In This Issue:� From the Dean

page 2

� RewardingAlumni Achievementpage 3

� Coursework Master’s ProgramsOpen Doorspage 4

� Faculty Newspage 6

� The Design Power Behindthe Bow Towerpage 8

� Motivating Employeespage 9

� Young Entrepreneurs ChooseWaterloo Engineeringpage 10

� Alumnus Shifts FacebookApplication into High Gearpage 11

� Civil Grads Servein Afghanistanpage 12

� Class Notespage 13

� Upcoming Eventspage 18

� Mentoring from Experiencepage 20

February 2008 • Number 53

It’s a little odd towalk into the fluids laband find the solarcar,“ saysDerekHans, project leader of theMidnight SunSolarRaceCar Team.But the team’s currentworkshop isn’t

largeenough toassemble the car, and the fluids lab is. Thissort of creativeuseof crampedquarters is commonamongWaterlooEngineering’smanystudentdesign teams.�However that’s about to change. This year, WaterlooEngineering will break ground on Engineering V. The newbuilding will be located on what is now a parking lot offof Phillip Street, across the railway tracks from the DavisCentre and other engineering buildings. Engineering V’scentrepiece will be the student design centre: a two-storey space dedicated to undergraduate design, withmultiple project bays and centralized workshops.�Engineering V is the first of three new buildings plannedfor Waterloo Engineering. When the buildings arecompleted, along with expansion and renovationprojects involving existing space, we’ll have added over400,000 square feet to the existing 800,000 square feet

— by far the largest physical expansion in WaterlooEngineering history.� And it’s needed. As workprogresses on implementing Vision 2010, engineering’sstrategic plan, we’ve expanded our graduate studiesprogram and our research intensity. Both activities havemeant an increase in graduate students, faculty andstaff, which has created an urgent need for space.�Hans says that, for the Midnight Sun Team, a dedicatedstudent design centre means “dirty workspace and a lotof it. We have to do a lot of sanding when we’re buildingthe wooden models that we use to make moulds for thecar. It has always been a problem for us to find a spacewhere we can create dust without bothering anyone, notto mention without freezing.“ The team’s last space wasunheated.� Hans adds he’s looking forward to workingon the solar car in one space rather than several. “It willbe great to be able to just concentrate on building thebest vehicle we can.“

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

WATERLOO ENGINEERING ALUMNI LETTER

An artist’s renderingof the studentdesign centre.

“

Youmay expect this to bemy last WEAL column;my five-year term as

dean of Waterloo Engineeringis ending in June.� I came toWaterloo in 2003, temptedaway from my long-timeacademic home at theUniversity of Toronto by an

irresistible challenge: earning Waterloo a place amongthe leading schools of engineering in North America. AndI’ve seen the entire Waterloo Engineering communityrise to that challenge. We worked hard to develop Vision2010, a strategic plan for excellence in engineeringeducation and research, and are working even harder tosee that plan through.� It’s been a privilege serving asdean. I’ve been energized by my time with WaterlooEngineering students, faculty, and alumni, and I’velearned a lot. One of the things I’ve learned is somethingyou as alumni already know: Waterloo Engineering is ahard place to leave.� And so, I am not leaving. I washonoured to be asked to serve another term as dean andpleased to agree. Although previous commitmentsrequire me to take a year away from the position, I willreturn for a second term, this one for three years,beginning in 2009. Leo Rothenberg, the current chair ofcivil and environmental engineering, will be the actingdean during the year I am away.� Over the next few

years, you can look for Waterloo Engineering to continueto grow. Our undergraduate programs are alreadyCanada’s best and are the foundation of our reputation asa premier engineering school. We will work to make themeven better, through lower student-to-faculty ratios andcareful attention to co-op and the ProfessionalDevelopment for Engineering Students (PDEng)program. Graduate studies continue to expanddramatically and we are working to significantly increasethe intensity and impact of our research in our areas ofstrength.� Of course, all of this requires more facultymembers to strengthen our undergraduate programs,support the growth of graduate studies and expand ourresearch teams.� To accommodate all this growth,we’re adding the space you read about in our cover story:three new buildings dedicated to engineering, withadditions and renovations to others.� New faculty, newgraduate students, new research, new buildings: it’s anexciting, dynamic time here. I think you can see why I’vechosen to stay.

Sincerely,

Adel S. Sedra,Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Dean Adel Sedra with alumniat a Hong Kong reception.

FROM THE DEAN

Whatdoa risk-managementexpert, a protector ofCanada’s natural resources, agenius, a campof ironringwardensand the industry leader inwireless

communicationshave in common?Theywereall recipients ofthe2007EngineeringAlumniAchievementMedal, joining41otherswhohavebeen recognized since the firstmedalwaspresented in 1994.� Ron Dembo (PhD ’75, MSci) is a risk

taker – and a successful one at that.After an academic career thatincluded professorships at Yale, MITand the University of Toronto, hefounded Algorithmics Incorporatedin 1989. Prior to being sold to theFitch Group, the company was the

largest risk-management software company in theworld. In 2005 Dembo started using his riskmanagement skills in a different way — he foundedZerofootprint Inc., which serves businesses andconsumers who want to reduce their impact on theenvironment.� Ensuring Canada’s natural resourcesremain for future generations has become second natureto Donald Noakes (MASc ’79 and PhD ’85, SD). He workedhis way up from a research scientist with the federalDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans, eventually

becoming director of theaquaculture division and playing akey role in developing a sustainableaquaculture industry in Canada.Today, as dean of the School ofAdvanced Technologies andMathematics at Thompson Rivers

University, Noakes is a leading researcher in waterresources and aquaculture.� Claire Tomlin’s high-flyingcareer received a boost last year when she received oneof the world’s most prestigious fellowships: theMacArthur Award, popularly known as the genius grant.Tomlin (BASc ’92, Elect) is anaviation researcher and academicwho teaches at both Berkeley andStanford. She studies hybridcontrol systems for aircraft flightcontrol and collision avoidanceand has developed practicalsolutions for determining when

unsafe conditions may arise.Tomlin will use part of herMacArthur grant money tostudy genetic biology.�Last year was the first timeboth Waterloo Engineering’sTeam Alumni AchievementMedal and Friend of theFaculty Award werepresented.� The teammedal was awarded to Camp15’s eight active members who are all engineeringalumni living in the Waterloo area. Maintaining thetraditions of the iron ring, the symbol of Canadianengineers, Camp 15 representatives conduct the annualceremony at which graduating engineers receive theirrings. They also attend Waterloo Engineering reunions toprovide replacement rings and recently raised more than$50,000 for the Iron Ring Endowment Fund.� TheFriend of the Faculty Award was presented to Research inMotion. Founded by Mike Lazaridis when he was aWaterloo Engineering undergraduate, RIM hasmaintained a strong relationship with the University ofWaterloo, employing hundreds of alumni over the years.In the past three years alone,RIM has hired more than1,000 co-op students. Thecompany has also been agood friend of Waterloo’sstudent teams – RIM hassponsored a number ofvehicle projects including UWAlternative Fuels, FormulaSAE Race Car, Waterloo Off-Road Mini Baja and MidnightSun Solar Race Car.

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UWWEALFebruary2008

REWARDING ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT

Representatives of RIM

Photos byDavid McCammon

Members of Camp 15

The nomination deadline for the 2008Engineering Alumni Achievement medal isApril 30, 2008. Details and nomination formscan be found atwww.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/medals.

