected] .

Chemical Eng. & Mgt.Gaspari, Jerome ’01 & Janinne ’03:welcome a baby boy, born Sept. 8th andweighing 8 lbs 11 oz.

Chemical Eng. & SocietyEdl, Joe ’98: Want to share our excitingnews. Catherine and I had a baby girl on July31st, 2005. Weighing in at 6 lbs 3 oz. shemay be a future MAC student!

Civil EngineeringEasa, Said ’76: Dr. Easa, a professor ofCivil Engineering at Ryerson, has receivedthe 2005 Arthur M. Wellington Prize from the American Society of Civil


Alumni GrapevineEngineers (ASCE) for apaper entitled “Three-dimensional model for stop-control intersection sightdistance” (Journal of Trans-portation Engineering, Vol.130, No. 2, 2004). Thepaper is co-authored withhis graduate students EssamDabbour and Zain Ali. The research workaims to reduce traffic collisions and improvetraffic safety at intersections. A plaque andcertificate were presented to the authors at theASCE Annual Convention and Exhibition inLos Angeles in October 2005.

Mitchell, Melissa ’02 and RobOstrowercha ’02 were married inHamilton on October 15, 2005. Rob iscurrently working for Planning andEngineering Initiatives doing subdivisiondesign and contract management. Melissais at Metropolitan Consulting, working as a water resources engineer. “We’re still

Said Essa

enjoying life here in Hamilton, and wouldlove to hear from former classmates withwhom we’ve lost touch.” Contact [email protected] .

Electrical EngineeringNieuwenhuis, Fred ’98: Evelyn and Iare pleased to announce our new addition, ason, who arrived on July 19th, 2005,weighing a healthy 7 lbs 9 oz.

Pereira, Ashley ’83:still working on my PhDcomprehensive defencethesis entitled “Whatmakes an effective projectleader in a remote setting isthe goal – plan to apply theresearch of Myers Brigg’spersonality module”. Iwork in the aerospace industry, and recentlyenrolled in the Honeywell Six Sigma BlackBelt Leadership program. “My Black Beltcertification project is around standardization& knowledge management of electrical func-tional circuit blocks.” Received a meritoriousinvention disclosure award from HoneywellInternational Patent Filing Office as a resultof my US Govt. patent submission for a new“Intelligent” SW/System product that Idesigned. I invested (again) in a R580XDTaylorMade driver...golf is still a passion!Janina and the boys (Michael & Andrew) aredoing fine.

Engineering PhysicsGordon, Brooke ’03: I co-own a newbusiness in Burlington called I HighlyRecommend. We host Small Business sem-inars on how to grow your business. The firstseminar was held during an evening inOctober at a Hamilton café, with compli-mentary refreshments and a special admis-sion fee for students. I Highly Recommendoperates an online directory to which compa-nies have to be invited to join. This creates

a network of trust that relies on continuedrecommendations. For details, contact [email protected] .

Peters-Palfi, Jessica ’97: I am workingfor CH2M Hill Canada Ltd. in Toronto inthe instrumentation and control systemdepartment. I have been here for about 5years now, but am currently on maternityleave. I enjoy being home with my son (3)and daughter (10 months), and will bereturning to work in January 2006 – workinga 4-day week!

Mechanical EngineeringDavison, Mark ’80: Currently workingfor TAG Holdings, LLC as the Vice Presidentof Business Development. The positionaffords me the opportunity to use the broadskill set and interests I developed at Mac.After graduating, I worked at GM in Oshawain manufacturing, then returned to school andgot my MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston, graduating in 1984. Since then Ihave been living in Michigan, working incorporate finance, program management,marketing, sales, strategic planning, andproduct development for a variety of compa-nies, then as Divisional President for aprivately held manufacturing company. I metMary Ann here in Michigan. We’ve beenmarried 16 years and have 2 sons. We visitmy family in Fort Erie, Ontario quitefrequently and I fondly point out theMcMaster campus and Matthews Hall whereI lived for all 4 years to my wife and childrenas we pass up and down the escarpment onthe 403 highway.

Schuelke Leech, Beth-Anne ’94: Aftergraduating from Mac, I joined GeneralMotors of Canada (GMCL) in Windsor,Ontario. I transferred back to my hometownof Oshawa, Ontario, in 1995. Though I hadpromised myself when I left for universitythat I was not returning to Oshawa, I am stillbased here. After 9 years with GMCL, invarious engineering positions (and a finan-cial analyst one), I left GMCL in 2003 whenI married a man from Boston and movedthere. After 3 months, we returned to Canadaso I could complete my MBA at SchulichSchool of Business, York University. Timand I had a baby boy in November 2004 andhappily reside in Bowmanville. I now workfor the University of Ontario Institute ofTechnology, managing the engineeringsupport services. I am responsible for settingup the new engineering undergraduate

teaching labs, and am the faculty’s technicalrepresentative for the new engineering labbuilding and the Beacon Automotive Centreof Excellence.

Electrical Eng. & Mgt.Kusmirski, Ed, ’86: Now lives in Calgarywith Maryann (formerly Cooper) (Nursing’87) and their son (4) and daughter (2). Aftergraduation and a short stint with MacleanHunter Communications, Ed becameEmployee Number 4 at Trillium NetworkServices – the business telecom arm of CUCBroadcasting. When Shaw Cable bought CUCand moved Ed to Calgary, he was EmployeeNumber 2 of Shaw’s telecom business, ShawFiberLink. Four years later, Group Telecombought the assets of Shaw FiberLink andmoved Ed back to Toronto. Later still whenGT filed for CCAA court protection, thecompany was bought by 360networks. Acouple of years after that, 360networks soldtheir Canadian assets to Bell Canada, whichmoved Ed back to Calgary, where he iscurrently Director, Network Operations. Aside from Maclean Hunter, Ed’s career so far has been four weddings and one funeral. Dr. Haykin never taught us this inCommunications Systems 4A4!


TheMacEngineerTheMacEngineerThe MacEngineer is printed and produced by

Managing Editor: Carm Vespi,Engineering Alumni Officer

Editorial Committee: Dave S. Weaver,John Preston, Terry Milson, Carm Vespi

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Contributing Writers: AdministrativeCoordinators, Terry Milson, TrudiDown, Carm Vespi, Judy Mair, EugeneNakonechny

Alumni Grapevine (cont’d)

Alumni and FriendsHave you moved, taken a new job, got something you would

like to say, any other news?We would like to hear from you.

Contact Carm Vespi [email protected]

Ashley Pereira

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Golf Tournament

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MacEngineer Winter 2006