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History and Achievements

McMaster Engineering is committed to the pursuit of excellence and plays a significant role in helping McMaster University earn its reputation as one of Canada's most innovative universities. The calibre of our research and the impacts we make are well known and respected in Canada and across the globe. Our faculty members are consistently awarded national and international recognition for pushing the boundaries of discovery and exploring novel, ground-breaking technologies.

McMaster Engineering has a long history of excellence in industry-driven research and student-focused education. 

In 1956, McMaster named its first Director of Engineering Studies – Dr. John W. Hodgins, a Chemical Engineering professor from the Royal Military College – to develop a full engineering program for the university. The program was approved by the McMaster University Senate in February, 1958. The engineering building, now (John Hodgins Engineering Building) officially opened a few months later. The first class of 25 students graduated in 1961.

Five departments were established in the first two years – Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering—and, later, Engineering Physics joined them. The first engineering degrees from McMaster were Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degrees, with the first ones awarded in 1959. The first doctoral degrees (Ph.D.) were awarded in 1965.

The undergraduate programs grew in step, and by 1972, over 100 engineers received their (Bachelor of Engineering) B.Eng. degrees, with the annual total passing 200 by 1980, and in 2014 this number equalled 588. The year 1971 marked the start of the Engineering and Management program and later that decade, the Engineering and Society program began. In the early 1980s, the Electrical Engineering started its unique Computer Engineering program, and Mechanical Engineering began its program in Manufacturing Engineering.

The Faculty of Engineering began joint faculty appointments, research associates and collaborative research activities with McMaster's Faculty of Health Sciences. Courses in Biomedical-Engineering were offered as electives in all engineering programs.

In 1997, the Faculty of Engineering began a joint venture with the Department of Engineering Technology at Mohawk College and created the Bachelor of Technology program.

Deans of Engineering

Since the strong founding vision of John W. Hodgins, the Faculty has enjoyed equally strong leadership and an organized succession through its deans.

Dean Years served
Ishwar K. Puri 2013-
David S. Wilkinson 2008-2012
Mo Elbestawi 2001-2007
Mamdouh Shoukri 1994-2001
Gary R. Purdy 1989-1994
Arthur C. Heidebrecht 1981-1989
John W. Bandler 1979-1981
Leslie W. Shemilt 1969-1979
John W. Hodgins 1958-1969

About our first dean 

Big Ideas: Meet Jack

February 15, 2018

Big Ideas: Meet Jack

John (Jack) Hodgins was McMaster's first Dean of Engineering

National Awards

McMaster University researchers are recipients of prestigious Canadian awards.

Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering

Fellows of the Academy are nominated and elected by their peers, in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession.

 

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. 

 

Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada

Election to fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) is the highest distinction for scientists, artists, and scholars in Canada.

 

University Awards

Our faculty members are consistently recognized for their work by the University.

Distinguished University Professors

Awarded to those who have made a distinguished contribution to the University through research, scholarship and/or education and demonstrate exceptional achievement by distinction in research, scholarship and education such that the work has made a major impact on a given field of study, and/or the work has had a major impact across disciplinary boundaries.

President’s Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning

The President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning demonstrates the value McMaster attaches to its educational function and recognizes those who, through innovation and commitment, have significantly enhanced the quality of their students’ learning experience. 

McMaster Students Union Award for Excellence in Teaching

The MSU Teaching Awards recognize and encourage excellence in teaching at McMaster University, by acknowledging the contributions and hard work of professors and teaching assistants.  In a ceremony on March 20 in Council Chambers, some of the finest educators at McMaster were honoured by their students.

President's Awards for Outstanding Service

The President's Awards for Outstanding Service provide an annual recognition for employees or groups of employees who have made an outstanding contribution to the mission of McMaster University beyond that normally expected for their position.

Faculty Awards

L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award

Established in 2006 to recognize the contributions of leading Faculty alumni.

Faculty of Engineering Entrepreneurship Award

Established in 2017, the award will be granted occasionally as merit warrants.

Faculty of Engineering Exceptional Service Award

Established in 2017, the award will be granted occasionally as merit warrants.

Faculty of Engineering Leadership Award

Established in 2004 to recognize an outstanding citizen who has contributed to engineering, the university and the community.

Faculty of Engineering Research Achievement Award

Established in 2010 to honour a faculty member whose accomplishments and contributions are of national and/or international significance and/or have had a transformative impact on their field of research endeavour.

Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award

Established in 2012, this award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary teaching practices. 

Distinguished Engineering Professor in Residence

Distinguished Engineering Fellows

Distinguished Engineering Fellows acknowledges outstanding rising scholars who have the potential to be internationally recognized for being research and learning focused, and student centred. 

Distinguished Engineering Professors

Distinguished Engineering Professors acknowledges leading internationally recognized scholars who show evidence of transformative scholarship that is research focused and student centred.

Distinguished Engineering Educators

Distinguished Engineering Educators acknowledges outstanding student centred teachers who are recognized not only for their contributions in the classroom and their interactions with students but also for transformative pedagogical improvements.

Dean's Teaching Honour Roll

The Dean of Engineering has established the Dean’s Teaching Honour Roll to acknowledge the top teaching instructors each academic year. 

Dean’s Doctoral Mentoring Honour Roll

The Dean of Engineering has established the Dean’s Doctoral Mentoring Honour Roll to acknowledge the top mentors each academic year.

Veronika Czerneda Staff Award

An annual recognition of Faculty of Engineering staff members who have made an outstanding contribution beyond the normal expectations will be honoured.

Applause & Accolades

The annual Applause and Accolades Awards Gala recognizes engineering excellence among our distinguished alumni, faculty, staff and students, as well as influential community and corporate leaders.

2018 Applause & Accolades

2018 Applause & Accolades

Vishwanath Baba appointed Don Pether Chair in Engineering and Management

Emily Cranston appointed Canada Research Chair in Bio-Based Nanomaterials

Sarah Dickson appointed Professor, Water Policy & Research (Philomathia Foundation)

Kim Jones appointed Chair of the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE)

Thia Kirubarajan appointed NSERC/General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada Industrial Research Chair in Target Tracking and Information Fusion

Dimitri Konstantinidis appointed Endowed Chair in Effective Design Structures

Stephen Veldhuis appointed Braley-Orlick Endowed Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

Jennifer Bauman, $80,000 Canada Foundation for Innovation

Tracy Becker, $141,860 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $100,000 Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and
Science, $100,000 Ontario Early Researcher Award

Gianluigi Botton, $5,550,000 Ontario Research Fund, $800,000 Canada Foundation for Innovation, $800,000 Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario, $650,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $200,000 Emission Reduction Alberta

Jonathan Bradley, $140,000 Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, $100,000 Ontario Early Researcher Award

Fei Chiang, $460,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $140,000 Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, $100,000 Ontario Early Researcher Award

Samir Chidiac, $98,800 National Research Council 

Jim Cotton, $800,000 Ontario Centres of Excellence Grant, $800,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Grant, $597,522 Canadian Foundation for Innovation Grant

Jim Cotton & Ali Emadi, $5,000,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Ministry of Research and Innovation and Science through the TargetGHG program administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence

Emily Cranston, $129,600 Ontario Centre of Excellence

Charles De Lannoy, $335,209 Canadian Foundation for Innovation (includes In-Kind)

Neslihan Dogan, $168,596 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Wael El-Dakhakhni & Lydell Wiebe, $1,200,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Collaborative Research Development and Ontario Centre of Excellence

Ali Emadi, $1,400,000 Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility, $800,000 Ontario Centres of Excellence Grant, $500,000 BorgWarner Inc., TargetGHG Program: Advanced Electrified Vehicle Motor Control Technologies, $800,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Collaborative Research and Development Grant, $100,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Collaborative Research and Development Grant, $100,000 Ontario Centres of Excellence VIP II Grant, $62,500 Accelerated Systems Inc.

Mukesh Jain, $491,552 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Younggy Kim, $275,725 Southern Ontario Water Consortium

Thia Kirubarajan, $730,000, $328,000, $120,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $254,227 Canadian Foundation for Innovation, $100,000 Canada Foundation for Innovation

David Latulippe, $305,275 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $140,000 Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation
and Science, $100,000 Ontario Early Research Award

Zoe Li, $81,920 Southern Ontario Water Consortium

Joseph McDermid, $187,000 International Zinc Association, $145,590 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Prashant Mhaskar, $84,000 Ontario Centre of Innovation Mehdi Narimani, $192,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Natalia Nicolova, $161,321 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Andre Phillion, $200,000 Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s John Evans Leader Fund (JELF)

Ishwar Puri, $888,660 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $822,800 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $565,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Amin Rajabzadeh & Seshasai Srinivasan, $422,100 Eye3Concepts Inc.

