The Alumni Gallery:
2022: Aly Orady
Aly Orady is the CEO and Founder of Tonal, the first in-home smart gym and personalized approach to strength training. A 20-year Silicon Valley veteran, engineer and serial entrepreneur, Aly started his career at Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Systems Laboratory designing super-computers, followed by technical leadership roles at a series of startups, including Kealia, Inc. He earned his BEng Computer Engineering degree from McMaster in 1998 at just 19 years of age. He continued forward, enrolling part time at Stanford University. He worked on his master’s and completed it in 2003, receiving his M.S. E.E.Networking, Computer Architecture degree at the age of 23. With both degrees in hand, Aly Orady founded Pano Logic, where he served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer and oversaw core technology development, architecture, and patents. He leveraged his extensive product and technology background with his own fitness journey and 70 lb weight loss to invent Tonal. His goal is to help enable people to lead healthier lives by providing them with the technology, guidance, and support to effectively reach their fitness goal.

2019: Hoda ElMaraghy
MEng Mechanical Engineering ’72, PHD Mechanical Engineering ’76
2019: Hoda ElMaraghy
Hoda ElMaraghy is a trailblazer for women in engineering. She became the first Canadian woman to earn a doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1976; and in 1994 she became the first woman to serve as dean of engineering at a Canadian university. Currently, she is a Distinguished University Professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at the University of Windsor and Director of its Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Center. In addition to her pioneering research, Hoda ElMaraghy is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the International Academy for Production Research, Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, as well as a senior member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She is a member of the Order of Ontario and was elected to international membership by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.
2018: Paula Claudino
Paula Claudino has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management from McMaster University and Master of Applied Science in Renewable Energy Engineering and Policy from Carleton University. She is a Professional Engineer with a career in industrial energy management and has had the opportunity to work with industries ranging in size from small and medium enterprises to large industry and mines in various countries, including Canada, Singapore, Bangladesh, South Korea, the U.S.A. and Brazil, as well as the European Union. She is fluent in English, French and Portuguese, and since moving to Germany in 2016, has been working on her German.
2018: Lynnette Madsen
Dr. Lynnette Madsen is a 1994 Materials Science & Engineering graduate of McMaster University. She has worked at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a Program Director since 2000. She has been directly responsible for more than 500 awards totaling $180M+. During her tenure at NSF, she has grown the annual budget of the Ceramics Program from ~$6M to ~$11M and also negotiated co-funding from other programs at NSF and other agencies. She also leads the Cross-Cutting Activities in Materials Research. She has completed three detail assignments at NSF dealing with international efforts with Africa, increasing the advancement of women in academic careers, and strategic human capital analysis and planning. She has led new co-operative activities with European researchers in materials; been part of the driving force in program development and initiatives in nanotechnology, commercialization, manufacturing, sustainability, education, and diversity; and has an active independent research program.
From 1999-2002, she held a visiting/adjunct faculty position at Carnegie Mellon University. Before working at NSF, she held positions at Linköping University in Sweden and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and in industry at Nortel Networks in Canada, and has enjoyed support from industry (ABB, Siemens and Nortel Networks) for her research and consulting.
To date she has published more than 95 journal, conference and magazine articles; been awarded two patents; and delivered more than 100 invited scientific or professional talks. NSF has recognized her efforts with two Director Awards, 11 Performance Awards and an Incentive Award for Timely Program Management, and she has been recognized with numerous other awards and board positions.
2016: Barry Hill
Barry Hill put his two McMaster engineering degrees to excellent use for nearly three decades as he helped build power generating stations for Ontario Hydro. His greatest legacy, however, involves his work on the farm he operates with his wife Cheryle. Hillsfield Farms is a 2,000-acre grains and oilseeds farm on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory where Barry and Cheryle have helped introduce new crops and agribusiness opportunities to the area.
A member of the Six Nations Farmers Association, Barry has also served as a board member of the Food Systems Partnership and of Two Rivers Community Development. He has been president of both the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) and the Brant County Federation of Agriculture as well as a founding director of the Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative and a leader in the organization of the First Nations Agri Group co-op.
