Engineering Alumni Medal
First awarded in 1939, the Engineering Alumni Medal is the highest honour awarded by the Engineering Alumni Association. High achievement is the common thread that links past recipients of this medal. In their diverse careers, these individuals have demonstrated superior accomplishments and have responded with flair and excellence to the challenges they have faced. They are outstanding role models for Engineering students.
Dr. Paul Cadario, CivE 7T3, LLD 2013
Paul Cadario joined the World Bank in 1975 and played a number of diverse roles worldwide, including nearly two decades with the World Bank’s frontline development programs in Western Africa and China and then with public sector management throughout Asia. Among the challenges he most enjoyed were establishing the first World Bank-financed operations in Guinea Bissau and Mongolia and managing the strategy, budget and logistics for the Bank’s work in twenty-two former Soviet and central European states after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1998, he began working on the World Bank’s efforts to modernize and streamline its business for the digital age of transparency and accountability, starting with the renewal of the Bank’s global information systems. Focusing on results, quality assurance and compliance, from 2001 he oversaw the multi-billion dollar portfolio of grants managed and disbursed by the World Bank as a trustee for governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations and private development partners. His work took him from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, from Guinea to Indonesia, and from Bhutan to Burundi.
Cadario’s ties as a volunteer to U of T have been strong for over 40 years. He was a member of the Governing Council twice, as a student in 1972-73 and then as an elected Alumni Governor from 1985 to 1994. He was the first president of the University of Toronto Alumni Association to live outside the GTA. He chairs the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the External Advisory Board for the Centre for Global Engineering (CGEN). He was a member of the advisory boards for the School of Public Policy and Governance and for the Munk School of Global Affairs. He served as a University representative on the Banting Research Foundation board as it refocused its strategy and operations. He supports fundraising on behalf of the University as president of the Associates of the University of Toronto, Inc. and as a member of the Engineering Campaign Cabinet for Boundless.
After his retirement from the World Bank in 2012, Cadario was appointed Distinguished Fellow in Global Innovation at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. In addition to working with faculty and students in the MGA program and PhD candidates at CGEN, he co-teaches a Civil Engineering capstone design course, Sustainable Global Communities in Poor and Remote Areas. He is a frequent contributor to public discussions on global development and global governance, and effective organizations, and is very active on Facebook and Twitter. Cadario earned his BASc in civil engineering from the University of Toronto in 1973. A Rhodes Scholar, he received a BA and MA in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford. He earned a master’s degree in organizational development from American University in 1999. In 2013, U of T awarded him an honorary LLD.
As an undergraduate, Cadario worked as a U of T research assistant in the Northwest Territories where he developed a passion for Inuit art that remains to this day. He lives in Washington, DC.
Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction Award
The Hall of Distinction is an assembly of extraordinary alumni, selected for membership by their peers for their lifelong accomplishments. These are graduates whose performances have ultimately defined what is most exemplary in our graduates and in our profession. The careers of the members stand as examples and add a sense of reality to the aspirations of successive generations of Engineering students. Located in the Sandford Fleming Building, the Hall of Distinction is a familiar daily presence in the lives of students and is often visited by alumni and their families.
Anna Dunets Wills, CivE 7T6
For Anna, civil engineering has always been a calling that gives her an opportunity to help solve problems where the need is great. It began when she was a U of T undergraduate and spent several summers building homes in remote First Nation communities in northern Alberta and British Columbia. It continued as she honed her civil engineering skills on projects in northern Manitoba and Lesotho, Africa.
In any of the infrastructure projects she takes on, Anna ensures the negotiations will result in work that truly meets local needs, respects cultural realities and is environmentally sustainable. Current projects — as a senior manager with planningAlliance — include resettlement plans near nickel deposits in Tanzania and a proposed dam in Lesotho.
Anna also uses her infrastructure expertise in a variety of volunteer activities. As part of a medical team working in Uganda, she has been concentrating on water, sanitation and related upgrades for a new clinic and maternity ward.