Theoneconsistent thingabout engineering is that nothingstays the same.� Christina Wasilishin knows that’strue. In part, it’s why she chose to enrol in the new

Master of Engineering program in mechanical andmechatronics engineering with a specialization in firesafety. The program was exactly what Wasilishin waslooking for to enhance her career: she’s a civil engineerwhose job is to inspect the factories and facilities ofcompanies seeking insurance and to evaluate the risk offire.� As skills and technology change, graduateeducation becomes a vital tool for helping engineers andother professionals keep pace. Waterloo Engineering’smaster’s programs allow engineers to do just that. Whiletraditional master’s degrees centre on independent

research and end in a thesis, coursework master’sprograms are an intensive, advanced, specializededucation structured around classroom work. Studentsare drawn to these programs by their speed andflexibility: most can be completed in a single year andmany are available through part-time study.� Waterloorecently retooled its coursework engineering master’sprograms to give students even greater opportunities totailor their education. These specialized MEng degrees instrategic fields like green energy and softwareengineering attract a wide variety of students, from newgraduates looking to get ahead quickly to experiencedengineers interested in switching tracks or upgradingtheir skills.� Although she’s only started the program,Wasilishin is already putting what she’s learned to use.“The first course I took was on fire testing standards,“she says. “These are referenced in material that I review

in my job and it helps a lot to understand them in somedepth. This degree will give me more confidence and willhelp me do my job better.“� The deciding factor forWasilishin was the format in which the courses areoffered. The part-time student spends one week everycouple of months attending on-site lectures. “The rest isonline,“ she says. “I can pace myself and work at myown speed – mainly after my kids go to bed.“�

Coursework master’s programs also benefit engineers

COURSEWORK MASTER’SPROGRAMS OPEN DOORS

Dan Donovan graduated from Waterloo with a BASc in computer engineering andlanded a job as a machine control and robotics specialist. He liked it – but somethingelse was at the back of his mind.

“Starting a company really appealed to me. And I thought I should do it now, beforechildren and a mortgage came along.“

So Donovan enrolled in Waterloo’s Master of Business, Entrepreneurship andTechnology (MBET) program. “I learned a lot in a short time,“ says Donovan. “MBETtook me from ‘Hey, I think I might want to start a company’ to having the knowledgeand tools to actually do it.“

Donovan’s company, HealthSpoke, provides web-based business management software to chiropractors, massagetherapists, nutritionists and other health professionals. The software is designed to help themmanage theirbusiness and offer clients online appointment booking and progress tracking.

At the moment, HealthSpoke is a one-person operation and Donovan is very busy. But it’s worth it, he says. “Thebest part is the challenge. You have a big goal and it feels so good when you achieve it.“

4

Christina Wasilishin at anon-campus lecture.

This degree will give me moreconfidence and will help me domy job better.

with international degrees. One such student is AttaullahKhan who holds an engineering degree in civilengineering earned in Pakistan. His credentials arerecognized in Canada but like many engineers trainedabroad he found the job market here tough to crackwithout Canadian experience. After years ofdisappointing jobs, he decided to take a Waterloo MEngin civil engineering, graduating in 2007. “I had the

opportunity to choose from a rich variety of courses,“Khan says, “and each course in itself provided a nicebalance of breadth and depth of knowledge.“� And thepayoff: an engineering position with Ontario’s Ministry ofTransportation. “After eight long years of struggling tosupport my family in Canada, I finally have a job that isprofessionally satisfying and rewarding.“

Each course in itself provided anice balance of breadth and depthof knowledge.

Waterloo Engineering offers graduatecoursework degrees in:• Advanced Design andManufacturing

• Business, Entrepreneurshipand Technology

• Chemical Engineering• Civil Engineering• Electric Power Engineering• Electrical and ComputerEngineering

• Management of Technology• Management Science• Mechanical Engineering• Nuclear Engineering• Software Engineering• Systems Design Engineering

Specializations are offered in:• Infrastructure Systems(Civil and Environmental Engineering)

• Computer Networking and Security(Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Software Engineering(Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Sustainable Energy(Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Management Engineering(Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Design(Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering)

• Fire Safety(Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering)

• Green Energy(Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering)

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UWWEALFebruary2008

FIND OUT MORE ATWWW.ENGINEERING.UWATERLOO.CA/GRADUATE.

Teamwork Cements Concrete Toboggan WinThey chalked up firsts for the best technical report, thebest technical exhibit and even the best attire both onand off the hill.� But it was working together as a teamthat Waterloo's concrete toboggan members credit forplacing first out of 24 universities in the 2008 GreatNorthern Concrete Toboggan Race held January 30 toFebruary 2 at the Université de Sherbrooke. "We were alltogether working as one," saidMike Sidiropoulos, theconstruction manager for the 24-member team.�Called Waterloo911, Waterloo's winning entry was afourth-year civil engineering design project. One of theunique features of the 288-pound toboggan was itsreinforcement system developed by three Waterloo civiland environmental engineering professors to prevent theconcrete from cracking.

Recognizing Outstanding PerformanceLast fall’s annual Faculty of Engineering dinnerrecognized both faculty and staff for outstandingperformance. Terri Meyer Boake of architecture,Ray Legge of chemical engineering andWayne Brodlandof civil and environmental engineering received the 2007teaching excellence awards. And two staff members werehonoured with the faculty’s inaugural outstanding staffperformance awards: Ken Bowman, a technician in civiland environmental engineering and Jeff Lederer, thegeneral manager of the School of Architecture.

Student Team Work Praised byIndustry MinisterPromising research was the reason given by Jim Prenticefor making the University of Waterloo his first post-secondary stop since becoming the new federal industryminister in August 2007. During a visit last September tothe Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR),Prentice said the work being done by the university’sAlternative Fuels Team is critical in providing neweconomic opportunities for the troubled auto industry.He was able to appreciate the team’s accomplishments

first-hand: after havingan under-the-hood lookat the team’s hydrogen-powered ChevroletEquinox he took thevehicle for a shorttest drive.

Top of the ClassLast year Gordon Stubley ofmechanical and mechatronicsengineering was named one ofOntario’s top 100 universityteachers. He was presented with a2007 Leadership in FacultyTeaching Award, which was

introduced by the Ontario government last January tohonour and encourage teaching excellence at Ontario’scolleges and universities. Stubley was cited for hisresearch into new and effective teaching techniques andhis mentoring of fellow teachers.� Keith Hipel ofsystems design engineering is one of two University ofWaterloo faculty members who recently received anAward of Excellence in Graduate Supervision. Waterloo’sgraduate studies office, in collaboration with thegraduate student association, established the award torecognize faculty who have demonstrated excellence insupervising graduate students.

6Photo by Chris Hughes

Waterloo Engineering’swinning ConcreteToboggan Team.

Photo courtesy of GNCTR.

FACULTY NEWS

Honorary DoctoratesInventorWai-Cheung Tang and energy researcherAngus Bruneau received honorary doctorates at last fall’sWaterloo Engineering convocation. Tang, a WaterlooEngineering alumnus, is a world-renowned expert inspacecraft communication filtering systems and highpower phenomena. Bruneau, who served as a professorof mechanical engineering in Waterloo’s early days,founded the engineering program at MemorialUniversity and established Fortis Incorporated, a powerdistribution utility that serves two million gas andelectric customers.

Alumni Honoured With Anniversary AwardCongratulations go out to the 13 graduates of WaterlooEngineering who were among the 50 campus-widealumni recognized last year with the University ofWaterloo’s 50th Anniversary Alumni Award. The one-time award highlighted the impact graduates have hadon the university and marked the school’s 50thanniversary. The engineering alumni recipients wereErin-Bourke Dunphy (BASc ’98,Elect), Arthur Church(BASc ’76, Mech), Rod Coutts (BASc ’64, Elect, DEng ’07),Larry Galajda (BASc ’76, Elect), Donald Haycock (BASc’68, MASc ’73, Civil),Mike Lazaridis (DEng ’00), PaulKoch (BASc ’63, MASc ’64, Chem), Paul Koenderman(BASc ’71, Mech), Bill Lennox (BASc ’62 Eng Phy, MSc’63), Vivienne Ojala (BASc ’84, SD), Paul Spafford (BASc’71, Elect), Dermot Sweeny (BAS ’83) and Bill Tatham(BASc ’83, SD).

