credi-billeng mag replace 2/12/07 11:17 am page 1 cover story 18 credi-bill bill magee (chemical...

W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 W W W. E N G I N E E R I N G . U A L B E R T A . C A

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Alumni

The Vision of EnvisionTop-Drive Tessari The Rules of Rheology Post-War Opportunity

Credi-BillBill Magee (Chemical ’60)

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:53 PM

Whenever U of A Engineers gather and reminisce about their daysat university, it doesn’t take long before they begin to share

memories of the professors who taught, encouraged, and sometimesgave them a little kick to become better engineers. Whether it was clearat the time or not, your professors were there to help you become notonly university graduates, but also competent professionals in a fieldthat is so vital to the functioning of our society.

Think back to your favourite professor—what was itthat made him or her special? Was it a dry wit thatmade even the most tedious of technical materialbearable? Was it a way of clearly explaining and re-explaining complex concepts without making youfeel foolish for not understanding the first time? Or was it a passion for their particular engineeringspecialty that was somehow contagious?

The Faculty of Engineering needs to hire even more ofthese special professors who have such a significantimpact on the lives and careers of our students. Whileour current faculty size is at a record high of 165, thedemand for our programs continues to grow at an amazing rate. To accommodate this growth and

allow for other transitions such as retirement, we will need to fill 100new faculty positions with outstanding educators at the assistant, associate, and full professor levels in all engineering disciplines over thenext several years.

These new faculty members will help us continue to focus on theadvancement of our scholarship and research efforts in four majorareas: nanotechnology and interfacial engineering, energy and naturalresources engineering, biomedical and bioengineering, and information

and communications technologies. Our academics work in an integrat-ed, collaborative environment, where a strong science focus is com-bined with valuable industrial ties and ample opportunity for novelcollaborations. The best candidates for our 100 positions will be thoseindividuals with interdisciplinary experience, as well as those who havecombined their engineering background with work in the physical andlife sciences or medicine.

You can help ensure that the engineers of tomorrow continue to bene-fit from the knowledge, mentorship, and leadership that outstandingprofessors provide. As an alumnus and advocate of the Faculty ofEngineering, you can continue to talk about your alma mater withpride, knowing that it is considered one of the top engineering schoolsin Canada, North America, and the world. You can bring opportuni-ties for applied research through the companies you have founded orfor which you work. You can also encourage your organizations togive philanthropic support to the Faculty of Engineering in areas ofchairs and professorships, which the Government of Alberta has com-mitted to match through the Access to the Future Fund. Our industrypartnerships are incredibly valuable to us, and help attract qualifiededucators and researchers from around the world.

Corporate and alumni partners play a vital role in the growth and suc-cess of your Faculty of Engineering. Please feel free to contact me atany time if you would like to explore ways in which you or your organ-ization can help build and enhance the intellectual capacity of ourschool. For your support and collaboration, our sincere thanks.

Yours truly,David M. PetisAssistant Dean External Relations

Message from theAssistant Dean

N E W t o w w w . e n g i n e e r i n g . u a l b e r t a . c a

When he's not working as a proud new recruit for the Schlumberger Edmonton Product Centre, Ryan Blush(Mechanical ’06) dons his red leather boots and steps well outside the box, whirling around stages all over

North America as a member of Shumka, one of Canada's premier Ukrainian dance groups. Such an artistic calling may not have much to do with a nuts and bolts career in engineering, but Blush sees it

as an issue of balance. Enrolled at age 10 in dance classes by parents who wanted him to know his culture, Blush has taken only

brief reprieves from the stage. He’s always lured back by the pure passion and exuberance that defineUkrainian dance.

And a word for the still-skeptical: the phenomenon of the dancing engineer ison the rise. Blush knows four fellow dancers who are also studying engi-neering at the U of A.

To read the complete article, log on to www.engineering.ualberta.ca.

Engineering Performance by Bev Betkowski

U of A E n g i n e e r2

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ENG MAG REPLACE 2/12/07 11:17 AM Page 1

C O V E R S T O R Y

18 Credi-BillBill Magee (Chemical ’60) put himselffirmly in the path of interesting workand professional growth experiencesthroughout his life’s journey. He hasexperienced a rewarding career (two,actually). Since 1994 he has beenassociated with CredifinanceSecurities, a small investment bank inToronto, where he has focused onfinancing junior oil producers in theformer Soviet Union.

F E A T U R E S

6 The Vision of EnvisionIn 1999, Gerard Monaghan (Chemical’89) started his own company,Envision Technologies, so he coulddevote his time to researching anddeveloping intellectual property forthe oil and gas industry. Now withseven employees and a spin-offcompany, Envision TechnologiesCross-Flow (ETX) Systems, he recentlyraised $2.5 million in the first roundof funding for the ETX Upgrader.

9 A SuperNet from FortMacleod to Fort ChipAlberta’s SuperNet spans more than12,000 kilometres using both fibreand wireless technology. It provideshigh-speed broadband connectionsto Alberta communities. John Luk(Computer ’85) played a key role inCalgary. Jack McMullen (Electrical’62) in Calgary and Duncan Sharp(Electrical ’72) in Vancouver wereprincipal designers of the wirelessportion of SuperNet.

of ContentsTable W i n t e r 2 0 0 7

U of A E n g i n e e r 3

D E P A R T M E N T S

5 Letter to the Editor

21 [email protected]

32 Cross Hairs on HistoryFollow the history of engineeringin Alberta and Canada from 1909to the present.

38 Kudos

38 In memoriam

12 The Rules of RheologyThe late Dr. Arthur B. Metzner(Chemical ’48) knew the rules of rheology. Many say he led the wayin the development of rheology asan important field of appliedscience, and in the use of rheologyfor the rational design and analysisof manufacturing processes. His comprehensive overview of of rheology and chemical engineeringgave him the ability to connect rheology with many other relatedfields.

16 Post-War OpportunityFor Muriel Cheriton (née Smith)(Electrical ’46), World War II createdan unexpected opportunity. Shechose electrical engineering becauseof a personal interest in radio. Herpost-war graduation brought herinto competition with experiencedengineers returning from wartimeservice. But it was in 1963 that shereally “came into her own.”

22 Top-Drive TessariBut to every rule there is an excep-tion. Consider Robert Tessari(Chemical ’73), a persistent engineerwho not only developed a trailblaz-ing technology for coaxing oil fromthe ground, but was also able toraise $90 million over three years tobring his idea to market.

26 Flight of Fancy toEngineered RealityAlvin (Al) Bruchal (Civil ’67) hasalways had an eye on the sky. As achild interested in flying, and thenas a teenaged Royal Canadian AirCadet, he dreamed of a career in the aerospace industry. Eventually,his flight of fancy became an engineering reality.

30 Called to a CauseLena Bunzenmeyer (Environmental[Co-op] ’00) knows a thing or twoabout water. Working with CanadianUniversities Services Overseas (CUSO),she is a water advocacy advisor in aregion of Indonesia that experiencesan abundant annual rainfall. Shedesigns, implements, and maintains adatabase containing informationabout the rivers and indigenouspeoples. She also monitors the pollu-tion levels of the Kapuas watershedand assists the communities in managing their water resources.

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thefrom

Editor Message

In this edition of “Crosshairs on History” we survey the history

of Alberta, the history of the Faculty of Engineering, and the

many contributions U of A professors and engineers have made

to the province and the nation from 1909 to present. This is part

two of a chronology. In the fall issue of U of A Engineer, we

covered people and events that shaped engineering to 1958.

Part one of “Engineering Over the Decades” generated some

impassioned feedback from alumni. Many of

you contacted me to mention a favourite

professor who had been omitted. Certainly,

no compendium is exhaustive. Sincere efforts

were made to cover the highlights. Space was a

factor. However, I enjoyed hearing your

suggestions and loved your feedback. I hope

and expect part two will generate equal interest.

Parts one and two of “Engineering Over the

Decades” sprang from speech notes that Dean Lynch delivered

to the Dean’s Brunch, part of Reunion Weekend activities.

Alumni enjoy Dr. Lynch’s informative overview and frequently

ask for copies of Lynch’s speech. The two articles (in this maga-

zine and the last) are a partial response to such requests.

Please feel free to comment on any and all of the content in this

winter issue of the magazine. Feedback is always welcome.

Contact me at 780.492.4514 or at [email protected]

Yours truly,

Sherrell Steele

Communications and Public Relations Strategist

Faculty of Engineering

UofAEngineerU of A Engineer is the Faculty

of Engineering alumni magazine.It is published three times

a year by the Dean’s Office andis distributed to Faculty of

Engineering alumni, friends, and staff.

Dean of EngineeringDavid T. Lynch

(PhD Chemical ’82), PEng

Assistant Dean, External Relations

David M. Petis

External Relations TeamMatt Ferguson, Peggy Hansen,Allyson Haug, Ana Herrera,

Katherine Irwin, Leanne Nickel,Jim Sellers, and

Laurie Shinkaruk.

Publisher/Managing EditorSherrell Steele

Copy EditorScott Rollans

Art DirectionHalkier + Dutton Strategic

Design

Contributing writers and photographers

Blue Fish Studios, BevBetkowski, Andrea Collins,

Don Hammond PhotographyLtd., Tom Keyser, DonnaPapacosta, April Serink,

Bronwen Strembiski, WandaVivequin, Debby Waldman,

and Bruce White.

Send your comments to: Sherrell Steele

Faculty of EngineeringE6-050 Engineering Teaching

& Learning ComplexUniversity of Alberta

Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4Tel: 780.492.4514 or

1.800.407.8354Fax: 780.492.0500

E-mail:[email protected]

Website: http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca

Winter 2007 Issue 22

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40051128

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Faculty of Engineering, University of AlbertaE6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning ComplexEdmonton, AB T6G 2V4

e-mail: [email protected]

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/7/07 3:59 PM

Dear Editor:

Iwas reading and enjoying the article on the Sissons of Medicine

Hat (winter 2006 issue of U of AEngineer) when I stumbled over asentence that did not quite makesense to me. It reads: “Gordon recallsone adventure 65 years ago, when hisclass went with Professor Webb tobuild dams near Banff.”

My father, Professor Harry Webb(Civil ’21) was in the habit of takinghis students on some trips so theycould see the real thing. One of thetrips was to see Grand Coulee Damon the Columbia River inWashington State, and the one men-tioned in the article would have beento see the dam built by CalgaryPower at Lake Minnewanka (nearBanff). My dad had been residentengineer on that project during thepreceding summer.

Few of those students are still liv-ing, so maybe no one but me willnotice the error.

Sincerely,E. Virginia MacKay, PEng (Civil ’48)

There is an error on page 39 of thefall 2006 issue of U of A Engineer.Larry Staples (Civil ’74) is no longerwith Acuren Group Inc. He is currently the president of C-FERTechnologies in Edmonton.

errors and omissions

On May 17, 2006 the Faculty ofEngineering unveiled the EngineeringGenerations Wall. The wall is locatedoutside the Solarium and on pedwaylevel, south of the Engineering Teachingand Learning Complex. The wall listsmultiple generations of U of A Engineersand illustrates family connections to theFaculty. It celebrates those who set anEngineering path that their children orgrandchildren, siblings, or cousins followed. As well, it recognizes thosefamilies who got their start here inEngineering—the students who met andmarried here in the Faculty; several ofthese groups now have children who arealso Engineering students or alumni.There are more than 510 individualnames on this wall from more than 170families.

Alumni responded most enthusiastically to this installation.

“I think it is great that this recognition wall is going up and I hope to see one ofmy kids on that wall one day.” ANDREW CHAN (Mechanical ’87)

“It looks great and I'm really excited and honoured that U of A is doing this torecognize Engineering families. Thank you.” CHAD MIELKE (Mining ’04)

“Thanks for implementing this program; it's a great idea.”DR. LAWRENCE BORLE (Electrical '82, MSc Electrical ’91)

“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Generations Family Tree.”ALVIN W. BORLE (Electrical ’85)

“I think overall the project is an excellent idea and (I) am pleased to be included.”NATHAN ESHPETER (Mechanical ’02)

“I really like your concept of an Engineering family tree. It will be interesting tosee how many more branches this tree will grow over the years to come.”HERB ZIEGLER (Mechanical ’81)

“I think it is great what you are doing and we hope to add some future generations as well. Keep up the good work.” MARK SKOWORODKO (Civil ’05)

Mentorship and leading by example have played an important role in the Faculty’shistory. Every year, new families will be added, and additions will be made to currentfamily groups. In this way, alumni can take credit for having contributed to thegrowth in the Faculty of Engineering and the success of students.

W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 W W W. E N G I N E E R I N G . U A L B E R T A . C A

Keeping in Touch with

Alumni

ATCO MeetsEdison

Peace and Profits in the Jungle

Co-op Celebrates 25 Years

Woman inFreefall

FORTRANtoFORTUNE

from

EngineeringGenerations Wall

An Engineering father-daughter connection: Marta Dmytruk (Civil ’97)and Chrys. Dmytruk (Chemical ’60)


ENG MAG REPLACE 2/12/07 10:33 AM Page 2


b y D e b b y W a l d m a n

In Alberta’s booming economy, small

start-up companies face stiff competition.

