This summary provides high-level information about three Alberta engineers who were recognized with national engineering awards in June 2013: 1. Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, P.Eng., FEC, president of the University of Calgary, received the Engineers Canada Gold Medal Award, recognizing her outstanding achievements and contributions to geomatics engineering. 2. Dr. Arindom Sen, P.Eng., an associate professor at the University of Calgary, received the Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education for his exemplary contributions to engineering education. 3. Dr. Josephine Hill, P.Eng., a professor at the University of Calgary, received the Award for the Support of Women in the Engineering Profession for her mentorship of

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Three
STRONG
ALBERTANS
APEGA members take a prominent place on the national stage this month,
with the announcement of the 2013 Engineers Canada Awards. Three of
the nine winners are from Alberta and are profiled in the following pages.
All of them are tied to the University of Calgary — including Dr. Elizabeth
Cannon, P.Eng., FEC, the university’s president (shown here).
All the winners are 2012 Summit Award winners nominated by APEGA.
STORIES BY CORINNE LUTTER
APEGA Member & Internal
Communications Coordinator

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WINNERS
SUMMITS RECOGNIZE HER EARLY
The APEGA Early Achievement Summit Award in 1994 is among the first of many prestigious awards for Dr. Elizabeth
Cannon, P.Eng., FEC.
-photo courtesy University of Calgary/Jason Stang
The Leader
DR. ELIZABETH CANNON, P.ENG., FEC
Winner of the Engineers Canada Gold
Medal Award, which bestows distinction
on outstanding Professional Engineers and
recognizes exceptional achievements in
their chosen fields
Elizabeth Cannon, P.Eng., FEC, has held
many titles over the course of an esteemed
career, but the one that defines her best still
remains the first one she earned, back in
1987: Professional Engineer.
“Regardless of the various roles that
I’ve had, including president of the Univer-
sity of Calgary, I always see myself first as
an engineer,” says Dr. Cannon.
A world-renowned pioneer in geomat-
ics engineering and a trailblazer for female
engineers, she can now add the Engineers
Canada Gold Medal Award — the highest
engineering recognition in Canada — to a
list of more than 60 awards recognizing
her achievements in teaching, research
and leadership.
Dr. Cannon doesn’t have much time
these days to pursue actual engineering.
Her schedule has been full over the past
three years as U of C president, leading it
on an ambitious mission to become one of
the top five research universities in Canada.
Yet it is her roots in the profession that
prepared Dr. Cannon for her current role.
“Engineering really laid the foundation
for a lot of my leadership attributes and
experiences,” says Dr. Cannon. “It is a great
discipline in terms of teaching you about
problem solving — taking a big problem
and breaking it down into smaller and more
manageable problems, using logic and
process, working in teams, being practical
at the end of the day, and not being afraid to
take on a challenge.”
From early in her career, she hasn’t
shied away from challenges. After earning
a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from
Acadia University in Nova Scotia, she moved
west to study at the U of C. It was there
where she completed her B.Sc., her M.Sc.
and her PhD, all in geomatics engineering.
She was appointed to the Schulich
School of Engineering in 1991 through
a prestigious Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council University
Faculty Award, then went on to become
the head of the Department of Geomatics
Engineering in 2004 and engineering dean
in 2006. Along the way, she helped blaze
a trail for future generations of female
engineers.
“As the second female faculty member
in the Schulich School of Engineering, it
really became quite apparent that I did
have a responsibility to be a role model and
encourage young women to think about
careers in science and engineering,” says
Dr. Cannon. “I enjoyed that very much and
got involved at an early stage in my career.
I really appreciated the opportunity to try
to make a small impact in these areas.”
Small impact? That’s an understate-
ment.
As the Prairie Region NSERC/Petro
Canada Chair for Women in Science and
Engineering from 1997-2002, she focused
on raising public awareness about science
and engineering careers for women, and
conducted two major research projects
looking at factors that influence male and
female students to choose science and
engineering careers. She helped found
Explore IT and Cybermentor, programs
that have helped thousands of young girls
discover career opportunities in science
and technology. She also participated in
and led several task forces and committees
with mandates to increase participation,
enrolment and retention of women in
science and engineering, and in academia
in general.
Now, as the first female president of
the University of Calgary, she’s taken her
leadership to a whole new level.

