Innovation September-October 2013

p r e s i den t ’ s awa r d s

Meritorious Achievement Award Dr. Alfred Guenkel, P.Eng. Dr. Alfred Guenkel has dedicated his career to the development, commercialization and implementation of innovative chemical technologies. As partner and Principal Chemical Engineer, Alfred Guenkel leads the design and commissioning activities of process plants provided by NORAM Engineering and Constructors, which has emerged as one of the world’s pre- eminent nitration and sulphuric acid process licensors. He is the inventor of numerous patented processes for the production of mono-nitrobenzene (MNB). Currently more than 50% of the annual world production of MNB comes from plants designed in Canada under Dr. Guenkel’s guidance. As an adjunct professor at UBC, Dr. Guenkel is sharing his knowledge and encouraging the next generation of engineers. For his technical achievements and contributions to BC’s chemical engineering landscape, Dr. Guenkel is a deserving recipient of the APEGBC Meritorious Achievement Award.

Meritorious Achievement Award Dr. Ash Parameswaran, P.Eng. Dr. Ash Parameswaran is a visionary researcher and inspirational professor at Simon Fraser University. With a research focus on point-of-care diagnostics, Dr. Parameswaran and his team have secured funding to produce a “lab-on-a-chip” device used for pathogen detection in remote villages to combat infant mortality, and for wider biomedical use in the future. Nurturing a new generation of problem solvers, Dr. Parameswaran is also working on low-cost devices to detect cancer as well as other disease markers for application in developing nations. His technical expertise is sought after internationally, where he has been a referee and consultant for agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institute of Health, and the UN. Exemplifying the traits of a professional engineer by serving the needs of society, Dr. Parameswaran is an outstanding recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award.

D.C. Lambert Professional Service Award Bernadette Currie, P.Eng.

Bernadette Currie is an exceptional role model for engineers and geoscientists. For many years, Ms. Currie has provided substantial and invaluable service to APEGBC in numerous capacities, most notably as the recent past chair of the Fraser Valley Branch and through her work with the Division for the Advancement of Women in Engineering and Geoscience, where she promoted inclusivity and diversity. An active and inspirational member of APEGBC’s Mentoring Program, she offers her advice and support as a mentor to an engineer-in-training to assist them in achieving professional status. For nearly 20 years, Ms. Currie has been working as a mechanical engineer and engineering educator. Throughout her career, she has remained a strong supporter of her professional community as a speaker at workshops and on panels in her area of expertise. For her invaluable leadership and dedicated service to the profession and the association, Ms. Currie is a most worthy recipient of the D.C. Lambert Professional Service Award.

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