ArchitectureProfessor in TVO’sLecturer CompetitionWaterloo architectureprofessor Robert Jan van Peltis one of 10 contestants who

will be competing this winter for the title of Ontario's BestLecturer on TV Ontario. The competition will air starting inMarch. One of his students has been quoted as saying “Allgood lecturers have the ability to seduce their audiencethrough a combination of passionate story telling and acareful calibration of their subject matter to the audienceat hand. Professor van Pelt is a master of this seduction.“

High Voltage Lab Re–Opens its DoorsHigh tech equipment as well as fire resistant materialsand security systems are key features in the highvoltage engineering laboratory (HVEL) that reopenedlast fall in Carl Pollock Hall. In March 2005, a firedestroyed the equipment and months of research bygraduate students and others.� The 4,200-square-footlab is used by Waterloo electrical and computerengineering professors whose work includes highvoltage insulation, applied electrostatics, renewableenergy, including wind and solar powers, and electricvehicles. The lab is also the flagship facility for thePower and Energy Systems Group, one of the largestresearch groups in power engineering in North America.

Alumni Mentors Span the GlobeAbout 80 Waterloo Engineering graduates living aroundthe world have volunteered to be online mentors for theProfessional Development for Engineering Students(PDEng) program. The undergraduate program waslaunched four years ago to help Waterloo Engineeringundergraduate students on co-op terms develop theirprofessional skills. The program’s online mentoringprovides students with alumni advice and guidanceduring their work terms. Sandor Weinacht, co-ordinatorof the alumni mentor program, is working on organizingface-to-face meetings with mentors and students atengineering alumni events.

The reopened high voltageengineering laboratory.

Photo by Chris Hughes.

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UWWEALFebruary2008

FOR THE LATEST NEWSFROM WATERLOOENGINEERING,VISIT WWW.ENGINEERING.UWATERLOO.CA/NEWS

David Jefferies is describedas the ‘towerofpower’ byAlbertaVenture

Magazine,whichnamedhimoneof the50most influential peopleinAlberta last year.�Jefferies, who graduated fromWaterloo’s architectureprogram in 1976, is managing

project architect of The Bow, the proposed new Calgaryheadquarters for EnCana, one of the largestindependently owned oil and gas companies in theworld. When completed in 2011, the 58-storey structurewill be the tallest office building in Western Canada.�Now a principal with Zeidler Partnership Architects,Jefferies has designed some of Canada’s most interestingbuildings during his over 30-year career. His workincludes the SkyDome hotel and the head office ofRogers Communications, both in Toronto, the National

Aviation Museum in Ottawa, and the Eau Claire Estates inCalgary. He calls The Bow his “largest, most dramatic andexciting project.“� Named for its crescent design andview of the Bow River, the complex is being built on two

city blocks and will eventually house over 3,000 ofEnCana’s Calgary-based employees, as well as retailstores, an art gallery and a six-level undergroundparking garage.� The Bow will include manyenvironmentally-friendly design features that areexpected to reduce energy consumption by about 30 percent compared to conventional construction. Thebuilding orientation will passively harness the sun’senergy throughout the year and the curved bowconfiguration is also expected to significantly reducewind resistance and drafts.� Along with the latestbuilding materials and energy conservation techniques,an important piece of Calgary’s history will beincorporated into The Bow. The façade of the 78-year-old York Hotel, taken apart brick by brick last summer,will become the cornerstone of The Bow. The hotel’ssecond floor once housed CFCN radio, the “Voice of thePrairies“ from where Wilf Carter (aka Montana Slim)sang country tunes and William (Bible Bill) Aberhartdelivered his weekly radio Bible study classes.�Jefferies says while the York Hotel’s façade is nowfeatured prominently in building renderings, initially itsrestoration was considered something of a waste of time.“I was able to unearth background on the origins of thegraphics and the design artist who developed the cast-in-place relief elements found at the top and bottom ofthe building faces. The building façade is now animportant part of the heritage restoration component ofThe Bow project.“

THE DESIGN POWER BEHIND THE BOW TOWER

Photo reprinted courtesy ofThe Calgary Herald.

Along with the latest building materialsand energy conservation techniques, animportant piece of Calgary’s historywill be incorporated into The Bow.

8

An artist’s renderingof The Bow.

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UWWEALFebruary2008

Whenit comes toperformance incentives, twomanagement scientists havediscovered that callcentreemployeeswould ratherwork towards apiece

of jewelry, agamesystemor anewcamera thanextra cash intheir pockets.� Management sciences professor ScottJeffrey and PhD candidate Gordon Adomdza gatheredperformance data on 441 call centre employees whoworked for a large financial services organizationcollecting past-due accounts. About 75 per cent of theemployees were women and most had been with theorganization for less than two years. Employees wereable to choose one of three incentive levels – low,medium or high – set by the organization.� In each ofthe levels half of the employees worked towards

acquiring points to be redeemed for money and theother half were part of a tangible incentive program.Those in the tangible incentive program were given acatalogue with pictures of various prizes and their pointvalues.� Halfway into the two-month program, Jeffreyand Adomdza asked employees in both groups to agreeor disagree on a five-point scale to the followingstatement: “I regularly thought about the potential

rewards from this program while working.“ They alsoasked the employees to report on their commitment toachieving the performance target they had selected.�What Jeffrey and Adomdza discovered was that a largerpercentage of employees in the tangible incentive groupfocused on the rewards they chose such as a trip or newgolf clubs. Fewer employees in the other group regularlythought about topping up their bank accounts. Membersof the tangible incentive group were also morecommitted to their performance targets.� Adomdzasays being able to picture a reward and refer to it in acatalogue helps employees zero in on their goals. “Withso many changes occurring in the workplace todayhaving something to concentrate on keeps people bothmotivated and focused. The mind is a very powerful andimaginative tool,“ he says.� The two managementscientists say there are several reasons more employeeschoose to work towards a reward other than money.“When someone receives extra cash they tend to paybills or spend it on practical, non-frivolous things likegroceries and gas,“ says Jeffrey who specializes inresearch on goals, incentives and other aspects ofemployee performance management. “Choosing anincentive from a catalogue to work towards providesmany with the opportunity to end up with somethingthey wouldn't have otherwise.“� A tangible incentivealso has “trophy value,“ says Jeffrey. “It can make for agreat conversation piece at work or at home.“

Scott Jeffrey, left, andGordon Adomdza withemployee incentive prizes.Photo by Chris Hughes.

MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES

Choosing an incentive from a catalogueto work towards provides many withthe opportunity to endup with something they wouldn'thave otherwise.