He is a frequent contributor to newspapers including the Brantford Expositor, writing on issues from energy to agriculture, and he was the first Native instructor at Six Nations Polytechnic when it opened in 1993. A recipient of the Six Nations Community Treasures Award, Barry was named Brant County Farmer of the Year in 2011 and he was a finalist in the 2014 BMO Farm Family Awards.
Barry is also the organist at Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks in Brantford and at St. Paul’s Church in Ohsweken.
2013: Walter Butler
Walter Butler has travelled the world with the U.S. Navy, played an influential role in the emerging field of microelectronics over the last half century, and dedicated himself to the advancement of scientific research and discovery. When Walter graduated from McMaster in 1970, he was the University’s first student to earn a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Walter is the co-holder of 30 patents and has published more than 30 technical papers.
2012: Fraser Shein
In his 30-year career, Fraser Shein has become an international leader in the engineering of rehabilitation technology to fulfil the needs of persons with disabilities.
Fraser earned his master’s in engineering physics at McMaster in 1981 after completing undergraduate studies at Queen’s University. He went on to earn a PhD in mechanical and industrial engineering from the University of Toronto. In 1982, he assembled the first research and development team in Canada focusing on computer accessibility for children with disabilities and, in 1985, received major support from IBM for the project. Since then, he has led a research team at Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital that has developed several accessibility-focused software products, including the WiVik on-screen keyboard, WordQ writing software and SpeakQ speech recognition software, all of which are covered for Ontarians with disabilities by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. In 2000, Fraser created Quillsoft Ltd., a start-up partnership with the hospital to commercialize the software developed by his team. The company’s suite of software was voted one of the Brightest Ideas of 2008 at the National Centre for Technology Innovation Tech Expo in Washington, DC. Throughout his career, Fraser has trained and mentored students at all levels and his team has embraced researchers with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, in order to ensure the relevance of the software they are developing. Quillsoft products are now used in more than 20 countries in several languages.
As president and CEO, Fraser now devotes his time to the activities of Quillsoft, including seeking academic and clinical collaborations. He lives in Toronto with his two children, Hannah and Francis.
2011: Stephen Elop
Stephen Elop has determined the directions of some of the most influential technology companies in the world. He is a skilled engineer, a savvy businessman and strong leader.
Stephen graduated from McMaster in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and management. While at McMaster, he was integral to the first Ethernet installation at the University. In his early career, Stephen worked as a management consultant, director of Lotus Development Corporation’s Consulting Services Group, and a senior vice president of systems and CIO for Boston Chicken, Inc. He worked at Macromedia Inc. for seven years, holding several senior positions including CEO. When Adobe Systems Inc. acquired Macromedia in 2005, Stephen took a role with Adobe as president of worldwide field operations. He left in 2006 to take the role of chief operating officer with Juniper Networks. In 2008, he began working for Microsoft as the president of the Microsoft Business Division, overseeing the Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions and Unified Communications groups responsible for the ubiquitous Microsoft Office system of programs, servers and services.
Stephen has continued his dynamic career with a recent appointment as CEO and President of Nokia Corporation, the iconic Finnish company that makes about one-third of the mobile phones used globally. The first non-Finnish leader of the company, Stephen is tasked with forging a new future for Nokia in the complex and rapidly evolving telecommunications market.
A licensed pilot, Stephen enjoys his family and the many activities pursued by his five children. In 2007, McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering made Dr. Elop just the second L.W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award winner and in 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree by McMaster.
2011: Walter Booth
Walter Booth was one of the first leaders of the McMaster Engineering Society. As an alumnus, he has continued to be a leader in the McMaster community and in his local community
From serving on the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board to mobilizing his fellow mechanical engineering classmates of 1962 to make a gift to the Faculty of Engineering, Walter has remained engaged at the University long after his graduation. Walter is also a leader in his local community in Woodstock. He has served on the boards of the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, Hospital Expansion Fund Raising for Woodstock General Hospital and Oxford Youth Action Inc. He is known for his generosity and is admired for his success as an entrepreneur.
Walter began his career with a diploma in mechanical technology from Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Ryerson University), which led him to a job as a designer at Stelco in Hamilton. A few years later, he applied to McMaster, where he graduated with a bachelor of engineering in 1962 and a master’s in engineering in 1965. After graduation, he went to work for the Timberland Group of Companies, a company based in Woodstock, Ontario that is known worldwide for providing utility equipment and machinery to the hydro, telecommunications, marine and mining industries. Walter stayed with Timberland and worked his way up to his current role as chairman and CEO.