The Faculty’s Gull Lake Survey Camp benefited from her generous advice and student mentorship during the creation of a sustainable wastewater treatment system. Anna has also been active with the North South Foundation for Children, which links professionals in southern Ontario with First Nations communities in the province’s northeast.
Anthony Lacavera, CompE 9T7
Graduating from U of T in 1997, Anthony and several fellow graduates saw the potential of the newly deregulated telecommunications industry. They created Globalive Communications with a goal to bring new technology and software solutions to traditional voice and data services.
Offering long distance and operator solutions to hotels and hospitals, Globalive — with Anthony as Chairman and CEO — captured more than 90 per cent of the hospitality market within three years. It launched OneConnect to take advantage of voice services over the Internet, and it created a new wireless service — eventually named Wind Mobile — creating the first new wireless network to be built in North America in 25 years.
Anthony’s energy and stature continues today. He is embarking on a new venture through Globalive Capital, investing in technology and telecom companies to take the success of the Globalive operating platform even further.
In 2007, Anthony created the SHAMBA Foundation, a unique charity dedicated to helping other charities with their fundraising and organizational efforts. To date, SHAMBA has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for guest charities like Little Geeks, POGO, Habitat for Humanity, the Speech Foundation and the Ontario Crafts Council.
Anthony’s interests extend into the arts: in addition to co-producing the all-African-American revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof on Broadway in 2008, he is a founding member of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Galleria Italia.
Lee Lau, ECE 7T7, ECE MEng 8T2
With the advent of the graphics card to display high-quality graphics on computers, the race was on to produce cards that were progressively more versatile and powerful. A successful participant in that quest was ATI Technologies Inc., co-founded by Lee in 1985.
Lee realized it was the ability to develop special-purpose microelectronic chips that would make ATI competitive. He teamed up with the Microelectronics Development Centre (MDC) — an organization established at U of T Engineering — to assist in the fast-growing business of chip design.
ATI became one of the two top suppliers of leading-edge computer graphics hardware in the world. Since selling the company, Lee has become an investor, encouraging new entrepreneurial ventures ranging from mobile robotics to colour-changing soap. He enjoys working with young U of T entrepreneurs through the Rotman School of Management’s Creative Destruction Lab, the Next 36 and The Entrepreneurship Hatchery.
Philanthropy is important to Lee and his wife, Margaret. They have a long history of significant contributions to U of T and have helped build three new buildings, two in Engineering and one at the Rotman School of Management. They sponsor an endowed research chair in Lee’s home department, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and fund research being conducted by the Faculty of Medicine. They also support local hospitals and foundations including Princess Margaret Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.
Donald R. Sadoway, EngSci 7T2, MMS MASc 7T3, MMS PhD 7T7
Identified as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 by TIME, the magazine captured Don’s passion for energy storage research and students this way: “In a battery, I strive to maximize electrical potential. When mentoring, I strive to maximize human potential.”
Armed with a U of T Metallurgy & Material Science doctoral degree in 1977, Don was able translate a fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) into an Assistant Professor posting in less than a year.
In his 35 years as a brilliant and innovative teacher at MIT, he has never lost his interest in sharing with first-year students. He taught Introduction to Solid State Chemistry countless times and generously shared his insights and advice on undergraduate curriculum as a member — and later chair — of U of T’s Materials Science & Engineering Advisory Board. He has also presented lectures about his teaching practices to U of T Engineering faculty.
Don’s research into the use of liquid metal and molten salt in batteries to more effectively store renewable energy is what captured TIME’s attention. He developed the battery with a student team and the success of their work was the subject of a TED conference lecture he gave in 2012. The video of his chalkboard talk has been viewed over 1.5 million times.
David S. Wilkinson
It is unusual, and indeed remarkable, to carve out a reputation through prolific contributions in two quite distinct fields of materials engineering: ceramics and metallurgy. David has done just that, adding to it an impressive career in academic leadership with McMaster University.
His pioneering work on the deformation and fracture characteristics of composites that include ceramic particles is just one of the ways he has used modeling and experimentation to raise the understanding of damage and stress on materials. Work he did with General Motors helped to enable the development of alloys that could effectively withstand the stamping process on the assembly line.