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WINNERS
EDUCATION
• B.Sc. (Mathematics), Certificate of
Engineering, Acadia University (1982)
• B.Sc. (1984,; M.Sc. (1987) and
PhD (1991), Surveying/Geomatics
Engineering, University of Calgary
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee
Medal (2013)
• Centennial Leadership Summit
Award, APEGA (2012)
• Fellow, Engineers Canada (2011)
• Elected Foreign Associate, U.S.
National Academy of Engineering
(2011)
• Honorary Doctor of Science, Acadia
University (2010)
• Outstanding Contribution to the
Alberta Science and Technology
Community, ASTech Awards (2009)
• Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful
Women, Women’s Executive Network
(2006)
• Woman of Vision, Global Television
Calgary (2006)
• Alberta Centennial Medal (2005)
• Frank Spragins Technical Summit
Award, APEGA (2004)
• Community Service Award, University
of Calgary Faculty Association (2002)
• Steacie Fellowship Award, NSERC
(2002)
• Minerva Award, Alberta Women’s
Science Network (2002)
• Pioneer Award, Wired Woman Society
of Canada (2002)
• Johannes Kepler Award, U.S. Institute
of Navigation (2001)
• Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award
(1998)
• Young Engineer Achievement Award,
Engineers Canada (1995)
• Early Achievement Summit Award,
APEGA (1994)
• Women of Distinction Award for
Science and Technology, YWCA
Calgary (1993)
“It’s been a great adventure and a huge
privilege being president of the university,”
says Dr. Cannon. “Like many people I’m still
on a leadership journey — still learning lots
about what works and what doesn’t.”
She isn’t embarking on the journey
alone. Dr. Cannon surrounds herself
with a leadership team at the university
that she sums up as “fabulous.” And a
strong network of off-campus people is
also available for advice and feedback.
That network is made up of “people who
have led large organizations in the past
and people whose advice I value and
respect,” says Dr. Cannon. “And that’s
really important, because when you get
into senior leadership positions, the world
does get a little bit lonelier and you need
a strong network to be able to turn to for
objective feedback on some of the issues
that you may be facing. I’ve really relied on
that a lot.”
She encourages other APEGA
professionals to take on more leadership
roles, not only in their careers but also in
their communities.
“I’ve certainly met lots of engineers
and geoscientists in the various activities
I’ve been involved with. They do bring a
strong leadership capacity and a practical
approach to solving problems,” she says.
“Particularly in Alberta, where there are so
many of us, it just makes sense that we get
involved and help shape our communities.
It’s very important, I think, in terms of what
we have to offer, not only as individuals but
as a profession.”
Q+A
1. What does it mean to you to receive
the Gold Medal Award?
It’s very humbling to have my peers
recognize the things that I have done.
It’s a true honour for me.
2. What motivates you and gets you
excited about your work?
Like many engineers, it’s about getting
the job done. It’s about seeing results
at the end of the day. I’m very much
results oriented — I like to think about
things, but I like to action things. Being
in a leadership position allows me to
drive change and to drive impact —
that’s what gets me excited.
3. What are your biggest professional
challenges and how do you overcome
them?
I’m living my biggest professional
challenge right now as university
president. It’s a wonderful role and
a fascinating environment that’s
constantly changing. Higher education
is in the forefront of a lot of public
discussion right now, with the fiscal
challenges that we’re facing, and we
need to tackle these issues in a way that
will best serve our university and our
community.
4. Who has inspired you the most in
your career and life? How so?
My mother. She was trained as a
scientist and went on to become a high
school math and science teacher. She
instilled in me a love of science, which
led me to a career in engineering. She
really inspired me to live up to her
ideals about doing a job with excellence,
caring about students and having a love
for education.

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WINNERS
The Teacher
DR. ARINDOM SEN, P.ENG.
Medal for Distinction in Engineering
Education, which recognizes exemplary
contributions to the teaching and learning
of the engineering profession at Canadian
universities
One of the first lessons students learn in
the ENGG 201 class taught by Arindom Sen,
P.Eng., is to get to the lecture hall early.
Otherwise, they might end up sitting on
the stairs. Seats fill up quickly in Dr. Sen’s
popular first-year engineering course,
where students learn about the behaviour
of solids, liquids and gases.
His creative, enthusiastic and some-
times humorous approach to teaching
has captivated students and earned him
more than a dozen teaching awards since
2003, the year he joined the faculty of the
University of Calgary’s Schulich School of
Engineering.
That’s not bad for someone who hadn’t
aspired to be an educator. In fact, 10 years
ago, while completing his PhD in chemical
engineering at the U of C, he was consider-
ing the biotech industry. But when a faculty
position opened at the U of C Department
of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, he
decided to apply.
“Next thing I know, I’m working here as
an assistant professor,” says Dr. Sen. “But
I wasn’t really sure if this was something I
wanted to do for my career.”
Today, he can’t imagine doing anything
else. The university setting gives him an
opportunity to continue his pioneering
work in adult stem cell research. And
he gets to teach and mentor students
ranging from undergraduates to post-
doctoral fellows. “This job has multiple
facets to it — research, teaching, serving
on committees. I enjoy each of these
things,” he says. Dr. Sen is currently an
associate professor in the Department of
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, the
TEACHER TIME
Arindom Sen, P.Eng., (right) looks on as graduate student Madiha Khurshid, E.I.T., examines a bioreactor used to grow
stem cells.
-photo courtesy University of Calgary/Brian Moerke