Walter and his wife Marilyn have three children and reside in Burford, Ontario.
2010: Duncan Hannay
As Managing Director, Head of Online Brokerage for Scotiabank, Duncan Hannay oversees Scotiabank’s three online investing businesses – Scotia iTRADE, ScotiaMcLeod Direct Investing and TradeFreedom. However Duncan’s entrepreneurial roots can be traced to McMaster where he and fellow Engineering student Dave Armstrong (also a Gallery Inductee) launched their first business “Tube ‘n Cube Campus Rentals” supplying televisions and refrigerators to residence students.
Today Duncan leads over 400 professionals who provide top-ranked online brokerage services to independent investors.
In his prior role as President and CEO of E*TRADE Canada, Duncan was responsible for transforming E*TRADE Canada into a formidable competitor in the Canadian marketplace. During his 10-year tenure with E*TRADE Financial, he also worked in New York City as Senior Vice-President of Strategy & Development. Duncan joined E*TRADE Financial after 15 years of diverse entrepreneurial pursuits in the technology and engineering fields, focused around creating value through innovation and growth.
Duncan sits on the Board of Directors of Scotia Capital Inc., one the largest broker dealers in the country. Among his community endeavours, Duncan also sits on the Board of Covenant House Toronto, which is Canada’s largest shelter for homeless youth.
Ultimately it is his family that Duncan is most proud of and from where he draws his greatest source of inspiration. He has been married to Kathy for 22 years and they have three children – Mark, Sarah and Logan.
Duncan is also very proud of his McMaster heritage; his wife Kathy (B.Sc. Nursing ’85), Mother Ruth (B.A. ’72), Father Alf (B.A. ’62) and sister Lynn (B.A. ’79) are all graduates of McMaster.
2007: Dr. Luis Garcia-Rubio
Luis Garcia-Rubio is a professor at the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida and a Founder and Principal of Claro Scientific LLC. The inventor of the licensed spectrophotometric disease detection technique, Dr. Garcia-Rubio is an internationally renowned researcher.
He received a M.Eng. in 1976 and a Ph.D in 1981 from McMaster University. He joined the University of South Florida in 1983 and was appointed Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1997 until 2002.
He is the co-author of many scientific papers and is the recipient of the National Science Foundation Creativity Extension Award valued at $220,000. In 1990, he was featured in Models of Excellence published by the National Science Foundation. To date, Prof. Garcia-Rubio has graduated 20 PhD students and holds several patents.
Dr. Garcia-Rubio was Co-Founder and Principal of Ocean Optics Inc., the manufacturer of the first miniaturized high-resolution spectrometer. He then became Co-Founder and Principal of Claro Scientific, where he was able to focus his time and energies on his life long goal of expanding the use of bio-photonic technologies into disease detection and diagnosis.
At Claro Scientific, he and his colleagues have developed portable biosensors that can detect a variety of deadly diseases almost instantly, with as little as a drop of blood. The sensors utilize bio-photonic technology that measures the interaction of light with the particulates contained in body fluids, water and air. The result is a low cost hand-held device that eliminates costly and time-consuming lab work. This tool is particularly important for developing countries where infectious diseases such as malaria are the leading causes of death.
One of the world’s foremost authorities in the field, Dr. Garcia-Rubio’s new technology represents a major contribution to medical science and health care.
2006: David Armstrong
After graduating from McMaster in Mechanical Engineering in 1985, David Armstrong went on to earn his MBA in 1991. Time spent as a project engineer for Dofasco and a general manager at C.D.N. Petroleum Inc., led to David pulling together a group of investors to purchase the assets of Cango Inc. out of a receivership process in 1993. They restructured the company. Under his direction, Cango Inc. was committed to complete service for small town petroleum stations and the dealers that ran them. For his keen business sense and his determination in creating Cango Inc., David was nominated for the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
In April 2000, David committed Cango Inc. to a partnership with local community groups and the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire and Life Safety Council. They created the Risk Watch project aimed at the elementary school curriculum and targeted eight major risk areas that injure or cause harm to children. Cango Inc. continued the partnership with the success of the first year.
David, as Chairman of the OPP Bear Hug Band Life Safety Foundation, also funded safety events such as demonstrations on how to properly install an infant car seat with local OPP officers. This program is particularly beneficial in smaller communities where resources are much less. With his strong community spirit, David has also sponsored many athletic teams and organizations.
In November 2002, he started a new company, Global Fuels Inc., with headquarters in Ancaster, Ontario. Global Fuels negotiated an agreement with Imperial Oil Limited where the company provides supply/marketing and distribution to Esso stations throughout Quebec and New Brunswick. As part of the deal the company has so far acquired 88 Esso stations in those two provinces. Global Fuels presently supplies 325 fuel stations throughout eastern Canada. The continued growth can be attributed to David’s “hands on” management approach and his unique working knowledge of the petroleum business. The company began in the wholesale supply business, supplying 18 locations in Southern Ontario. David attributes the success of Global Fuels Inc., to “partnering with the best, capable people with impeccable integrity.”
David Armstrong himself embodies hard work, dedication and integrity, and his contributions to industry and to local communities in Eastern Canada characterize a true entrepreneur.
2005: Dr. Pierre Côté
Born in Quebec, Dr. Pierre Côté attended L’École Polytechnique where he obtained a B.Eng. (Civil) in 1977 and a M.Sc.A. degree in 1979. Having accepted his first research position with Environment Canada at the Wastewater Technology Centre in Burlington, Ontario, he enrolled as a part-time Ph.D. student at McMaster University.
The period from 1979-1986 was rich in learning experiences: the fundamentals of Chemical Engineering as part of his Ph.D. programme, the methodology of experimental research, not to mention improving his level of fluency in English. He was awarded his doctorate in 1986, following the completion of a thesis on hazardous water stabilization.
Dr. Côté spent 1987 in France pursuing a post-doctoral program, . His studies led to the discovery of membrane processes which held out tremendous promise for water treatment. In 1989, he joined ZENON, the company created by his Ph.D. supervisor, Dr. Andrew Benedek. For the next three years, he worked on new membrane-based products and processes such as ZenoGem, Moustic and ZeeWeed ® . ZeeWeed ® is a unique filtration membrane that represents a revolution in water treatment.
In 1992, Dr. Côté left ZENON to accept a position as Research Programme Director with Companie Generale des Eaux (the world’s largest water company, now called Veolia) on the outskirts of Paris. He led a team that won a French Academy of Science prize for a project on nanofiltration in 1995. He also introduced ZeeWeed ® to the French company, which soon became ZENON’s R&D partner on immersed membranes.
In 1998, Dr. Côté returned to Canada as Chief Technology Officer at ZENON, where the commercialization of ZeeWeed ® was taking off. Over the course of his research career to date, Pierre has authored some 100 technical publications and obtained 40 patents.
In 2000, Dr. Côté won the $100,000 Manning Principal Award in recognition of his leadership in developing ZeeWeed ® technology, an honour he was pleased to share with his co-workers at ZENON. The following year, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He continues his pioneering work in bringing safe and clean water to the world.
2004: Steve Mann
A groundbreaking inventor and scientist, Dr. Steve Mann began formulating his ideas in his early days of high school. He developed his concepts further while at McMaster and brought them, along with his inventions to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Boston in 1991. In 1997, he received his Ph.D from MIT for scholarly work including the invention of Humanistic Intelligence.
He is considered by many to the inventor of WearComp (wearable computer and WearCam (eyetap camera and reality mediator), and was the first to keep a web log of his visual experiences (thus inventing the CyborgLog, also known as “glog’). He is also inventor of the Chirplet Transform, a new mathematical framework for signal processing, and of Comparametric Equations, a new mathematical framework for computer mediated reality.
His award winning documentary ShootingBack and the ideas from his recent book CYBORG: Digital Destiny and Human Possibility in the Age of the Wearable Computer (Random House Doubleday, 2001) inspired a 35mm feature length motion picture film about his remarkable inventions.
Steve’s inventions have been recognized as having an important effect on popular culture, as is evident from over 100 interviews he has done about his scholarly work with organizations including, the New York Times , LA-Times , Time , Newsweek , Fortune , WiReD , NBC , ABC , CNN , Discovery Channel , Byte , Reuters , Rolling Stone and BBC . Steve’s work was also included on David Letterman’s Top Ten List. Hundreds of articles about his work have appeared worldwide in more than 10 languages.
