Awards
2010 summit award® recipients
THE EARLY ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARD
This award is presented to Members of APEGGA in recognition of exceptional achievement in the early years of a professional career as an engineer, geologist or geophysicist.
Dr. André G. McDonald, P.Eng.
Considered a rising star at the University of Alberta, Dr. André McDonald, P.Eng., has achieved a great deal during the early part of his career. Starting as an HVAC design engineer, Dr. McDonald developed a fascination with the fabrication of advanced protective surface coatings through the use of thermal spraying systems. These coatings are used to protect machine parts against surface degradation processes. In 2007, he took this interest and made the move to the classroom.
Since beginning his research career, he has published 10 journal articles and 14 conference papers in the last four years. He received an award for his work on the identification of partially molten thermal-sprayed particles. Within the last two years, he has acquired nearly $500,000 in external research funding from government agencies and industrial partners. This support has enabled him to initiate the installation of a fully-equipped thermal spraying infrastructure dedicated to research and development in surface technologies. These efforts have already garnered attention from a variety of companies with interests in Alberta.
Dr. McDonald recognizes the important impact that transferring and developing technology for industrial applications can have on the engineering profession and the economy. He has established partnerships with the National Research Council’s Industrial Materials Institute, CenterLine (Windsor), Inc., FPInnovations, Inc., and is currently developing new coating systems with Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (formerly the Alberta Research Council) for use in the oil and gas industry.
He encourages the development of other young mechanical engineers in a variety of ways. Dr. McDonald has written a textbook for use in his undergraduate course on the practical design of thermo-fluids systems. He has used his research to encourage engineering students to participate in research and development projects and developed a formal training program, complete with a certification process, for student research assistants. Four Master’s students and 12 undergraduate students have already participated in the program, which is a collaborative initiative designed to produce mechanical engineers that have both technical knowledge and practical research experience.
In addition to developing a world-class research program and training engineering students outside of the classroom, Dr. McDonald has served on several committees and provided services to the profession and the university community. He participates in the Standards Council of Canada’s ISO TC206 Committee, where he reviews new standards on fine ceramics and coatings. These standards ultimately become guidelines in industry and new product development. As a member of the prestigious Killam Trusts Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee, he makes decisions on awarding various scholarships to those wishing to do research at the University of Alberta.
Honours, Awards and Distinctions
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Simmons Award for Best Student Paper, Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (ILASS), (2008)
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Travel Stipend, ILASS (2006)
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Best Paper Award, International Thermal Spray Conference and Exposition, Seattle (2006)
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University of Toronto Fellowship, University of Toronto (2003-2006)
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Dupont Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Graduate, City College of New York (2001)
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Peggy Benline Award, Municipal Engineers of New York (2001)
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Eliza Ford Award, City College of New York (1999)
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Aloca Award (1998)
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Honors Scholar, City College of New York (1995-1999)
Professional Affiliations and Activities
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Member, APEGGA (2007-present)
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Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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ASM International
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Member, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering