Engineering Headlines

Looking for information on the impact of information technology on people at work and other thought-provoking topics? Guest speakers on information technology and other subjects presented to management sciences professor Peter Carr’s classes are available on YouTube.  The speakers include:

- Caroline Axtell of the University of Sheffield on the impact of information technology on people at work
- Ian Goldin, professor of globalisation and development and director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, on technology and globalization
- Kelvin Cantafio, vice chair NetHope and the International Federation of the Red Cross in Geneva, on information technology and developing countries
- Rainey Reitman, activism director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, on internet privacy
- Mark Aggar, Microsoft and the Green Grid in Seattle, on information technology and the environment.

On May 18 Vint Cerf, Google’s vice president and “chief Internet evangelist” will be interviewed.

William Tatham and Réal (Ray) Tanguay, both strong supporters of engineering education at the University of Waterloo, will receive honorary doctorates during the university’s spring convocation ceremonies on June 16. 

Tatham, a Waterloo systems design engineering alumnus, is an accomplished entrepreneur who founded Janna Systems in 1990. The company became a world leader in providing software for financial services and was sold to Siebel Systems in 2000. He then established NexJ Systems Inc., which was incubated by XJ Partners, a venture capital and advisory services company founded by Tatham and his former Janna management team. He made a significant contribution towards the building of the William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education, which was named in his honour.

Tanguay is the first Canadian to become a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation. He is currently chairman of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada and chief risk management officer for North America. Tanguay was instrumental in Toyota’s decision to build the new greenfield automotive assembly plant in Woodstock, Ontario, representing a $1.1 billion dollar investment and 2,000 new jobs. He helped introduce the University of Waterloo’s co-op system to Toyota and played a key role in creating the NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft industrial chair in mathematics-based modelling and design. He has served on the Faculty of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and completed a six-year term on the university’s Board of Governors. As well as receiving an honorary degree, Tanguay will address the audience. [news release]

Akram Nour, a civil engineering doctoral candidate and Kevin Yeung, a fourth-year civil engineering student, are two of the winners of the 2012 national scholarship competition held by the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers. Nour won the CITE Michel Van Aerde Memorial Award for doctoral students and Yeung was awarded the CITE HDR Undergraduate Award. The awards program honours outstanding achievement in transportation engineering and distinguished service to CITE. [awards website]

Waterloo Engineering’s incoming associate dean, teaching is one of eight professors province-wide to receive a 2012 Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Award for Excellence in Teaching. Gordon Stubley, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor who will officially become the Faculty’s first associate dean, teaching on May 1, was presented with the award by Natalie Cockburn, vice president education for the Federation of Students, in early April. Stubley was nominated for the award by the University of Waterloo’s Federation of Students.

“It was both an honour and humbling to receive this particular recognition because, in part, it is very much in recognition of the accomplishments and initiatives of many in mechanical and mechatronics engineering and throughout the Faculty,” says Stubley. “I am fortunate to be part of such a wonderful group!” [OUSA website]

The Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology Centre has received a US $1.6 million grant that will help students turn entrepreneurial ideas into business ventures. The Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®), owner of the GMAT® exam and the leading membership organization of graduate business and management schools worldwide, announced the award April 17. Waterloo was the only Canadian university to receive funding this round.

The funding will support the implementation of a Virtual Incubation Program, at Waterloo Engineering’s Conrad Centre. It will establish a global, online network of students, community groups, local entrepreneurs and international university partners, and is designed to support the development and launch of new businesses.

“Success, for most entrepreneurial students, hinges on having easy access to essential resources, learning opportunities and networks for collaboration and funding, to build their business,” says Rod McNaughton, director of the Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology Centre at Waterloo. “With this funding, the GMAC MET Fund has given us the ability to further support and produce successful new ventures on campus, in the community, and eventually take it global through academic partnerships.” [news release]

Three fourth-year management engineering students are the winners of the 2012 National Student Paper Award of Supply Chain Logistics Canada. Jessica McPhee, Ari Paunonen and Taufiq Ramji based their paper on their fourth-year design project entitled Night-Time Deliveries for Nestle Ice Cream.  The team  members will be presented with their award at the 45th Supply Chain Annual Conference and Tradeshow.