Oleg Rubel, $368,230 Canada Foundation for Innovation 

Heather Sheardown, $125,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Leyla Soleymani, $572,120, $525,625 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Chris Swartz, Ken Coley & Neslihan Dogan, $69,410 Ontario Centre for Excellence

Stephen Veldhuis, $9,333,333 Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Ontario Advanced Manufacturing Consortium

Carm Vespi, $100,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Venture/LEAP

Lydell Wiebe, $500,000 Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, $250,000 Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association, $150,000 Ontario Centres of Excellence, $70,000 Ontario Centre of Excellence, $100,000 Ontario Early Research Award, $100,000 Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science

Igo Zhitomirsky, $150,000, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Collaborative Research and Development Grant

Hatem Zurob, $252,060 Collaborative Research and Development Grant, $152,000 Collaborative Research and Development Grant, $120,000 Collaborative Research and Development Grant, $150,000 Ontario Centre of Excellence VIP II

Mohamed Attalla received The Walter Shanely Award from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

John Bandler recognized for his 75th birthday at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium in Hawaii where the entire session was dedicated to him

Dan Centea received on behalf of W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology the PACE Gold Certification Award for integrating industry software and skills

Ken Coley awarded the 2018 John F. Elliott Lectureship Award

Kathryn Grandfield awarded $25,000 Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award

John Luxat inducted Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers and elected as Chairman of the International Nuclear Energy Academy

Medhi Narimani 2017 Best Paper Award from the Journal of Power Electronics

Ishwar K. Puri inducted Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and appointed Chair of The National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Mike Thompson inducted Fellow of The Society of Plastics Engineers

David Wilkinson awarded by Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, Engineer of the Year (Hamilton/Halton)

Wael El-Dakhakhni, University Scholar

Prashant Mhaskar, University Scholar

James Politeski, Distinguished Engineering Executive in Residence

Saiedeh Razavi, Director of the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL)

Konstantinos Apostolou, received the 2017 President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning

Lotfi Belkhir, received the 2018 President's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning  

Moataz Mohamed, received the 2018 McMaster Students Union, The Merit Award

Eu-Gene Ng, received the 2018 President's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning  and the 2018 McMaster Students Union Award for Excellence in Teaching

Jane Mah, Veronika Czerneda Staff Award

Morgan Archer, Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) Scholarship

EcoCAR 3, 2017 Team to Watch Award, Excellence in Leadership: John Reimers, 1st Place Siemens PLM Excellence Award, 2nd Place Innovation Award, and 3rd Place dSpace Embedded Success Award

Matthew Csordas, B.K. Afghan Memorial Award, Hamilton Section, Chemical Institute of Canada

iGEM McMaster Team 2, a Sanofi Team, Bronze Medal

ITE McMaster Student Chapter, 2017 Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) Traffic Bowl,  came in 1st place

Erik Joy, Wilson Leadership Scholar Award

Liane Ladouceur and Kerala Brendon, won Actions Google Challenge at the UofTHacks event

McMaster Troitsky Teams, received first, second and third place at the Bridge Building Competition the 34th annual event, held at Concordia University

McMaster Chem-E-Car (Kelly Huyen, Reda Elsawi, Kyle Pearce, Daniel D’Souza & Marwan Murad) placed first in the North Central Regional Conference, hosted by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

Vanessa Raponi, McMaster Student Union Honour M Award recipient of the 2017 Dillon Consulting Limited Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship, and inducted as a new committee member with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers

Ryan Rogers, won the Albert Lager Prize for Student Initiative by the Alumni Association

Michael Takla, Rotimi Fadiya, Prateek Mathur and Shivad Bhavsar, all graduates of McMaster’s Electrical and Biomedical Engineering program, received the prestigious James Dyson Award and $50K to support the development of The sKan, the team’s skin cancer detection device

The Canadian Engineering Competition, CEC 2018 at Ryerson University placed two teams in top place, The Consulting team named “TFI Consulting” consisting of Andrew Mills, Nick Alvarez, Sophie Emerson, and Nick Aubry and The Innovative Design team named “Oomi” consisting of Devan Wagner, Cameron Bignell, Mitchell Kurnell and Leanne Dias

Ramy Fakhry and May Haggag both awarded Doctorate, Ontario Trillium Scholarship (2017-2021) ($160K over four years), Ontario
Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development