But GERARD MONAGHAN (Chemical ’89)

is confident that his industry experience

will help Envision Technologies succeed.

EnvisionThe Vision for

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on

nvision Technologies is Monaghan’s answer to resolving upgrading issues. Envision nowhas seven employees including Monaghan as CEO, and he recently incorporated a

spin-off company, ETX Systems. Envision’s first shareholders were Monaghan’s broth-

er and his cousin, who put up enough money to keep thecompany afloat until consulting jobs began to come in.ETX now must raise roughly $30 million to get its signa-ture product, the ETX Upgrader, up and running.

Monaghan isn’t worried. “We certainly are doing the right thing at the right

time,” he says. “The macro environment for heavy oil has never

been better than it is now, and there’s a lot of appetitein Alberta for this type of investment.”

ETX raised $2.5 million in the first round of fund-ing for the Upgrader. As the supply of light oil decreas-es and the world grows more reliant on heavy oil fromsources such as the oil sands, the coking process isincreasingly necessary. Envision’s Upgrader, whichshould make the process more efficient, is still in thedesign stage.

Monaghan expects that by July of this year the com-pany will be able to start up its feed pumps and commis-sion its one-barrel-a-day pilot project at the NationalCentre for Upgrading Technology in Devon, Alberta.Two years from now, he expects to have a 500-barrel-a-day demonstration project up and running. Monaghanhas set a 36-month goal to produce results that will convince companies to adopt the technology.

Academic rigour is important at Envision. The company often relies on academic consultants like U ofA Chemical Engineering professors Dr. WilliamMcCaffrey and Dr. Murray Gray.

Monaghan first became aware of McCaffrey andGray when he was at Syncrude and read about a novelprocess they’d developed to process bitumen—spread-ing it out as a thin film and heating it up quickly todecrease the coke yield. When Monaghan immersedhimself in academic journals after starting Envision,those two names kept coming up.

“We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, so we start-ed with an exhaustive search of the public domain,”Monaghan explains.

“When it comes to heavy oil upgrading, if yousearch the public domain, the U of A figures heavily inthe results of those searches.”

Monaghan contacted McCaffrey and Gray, who aregenerous about sharing their expertise. Two years ago,Envision provided funds for a student in McCaffrey’slab to determine the possible benefits of using the ETX

E

Gerard Monoghan (Chemical ’89)

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Upgrader. When new research is published,Monaghan or Wayne Brown, Envision’s chiefoperating officer, will call one of the profes-sors and ask his opinion. The professors havealso been helpful as unbiased evaluators whooffer feedback when the company reachesmilestones.

Of course, it’s one thing to make some-thing work in a highly controlled laboratoryenvironment; it’s quite another to get it towork reliably in the field, day in and day out.Monaghan knows that. That’s why Envisionhas put its many other ideas on hold for now and is concentrating its energies on theETX Upgrader.

Heavy oil contains molecules that aremuch larger and more complex than thosefound in motor-vehicle gas tanks. The problem is that getting heavy oil to the transportation-grade fuel stage requiresbreaking down those molecules. Cokingrefers to the thermal conversion process thatcracks the bonds of the big molecules to produce smaller ones. It also reshuffles thehydrogen from the big molecules to stabilizethe smaller ones.

What’s left after the process is coke—ahydrogen-deficient substance that’s highlycondensed, almost as dense as coal.Monaghan calls it “a low-value by-product”while others call it junk. The ETX system is

designed to produce less coke and more fuelthan existing technology.

Monaghan has no illusions that theworld’s oil-and-gas companies are going toabandon current equipment. As new facilitiesare built, however, the newest, most efficienttechnology will be purchased.

“All companies have expansion plans,”he says.

“They will need to support much higherthroughputs than what they currently pro-duce. I certainly see companies like Syncrude,Suncor, and Canadian National ResourcesLtd. being customers of ours.”

At Syncrude, Monaghan performed a widerange of tasks, in engineering design as well astechnical services. He spent a year in the field

doing shift-work, turning valves along withplant operators. The latter wasn’t exactly whathe was educated for at the U of A but, he says,“it was a valuable experience to try and figureout what we should be incorporating into thedesign to make it practical for the field.”

Syncrude provided Monaghan with otherexcellent opportunities, including the chanceto earn his MBA from the U of A.

“It’s nice to be able to know how todesign things. But to determine if there’s aneed, it’s useful to have an appreciation of thebusiness fundamentals,” he says.

“To a certain extent, business has alwaysinterested me. But it also provided a key

complement to my engineering skills, andthat’s helping to move engineering ideasbeyond what’s interesting to what’s actuallyeconomic.”

Syncrude also whetted Monaghan’sappetite for research and development, whenit sent him to New Jersey to work with athermal conversion research group at Exxon.He spent nearly two years there, helpingdevelop upgrading technology and writingpatent applications. The experience openedhis eyes to what’s possible when working fora multinational company with seeminglyunlimited resources.

He had been thinking for some timeabout what it would take to optimize heavyoil, to make the process more efficient.

“When I saw the type of resources andwhat a company like Exxon can bring to bearon those problems, I wasn’t afraid of doingthat through a venture,” he says.

“The New Jersey experience gave me theconfidence that I could try and do somethinglike that on my own.”

Within six months of returning to FortMcMurray, Monaghan left Syncrude, movedhis wife and two young daughters to Calgary,and started his company.

“There is competition,” he says, “but we come close enough to that ideal coking process that we believe the chance of a competing technology coming in andsurprising us with a totally innovativeapproach to the process is small. We keeptrack of the competitors out there, and we’re confident.”

Monaghan says that by 2030, the worldwill need roughly 15 million barrels a day ofheavy oil. Right now it uses about five mil-lion barrels a day.

“We’re presenting investors with theopportunity to put their money in, and if ourinvestment pays off, they’re looking at a 100-fold or 1,000-fold return on their investment.

“If a person has capital to wager, theupside of this is so compelling, and if youlook at the rigour of our developmentprocess, and the return we’ve found there,there’s a huge interest in getting involved.”

Debby Waldman is an Edmonton-based freelance journalist.

“. . . by 2030, the world will need roughly 15 million barrels a day of heavy oil. Right now it

uses about five million barrels a day.”

A diagram of the pilot version of the ETX reactortechnology

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:54 PM

A SuperNetfrom Fort Macleod to Fort Chip

by Andrea Collins

n the fall of 2005, Alberta became a lotsmaller—virtually speaking. AlbertaSuperNet was completed in September 30,

2005, linking every Albertan community in asingle immense telecommunications system.

SuperNet spans more than 12,000 kilo-metres (the distance from Calgary toAuckland, New Zealand), using both fibreand wireless technology. It provides high-speed broadband connections among 4,200

I government, healthcare, library, and educa-tion facilities in 429 Alberta communities. Italso enables the delivery of broadband ser-vices by private Internet service providers torural business and residential customers.

This levels the playing field betweenAlberta’s urban centres and remote commu-nities. Rural business owners can now reachthe global marketplace. School children canlink up to distance education opportunities.

Government departments can provide infor-mation and services at the touch of a mouse.Physicians can consult with specialists in thecity and receive massive x-ray or other diag-nostic images via a private network.

The Alberta government invested $193million to fund SuperNet’s development.Partner Bell Canada contributed more than$102 million to construct the infrastructureand connections in the 27 urban centres, and

9U of A E n g i n e e r

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Axia NetMedia Corporation of Calgary iscontracted to provide network access ser-vices, which can be purchased at low cost byInternet service providers. Though it requireda large government investment, this public-private partnership system is expected to besustainable and expandable.

John Luk (Computer ’85) was among themany government engineers and IT peopleinvolved in the project. His 12-person technical team helped convert governmentoffices from the plodding uncertainty of traditional rural network connections to thehigh-speed efficiency of SuperNet.

“My team travelled to 450 communitiesin four months,” says Luk.

“They were on the road constantly fromMay to October 2005 and went to someunusual places, communities they likelywould not have ever seen if not for this project. A few said it was particularly mean-ingful to have had this experience duringAlberta’s centennial.”

Although the team had to scramble tomeet the project deadline (and win their racewith winter weather), they greatly enjoyedthe technical challenges posed by thisHerculean task.

“For IT people like myself, it was anopportunity to deploy applications we could-n’t display before,” says Luk.

Luk came to Canada from Hong Kong in1980, specifically to pursue the U of A’s newprogram in Computer Engineering. On grad-uation he was hired by the provincial govern-ment and has been a player in two majornetwork conversions—the move from X.25protocol to Frame Relay protocol in the late80s, and now SuperNet.

Since completing the SuperNet conversion

last fall, Luk was named manager of NetTech Planning. This means his network teamwill continue to work with Axia on opera-tions, and look at new uses and expandedcapacity for the future.

“The system was designed to be scalable,so it can continue to grow as we leverage newopportunities,” says Luk.

While Luk and his team worked on thegovernment systems, other engineers wereengaged in building massive network connec-tions across Alberta. Morrison HershfieldLimited, a Calgary-based engineering man-agement firm, was subcontracted by Bell to

construct much of the infra-structure for rural and remotecommunities. They employedcivil engineers to lay down thefibre optics for the networkand build the relay stations. Aswith many remote projects, thebulk of the work was per-formed in severe weather, totake advantage of winter roadsacross frozen lakes and rivers.

Morrison Hershfeld sub-contracted PlanetworksConsulting Corporation tocomplete the design work forthe radio paths to remote com-

munities. Two U of A graduates, JackMcMullen (Electrical ’62), based in Calgary,and Duncan Sharp (Electrical ’72) inVancouver were principal designers of thewireless portion of SuperNet. Their workbegan in 2002 with a long connectionbetween Rocky Mountain House and Shunda(Baldy) Mountain near Nordegg. Their lastwireless connection, completed in April2005, linked northeast Alberta from FortVermilion to Garden Creek (Wood BuffaloNational Park) as well as south to two com-munities of Tall Cree First Nations.

However, it was their work in the farnorth that made engineering history. Their120-kilometre wireless connection from FortChipewyan to a promontory in the BirchMountains is believed to be the longestbroadband wireless span in North America—possibly the world. It won MorrisonHershfield two awards of merit in the 2005Consulting Engineers of Alberta ShowcaseAwards.

High capacity wireless connections wereneeded to link Fort Chip’s two hospitals tourban diagnostic centers. A short connection

“It’s been operational for a some time now

and has gone through the weather challenges

of every season without problems. We only

hope people will take full advantage of it.”

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:03 AM


was out of the question, because the town lieson the edge of Wood Buffalo National Parkand construction within the park is prohibited.Outside the park, environmentally sensitivemarshlands are a breeding ground for whooping cranes, bison, and other threatenedspecies. Even if the environmental concernswere ignored, the ground is too soggy to efficiently install and maintain fibre.

The connection needed to bypass thepark, cross Lake Athabasca, and avoid oilsands activity and Precambrian Shield landnear town.

“We evaluated six design solutions andcarefully weighed the risks and benefits ofeach before deciding on the long microwaveshot,” said Sharp.

“We had our final path calculationsreviewed by others—an engineering professorat Simon Fraser University, an engineer withNorthwestel, and another consulting engi-neer—before we proceeded. The solution wefavoured, and eventually used, had the high-est risk, but it looked like the risk was worthit. It was the cheapest and fastest shot.”

It was proposed that the high-frequencyband run parallel to an existing Telusmicrowave—a narrow, low-frequency band—which gave them an electronic path to follow. The new wireless path needed to bestable enough to be usable and have enoughfade margins to prevent static and break-ups.

“Our boogeyman was dispersive fading[selective fading within the band],” saidMcMullen. (Dispersive fading is caused byfluctuations of radio signals resulting fromvariations in the transmission medium.)

They decided to use a long-distancemicrowave system made by Alcatel in Texas.Known as a quad diversity system, it con-nects at each site and employs four differentreceivers: two for the space diversity offeredby the double antennas, and another two forthe frequency diversity offered by two signalscarrying identical information on separatefrequencies. McMullen and a colleague fromBell travelled to Texas to witness system test-ing of the quad diversity algorithms for use inthe Fort Chip link. The system was success-fully installed in February 2004 and activatedthat June.

“It could have been a great success or agreat failure,” said McMullen.

“It’s been operational for a some time now,and has gone through the weather challengesof every season without problems. We only

hope people will take full advantage of it.”SuperNet training across the province

played a big part in bringing health care, education, library, and government users upto speed. The system is now becoming available for residential and business usethrough Internet providers. Those usersreceive training and certification at Axia’snot-for-profit NEWT lab (Network forEmerging Wireless Technologies) in Calgary,a leading wireless technical center that provides both hardware and software development and testing support.

SuperNet has provided for all seven layerson the standard Open System Interconnec-tion model of networking to be operationalin Alberta, not only in major urban centres, but across the province. It hasbrought the capacity for high-speed access tomore than 86 percent of Alberta’s popula-tion, making it a key factor in rural Alberta’ssocial and economic development.

For the medical community, it meansbypassing an eight-hour helicopter ride orthree-hour narrowband modem transmissionto send and receive vital medical information.It can also be used for training workers forAlberta’s booming oil and gas industry; voca-tional schools in Calgary and Edmonton canoffer long-distance instruction in welding andother needed trades. As for business, Tokyowill be as close as Tofield for e-commercetransactions.