Keith Peiris founded CyberTeks.net in June 1999 atjust 11 years old. When he entered WaterlooEngineering’s nanotechnology program in

September 2006 he was not only running a successfulbusiness but had been named one of Canada’s Top 20Under 20, a Youth in Motion award program that honoursinnovation and leadership. His many otheraccomplishments include being a member of the TeamCanada Trade Mission to China in 2001.� Stephen Lake(below) was part of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 list in

2007. Before beginning Waterloo’s mechatronicsprogram last September he had launched two businesses– one that develops high-efficiency LED lightingsystems for mobile vehicles and the other in theDJ/entertainment business.� Waterloo Engineeringhas always attracted bright students, but it seems thesedays more and more are arriving with impressivebusiness experience on their CVs along with top marks.� Before starting his studies in Waterloo’s softwareengineering program in September 2007, EugeneSolodkin worked in a research lab at SunnybrookHospital in Toronto for two months developing a programto browse through MRI scans of the brain. With a 99.3per cent Grade 12 average, most, if not all, educationalopportunities would have been open to him. Last June he

graduated with the second highest average in theToronto School Board. Solodkin jokes that the onesubject that may have held him back from having the topaverage was English – he only learned to speak thelanguage three years ago when he and his familyimmigrated to Canada from Belarus in eastern Europe.�Salima Gilani has only been in Canada for five monthsbut she’s already made her mark in and out of school.The Master of Business, Entrepreneurship andTechnology (MBET) student was chosen as the 2007leader of the Impact Leadership Conference, a studententrepreneurial event held in Toronto. The conferencehonour recognized Gilani’s work on a program thatpromotes interactive learning at the American School ofBangkok, where she completed her undergraduatedegree. She is currently working with a number ofOntario hospitals to develop better business intelligencesolutions for the healthcare industry.� Lake, currentlyon a co-op term in Ottawa, says Waterloo was his firstchoice of Canadian engineering schools. “Forengineering in Canada, Waterloo is the place to be. On

top of that I love the idea ofthe co-op program. Beingable to make connections withdifferent employers and get ataste of several differentfields before graduation is agreat concept.“

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS CHOOSEWATERLOO ENGINEERING

For engineering in Canada, Waterloois the place to be.

10

Enterprising students fromleft: Keith Peiris, Salima

Gilani and Eugene Solodkin.

ArecentWaterlooEngineeringgraduate is thedrivingforcebehindCarpool, a Facebookapplication that hasseen thousandsofnewusersposting shared rides since

the sitewas launched in July2007.� Rajat Suri (above),who graduated with a double major in chemicalengineering and economics last June, came up with theidea of an independent carpooling site during readingweek in 2007.� “I was driving home from Waterloo toToronto when I realized what a pity it was that I was onmy own in the car. I started wondering how many otherswere heading in the same direction and could havecarpooled with me.“� Although there was a bulletinboard advertising ride sharing in the University ofWaterloo’s Student Life Centre, Suri was convinced muchmore could be done to promote carpooling. While

surfing the web for information and ideas he cameacross the site zimride.com. Suri got in touch with itscreator, Logan Green, a student at the University ofCalifornia in Santa Barbara, and together they workedalmost full-time over three weeks developing theFacebook site.� Suri says one of the main differencesbetween zimride and Carpool is that users can check outthe profiles of the people they’re considering carpoolingwith before meeting face-to-face. Profile details often

include music interests, which can be important on along drive. The site also allows users to request a sharedride in a private vehicle or a taxi from an airport. Otherfeatures include systems that track the amount ofcarbon dioxide saved by sharing rides. Although he’s notearning any money from the site right now, Suri hopesto eventually make a profit through sponsorships.�Suri credits the university’s entrepreneurial culture andengineering’s co-op program for giving him theconfidence to spend last summer working on Carpool.“My six different co-op placements provided thereasoning and critical skills necessary for this project.“� Late last fall Suri reported there were over 20,000Carpool users in countries including Canada, the UnitedStates, Finland, Hong Kong and Turkey. Most of theusers were between 18 and 22 years old and werecollege or university students – 800 of those attendedthe University of Waterloo. Although attractingthousands of users to the site in less than six monthsis an impressive feat, Suri is aiming higher. “My visionis to have millions using Carpool. I’m trying to changethe way people think about sharing rides on afundamental level.“

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UWWEALFebruary2008

ALUMNUS SHIFTS FACEBOOKAPPLICATION INTO HIGH GEAR

Users can check out the profiles ofpeople they’re considering carpoolingwith before meeting face-to-face.

Themilitaryhad the challengesand lifestyle Iwas lookingfor in a career and I haven’t been let down,“ saysMajorMarkGasparotto (BASc ’96, Civil) of his decision to leave

civilian lifebehindayear after graduating fromWaterlooEngineering. AlthoughbothGasparotto’s paternal andmaternal grandfathers fought in theSecondWorldWar, theLondon,Ontarionative says that didn’t influencehis decision.� Many of the skills Gasparotto honed during hisengineering studies, like decision-making, innovativethinking and problem solving, were put to the ultimatetest as part of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Groupin Afghanistan. Gasparotto commanded the 23 FieldSquadron Combat Engineers from August 2006 toFebruary 2007, one of the most violent tours of dutyCanadian soldiers have seen in Afghanistan.� As aWaterloo co-op student and later as an engineeringgraduate, Gasparotto worked on Highway 407 in Ontario.His roadwork experience was put to use in Afghanistan

where he was responsible for building Route Summit, akey road through the heart of insurgents' territory. Butunlike his Highway 407 experience, Gasparotto and hissquadron, which he describes as “an eclectic grouping ofsoldiers, sailors and airmen,“ had to be on constant alertfrom the Taliban, drug lords, rival tribes and others whodidn’t want the road to go through.� Besides buildingRoute Summit, Gasparotto’s 135-member squadroncleared mines and other explosive threats and worked toimprove bunkers, camps and other protection forfriendly forces. “These tasks were often undertakenunder fire and we certainly saw our fair share ofviolence. We needed to be on guard all day, every day.“� One of the toughest times Gasparotto says he had inAfghanistan was during particularly heavy fighting inSeptember 2006 when a member of his squadron waskilled. “It was difficult – no amount of training canprepare you for what we experienced physically andemotionally. You learn as you go along.“� Last OctoberGasparotto received a meritorious service medal fromCanada’s Governor General. The Department of Defencecredited the combat engineer with “exceptionalleadership under enemy fire that saved the lives ofCanadian soldiers.“ Gasparotto says his medal “speaks tothe incredible efforts of the entire squadron.“� Backon Canadian soil, Gasparotto is working with new recruitsat Gagetown, New Brunswick. Although he doesn’t ruleout the possibility of returning to active combat in thefuture, he is enjoying a more regular lifestyle thatincludes spending time with his wife and two youngdaughters. “It was certainly great to come home and nothave to worry about possibly not seeing the next sunriseor sunset.“

12

CIVIL GRADS SERVEIN AFGHANISTAN

Captain Mark Gasparottoin Afghanistan.

Captain Dan Clarke (BASc ’02,Civil) joined the army shortlyafter graduating from Waterloowhen the Canadian militarywas advertising forengineering grads.

“I thought I’d swing by therecruiting centre for a look and I

really liked what I saw. I liked the challenge of the job andthe emphasis on fitness and teamwork. I’ve alwaysconsidered myself to be a patriotic person and I was excitedfor the opportunity to give something back,“ he says.

Clarke spent just over five months in Afghanistan working asa replacement troop commander for Major Mark Gasparotto.In his position Clarke says he regularly relied on his ability

to analyze and solve problems – things he learned whileworking on his civil engineering degree. “Those are skillsthat are valuable in any environment and a warzone iscertainly no exception.“

He says his squadron made a difference in Afghanistan.“There were some good days and some very bad days, but Ican look back and feel that we made a positive contribution.“

In June 2007 Clarke received a commendation from theCommander of the Army for his outstanding leadership andprofessionalism demonstrated as a replacement troopcommander. He’s now back in Ontario working as a staffofficer with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in Petawawa. “Iexpect to continue to serve in the army as long as I keepenjoying the life and feel like I’m making an impact.“

“

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UWWEALFebruary2008

CLASS NOTES� 1962Gerald L. Beebe (Elect ’62) retiredin 1990 from Northern Telecom andBell Canada where he worked for 32years. Gerald was the chairman ofthe Brampton and District Chapterof APEO from 1971-1972. You canreach Gerald at 905-877-8862.

Alexander MacDonald (Civil ’62) isretired and lives in Mazatlan,Mexico for six months each year.

Leonard G. Nobleman (EngPhys ’62) says “since 1998, I havebeen a sponsor in the SaintGermain Foundation of SouthWestern Ontario. A sponsor issimilar to a bishop in the CatholicChurch – there’s no pay and youencounter many problems. I alsopractise my golf game two hourseach day.“ You can contact Leonardat 519-426-4208.

� 1963Class Reunion: September 27-28,2008

Peter Wozniuk (Mech ’63)continues to stay busy as anadjunct professor, teachingsummer modules at the businessschool of the Russian AmericanUniversity in Moscow. He is retiredbut continues to operate hisEastern European import business,which fits well with his teachingduties. He and his wife Judy enjoyspending time with their fivegrandchildren in the mountains ofwestern North Carolina.

� 1964Paul Koch (Chem’63 & ’64) wasthrilled to be oneof the recipientsof the Universityof Waterloo’s50th AnniversaryAlumni Award.

� 1967Wayne Brock (Mech ’67) retiredfrom Freightliner LLC in Portland,Oregon in December 2001.Previously he had worked inShanghai, China as generalmanager of the ShanghaiFreightliner Truck Company. Waynesays he’s interested in providingconsultation assistance to anycompany considering investing inChina. He is currently secretary ofthe Evergreen Curling Club’s boardof directors in thePortland/Vancouver area and curlsat the Lloyd Center ice rink. He isenjoying the sport and is trying tohelp it grow in the USA.

� 1968Class Reunion: September 27-28,2008

Samir Basu (Elect ’68, PhD ’70)recently travelled with hisdaughter Ajanta Basu and anotheralumnus, Aninda Dutta Ray(Mech ’06) to Peru for a one-weekvacation in the beautiful land ofthe Inca civilization. They visitedLima, built by the Spanishconquistadors, and the famousMachu Pichu, the seventh wonderof the world.

Robert Domoney (Civil ’68) retiredfrom a 29-year career at theOntario Ministry of Transportationin 1997. His most rewarding projectwas developing and implementingthe graduated driver licensingsystem for new Ontario drivers.Currently, he is President of R.Domoney Associates Inc., andsince 1997 has specialized incarrier (truck and bus) safetyissues. Weather permitting, heplans to spend a lot of time skiingthis winter in Collingwood.

Andre D. LeBlanc (Mech ’68)reports he not only spent all sixco-op terms but since graduationworking in research anddevelopment at Pratt & WhitneyCanada. He is planning on ending

his career as an aerodynamicengineer in 2008. “The past 42years have been both challengingand gratifying,“ he says.

� 1969Lorne Byzyna (Chem ’69) retiredfrom full-time work in the globalpulp and paper industry inDecember 2006. He spent the last14 years building and operatingpulp and paper mills with APRIL inIndonesia and China. He andYvonne are now semi-retired andliving on the sunshine coast inBritish Columbia. When notfishing, he is still working parttime as an independent consultantin BC and overseas. His emailaddress is LByzyna@yahoo.ca.

� 1970David Hogg (Elect ’70) has beenappointed by the ArlingtonHeights-based Association forManufacturing Excellence to chairthe 2008 AME International LeanManufacturing Conference inToronto. This will only be the thirdtime in 24 years that thisconference has come to Canada.The organizing team of 30volunteers come from acrossCanada, the USA and Australia. Theconference, the largest of its kindever held in North America, isexpected to draw about 3,000manufacturing practitioners from26 nations. Dave lives in Kitchenerwith his wife Beverley. You canreach him at dhogg@rogers.com.

Glen Robert Phaneuf (Chem ’70)passed away on March 19, 2007 atGrey Bruce Health Services,Southampton, Ontario. Glen wasemployed by Lubrizol of Canada(Niagara Falls) from 1970 to 1975and by Bruce Power from 1975 untilhis retirement in 2001. He issurvived by his wife Linda,daughter Kim and her husband RobCresswell, and sons Chris and Jeff.

Timo Wadhawan (SD ’70) is theCFO at Heartwood Studios, aleading 3D animation and visualeffects studio that provides digitalstorytelling. Recently, Heartwoodreceived the 2007 San FranciscoEast Bay Entrepreneur of the YearAward in the new media category,placed 13th in the list of the “50Fastest Growing PrivateCompanies“ in the East BayBusiness Times and received 2007Recognition from California stateassemblyman Guy Houston as oneof the finest entrepreneurialcompanies in the San FranciscoBay Area.

� 1972Alan Dunn(Mech ’72) iscompleting hisfirst term ascouncillor for themunicipality ofStrathconaCounty, Alberta.

His political interests are focusedon environmental sustainability,development and financial control.He is also the proprietor of HelalLtd., an engineering andmanagement firm in the Edmontonarea. Alan is a cellist in a stringquartet, violinist in a baroqueorchestra, a fiddler, hand drummerand piper.

Kosla Vepa (Civil ’72) chaired asession at the HumanEmpowerment Conference 2007 inDallas, Texas. The conference is anannual event held in various citiesin North America. Those interestedin participating in this year’sconference may contact Kosla athistory-seminar@heconf.com.

� 1973Class Reunion: September 27-28,2008

� 1974Kar Yew Edwin Cheng (Elect ’74)has been retired since August2006. He hopes all his classmateswill enjoy retirement as much ashe does.

14

� 1975Robert Allen (Mech ’75) is currentlyin the process of putting a game onthe market and having the time of hislife doing so! Get ready for Kissplay, akissing game for romantic couples.

� 1977Eduardo Espinosa (Mech ’77) is backto consulting after leaving a career inthe manufacturing industry.

John Hamalainen (Elect ’77) ismarried to a wonderful woman fromthe Ukraine and they have a seven-year-old daughter and one-year-oldson.

Ronald Ristich (Chem ’77) started outwith Dow Chemical in Sarnia, Ontario.He transferred with the companynumerous times within Canada beforesettling in Lake Jackson, Texas in1995. Ronald and his wife Heatherhave two daughters, Jenny andKaitlin, and a son, Jason.

Len Trembley (Elect’77) retired fromNestle Canada after 26years and has joinedMHPM Project

Managers in Ottawa as a program andproject manager. Len is currentlyseconded to Algonquin College as theprogram manager for its 2007-2008capital investment program. Len andElaine live in Russell, Ontario andtheir daughter, Erin, works and livesin London, England. Len can bereached at lentrembley@rogers.com.

� 1978Class Reunion: September 27-28,2008

Ebenezer Alade (Civil ’78) obtainedhis first degree, a BASc in civilengineering, from the University ofLagos, Nigeria in 1968. Aftercompleting a graduate degree fromWaterloo Engineering he worked ingovernment at the state level inNigeria and retired in 1999 from EkitiState Government of Nigeria aspermanent secretary/generalmanager. Ebenezer currently operates

his own engineering constructioncompany and is actively involved inthe politics of Nigeria.

� 1979Hugh R Alley(SD ’79) reports thatafter seven years asa consultant withGrant Thornton, hestarted a new job as

operations manager of Alco Ventures,an international manufacturing firmbased in Langley, BC. It is an excitingopportunity to put into practice thethings he has been urging his clientsto do. He and his wife Diana and theirtwo children, Rebecca, 15, and Ted,13, have lived in the same house inBurnaby for 15 years and are just nowredoing the kitchen. He is treasurer ofthe Burnaby Canoe and Kayak Cluband is involved in a number of othervolunteer activities.

Robert Scott Boyer (Mech ’79)continues to expand his company,BPM Solutions, providing supplychain and manufacturing consultingservices throughout Ontario. Forrelaxation, he plays keyboard andsings in a number of jazz andweekend dance bands. He is also themusical director and conductor for theshow choir, Bravado! from Barrie.You can contact him atscott@bpmsolutions.ca or705-790-8086.

� 1982Shane Ryder (Mech ’82) has recentlybeen appointed as director, technicalprograms and training for the OntarioPower Generation Nuclear fleet.Friends can contact him atshane.ryder@opg.com.