The results of his research have been published in more than 230 papers in the world’s leading metallurgical journals, and he is a frequent contributor to international conferences. David is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering, as well as the American Ceramic Society and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
Joining McMaster University in 1979, David became a department chair eight years later. In 2008, he was appointed Dean of Engineering, and, since last year, is Provost and Vice-President (Academic). Many young engineers who now occupy leading positions within academia and industry have been positively influenced by David’s teaching, work and example.
2T5 Mid-Career Achievement Award
The Class of 2T5 was the first class in Canada to receive iron rings at The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. Since 1975, the Class of 2T5 annually presents the 2T5 Mid-career Achievement Award. This award recognizes a graduate (11 to 25 years from undergraduate graduation) who has earned respect within the profession as well as the broader Canadian community.
Samantha Espley, MinE 8T8
Samantha’s career trajectory at Vale (formerly Inco) has seen her move from Mining Research Engineer in 1990 to General Manager of the Mines and Mills Technical Services Department in Ontario. Her current responsibilities include the provision of technical services and support to six underground mining operations, a milling concentrator as well as a matte processing facility. She is also responsible for the operation of the open pits, aggregate quarries and tailings reclamation sites in Sudbury. She is accountable for brownfield exploration, geology interpretation and mineral resources inventory reporting for the Sudbury operations. In her current role, Samantha oversees a large group of mining and metallurgical engineers, technologists, geologists and associated staff.
Given the breadth of her Vale role, Samantha has published and presented over 60 papers, reports and publications since graduation, addressing topics ranging from underground data collection to the role of women in the underground hard rock mining industry.
Samantha is a founding member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and has also served on boards and held leadership roles with WISE, the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM), Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) and the Canadian Mining Research Network (CAMIRO).
Her passion for engineering and science education plays out in the many ways. She has been the keynote speaker three times for the province-wide university initiative Go Eng Girl for young women in grades seven to 10, as well as giving the keynote address at the WISE Gearing Up sessions for older high school students. She is also on the board of the Bharti School of Engineering at Laurentian University.
7T6 Early Career Award
The Class of 7T6 annually presents the 7T6 Early Career Award to engineering graduates who have attained significant achievement early in their career and shows promise of further contributions. The award is presented to an individual who is distinguished early in their profession, community, university and other related fields.
Terence Michael Branch, CompE 0T3
In less than 10 years, Mike has turned Inovex, a computer software company that he founded with classmate Bob Bradley, from a home-based operation to a vibrant company that develops software applications focused on the healthcare, energy and environmental sectors. Under his dynamic leadership, the Inovex team has developed solutions that help health care facilities collect and analyze patient information and help municipalities comply with the Ontario Green Energy Act. Inovex recently won two silver Stevie® Awards in the 2013 International Business Awards for its first ‘software as a service’ product, Maps BI.
Even as Mike has been expanding his company, he has never stopped giving his time and expertise back to U of T. He has been a member of the Engineering Alumni Association board since 2007 and served as president from 2011 to 2013. As a member of the College of Electors, he participated on the search committee that selected David Peterson as Chancellor of the University of Toronto.
Mike began his volunteer leadership as a student, serving as vice-president external of the Engineering Society. He and his company continue to support academic excellence and innovation. Mike has participated in entrepreneurship panels at U of T and supported the multi-university, student-run NSpire Innovation Network. His volunteerism extends beyond engineering to support youth drama programs and career development workshops for at-risk high school students.
Malcolm F. McGrath Alumni Achievement Award
Named in honour of Malcolm McGrath on his retirement as assistant dean — alumni liaison, this award recognizes contributions of personal service to the Faculty, the University or to the community. McGrath was the first assistant dean responsible for alumni affairs and development in the Faculty. Among his many accomplishments are the growth of the Annual Fund, the Engineering Open House, the introduction of the Skule™ Stage Band, and the establishment of the Graditude Campaign.