The government of Alberta developed thevision for SuperNet beginning with anInformation and Communications TechnologyStrategy in 1998. It set the stage for Albertato move aggressively forward in this telecom-munications frontier.

“Alberta is farsighted,” said Sharp.“Telecom is an enabler—we were the

leader in installing underground phone linesand extended area service many years ago,and now we are one of the most wired juris-dictions in North America.

“Some critics say SuperNet is overkill. Idisagree. We have built a system in answer totoday’s needs, but it has the capacity to serveus well into the future.”

Andrea Collins is an Edmonton-based freelance writer and public relations consultant.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:03 AM

RHEOLOThe Rules of

Many say the late DR. ARTHUR B. METZNER

(Chemical ’48) led the way in the development of

rheology as an important field of applied science

and in the use of rheology for the rational design

and analysis of manufacturing processes.

by Bronwen Strembiski


ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:54 PM

etzner was not only recognized forhis academic achievements andresearch contributions, but alsofor his volunteer commitmentsand his overall positive spirit. Even

after he had retired for the second time, people stillcame to him for professional advice, keeping himactive until his death.

“Art had an unremitting commitment to excel-lence, coupled with extraordinary warmth,humour and generosity,” reflects Morton M.Denn, Albert Einstein Professor and director of theBenjamin Levich Institute for Physico-ChemicalHydrodynamics, City College of New York.

Born in Saskatchewan, Metzner lived much ofhis life in Alberta before moving to the UnitedStates. After he received his undergraduate degree,he earned his doctorate from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology in 1951.

Metzner began his academic career with instruc-torships at MIT and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.In 1953, he joined the University of Delaware as anassistant professor, becoming an associate professorin 1956 and a professor in 1961. He was named theH. Fletcher Brown Professor of chemical engineer-

GYM


The late Dr. Arthur B. Metzner(Chemical ’48)

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:54 PM


Bachelor theses, 46 Masters, and 38 PhDs. Heacted as a mentor at the beginning of each project, but as the work progressed, he encour-aged (perhaps demanded) independent thoughtand insight. He kept track of these studentsafter they graduated, and he was a gifted andconscientious letter writer. Whenever a formerstudent was promoted, Metzner would send an incisive and instructive congratulatory note;the recipient felt truly honoured.

Metzner was a skilled and subtle leader.In a university, great leaders note thestrengths of their subordinates and make sug-gestions for improved results. However,Metzner had high standards, and foundbloodless ways of getting rid of those hejudged inadequate. A correctly written letterof recommendation would help an under-achieving faculty member transfer to anotherinstitution, or a fatherly talk about careerchoices would help another move on entirely.

The world of engineering was built bymany great people. But when it comes to thestudy of rheology there are few, if any, asgreat as Metzner.

He described his research interests as processing of composite materials, polymerprocessing, fibre spinning, and fluid mechan-ics. In fact, though, his work was muchbroader. His name is associated with the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids, and assuch he was the editor of the Journal of

Rheology from 1985 to 1995. There, heestablished standards that resulted in thehighest Institute for Scientific InformationImpact Factor of any research journal in rhe-ology, fluid mechanics, or polymer processing.For these efforts he was given the distin-guished service award by the Society ofRheology in 1997.

Rheological research combines manyfields, including biophysics, chemical engineer-ing, chemistry, computer science, electronics,engineering mechanics, materials science,mathematics, and mechanical engineering.Metzner’s comprehensive overview of rheolo-gy and chemical engineering allowed him toconnect rheology with many other relatedfields, an ability shared by few others.

Metzner’s primary research was in theareas of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, andthe processing of polymers and composites.He produced approximately 130 researchpublications and patents, earning awardsfrom the American Institute of ChemicalEngineers, the Society of Rheology, theAmerican Society for Engineering Education,and the American Chemical Society.

Extending his expertise outside of theUniversity of Delaware, Metzner was a mem-ber of the external visiting committee forChemical Engineering at Princeton University,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Pennsylvania State University, and McGillUniversity. When the U of A’s ChemicalEngineering program was under review,Metzner served on the advisory council. Afterinterviewing faculty and students, he puttogether a report detailing the results of hisinterviews and outlining recommendations.

Metzner enjoyed an active consultingpractice, and the research stemming fromthese efforts often became textbook material.Examples include the Otto-Metzner correla-tion for power consumption in the mixing ofnon-Newtonian fluids, his series of papers ondrag reduction with the use of small quanti-ties of viscoelastic fluids, and his analysis ofthe flow of fibre suspension, including a land-mark paper on the extensional viscosity offibre suspensions.

In the late 90s, when the transfer of oilfrom the Prudhoe Bay field was severelyreduced, the Alyeska Pipeline Service compa-ny hired Metzner as a consultant to reviewtheir operations. He gathered a group of

ing in 1961, and then, in 1991, the H. FletcherBrown Professor Emeritus, a title he held untilhis death.

Metzner clearly understood that teachingchemical engineering was not so much aboutcontent but more about helping students tohave the skills and confidence to be able tosolve a wide range of problems. He encour-aged students to participate in a variety ofways, mostly by explaining how they com-pleted the many problems he assigned. It wasvery dangerous to come to class unprepared.

Metzner wanted the students to learn tosolve specific problems on their own. Hisapproach made them more attentive readersof textbooks, and ultimately, more confidentengineers.

He also had a unique approach to teach-ing the graduate fluid mechanics course. Heemphasized students’ ability to criticallyexamine papers in the literature and developa different approach to a specific issue if thepapers were found lacking.

“Art mentored many students both in theclassroom and in his laboratories,” remarksDr. T.W. Fraser Russell, Allan P. ColburnProfessor of Chemical Engineering, Universityof Delaware.

“He had a positive influence on theircareers. Several have become leaders in eitherthe academic and industrial world.”

As a research advisor, Metzner directed 48

He described his research interests

as processing of composite materials,

polymer processing, fibre spinning, and fluid

mechanics. In fact, though, his work was

much broader. His name is associated with

the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids, and as

such he was the editor of the Journal of

Rheology from 1985 to 1995.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:54 PM


family, friends and, most importantly, fellowteam members.

“There were very few associates over the years, both in academia and industry,who were not important mentors to me,” heonce said.

“And, as the years went by, older men-tors were replaced with equally importantyounger associates. The young mentors in thelast decade of my career were no less impor-tant than the older people of the first.”

“He was obviously very bright but alsohad great insight,” says Dr. Ken Porteous,Associate Dean (Student and Co-op Services),Faculty of Engineering.

“This allowed him to develop simple butelegant experimental and theoretical treat-ments to demonstrate a principle. His workwas of the highest quality and he expected noless from those who worked with him.”

On the 40th anniversary of his employ-ment at the University of Delaware, Metznerreceived more than 80 letters of congratula-tions, praise, and thanks. The university pre-sented him with a memory book of thesemessages during a symposium held in hishonour.

No small tribute to a man who knew therules of rheology but was never ruled bythem.

experts who ultimately made strategic reduc-tions in the number of pumping stations andmade use of drag reduction insights.

Proposing a design problem, Metznerbrought this accumulated knowledge fromthe Alyeska project to the undergraduates inthe first chemical engineering laboratorycourse. The students soon found out that theoperation of a pipeline was much more com-plex than the operation of the pipe rack inthe laboratory. Their problem was to specifythe location of pumping stations fromPrudhoe Bay to Valdez. To solve the problem,students had to digest a large quantity of lit-erature, understand fluid flow in a partiallyfilled pipe operating with major changes in elevation, and, finally, consult the master,Metzner. This is an example of problem-based learning at its best.

As a consultant, Metzner broughtremarkable insight to companies such asMobil, Dow Chemical, and Union Carbide.He not only offered technical advice, but alsointeracted with management for the timelyexecution of projects.

With studies in the areas of the processingof composite materials, polymer processing,fibre spinning, and fluid mechanics, he hashad an enormous impact on practice. He wassubstantially involved in significant govern-mental associations, including the DefenceResearch Board of Canada and the CanadianDefence Research Establishment.

Genuinely humble about his awards,Metzner always shared in his success with

Rheology is the study of the flow of materials that behave in interesting or unusual

manners, and mainly describes the material properties of fluid and semi-solid

materials. Rheological descriptions usually refer to the property of viscosity (how thick

a fluid is) and departures from Newton’s law of viscosity. Rheology combines, to an

unusual degree, academic activities with the possibility of practical applications in a

wide range of industrial situations. These include commercial processing of plastics

and rubber, textiles, paper, oil and paints, foodstuffs, adhesives, and composites.

Bronwen Strembiski is an Edmonton-based motivationalspeaker and public relations consultant.

Editor’s Note: The above images were taken during Metzner’s 40th anniversary ofemployment at the University of Delaware.

RHEOLOGY?What is

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:03 AM


by Andrea Collins

The only certainty about

war is its uncertainty.

For Muriel Cheriton (née

Smith) (Electrical ’46),

World War II created an

unexpected opportunity and

then, a few years later,

a closed door.

Post-WarOpportunity

Muriel Cheriton(née Smith)(Electrical ’46)

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:54 PM


T he parents of this young Edmontonwoman were both schoolteachers,and Cheriton hoped to follow in

their footsteps. In 1942, high school tran-script and savings in hand, she tried to enrol in education at the University of Alberta.When she discovered that she was short offunds for tuition, she turned sadly away tohead home.

A woman in the registrar’s office stoppedher. She had seen Cheriton’s high marks in math and science, and knew that there wasa high demand for scientists in wartime. TheUniversity offered inducements for studentsentering sciences (resulting in a record high of183 accepted into first-year Engineering in1942). Cheriton was one of the lucky ones—she was eligible for a bursary offered towomen in science. She jumped at the chance.

Though another woman started the fallterm with her, she soon dropped out. So,Cheriton was the sole female in the Facultyuntil Virginia Webb enrolled in 1944.

Cheriton had no problem mixing with hermale classmates.

“I grew up with brothers, so they werejust like another bunch of brothers. I gotteased a lot, but I was treated like a lady.However, I made sure to make myself scarcewhen there was a stag going on!”

Cheriton chose electrical engineeringbecause of a personal interest in radio. It wasalso a high priority for the Canadian govern-ment. U of A was providing special shortcourses in electronics for navy and air per-sonnel, as well as regular engineering classes.

Classes ran for ten hours a day withanother four hours on Saturday. Every stu-dent was also required to donate four to sixhours to volunteer work to assist the wareffort. Cheriton washed test tubes at theblood donor clinic, learned Morse code, andassembled information on poisonous gases.Homework, study, and special projects filledmuch of the remaining hours.

“We all worked very hard,” understatesCheriton.

But, somehow, the engineering students ofthe day still managed to fit in fun. As herclass representative on student council,Cheriton was right in the thick of planningsocial events—including the celebratedEngineers’ Ball where, in 1945, she wasnamed the Queen of Engineering.

Andrea Collins is an Edmonton-based freelance writer and public relations consultant.

Her graduation in 1946 made her theUniversity’s second female Engineering grad(Esther Rabkin, Electrical ’35, graduated fromthe Faculty of Applied Science). It also broughther into competition with experienced engi-neers returning from wartime service.

Fortunately, Cheriton had proven hermettle in a summer job at Calgary Power, andthe company offered her full-time work ongraduation. While there, she met a personfrom General Electric who suggested she jointhe company in Toronto so she could “havemore scope in her work.”

The year in Toronto brought many new experiences—including meeting RossCheriton, whom she married in 1947. Rosswas a graduate of electrical engineering atUniversity of Saskatchewan, and the twodecided to move back west. In those post-waryears, married women were discouraged fromemployment (to leave jobs free for service-men), so Cheriton settled into a traditionalrole of wife, mother, and community volunteer.

However, Cheriton’s keen mind was stillinterested in engineering, and she kept abreastof developments in the sector through readingand her husband’s work. Ross started his ownfirm out of the basement of the family homein Edmonton in 1956, and Cheriton was itsself-described “go-fer.” As the company grewand got its own office, she became moreactive, looking after facility rentals, insurance,and financial matters, and occasionally work-ing on engineering projects.

“I came into my own in 1963,” she saidin an interview that appears in George Ford’sbook Sons of Martha.

“I was working in my profession andmaking the decisions necessary for the suc-cessful operation of the consulting firm.”

The Engineering Parade in 1943

However, Cheriton says informal discus-sions with Ross were an even greater help.

“Every time he’d tell me about a challengeor problem with a project, I’d ask him ques-tions and he’d keep working the answers overuntil he got it right.”

She was particularly strong in the forensicengineering (detecting arson or other sourcesof fire or explosion), which Ross practiced asa sub-specialty.

Cheriton made her own impact on engi-neering in wider circles as well. She served onthe council and a disciplinary committee withthe Association of Professional Engineers,Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, wasactive with the Engineers’ Wives Association,served on the U of A Engineering “camp” todetermine recipients of the famous iron rings,and other organizations. She organized annualmeetings, conferences, and social events;chaired committees and sat on boards; and wasthe organizer of her class for the 2006Reunion.

