"Awarded to members of APEGGA who have attained the highest distinction relating to the science of engineering, geology or geophysics, as an executive or director of an outstanding project or continuing enterprise in which they conducted, guided, directed or were responsible for the practice of the specific profession. The nominee may have also attained the highest distinction by reason of invention, research or original work, or had an outstanding or exemplary career in the teaching of the professions. The nominee will have been a member in good standing with APEGGA for at least five years prior to the date of nomination." |
David James Laurie Kennedy, P.Eng., PhD
After obtaining his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Toronto in 1951, Laurie Kennedy, P.Eng., PhD, received his master's and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois in 1952 and 1961, respectively. He began his academic career in 1956 as a lecturer at the University of Toronto, and throughout his career has held professorship positions at other universities including: Carleton University, the University of Windsor, the University of Melbourne (Australia), the University of Alberta, and Pontíficia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Dr. Kennedy served as dean of engineering at the University of Windsor from 1973 to 1979. He is currently professor emeritus with the department of civil engineering at the U of A.
Starting as a research officer in the division of building research with the National Research Council in 1952, he moved on to several senior positions with consulting firms in Montreal, Toronto, and Edmonton from 1953 to 1982. He was a director of Hershfield, Burgess & Huggins, Consulting Engineers from 1962 to 1982 and became principal-in-charge of its Edmonton office in 1980.
Dr. Kennedy has made numerous contributions to the practice of structural engineering, particularly in the design of steel structures. Many of these contributions have focused on leadership in the development of structural engineering excellence in Canada. For the past 29 years, he has been chair of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) committee that establishes the design requirements for all steel building structures in Canada. Since 1984, he has served as chair of the CSA committee that writes the design rules for fixed offshore steel structures in Canada and, since 1991, he has chaired CSA's Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, Steel Bridges Committee. For the last 27 years, he has been a member of the committee responsible for the National Building Code of Canada provisions for structural design and has also served on American and international standards committees.
Dr. Kennedy received the Canada Silver Jubilee Medal (1977); the Gzowski Medal (1980 and 1992), the A.B. Sanderson Award (1988), and the P.L. Pratley Award (1992) from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (1988); the Shortridge Hardesty Award from the American Society for Civil Engineers (1994); and the John Jenkins Award from the CSA (1995) for leadership in fostering the development and advancement of standards both nationally and internationally. He was president of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 1975-76.