Claire M.C. Kennedy, ChemE 8T9
A leading Canadian tax lawyer, Claire has been a thoughtful, dedicated and effective champion for her alma mater, generously sharing her time and expertise with the University of Toronto, the Engineering faculty and the Chemical Engineering department.
Claire’s contribution can be seen in BizSkule, an alumni speaker series and networking event. As the founder and chair of BizSkule, Claire has helped to dramatically increase the ability of the Faculty to connect with alumni working in the city’s business core, and with those interested in business, finance, law and entrepreneurship.
Claire has also served as president of the Engineering Alumni Association and chaired the Advisory Board for Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. She was part of the search committee that recommended the reappointment of Dean Cristina Amon to a second term, as well as the search team to find an assistant vice-president of alumni affairs for the University. Not surprisingly, the Ontario government appointed her to the Governing Council of the University of Toronto in 2012.
In the same year, Claire was appointed a director of the Bank of Canada, testimony to her work as a tax partner with Bennett Jones LLP. She sits on the Bank of Canada’s Board of Directors, served on the board of Neo Material Technologies Inc. and has also volunteered with Queen’s Law School and Wildlife Preservation Canada.
L.E. (Ted) Jones Award of Distinction
This award was established to acknowledge the contributions of Professor Emeritus L.E. (Ted) Jones and is in recognition of the contributions over his long and distinguished career to students, alumni and the Faculty. It also pays tribute to his continuing support and dedication to the Engineering Society and the Engineering Alumni Network (EAN) of the University of Toronto. The award endorses Jones’ great appreciation of the arts and his love of music.
Ryan Alafriz, IndE 1T2+PEY
As a musical director and performer, Ryan found many ways to satisfy his enthusiasm for music while at U of T. In his first year, he played bass guitar in the Skule Stage Band, the Skule Jazz Combo, and the Skule Nite Orchestra. He continued performing in all three bands over the next few years, also serving a musical arranger.
Ryan served as co-director of the Skule Jazz Combo and directed the Skule Stage Band Blue Combo (part of the Engineering Society’s second stage band). The group was shrinking in size, but he was able to turn it around by reinventing it as smaller funk ensemble and arranging two custom pieces for the musicians to perform. The new direction proved popular, stemming the decrease in attendance.
As musical director of Skule Nite 1T2, he served as recruiter and arranger, ultimately conducting the orchestra for five sold-out performances at Hart House Theatre. The following year, Ryan looked after sound for Skule Nite and also served as manager of the Skule Stage Band.
Ryan’s musical activities didn’t affect his Engineering studies. For four terms, his grades put him on the Dean’s List. He also completed a Professional Experience Year internship (PEY).
Thineshan Kathirchelvan, EngSci 1T2+PEY
It was Thineshan’s Professional Experience Year internship with Aercoustics Engineering Limited that fused his pursuit of engineering to his passion for music. Using acoustic analysis and shape optimization techniques, he helped boost the acoustic characteristics of a variety of performance spaces, including the Wilfrid Laurier University Auditorium, the Zoomer Media recording studio and Jazz Bistro.
As a result of his research into shape optimization, Thineshan was invited to present at the International Symposium on Room Acoustics (ISRA) 2013, where his paper was published and awarded the Best Student Paper. Following this, he will be receiving the Ernest Walton Medal from the President of Ireland in recognition of his undergraduate dissertation, which won the Undergraduate Award for Engineering amongst submissions from over 184 institutions.
His musical interest began as a child, when he taught himself to play the keyboard. He later shared his keyboard knowledge and enthusiasm with younger students and assisted with annual keyboard examinations at the Tamil Academy of Fine Arts. Thineshan founded the music production company TK Productions in 2009, through which he composed a track to encourage peace for the victims of the Sri Lankan civil war. The song was broadcast in Canada, Sri Lanka, the U.S., the U.K., Germany and France. More tracks that combine Western and Indian music have followed. He later helped found Nuream Entertainment, where, as musical director, he created the production Nurture Your Dream, which showcases talent in the Tamil community.