“I’ve never regretted completing mydegree, even though I didn’t apply it directlyto a career,” says Cheriton.

“Times were different then, and I enjoyedstaying at home to raise a family. I’ve had agood life.

“But I admire today’s young women inengineering who seem to be able to fit familylife and work together so well.”

No doubt, the pioneering work of womenlike Cheriton paved their way.


Credi-

BillLife’s been good to Bill Magee (Chemical ’60). He has

experienced a rewarding career (two, actually), interna-tional travel and, now, sufficient leisure time to enjoy life.

Magee credits much of his success to being in the right place atthe right time, but he’s being a little too modest. He has put him-self firmly in the path of interesting work and professionalgrowth experiences throughout his 46 years since graduation.

After completing his degree at U of A, Magee spent a yearin France attending an engineering graduate course at l'École deGénie Atomique in Grenoble, a program that included nuclearreactor design.

Study and work in Europe opened his eyes to different waysof thinking and living.

“Of course we were focused on the job at hand, but couldn’thelp noticing when we stopped at a French newsstand, thatthere were 15 different newspapers on display—political

B Y D O N N A P A P A C O S T A


ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:03 AM

Bill Magee (Chemical ’60)


ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM


opinion from the extreme left to the far right.”He’d come a long way from Edmonton. Sitting in his Toronto office, Magee looks

back and says, “In many ways our class wasvery fortunate. The oil business in Albertaboomed during the 1950s. Natural gas rampedup in the 1960s. There was lots of work forengineers when we graduated. And I found inmy first few years of operations in the field,where they put the young single guys, that wewere well prepared for the job.”

After his stint in France, Magee wasemployed for nine years in process design andproject engineering with the Canadian affili-ate of Air Liquide, a world leader in cryo-genic (very low temperature) gas processing.Based in Montreal, he worked on projects inCanada, the United States, and Europe.

“The fun part was starting up the plants,”he recalls.

Magee booted up oxygen plants andhydrogen purification units in Louisiana andin Spain, air separation units in Hamiltonand in West Virginia, and two of the world’sfirst liquefied natural gas peak shaving plantsin Montreal and in Tennessee.

Magee switched gears somewhat in 1969,when he obtained a diploma in businessadministration from McGill University.

“I got to the point where I had proventhat I could do this job and I thought I mightbe ready for a new challenge. McGill was just

two blocks away from our office, so it waseasy to attend their evening courses. I alreadyhad an interest in investing, so I thought Iwould study for a business diploma.”

Again, Magee was in the right place at theright time. The Canadian investment industryhad just begun to hire people with technicalskills to do research and due diligence in theoil, gas, and mining industries. Combininghis expertise in two disciplines—engineering

and finance—he took the leap into the invest-ment business.

“I liked the idea of being an equityinvestor in a firm.”

Since 1994, Magee has been associatedwith Credifinance Securities, a small invest-ment bank in Toronto, where he has focusedon financing junior oil producers in the for-mer Soviet Union.

One noteworthy success was a Calgary-based junior called Hurricane Hydrocarbons.In 1995 Credifinance raised $5 million to financeHurricane’s initial project in Kazakhstan. After10 years of exceptional growth and a namechange to PetroKazakhstan, the company wassold in 2005 for $5 billion.

Over the past 36 years, Magee has wit-nessed the rapid growth of Canada’s oil andgas industry.

“I’ve seen it all,” he says, “soaring com-modity prices, changes in the fiscal regime, anexplosion in the number of companies, acqui-sition mania, the shifting focus to the oilsands, international operations, and impres-sive advances in technology.”

In his work, Magee has visited field operations throughout western Canada,refineries, petrochemical plants, drilling in the Beaufort Sea, and several projects in the oil sands. He has also visited internationaloperations in Dubai, India, Norway, and the Sudan, as well as in the former SovietUnion, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Ukraine.

What advice would Magee offer newlyminted engineers?

“I know that those graduating from U ofA will have a good grounding on the techni-cal side of engineering,” he says.

“Beyond that, they’ll have to be willing tolive with constant change in the workingenvironment. With all the consolidationgoing on, as well as accelerating globaliza-tion, it’s a jungle out there.”

Magee also recommends learning languages. In addition to French, he speakssome Spanish, has picked up a little Russian,and regrets not taking the German option atU of A.

“Overall, I’d say to choose work that’sfun for you,” he advises.

“Find something you enjoy and that youfeel is worthwhile.”

What’s next on the horizon for Magee?He’s not packing away his passport.

“We are working on another project inKazakhstan,” he says.

Yes, he will retire someday, but not just yet. “I am gradually phasing into retirement,”

he explains. “I retired as a director three years ago. I

have flexible hours here at Credifinance, and Iget to do work I find gratifying—following theoil and gas industry and keeping up with thetremendous changes in it.”

You get the sense that, even after heretires, Magee will never stop seeking outnew experiences.

“I’ve seen it all—soaring commodity prices, changes in the

fiscal regime, an explosion in the number of companies,

acquisition mania, the shifting focus to the oil sands, international

operations, and impressive advances in technology.”

Donna Papacosta is a writerand editor in Oakville, Ontario.She admires anyone who canlearn to speak some Russian.

Top: The 2004 Kazakhstan International Oil &Gas Exposition in Almaty, the country's com-mercial centre in eastern Kazakhstan. This wasa week-long event attended by 412 companiesfrom 30 countries.

Bottom: A group of investors inspecting a pro-ducing oil well on an exploration licence 50kilometres east of Aktau, a port city in westernKazakhstan on the Caspian Sea. The licence isheld by BMB Munai, an oil company thatCredifinance brought public in 2003.



@ualberta.caengineer.alum

CCiivviill EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg

RRooggeerrss,, AAll ((CCiivviill ’’6600))

A slight error was noticed on page 24 ofthe summer 2006 issue of U of A Engineer inthe article entitled “Engineering Over TheDecades.” I think you will find the first oilwell in Turner Valley was the Dingman #1,which was completed in May 1914, well inadvance of 1936.

SSiimmmmoonnddss,, DDrr.. SSiidd

((PPrrooffeessssoorr eemmeerriittuuss,, CCiivviill EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg))

I enjoyed reading your article on notablepeople in fall 2006 edition of U of A Engineer

since I had heard of all of them and knew Karl Clark, Ike Morrison, (LLD [Hon] ’53),Bob Hardy, (LLD [Hon] ’77) and Len Gads(Civil ’39) personally. My reason for writingis to correct a date for the time Len Gads was associate dean. I know that he was associate dean in 1949, but he may have beenappointed earlier.

I worked closely with Len during the1960s, on career days visiting high schools innorthern Alberta when he was associate deanand I was chair of the APEGGA Educationcommittee. In 1969, Gads had heart problemsand was given health leave, which may bewhere you got the 1969 date.

Bob Hardy appointed me act-ing associate dean for Engineeringuntil Len’s retirement, and Iremained in that position untilafter George Ford (Civil ’42, MScCivil ’46, DSc [Hon] ’88) wasappointed Dean in 1971. I decid-ed to return to full-time teachingduties in the Civil Engineering

department and recommended to Ford thatfuture associate deans be appointed for a limit-ed term. It is interesting to note that today allacademic administrative positions are for alimited term, but I take no credit for that.

It is unfortunate that you had such limitedspace, as both Bob Hardy and Len Gads werecolourful characters. You could have filledseveral pages with the amusing stories theircolleagues could tell.

EElleeccttrriiccaall EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg

BBaatthh,, DDuunnccaann ((EElleeccttrriiccaall ’’4455))

Someone will (may) pick up on my letteron page 17 (of the Fall 2006 issue of U of A

Engineeer. 25 m3s should have been 25 m3/s(25 cubic metres per second).

P.S. Last September, we did get our first lookat the Brooks Aqueduct. Well worth the effort.As icing on the cake, a freight train rumbledover the inverted siphon while we were there.

MMaarrttiinn,, KKeenntt ((EElleeccttrriiccaall ’’8877))

The article on ET-DSP (page 21 of the fall2006 issue of U of A Engineer) took me backthe summer I spent collecting data for the basicprinciples of this process. I worked as an under-graduate student for Drs. Chute (Electrical ’66)and Vermeulen (Electrical ’60, PhD Electrical’66) during the summer of my third year of elec-trical engineering (1986). I wanted to find out ifresearch was my niche. Though I found duringthat summer that I wanted to work on projectswith shorter term results than the basicresearch, I did learn a lot about the process.Ultimately, I ended up working for Motorolausing the training I got in another one of Dr.Chute’s passions, radio communications.Though I don't often use a Smith chart any-more, I still surprise myself with the nuggets Iremember from those classes.

SShheerrrriiffff,, EErriicc ((EElleeccttrriiccaall ’’8866))

I am writing in regard to the article onRoss Ulan (Electrical ’84) in the Fall 2006issue of U of A Engineer. I found the articleinteresting, as I used to work with Ross in theEdmonton regional headquarters (at that timeit was Transport Canada). While Ross moved

on to Ottawa, I stayed in the trenches at theregional headquarters. Ross was a great guyto work with, and we remain in contact.While Ross obviously regards his move toOttawa as a major turning point in his career,I resisted all offers and advice to head to thatparticular “mecca.”

MMiinniinngg//MMeettaalllluurrggiiccaall

PPlliitttt,, VVeerrnnee ((MMiinniinngg ’’5577,, MMeettaalllluurrggiiccaall ’’6666))

I enjoyed reading the fall edition of U of

A Engineer. I commend you on the goodwork in producing this publication.

I wish to comment on what I believe is anerror and an omission in the historical sec-tion. It was stated that Karl Clark was a pro-fessor in the U of A Civil and MechanicalDepartments. In checking Sons of Martha, Ifind that he was only a professor in theDepartment of Mining and Metallurgy from1939 to 1954, when he retired. He apparent-ly taught metallurgy courses, specifically met-allography. He was also head of thatdepartment from 1945 to 1954. In fact, theMechanical Engineering Department at the Uof A was only formed in 1958, four yearsafter Clark retired from the university.

The article mentioned the first engineer-ing professor, Muir Edwards, but makes nomention of the second engineering professor,Allan Cameron, who taught engineering atthe U of A from 1914 to 1937.

I appreciate that it is difficult to keep allthe historical facts straight. Keep up the goodwork.

Len Gads

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:55 PM

Tessar


he high costs of doing business in Alberta’s oil patchoften oblige company executives to be conservativedecision makers when assessing new technology.

Innovators who try to pitch new ideas and products some-times encounter significant hurdles.

But to every rule there is an exception. ConsiderRobert Tessari (Chemical ’73), a persistent engineer whonot only developed a trailblazing technology for coaxingoil from the ground, but was also able to raise $90 millionover three years to bring his idea to market.

Tessari is the founder of Tesco Corp., a large and profitable oil field services company which today boastsannual revenues of $200 million and a market capitaliza-tion of about $800 million. Despite the initial reluctanceof his target market, many of these “show me” skepticsultimately yielded to the undeniable truth: Tesco’sportable top-drive drilling system is not only efficient andeasy to use, it’s as much as 20 percent cheaper to operatethan more traditional set-ups.

“We were like thousands of other people who said, ‘We’re going to build a better drilling rig,’” Tessariremarks today.

But he neglects to add one critically important differ-ence: he and his talented support team of machinists,mechanics, rig rats, and roughnecks actually pulled it off.

“I had a great deal of help from day one. These were dedicated people who really believed in what wewere doing.”

Tessari’s pursuit of success within international drilling fields is an inspirational tale guaranteed to warm the heart of every would-be product developer or frustrated inventor.

Tessari spent years in his lab and workshop. He putthe arm on dozens of patient friends, relatives, and casualacquaintances, trying to scrape up enough cash to financehis research. He lost sleep and, occasionally, lost faith (ifonly temporarily). But his passion paid dividends in theend, a triumph symbolized by an important photographon his office wall. It’s a picture of an Ensign drilling rig,put in place near Lloydminster by Tessari and his col-leagues, under contract for Lasmo Oil. Beneath the photois inscribed: “World’s first portable top-drive installation.July 21, 1992.”

Tessari gazes at the picture with a mixture of nostalgiaand pride.

“People ask me, ‘What’s the hardest thing about devel-oping new technology? Is it getting the original idea?’ No,not even close. It’s trying to make people realize that you’vedeveloped a quality product that they can use to their prof-it. You need the desire and the will to make it happen.”

Top-DT

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM

ari


DrivePersuading skeptical

oil industry executives to

buy into new methods of

oil and gas recovery is

not an endeavour for the

faint of heart.

by Tom Keyser

Robert Tessari(Chemical ’73)

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM


Tessari possesses those qualities in spades.An ambitious and self-confident farm boy, hegrew up in the rural community of Warner,Alberta, south of Lethbridge. Later, his fami-ly moved to another acreage near Sundre,where he completed high school in 1965.

At first, a post-secondary education heldlittle appeal. While still in school, Tessariroutinely spent his summers working onnearby oil rigs and simply adjusted to full-time work after leaving high school. But afterfour years of hard work in the oil fields,Tessari realized he was adrift in a world oflimited horizons and restricted careeroptions. That’s when he dusted off his oldhigh school transcript and applied for admis-sion to the University of Alberta.