� 1983Class Reunion: September 27-28,2008

Richard Gruttner (Mech ’83) says“two of my four boys are out.“ One isat the University of Ottawa inmechanical engineering and one is atthe University of Waterloo in

computer science. Richard will soonbe celebrating 25 years of marriagewith his high school sweetheart,Cathy.

James McCallum (Mech ’83) iscurrently director of engineering forCurtiss-Wright Marine Defense(formerly Indal Technologies).Curtiss-Wright has a long history withits roots dating back to the Wrightbrothers’ first flight in 1903.

Kelly McGillivray (Civil’83) is president andchief methodologist ofPeoplecount/Transearch Group, aconsulting firm

specializing in traffic and pedestrianresearch and modelling. A specializedniche is audience research andmeasurement for sign-basedadvertising. The company recentlymoved to downtown Toronto.Kelly lives in North Toronto with hertwo sons.

Heather Scott (MSci ’83) has lived inCalgary and worked for Petro-Canadasince graduation. She has had anumber of different roles includingengineering, natural gas marketingand corporate strategic planning.Currently, she leads the WesternCanada natural gas productionengineering department and all thefield-based production operations.She has been married for 22 years andhas two daughters. She hopes all iswell with her classmates.

� 1984Anthony Green (Mech ’84) wasawarded a PhD (AerospaceEngineering) from CarletonUniversity, Ottawa in October 2007.His thesis was on the intelligenttracking control of fixed-base andfree-flying flexible space robots.

S. David Staniforth(Civil ’84) says “Ciao atutti!“ After over 18years with Saab andGM, the last four ofwhich were in

15

UWWEALFebruary2008

Germany, he - along with Erik, 13,and Claire - decided to try Italia.David joined the Fiat Group lastspring. He reports they have agreat view of the Alpi Maritimi outtheir kitchen window and arelooking forward to the ski season.

� 1985Evan Dust (Civil ’85) says, “I’mmarried to a very beautiful ladyfrom Maui and enjoying life!“ Evanhas returned to work in the privatesector as a transportation planningconsultant.

Andrew Piggott (Chem ’82 & ’85) isback in Toronto working at abiotech/pharma process skidmanufacturer after six years inVancouver. Adding a second storeyto his East York home keeps himbusy and out of trouble. He and hiswife just celebrated their 22ndwedding anniversary and hiskids, Alex and Chris, are almostgrown up.

Rick Santing (Elect ’85) hopes all iswell with the electrical engineeringclass of ’85. He and his wife Sharonmoved to Calgary where he is tryingto convert his three sons (Tyler,Cody and Lukas) from TorontoMaple Leafs to Calgary Flames fans.He is enjoying lots ofsnowboarding, skiing and hockey.

� 1986Thomas A. Kinney (Chem ’86)reports he is alive and well inBoston and sends his best regardsto old friends and classmates.

� 1988Class Reunion: September 27,2008

Alan Ferguson (Elect ’88) wasrecently promoted to vice-president, business developmentat Gennum Corporation, a designerand manufacturer ofsemiconductor solutions for theglobal video and datacommunication markets. As well asa BASc, Alan has a BA in economics

(1994) from the University ofWaterloo. Alan is married with twochildren and lives in Oakville,Ontario. He has a black belt in TaeKwon Do and stays activecompeting and teaching.

Abyd Karmali (Chem ’88) will bestarting a new position with MerrillLynch in London, UK as a managingdirector and global head of carbonemissions.

Roland Tanglao (SD ’88) is workingfor a start-up company calledBryght and enjoying living inVancouver and family life. He’dlove to meet up for coffee with SD’88 grads and University ofWaterloo friends whenever theyhappen to be in Vancouver.

Thomas White (SD ’88) waspromoted to director of operationsfor Rubbermaid Canada lastSeptember. He is now responsiblefor all Canadian manufacturing andcompany-owned distributionoperations.

� 1989Matt Snell (SD’89) his wifeKim, and twodaughters,Mackenzie, 9,and Paige, 6,have begun a

new adventure. Matt, who alongwith his wife has a law degree fromthe University of Western Ontario,had been working as an in-housecounsel to IBM Canada since 1999.He recently accepted a two-yearassignment with IBM Corporationin New York. His family relocatedto Greenwich, Connecticut inAugust and Matt is splitting hisworking time between Somers, NYand New York City. The family isenjoying settling in and exploringthe area. The Snells can becontacted atmatt.snell@sympatico.ca.

Bruce Taylor (Chem ’89) says it’sbeen a very eventful year. He metJang ok (Jana) Kim while she wasvisiting from South Korea, and theyhave since married. Bruce and Janacelebrated their engagement inSouthern Sudan where they wereassisting a local orphanage andteaching local church parishionershow to construct sustainabledrinking water treatment systemsfor their neighbours. In 2000,Bruce established Enviro-StewardsInc. (www.enviro-stewards.com),which helps industry andcommercial institutions to reducetheir consumption of resources(water, energy, chemicals etc.) andto appropriately treat anyremaining discharges.

Jacques Tremblay (Civil ’89) hasrecently been appointed director,project controls for theindustrial/process business unit ofWashington Group International,Inc. and will be relocating toHouston, Texas. Since joining thecompany in 1991, Jacques hasmoved from Canada to Thailand,Germany, Brazil, the Philippines,the USA and Romania, most recentlyas director, project controls forEuropean Operations. Jacquesenjoyed beautiful Bucharest andnow looks forward to some seriousTexas barbecue. You can contactJacques at 281-529-7091 orjacques.tremblay@wgint.com.

� 1990Paul Overbaugh (Mech ’90) ismarried to Stephanie Bouska (Kin‘92) and they have three children.They are living in Californiaenjoying the sun.

Laszlo Toth (Mech ’90) marriedSossy in August 1997. The couplehas a son Arek, 6, and a daughterEmma, 4. Laslo, who left ShellCanada in September 2007, is anavid cyclist and internationaltraveller.

� 1991Stefan Uriadka (Comp ’91) reportsthat after moving from Nortel toComputer Science Corporationduring the hi-tech melt-down of2000, he opened his ownconsulting company,StillwaterStudios. He is alsoinvolved in photography and liveaudio recording.

� 1992Todd Bailey (Mech ’92) now livesin Montreal, with his wife,Panagiota Dafniotis, and their twoyoung children. Todd is working asPatent Counsel at Pratt & WhitneyCanada.

John Morgan (Arch ’90 & ’92) hascompleted his MSc at the LondonSchool of Economics (LSE),graduating in December 2007 withmerit. After over seven years as anassociate with Allies and Morrison,John is leaving to pursue otherprojects which include a part-timeteaching position with professorHarry Gugger‘s architectureresearch studio at the EPFL inLausanne, Switzerland.

John Vieth (Elect ’84, SD ’92) sayslife is good in “Canada’sTechnology Triangle.“ He and hiswife Angela are pleased that two oftheir children are now alsoWaterloo alumni.

� 1993Class Reunion: September 27,2008

Eleanor J Morrison (Chem ’93)says “Hello from London! I movedfrom New York to London in May2007 to help build LehmanBrothers European Commoditytrading business. Currently, I’mfocused on trading natural gas andelectricity markets. Any friendsand classmates, please contact meat eleanorj.morrison@gmail.com.“

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� 1994Nicholas Hesse (Mech ’94 & ’97)Nicholas is now the director ofengineering at Curtiss Wright ControlsEMT in Stratford where he leads thedepartment designing rotary sensorsand electric motors for aircraft. Aftercommuting from London for almostseven years, he has moved toStratford. Nic can be reached atnhhesse@alumni.uwaterloo.ca or byphone at 519-305-1081.

