Honouring a mentor, motivator, educator and friend Alumnus funds professorship to celebrate his PhD supervisor

By Carol Truemner. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Decades after graduating from Waterloo Engineering, an alumnus is honouring the supportive relationship he had with his doctoral supervisor by funding a professorship in both their names.

Mohamed Azzam (MASc ’71 and PhD ’75, chemical engineering) has launched an endowment for the Azzam-Dullien Endowed Professorship in recognition of Francis Dullien’s commitment to him while he was a PhD student and post-doctoral researcher.

Azzam describes Dullien, a Waterloo chemical engineering professor from 1966 until his retirement in 1994, as his mentor, motivator, educator and friend.

“He guided my research every step of the way and encouraged me to perfect every aspect of my projects,” says Azzam.

While Dullien was known throughout Waterloo’s chemical engineering department to be tough and demanding, Azzam says their relationship was built on mutual respect and admiration.

“We had intense project discussions, we socialized, and towards the end of my PhD program we regularly played tennis, a sport we both loved,” he says.

See Honouring a mentor, motivator, educator and friend for full story.