“I had to go back to Lindsay ThurberComposite High School in Red Deer toupgrade my English,” Tessari smiles today.

“Then I went back to the rigs for anotheryear to raise money for my U of A tuition.”

He struggled with calculus classes in firstyear, but somehow managed to survive bysheer determination. After his marriage inthird year, Tessari really settled down,impressively elevating his GPA before gradu-ating in 1973.

“I look back and say that my education atU of A was perfect, because it forced me toexplore a lot of theory, which has come inextremely handy through the years. I learneda lot about fluid phenomena, corrosion, ero-sion, heat transfer, and temperature. Theseare issues which come up in my professionallife on a daily basis.”

Still a rig rat at heart, Tessari eloquentlyadvocates for collaboration between universi-ties and corporations. At Tesco’s offices inboth Calgary and Houston, bright studentsare encouraged to work in the field and in thecompany’s on-site research and developmentlab to round out their training.

“On-the-job work is extremely valuablefor students. I think the successful universityshould work as closely as possible withindustry,” says Tessari.

“I remember I aced my well loggingcourse at U of A because I understood thepractical application so thoroughly afterspending time on the rigs.”

Among the opportunities Tessari exploredafter graduation was an Indonesian postingwith Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), the U.S.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:55 PM


energy giant. Working there as an offshoredrilling engineer, he got his first taste of top-drive drilling, a technique employed byARCO’s giant open-water oil derricks.

A top-drive hydraulic or electric motor issuspended high in the derrick (or mast) of anoil rig. Tessari considers it a safer and lesslabour-intensive method for rotating the drillmechanism, especially compared to tradition-al rigs driven from ground level.

In his days with ARCO, Tessari absorbedas much information as he could about top-drive drilling, all the while wondering whetherthis super-efficient technology could be success-fully adapted to drive smaller rigs on dry land.

One of the first challenges is encapsulatedby Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For everyaction there is an equal and opposite reac-tion. In this case, the equal and oppositeaction is the torque reaction generated by theswivelling top-drive. It’s a force easilyabsorbed by monstrous offshore oil derricks,but not so readily withstood by conventional,three-sided land rigs.

Tessari got the chance to advance his the-ories upon his return to Alberta during themid-1980s. Oil prices were flat at the time,but Tessari still wanted to pursue his brain-child. He joined a small drilling companyknown as Bluebird, and went to work in anunassuming shop in northeast Calgary.Ultimately, he hooked up with another engi-neer, named Per Angman, as well as EvertBeierbach, a drilling “tool-pusher” extraordi-naire who’s now Tesco’s vice president ofresearch and development.

“If we hadn’t understood the drilling proce-dure so well from a mechanical point of view,we probably never would have tried to buildsuch a sophisticated piece of equipment,”Tessari remarks today.

“We didn’t anticipate the cost, let alonesuch matters as liability. This was an extremelyheavy piece of equipment. And you’re askingpeople to work right below it. The liabilityissues can be kind of tricky.”

Tesco was incorporated in 1986 and thefirst top-drive came into being a year or twolater, although Tessari had no plans to marketit at the time.

“We just wanted to have one to use on oneour five drilling rigs,” he says.

“The oil business was slow in the late ’80sand there wasn’t much work. But that early

prototype seemed to perform okay. It wasencouraging.”

Then one day, Tessari wrapped up a jobfor BP, and his clients remarked it was ashame they couldn’t remove the Bluebird top-drive and transfer it to one of their own rigsin a remote location.

A light bulb clicked in his brain. Tessariwent back to his cramped shop with newlyraised capital. And in time, it all came togeth-er: the first portable top-drive system inCanada.

He shares credit for the patent withBeierbach, his longtime colleague.

“The patent was not for the top-drive somuch, it was for the torque track—a tubularbushing that hangs in the derrick,” Tessariexplains.

“When you turn the top-drive to theright, the bushing transfers the torque load tothe base of the rig. And no unwarranted pres-sure is transferred to the derrick itself.”

Tessari’s next step seemed obvious—tosell individual drilling companies on the pro-ficiency of the new product. That was a mis-take, as it turned out.

At the time, drilling teams sold their ser-vices to oil companies on a per diem basis. Asa result, they were in no particular hurry tocomplete their contracts, particularly whenbusiness was scarce.

A friend in the business set him straight:“We know your top-drive is more efficient,”he confided.

“But we get paid by the day. We sell time; we’re not particularly interested in saving time.”

“I felt like I’d been hit in the head with a baseball bat,” Tessari groans ruefully. “I hadn’t thought about that before.”

So Tessari changed tactics, opting to cutout the intermediary. He started knocking ondoors of the oil companies themselves, telling

them he and his team could add the top-driveto their existing rigs.

Resistance was strong because, as Tessariexplains, “it was something new.”Eventually, though, relentless door-knockingpaid off. First Lasmo Oil came aboard, usingthe top-drive to drill the Lloydminster well in1992. Next, Amoco bought in, rentingTessari’s invention for use on its own drillrigs. A subsequent job with his old contactsin Indonesia required an enlarged, more pow-erful top-drive design. Tessari returned toAlberta, scavenged more funding from hislong-suffering backers, and produced it.

Through trial and error, design flaws wereeventually identified, then eliminated. Andnew inquiries began to pour in.

Tessari and his partners took Tesco publicin 1992, listing on the Toronto StockExchange, and going into the rental businessin a big way. Today, the company draws 85percent of its $200 million yearly revenuesfrom the international market, includingabout half from the United States.

As Tesco’s founder and longtime chiefexecutive, Tessari pulled back in 2005, step-ping down as CEO and returning to his firstlove, research and development.

Now chief technological officer and vice-chair of the Tesco board, he oversees aresearch and development team that spends$6 million a year fine-tuning old techniqueswhile simultaneously creating new ones.

“I’d like to get that budget cranked up to$10 million,” he smiles.

“Now that I’m no longer CEO, I don’thave to worry so much about the bottomline.”

Among the opportunities Tessari explored after graduation

was an Indonesian posting with Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), the

U.S. energy giant. Working there as an offshore drilling

engineer, he got his first taste of top-drive drilling, a

technique employed by ARCO’s giant open-water oil derricks.

Tom Keyser is a Calgary-based freelance journalist.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM


F l i g h t o f f a n c y t o

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:55 PM

lvin (Al) Bruchal (Civil ’67) has always had aneye on the sky. As a child interested in flying,and then as a teenaged Royal Canadian aircadet, he dreamed of a career in the aero-space industry. Eventually, his flight of

fancy became an engineering reality.The early ’60s presented a world of change,

political strife, and innovation. From the elation ofJohn Glenn orbiting the earth to the terror of theCuban missile crisis, the space race, and the loom-ing possibility of nuclear war echoed across the U of A campus. During this time, Bruchal honedhis skills in civil engineering, laying the foundationfor a career spanning the gamut of engineeringspecializations.

With his newly acquired iron ring and experi-ence as an engineering aide at the City ofEdmonton, Bruchal moved to Washington State inAugust 1967 to join Boeing. He launched into a

e n g i n e e r e d r e a l i t yb y A p r i l S e r i n k

A




projects including a move to Boeing Defenseand Space Group in the 1980s.

“I assumed the role of systems engineerfor several major Intercontinental BallisticMissile-(ICBM-) based studies and develop-ment programs with Ballistic SystemsDivision, including Peacekeeper missiles.”

ICBM rockets revolutionized militarystrategy, with their ability to travel acrosscontinents at top speed, delivering nuclearstrength to targets in mere minutes. Thework helped spark a U.S. military buildupduring a time of global conflicts and econom-ic recession.

“I enjoyed the business angle of preparingproposals, analyzing markets, and perform-ing cost trade studies as a working engineer,”says Bruchal.

“It prepared me for more secretivedefense projects and turned my career withBoeing in a new direction.”

That new direction combined his passionfor flying, his childhood enthusiasm for theair cadets, and his innate skill as an engineer.Bruchal accepted the role of principal sys-tems engineer in PhantomWorks division,

variety of assignments, including the U.S.Navy Patrol Hydrofoil Missileship and commercial jetfoils.

“It really was exciting stuff,” says Bruchal.Using elements of airplane design, such as

control and propulsion, hydrofoils skimacross water at top speed, to reduce frictionand to increase maneuverability. The successof Boeing’s hydrofoils led to the developmentof hydrofoil missileships to transport militaryequipment, as well as jetfoils, which trans-port passengers.

To diversify his career, Bruchal acceptedthe challenge of working for the BoeingConstruction Equipment Company. At thetime, Boeing sought to expand its focus toinclude projects based on the ground, as wellas in the air.

“My assignments involved designingheavy construction equipment system com-ponents for asphalt drum mixer plants, suchas conveyors, feeder bins, and drive systems.”

In 1971, Bruchal worked with a team todesign a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systemfor West Virginia University in Morgantown.The PRT connects separate campuses withsingle-line guideways, controlled by computeroperating systems at each station. The PRTvehicles were constructed at Boeing’s SpaceCenter in Kent, Washington.

“The idea was new and cutting-edge,”recalls Bruchal.

“The PRT was an alternative to the sub-way, in that it is a self-contained transit linethat shuttles small student groups around theuniversity.”

Bruchal worked on the PRT car design,specifically the chassis structure.

“That train took off in 1975,” marvelsBruchal, “and it still works!”

The National Society of ProfessionalEngineers named the system one of theUnited States’ top 10 outstanding engineeringachievements of 1972.

Despite the success of his ground projects,Bruchal yearned for an opportunity to makethings fly.

“I needed a return to the sky to applyengineering capabilities in making my dreamscome true.”

In 1974, he completed his MBA in busi-ness administration from Seattle University.This led to managerial positions on various

Despite the success of

his ground projects,

Bruchal yearned for an

opportunity to make

things fly.

“I needed a return

to the sky to apply

engineering capabilities

in making my dreams

come true.”

Alvin (Al) Bruchal (Civil ’67)

Top: A Peacekeeper missile with a W87 warhead undergoing an inspectionBelow: The Personal Rapid Transit system inMorgantown

Cou

rtes

y W

est V

irgi

nia

Uni

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ity



April Serink is a Red Deer-based writer and niece ofBruchal’s.

Boeing’s advanced research and developmentaviation unit.

“There was nothing routine aboutPhantomWorks,” says Bruchal.

“You dream it. You build it. That’s it.”His main areas of focus included Joint

Theater Air and Missile Defense (JTAMDO)and Network Centric—Command, Control,Communications, Computers, (C4) Intel-ligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance(C4ISR).

The Joint Theater Air Missile DefenseOrganization (JTAMDO) serves as a manage-ment tool for the U.S. Department of Defense.By using simulations and technology demon-strations, the JTAMDO provides betterdefense against air and missile threats. In addi-tion, the C4ISR provides a framework fordeveloping equipment, advancing skills, anddesigning processes to help to gather defenseinformation, such as building data processingsystems or satellite and sensor technologies.

“My projects with PhantomWorks tookme to France for paper presentations and tothe UK for airborne missile platformconcepts and early warning system lectures.We discussed national defense from land, air,water, and space.”

Bruchal still shakes his head at his goodfortune.

“What an amazing place for a career tolead; like a kid in a candy store.”

Near the end of his career, Bruchal continued to tackle important and innovativeprojects, including airborne early warning sys-tems referred to as AWACS (Airborne Warningand Control Systems). The military uses theseairborne communications command posts,housed in modified commercial airplanes, tomonitor and control military operations.

“Prior to 1991, only 707s were used asAWACS; however, we launched the firstmodified commercial airplanes in 1996 to actas AWACS—the 767,” says Bruchal.

First launch: March 29, 1974

Model number: 929-100

Classification: Warship

Length: 27.4 metres

Width: 9.14 metres

Cruising speed: 74 – 93 km/hour

Draft (foilborne): 14 – 20.1 metres

Propulsion: Two Allison 501-KF turbineengines with two Rocketdyne PJ-20 waterjet pumps

Accommodation: Four to eight crew, 250 to 350 passengers

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

Jetfoil Patrol Hydrofoil Missileship

Airborne Warning andControl System (AWACS)

First launch: November 9, 1974

Model number: 929

Classification: Warship

Length: 40 metres

Width: 8.6 metres

Cruising speed: More than 74 km/hour

Draft (foilborne): 2.56 metres

Propulsion: Two waterjets powered bytwo 800-horsepower Mercedes-Benz dieselengines (hullborne), one waterjet poweredby 17,000-horsepower GE marine gas turbine engine (foilborne)

Accommodation: 21 to 24 crew

First launch:May 25, 1976 (E-3A with full mission avionics)

Model number: 707 airframe (E-3)

Classification:Airborne Warning and Control System

Length: 46 metres

Span: 44 metres

Gross weight: 417 metric tonnes

Top speed: 852.8 km/hour

Endurance:Six hours at 1,609 kilometres from base

Ceiling:More than 8,839 metres

Power: Four 9.53 metric tonnes of turbo-thrust turbofan P&W TF-33 engines

Accommodation:Four crew, 13 to 18 AWACS specialistsPhotos courtesy of BOEING.com

“My other PhantomWorks team projectsalso included the AWACS and the AirborneEarly Warning and Control System for for-eign customers. I travelled to Japan as Boeingdelivered its first two 767 AWACS to thecountry.”

Just shy of 39 years at Boeing, Bruchal retired in June 2006, biddingfarewell to the organization that fulfilled his early flights of fancy. He currently findshis feet back on solid ground—and happily so.

“Now I spend time engineering the ulti-mate fort or LEGO machine for my twograndkids,” Bruchal smiles.

“That is the best part of my new career.”



to acauseby Wanda Vivequin

Lena Bunzenmeyer (Environmental [Co-op] ’00)

Called

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:55 PM


or example, she knows that mostrural Ugandans must get by for an entire day using the amount ofwater Canadians use in a single

flush of the toilet. She shared their strugglesfirsthand in 2002, as a youth intern with the Canadian International DevelopmentAgency.

These days Bunzenmeyer finds herself in amarkedly different environment. She nowworks as a water advocacy advisor in aregion of Indonesia that regularly receivestorrential rains.

Bunzenmeyer moved to Pontianak, on theisland of Borneo, in July 2005. Straddling theequator and in the delta of Indonesia’slongest river, the Kapuas, this is an industrialcity of almost 600,000.

Bunzenmeyer volunteers for CanadianUniversity Services Overseas (CUSO), a fed-eral development agency. She has been for-mally asked to lead a process to design,implement, and maintain a database contain-ing information about the rivers and indige-nous peoples in the Kapuas watershed area ofWest Kalimantan. She also works with com-munity groups to monitor the pollution levelsof the Kapuas watershed and assist the com-munities in managing their water resources.

Within days of arriving at the Indonesianagency, Bunzenmeyer discovered that herwork reality bore little resemblance to her jobdescription. Fortunately, her experience inUganda and philosophical approach to lifeallowed her to adapt quickly. Now, she’s muchmore comfortable working day-to-day in theworld’s most populous non-Arab Muslimcountry.

“Indonesian culture is so different frommy own in almost every aspect,” saysBunzenmeyer.

“Where Western culture values individu-alism, privacy, and a linear concept of time,Indonesian culture values community andrelationships, and a circular (or flexible) con-cept of time.

“Because of their community and relation-ship focus, Indonesians see nothing wrong

with asking extremely personal questions topeople they’ve never met before, specificallyforeigners.”

Home for Bunzenmeyer in Pontianak is atiny two-storey apartment.

“In the mornings I awake gently to theintertwined melodies of three or four differ-ent mosques calling the devoted to morningprayers,” she says.

Bunzenmeyer sees development work asher personal calling.

“I don’t necessarily think it was a choiceso much as I’ve just always felt that this is mypath,” she says.

“In high school I had a great teacher whoguided me into engineering at university. In mysecond year of university, when I was decidingwhich discipline to apply for, something clickedin my head and I decided I needed to focus onwater projects in developing countries. It justso happened that it was the first year the U ofA opened the environmental engineering program and I figured that the program mighthelp me in this field, so I took it.”

Today, Bunzenmeyer could very easily bea poster girl for international development.It’s hard not to be inspired by the integrity,determination, and commitment that she hasshown since graduating in 2000.

Her only break from development workcame in 2004, when she moved to theCayman Islands to work.

“The reasoning was two-fold: warmweather and increasing funds—volunteeringdoesn’t exactly leave you with a healthy bankaccount!” says Bunzenmeyer.

Water once again played a large part inher life when Hurricane Ivan, a category fivestorm, hit the Caribbean. As she and otherssheltered in a sports complex, Bunzenmeyermanaged to send out an e-mail describing thestorm’s fury.

She wrote, “Not a single power line wasleft standing, the poles toppled onto build-ings and cars, the lines strewn throughout thestreets like gigantic metallic snakes. Everybuilding had windows broken, or walls collapsed, or roofs missing. Some were com-

pletely flattened altogether. But despite allthis, it wasn’t the destruction of property thatreally set in. It was the vegetation, or whatwas left of it. Most trees had been blownover, particularly the large ones. And thosethat dared to stand up to Ivan had beenstripped, not only of their leaves, but of theirbranches as well. Lone ragged trunks, stand-ing starkly against the hazy morning sky,gave the impression of a wasteland. Andthat’s exactly what it felt like.”

As the rebuilding of the Cayman Islandsbegan, Bunzenmeyer was reminded onceagain of how difficult life can be. During thecleanup, she spotted an advertisement forwork with CUSO in Indonesia, and began topursue her next posting.

Bunzenmeyer’s experiences have given hera strong sense of the strengths and weakness-es of international development efforts.

“I’ve seen so many examples of bad devel-opment that it is easy to dismiss them all,”she says.

“But you can’t paint the whole picturewith just one brush, and I think this is whythe concept of appropriate technology is soimportant. It’s definitely a buzzword in thisfield, but it holds true because in most casesyou cannot just bring an idea that hasworked in a Western country and directlyapply it to another.

“Development is a complex word, andhas become very charged over the years. Istruggle all the time with the thought that I’mreally just meddling in a place where Ishouldn’t be. Who am I to say that the infor-mation, knowledge, and technology that Imight bring are better than what has beenused in the past?”

However, given the compassion and con-viction she brings to her calling, count onBunzenmeyer to make a positive contributionwherever she travels.

Lena Bunzenmeyer (Environmental [Co-op] ’00)knows a thing or two about water.

F

Wanda Vivequin is anEdmonton-based freelance writer.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM


on HistoryCross Hairs

1959 The University ofAlberta’s Engineering Facultycelebrates its 50th anniversaryas the third largest in Canada,with 44 full-time staff inEdmonton plus two in Calgaryand more than 40 sessionalinstructors

Dr. George Govier (MScChemical ’45) becomes dean ofEngineering.

S.R. Sinclair (Civil ’44,MSc Civil ’47)becomes head ofCivil Engineeringdepartment throughto 1973.

U.S. patents areissued for

integrated circuits.

1960 The EdmontonInternational Airport opens atLeduc.

The first University of Albertabuildings open in Calgary.

The first class of MechanicalEngineering graduates.

1961 The U of A’s first PhD inEngineering graduates; R.A.Ritter, a chemical engineer.

The Organization of PetroleumExporting Countries is founded.

Calgary's population reaches325,000 by the early 1960swhile Edmonton approaches300,000.

1962 The Trans-CanadaHighway is opened, a tad pre-maturely, by Prime MinisterJohn Diefenbaker.

The Candu reactor in Ontario

produces the first commercial electricity in Canada from nuclear energy.

1963 Sketchpad, a forerunnerof computer-aided design technology is created at MIT.

The Beatles song “Please PleaseMe” airs on the radio.

1964 The U of A’s first femaleprofessor is appointed; VivienneJoan Harwood, a specialist inhigh vacuum technology.

Dr. GeorgeWalker becomeshead of theElectricalEngineeringdepartment.

1965 The Trans-Canada Highwayis completed at last.

1966 Dr. Karl Clark, who hadbegun researching the poten-tial of the Athabasca oil sandsat the U of A in 1920, dies.

The University of Calgarybecomes an autonomous institution.

1967 The Great Canadian OilSands Co. (later known asSuncor) uses Dr. Karl Clark’s hotwater process in the first com-mercial oil sands plant in FortMcMurray.

Canada celebrates its 100thbirthday.

The University of Lethbridge isestablished.

1968 New buildings areopened to house theDepartments of Chemical andPetroleum Engineering, Miningand Metallurgical Engineering,and Mechanical Engineering.

Editor’s Note — Each year during Reunion Weekend at the Dean’s Brunch, Dr. Lynch

(the Dean of Engineering) provides an informative overview of the history of Alberta, the

history of the Faculty of Engineering, and the many significant contributions U of A professors

and engineers have made to the province and the nation. Engineering alumni frequently ask

for copies of Dr. Lynch’s speech.This article is a partial response to such requests.

Cando reactor

Engineeringover the

decades(Part Two)People and events thathave shaped engineeringfrom 1909 to present.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/13/07 12:13 PM


Camp 18 is established inCalgary.

The Data Acquisition, Control,and Simulation Centre is established in the Departmentof Chemical and PetroleumEngineering.

1969 The EngineeringHandbook for 1969-70 includesa full-page ad from nursing students inviting engineeringstudents for dances, a friendlygame of football “or a gentle,relaxing back massage.”

The first node of the ARPANET,the earliest ancestor of theInternet, goes on line.

A man walks on the moon.

1970 An unexpected drop inenrolment at U of A causesfunding cutbacks and a hiringfreeze.

Athabasca University is created.

1971 Dean R.M. Hardy (LLD[Hon] ’77) suggests limiting thenumber of foreign studentsenrolling in first-year engineer-ing programs to 15 percent

Dr. George Ford (Civil ’42, MScCivil ’46, DSc [Hon] ’88)becomes dean of Engineering.

The first hand-held electroniccalculator, the one-pound SharpEL-8, sells for $395 (U.S.).

The first computer microproces-sor, the four-bit Intel 4004, isreleased.

A U of A graduate, PeterLougheed, leads the newConservative government.

1972 The Electrical EngineeringDepartment is awarded aNational Research Council grantto investigate laser and plasmatechnology.

1973 The Arab oil embargocauses royalty revenue to flowinto Alberta.

The Mechanical Engineeringbuilding opens.

1974 Aided by Canadian technology, India becomes thesixth nation to detonate anatomic bomb.

1975 Altair 8800, the forerunner of the personalcomputer, is built around an Intel eight-bit processor andmarketed to hobbyists.

The Vietnam War ends.

Soviet and American space capsules link together in orbit.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen form acompany named Microsoft tomarket software for the Altair8800 microcomputer.

The Alberta Oil SandsTechnology & ResearchAuthority is established.

1976 Dr. Peter Adams becomesdean of Engineering.

The Concorde aircraft commences the first commercialsupersonic flights.

The Alberta Heritage SavingsTrust Fund is established.

1977 Associate DeanDr. Don Quon (Chemical’44, MSc Chemical ’46)fears dire shortages ofengineers in Alberta inthe 1980s as enrolmentin the Faculty is cappedat 520 students.

1909-1958 When the first engi-neering course was taught at theUniversity of Alberta in 1909,Alberta’s economy was mainlyagricultural, with horses provid-ing most of the power. But theworld was on the brink of a rev-olution in science, technology,and engineering. We went fromEinstein’s first paper on relativi-ty to Hiroshima in 40 years. Bythe time the Faculty ofEngineering turned 50, Canadahad built a transcontinentalmicrowave communications net-work and jetliners flew non-stopacross the Atlantic.

During the next 50 years,change accelerated. And notrend was more influential inthis period than the rapid devel-opment of computing and infor-mation technology. The Universityof Alberta acquired its first vac-uum-tube computer for $50,000in 1957, just in time for its 50thbirthday. On the eve of its 100th

birthday, virtually every studentowns at least one computer, infinitely more capable, smallenough to carry in a backpack,and costing around $1,000.

The first artificial satellite cir-cled the world in 1957; today’ssatellites are the workhorses of aglobal information racetrack thatinforms and entertains us.

Like computers, lasers need-

ed special rooms of their own in the 1950s; now they are minia-ture components inside consumerdevices such as CD-ROM drives.

Hardware became ever small-er following the invention of thetransistor in 1947 and the inte-grated circuit in 1959.

The microprocessor, intro-duced in 1971, would by the year2000 contain three million tran-

sistors on a single chip, eachdoing the work of a vacuum tube.More miraculous than themachines themselves were theirapplications. They brought enor-mous speed and accuracy of cal-culations, the ability to designand model complex machineswithout building a prototype, andthe ability to search the world inseconds for information.

Important Events1909-Present

University of Alberta’sfirst computer

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM


The Apple II computer is introduced.

1978 Edmonton’s Light RailTransit opens.

1979 The Alberta HomeHeating Research Facility is builtat Ellerslie.

The VisiCalc spreadsheet software is introduced.

1980 A professorship is established in ConstructionEngineering.

Work begins on the IEEE 802 protocols for wirelesscomputing applications.

Ottawa introduces the National Energy Program.

1981 The Faculty ofEngineering introduces the Co-op study program, with 30companies employing third- and fourth-year engineeringstudents for an average of$1,400 per month. Forty-one of

110 mechanical engineeringstudents sign up.

The U of A offers a degree inComputer Engineering; 20second-year students enroll.

The Space Shuttle’s Canadarm,developed by hundreds of engi-neers across Canada at a cost of$115 million, flies in orbit forthe first time.

IBM markets its first personalcomputer.

1982 The AlbertaMicroelectronics Centre isestablished; is privatized in1998, is now known asMicralyne Inc.

The Alberta Summer Institutefor Petroleum IndustryDevelopment (now theCanadian Petroleum Institute)trains its first students fromdeveloping countries.

The first artificial heart patientsurvives for 112 days after theimplant.

AutoCAD 1.0 is released.

1983 Premier Peter Lougheedopens the CAD/CAM lab in theDepartment of ElectricalEngineering.

The Centre for FrontierEngineering Research is estab-lished. It is now known as C-FERTechnologies, a subsidiary ofthe Alberta Research Council.

