Two McMaster Engineering-affiliated professionals have been elected to join a prestigious academy comprised of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to engineering in Canada.
This year, two McMaster Engineering alumni joined a cohort of 52 highly accomplished engineers who will be inducted as Fellows into the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). The Induction Ceremony, which will honor both the 2020 and 2021 elected Fellows, will be held virtually in October 2021.
“Over the past 33 years, Fellows of the Academy have provided engineering leadership in the fields of education, infrastructure, innovation, energy, transportation, and many more. New Fellows have been selected for their outstanding contributions to engineering in Canada and around the world and for their service as role models in their fields and to their communities.” says CAE President Yves Beauchamp.
Fellows of the CAE are elected in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession and are committed to ensuring that Canada’s engineering expertise is applied to the benefit of all Canadians.
The newest McMaster Engineering-affiliated CAE members include:
John Saw, EVP, Advanced & Emerging Technologies, T-Mobile
Recognized as a visionary in the era of wireless development, John Saw has been a leading figure in advancing wireless technology. His 35 years in wireless is marked by many pioneering achievements and career milestones. As CTO at Clearwire, he led the team that developed the standard for the 2.5 GHz spectrum band, the most widely used band in smartphones globally today. In his subsequent role as CTO at Sprint, he deployed one of the first 5G networks in the world and originated the use of a new radio technology (Massive MIMO). Currently he holds 6 US Patents and was named to the 2020 Top 100 Most Influential people in 5G Globally. He was also appointed by the FCC Chairman to serve on the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.
Saw completed his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degree in electrical engineering from McMaster University.
“I’m certainly honoured to be recognized by the Canadian Academy of Engineering. I’m proud to be a McMaster alumnus and I’m very humbled that my alma mater put my name forward as a nomination, it made it that much more meaningful than just being named as a fellow,” says Saw.
I have worked in only one industry all my life since graduate school, and that is in wireless. Everything I learned in wireless, I learned at Mac and it helped me develop a very broad and rewarding career in the wireless industry.
Alfred Zeuner, Past President and Founder, AXYZ Automation Group
Alfred Zeuner received his Bachelor’s degree in 1980 and then spent the next five years studying part-time to earn his Master’s degree while he was a Canadian naval officer out on deployments. After retiring as a Lieutenant Commander in 1989 and leveraging the knowledge he gained at McMaster, Zeuner co-founded AXYZ International in 1991. Over the next 28 years he helped build the company into one of Canada’s largest CNC Router Machine manufacturers. AXYZ is now a leading global manufacturer of CNC routers and waterjet cutting solutions.
In early 2019, Zeuner retired as President and is now the technical advisor to the board of directors and the new President.
Zeuner completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s in engineering physics from McMaster University.
Last year, 6 McMaster Engineering-affiliated professionals joined the CAE, including Waguih Ishak, Faizel Lakhani, La