His work has been shown at numerous museums around the world, including the Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of American History, The Science Museum, Museum of Modern Art and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam).
Steve is currently a professor at the University of Toronto. He is happily married.
2004: Dr. Gary Purdy
After completing his Bachelor and Master degrees in Engineering at the University of Alberta, Gary Purdy came to McMaster where he graduated with a Ph.D . in Metallurgical Engineering in 1962. During the following 40 years as a faculty member at McMaster, Dr. Purdy has served as Department Chair, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Dean of Engineering. Currently he is the Director of McMaster’s Centre for Peace Studies.
Dr. Purdy’s academic career has indeed been a distinguished one, both in the teaching and research spheres. As a researcher, he has made major contributions to the study of microstructure development in engineering materials. One of his colleagues described Dr. Purdy’s research as being “marked by the clarity of his insight into complex problems, the design of elegant experiments and thorough analytic contributions.”
His academic work, however, has not been confined to pure research. He has collaborated with a variety of industrial partners, contributing to the understanding and control of materials production and fabrication processes.
Dr. Purdy’s dedicated efforts and involvement with students have been central to his career. How he has performed his role as a teacher is especially of note. He is known for the patience and understanding he has always afforded his students. Both as an educator and administrator, his career has been marked by his concern for people, his willingness to listen and to appreciate their problems. His dedication to the well-being and growth of his students has consistently been reflected in his relationships with them
Over the years Dr. Purdy has been the recipient of many honours and awards, including the following: Doctorate Honoris Causa, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble; Fellow of three international technical societies and of the Royal Society of Canada; Canadian Metal Physics Medal; Honorary Professorship, University of Science and Technology, Beijing; and the Distinguished Alumni Award, McMaster University.
Dr. Purdy has not restricted his life to academic roles. He continues to be an active member of the Hamilton Community through his church and as a member of the Bach Elgar Choir. He and his wife Ruby have four children and five grandchildren.
2003: Dr. John MacGregor
Dr. John MacGregor completed a Master of Science in Statistics, a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin. Following this, he returned to McMaster as a professor.
John’s work is related to trouble-shooting processing problems. He has developed methods to retrieve data, such as from temperature sensors, pressure-flow monitors, chemical-concentration indexes, or digital cameras. This data is then projected to a computer system that analyzes the information. As a result, changes to the controls can ensure that better products are created and that cost-savings are realised. His work is evident both locally at Dofasco and internationally at Mitsubishi Chemical.
John has received many awards within his profession. In 2002, he was inducted as a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering for his work in multivariate methods for process monitoring, analysis and optimization. The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering awarded him a Century of Achievement Award, presented to Canadian chemical engineers who have made significant industrial or academic accomplishments in the 20th Century. John was also the first person outside Scandinavia to be awarded the Herman Wold Gold medal by the Swedish Chemometrics Society for his work in multivariate projections and analysis.
At McMaster, John was the Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and is currently the Dofasco Chair in Process Automation and Information Technology. He is also one of the founding members of three major international research centres at McMaster, including being a co-developer of the McMaster Control Consortium. This consortium of industry and academic partners aims to perform research on key issues in the practice of automatic control in process industries, educate engineers and scientists in process control concepts, demonstrate the performance, application and predictions of the technologies, and promote communication among industrial and academic engineers. He was also one of the first recipients of the President’s Awards for Excellence in Graduate Supervision.
2002: Michael Lee-Chin
After graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree, and working as an engineer for the Jamaican Government for two years, Michael Lee-Chin returned to Canada. Unable to find employment in his field, he began selling mutual funds with Investors Group. In 1979, he switched to Regal Planning Ltd., and then in 1983, he invested in Mackenzie Financial Corp. stock, which soon gave him a substantial measure of independence.
“With fire in his belly and a desire to succeed,” he searched for an investment strategy and found it in the basic “buy and hold” philosophy of successful role models Warren Buffett and such Canadians as Galen Weston and Ken Thomson. In 1985, he formed the Berkshire Group with subsidiaries in investment, securities and insurance services. When he purchased the now well-known AIC Ltd. in 1986 it was a relatively small organization.
