By Carolyn Farrell
Professors Levente Diosady (ChemE), Andrew Goldenberg (MIE), Javad Mostaghimi (MIE), Chul Park (MIE), and Konstantinos Plataniotis (ECE), along with alumnus Larry Seeley (ChemE 6T6, MASc 6T8, PhD 7T2), have been honoured by the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) for their achievements in engineering. Levente Diosady was awarded the K.Y. Lo Medal “for significant engineering contributions at the international level”. Chul Park received the Julian C. Smith Medal “for achievement in the development of Canada”. Andrew Goldenberg, Javad Mostaghimi, Konstantinos Plataniotis, and Larry Seeley have been named EIC Fellows for their exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada.
One of Canada’s leading food engineers, Levente Diosady has developed a method for double-fortifying salt with iron and iodine, an innovation with the potential to improve the health of the 2 billion people worldwide who suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Professor Diosady holds 17 patents and has published over 100 refereed papers. He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Hungarian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. A triple alumnus, he was inducted into the Hall of Distinction in 2004.
Chul Park is a Canada Research Chair in Microcellular Plastics and the founder and Director of the Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory. A world leader in the development of innovative technologies for the manufacture of microcellular foamed plastics, he holds 20 patents and his research has been licensed by over 200 companies. Professor Park is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Engineering Institute of Canada.
The Founder and Director of the Robotics & Automation Laboratory, Andrew Goldenberg’s research in robotics and automation has resulted in 33 patents, more than 125 peer-reviewed journal papers, over 280 conference papers and 12 chapters in books. Professor Goldenberg is the founder and president of two spin-off companies, Engineering Services Inc. and Anviv Mechatronics Inc., which provide state-of-the-art robotics and mechatronics technology. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Javad Mostaghimi is internationally recognized for his research on thermal plasma technology and its industrial applications. The co-founder and Director of the Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies, his research has resulted in two spin-off companies and over 370 peer-reviewed publications, which have been cited over 1,500 times. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, the Tokyo School of Engineering and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Konstantinos Plataniotis is the Director of the University of Toronto’s Knowledge Media Design Institute and the founder and Inaugural Director of Research of the Identity, Privacy and Security Institute. Professor Plataniotis has published more than 300 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings, and has co-authored one book and contributed to twelve others. He is a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the recipient of the 2005 IEEE Canada Engineering Educator Award.
The President of the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering, Larry Seeley has fostered and promoted new technologies within the minerals industry worldwide. From 1992 to 2004 he served as President and CEO of Lakefield Research Ltd., leading its growth from a small company of 120 employees to one of the world’s largest commercial metallurgical R&D firms, with over 1,000 employees in four continents. Dr. Seeley is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He was inducted into the Faculty’s Hall of Distinction in 2006.
“We are grateful and proud that the Engineering Institute of Canada has honoured six members of our community for their contributions to engineering,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. “I congratulate the winners for this recognition and for their many achievements.”
The honorees will be recognized at the EIC Awards Gala on February 27, 2010, at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa.