� 1995Eric Toker (Arch ’93 & ’95) and Dedrelive in Calgary with their son Eli, now5 1/2, who provides endlessentertainment and welcome relieffrom their work. After establishingtheir firm, Toker + Associates in 2002,the office has grown to a staff ofeight, with a focus on botharchitecture and commercial interiors.When not at work, Dedre, Eric and Eliescape to the Rockies where theyattempt short hikes.

Graham Whiting (Arch ’93 & ’95)reports he is living and working inWaterloo at Whiting Design, ismarried to Kasia Kord and is father toSage, age 4. Whiting Design is a firmspecializing in ecologicallyresponsible design in the residentialand commercial markets. For detailscheck out www.whitingdesign.ca.

� 1996Jonathan Evans(Elect ’96) hasabandonedengineering infavour of writingnovels set in exotic

locations. His latest novel, a thrillercalled Invisible Armies, was publishedby HarperCollins last year and willcome out in paperback this April. Formore about Jonathan visit his websiteat: www.jonevans.ca.

Karim Hirji (MSci ’96) has recentlybeen promoted to principal within theIBM Software Group where he isresponsible for the Americas WestRegion and Latin America. Karim

continues to live in Toronto with hisfamily and can be reached atkarimhirji@alumni.uwaterloo.ca.

Steph Hunt (nee Christie) (Chem ’96)says “I’ve been with Chevron for overnine years, working in Hawaii forseven of those. I’m working as aprocess engineer in the refinery butalso helping out with the oils planninggroup. My son, Hamilton, will be threein June and I’m pleased to announceI’m pregnant with baby #2 and it’s agirl. Cameron and I are thrilled. Feelfree to drop me a line or swing byHawaii!“ Steph can be reached athunts001@hawaii.rr.com or808-626-9770.

Fariborz Lesani(Elect & Comp ’96)is currently inJapan starting up amobile internetconsulting and

solutions company after working inthe same field in Toronto for sevenyears. He moved to Japan last Aprilafter getting married in March.Fariborz and his wife live in Tokyo andare experiencing a life of fast trainsand technology, great food andculture. You can reach Fariborz atflesani@yahoo.com.

� 1997Sohail Ahmed (SD ’97) is back inNorthern Virginia doing freelanceconsulting in the information servicesarea - a mixture of development,program management and design. Hewould love to hear from otherUniversity of Waterloo alumni inthe area.

Kelly (Soucie) Locke (Elect & Comp’97) finally saw sparks and wasmarried to industrial electrician JayLocke in September 2004. Their firstchild Rowan turned one in October2007. They are all enjoying a quiet lifein their Victorian mansion inMilverton, Ontario.

Tony Savor (Elect & Comp ’93 & ’97)started a new job as head ofengineering and operations at OANDA

Corporation, an online foreignexchange trading company. Tony isalso an adjunct professor at theUniversity of Toronto.

� 1998Class Reunion: September 27, 2008

Fiorella Dinoi (Arch ’96 & ’98) andMichelangelo Giombini were marriedin June 2007 in the church of PortoVenere in Ligura, Italy. Ella andMichelangelo live and work in Milan.

Scott Sharabura (Chem ’98) and hiswife Kim welcomed their first child,Douglas Hay Sharabura, in December2006. Scott and his family are livingnear Dallas, Texas, where he isworking with Booz Allen Hamilton as amanagement consultant in the oil andgas industry.

� 1999Sumana Kundu (Civil ’99) and herhusband Charles welcomed theirsecond daughter, Anjalina Collins, inApril 2007. Sumana completed anMBA in 2006 and is currently onmaternity leave.

Michael McGuffin (Comp ’99)completed a PhD in computer scienceat the University of Toronto,specializing in human-computerinteraction and visualization. InSeptember 2007 he became anassistant professor at ETS, a French-language engineering school inMontreal. His wife of seven years, andchildren aged 3 and 5, are happy to beback in Montreal close to extendedfamily. For more check out:http://profs.logti.etsmtl.ca/mjm/.

� 2000John Baker (SD ’00) reports thatDesire To Learn, the company hestarted while still in university,recently placed 12th in the DeloitteFast 50 Award. The award recognizesthe fastest growing companies inCanada over a five-year growthperiod. For more on the company logon to: www.desire2learn.com.

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UWWEALFebruary2008

Christopher Castleton (Mech’00) says a lot has happenedin recent years. Aftergraduating from WaterlooEngineering he travelled for ayear, ending up in Germanywhere he continued working

for Magna Decoma. After six years there, hebecame a consultant in Six Sigma and processoptimization. Recently he married Silvia andmoved to her home country of Italy. He reportsthat a family is next on the agenda.

Shannon Nauman (Mech ’00) moved fromKitchener-Waterloo to London, taking on a newcareer direction with SR&ED Tax Consulting forDeloitte and Touche. You can contact Shannon atsnauman@deloitte.ca.

Mohd Sulaiman (Elect ’00 & ’02) was married inSeptember 2000 and is a proud father of twodaughters and a son. His wife completed an MESdegree from the University of Waterloo inNovember 2001.

David Tunnah (SD ’00) reports he recently made acareer change into professional service and isnow a consultant in Deloitte’s corporateresponsibility and sustainability service. Themove comes after he completed his MBA at theSchulich School of Business at York University. Hesays it’s a refreshing change after five years ofworking as an engineer for Sony in Japan. Davidlives in Vancouver with his wife Noriko. If youwant to catch up with David you can contact himat david.tunnah@gmail.com or 604-568-3488.

� 2002Trevor Fenton (Chem ’97 & ’02) is just settlingback into life on the west coast. After graduatingfrom law school in 2006 and articling in Ottawa heand Lucas moved to Vancouver. His practiceinvolves helping businesses claim tax credits fordoing scientific research.

� 2003Class Reunion: September 27, 2008

Paul D’Souza (Comp ’03) has bought anapartment and is more or less settled inCopenhagen after going there to do amaster’s degree.

� 2004Andrew Cameron (Mech ’04) says the greatestway to travel is by bicycle. Having never been toAfrica, he figured the best way to see it was fromthe seat of a bicycle. He covered just under

12,000 km from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, SouthAfrica. In doing so, he managed to raise $2,500

for a charity that was able todonate 25 local bicycles tonative health care workers inMalawi. For more aboutAndrew’s trip check out hisblog site atwww.12000km.blogspot.com.

Vasudave Daggupaty (SD ’04) is currentlyenrolled in the economics graduate diplomaprogram at the University of Cambridge.

S. Mani Sarathy (Chem ’04) recently won anNSERC PGS-D scholarship to pursue a PhD inchemical engineering at the University ofToronto. He will use the funding to study thecombustion of alternative fuels derived frombiomass feedstocks.

� 2005Hisham Al-Shurafa (SD ’05)recently left his position atAmazon.com and moved fromSeattle to Toronto to join NexJSystems as product manager.For his move he travelled by

motorcycle along the backroads of Canada. Hereports that the 12-day, 6,000-kilometre trip was“a blast.“ You can read about his travels atwww.alshurafa.net.

Andrea Brown (nee Polack)(Enviro ’05) and RandalBrown were married in August2007. They had a smallceremony and reception inToronto and honeymooned fortwo weeks in Brazil, where

they enjoyed the Rio beaches and saw thewonders of Iguazu Falls.

TJ Kelley (SD ’05) has finished basic training andhas been promoted to lieutenant. Although he isworking in an intelligence job, he is still anengineer, both at heart and by trade.

� 2006Ann Lee’s (Elect & Comp ’06) baby, Andre Lee,was born in April 2007.

Howard Li (Elect & Comp ’06) started a new job atthe University of New Brunswick in Frederictonlast September.

Steven Serajeddini (Elect & Comp ’06) is in hissecond year at the University of Michigan lawschool. He will be spending next summer at Weil

Gotshal & Manges in New York before returning toMichigan for his final year. He sends his bestregards to the class of 2006.