With Michael as Chairman, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, the company prospered to the extent that in 1997 he won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Services Category. He had re-designed the AIC Advantage Fund and built AIC into Canada’s largest privately owned mutual fund company, servicing almost one million investors.
He has also remained true to the promise he made when he received financial support for his McMaster education from the Jamaican government to bring his skills back to Jamaica. In 2002, he purchased 75% of the National Commercial Bank from the Jamaican government through AIC with the aim of making it the pre-eminent financial institution in the Caribbean.
One of the most pleasing aspects of his achievements is that he has remained loyal to the local communities of Hamilton and Burlington, which have benefited from his philanthropic, but low profile, generosity. “One cannot enjoy one’s success unless you share it with others,” he rationalizes.
He has been a benefactor of the Burlington Art Centre, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, the Black Community Achievement Awards, and McMaster University, among many others.
2001: Ronald Materick
Since graduation, Ronald has had a distinguished career in business, construction and humanitarian work. After graduation, Mr. Materick worked with a Toronto based engineering and construction company, working in structural design of heavy engineering products. In 1974, he moved to Chicago, accepting a position as Vice President of Morse/Diesel, a large construction management firm. During that time, he also earned an M.B.A. from the Executive Program of the University of Chicago. In 1980, Mr. Materick joined Tishman Construction Corporation as President of their Midwest division covering 20 states, and has in recent years become President of the Western Region, bounded by the Allegheny Mountains on the east and Hawaii on the west and including all of Canada. In his tenure with Tishman, Mr. Materick has overseen the construction of several billion dollars worth of projects.
In addition to his demanding business and administrative schedule, Mr. Materick has devoted time, money and insight to humanitarian and conservationist causes. In 1991, he established the Ronald E. Materick Research Fellowship in Leukemia at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. As an active member of the Chicago Construction and Real Estate Council, he has helped that organization raise several million dollars for City of Hope. Mr. Materick has also maintained strong links to McMaster, and in 1987 established the Ronald E. Materick Scholarship, awarded annually to a civil engineering student who has attained notable academic standing. In 1996, he established the Ronald E. Materick Bursary to be granted to a student enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering who demonstrates financial need.
As a conservationist, Ronald is involved through the Building Industry Council of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois in the preservation and restoration of historic and landmark buildings. As well, Tishman Construction is committed to the building of two “green” buildings in New York City, a 40 storey office building and the Westin Hotel.
Mr. Materick lives in Oak Brook, Illinois with his wife Karen and their two sons.
2001: Barna Szabados
Since arriving at McMaster in 1967, Dr. Szabados displayed an originality of ideas and capacity for hard work have been outstanding. After countless failures, Dr. Szabados and his three colleagues discovered the process of dimming fluorescent light bulbs, spending almost a million dollars (and his own personal savings) to create a solution. The successful conclusion to this work occurred on November 27, 1998. The story of this success was aired on Discovery Channel’s news program on February 3, 2000. It is estimated that savings in electrical energy from the dimming device will save billions of dollars and also reduce pollution dramatically.
Dr. Szabados has been active in many other electric related projects including a Manufacturing Automation Protocol with General Motors in Oshawa that is used world wide today. Dr. Szabados worked in the field of zero emission vehicles, gave numerous training sessions to Hydro Quebec, Manitoba Hydro, and Calgary Hydro among others, as well as many other academic and research projects. Dr. Szabados received the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Academique” for exceptional technical contributions and dissemination of knowledge. The first Minister of France presented this 300 year old French award to Barna in March, 1999.
Although extremely busy in his field of Electricity, Dr. Szabados is also an active athlete. An accomplished golfer and downhill skier, he excelled in fencing winning the Grenoble University title in France and later led the McMaster fencing team to victory many times in the Canadian University Championships and the OQAA Championships
Dr. Szabados is currently Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of Power Research Laboratory, McMaster University.
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR:
“… the mentorship I strive to give to my students. I also like to think that I do not teach only technology, but a philosophy of life with great responsibility to society”
1999: Patricia Greene
An electrical and computer engineer graduate, Pat has excelled in what was, until recent years, a male dominated field. Space robotics is tougher than rocket science and Pat is very good at it-so good that she was awarded the Silver Snoopy award, a prestigious honour bestowed by the astronauts of N.A.S.A. on people who have made outstanding contributions to the success and safety of manned space flight. She is a staff engineer at Spar Aerospace Limited in Brampton which is producing robotic systems for the International Space Station, set to launch in summer 2000.
