Many graduates from the Department of Systems Design Engineering are among the distinguished group of Engineering alumni who have received the Alumni Achievement Medal in recognition of their professional achievements, community service, or academic excellence.
2023
George Yu
BASc 1986, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement
in recognition of his accomplishments as a diligent scientist and world-renowned luthier in creating award-winning violins for musicians worldwide and for his significant contributions to the modern renaissance of violin making.
2021
Glen W. Bandiera
BASc 1990, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Community Service
in recognition of his remarkable career as a physician who has contributed immensely to the evolution of medical education in Canada through his extensive work to advance hospital process improvement and governance along with physician accreditation and leadership.
Olga Pawluczyk
BASc 1998, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement
in recognition of her outstanding leadership as CEO of P&P Optica, which has made advancements in the field of spectroscopy by developing and testing multispectral and hyperspectral imaging technology for applications in the medical, recycling, oil and gas, space exploration, and food industries.
2020
Amarinder P. Singh
MASc 1992, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement
in recognition of his outstanding entrepreneurial skills and commitment to improving dental care in India by founding and leading Clove Dental, the largest network of dental clinics in Asia that provides high quality oral care as well as free consultations to thousands of children in need.
2018
Frank J. Gerencser
BASc 1984, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement
in recognition of cofounding triOS College and growing it into a highly successful, award-winning Canadian private career college with campuses across three provinces offering business, technology and healthcare programs.
2017
Nulogy
Co-Founders:
- Sean S. Kirby
BASc 2002, Systems Design Engineering - Jason D. Tham
BASc 2002, Systems Design Engineering - K. Donald Tham
MASc 1978, Management Sciences - Kevin N. Wong
BASc 2002, Systems Design Engineering - Jason A. Yuen
BASc 2002, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Team Alumni Achievement Medal
in recognition of becoming global leaders in developing leading-edge logistics software solutions for the supply chain industry designed to meet the needs of both retailers and consumers.
Rasmus Lerdorf
BASc 1993, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement
in recognition of creating PHP, a programming language that for over 20 years has been a powerful tool for making dynamic and interactive web pages and has been a major contributor to the overall Internet culture.
2016
HGC Engineering
Among the co-Founders:
- Brian V. Chapnik
BASc 1988, Systems Design Engineering
MASc 1990, Systems Design Engineering
is awarded the Faculty of Engineering
Team Alumni Achievement Medal
in recognition of their outstanding contributions to one of North America's largest consulting engineering firms specializing in noise, vibration and acoustical engineering.
2012
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Ilia Kaufman is awarded the Faculty of Engineering Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement in recognition of his role as founder, president and CEO of Kaufman Consulting Services Ltd., a world-leading software company that developed language technologies such as multilingual spell checking, grammar and search programs, and localization systems. |
2011
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Stephan F. Matusch is awarded the Faculty of Engineering Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as founder of Ionic Engineering, a leader of industrial automation in the mining industry, and his significant contributions to his community as the founding director of SudburyROCKS!!! Race, Run or Walk for Diabetes. |
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Kurtis N. McBride is awarded the Faculty of Engineering Young Alumni Achievement Medal in recognition of his co-founding Miovision Technologies Inc. while a Waterloo systems design engineering master’s student, and for his numerous impressive contributions to the industry and to the community, which include volunteering as a mentor at the Accelerator Centre. |
2010
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John A. Baker in recognition of his impressive entrepreneurial accomplishments as the founder, president and CEO of Desire2Learn, an innovative e-learning business that he started as an undergraduate Waterloo Engineering student. |
2009
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Cameron A. Piron For his innovative leadership as president and co-founder of Sentinelle Medical Inc. in the research and manufacturing of leading-edge MRI technologies that allow physicians to more quickly and accurately diagnose breast cancer and other medical conditions. |
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Kevin Salvadori For his unique combination of skills and compelling vision of the future that as executive vice president of business transformation and technology operations at Telus has helped him lead significant transformational programs. |
2007
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Donald J. Noakes For his outstanding role as a national leader in the protection of Canada’s natural resources and the development of its fisheries, and for his international reputation as a scientist who pushes for greater understanding. |
2006
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Vivienne Ojala For her extraordinary talents and accomplishments as a business professional and an engineer, for her visionary leadership of Brock Solutions and for her generous service to Waterloo Engineering and the Kitchener-Waterloo community. |
2005
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Catherine A. Booth For her outstanding professional achievements as a role model and exceptional leader in the field of information technology consulting, and for her community service as a volunteer dedicated to making her community a better place to live. |
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John M. Seminerio For his remarkable leadership in the volatile high-tech computer industry as one of the top serial entrepreneurs in Canada. His involvement with venture capital groups to invest back into the high-tech communcation. |
2003
2001
2000
1996
1995
Banner image (L to R): Baoling Chen, Dr. Mary Wells, dean of Waterloo Engineering, Michael Scott, Julien Knutzen, Erin Chapple and George Yu. Photo by Neil Trotter.