For nearly five decades, Paul Acchione (MechE 7T1, MEng 7T6) has been a champion of engineering across Ontario — and at his alma mater.
A respected leader in Ontario’s energy sector, Acchione’s work helped shape the province’s nuclear power infrastructure. Through his advocacy with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, he has also advanced policies that promote sustainable, reliable and affordable energy.
His commitment, along with that of his wife Anna, to supporting future engineers has been equally inspiring. From his first gift to U of T Engineering’s Annual Fund forty-five years ago to the creation of the Paul & Anna Acchione First Year Engineering Award in 2025, he has consistently and generously paid forward the support he himself once received.
For U of T Giving Day — a 24-hour fundraising campaign on March 26 — writer Kristina Kazandjian spoke with Acchione about his journey, the power of engineering and why investing in future students is one of the most meaningful legacies we can create.
What initially drew you to engineering, and to U of T?
From the time I was a child, I was captivated by how things worked. I was the kid who took my toys apart to see what was inside, who built a crystal radio at 12, and who disassembled my father’s car engine piece by piece. It didn’t run after I put it back together, but that failure taught me something important: I needed to learn more. Engineering wasn’t just an interest; it felt like something in my DNA.
I began studying mechanical engineering but ultimately gravitated toward control systems, a field that demanded both mechanical and electrical expertise, and satisfied my lifelong curiosity about how complex systems function. I started university in my hometown of Windsor because, at the time, my family simply couldn’t afford for me to attend the University of Toronto, even with a first-year scholarship.
But life has a way of opening doors. At a family wedding, I met Anna, who lived and worked in Toronto. We married after my first year, and I transferred to U of T. To this day, Anna jokes that my pension belongs to her because she helped me through school — and I’m happy to admit she’s right.
Do you have a favourite memory from your time at U of T Engineering?
Because Anna and I were married and living off campus, I wasn’t deeply involved in student social life. But my experience was rich in other ways. The friendships I formed during classes, labs and late nights working on projects, became some of my most meaningful.
Many of those friends worked alongside me later in my career designing and building Ontario’s nuclear power plants. Others ventured far beyond Canada. A few, sadly, are no longer with us. But the shared memories of those formative years remain profound.
You spent your career in the energy sector and advocated for better policy and accessibility. What role do you believe engineers play in issues like sustainability and affordability?
Engineers bring a practical, evidence-based perspective to energy policy. We understand the mechanics behind sustainability, reliability, affordability and abundance. Through the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), our profession helped shape provincial policy, contributing to Ontario having one of the cleanest, most reliable and most affordable electrical systems in the world.
But the work is far from finished. Right now, we waste more heat in generating electricity than it would take to heat every home in the province. Other countries with climates similar to ours have successfully integrated the electricity and thermal energy sectors, dramatically reducing overall energy consumption. Engineers must continue advocating for policies that enable this kind of sector coupling.
Your first donation to the faculty was to the Annual Fund, and you’ve continued giving for 45 years. What inspired you to start giving back?
Winning a scholarship helped me afford my first year of university, and that generosity stayed with me. When I graduated, I wanted to do the same for someone else.
At the time, Anna and I were raising a young family, so large gifts weren’t possible. But the Annual Fund offered a way to make smaller contributions that, combined with others, created meaningful support for students.
It felt good to be part of something larger, a collective effort to open doors for the next generation of engineering leaders.
You and your wife recently established the Paul & Anna Acchione First Year Engineering Award. What impact do you hope it will have?
Our hope is simple: to help one student each year begin their engineering journey with confidence and possibility, and to build a better future not only for themselves and their community.
Engineers design the future we will live in. By supporting students, we’re investing in problem-solvers who will confront the challenges of tomorrow.
What advice would you give to engineering students today who are just starting out?
Seek out the challenges. In my career, the most rewarding moments came from tackling the hardest problems.
Find what you love and pursue the difficult questions within it. One day, you’ll look back with pride on the people you worked alongside and the projects you had the good fortune to be part of.
If there’s one lesson you’d like readers to take away from your journey, what would it be?
Engineering offers a deeply rewarding career that makes life better for others. If you are in a position to help a student begin that journey, why not do it? Whether it’s a small gift to the Annual Fund or a larger commitment to a named award, every contribution has the power to change someone’s life.
Many young people struggle with the rising costs of education. If we can ease that burden, even a little, we should. Let’s pass our good fortune forward.
And finally, if you are able, consider supporting the causes you care about in your will. For Anna and me, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is one of ours.