The first TCP/IP network is constructed by the U.S.National Science Foundation.This marks the birth of theInternet.

1984 Apple’s Macintosh is thefirst graphical user interfacepersonal computer.

Marc Garneau is the firstCanadian in orbit.

1985 Dr. Fred Otto(Chemical ’57, MScChemical ’59, PhDChemical ’62) becomesdean of Engineering.

The Alberta LaserInstitute is established.

Peter Lougheed retires from politics; is succeeded by Don Getty.

Microsoft releases Windows 1.0.

THE 1960s The postwar babyboom arrived at the University ofAlberta during this decade,stretching the University’s facili-ties to the limit. In 1961,Engineering dean Dr. GeorgeGovier (MSc Chemical ’45) pro-duced a long-term plan for engi-neering education in Alberta thatincluded building an Engineering

Centre on the northwest cornerof the U of A campus. That ittook four decades to happen is,in retrospect, surprising.

Innovations spawned duringthe Second World War came ofage in the 1960s—radar, jetengines, digital computing, rock-etry, and atomic energy. Albertagrew up, too. With its emergingpetroleum industry and royalty

revenues, everything seemed to be built in pairs: two identical petrochemical plantseast of Edmonton, two JubileeAuditoriums, and twinned highways.

Planning began for two oilsands plants near FortMcMurray: the Great CanadianOil Sands Co. (now Suncor) in1967 and Syncrude in 1978.

Even with a new engineeringschool at the University ofCalgary, Alberta had two jobopenings for every new iron ringhanded out in the province.

THE 1970s Remembered as thetime of disco dancing and theOPEC oil crisis, the 1970s beganon a down trend at the Faculty


Dr. George Govier (MSc Chemical ’45)

Syncrude, Fort McMurray

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/13/07 12:14 PM


1986 The Alberta ResearchCouncil moves to new headquarters on Karl ClarkRoad adjacent to the EdmontonResearch Park.

Chemical Engineering studentsare offered a program in computer process control.

The AlbertaTelecommunications ResearchCentre is established; is nowpart of TRLabs, Canada’s largesttelecom research laboratory.

The Chernobyldisaster occurs.

1987 TheCanada-U.S.Free TradeAgreement issigned.

The provincehalts contributions to theHeritage Fund due to a collapseof energy prices.

1988 Calgary hosts the Winter Olympics.

1989 Fourteen female engineering students are murdered by a lone gunman atÉcole Polytechnique inMontreal.

1990 U of A and six otherCanadian universities search forways to increase the number ofwomen enrolled in engineeringschools. (Female undergradenrolment would rise from 14.2percent in 1990 to 20 percent in2006-07.)

1991 The University Centre for Advanced EngineeringMaterials is established.

An enrolment record is set:2,251 students, including 281 women and 581 Co-op students.

Syncrude and the Faculty teamup to offer graduate courses inChemical Engineering in FortMcMurray.

1992 The U of A cuts the quotafor first-year engineering to 550 students from 600.

The Canadian EngineeringHuman Resources Board predicts Canada will have ashortage of engineers by 2000.

Don Getty retires from politics;Ralph Klein becomes premier ofAlberta.

1993 The World Wide Webtakes off with the introductionof the Mosaic browser.

1994 The Channel tunnel opensbetween England and France.

Jupiter is bombarded by fragments of cometShoemaker-Levy 9.

Netscape Navigator 1.0 isreleased.

The Boeing 777 takes flight.This is the first airplanedesigned entirely on computer.

1995 Dr. David T. Lynch (PhD Chemical ’82) isappointed dean of Engineering.

A BSc in EnvironmentalEngineering is offered.

Dr. Roderick Fraser is appointedto his first of two five-year termsas president of the U of A.

of Engineering, with fallingenrolment resulting in cutbacksand hiring freezes at the U of A.Unprecedented economic growthfollowed the first Arab oilembargo in 1973 and a secondin 1978—stimulating growth inpetroleum, chemical, andmechanical engineering. Thefirst wave of the environmentalmovement created new stan-dards for the handling of alltypes of waste, from car exhaustand smokestack emissions tohousehold garbage and liquideffluent.

Meanwhile in the ElectricalEngineering Department, thenext new thing was comingdown the pike in the form oflaser research and microcomput-ers. From here on, bigger andbetter was no longer the onlypath to progress: smaller, faster,and better was the new mantra.

THE 1980s The oil price bubbleburst, interest rates soared, andmany Alberta businesses and

individuals in Alberta couldn’tmake the payments anymore.

But the 1980s also was an eraof great progress for the Facultyof Engineering. Dean PeterAdams launched the Co-op pro-gram, making paid work in real-world engineering jobs a part ofthe formal education of an engi-neer. (Today, one in three under-grads is in a Co-op program.)

Also during the 1980s, mini-computer workstations and laterdesktop computers made possi-ble an explosion of new applica-tions such as computer-aideddesign. These tools made engi-

neers and engineering firms dra-matically more productive.

The Engineering Facultyembarked on a series of newenterprises: the petroleum sum-mer institute, frontier engineeringresearch, construction engineer-ing, laser research, telecommuni-cations research, microelectronics,and computer process control.

THE 1990s In the wake of atragedy at École Polytechniquein Montreal in the last month of1989, Canada’s engineeringschools searched for ways toincrease and support femaleenrolment. (Female undergradenrolment in the U of AEngineering Faculty rose from14.2 percent in 1990 to 20 per-cent in 2006-07.) After a rockystart to the decade—funding cut-backs hit again in 1992—the1990s proved to be another verypositive decade for the faculty.

When Dr. David Lynch (PhDChemical ’82) became dean in1995, Alberta was growing again

and positioning itself in a“knowledge economy” was a pri-ority. The Faculty of Engineeringadded 100 new members andenrolment ballooned.

The computer revolutionmoved from the office to thehome in the 1990s. Technologybecame embedded everywhere—a new car could have moremicroprocessors than pistons.

During the 1990s climate sci-entists sounded an alarm aboutglobal warming. The KyotoProtocol negotiated in 1997would make greenhouse gases,practically unheard of in themainstream in 1990, the envi-

École Polytechnique memorialservice at U of A,1990

Chernobyl

Dr. David Lynch (PhD Chemical ’82)

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/13/07 12:14 PM


Bruce White([email protected])is an Edmonton-basedbusiness writer and editor.

1996 A merger of departmentscreates the first Chemical andMaterials EngineeringDepartment in Canada.

Tax and regulatory changesstimulate a new boom in oilsands investment, research, and development.

Dr. Chris Backhouse, anElectrical Engineering professor is honoured for workon “lab on a chip” technology.

The imaging systems lab isestablished.

1997 Syncrude announces a $6-billion expansion at FortMcMurray, marking the first of a new wave of oil sandsmega-investments.

The Kyoto protocol is negotiated with the aim ofreducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

1998 The U of A acquires a $2-million, 40-processor SiliconGraphics (SGI) supercomputer.

A Chair is appointed in thin-film engineering research.

Alberta makes a large financialcommitment to adult learningprograms.

The Exxon-Mobil merger isannounced.

The NASA probe finds enoughice in lunar craters to support ahuman colony on the moon.

1999 The laptop computer isconsidered an ideal tool for U of A Engineering students.

The U of A aims to double thesize of its Engineering Facultyto become the largest engi-neering school in Canada.

2000 A U of A fundraising campaign raises $193 million,the third largest in Canadianhistory.

$1 million from Cisco SystemsCanada helps to fund a newMaster’s program in Internettechnology.

2001 The University of Albertais selected as the home for the National Institute forNanotechnology.

Dr. Allan P. Markin (Chemical’68, LLD [Hon] ’02), and thecompany he chairs, CanadianNatural Resources Ltd., eachcontribute $3 million to a newnatural resources engineeringbuilding.

Donald Stanley (Civil ’40, DSc[Hon] ’88), the founder ofAlberta’s largest engineeringfirm Stantec, dies.

2002 A $5-million donationfrom the Hole family, whoseconstruction companyLockerbie and Hole traces itsroots back to 1908, creates theHole School of ConstructionEngineering.

Two state-of-the-art buildingsopen in the Engineering Centreenvisioned 41 years earlier byDean Govier: the Electrical andComputer Engineering ResearchFacility (ECERF) and the

ronmental priority by the end ofthe decade—at the same time asAlberta was embarking on arapid expansion of its oil sandsproduction.

THE 2000s Forty years after DeanGeorge Govier proposed it, anengineering centre takes shape onthe northwest quarter of the U ofA, and a blizzard of acronyms set-tles on the campus map. There’sthe Allan P. Markin/ CanadianNatural Resources LimitedNatural Resources EngineeringFacility (NREF), the Electrical andComputer Engineering ResearchFacility (ECERF), the EngineeringTeaching and Learning Complex(ETLC), and one acronym youcan actually pronounce: NINT,the National Institute forNanotechnology.

The Faculty of Engineering,has grown into one of Canada’sleading engineering schools with3,300 undergraduate students,1,030 graduate students, and 160professors in 2006.

will produce better medicaldevices and prostheses for agingbaby boomers.

In the 1960s and 1970s, any-thing that began with “micro”was considered cool. Today’scutting edge technology sportsthe prefix “nano.” Today’s U ofA researchers are trying to createthe world’s sharpest point, onlyone atom wide at the tip. Theyare also working on single-mole-cule transistors and nanoma-chines that will break down scartissue from inside a patient’sbody.

And 50 years from now therewill be as many as 100,000University of Alberta engineersin the world, adding to humani-ty’s ever-expanding toolbox, orfinding better ways to use thestuff that’s in there already.

Here’s another acronym:NSERC, for the Natural Sciencesand Engineering ResearchCouncil, which has providedmore than $500 million to the Uof A since it began investing inresearch in 1978-79.

Building on a tradition thatbegan in 1921 with the foundingof the Alberta Research Councilon campus, the U of A also hasbecome one of Canada’s premierresearch centres, with hundreds ofmillions of dollars a year in outside research funding from

diverse government, corporate,and private sources. The next 50 years Throughmost of the 20th century theengine of innovation was war.Over the next 50 years, to takean optimistic view, sustaininglife will be the motivating force.

Reducing the footprint thatpeople and industry make on thenatural world will benefitwildlife and save millions ofhuman lives as well.

Collaboration between engi-neers and the medical professions

The National Institute for Nanotechnology



UofA E n g i n e e r 37

SOURCES

ONLINE SOURCES—Alberta Research

Council, Canadian Society for Civil

Engineering, Wikipedia, Corporation of

the Seven Wardens Inc., University of

Alberta, University of Calgary, Edmonton

Economic Development Corp., Canadian

Broadcasting Corp., Edmonton Journal,

and Alberta Venture.

BOOKS—Sons of Martha, Dr. George Ford

(Civil ’42, MSc Civil ’46, DSc [Hon] ’88);

Leduc by Aubrey Kerr, 1991; Canada’s New

Main Street: the Trans-Canada Highway,

David W. Monaghan, 2002; The Story of

Canadian Roads, Edwin Guillet, 1966; Oil

Sands Scientist: The Letters of Karl Clark,

Mary Clark Shepherd, 1989; The Great

Canadian Oil Patch (2nd ed.), Earle Grey,

2005.

Learning to solve problems is theessence of an engineering educa-tion— it also is a vital skill in thebusiness world. Many exceptionalcareers began in the classrooms ofthe Faculty of Engineering, includ-ing these of notable people who graduated since 1959:

The Hon. Harvie Andre (Chemical’62; PhD Chemical ’66), federal cabinet minister from 1984 to 1993,best known for privatizing CanadaPost.

Stephan Benediktson (Civil ’62),international oil executive andfounder, Benson Petroleum Ltd.

Neil Carmata (Chemical ’75), vicepresident, corporate communica-tions and planning, Petro-Canada.

Ed Chwyl (Chemical ’65; MScPetroleum ’68), founding partner,Tarragon Oil and Gas Ltd.

Patrick Daniel (Chemical ’68),president and CEO, Enbridge.

Lorenzo Donadeo (Mechanical‘81), president and CEO, VermilionEnergy Trust.

Sid Dykstra (Chemical '80), presi-dent and CEO, OPTI Canada Inc.,whose Long Lake project is about tobecome a major oil sands producer.

Nabih Faris (Chemical ’73), leg-endary oilpatch dealmaker; currentlypresident and CEO, the IntergulfDevelopment Group.

Len Grenier (Electrical ’80), found-ed Vancouver-based Advanced LightImaging in 1986; acquired in 2002by McKesson Corp.

Brad Hogg (Computer ’94),founder, president and CEO ofVintacom Media Group, a leader inonline dating.

Jack Hole (Mechanical ’78), executive vice president, Lockerbie & Hole.

Hal Kvisle (Civil ’75), chief executive, TransCanada Corp.

John R. McDougall (Civil ’67),president and CEO, Alberta ResearchCouncil.

Dr. Gwyn Morgan (Mechanical’67, LLD [Hon] ’06), former presidentand CEO of EnCana Corp., createdby the merger of PanCanadianEnergy and the Alberta Energy Corp.in 2002. Named most respected CEOin Canada in a peer survey.