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WINNERS
EDUCATION
• PhD (Chemical Engineering),
University of Calgary (2003)
• M.Sc. (Chemical Engineering),
University of Calgary (1998)
• B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering Co-
op Program), University of Alberta
(1995)
• B.Sc. (Cellular, Molecular and
Microbial Biology), University of
Calgary (1991)
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
• Summit Award for Excellence in
Education, APEGA (2012)
• Killam Innovation in Teaching Award,
University of Calgary (2011)
• Professor of the Year Award,
Graduating Students in Chemical
Engineering, U of C (2011)
• Outstanding Teaching Excellence
in First Year Engineering Award,
Engineering Students’ Society (2013,
2011; 2010; 2008; 2007; 2005)
• Teaching Excellence Award,
Students’ Union, U of C (2010);
Honourable Mention (2008)
• Teaching Excellence Award,
Department of Chemical and
Petroleum Engineering, U of C (2010,
2006, 2005)
• Outstanding Teacher Award,
Schulich School of Engineering
(2009)
• Common Core Teaching Excellence
Award, Schulich School of
Engineering (2009)
• Finalist (Team), Alberta Science and
Technology Leadership Foundation
Award for Outstanding Leadership in
Alberta Technology (2007)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada Doctoral
Prize (2004)
• Governor General’s Gold Medal
(2003)
Q+A
1. What does it mean to you to receive
the Medal of Distinction in Engineering
Education?
What a fantastic privilege to get an award
for doing something I enjoy. I am honoured
that my colleagues and former students
considered me worthy of being nominated,
and I hope that I can live up to their
perceptions of me as an effective educator.
2. What motivates you and gets you
excited about teaching?
I love being in the classroom — getting
up on that stage in front of students and
essentially being a storyteller. Sometimes
these stories result in a visible a-ha
moment, where students suddenly
understand a difficult concept. For me,
that’s really rewarding.
3. What are your most significant
challenges in teaching and how do you
overcome them?
A significant challenge in large classes
is to convey technical information to a
diverse audience of students with different
learning styles. Sometimes I address this by
coming up with multiple ways to illustrate
a particular concept. Another challenge is
marking. Whereas I love teaching, I must
admit I am not a big fan of marking. I have
not yet found a way to overcome that
challenge — if anyone has ideas here, please
let me know.
4. Who has inspired you the most in your
career and life? How so?
I can’t pinpoint just one person. Rather,
I have been inspired and influenced in
different ways by many people during my
life, including family, friends, teachers,
colleagues and mentors at the different jobs
I have held, and the students I have taught.
associate director (undergraduate) of the
Centre for Bioengineering Research and
Education, and director of research for
the Pharmaceutical Production Research
Facility at the U of C.
In the classroom, finding new and
innovative ways to engage students and
helping them excel are constant challenges,
but he relishes them. His strategy is to
show students why the material they’re
studying is relevant. He does this by
using real-life, familiar examples and by
incorporating demonstrations into his
lectures. He’s played a game of catch to
teach diffusion in reactive environments,
for example, and had students get out
of their seats to act as molecules so
they better understand liquid and gas
behaviours.
“If students are bored, it makes it
harder for them to learn,” says Dr. Sen.
“Demonstrations help grab students’
attention, making them more likely to
remain engaged and actively take part in
class discussions, thereby facilitating the
learning process.”
Dr. Sen’s commitment to his students
doesn’t end when they leave his classroom.
Students know they are always welcome
to drop by his office to chat about school,
work or anything else that’s on their minds.
He also helps students organize out-of-
class activities, including community ser-
vice, and is a member of several university
committees that deal with issues affecting
student life.
“Sometimes I’ll get a note from a
former student or they’ll call, saying ‘You
know, you really changed my life’,” he
says. “What a great feeling to know that,
somehow, I was able to positively impact
that person.”