Pat was selected for the Snoopy award because of the major role she played in development of the complex Mobile Servicing System software and its critical integration with the U.S. On-Orbit Segment software which are essential to the successful accomplishment of the International Space Station assembly sequence and I.S.S. maintenance activities.
In addition to her demanding occupation, Pat enjoys karate, roller blading, hiking and travelling. She is a role model for children to whom she speaks during visits to schools and she is a friendly mentor to new employees at Spar where she has been employed for fifteen years.
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR:
“being a major contributing member to the team that established a permanent presence for Canada and the world in space. Being an excellent engineer who doesn’t take any crap and knows how to kick butt when necessary to get things done.”
1994: Ed Peters
Ed Peters worked at the Stelco Plant in Nanticoke, Ontario for six years. He was involved with the design, engineering and commissioning of the hot strip mill and water treatment facility. At the same time he became an avid scuba diver and in 1985, began work as a specialist in submersibles and submarine technology. This took him to Vancouver to design and build submarines for use in the tourist industry. He later joined Ballard Power Systems – a world leader in the development of solid polymer fuel cell technology. This technology converts hydrogen and oxygen gas to make pure water and electricity – an energy source which does not harm the environment. Here, he became the senior mechanical engineer in the Submarine & Aerospace Applications Group. Ed is a dedicated runner, who entered his first marathon in 1990. He successfully completed in several marathons including the Boston Marathon in 1992 and Hamilton’s “Round the Bay” race in 1994.
1993: Philip Wong
Philip Wong became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) in 1985, and in 1986, a member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He became manager for construction of many prestigious developments including the Mariott Hotel and the Academy of Performing Arts. In 1992, Philip joined Pacific Capital Group as Director and was responsible for property investment in the Expo Site in Vancouver, a commercial complex in Hong Kong and a development in Fuzhou, China.
In Hong Kong, he is the managing director of Star East Holdings Limited, the executive director of ITC Corporation Limited and Sing Pao Media Group Limited, and the vice chairman of M Channel Corporation. He helped found the McMaster Alumni Association in Hong Kong and served as its President from 1981 to 1983 and from 1990 to 1992.
1989: Dr. Leslie McLean
In 1988, Dr. McLean formed Steltech as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stelco, and began the sale of engineering and technology to other steelmakers around the world.
In 1994, Steltech merged with Hatch Associates, and Dr. McLean became a Director of Hatch, with responsibility for Iron and Steel engineering and technology world wide.
Dr. McLean was awarded the first McMaster Distinguished Alumni Award for Science at the 1988 McMaster University Convocation; and was named 1988 Engineer of the Year by the Hamilton Engineering Institute.
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR:
” …having led Steltech to excellence in materials technology and in the worldwide marketing of that technology.”
1986: Terry Fallis
A seasoned public affairs and communications professional, Terry Fallis is President of Thornley Fallis Communications, a leading full service consulting agency with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. Prior to co-founding Thornley Fallis Inc. in 1995, Terry served as President and C.E.O. of Berger & Associates, one of Canada’s oldest public relations firms. Before that, he spent more than six years with Hill & Knowlton, a major public affairs and public relations consulting agency, where he was Vice President.
Terry has also worked in government at both the provincial and federal levels. He served for more than two years as Legislative Assistant to the Deputy Premier and Ontario Treasurer. Prior to this, he was a policy assistant to the federal Minister of State (Youth) and earlier served as National Youth Policy Chair for the 1984 Liberal election campaign. During the Liberal Leadership Campaigns of 1984 and 1990, Terry was Ontario Youth Chair and Ontario Policy Chair, respectively, for the Hon. Jean Chrétien.
As a student at McMaster, Terry was vice-president and later president of the McMaster Students Union. He was admitted to the McMaster Honour Society in 1984 and was a founding member of the MSU Alumni Association in 1986.
Terry lives in Toronto with his wife Nancy Naylor ’84 and their two sons Calder and Ben.
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR:
“…being the only MSU President required to jump into a swimming pool filled with orange jello as part of his responsibilities.”