� 2007Class Reunion: September 27, 2008

Christina Harvey (Enviro-Civil ’07) says after shecompleted her degree in April 2007, she accepteda junior engineering position with the County ofNorthumberland in her hometown of Cobourg.She completed her last two co-op terms with thecounty and was pleased to return to anexceptional work environment.

Tristan Schmelcher (Comp ’07) started work withthe Google Talk team in the Seattle area. Hereports he has a nice apartment and is shoppingfor all the household items he didn’t have whileon Waterloo co-op terms.

Vecheslav Silagadze (Elect ’07) recently founded2G Robotics Inc. with Jason Gillham. They arecurrently consulting for companies inmanufacturing as well as the marine roboticsindustry. Check out their website athttp://2grobotics.com.

In MemoriamJerome N. Capricci, Elect ‘79

Thomas W. Graham, Civil ‘71

Tage Hansen, SD ‘75

Hugh M. Hincks, Civil ‘72

Elaine Howie,Mech ’88

J. Douglas Hubbell, Civil ‘66

Russell E. Kawai, Chem ‘87

Douglas A. MacLennan,Mech ‘80

Kurt D. Mitchell, Elect ‘82

Peter F. Ostertag, Elect ‘82

Gordon F. (Bob) Pearce,Mechanical Engineering Professor

Glen R. Phaneuf, Chem ‘70

Lawrence C. Sentence, DEng ‘74

Steven C. Spicer,Mech ‘84

Cecil J. “Dick“ Sprenger,MSci ‘69

George Tomlinson, Chem ‘72

18

Going Green Workshop SeriesDates: February 2 to May 2008Times and Locations: Various

The Grand House Student Co-operative, a non-profithousing co-op comprised of Waterloo architecturestudents and community members, is building anstudent residence. To find out some of the methodsbeing used to build the residence, alumni and others areinvited to attend workshops being hosted by the co-operative from February to May 2008 at various locationsthroughout Waterloo Region.

Learn about a variety of green-building techniques andtechnologies from the experts, including straw-baleconstruction, renewable energies, eco-home design,rainwater harvesting, plastering, earthen building, solarhot water and much more. For workshop and registrationinformation visit www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumi.

FIRST Robotics WaterlooRegional CompetitionDates: March 20-22, 2008Times: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Location: Main Gymnasium, Physical Activities Complex,

University of WaterlooThe FIRST RoboticsCompetitionchallenges teams ofhigh school studentsto build robots from astandard kit of partsand compete in aseries of competitions.The free event is opento the public.

www.firstrobotics.uwaterloo.ca.

Alumni Curling FunspielDate: April 5, 2008Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Location: Dixie Curling Club, Mississauga, ON

Come enjoy a day of curling and socializing with otherWaterloo Engineering alumni. To find out more and toregister, visit www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni.

Alumni and Friends Reception in DetroitThis event will be held during the SAE World Congress tobe held April 14 to 17 in Detroit, Michigan. For details logonto www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni.

Alumni and Friends Receptionin Niagara FallsDate: May 1, 2008Time: 5:30 to 7 p.m.Location: Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview

Alumni are invited to meet up with former classmatesand others at this reception being held during the 2008Ontario Association of Architects Conference. You canregister at www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni.

Alumni and Friends Reception in WaterlooDate: May 13, 2008Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

A special evening is being planned for alumni andfriends in the Waterloo area. Check out details atwww.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Class ReunionsReunions are a great time to catch up with yourclassmates, relive memories of your university days andsee how the campus has changed since you last visited.Your reunion now coincides with the University ofWaterloo Homecoming to offer additional programmingand family-friendly activities. Mark your calendar nowso you don’t miss it. For more detailed reunioninformation, visitwww.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/reunions.

Seeking Class Reps!If you would like to volunteer as a Class Rep to helpencourage your former classmates to come back forreunion, please contact Daniella Cross at 519-888-4567,extension 36838 or djcross@engmail.uwaterloo.ca tofind out how you can get involved.

19

UWWEALFebruary2008

Thegoal of theWaterloo Engineeringalumni office is to provideyouwithopportunities tonetwork, volunteer

and stay involvedwith the faculty.�Last year we held a number of alumnireceptions throughout the world inlocations including Hong Kong, New

York City, Washington D.C., Toronto and San Francisco. Asyou can see, we are planning many more for 2008 – besure to visit our website on a regular basis for a listing ofupcoming alumni events and developments:

www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni. Please contactme if you have an event idea or feedback related to ourservices.� I look forward to meeting you at one of ourevents this year.

Sincerely,

Daniella Cross, Acting Alumni Officer

GREETINGS ALUMNI

Reunions in 2008Classes of ’63, ’68, ’73, ‘78 and ’83September 27-28, 2008Classes of ’88, ’93, ’98, ’03 and ’07September 27, 2008

Future Reunion DatesYour reunion takes place every five years. To check forthe future dates of your reunion, please visitwww.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/ alumni/reunions andadd them to your calendar.

Alumni take a look atstudent team projectsduring the open house atlast fall’s reunion.

Publications Number 40065122

Contact UsEngineering Alumni AffairsUniversity of Waterloo

WATERLOO ENGINEERING ALUMNI LETTER

Engineering Alumni AffairsUniversity of WaterlooCPH 4301200 University Ave. W.Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1

Return Postage Guaranteed

WEAL

Asamanager atMicrosoft Corp. inRedmond,Washington, youwould thinkErinBourke-Dunphywouldhavemore thanenough tokeepherbusy.But

Bourke-Dunphy(BASc ’98, Elect)manages tomake time towork towardsoneofherprofessional andpersonal goals–increasing thenumberofwomenenteringengineering. Tocreatemorediversitywithin theprofession, shehasmentoredmanyyoungwomenandhashelpedestablish ascholarship forwomenchoosingacademic careers inmathandengineering.� A University of Waterloo donor anda lead volunteer for Campaign Waterloo’s MicrosoftCampaign, Bourke-Dunphy was honoured by theuniversity with a University of Waterloo 50thAnniversary Alumni Award. She remains connectedwith Waterloo Engineering through her work with thefaculty’s Women in Engineering Committee, whichincludes making presentations to prospective andcurrent engineering students.� Bourke-Dunphysays it makes her sad more women aren’t becomingengineers. “It is one thing that 10 years ago thenumbers were low, but with the increase in womengoing to university the fact that the numbers haven’tsignificantly increased in engineering is alarming tome. I feel strongly that for the engineering professionto be successful in the upcoming decades having adiverse workforce is key – it brings different

perspectives to the table and strengthens the endproduct.“� When Bourke-Dunphy started atWaterloo in the early 1990s she says the biggestchallenge was maintaining friendships with otherwomen, especially since most were in other facultiesand the engineering course load was heavy.� “Thereweren’t a lot of women in engineering when I went toWaterloo. But then there weren’t a lot of women in myadvanced math and science classes in high school orin my job once I graduated,“ she adds.� Bourke-Dunphy says as a woman it’s not only important tobelieve in yourself and your skills, but also to have agood mentor. “Chances are someone else has alreadyexperienced what you’re going through – reach outand ask for help. That’s part of building a supportnetwork, which is essential to weathering both thechallenging times and the good.“

MENTORINGFROM EXPERIENCE

Contact UsEngineering Alumni AffairsUniversity of WaterlooCPH 4301200 University Ave. W.Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1

Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 36838

Fax: 519-746-1457

Emaileng_alumni@engmail.uwaterloo.ca

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WEALWaterloo Engineering Alumni LetterFebruary 2008 . Number 53WEAL is published twice a year byEngineering Alumni Affairs at theUniversity of Waterloo.Circulation: 25,000EditorCarol TruemnerWritersErin BowCarol TruemnerDesignAmpersand StudiosPrintingAmpersand PrintingPrinted in Canada