Ron Nolan (Electrical ’60), chair,Hatch Ltd., a Canadian process andmetallurgical design firm with 4,500employees worldwide.

Don Pether (Metallurgical '70),former president and CEO, Dofasco Inc.

Fred Pheasey (Mechanical ’65),founder, Dreco Energy Services Inc.,acquired by National-Oilwell ofHouston in 1997.

Dr. Ray Rajotte (Electrical ’71;MSc Electrical ’73; PhD Electrical ’75),professor of surgery and director ofthe U of A Islet TransplantationGroup.

David Robson (Electrical ’61), former chair and CEO, Veritas DGCInc.

Allan Scott (Mechanical ’68), president and CEO of EdmontonEconomic Development Corp.

Nizar J. Somji (MEng Chemical’85), founder of industrial softwaredeveloper Matrikon.

Dr. James Stanford (Petroleum’60, LLD [Hon] ’00), former presidentand CEO, Petro-Canada.

Jim Stewart (Civil ’71), presidentand CEO, UMA Group.

Al Stowkowy (Civil ’77), presidentand COO, Stuart Olson Construction.

Reginald Toliver (Mechanical’64), president and CEO, Luscar.

Linda Van Gastel (Chemical ’67;MSc Chemical ’72), former vice presi-dent, EnCana Corp.; former presi-dent, Association of ProfessionalEngineers, Geologists, andGeophysicists of Alberta.

Dr. Fred Vermeulen (Electrical’60; PhD Electrical ’66), scored anexceptional 4.9 out of 5.0 in studentevaluations during a 35-year teach-ing career in electrical engineering.

EDITOR’S NOTE This is a nonexhaustive list. I welcome your feedback and additions.

1909-Present

Engineering Teaching andLearning Complex (ETLC). Theseare the first new engineeringbuildings on campus since 1972.

2003 U of A Engineeringalumnus Dr. BenjaminTorchinsky(Civil ’47, MScCivil ’49, DSc[Hon] ’03) isawarded anhonourarydoctorate ofscience.

Engineering physics studentLindsay LeBlanc (EngineeringPhysics ’03) graduates with aperfect record of 46 grades ofnine in 46 courses.

2004 The $65 million Allan P.Markin/Canadian NaturalResources Limited NaturalResources Engineering Facility(NREF) opens.

Imperial Oil contributes $10 million to establish theImperial Oil Centre for OilSands Innovation. It is thelargest cash commitment to theEngineering Faculty in itshistory.

The National Institute forNanotechnology purchases the world’s first transmissionelectron microscope.

Canada’s first flash fire roomopens to test protective clothing.

U of A engineers design a computer chip that is 100 timesmore energy-efficient than anything currently on themarket.

Augustana University College in Camrose becomes part of U of A.

2005 Indira Samarasekera, amechanical engineer, becomespresident of the University ofAlberta.

“Lab on a chip” medical testingtechnology is readied for clinical trial.

First-year engineering curriculum is offered in French by the U of A’s FacultéSaint-Jean.

The $13-million Centre forSurface Engineering opens.

Dr. David Lynch is appointed to third term as dean ofEngineering Faculty.

The Kyoto protocol comes intoeffect.

Alberta celebrates its 100thanniversary as a Canadianprovince.

Edmonton becomes the sixthmetropolitan region in Canadato reach one million in population.

The University of Alberta experiences the biggest fundingsurge in more than 20 years asenergy prices soar.

There are 28,333 professionalengineers licensed by APEGGAto practice in Alberta (morethan twice the total populationof Calgary in 1905).

2006 The National Institute forNanotechnology opens.

SOURCES

ONLINE SOURCES—Alberta Research

Council, Canadian Society for Civil

Engineering, Wikipedia, Corporation of

the Seven Wardens Inc., University of

Alberta, University of Calgary, Edmonton

Economic Development Corp., Canadian

Broadcasting Corp., Edmonton Journal,

and Alberta Venture.

BOOKS—Sons of Martha, Dr. George Ford

(Civil ’42, MSc Civil ’46, DSc [Hon] ’88);

Leduc by Aubrey Kerr, 1991; Canada’s New

Main Street: the Trans-Canada Highway,

David W. Monaghan, 2002; The Story of

Canadian Roads, Edwin Guillet, 1966; Oil

Sands Scientist: The Letters of Karl Clark,

Mary Clark Shepherd, 1989; The Great

Canadian Oil Patch (2nd ed.), Earle Grey,

2005.

Notable People and Events

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/12/07 11:04 AM

UofA E n g i n e e r38

T a k i n g p r i d e i n a c h i e v e m e n t

FFYYFFEE,, DDrr.. KKEENN ((MMeecchhaanniiccaall ’’8800,, MMSScc MMeecchhaanniiccaall’’8833)) PPEEnngg

supervised anaward-winningresearch paper enti-tled “Evaluation ofa new method ofheading estimation

for pedestrian dead reckoningusing shoe mounted sensors”written by MSc candidate RossSterling. This research paperreceived the Royal Institute ofNavigation Michael RicheyMedal for best research resultspublished in Navigation, theJournal of the Royal Institute ofNavigation. The researchdemonstrated the feasibility ofutilizing extremely low-cost andlow-power sensors to determinelocation in areas where GPS sig-nals are degraded or unavailable.

HHIICCKKEEYY,, DDOONN((EElleeccttrriiccaall ’’7711)) PPEEnngg

has been reappoint-ed as vice presidentoperations for theUniversity ofAlberta.

KKOOCCHH,, DDRR.. BBOOBB((MMeecchhaanniiccaall ’’8855))

was recentlyawarded the TeetorAward for excel-lence in engineeringteaching by theSociety for

Automotive Engineers (SAE).The award, established in 1965,recognizes outstanding engineer-ing educators and offers themthe opportunity to meet andexchange views with practicingengineers in their fields. Theaward is funded by the lateRalph R. Teetor, the 1936 SAEinternational president, whobelieved that engineering educa-tors are the most effective linkbetween engineering studentsand their future careers. Koch isan associate professor ofmechanical engineering at theUniversity of Alberta. He isinvolved in student vehicle projects and served as the faculty advisor for Future Truck.Previously, he worked forDaimlerBenz/DaimlerChryslerand General Motors. He is amember of SAE Internationaland the Institute of Electricaland Electronic Engineers.

MMOORRGGAANN,, GGWWYYNN((MMeecchhaanniiccaall ’’6677,, LLLLDD [[HHoonn]] ’’0066)) PPEEnngg

has been appointedto the board ofHSBC Holdings plcas a non-executivedirector. HSBC isone of the world’s

largest banking and financialservices organizations.

SSHHAAHH,, DDRR.. SSIIRRIISSHH ((PPhhDD CChheemmiiccaall ''7777))

received the D. G.Fisher Award forhis substantial con-tributions to theo-ry, practice, andeducation in the

field of systems and controlengineering. The award is spon-sored by the Department ofChemical and MaterialsEngineering, University ofAlberta, Suncor EnergyFoundation, and Shell CanadaLimited. Shah currently holdsthe NSERC-Matrikon-Suncor-iCORE Senior IndustrialResearch Chair in ComputerProcess Control.

SSWWEEEENNEEYY,, DDOOUUGGLLAASS ((MMiinniinngg ’’9944,, MMSScc MMiinniinngg ’’0044))

has been awardedthe 2006 (BritishColumbia)LieutenantGovernor’s awardfor Innovation in

Public Safety. This is in recogni-tion of his doctoral researchentitled “Cognitive Profiling ofIndustrial Accident” and for asignificant and innovativeapproach to analyzing the inves-tigations of incidents and acci-dents to determine the extent towhich organizational culture andother considerations factor intotheir causation. Sweeney is themanager of occupational healthand safety at Thompson RiversUniversity.

WWAALLKKEERR,, GGEEOORRGGEE((CCiivviill ’’5500))

had a neighbour-hood named afterhim. The City ofEdmonton namingcommittee boardunanimously

agreed to name an Edmontonsoutheast neighbourhood“Walker Lakes.” The area isbounded on the north byEllerslie Road (9th Avenue SW),on the south by 25th AvenueSW, on the west by 66th StreetSW, and on the east by 50thStreet SW. This naming is inhonour of Walker’s work withCanadian Housing and UrbanDevelopment (Edmonton division).

Kudos

in memoriam

BBoowweerr,, RRaayymmoonndd (Civil ’49)

BBrrooddrriibbbb,, TThhoommaass(Mining ’02)

BBrroowwnnlleeee,, JJ.. AAllllaann(Chemical ’43)

BBuullll,, AAlleexxaannddeerr(Chemical ’50)

CCaannnniinngg,, TToonnyy (Electrical ’75)

CCooffffiinn,, HHuugghh (Chemical ’52)

DDoozzee,, WWaarrrreenn(Electrical ’45)

DDrreeww,, AAllffrreedd(Civil ’27)

EErriikkssoonn,, RRoobbeerrtt (Mining ’49)

HHooddggee,, GGeeoorrggee (Civil ’47)

MMccDDoonnaalldd,, RRoobbeerrtt (Civil ’59)

MMccKKooeenn,, JJoohhnn(Civil ’62)

MMoonnaagghhaann,, CCeecciill (Electrical ’39)

NNaaoouumm,, GGeeoorrggee(Civil ’55)

NNeeaall,, JJaacckk (Electrical ’52)

PPoooollee,, DDrr.. JJoohhnn (Civil ’37, LLD[Hon] ’87)

SSiikkssttrroomm,, RRooyy (Chemical ’58)

WWaallkkeerr,, WWaayynnee (Mechanical ’77)

WWaarrdd,, RR.. LLyyllee(Civil ’64, MScCivil ’66)

The Faculty of Engineering sincerely regrets the passing of the following alumni and friends.

HHiisslloopp,, RRiicchhaarrdd(Civil ’43, MSc Civil ’47)

LLaazzeerrttee,, DDrr.. JJaammeess (Chemical ’44, MSc Chemical ’46)

WWiillllssoonn,, PPeetteerr(Civil ’56)

The Faculty of Engineering wasrecently made aware of the following alumni who passedaway more than a year ago.


U of A E n g i n e e r 39U of A E n g i n e e r 39

REUNION 2006

During Reunion 2006, the Faculty ofEngineering welcomed over 200 alumni andtheir spouses to the annual Dean’s Brunchfor a buffet and congenial conversation inthe Solarium of the Engineering Teachingand Learning Complex.

This was an especially memorable reunionfor William Kent (Civil ’31) (photo in upperleft hand corner, second from the top) whomarked his 75th year since graduation.

ENGMAGswin07.35 2/5/07 11:56 PM

Including a charitable bequest in your will is an effective method of supportingthe Faculty of Engineering without compromising your current standard of living. Bequests are usually one of the largest gifts an individual can make.They minimize the income and capital gains to the estate, thus allowing moreof the estate to be used as you desire.

For further information contact:

David M. Petis, Assistant DeanExternal Relations, Faculty of Engineering, University of AlbertaE6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning ComplexEdmonton, AB T6G 2V4Tel: 780.492.5080 Fax: 780.492.0500E-mail: [email protected]

Planned GivingHelp support the Faculty of EngineeringMake a charitable bequest

Postage paid Port payé

Publications Poste-Mail publications

4400005511112288EEDDMMOONNTTOONN,, AALLBBEERRTTAA

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40051128

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Faculty of Engineering,University of AlbertaE6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning ComplexEdmonton, AB T6G 2V4

e-mail: [email protected]

02049

✃

U n i v e r s i t y o f A l b e r t a ENGINEERING

Your donation$100 $500 $1,000 $2,500to the U of A

Your tax credit$42.00 $209.00 $418.00 $1,045.00for your gift:

I wish to make a gift of:

$100 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $________

Cheque (made payable to the University of Alberta) VISA MasterCard

__________/___________/__________/__________/ expiry date: __________

Name (please print): ________________________________________________

Signature: _______________________________________________________

I have also enclosed:

a corporate matching gift form from my (or my spouse‘s) employer

If you were an Alberta resident on December 31, 2006 and have already given $200 elsewhere, your combined income tax savings will be:

* To best meet Faculty of Engineering’s needs, donations may be directed to endowed funds. Donations made to endowment funds are invested in perpetuity and the investment earnings are used to advance the specified purposes of the fund within the University.

I would like my gift to support:

$ __________ Faculty of Engineering in support of undergraduate student projects,new educational initiatives in all disciplines, and general student life enhancement activities.

$ __________ Chemical and Materials Engineering Fund*

$ __________ Civil and Environmental Engineering Fund*

$ __________ Electrical and Computer Engineering Fund*

$ __________ Mechanical Engineering Applied Learning Laboratory Fund*

$ __________ Mining and Petroleum Engineering Fund*

I would like information on how to make a gift of publicly traded securities to support the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A.

I would like information on how to include the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A as part of a will, life insurance, or other planned gift instrument.

I have provided for the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A in a will or trust agreement.

Please return to:Office of the Dean, Faculty of Engineering University of AlbertaE6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning ComplexEdmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4

Christine Thom (Computer ’92) wanted to ease the financial strainon future Engineering students. She made a charitable bequest to theFaculty of Engineering and established an endowed scholarship.


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