Engineering Faculty Celebrates Achievements

May 14, 2010

More than 200 members and friends of McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering were on hand to celebrate the achievements of the past year at the annual Applause and Accolades Awards Gala.  The event was held May 13 at LIUNA Station in Hamilton.

Some 70 Engineering faculty, staff, students and alumni were recognized during the evening.  Three of the Faculty’s most prestigious awards were also presented.

Paul Spekkens, vice president, science and technology development, Ontario Power Generation, was presented with the Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award.

Tom Jenkins, executive chairman and chief strategy officer of Open Text Corporation, was the recipient of the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Alumni Award.

New this year was the presentation of a Research Achievement Award, which was presented to Robert Pelton, professor of chemical engineering, Canada Research Chair in Interfacial Technologies, and a founding member of the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network.

Mr. Spekkens is responsible for leading Ontario Power Generation’s nuclear research and development program.  He works closely with the Faculty of Engineering through the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), which supports efforts to increase the number of highly qualified graduates in the nuclear field.  He earned his Ph.D in Chemistry from McMaster in 1977.

Mr. Jenkins, who grew up in north Hamilton, earned his B.Eng. and Management degree in engineering physics from McMaster.  He began his career working with a number of start-up technology companies before landing a position with Open Text in 1994 as chief operating officer.  Later that year, he was appointed president.  He came at a perilous time but helped to rebuild the company into Canada’s largest software company, which today has an annual revenue of nearly $800 million and employs 3,500 people.

(L to R): Tom Jenkins, Robert Pelton and Paul Spekkens.

Prof. Pelton’s involvement in developing low-cost, portable strips of paper that can detect and deactivate deadly pathogens and viruses, has been receiving substantila media coverage in Canada, the United States, and worldwide.  Research in the development of bioactive paper, a term he coined, is being led through the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network, a collaboration of public and private sector organizations.  Prof. Pelton is also recognized as one of the leaders in papermaking chemistry.  He joined McMaster in 1987.

The full list of Faculty award recipients from the past year as well as the ames of past recipients of the L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Alumni Award and Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award can be found at:  www.eng.mcmaster.ca/about/awards