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WINNERS
When the opportunity arose to work in a catalysis research
group run by Dr. Josephine Hill, P.Eng., at the University of
Calgary, Candice Paton, P.Eng., jumped at the chance. She
packed her bags in Edmonton and headed south on the QEII.
Having a successful female role model like Dr. Hill to
mentor and guide her while she pursued her master’s degree
in chemical engineering was inspirational, says Ms. Paton.
“The example that Dr. Hill sets, having obtained advanced
degrees, a career in industry, a wonderful family, a growing
research program, and the time and care to mentor and
inspire others — it truly allows other women to believe that
they can achieve the things that she has,” says Ms. Paton,
now an energy management and environmental engineer with
Cenovus Energy.
MENTORING MOMENT
Dr. Josephine Hill, P.Eng., (left) has been a mentor and role model for hundreds of
undergrad and graduate engineering students at the University of Calgary, including
Candice Paton and Maryam Malekshahian.
-photo courtesy University of Calgary/Jennifer Sowa
The Champion
DR. JOSEPHINE HILL, P.ENG.
Winner of the Award for the Support of Women in the Engineering Profession Award, which recognizes
engineers who, through their engineering and career achievements, have demonstrated noteworthy
support for women in the profession and have established a benchmark of engineering excellence

7. JUNE 2013 PEG | 61
WINNERS
“To see someone who is like you
— who has or will face the same kinds
of challenges you have — can mean the
difference between finding the strength to
advance your dreams and feeling like your
dreams are unreachable.”
Since joining the U of C in 2000,
Dr. Hill has been a dedicated role model
and mentor for hundreds of young girls
and women like Ms. Paton, not only
as a professor in the Department of
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
and a distinguished researcher, but also
as a volunteer and leader with groups
like Women in Science and Engineering,
Operation Minerva and Cybermentor,
which encourage young girls to pursue
engineering and science careers. She’s
also been active at the policy level through
the Gender and Diversity in Engineering
Committee, which strives to create an
inclusive and supportive environment that
recognizes and values gender and other
differences within the Schulich School of
Engineering.
She has worked hard to promote
awareness of the challenges that women
face in engineering, with the hope that for
future generations of students, gender will
be irrelevant.
“I really would like it to be a non-issue
and to never hear the term female engi-
neer. ‘She’s a really good female engineer’
— well what does that mean?” says Dr.
Hill. “I believe that as more women become
engineers and take on different positions,
people won’t think of it as unusual. Any-
body — male or female — should be able
do what they want to do in the profession,
EDUCATION
• PhD (Chemical Engineering), University of Wisconsin-Madison
(1999)
• M.Sc. (Chemical Engineering), University of Waterloo (1992)
• B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering), University of Waterloo (1991)
SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
• Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award,
APEGA (2012)
• Syncrude Canada Innovation Award (2009)
• Minerva Mentoring Award, Alberta Women’s Science Network
(2008)
• Canada Research Chair in Hydrogen and Catalysis (2007)
• Mentor of the Millennium Award, Alberta Women’s Science
Network (2004; 2007)
• Canadian Hunter Young Innovator Award (2004)
• NSERC University Faculty Award (2002-2007)
Q+A
1. What does it mean to you to receive
the Award for the Support of Women in
the Engineering Profession?
It is very gratifying to be acknowledged
for the work that I have done to support
women in engineering.
2. What motivates you and gets you
excited about your work?
I love research, working with
trainees, analyzing results, and
designing experiments to better
understand how something works
and how to improve the process or
system. An excellent experimental
result is so exciting!
3. What are your biggest professional
challenges and how do you overcome
them?
My biggest challenge is using my time
wisely. There are many very interesting
opportunities in both my work and
family life but I can’t do everything. I
would rather do a few things very well
rather than give only a partial effort to
many things.
4. Who has inspired you the most in
your career and life? How so?
I draw inspiration from many, many
people in my life — colleagues, students,
former professors, mentors, friends and
family. I have been blessed to know and
interact with some very amazing people.
and be judged purely on merit without there
being these biases.”
Considerable progress on that front
has paralleled her own, two-decade journey
from student to professor and researcher.
More women are studying engineering,
and more female engineers are taking on
leadership roles in industry and academia.
Dr. Hill remembers having, as a chemical
engineering undergrad in the late 1980s
and early ’90s, only one female engineering
professor as a role model. Today, she’s
one of 22 female academics on staff at the
Schulich School of Engineering — of 144
professors in the engineering faculty.
“It has improved, but there are still
obstacles. We’re not yet where we should
be and where we need to be,” says Dr. Hill.
Until those obstacles are removed,
Dr. Hill will continue to be a mentor and an
advocate for change, both on campus and
in industry. “It’s important to talk about the
challenges that still exist, because there’s a
lot of unconscious bias still out there,” says
Dr. Hill. “We still need to raise awareness
and change attitudes.”