Standing in front of Convocation Hall, surrounded by friends and family, with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering under her arm, Kelly Bryck described the graduation experience with these simple words: “It’s all about community.”
Bryck is one of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s newest alumni. She joined 950 undergraduates and 189 graduate students who graduated from the Faculty during two convocation ceremonies held today.
“We’re so proud of each other. And it was so nice to have all of the faculty out because I saw them while I was waiting to go up [on stage] … and it was nice that they all recognized us and tried to make it special for us,” Bryck said.
Today’s celebrations marked the culmination of a lot of hard work and high expectations.
“Graduates, I want you to think back to the first lecture that you attended here four or five years ago in this magnificent Convocation Hall. Back then, the road that led you here today must have seemed quite long,” said Engineering Dean Cristina Amon. “Now you can celebrate, with your family and friends, the achievement of graduating from an Engineering school that is not only the best in Canada but is among the finest in the world.”
The pride felt by the family and friends present was evident.
“I’m very proud. I understand he graduated with honours and was at the top of his class, which is a bonus,” said a beaming Sandra Sarwan, whose son Derrick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
The convocation ceremonies were also an opportunity to recognize two distinguished alumni from U of T Engineering. Dr. Pierre Rivard (MEng MechE 9T4) and Dr.Phillip (Rocky) Simmons (ChemE 6T4, MASc 6T5, PhD 6T9) were presented with Honorary Doctorates.
Dr. Rivard is a pioneer of Canada’s clean energy industry. Following a 20-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces as an Aerospace Engineer, Dr. Rivard co-founded Hydrogenics Corporation, which is one of the world’s leading fuel cell companies. He is now CEO of MAGENN Power Incorporated, a Canadian company focused on delivering next-generation wind turbines.
Speaking at the morning ceremony, Dr. Rivard implored graduates to be flexible and embrace the challenges before them today.
“Keep in mind that your calling or your career will change two or three times in your lifetime, so it is more important to get going on serving some cause than it is to keep searching indefinitely for the perfect start. Then work on better defining the social utility and higher purpose of the particular chapter that you are writing, as it is one of the foundations of a life well lived,” said Dr. Rivard.
Dr. Simmons was recognized for developing the groundbreaking ion exchange technology that spawned Eco-Tec, a world leader in purifying, recovering and recycling industrial wastewater. That technology was developed during Dr. Simmon’s graduate studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. To date, Eco-Tec has installed more than 2,000 units in 58 countries, including Canada, the UK, India and China.
“You are now about to embark on the most exciting, scary, rollercoaster of life that you can imagine. You will have many ups and downs but it will allow you to reap the benefits beyond your wildest dreams,” Dr. Simmons told graduates. “As you proceed on this rollercoaster, doors of opportunity will be opened to you often. In fact, you have opened the first door: gaining a superior engineering education at the best engineering faculty in the best university in the world.”
For Dr. Jon McKechnie, who earned a doctorate in civil engineering, his door of opportunity will open across the Atlantic. He has accepted a faculty position at the University of Nottingham in England. Reflecting on his experience at U of T Engineering, the research opportunities stand out most for him.
“It was a good fit [for me] and there are a lot of great opportunities for collaboration here,” said Dr. McKechnie, whose doctoral thesis focused on forest resource utilization and greenhouse gas mitigation under the supervision of Civil Engineering Professor Heather MacLean.
“I am excited to hit the world and leave the classroom,” said Amir Allana, who earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Science degree. Allana will be working with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) in Uganda. He has served as President of U of T’s EWB chapter prior to his graduation.
“I had a strong desire to create change in this profession and create change in the world. And I didn’t really see how this profession was doing that on its own,” said Allana. “I definitely don’t believe that now,” he added, noting that his experiences at U of T introduced him to a lot of people and ideas that demonstrated the impact engineers can have.
Read Dean Cristina Amon’s message to graduates of spring 2012, view the archived webcast of the ceremonies, as well as our photo essay below:
