W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 WWW. ENGINEERING. UALBERTA. CA

Keeping in Touch with Alumni

The Optics of Photolithography

Dave Markle Engineering Physics ’58

Engineer Times Three Ring Around The Power of the Feedlot A Toast to Vermilion UofA from Engineer Greetings Winter 2005 Issue 16 the Assistant Dean U of A Engineer is the Faculty of Engineering alumni magazine. It is published three times a year by the Dean’s Office and is he arrival of the New Year prompts reflection on achieve- distributed to Faculty of Engineering alumni, friends, and staff. Tments past and anticipation of future triumphs for the Faculty of Engineering. Last year marked some significant milestones: the Dean of Engineering launch of Campaign 2008 and the grand opening of the Allan P. David T. Lynch (PhD Chemical ’82), PEng Markin/Canadian Natural Resources Engineering Research Facility (NREF) being two that come to mind. Assistant Dean, External Relations David M. Petis

In the upcoming year we can anticipate the completion of External Relations Team construction of the Natural Resources Canada National Institute Mandi Cronin, Tina Faizmehr, for Nanotechnology (NINT). There will be a subsequent relocation Katherine Irwin, Leanne Nickel, of nano-related researchers from the Chemical and Materials Laurie Shinkaruk, Bronwen Strembiski, Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Departments of the and Derek Van Diest Faculty of Engineering to the fifth and sixth floors of Publisher/Managing Editor NINT. Moving seems to be a theme here at the Faculty, having just witnessed the con- Sherrell Steele solidation of Civil, Environmental, Mining, and Petroleum Engineering staff and researchers in NREF. Art Direction Halkier + Dutton Strategic Design Meanwhile, Campaign 2008 keeps moving with over $200 million of the total Contributing writers and photographers campaign goal of $310 million achieved to date. Engineering alumni have contributed Susan Beach, Blue Fish Studios, handsomely to the campaign with high profile donations from Allan P. Markin (Chemical Connie Bryson, The Churchill Corp., ’68, LLD [Hon] ’02), Harry Hole (Civil ’44), James F. Hole (Civil ’50), Ralph K. Hole Murray Donaldson, Edmonton International (Commerce ’42), Robert Hole (Civil ’44), Dr. John Poole (Civil ’37, LLD [Hon] ’87) and Airport, Don Hammond Photography Ltd., Barbara Poole, and others. While these are some of the more substantial Phil Haswell, Tom Keyser, Tony Kryzanowski, Margo Miller, contributions to Campaign 2008, every donation gets us further to our goal. So, to those National Research Council, Ultratech Ltd., of you who have contributed to the success of the campaign, my sincere thanks. I look Vermillion Resources Ltd., Wanda Vivequin, forward to your generous and enthusiastic participation in the future. and Bruce White

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year and enjoy the winter 2005 issue Send your comments to: Sherrell Steele of U of A Engineer alumni magazine. Faculty of Engineering E6-050 Engineering Teaching David M. Petis & Learning Complex University of Assistant Dean, External Relations Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 Tel: 780.492.4514 or 1.800.407.8354 Fax: 780.492.0500 E-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Website: http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca ENGINEERING University of Alberta

Vision To be one of the largest and most accomplished engineering teaching and research centres, a leader in North America.

Mission To prepare top quality engineering professionals, to conduct world-leading research, and to celebrate the first-class reputation and outstanding accomplishments of alumni. Faculty of Values Dedication, integrity, professionalism, and excellence in ENGINEERING teaching, research, and service to the global economy and community. University of Alberta

2 U of A E n g i n e e r Table Winter 2004 Message of Contents from the Editor COVER STORY 20 The Optics of Photolithography The awards keep arriving. U of A Senior vice president and chief technology Engineer alumni magazine won a nation- officer for Ultratech Inc., David Markle’s (Engineering Physics ’58) company markets al award from the International photolithography equipment worldwide. Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The Silver Leaf Awards recog- nize and reward excellence in the FEATURES Canadian communications profession. 4 Alberta Petroleum The judging panel awarded the magazine Expertise Travels the World a 5.12 out of 7, citing its success in Philip Shum (Petroleum ’87, MEng ’91) shares understanding the target audience’s needs Alberta’s know-how with developing and characteristics. This recognition, oil-producing nations around the world. while noteworthy, must be taken in 8 The Constructor DEPARTMENTS context. The Canadian publishing indus- Building a successful career in the construction 31 Sidewalk Superintendents industry, Gary Bardell (MSc Civil ’78) also served try is becoming increasingly fragmented, Here comes the sun to the on construction associations at the city, provin- Engineering Solarium, now resulting in narrow niches for publica- cial, and national level. officially opened. tions. U of A Engineer is a prime example 12 Ring Around 32 Virtual Engineer of a niche publication that reflects the Edmonton Brazilian professor Manfred Fehr interests and tastes of a carefully targeted Project manager (MSc Chemical ’69) has built a multinational career in 34 coun- audience. Or does it? How would you Bill Van der Meer tries and has been on assignment (Civil ’74) has brought evaluate this publication? I’d love to in all continents. Edmonton’s most recent have your feedback. Please reply by and high profile trans- 34 [email protected] portation-engineering e-mail to [email protected] or 36 Cross Hairs on History project to fruition. phone me at (780) 492-4514. I look The crash position indicator has forward to your opinions. 16 A Toast to Vermilion been saving lives not just in remote parts of Canada but all Using wine as a negotiating tool, Lorenzo over the world, thanks to Harry Sherrell Steele Donadeo (Mechanical ’81) does triple duty as Stevinson (Electrical ’44). Publisher/Managing Editor CEO, president, and director of Vermilion Resources Limited. 39 Campaign Update 23 The Power of the Feedlot 40 Reunion 2004 Working on the unique integrated manure 41 Reunion 2005 utilization system (IMUS) project, Stan 41 In memorium Gordeyko (Electrical ’71) and Jim Kulchisky (Electrical ’68) generate alternative sources of 42 Kudos energy in the provincial power grid. 26 Engineer Times Three What are the odds that three brothers, Glenn (Electrical ’76), Al (Civil ’77), and Steve Stowkowy (Civil ’79) would all end up in the same profession?

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40051128 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta E6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 e-mail: [email protected]

U of A E n g i n e e r 3 When Philip Shum

applied to be an

engineering undergraduate in the

early 1980s, Alberta Petroleum Expertise Travels the

one of the reasons

he chose petroleum engineering was WORLDby Bruce White that he wanted Good thing, because Shum (Petroleum ’87, MEng Petroleum ’91) to travel. has earned his fair share of frequent flyer points. He began his

career in Hong Kong with a Chinese trading company, then

returned to Edmonton to help Alberta share its know-how

with developing oil-producing nations around the world.

s the president of the Canadian mally adventurous oil worker. In the past Petroleum Institute (CPI) for Asia, three decades, Afghanistan has been occupied AShum has helped Alberta pioneer busi- by the Soviet Union, ruled by tribal warlords ness with a host of nations, including China, and the Taliban. It became the training Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, and ground for al-Qaeda and, since Sept. 11, Pakistan. 2001, it has been bombed and then occupied One of his most interesting challenges, by a U.S.-led multinational force. Canadian however, is the CPI’s ongoing work in soldiers continue to risk their lives in an Afghanistan, a daunting place even for a nor- effort to bring peace to this troubled land.

4 U of A E n g i n e e r LD

Philip Shum (Petroleum ’87, MEng Petroleum ’91)

U of A E n g i n e e r 5 That is no small chal- nary people. Organizations like the World lenge in a country still Bank have grappled for years with the prob- largely ruled by warlords lem of corruption in oil-producing countries. with little conception of “They have a new catch-phrase called western-style property ‘revenue management,’” Shum explains. rights. Still, Afghanistan’s “What that means is that you have all this diverse factions might be revenue coming from oil and gas royalties, convinced that develop- and you have to provide a system to capture ment is in everybody’s and manage this revenue to be sure it goes best interests, and that where it’s supposed to.” they should work with the A current example in West Africa is being government. watched closely. A $4-billion (US) oilfield “You have to show the development in Chad and an export pipeline people that the national through Cameroon have been structured to government is working, combat potential corruption. Meanwhile, Afghanistan faces an urgent that it’s listening to local people,” says Shum. The countries have passed laws to ensure environmental problem: its forests are being That’s why the 2004 election was so impor- oil revenues are handled in a transparent ravaged for fuel. The World Bank and the tant, he adds. manner and are reinvested in their economic Asian Development Bank want the country to “President Karzai can turn to the world and development. An international commission develop its gas reserves as a more desirable say, ‘Here, I have the support of the people.’” has both the power and the political will to domestic fuel source. But before that can hap- Stable government and regulatory struc- ensure this gets done. Its success or failure pen, the government of Afghanistan needs tures greatly reduce the political risk for might lead the way for emerging oil produc- help in preparing for oil and gas development. international oil companies. In return, royal- ers such as Afghanistan. Because of similar work the CPI had done in ty revenues may one day help Afghanistan This kind of work may seem a long way Peru, the Asian Development Bank awarded it pull itself out of its vicious cycle of poverty from building pipelines, pumping stations, a contract to strengthen Afghanistan’s and violence. processing plants, and storage facilities. Ministry of Mines and Industries. Skeptics, of course, will seriously doubt However, before you can do the petroleum Afghanistan’s known potential gas energy development will do much good in engineering, you have to do some cultural, reserves total 120 billion cubic metres, or Afghanistan. After all, in countries all over the political and economic engineering. about what Canada produces in one year. world energy development has enriched a few You have to ensure that the new plant and (“Not huge but still substantial,” says Shum.) local tribal chiefs while doing little for ordi- equipment will be able to function once the Much greater reserves may also lie waiting to be discovered, given the country’s proximity to both Iran and Kazakhstan. Afghanistan currently produces 600,000 China and Alberta cubic metres of gas a day. It actually exported gas during the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, but that infrastructure is gone now. The China, the world’s fifth-largest oil producer, has been a net importer of crude since modernization began to take off in the early 1990s. China is World Bank and the Asian Development Bank Alberta’s third-largest trading partner, buying not only raw materials such are eager to see increased production, but in a as polyethylene, canola oil, and wood pulp, but also oilfield technology. way that will benefit the war-torn country. With most of its oil and gas deposits in remote north-western regions, In 2004, experts from the CPI trekked to China has a keen interest in Alberta’s cold-weather expertise as well as its Afghanistan from Edmonton and Calgary for heavy oil and oil sands technologies. Calgary’s Husky Oil, owned by Hong what’s known as a regulatory-technical assis- Kong interests, is an active player in China’s offshore production. tance project. The China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), with a workforce of more “We try to help the government reorganize than a million people, has ties with Alberta that go back two decades. CNPC the ministry looking after the hydrocarbon has an office in Calgary. And since 1990, the CNPC-Alberta Petroleum Centre in Beijing has helped coordinate the transfer of petroleum and envi- industry. That is our main goal,” says Shum. ronmental technology from Canada to China. First, the ministry needs help to establish The Centre in Calgary trains people from China for work not only in China, policy and regulatory structures, and to set but also in other oil-producing countries. Through a home-stay program, the up educational and human resource develop- students also learn English and are exposed to North American culture. ment programs. Afghanistan also needs to For years the CPI has trained executives from the CNPC, helping convince potential investors that their bil- it to evolve from a communist state-owned business to a publicly traded lions of dollars will be safe. corporation.

6 U of A E n g i n e e r Alberta expertise travels the world

In addition to China, the Canadian steel pipes are all finally in place, and that they hosting the “Summer Institute” while full-time Petroleum Institute works with will continue to work after the local people students were away on summer break. other emerging energy producers, take delivery. Students from around the world came to learn including: India, Pakistan, Fortunately, Shum has a lot of experience not only about the technical nuts and bolts, but Bangladesh, Thailand, Kuwait, with the cultural side of petroleum engineering. also about the culture of the global petroleum and Chad. Previous clients include the Philippines, Vietnam, Peru, When he graduated with his bachelor’s industry. They toured drilling rigs, oil sands and numerous African countries. degree in 1987, Alberta’s oil industry was in plants, and other facilities. When they returned a deep recession. Shum found a job in his home they often adopted Alberta methods for In Africa, CPI has helped to train native Hong Kong working for a company their own organizations. That led to orders geophysicists, geologists and drilling representing an Alberta oilfield service com- from Alberta suppliers of oilfield services, engineers from Sudan. They’ve also helped a state-owned Tanzanian pany, Nowsco (since taken over by Texas- equipment, and environmental services. company develop the Songo Songo based BJ Services). Alberta became a preferred place to send gas fields. A special course brought The oil industry has always been some- students from developing countries because the deputy directors of national oil thing of a cultural melting pot. Shum found of its long-established industry and its good companies from all over Africa to himself working with Chinese, Japanese, regulatory systems, and because of Canada’s study in Alberta. Italians, French, and Americans. He learned stature in the world. Alberta and Canada are also to work not only with different human cul- “Canada started its oil and gas industry involved with the oil and gas indus- tures, but with different business and politi- back in 1947, while a lot of emerging coun- tries in Bangladesh, a small produc- cal cultures as well. tries are just starting their industries now. We er with substantial reserves and the Shum’s work included looking after off- made our mistakes, and now a lot of countries potential to export to India. In one shore well testing in the South China Sea and can learn from our mistakes,” Shum says. program, Canadian universities enrol Bohai Sea for the China National Offshore At the end of the 1980s, Shum returned to Bangladeshi engineers in masters and doctoral programs, training Petroleum Corporation. Nowsco and other Edmonton, completing the U of A’s joint them to become engineering profes- oilfield service companies such as Masters of Engineering and MBA program in sors at the Bangladesh University of Halliburton helped China bring in up-to-date 1992. Engineering and Technology (BUET). fracturing and acidizing technologies. Shum “I used to be a professional student,” (A former U of A student is the also helped commission a couple of testing he laughs. president of BUET.) As well, CPI has laboratories for the China National With academic credentials and real-world worked with CIDA (Canadian Petroleum Corporation. He was involved engineering experience, plus a background of International Development Agency) and international agencies to train with several acidizing/fracturing demonstra- working with people of diverse cultural ori- personnel, with the goal of setting tion projects that showed the Chinese how to gins and with corporate and government-run up a Bangladeshi gas regulatory apply the Canadian technologies. organizations, in 1993, Shum joined the system. The Canadians also brought in vehicles Canadian Petroleum Institute (which had built by Foremost Industries of Calgary, a evolved from the Summer Institute). company that remains a major supplier of At first, he was on the road for about 30 drilling equipment and large all-terrain vehi- percent of the time to everywhere you can cles (similar to those ridden by visitors to the imagine an oil executive going and many other with only about 30 or 40 students per class. Columbia Icefields). It marked the beginning places as well. While the places change, the “You think about it; you’re taking about of a business relationship between the work doesn’t. six courses and you just can’t do it all your- Alberta and Chinese oil industries that con- “The things we have been doing in self. You’re forced to work together with tinues two decades later. Afghanistan are not that different,” says other people. We didn’t just talk about team- “Today, you go to a Chinese oilfield and Shum. “It’s just the location that’s different.” work; we had to work together to get the you won’t be surprised to find Canadian- Shum is not the only U of A engineer to assignment done,” says Shum. made equipment and computer software,” play a leading role on the staff of the CPI Perhaps it also instils a can-do attitude. Shum says. (now headquartered in an industrial park in “In engineering, the quest for knowledge is While Nowsco and Shum were sharing southeast Edmonton). Its past president, Peter always there,” Shum explains. “You’re Canadian expertise in China, the U of A Adams, is a former dean of the U of A always trying to solve problems.” Engineering school was also becoming Engineering Faculty. Why so many engineers? Whatever and wherever they may be. involved with Asian petroleum industries. Despite their stereotype as nerds, engineering In 1982, the United Nations Development students learn how to work co-operatively on Bruce White Program asked the U of A Faculty of all kinds of projects. Shum says this is espe- ([email protected]) is Engineering to train petroleum technical cially true for engineering students in the a business writer and editor instructors from Indonesia. The Faculty began smaller specialties like petroleum engineering, based in Edmonton.

U of A E n g i n e e r 7 He built his career on structure and solid foundations, but it was blind faith that brought Gary Bardell (MSc Civil ’78) to Edmonton and the University of Alberta. He and his wife, Susan, had never been west of Sudbury when they packed up their car and headed across the country in August 1976 solely on the advice of some of his former professors.

CONSTRUCTORthe

rom the very beginning, Bardell’s path in engineering had been influenced by the advice of others. His older sister knew he enjoyed math and sciences in school and told him he should think F about engineering. “I didn’t know much about engineering at the time,” says Bardell. “I thought that it sounded interesting and it was something that used math and science and that’s how I ended up getting into it.” Bardell, former president and CEO of The Churchill Corporation, was born in Halifax and grew up in Ottawa. Although having been accepted at a number of engineering schools, he chose Carleton University as it was closer to home. There were no obvious signs in his youth that he was destined to become an engineer, but as it came time to go to school he managed to narrow his scope a little. “I think it was more of the practical, hands-on type of things I was interested in. I guess that’s why I went into civil engineering as opposed to electrical or some other discipline.

8 U of A E n g i n e e r TRUCTOR by Murray Donaldson

Gary Bardell (MSc Civil ’78)

U of A E n g i n e e r 9 The building part of it struck me as some- “I think it’s the right way discovered that his professors had been thing interesting. Designing and building—I right about the U of A. liked that idea once I started to find out a lit- thing to do for “At the time when I was there, the U of A tle bit more about engineering,” he says. structural engineering program was one of the After graduating from Carleton with a people to give back best in North America. It had an incredible civil engineering degree in 1974, Bardell and to the industry that faculty and they were doing great research his wife, a high school sweetheart, moved to programs together with private consulting.” Toronto. has given them Bardell often wonders at the little cycles “I didn’t really want to work for the in life, where something or someone in your federal government at the time so I chose to a career.” life can reappear later and make things fit leave Ottawa. When I was attending into place. At the U of A, his Master’s thesis Carleton I had two professors that had gone defense committee included the Dean of to the U of A and they both were talking Engineering, Peter Adams. Adams is now about how good a university it is and that Because of his experience in bridge chair of the board at the Churchill the engineering school is one of the best. I design, Bardell applied to study structural Corporation, where Bardell currently works. had pretty good marks in my undergraduate engineering at the U of A. Soon, the couple “People like Peter, I really admire. They program, so they were encouraging me to go found themselves setting up on to post-graduate work and they encour- house in the married student aged think about the U of A.” residence at Michener Park. At the time, Bardell put that advice aside “We didn’t really come in order to get into the workplace. He ended out to look at the campus at up working for the Ontario provincial gov- all. We just applied and got ernment. He took a job designing bridges in into these things, loaded up the Ontario Department of Highways. our car in August and drove

A powerline project by a Churchill company.

are leaders in their industry in both the research part of the profession as well as the consulting part. They combine it together. There were a number of professors like that.” The Bardells decided to stay in Alberta, mainly due to the opportunities in engineering. “In the late ’70s there were lots of things happening in Alberta, and Ontario was pret- ty slow. I had decided at that time that gov- ernment work wasn’t that exciting for me.” Instead, he went to work for Dominion Construction. A Stuart Olson construction project — the Red Deer Hospital redevelopment in Red Deer, Alberta. In 1979, Bardell joined Stuart Olson Construction as project manager. He worked After a couple of years, though, the across Canada with all our belongings and his way up through positions in operations, Bardells decided Toronto was a little big ended up in Edmonton. We never went back. development and general management to for them. Our plan was to come out for one year and become president in 1997. “In the 70s, we thought it was a nice that was in 1976.” “It’s a combination of technical work, place but we didn’t really want to raise a Bardell earned his Master of Structural managerial work, and an opportunity to see family there.” Engineering degree in 1978 and along the things being built. You can see your accom-

10 U of A E n g i n e e r plishments; that’s one thing that’s very inter- esting about the construction industry. You can look around the city and the province and see buildings and projects you’ve been involved with over the years.” Bardell rarely has to look far. During his time with Stuart Olson and Churchill, he has been involved in such standout projects as the Edmonton City Hall, Grant MacEwan College, and the Hotel Macdonald restora- tion project. He’s presently involved in an expansion to the Red Deer Hospital and a recreation facility in Fort Saskatchewan. In 2002 Bardell was approached to suc- ceed Hank Reid as president and CEO of The Churchill Corporation, Stuart Olson’s parent A Churchill company refinery project in Regina, Saskatchewan. company. The new job required him to come at engineering from a new angle. In 2003, the Calgary Construction “That was important to me,” he says. “Running Stuart Olson, you are a little Association presented Bardell with the Ted “Because then they realized how important it more hands-on, more aware of the details of Walden Award, the most prestigious award is to give back to the industry and the com- the projects, the details of running the busi- they bestow. Bardell was both honoured and munity. If they can see that I’ve done it, then ness on a day-to-day basis. The getting of the astounded by the depth of research that they can realize the importance of that kind work, the estimating, the marketing, the went into the award ceremony. of involvement as well.” business development, the execution of the “They did the research themselves, it was As part of the award, a four-foot bronze work and the operations and monitoring not something I provided. That probably statue called “The Constructor” stood in the projects. At the Churchill level, it’s more of impressed me more than anything, hearing lobby of Stuart Olson offices. the financial end of it, more strategic end of your accomplishments in front of a room Bardell has built more than a career out it, a broader perspective.” with 300 people.” of engineering. He has helped set standards In late 2004, Bardell stepped down as It was an emotional night for Bardell, in the industry and encouraged others to do President and CEO to spend more time with who was happy his family was there the same. His continued input both profes- his family in Calgary. He remains with to share it with him. Bardell says he sionally and voluntarily is a welcome pres- Churchill as an advisor to their board of had people, including some senior employ- ence, as “The Constructor” attests. directors while working on specific projects. ees in Churchill, coming up to him after Throughout his professional career, and saying; “Wow, I knew you were Murray Donaldson is an Bardell has invested much of his time volun- involved in the associations and the industry Edmonton-based editor and teering for industry associations but I didn’t realize you had accomplished freelance journalist. “I think it’s the right thing to do for those things.” people to give back to the industry that has provided them a career. I’m very much a believer in that. We have encouraged our people at Stuart Olson and our other Calgary CONSTRUCTION companies to get involved with industry Association associations.” One of the volunteer activities Bardell is Among his many other volunteer endeavours, Gary Bardell (Civil, ’77) spent most proud of is helping to set up a construc- 14 years on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Construction Association. tion engineering program at the U of A. Along The roots of the CCA date back to 1944, when a number of construction pioneers with a group of industry professionals in the united the industry into one association called the Calgary Builders’ Exchange. early ’80s, he started lobbying and working The first president was Ted Walden. with the Alberta Construction Association to The CCA is a non-profit, voluntary membership association that promotes convince them of the need for such a pro- honourable business practices and excellence in construction. The association gram. When the program launched in 1986, it provides many services to around 500 member companies in the Calgary area. Like the Alberta Construction Association and the Canadian Construction was the only one in Canada. Bardell is pleased Association, the CCA is a voice of the construction industry. to see Churchill now hiring people who went Go to www.cca.cc to visit the CCA website. through a course he helped build.

U of A E n g i n e e r 11 Above his computer, alongside timetables and lists of contractors, Bill Van der Meer (Civil ’74) has tacked up a Golden Bears hockey schedule. It’s no coincidence. BY SUSAN BEACH Ring Around Edmonton A TEAM EFFORT

12 U of A E n g i n e e r an Der Meer’s love of teamwork has come in handy monton while constructing the South West , VEdmonton’s most high profile recent transportation- engineering project. Since the 1970s, the province has been buying up quarter sections of land circling Edmonton, creating a right-of-way for a planned 80-kilometre ring road. This Transportation- Utilities Corridor (TUC) will also provide a more efficient route for transmission lines, power lines, and pipelines for the city in the future. Work on the SW Ring Road Project began about five years ago. Several engineering firms are helping plan, design, and construct 18 bridges, five interchanges and the road itself. With the help of a consulting team, Van der Meer is oversee- ing the SW section of the road from inception to completion. The project has posed many challenges. At Calgary Trail, where the SW and SE Ring Roads meet, engineers will con- struct 12 bridges, six on each side, to create the first three- level built in Alberta. At another crossing, at the , geotechnical engineers went through comprehensive testing and planning before construc- tion could begin on the twin bridges. “The existing slopes on the river are very unstable, so Bill Van der Meer (Civil ’74) we had to put in about 137 piles in a row, each one 1.5 metres in diameter, to prevent the fill we put in from fail- ing,” Van der Meer explains. “If the existing ground had

U of A E n g i n e e r 13 been stronger, no piles would have been Van der Meer, will choose one contractor It also helps that Van der Meer knows required.” to design, construct, and then maintain whom to call at the City to sort out drainage At one point the media publicized a gird- the road for the next 30 years, with the tie-ins, lighting, and other issues as they arise. er that slipped off its temporary mooring dur- province paying the contractor back over Van der Meer’s role in the SW project ing construction. But the contractor involved three decades. includes watching the budget and ensuring that replaced it immediately, at no cost to the pro- Bill Van der Meer’s steady career has pre- work proceeds on time, according to plan, and ject, and bridge construction has proceeded pared him to oversee the Ring Road Project. to government standards. to standards and ahead of schedule. After graduating, he worked for the City of “We write the terms of reference for what Coming up with a reliable crossing over Edmonton for 25 years, managing the design we want, administer the contracts for design Whitemud Creek Ravine gave their toughest and planning of three major freeways: and construction, and supervise construction design challenge. Ground conditions there are , , and work on a daily basis.” extremely unstable, says Van der Meer. Capilano Freeway (now Drive). Two other government staff, Kip Hritzuk “There was a real risk of putting in slopes “I’ve been involved in roadway design and Nathan Stelmach (Civil ’03), both con- and a conventional bridge and having them and construction for 30 years and I’ve never struction engineers, work with Van der Meer fail, having the ends of the bridge settle tired of it, because each new project has had and a consultant team drawn from participat- or collapse.” new challenges…but I must admit that the ing firms. The team supervises the seven engi- The solution, developed by teams of engi- SW Ring Road project is the biggest and most neering consulting companies on a daily basis. neers, is more an arch than a bridge. It provides interesting yet.” a stable road above while allowing the creek, When the province began to move ahead hikers, and wild animals to pass underneath. on plans to build the SW section, Van der Van der Meer’s responsibilities now Meer volunteered. He was seconded to the include managing construction of the next Government of Alberta, where he oversees phase of the perimeter freeway as a P3 the roles of both the province and the city. (Public Private Partnership) project. “The City is a major stakeholder, so we “The SE Ring Road will be Alberta looked at where access and interchange loca- Transportation’s first P3 project and so I’m tions would be. Once the basic plan was looking forward to something different again.” agreed to, we have had meetings with the Bids for this P3 will involve much more City on an ongoing basis, to coordinate some than construction of the road and its 22 of the major tie-ins, places where the City has interchanges. A selection team, including projects that complement ours.”

South West Ring Road — The Facts

Seven consulting companies road, with a concrete road surface. work on the South West Ring This is the first concrete road built by Road Project., UMA Engineering Ltd., Alberta Transportation. Road con- Associated Engineering Ltd., AMEC struction includes grading over 10 metres in height). A total of 137 Infrastructure Ltd., AMEC Earth million cubic metres of dirt, 230 met- piles were installed, at a cost of $3 and Environmental Ltd., Stantec ric tonnes of granular, and over million. Consulting Ltd., Earth Tech Ltd., and 100,000 cubic metres of concrete. Costs of the Whitemud Creek Ravine EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. In preparation for the bridge construc- Project include over $1 million for The 18 bridges require approximate- tion over the North Saskatchewan the geotechnical work, including ly 20,000 metric tonnes of steel and River, crews installed tangent piles installation of drains to dry the land; 60,000 cubic metres of concrete. in a line (spaced 3.5 metres apart) another $10 million for the arch; and $5 million for the fill and road As transportation needs increase, five along the front of each of the construction. more interchanges will be built to approach fills, with 88 piles on the freeway standards, for a total of 18 north side and 49 piles on the south Final landscaping and recla- bridges and 10 interchanges. side. Installing the piles below the mation for the SW Ring existing ground will intercept Road will cost close The SW section comprises approxi- potential slope failures from the to $4 million. mately 15 km of four-lane divided weight of the earth fills (up to 20

14 U of A E n g i n e e r While Van der Meer is excited to be man- Construction — The Sequence aging such a large project, he quickly acknowledges that many engineers have taken part. He can name over two dozen U of 5 28A A Engineering alumni involved. North Section 37 15 “Wayne Tomlinson (Civil ’74) was in my Yellowhead Trail, from Highway 14 E IV class,” he said. Tomlinson works as construc- R D to Anthony G IN tion administrator for Earth Tec Ltd., one of 28 N Henday Drive. N A the main contractors. Carl Clayton, with M 2 Stantec, has been a lead person on the con- N

S sulting teams. T . A L B Van der Meer’s experience as a student E R YELLOWHEAD TRAIL T T R prepared him well for the role he now plays 16 A 16 IL in Edmonton’s Ring Road Project: 2 West Section 16A “The U of A Civil Engineering program 218 gave me a great education in the sciences, but (completed in 2002) WYE ROAD WHITEMUD SHERWOOD more importantly I met many new friends, from Yellowhead Trail DRIVE PARK FREEWAY 1 South to 45th Ave. East Section was involved in many of the class activities, D DRIVE HITEMU learned how to work with other people and W Highway 14, from SE Ring Road 14 to work on a team.” 3 junction to It’s a long-standing, time-honoured, and South West Section Yellowhead Trail. much-needed tradition among engineers to The SW Ring Road, from Anthony 2 Henday Drive at 45 Ave. to Calgary work together well. This team shows that Trail (S of 23 Ave, N of Ellerslie amazing results can be achieved by continu- Road). Crosses the North 4 ing that tradition. Saskatchewan River and three South East Section The SE Ring ravines: Blackmud, Road from Calgary Trail to join Whitemud, and Wedgewood. Highway 14. Susan Beach is an Edmonton- based writer and editor. Completing the SW and SE sections of the Ring Road will put about 50 of the planned 80 km in operation. Eventually, the remaining 30 km will extend the North section of the Ring Road to 186 * Ave. and St. Albert.

Floor and Arch — The Reclamation

1900s until 1951. When it closed, the tailings the creek. Van der Meer says they looked at and other debris were dumped into the pit existing animal crossings along the Banff and covered. Van der Meer likens building a Highway, but he has not found a similar bridge on a former pit mine to “putting it structure in North America designed to on a big wet sponge.” accommodate both unstable ground condi- Consulting engineers came up with a tions and the needs of highway traffic, concrete structure 18 metres high, 20 metres recreation, and wildlife. wide, and 60 metres long, providing both When mine operators left tailings to floor and arch. When combined with the fill leach into the soil they created a virtual around it, it will fully support the new road. moonscape, covering about 300 square Construction crews built the arch to one side metres and supporting no vegetation. Van of the creek, then shifted the creek’s path to der Meer hopes to leave the land in better flow underneath. Concrete beams inside the shape than it was before the crossing was archway provide key structural support; they built. As part of the cleanup and reclama- also support a pedestrian walkway under- tion after construction, crews will cover the At the proposed crossing site at neath the arch, about halfway between the barren landscape with loads of topsoil. They Whitemud Creek, historical land use has road and the ground below. will then plant new trees and shrubbery, made the ground particularly unstable. A pit Wild animals may pass undisturbed both to screen and to mark out a new mine operated in the ravine from the early under the arch on their own trail alongside wildlife trail.

U of A E n g i n e e r 15 a toast to Vermilion

Lorenzo Donadeo (Mechanical ’81)

16 U of A E n g i n e e r The year was 1997.

The international business

negotiations had just taken a

sudden and unexpected turn. t to The vendor’s negotiators were fully prepared to bid farewell

to a portion of their client’s ermilion French oil holdings, which had been on the table from the start.

by Tom Keyser But they were caught off guard

when the buyers—an upstart

Calgary company known as

Vermilion Resources Limited—

asked them to toss in some

other liquid assets.

U of A E n g i n e e r 17 hen we asked them to When thoughts turn to global oil produc- four years,” Donadeo continues. “But we throw in the wine cellar, all tion, places such as Texas, the North Sea, were able to give the new assets our full care “Wyou could hear was dead Nigeria, and the sparsely populated Russian and attention and have actually been able to air on the other side of the phone,” grins steppes generally spring to mind. But oil in increase production to 6,000 barrels a day. Lorenzo Donadeo (Mechanical ’81), savour- France? Sure, Provence’s Baux River valley We’re still going strong after seven years and ing the taste of that memory. enjoys a reputation among wine connois- our engineering reports suggest these wells The global energy giant reluctantly gave seurs. But few non-specialists realize that will produce for another 20 years.” in, accepting $42 million in exchange for 150 French well sites generate more than 34,000 Vermilion unit-holders have no reason to oil wells in the French countryside—plus an barrels of black gold each day. gripe. The company has fully recovered its on-site bonus of well-aged bottles from some Seven years ago, even Donadeo’s team initial investment of $292 million, including of the world’s finest wine-producing regions. was only dimly aware of the fact. So when a $250 million in developmental costs, and its Donadeo (pronounced Donna-DAY-o) and vendor announced its intention to sell French French assets “are now worth about $350 associates Jeff Boyce and Claudio Ghersinich properties, which were producing 3,500 bar- million, free and clear,” according to the chief had good reason to hoist their glasses in a cel- rels a day, the Vermilion partners collectively executive. ebratory toast. In sealing the deal, they had raised their eyebrows. The more research Donadeo’s European adventures— tripled the size of their modest energy com- they did, the more interested they became. Vermilion Energy Trust has since acquired pany and landed a palate-pleasing bonus in “It was a big jump for us,” Donadeo additional producing properties in the the bargain. reflects. “At the time, our company was only Netherlands—reflect his internationalist As enjoyable as the (now somewhat deplet- producing about 800 barrels of oil a day in roots. The son of immigrant parents, ed) wine cache has been through the years, it Western Canada. But we wanted to grow and Donadeo grew up speaking Italian. His was the acquisition of those French wells that it was getting hard to find value in assets to father, an asphalt foreman in Red Deer, had elevated Vermilion Resources to “player” sta- acquire in this country. When we saw the spent his first two years in Alberta toiling in tus within the Canadian energy industry. opportunity in France, we realized we’d be a grimy central-Alberta coal mine. Five years later, Vermilion Resources fol- able to buy foreign assets at about one-third “My dad told me those were the worst lowed a prevailing oil patch trend. It trans- the cost of a comparable property at home.” two years of his whole life,” Donadeo formed itself from a mid-sized oil and gas The twin oil fields—one situated about recalls today. company into an energy trust, a move that 80 kilometres southwest of the city of The father’s hard-won lessons took per- achieved the desired result. Investors Bordeaux and another east of Paris—looked manent root in his offspring. responded positively and the company’s valu- like a low-risk bargain for a variety of rea- “Through him, I learned the value of hard ation soared. sons. French authorities had established a work and determination. His experiences Today, with Donadeo doing triple duty as royalty-payment scheme that the company taught me the value of a good education,” CEO, president, and director, Vermilion found easy to live with. Meanwhile, prelimi- says the CEO. Energy Trust owns estimated reserves of 90.9 nary research indicated that the company Donadeo excelled in math and science million barrels of oil (or equivalent). It also should be able to keep a lid on operating throughout grade school, but he didn’t set his owns the respect of industry analysts. Many costs (not that unforeseen glitches didn’t sights on the University of Alberta right rank Vermilion among Canada’s most astute- arise). And France had a stable and compat- away. After graduating from high school, he ly managed energy trusts. ible business climate, in contrast to such spent two years studying welding engineering And it all came about because three politically unpredictable oil-producing technology at Calgary’s Southern Institute of shrewd entrepreneurs went in search of new hotbeds as Sudan and Kazakhstan. Technology (SAIT). opportunities in the land of Balzac, Voltaire, “At the time we moved in, the vendor had His success at SAIT gave him the confi- joie de vivre and savoir-faire. been projecting to shut in these fields within dence to take a shot at U of A’s mechanical engineering program. “I’m not that smart but I worked hard,” he

A producing well at recalls. “Some of the calculus courses were so Parentis Lake, France. tough. I thought, ‘My gosh, what does this have to do with anything in the world?’ It’s only after graduation, when you get out in the workplace, that you start to understand that they’re teaching you a thought process, a methodology for problem-solving.” In his U of A aerodynamics class, Donadeo and three classmates drafted a new design for a gliding airplane, earning second place in a national competition at

18 U of A E n g i n e e r “You get together as a team, learn how to interact effectively, how to divide the workload, and to work collaboratively to reach the objective. Drilling at La Torche field, France.

Hamilton. The experience reinforced the tion engineer in the Athabasca shallow gas Drilling costs also turned out to be future CEO’s faith in creative teamwork. fields, became a field engineer on the oil side, significantly higher on French soil than “You get together as a team, learn how to and eventually rounded out his resume with a back home. Early on, Vermilion temporarily interact effectively, how to divide the work- stint in gas marketing. ceased operations to extensively re-evaluate load, and to work collaboratively to reach the “Field experience is a key to your devel- cost structures before taking measures to objective. These are invaluable skills, though I opment. It gives you the hands-on experience streamline the process. Eventually, they may not have fully realized it at the time.” that’s so important when you start making sheared costs in half. After graduating with honours from the decisions from head office,” he says. Then there was the work force, understand- U of A, Donadeo accepted a job offer (one Ultimately, Donadeo reunited with ably wary of the new bosses. of nine offers that came his way) with Ghersinich, who’d been a trusted colleague at “We were dealing with essentially a union Hudson Bay Oil & Gas, a company acquired Dome. Together, they ventured into unchart- mentality,” says Donadeo. “Our guys had a by Dome Petroleum a few months later. As a ed territory, as partners in a successful private challenge getting workers to buy into the young engineer at Dome, Donadeo worked company called Vista Nuova Energy. In concept that if they worked harder, adding for a time under the supervision of Hal 1995, Vista Nuova was rolled into a new value (to the company), that they’d earn more.” Kvisle (Civil ’75), now chief executive officer public company—the original Vermilion In contrast, it didn’t take long for the of TransCanada Corporation. Resources. By this time, the pair had recruit- Vermilion executive team to wholeheartedly “Dome was a unique company, very ed Jeff Boyce to the executive team. And embrace a new and creative incentive program. entrepreneurial,” says Donadeo. “They within two years, the trio found themselves It involved that wonderful wine cellar, encouraged people to come up with their negotiating the French oil deal. stockpiled with sublime vintages from the 1960s own ideas.” To this day, Donadeo regards the French and 1970s. Donadeo had plenty of those, including transaction as the turning point in his career. “Today it’s not as well stocked as it once his one overriding ambition—to someday Learning the finer points of operating in a was,” Donadeo concedes with a smile and a make the big decisions for his own oil and foreign land proved an education in itself. shrug. “We made it part of the bonus pool. gas enterprise. “We learned a couple of things the hard Those first few years, we had more wine than “With an eye to my future as an entrepre- way,” Donadeo admits. “In France, it takes money to give them.” neur, my initial goal was to gain exposure to longer to get regulatory approvals (to drill a number of different aspects of the busi- new wells), so you have to do a better job of Tom Keyser is a Calgary-based ness,” he recalls. planning. We went in thinking we would freelance journalist. With Dome and, later, with Amoco show the French the Canadian way of oper- Petroleum Ltd., Donadeo built compressor ating,” he laughs. “We do things the interna- stations and gas plants, served as a produc- tional way now.”

U of A E n g i n e e r 19 Dave Markle (Engineering Physics ’58)

20 U of A E n g i n e e r Ask Dave Markle (Engineering Physics ’58) about the value of a university education, and he gives you a straightforward answer: “My engineering degree changed my life completely.” The Optics of Photolithography

Dave Markle by Connie Bryson

he Edmonton-born engineer hated all he could about engineering physics. This high school. was a problem because, at the time, the course “There was no intellectual stimula- was not taught at the U of A. However, his T tion. It was as boring and as monoto- classmates managed to convince the Physics nous as it could possibly be. Engineering at the Department to re-institute the course. University of Alberta opened my eyes to what Engineering physics was a demanding pro- learning could be and what being an engineer gram, and Markle thrived on the challenge. could be. Many of our professors were not “If you blinked, you could be at the bot- only great teachers of their particular disci- tom of the class,” he says. “But we worked pline but they had also worked in industry. together and with small classes we really got They provided much-needed motivation for to know each other. If one of us was going to the hard work we were doing. I came away miss a lecture, someone would always take from our University with a love of learning, an extra set of notes.” confidence in my ability to learn, and a huge Markle recalls one particular lecture when respect for the value of knowledge.” his five classmates were out with the flu. He His undergraduate degree also set Markle assumed that the professor would cancel the on a career that has seen him make major con- class since he was the only student in atten- tributions to engineering theory and practice. dance. But he didn’t. So Markle got out five He is a renowned optical scientist who has pieces of carbon paper, put them in place, and played an instrumental role in the develop- began taking notes. ment of advanced photolithography systems “Every time I got to the end of a page, I used in the manufacture of semiconductor had to shuffle quite a bit of paper. The pro- devices. He holds more than 43 patents. In fessor stopped lecturing, waited for me to get 2004, Markle was elected to the U.S. National the papers organized, then continued speak- Academy of Engineering, one of the highest ing. Although this story always makes me professional distinctions accorded an engineer. smile, it demonstrates the commitment of the But back in 1954, when Markle started faculty to learning.” university, photolithography was in its infan- After graduating from the U of A, Markle cy. In those days, he was interested in learning won an Athlone Fellowship to study in

U of A E n g i n e e r 21 Engineers, in their quiet way, make the world a better place.

England. He earned a Master’s degree in reac- (ICBMs) made the Bomarc missile obsolete. large. But Harold had a good track record, so tor physics at the University of Birmingham Markle was seconded to the U.S. Defense we got the money.” and went on to a diploma in business adminis- Advanced Research Projects Agency The team started developing the machine tration from the London School of Economics. (DARPA) and began work at Cape Canaveral. in 1972, and the first one sold a year later. In “The business course was a wonderful His project involved making measurements to total, Perkin Elmer sold about 3,000 experience. Learning about business was a be used to design satellites to detect the photolithography systems, making it the com- good complement to my technical education. I launch-boost phase of enemy ICBMs. pany’s best-selling product ever. The electro- think this is something more engineers should His involvement in the project ended at optical group became Perkin Elmer’s do, and it is perhaps an area where Canada the height of the Cuban missile crisis, a time microlithography division, which was eventu- should focus in order to encourage entrepre- Markle remembers vividly. ally sold to another company. neurship. It’s vital that technical entrepreneurs “I was working at Patrick Air Force Base, Disillusioned by decisions made by the also understand business.” which was continuously patrolled by circling Perkin Elmer management, Markle went to The exposure to business issues made aircraft. They took off every half hour, so the work for California-based Ultratech Inc. Markle eager to work in private industry. But “kaboom” from the afterburners was a con- (Nasdaq: UTEK) in 1984. He is now as a Canadian nuclear engineer, his most like- stant reminder of the turmoil in the world. Ultratech’s senior vice president and chief ly employer would have been Atomic Energy When I drove back to Toronto, we passed technology officer. The company designs, of Canada, with whom Markle had already innumerable military convoys going south manufactures, and markets photolithography worked for two summers. A government job down the highway.” equipment used worldwide in the fabrication simply did not interest him, so he explored The missile projects had sparked Markle’s of semiconductor and nanotechnology taste for designing instrumentation. After a devices. Ultratech has also developed a new couple more years at De Havilland, he went technology called “laser thermal processing” to work for Perkin Elmer in Norwalk, for integrated circuit manufacturing. Connecticut. He worked in the electro-opti- “There’s never a dull day at Ultratech, cal division, making one-of-a-kind optical because I get to work with so many different systems for highly specialized applications technologies,” he says. “That’s what I like such as space-borne telescopes. most about my job. And the fact that I work Markle’s boss was Harold Hemstreet, with many, very bright people—as I have who “very much wanted to make more than throughout my career. one of something” according to Markle. He “Fact is, engineering is not a solitary pur- assigned Markle’s team to build a photolith- suit. It is a collaborative effort. People from ography machine. Photolithography is one of all around the world have supplemented and Markle proudly demonstrates the key steps in making integrated circuits. updated my technical education, and broad- Ultratech’s technology. The process transfers the image of a circuit ened my perspective in directions I scarcely other opportunities—sending out what he fig- from a glass mask onto a silicon wafer coat- even imagined upon graduation. I didn’t real- ures were at least 100 resumes from England. ed with photosensitive material. After devel- ize it at the time, but my professors at the None of those letters got him an interview, opment, the pattern on the resist layer is University of Alberta exemplified this collab- so he responded to an ad from De Havilland transferred to an underlying layer to define orative ideal. They laid a firm foundation for Aircraft SPAR Division in Toronto. De one of the circuit layers. A completed circuit the sharing of knowledge and lending a help- Havilland needed an engineer to work on the might contain two dozen layers. ful hand to anyone who could use it. design of an infrared fuse for the Bomarc mis- Although the first tool the Perkin Elmer “Engineers, in their quiet way, make the sile. (In the early 1960s, the plan was to use team came up with was, in Markle’s words, world a better place, and we need more of a network of these guided missiles to shoot “unbelievably awkward and user hostile in them. I’m concerned that enrolment in engi- down Soviet bombers.) every respect,” the team members felt there neering is in a 10-year decline in North “I told them in the interview that I was a was great market potential for the right tool. America. Those of us who have benefited nuclear engineer and didn’t know that much Hemstreet went to the Perkin Elmer board to from a good education need to do a much about infrared. To my total surprise, they request money to develop a commercial sys- better job in convincing young people that a said it was okay. They didn’t know that much tem. When asked how many he thought could career in engineering is well worth the effort. either, and they had books on the subject that be sold, he estimated about 50. It certainly has been for me.” I could read!” “Apparently the board nearly laughed him The project, which was on track for suc- out of the room. They thought that was the Connie Bryson is an Edmonton- cess, ended abruptly when the new threat funniest thing they’d ever heard,” notes based freelance journalist. from intercontinental ballistic missiles Markle. “No one believed the market was that

22 U of A E n g i n e e r The Power of the

Stan Gordeyko (Electrical Feedlot ’71) and Jim Kulchisky BY T ONY K RYZANOWSKI (Electrical ’68) spend a lot his job definitely isn’t boring,” of their time connecting The company behind IMUS, Highmark “T observes Kulchisky. Renewables, is working with the Alberta Most recently, they were con- Research Council (ARC), Alberta govern- alternative electricity tracted to handle the interconnection of ment, and Canadian government to commer- power generated by the unique Integrated cialize the IMUS process. sources into the provincial Manure Utilization System (IMUS) project in Gordeyko and Kulchisky became Vegreville, Alberta. involved in the project through their employ- power grid—a job that IMUS uses the process of anaerobic er, High Time Industries Ltd. They worked digestion to produce biogas from manure, with ARC at the conceptual stage of the pro- takes them to some, well, which in turn is used to generate electricity ject, conducted preliminary technical studies and heat. The IMUS process also produces on interconnecting the $6.5 million IMUS surprising places. bio-based fertilizer, pathogen-free and pilot plant, and built the infrastructure to biodegradable consumer products, and take the generated power from the plant to water to irrigate crops. the provincial power grid.

U of A E n g i n e e r 23 The biogas collected from the top of the looking for new sources of revenue. feedlots in Alberta alone that have the size to pilot plant’s digesters consists of between 57 Converting manure to electricity represents a support a project like this,” says Gordeyko. and 59 percent methane gas. The remainder, way to literally generate new income. “I also believe that there is a really big need carbon dioxide and trace gases, are con- Biogas plants can also act as an energy for it, maybe not so much on the power gen- sumed later in the closed loop manufacturing hub for other agriculture-related industries eration side, as from the causal effect of process to balance pH in the liquid stream. that use a lot of energy. Examples include removing manure and all the consequences of The methane is burned in combination with ethanol plants and greenhouses. manure from the environment. Plus, you do natural gas to power a GE Jenbacher, 999 “We think there is a huge opportunity to get a good by-product from it.” kW generator, which can operate at between add further value to manure and at the same Highmark is using the pilot plant to opti- 50 and 100 percent load. It can accept a vari- time, provide an opportunity to move into mize lab scale IMUS processes and to inte- able gas blend, so Highmark Renewables has other industries that are users of heat and grate the IMUS process into the logistics of the flexibility to adjust its ratio of biogas to power,” says Mike Kotelko, Highmark an actual, operating feedlot. This conversion natural gas depending on power prices. Renewables co-owner. plant is unique in North America in that it uses exclusively high-solid content manure. Anaerobic digestion technology has only Power deregulation has made it possible to sell alternative recently made this possible. Although future commercial IMUS plants streams of power generation to the provincial grid. will operate on a continual basis, the pilot plant works on three, eight-hour cycles: feed- ing the digesters, separating the solids from The project had its electrical engineering World demand for renewable energy will the liquids, and nutrient recovery. The plant challenges. Hooking IMUS into the power likely increase. Right now, only three to four will consume about 100 tonnes of wet grid meant connecting a power source of only percent of Canada’s energy supply comes from manure daily, or about 20 percent of the total 600 volts to an interconnection of 25 kilo- alternative sources, and two to three percent in output from the nearby feedlot. volts. Gordeyko and Kulchisky managed this the United States. As energy costs increase, Highmark Renewables plans to market voltage differential using special cables and many experts believe the figures will grow to the technology to large feedlots with exist- equipment. At the same time, part of the 10 or even 20 percent over the next 20 years. ing integrated operations like processing power generated by the IMUS pilot plant is At the same time, the huge quantity of plants and packing plants. It will likely also used by the adjacent feedlot. So the project manure generated by Canadian feedlots appeal to areas where several neighbouring required two streams of power flow. poses a significant environmental threat. feedlots could share a centrally located Highmark Renewables hopes to begin Anaerobic digestion has already been suc- IMUS plant. The technology could also be marketing IMUS technology to other feedlots cessfully used to treat manure in Europe, and sold to areas where large numbers of live- within two years. Because the feedlot indus- the same could be done here. stock are concentrated on a comparably try has reached maturity, owners are eagerly “I believe that there are probably 80 other small land base.

IMUS Components Manure and ARC hopper The

Biogas Anaerobic digester Co-gen system Energy

Bio-based fertilizer Solids Nutrient enrichment

Fibers Solid/liquid separation

Nutrient recovery/ treatment Reusable water Liquids

24 U of A E n g i n e e r A commercial IMUS plant operating a three Power deregulation has made it possible to “It’s something that people aren’t used to, megawatt power generator will cost between sell alternative streams of power generation to yet they have a strong desire to interconnect $8 and $9 million, Kotelko estimates. the provincial grid. Gordeyko and Kulchisky power they are generating into the utility,” Assuming the owners market both electricity find themselves in demand, thanks to their adds Kulchisky. “It can be challenging to and bio-fertilizer, a plant would likely pay for knowledge of high-voltage power generation. them as well as for us.” itself in seven or eight years. Owners could col- Both men were recruited lapse that timeframe further by finding ways to straight out of university by use the excess heat generated by the plant, or well-known high-voltage by charging tipping fees for processing organic power generators who were waste generated by outside sources. looking for people with a “The economic model is tight right now, demonstrated ability to learn. there’s no doubt,” says Kotelko. “However, And both say their U of A we’re confident that we can optimize the cost degrees left no doubt in the of construction as well as optimize the minds of recruiters. process over time.” Kulchisky spent more than Gordeyko says the pilot plant began gen- three decades at TransAlta erating power in November, 2004 and is Utilities before joining High operating successfully. Time Industries three years “We helped to take the electrical inter- ago. Gordeyko has had a much connection portion of the project from con- more varied career path. It cept right into where we actually built it, includes stints with Ontario The IMUS project in Vegreville, Alberta. tested it, and commissioned it,” says Hydro, 18 years with Gordeyko. TransAlta Utilities, and three years working for Because of all the innovative ways people “Probably the most interesting aspect to the Nigerian Power Authority, training its engi- are finding to generate power, Gordeyko and these smaller interconnections is dealing with neers to operate the country’s high voltage Kulchisky have found themselves working the regulators and the political side of it all. power system. with a much larger client base. They enjoy The deregulation rules are still evolving.” “Our challenge is to try to come up with the challenge—even if they have to hold their Major discussions typically occur terms and conditions that a lot of people who noses on some projects. between the new power producer, regulators, aren’t involved in the high voltage industry and the existing power companies servicing can relate to,” Gordeyko says. “How do they the area. Regulators must ensure that the new assess the risks and make decisions when they Tony Kryzanowski is a St. Albert- power producer does not negatively impact don’t understand the business? The key chal- based freelance journalist and on power service being provided to cus- lenge we have is to educate—to put the tech- ASTech Award winner. tomers of the existing utilities. nical aspects in terms they can understand.”

2005 Engineering Perspectives Calendar

Thanks for your contributions to the 2005 Engineering Perspectives Calendar. Feedback has been very positive and donations raised to date exceed last year’s total. This will greatly assist the Engineering Students’ Society. Interested in participating in the 2006 calendar? Contact [email protected] for further information.

U of A E n g i n e e r 25 (left to right) Steve (Civil ’79), Al (Civil ’77), Glenn (Electrical ’76) Stowkowy.

26 U of A E n g i n e e r They were born in the same hospital, raised in the same house, attended the same schools, and played on the same teams. In the late ’70s, the Stowkowy brothers from the Dovercourt area of Edmonton all graduated in engineering from the University of Alberta. Born within two and a half years of each other, these competitive siblings were referred to by their father as the GAS (Glenn, Allen, Steve) house gang. They were born with a competitive edge, which still lingers now; just ask each one who is the better golfer. ENGINEERX3

Some might assume that they all went into the profession because their father was an engineer. However, although Steve insists, “Dad would have been the best engineer,” the three brothers embarked on their journeys individually. Here, in no particular order of age, success or superiority on the golf course, are their stories.

BY MURRAY DONALDSON

U of A E n g i n e e r 27 STOWKOWY GLENN Electrical ’76 tions (no computers back then!). That, says get-together humour that only engineers Glenn, was a very exciting time. During what would find funny,” noted Glenn. was a mini Alberta boom, he assisted on When Glenn relayed these humourous sit- dozens of downtown office buildings and uations to the Dean, Dr. Lynch suggested that such prominent projects as Edmonton City engineers should be subjected to more sensi- Centre and . tivity trainings in their classroom years. Currently, Glenn oversees the electrical, mechanical, structural, and performance engineering groups in northern Alberta for Stantec. Essentially, he has been with the STOWKOWY same company since he graduated from U of AL Civil ’77 A in 1976. Allsopp Morgan Engineering became Morgan Dowhan Engineering, and Morgan Dowhan was acquired by Stantec Consulting in April 1996. And he has never really left the city that gave him so much early on in life. Despite a very short stint in Calgary in the late 70s when Principal with the firm and buildings the company opened an office there, Glenn has stayed in Edmonton. Over the 30 years he has practice leader for Alberta North, been working, he was the electrical consultant Stantec Consulting Ltd. for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Redevelopment, Red Deer Regional Hospital s the oldest brother, Glenn was the first Redevelopment, and the recent Edmonton to make his way through the U of A. He International Airport Redevelopment. A says that all three brothers had always As well, he has been able to continue his intended to go to university in their home association with the U of A and the Faculty town, but the faculty of choice was by no of Engineering. Glenn was the principal elec- means predetermined. Glenn chose to go into trical engineer on the Electrical & Computer President and chief operating officer, engineering because of his interest and ability Engineering Research Facility and the in math and sciences, particularly physics. He Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex. Stuart Olson Construction. found the U of A to be a great fit. “It is a proud association to be giving “I really enjoyed it. From an educational back to the Engineering department and point of view it was the most exciting period helping to develop it further.” l, the middle child, went with his feelings of my life. It was more diverse academically He was also involved in a new trend in on engineering...... and socially than anything else I had known.” engineering design, as a member of the con- A “It was where my heart felt right, and The summer after his first year, Glenn sulting team for the National Research I was inclined to construction. As a kid I worked as a draftsperson for Allsopp Morgan Council’s new National Institute for always found myself building or fixing things” Engineering—at the time, the largest electrical Nanotechnology on the U of A campus. The he says. facility had to fit within peculiar electrical His older brother was already in electrical design constraints and stringent structural and enjoying the challenge, but Al decided “From an educational point of view it and mechanical specifications. not to follow him. He chose Civil, and never was the most exciting period of my life.” “There’s still lots of opportunity in this looked back. field, maybe even more than when I graduat- “It was superb. The best time of my life, ed. And it’s more exciting and much more absolutely.” consulting firm in Western Canada. He diverse now, not just in the construction Al met his wife at the U of A. She was per- enjoyed the electrical aspects of the work and industry but in all facets of the electrical engi- forming on the engineering kick line at the decided to pursue electrical engineering neering discipline.” end of her fourth year, despite being a com- through university. After working three more Like quite a few of his classmates, Glenn merce student. summers as a draftsperson, the same compa- married a nurse, Donna. Their son, Kyle is in “She chased me shamelessly,” is his memory ny hired Glenn as an engineer-in-training. his fourth year at the U of A, aspiring to get of events. Under the supervision of John Morgan, he into Law. After enjoying the university life, Al performed hundreds of manual lighting calcu- “Being an Arts student in a family full of worked as a project manager for eight lations and panelboard feeder sizing calcula- engineers has subjected Kyle to some family years with Alta West Construction. His first

28 U of A E n g i n e e r STOWKOWY STEVE Civil ’79 assignment out of university was on a the companies. It would also allow him construction site in Fort McMurray, an to work on projects in Edmonton, the addition to the hospital. home town of his wife Bonnie, also a U “Here I am an engineering graduate, of A engineering grad (Civil ’80). relegated to a construction site,” he thought “She asked to borrow my notes, but at the time. she didn’t really need them. I should have In retrospect, it turned out to be the figured something was up,” Steve says. best learning experience he ever had. It Initially Steve worked in land devel- allowed him to take the technical things he opment as a resident engineer in the learned at school and apply them to the Lessard area of Edmonton. He found, practical side of the industry. Soon, though, though, that in the winter there was not he felt his career opportunities at Alta West much to do. He was given the opportu- had been capped. nity to work in transportation at UMA So in 1985, Al joined Stuart Olson and became proficient as a transporta- Construction as a project manager. With tion designer. Although his team leader Stuart Olson, Al has managed to do the most wanted to keep him around, he had it in mind Regional vice president, UMA Engineering Ltd. cross-country transfers of the brothers. In that he didn’t want to be a roadway engineer. 1988 he helped set up the company’s new Steve began to pursue an MBA part-time in Vancouver office, and he became VP opera- lthough the youngest and third brother 1985. He eventually took a leave of absence for tions of the West Coast branch the following to venture into engineering, Steve insists a few months to finish it, graduating in ’88. year. He transferred back to Calgary in 1991 A it was very much his own decision to go When he returned to work he found himself for family reasons: his own family and his down a similar road as his brothers. involved in more multi-discipline work. He wife’s family were all close by A “much younger” two-and-a-half years was involved in facility projects in the Arctic Al progressed through Stuart Olson, and behind Glenn, Steve was eager to get a job and and also worked on the Oldman River dam. in 2002 was appointed president and COO. get on with life. As far as he saw it, his choices In 1994, Steve’s wife was transferred to Now that he oversees the entire company, a along with engineering were law, medicine, and Calgary with Enbridge. When he asked UMA lot of people look to him for guidance and accounting. Like his brothers, he was already for a transfer, the VP of UMA’s Calgary office leadership. The only downside is that he interested in math and sciences and had seen was pleasantly surprised that he would go to doesn’t get as much contact with the actual his brothers enjoy what they were doing. Calgary, no strings attached. construction as he used to. “It made a lot of sense,” he says. “The “In terms of moving away from home, He also has to do a lot of travelling books were cheaper.” that’s about the easiest move to make,” says among the three offices in Edmonton, Steve describes himself as the kind of guy Steve, who still works out of the Calgary office Calgary, and Vancouver. Going to Edmonton who, once he gets involved, stays focused and and became regional vice president in 2000. is made easier by the fact that his two chil- gets the results he needs. But despite a success- Steve has been proud to be a part of envi- dren, Brett and Ashley, are there. They both ful career in engineering, and with an MBA ronmental projects, especially the DEW Line attend U of A and are both in engineering. under his belt as well, he says by the time he is clean up in the Arctic. He manages that pro- Ashley is a third-year mechanical engineering 60 he hopes to know what he wants to be ject, which UMA expects to work on until at student and Brett is also in mechanical, one when he grows up. least 2015. year behind his sister. After his first year at the U of A, Steve The three brothers still spend as much Al has managed to maintain a connection made the decision to go into Civil based on a time together as they can. The sports and to his alma mater through work. He has little feedback from his brothers. games they played as kids have become golf been involved with projects on campus, in “They were certainly there if I needed games and family get-togethers. particular the Centennial Centre for them.” During summers he worked for a con- Although work doesn’t come up much as Interdisciplinary Science (a two-storey sub- sulting engineering firm as a field inspector. a point of conversation (“We don’t get into surface facility nestled in the courtyard of the That was back when a summer job could pay it,” says Glenn) the brothers appreciate and Biological Science building and extending for tuition and books for the upcoming year. recognize each other’s efforts and successes. towards the Physics building) and the Then, as now, the U of A had some world- “There’s a sense of accomplishment and Agrifood project (a south campus building class Engineering professors. we are very proud of each other,” says Glenn. for food processing sciences). “That’s the kind of thing you probably “They’re my best friends, too.” His strong bond with his brothers per- don’t appreciate as much then as you do now.” haps influences his attitude towards the fam- Since graduating in ’79, Steve has worked Murray Donaldson is an ily/work relationship. He always tells with UMA. When he came out of school he Edmonton-based editor and employees that family is more important than had four job offers waiting. He chose UMA freelance journalist. the job, and should always come first. because it was the largest and most stable of

U of A E n g i ne e r 29 Research Facility (ECERF) and Steve: There were many. As today, the Civil the adjacent Engineering Engineering department at the U of A Teaching Learning Complex was well known for the reputation of FEEDBACK (ETLC). Partaking in group dis- its professors. We had the cussions with the Engineering privilege of being instructed by many Faculty (Dr. David Lynch and world-class professionals: Morgenstern, X3 Phil Haswell) and with staff Kulak, MacGregor, Longworth, Murray, that was still there from 25 Wawaruk, Verschern, Eisenstein, Teply, What is the most challenging project years ago (Dr. Capjack), and being part of Thompson, and the Hrudeys are a few that you have worked on and why? the design team for such a prominent pro- always come to mind. My favourite was ject was a personal satisfaction. The con- probably the late Larry Gerard—he special- GLENN: The Royal Alexandra Hospital struction completion also coincided with ized in hydraulics and ice flows. He had a Redevelopment Project back in the late our 25-year engineering class reunion, lot of energy and time for his students, and 1980s. We provided for a new high-voltage which made for a most gratifying and spe- his exams and assignments were very chal- power distribution ring and an emergency cial weekend in 2001. lenging. generator power distribution ring for Al: Lamb Weston Potato Plant in Taber, all the buildings on the entire hospital What is your Alberta. This $60 million design build con- campus (the project also included a new favourite golf struction project was completed in a mea- $100-Million Diagnostic Treatment accessory? Centre/Material Management Centre/ gre nine months spanning the winter. The Emergency Centre), all the while maintain- project commenced in early August 1998 Glenn: My son ing power services to one of Canada's on a remote green field site and was pro- Kyle—not really a busiest hospitals. ducing french fries in mid-April 1999. This golf accessory, but hugely successful hyper-track project some days he must AL: $67 million Red Deer Regional resulted in life-long friendships with many feel like one when Hospital Expansion. This project had an of the project stakeholders. playing with me. extremely tight budget with an aggressive We probably play timeline. Compounding this was the fact Steve: Any of the projects that have a pos- 30-40 games a year that construction occurred within and itive affect on people’s lives are the most together, and have adjacent to a fully operating hospital. rewarding. As engineers, it’s often easy to simply focus only on the technical aspects for the last 12 STEVE: The DEW Line clean up project for of a project. The most rewarding project years. We have a the Department of National Defence. I've chance to share for me is the DEW Line clean up project. been working on this project since it start- some quality time The project team has made a sincere effort ed in 1992—it’s scheduled to be complet- together, with one to involve aboriginals and northerners in ed around 2015. It involves the all elements of the work, and they are very of the pastimes I environmental cleanup of 21 Distant Early appreciative of this. Another rewarding really enjoy. I have Warning Sites along Canada’s arctic coast- aspect is the relationships I have been able most enjoyed line. In addition to the basic challenges to develop with project team members. It watching his game imposed by any multi-million dollar pro- has been very satisfying to see the profes- improve from giv- ject involving multiple stakeholders, some sional development of our team members ing him four-shots of the other significant challenges are the as we grow up together on this project. for 18 holes, to tak- remote site locations, site access, transport ing four-shots— costs, climate, short construction season, Who was your favourite engineering and seldom now do I win. sensitive arctic ecosystem, permafrost con- professor? Al: My nine iron—it is the club that I use ditions, labour supply, and wildlife, most frequently on approach shots to the including polar bears. Glenn: Dr. Vermuelen, Dr. Capjack, and green and has been one of few consistent Dr. Tulip. At the time, they were all from a performers in my bag. What is the most rewarding project younger generation of professors that relat- you have worked on and why? ed very well to the class. Steve: My putter. I’ve had it since I was about 15 years of age. It’s the simplest of Glenn: The University of Alberta— Al: Pat Boutillier. “Boots” was a fun-loving blade putters, and it has sunk a lot of putts Electrical & Computer Engineering guy who had the great ability to mix good over the years. sound teaching while making it fun.

30 U of A E n g i n e e r Sidewalk Superintendents r

the e l l

Dr. Lynch delivers welcoming i M remarks on the official opening o g

of the solarium. r a Engineering M solarium t’s a sunroom, meeting place, and traffic and removable partition wall also make the Solarium Construction Facts: hub. The Engineering Solarium is now offi- patio flexible enough for student functions • Tables and chairs to accommodate 350 cially opened in the Faculty of Engineering. such as the graduate pancake breakfast. The I • Sliding glass partition allows Located south and east on the second floor of space is evenly divided into casual seating and approximately 200 seats to be in the Engineering Teaching and Learning quiet study space. a separate quiet area Complex, this exciting new space for students, With a two-metre diameter Engineering • Area 632 square metres staff, and alumni accommodates 350 casual gear as the focal point and gears on all the (6,800 square feet) seating and study places and plenty of room round tables, this has already proven to be a for special events. valuable spot for media conferences, donor • Glass curtain wall on east Connected to all other Engineering build- announcements, and alumni receptions. and south sides ings (and the soon-to-be completed National Future plans include the redevelopment of • Accessible to shipping and receiving for Institute for Nanotechnology) by pedway link, the food service area for a commercial tenant. delivery of food and beverage services the space is already beginning to attract The main engineering challenge was sched- considerable traffic and student interest. The uling construction around class and exam Solarium Technical Facts: schedules. Congratulations to the construction design has high windows facing south, which • Wireless Internet and power receptacles teams for completing this important addition will provide natural light year-round. A sound for laptops system, projection screens, removable seating, to the Engineering family of buildings. • Pan-tilt-zoom video camera with remote operating capability • Wireless microphone and omni- directional sound reinforcement • Two projection screens providing good sight lines from all areas of the room • Conduit and cable trays accommodate high/speed/real time connection, able to download complex imagery such as CAD • Portable podium contains all multimedia feeds and external links including local and national digital network feeds and wired and wireless network connections • Broadcast feed for local and national news media

Content provided by Phil The first offical event held in the Solarium, Haswell, Director of Facilities the announcement of $10 million donation for the Faculty of Engineering. from Imperial Oil Limited.

U of A E n g i n e e r 31 Virtual Engineer Manfred Fehr Here we meet Manfred Fehr (MSc Chemical ’69), a professor in Brazil. Citizen of the www.manfred.triang.net

U of A Engineering alumni are making WORLD an impact across Canada and around the world. “Virtual Engineer” features on-line interviews with alumni working outside of Edmonton.

What has been your career path from Consequently, I needed the PhD. So our next ferred hobby nowadays is to play with my graduation to now? stop was back home in Quebec City in the granddaughter. Over the years, my job has Maybe I should go just a little further graduate school at Laval. By the time we got taken me to many more places on short-term back. I went to Edmonton in 1967 to study there in early 1974, there were three of us. assignments. Among others, I was in Sweden for a Master's degree. This implies some pre- Our son was born on the move. for a semester as post-doctoral fellow, in India vious history. At the time, I had worked my Right after defending my thesis in late for a month as consultant, back in Canada for way through high school in good old 1977, we left for Algeria where I had found a a year on sabbatical leave, in Spain and in Germany, and through the Chemical job as teacher at the Engineering School of the Britain for a month each on co-operative pro- Engineering undergraduate course at Laval Algerian Petroleum Institute. I might add that jects, and last but not least, attended confer- University in Quebec City. Thus I had arrived at that time there were four of us. Our daugh- ences in China, Turkey, Chile, South Africa at my third language of instruction. ter was born just before leaving Quebec City. and Australia on various occasions. Following the stay at the U of A, I joined So you can imagine cruising around in strange the Canadian University Service Overseas fields with two infants, but we were young What has been the most (CUSO) to work as a teacher in South and did not mind much. For various reasons memorable/exciting/disappointing/chal- America. So away I went to Mexico for a we decided not to stay in Algeria longer than lenging/rewarding aspect of your career crash course in Spanish. Those were good a year, and thus I started scouting for the next thus far? times. In early 1970 I found myself in job. I found it in Brazil, of all places, and did Let's start with memorable. I do not know Columbia teaching Chemical Engineering not hesitate one minute. Suitcases were whether you can appreciate the effort behind subjects at the Industrial University of packed, some freight was shipped, and back changing nationality twice and building up a Santander. I stayed there for three fabulous on the plane we were. I studied Portuguese on new identity, both private and professional, years and among other things met my wife. the way over and was ready to teach shortly each time. This experience I will always From then on, there were two of us against after arrival. remember. First from Germany to Canada the world. My next assignment was to visit To make it short, Brazil turned out to be and later from Canada to Brazil, my life has various universities in Peru on behalf of our home. I had never imagined. We liked it been divided almost equally between the CUSO and place Canadian teachers there. We and are still here 25 years later. Times contin- three. ended up in Venezuela in 1973 where I ue to be good. Of course all of us have been Let's go on to exciting. The academic worked as visiting professor at the Central Brazilian citizens for a long time now. I am career is intrinsically exciting, as you have to University in Caracas. Times continued to be full professor at the Federal University in be alert all the time to face young students. good. It was about then that I had decided to Uberlandia, and our children have both grad- There is no time to relax. In my case, the addi- stay on in the academe for good. uated and are independent. In fact, my pre- tional factors of different languages and idio-

32 U of A E n g i n e e r American Medal of Honour for a world citi- zenship adventure awarded to only 100 per- sons worldwide.

How did your education or experience at r the Faculty of Engineering/University of Alberta equip you for your career path? It equipped me well. In the early years of my teaching assignments, I drew heavily on the experience with pilot plant scale digital process control I acquired at the U of A. At the time this was original pioneering work.

WORLD What are your remaining connections/associations with the Faculty of Engineering/ University of Alberta? None really, apart from the alumni maga- zine, which I read with joyful reminiscence.

What emotional/sentimental/intellectual/ professional connections/associations syncrasies raise the level of excitement some exporting in order to improve the trade bal- still remain with the Faculty of more. ance and the employment situation. With the Engineering/University of Alberta? Disappointing? Yes, there is some disap- advent of industrial globalization, this is per- Today, after so many years, the connec- pointment. It has to do with outworn think- fectly feasible. Our industrial park is mature tions are mainly sentimental. I feel proud of ing models that are still present in the enough to do it. It is simply a matter of creat- having studied at the U of A, and I also academic context and that apparently do not ing the right incentives—an administrative remember the marvellous times I spent in the go away. problem. Now I am dedicating my time to Rockies, hiking in the summer and skiing in Challenging is the correct word to define improvement of environmental management the winter. Those remembrances are eternal. the necessity to compete not only with practices. Solid waste management, for younger colleagues, but also with internation- example, ceased to be an engineering chal- What fosters pride for you al peers in terms of scientific output. lenge a long time ago, and is now an educa- as an alumnus? So we end up with the rewarding aspect. tional challenge of major proportions. To see that the U of A has lived up to the Upon looking back, I can say that my multi- challenges of modern times and ranks among national career has been extremely rewarding What has been your proudest achievement, the top institutions in North America. in terms of personal satisfaction and as a personally, professionally or socially? modest contribution to a tolerant one-world There are a few items I am proud of pro- What messages do you have for community. I have called at 34 countries so fessionally. I developed universal fuel equiva- potential students, undergraduates, far, on all continents, and never had the feel- lence tables, an environmental management and young professionals just entering ing of being abroad. I cherish the following matrix for a town, the divided waste process- their fields? idea from the teachings of the Dalai Lama: ing model, and new academic thinking mod- I once coined the following statement for Live a good and honourable life so that when els. I also founded and presided over two local my students: As engineers, always remember you get old and look back, you can enjoy it all chapters of the Brazilian Chemical Engineers that there are as many challenges outside as over again. This is what I am doing now. Association. Personally, I have been able to there are inside the battery limits of industrial cope with the need to raise children practical- facilities. Engineering expertise is taken for What are some of the unique engineer- ly on the run, and with the demands of granted on the present job market. You need ing challenges in Brazil? constantly changing geographical work envi- other credentials to make a difference. The engineering challenges are not really ronments. I suppose that socially, all this Carefully select and acquire those credentials. unique. They are the same as in all developing experience may be encapsulated in the The World has become a village. Explore it. countries: transform raw material commodi- more than 50 citations in International Inhale it. Enjoy it. Live it. Do not keep sitting ties into manufactured products before Biographical Encyclopedias and in the around in your backyard.

U of A E n g i n e e r 33 engineer.alum @ualberta.ca

Chemical Engineering ago were mostly returning service veterans Kinch, Jason (Civil ’98) who registered in the fall of 1945 and the spe- Just a quick note to update you on what has Lieberman, Ray (Chemical ’57) cial additional class in January 1946. The been going on in my life. I got married on April If you are a typical engineer, most of the cours- graduating class of 1949 included 54 veterans 30, 2004 and went on a cruise in the es you’ve taken at university or in subsequent and six students direct from high school. Mediterranean for my honeymoon. Upon our continuing education, have been technical and With a strong continent of ’49 Civils employed return to Canada, my wife Kimberly and I both job related. Now, if as a result of retirement or in Alberta, this group organized a 15-year started new jobs in Squamish, B.C. Kim is just good planning, you can spare three weeks, reunion in 1964 at the original 400 Club in working as a dental assistant and I am you can submerge yourself in the pursuit of Calgary. We were successful at the time in track- employed with the District of Squamish, busy liberal arts and humanities studies. ing down addresses for all 60 classmates and preparing for the 2010 Olympics. And to top it The Edmonton Lifelong Learners Association have kept information up to date for the past 40 all off, I received my P.Eng. designation at the (ELLA), in association with the University of years. A total of 12 additional reunions have beginning of the summer! Alberta, is presenting their annual three-week been held across Western Canada as follows: 20 years, Banff; 25 years, Edmonton; 30 years, Spring Program of 32 courses beginning on Engineering Physics Monday, May 2nd, 2005 at the U of A. Calgary; 34 years, Saanichon; 37 years, Sidney; 40 years, Edmonton; 42 years, Sidney; Courses are offered in anthropology, art, art Syed, Wasif (Engineering Physics ’03) 45 years, Kananaskis; 47 years, Sidney; 48.5 history, classics, drama, fitness, history, litera- I am now studying in a PhD program in years, Kelowna; 50 years, Edmonton; and ture, music history, philosophy, political sci- applied physics at Cornell University, New 52 years, Sidney. ence, poetry, sociology, and writing. Lunch York, in the United States. times offer a selection of guest speakers from our community. The only limit on the courses Mechanical Engineering one may take is your own timetable. Classes are all presented in the daytime. There are no Fakinlede, Omotayo A. Dr. (PhD Mechanical ’85) academic prerequisites, no exams, no pres- sure—just the sheer enjoyment of learning I have been receiving the Engineering Alumni with new and old friends. magazine for several years now. I am now director, energy information systems at the ELLA is a volunteer association of lovers of Energy Commission of Nigeria. I want to learning who plan, develop, and deliver the This group has joined with homecoming thank you for the quality of the magazine and Spring Program. An annual membership fee weekend activities in Edmonton at the 25, 50, the way it connects me to the great time of allows a person to enrol in the courses and 55 years and also enjoyed the Sidney area opportunity to learn that U of A represents. offered. Currently the membership fee is and coastal cruises on the “SS Breeze” on four Please continue the good work. $20.00 and the tuition fee for the whole pro- different occasions. gram is $185.00. If you are interested, please call (780) 492-5055 for more information. Attendance at our reunion has always been Metallurgical Engineering great; however, with the passage of time, we have lost 27 of our classmates and a number Morrison, Darell (Metallurgical ’68) Civil Engineering of others find that failing health makes it dif- I recall fondly my days at U of A, but doubt I ficult to travel to these gatherings. With this in Adam, George (Civil ’49) would recognize much, if anything, of the cam- mind, an attendance of 20 classmates at pus from the maps in the last alumni publication. A strong contingent of civil engineers from the Reunion 2004 was indicative of a continued Although it’s been 36 years since graduation, it graduating class of ’49 was present at Reunion interest in getting together. does not feel that long and it’s nice to jog one’s 2004 in Edmonton on September 30 to October While our class bursary fund is growing slowly, memory to old school times and friends. Still am 2, 2004. While 40 of our classmates, former we look forward to continued support from the not sure how I was coerced into accept the engi- professors, and spouses enjoyed a special class Civil ’49 class in the year ahead. We extend a big neering president’s job of 1967/68 but in the end luncheon on October 1, many of this group thank-you to the alumni affairs officers and our it was fun. Since 1973, have worked totally over- participated in other activities organized by the class representative Dave Usher (Civil ’49), as seas in the oil and gas industry in such out-of-the- Alumni Association during Reunion Weekend. well as his support team for organizing the great way places as Libya (Sahara desert), Indonesia The civil engineers who graduated 55 years events, which we enjoyed in Edmonton in ’04. (Irian Jaya jungle), Egypt (Red Sea), Peru (costal

34 U of A E n g i n e e r desert), Abu Dhabi (sand, sea, desert), Ecuador were a few tense moments on my side even Mining Engineering (rain forest), Russia (frozen Western Siberia), though my part in the project was long over Oman (desert), and presently Egypt (coastal by then. Fortunately, it was a software prob- Toutant, Anne Marie (Mining ’87) desert). I live in Cairo with my Egyptian wife and lem (SPAR) not a hardware problem on the I moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta this past two daughters, ages 12 and seven. I don’t recom- physical boom itself. Apparently they call it spring with my husband Chris (BA ’88, BEd mend a vagabond career to all but am still work- CANADARM2 nowadays (better than ’90 and Golden Bear basketball ’84–’88) and ing at it, at least for a bit longer. SSRMS, i.e., space station remote manipula- our two daughters. I am now vice president, tor system, as it was originally called). mining with Suncor Energy Incorporated. Santarossa, Robert (Bob) (Metallurgical ’76) We kicked-off the project with Spar Add another linkage name to the Dr. Ford peo- Aerospace and handed off the project to the ple on the Canadarm and International Space then aerospace/defense FRE Composites engi- Petroleum Engineering Station. I obtained the contract, as the project neering team. manager, for the International Space Station McKale, Rene (Petroleum ’99) A few years after graduating in 1976, I took a Arm for FRE Composites Inc., a General My wife Lacy and I (married December fracture mechanics course from Dr. Ford. It Electric spin-off company (then located in St. 2003) have moved from Houston, Texas to came in handy, especially when we had to André, Quebec). I wrote the bid proposal along Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as specify the fracture mechanics testing for the with another engineer, Walter Feassler, who was of August 1, 2004. I have taken a position Space Station arm. You don’t want to know educated at a Quebec University. We won hand- with the national oil company here how they tested the Canadarm for this—it ily against U.S. competitive bidders (including (Dubai Petroleum Co.), and we are settling was very primitive. the then manufacturers of the Canadarm, hand- in nicely. Although it’s been a little warm, ed off to them by General Dynamics, the initial I am a big fan of Dr. Ford’s—he was an inspira- it’s starting to cool down . . . getting into builder of the Canadarm) and Canadian com- tion to me. Years ago, in the early 90s, I had to the high 20s at night. I am also playing petition. By the way, the only thing Canadian step in and teach the role of engineering in busi- hockey here for the Dubai Mighty Camels on the Canadarm was Spar’s electronics and the ness and the economy for a mining engineering …it’s true! Would be nice to hear from Canadian flag on the arm blanket; the physical professor on sabbatical to fourth-year engineers fellow U of A grads I know. E-mail me at arm itself was built in Pomona, California by and BCom students (perhaps for Dr. Patching?) [email protected]. General Dynamics. and Dr. Ford, over two or three lectures, gave the history of engineering from his book. It was I must admit, when they first installed it on

absolutely spellbinding. He was awesome.

the Space Station and it had problems, there ✃ Keep in Touch [email protected]

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Do you have a new address? Home Address ______Business Address ______Organization ______E-mail, fax or post this information to Title [email protected] • Fax (780) 492-0500 Street ______E6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4 City ______Province______The personal information requested on this form is collected under the authority Postal Code ______Telephone ______of Section 33c of the Alberta “Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act” for the purposes of updating and maintaining donor/alumni records. Questions Fax ______concerning the collection, use or disposal of this information should be directed to Advancement Services, 6-41 GSB, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Preferred E-mail ______T6G 2H1. Phone: (780) 492-0328, Fax: (780) 492-1862.

U of A E n g i n e e r 35 Cross Hairs on History Extraordinary INVENTOR

When Harry Stevinson (Electrical ’44) took a scenic flight as a teenager with pioneering bush pilot and ircling the prairies near barnstormer Sheldon Luck, little did he know that the Bashaw, Alberta that day, young Harry wondered what seeds for a life-saving invention had been sown. would happen if the plane went down in a remote area. CHow would people know where to look? He mused that a bird sitting on the plane would BY WANDA VIVEQUIN fly away at the earliest indications of trouble, and would survive the crash. Years later, Stevinson put that flash of insight to work in a National Research Council (NRC) project spanning the 1950s

36 U of A E n g i n e e r l i c n u o C dinary h c r a e s e R

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The crash position indicator being inserted into the holder on the tail of an airplane (circa 1960).

The CPI, however, made his name as an Model T transmission, he was able to get inventor. This specially shaped airfoil, con- seven speeds forward and five reverse. Harry taining a radio that generates a distress signal, made an aerodynamic wooden frame over automatically jettisons from a crashing plane the old Model T’s running gear and fitted a and flutters gently to the ground. steel skin over that. The resulting overdrive Because the CPI was developed in the days gear ratio and aerodynamic shape resulted in before transistors, its design had to protect a 23-horsepower car that could travel up to the fragile vacuum tube circuitry from the 70 miles per hour with the engine revving at shock and fire of a plane crash. It also had to not much more than idle speed. The whole be able to float on water, and to protect the car cost only $23 to build, and attracted radio from cold temperatures. When jetti- swarms of curious onlookers whenever he soned, it had to miss the tail of the airplane parked it in a new town. and fly far enough to avoid being destroyed in With only 23 horsepower, the car took a the crash, yet it also had to land near the while to get up to speed. At the time, there crash site in order to aid search and rescue were only 10 miles of paved road in Alberta, crews. Each airfoil had to be specially shaped and Stevinson got tired of losing speed every

(left to right) and balanced to match the speed and design time he came up behind slower traffic. His Art Stevinson (Harry’s brother), of the aircraft. solution was to install a large truck horn to Warren Dahl, and Hubert Stevinson was born 1915, in the now- clear the way. Because the rear seat faced Cartwright with Harry Stevinson’s custom car in 1934. abandoned town of Passberg, near the Frank backwards, Harry’s passengers could easily Slide, on the British Columbia-Alberta border. enjoy the startled looks on the faces of the His father was a church minister and his drivers as they were passed by this speedy, mother was a journalist. His father’s postings strange-looking contraption. and 1960s. The result, called the Crash took the family over vast parts of B.C. and the After high school, Stevinson earned 15 Position Indicator (CPI), helped to save prairies. The family moved 17 times before cents an hour working as a mechanic at the lives not just in remote parts of Canada Harry left home at the age of 19. His parents local garage. Three years later he opened a but all over the world. Even the U.S.A.’s Air settled in Bashaw, Alberta for several years, general repair business with his friend, Al Force One came equipped with one during and when they decided to move yet again the Hurt. During the depression, the business the 1960s. teenaged Harry decided to stay on his own. grew to include radio, lock, gun, and bicycle Stevinson, who has lived in Ottawa since Stevinson’s inventing career got off to an repair, and eventually took over the building 1953, is among the “who’s who” of early start. Right after completing high next door to allow tractor sales and repair. Canadian inventors. His brilliant inventions, school, he built a custom car out of pieces of Later in life, Harry would often laugh as he many of them tested at the home laboratory old Model Ts that he found behind the barns recalled taking a particular old horse as a in his basement, sometimes left his colleagues and in the fields. By putting a Chevrolet trans- trade-in for a tractor. Try as they might, at the NRC scratching their heads. mission backwards, behind the original Harry and Al never managed to unload the

U of A E n g i n e e r 37 Cross Hairs on History l i c n u o C

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The crash position indicator, an early design. l i c n u o C

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Harry Stevinson and his dad with the completed custom car. Stevinson at work at NRC on one of his many inventions.

horse, since any farmer could tell at a glance “The place was pretty free and easy, and and transmit a strong distress signal for that the poor creature had no work left in it. Harry was just like a big kid.” several days. In 1939, Stevinson enrolled in Electrical Finally, in the late 1950s and through the The CPI was first commercially produced Engineering at the U of A. Between classes, 1960s, Stevinson was able to put his teen in Carleton Place (near Ottawa) by Leigh he taught basic electrical circuit theory to flash of inspiration to the test. The NRC Instruments. At the NRC, Stevinson eventu- Navy cadets. He was drafted to fight in invited him to develop the CPI and pledged to ally designed successful supersonic CPIs that World War Two, but a professor wrote support his work on every aspect of its devel- Leigh Instruments then produced. Over the explaining that Stevinson would better serve opment. years the CPI generated over $100 million in the war effort by completing his schooling as Despite the considerable resources at sales for the company. The U.S. Air Force an engineer. Stevinson’s disposal at the NRC, Templin credited the device for saving many lives in On campus, Stevinson was prone to says, he always tried to make his experiments the Vietnam War and elsewhere. Stevinson episodes of exceptional tomfoolery. A 1940 “easy on the taxpayer.” To test the parachute was always humble about his achievements, yearbook picture shows him spewing gaso- and airfoil dynamics, Stevinson dropped his and pleased to receive letters of thanks line from his mouth, over a lit match, pro- prototypes from balconies, rooftops, out of after a rescue. ducing a flame over five feet long. Other tales have him parading around the snow-free uni- versity campus on skis, and clacking down HARRY STEVINSON, lecture theatre stairs during classes. WHO HAS LIVED IN OTTAWA SINCE 1953, IS AMONG He joined the navy upon graduation, in THE “WHO’S WHO” OF CANADIAN INVENTORS. 1944, and was posted to National Headquarters in Ottawa. There, he helped solve electrical and airplanes, and even launched them from giant Templin marvels over Stevinson’s ability to mechanical problems with the Navy’s ship- catapults. Templin also recalls one time when visualize creative solutions where others have borne radios and other equipment. Stevinson fired a rocket from the cliff of an given up. In one top-secret assignment, the In 1945 he joined the NRC in what later unused gravel pit, to test the CPI’s design NRC team was trying to come up with a way became the aeronautical division, and quick- under more lifelike conditions. to drop an object from a low, fast-flying air- ly put his remarkable imagination and prob- After many years of fine-tuning, the craft onto a small target zone. Stevinson lem-solving skills to good use. His colleague CPI was ready for use on subsonic aircraft. stunned a boardroom full of colleagues saying and friend Jack Templin says the NRC was Early crashes of bush planes proved that the he could design a parachute that could open, perfect for someone like Stevinson. CPI could preserve the radio on land or water close, and reopen again. When some of them

38 U of A E n g i n e e r Update on told him it was impossible, Harry made a small working model using a handkerchief, string, The Faculty of Engineering is proud and staples. to be part of the University of The result was the repeating parachute. As Alberta’s fundraising campaign. soon as the payload is released from the “Campaign 2008—Celebrate One plane, the chute opens to stop the forward Century—Build the Next” is the momentum. Stevinson designed the canopy to official theme. Engineering alumni spin when open, thereby twisting the shroud play a leadership role in this impor- lines and forcing the chute to collapse. This tant campus initiative. In addition The international team includes: allowed the payload to freefall for a designed to campaign co-chairs Tim Hearn, length of time, thereby keeping it from drift- John Poole (Civil ’37, LLD [Hon] ’87) and Barbara chair, president and CEO, Imperial Poole ing with the wind. Meanwhile, the shroud , Edmonton Oil Limited, Nizar Somji (MEng lines transferred the twisting momentum to James F. Hole (Civil ’50), Edmonton Chemical ‘85), president and CEO, the payload. Once the chute had collapsed, Matrikon, and Jim Stanford Harry Hole (Civil ’44) and the payload continued to spin, eventually (Petroleum ’60, LLD [Hon] ’00), Muriel Hole, Edmonton untwisting the lines and allowing the canopy president, Stanford Resource to open a second time—just soon enough to Allan Markin (Chemical ’68, Management, a number of hon- slow the payload’s descent before landing. LLD [Hon] ’02), Calgary ourary patrons have been recruited Templin accompanied Stevinson for the initial John Hokanson (Civil ’72) and Susan Hokanson, to help the campaign. These drop test, and everyone was amazed when the Edmonton patrons act as informed advocates payload hit the target on the first attempt (it for the campaign and role models of Gerry Maier (Petroleum ’51, took a while to achieve consistent results). philanthropy. LLD [Hon] ’99), Calgary Templin believes the military eventually used Chuck Hantho the design, though the exact details of the pro- (Chemical ’53) and “It’s no surprise that Phyllis Hantho, Toronto ject were classified. Engineering graduates number 11 After leaving the NRC, in 1979, Stevinson Charles Chan (Civil ’79, LLD [Hon] ’97) and Macy of the 19 on the University’s spent a decade working as a consultant for Chan, Hong Kong patrons list,” says Dr. David Leigh Industries. The last five of those years Lynch, Dean of Engineering. “Our Craighton Twa (Electrical ’59) and were voluntary, because he could not be both- alumni are leaders in the profes- Irene Twa, Calgary ered to file timesheets. sion and the community. They get Rohit Sharma (MSc Electrical ’91, Sadly, Stevinson now suffers from things done. Who better to assume PhD Electrical ’96), California Alzheimer’s disease—a cruel blow for a sharp this important role?” and active mind like his—and has recently Stewart Davis (Chemistry ’40), Edmonton To date, more than 65 percent been admitted into special care. The family of the campaign goal has been takes comfort in the lasting and beneficial achieved. Check the Faculty of effect of his many achievements. Engineering web site for further information and updates on Wanda Vivequin is an Campaign 2008. Edmonton-based freelance journalist and frequent traveler to Nepal.

Errors and omissions Parkinson says, “Where Ms. Collins claims that Hollingshead (Civil ’60, MEng Civil ’65) for Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 8, lessons in geography. There was an error on page 28 of the fall 2004 1941, any history books that I have seen put issue. It was incorrectly stated that Virginia the ignominious day on December 7, and I There were errors in the kudos on page 42 of Webb was the first female graduate of the have just checked on the modern oracle of the fall magazine. Steve Stowkowy (Civil ’79) is Faculty. E. Virginia Webb (Civil ’48) wrote to exactitude, Google, and they too place that in the UMA Calgary office (not Edmonton) and let us know that she was the first female grad- event on December 7.” is regional vice president, Calgary, and Brian uate of Civil. The earliest female graduate was Ross (Civil ’78) is with AMEC Earth and Esther Rabkin (Electrical ’35). On page 33 of the fall 2004 issue, the map Environmental (not AMEC Infrastructure). incorrectly indicates Nunavut instead of the Thanks to Sharon Moroskat, Executive Fred Parkinson (Civil ’56) noted an error of Northwest Territories. Thanks to John H. Assistant, Consulting Engineers of Alberta for date on page 31 in the fall 2004 magazine. Parker, O.C., (Chemical ’51) and Dr. Garry these corrections.

U of A E n g i n e e r 39 ReunionWEEKEND

by Katherine Irwin and Leanne Nickel

eunion Weekend 2004 was a whirl of Learning, and alumni Dr. Allan Markin, tours and openings, meetings, recep- Harry Hole and Jim Hole welcomed more Rtions, dinners and lunches, brunches than 1,150 alumni and guests to the celebra- too, and our annual open house. Alumni, stu- tions. Following the speaking program and dents and their parents, friends of the Faculty, ribbon cutting, tours of the new facility were government representatives, and staff came available to alumni. Comments such as “mar- together for a very busy weekend to cele- velous space,” “wow,” and “how things have brate, reconnect, and discover the changing changed since I studied here!” were heard face of Engineering at the U of A. throughout the building. (Civil ’53) On Friday, October 1, alumni and their On Saturday, October 2, Dr. Lynch wel- Peter Nettleton guests gathered to kick off Reunion Weekend comed alumni who finished their studies in “Reunion 2004 was, as expected, a with the annual Dean’s Reception. Guests 1954 or earlier to a special brunch. More masterpiece of organization, generous enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with than 120 alumni and their guests enjoyed a donors, excellent talks by the Dean and classmates, to meet professors and col- hot brunch, and listened to Dr. Lynch talk others, and spectacular new buildings. leagues, and to remember their days on cam- about the future of engineering at the U of A Your hospitality made sure there was pus. More than 300 reception guests shared and the key role our alumni have played in good conversation between professors laughs and memories. shaping what is now one of North America’s and graduates of various years.” Immediately following the Dean’s most respected engineering faculties. Reception were the grand opening ceremonies Following the brunch, alumni enjoyed for the Allan P. Markin/Canadian Natural Engineering Open House, which included Resources Limited Natural Resources tours of all Engineering buildings, displays windows, from NREF design features to Engineering Facility (NREF), the new home from many student groups, and opportunities building better fishways. Adults and children of the Department of Civil and Environmental to learn more about the facilities and research alike enjoyed the hands-on demonstrations. Engineering. Dr David Lynch, Dean of being undertaken. A series of lectures provid- Reunion 2004 was an unqualified success Engineering, Dr. Rod Fraser, U of A President, ed information on topics ranging from ther- and we are looking forward to Maria David-Evans, Deputy Minister, Alberta modynamic calculations to self-cleaning Reunion 2005.

Alvin Nelson (Electrical ’39) (Back row, far right.) “From all reports our small group of 1939 graduates enjoyed the event very much. One of my classmates I had not seen for over 50 years. The other four were present at our 60th reunion. On Saturday afternoon I walked around the campus to see if I could find some old landmarks. I also enjoyed meeting with students and staff during this walk and learning a bit about what has taken place over the past 65 years.”

40 U of A E n g i n e e r in memoriam The Faculty of Engineering sincerely regrets the passing 2004 of the following alumni EKEND and friends. Bailey, Robert L. (Petroleum ’53) September 29 Becker, Donald F. (Chemical ’33) REUNION 2005 to October 2 Brown, Gordon E. (Civil ’48) Browning, Charles E. (Electrical ’50) Chernuka, Dr. Michael W. f you graduated in a year that ends in a “5” ing special class activities. The External (Mechanical ’69) Ior a “0”, then 2005 is a special reunion Relations Office of the Faculty of Cowling, Norman (Civil ’63) year for you. Plan to attend Reunion 2005 on Engineering can assist you by providing last- Davis, Arthur P. (Engineering Physics ’41) the University of Alberta campus during one known contact information for your class- De Vos, Bernhard J. (MEng Civil ’68) of the most colourful times of the year. It’s mates and drafting and mailing out letters to Donald, G. Rae (Civil ’60) also a special year for the province as we them. The Faculty also hosts several events Henry, Keith (Civil ’48) mark Alberta’s 100th birthday in 2005. A during Reunion Weekend that provide great Johnstone, Kenneth C. (Mining ’50) Kinna, Ronald (Electrical ’70) cause for celebration all around! opportunities for everyone to get together. Lesk, I. Arnold (Engineering Physics ’48) Reunion 2005 brochures will be mailed Let us help you ensure your reunion is a Madill, Joseph T. (Electrical ’39) out in early June to alumni celebrating special memorable one. Manyluk, Alexander F. (Mining ’45) reunions this year. While these invitations Interested? Contact Leanne Nickel in Martin, William D. (Civil ’44) Edmonton at (780) 492-4159 or Laurie will go out to alumni who graduated in years McNeill Donald L. (Mining ’49) Shinkaruk in Calgary at (403) 531-5873 and ending in a “5” or “0,” all U of A alumni are Nicoll, Duncan J. (Petroleum ’76) welcome to attend Reunion 2005 activities. we can get you started. Nyberg, Carl B. (Civil ’47) Watch for more information on Reunion Peters, Wayne J. (Chemical ’01) 2005 at www.engineering.ualberta.ca/alumni Upcoming Alumni Events Santiago, Jaime (PhD Electrical ’78) or in the Summer 2005 issue of U of A Engineer. Schulte, Ted M. (Civil ’40) The Faculty of Engineering is pleased to host Shannon, Harold C. (Civil ’47) the following events for Engineering alumni: Were you a year late and a Skoworodko, Kenneth A. course short? Thursday, March 17 (Mechanical ’73) Thompson, Harland A. (Electrical ’36) Were you supposed to graduate in a year Edmonton Regional Alumni & Friends Trotter, Fred J. (Mechanical ’64, ending in a “5” or a “0”, but ended up grad- Reception for Mechanical Engineers MEng Mechanical ’67) uating a year later because you were a course Tuesday, April 26 Wilson, Thomas E. (Mining ’49) or two short? Make sure you receive infor- Fort McMurray Regional Alumni & Friends mation about Reunion 2005 so you don’t Reception miss out on celebrating your reunion with the for the record classmates you knew best during your uni- Tuesday, May 17 (missed memoriams) versity days. Contact the Faculty of Calgary Regional Alumni & Friends The Faculty of Engineering Engineering’s External Relations Office at Reception was recently made aware that [email protected] or (780) 492- the following alumni passed Thursday, May 26 7050. We’ll help you connect with your away more than a year ago. “real” graduating class. Edmonton Regional Alumni & Friends Danchuk, Earl M. (Civil ’45) Reception for Civil, Environmental, Guild, Donald E. (Mining ’57) Class organizers needed! Mining, and Petroleum Engineers Hagen, Arno W. (Civil ’56) Neeland, Donald W. (Mining ’51) Volunteers are needed to help connect Friday, June 10 Parham, Kenneth R. (Civil ’59) with old classmates and organize activities Convocation Pancake Breakfast for Thompson, Lorne R. (Civil ’58) for Reunion 2005. If you’re celebrating a spe- New Engineering Alumni cial reunion year in 2005 and would like to make sure your class gets together to cele- For more information on any of these events, brate, we could use your help! visit www.engineering.ualberta.ca/alumni or Class organizers play a vital role in track- contact the Faculty of Engineering’s External ing down long-lost classmates and in arrang- Relations Office at (780) 492-7050.

U of A E n g i n e e r 41 Kudos

Community Service Award from Resources (president and CEO, BANNER, ROSS EHRMAN, BRADLEY J. (Metallurgy ’68, Mining ’71) PEng APEGGA and, from the (Petroleum ’99) EIT 1981-87), Novalta Resources has been appointed chief engi- Government of Canada, the has been appointed engineering and its successor, Seagull Energy neer to head up the project team Canadian Commemorative manager for Dorchester Canada (president and CEO, for Farallon Resources Limited. Award. Minerals, L.P. (Nasdaq: DMLP - 1987-97) and Sunoma Energy Mr. Banner has rejoined Farallon News) in Dallas, Texas. Mr. (president and CEO, 1999- 2000) and Barrington Petroleum after a distinguished career in BROUWER, RICHARD Ehrman was previously project management and devel- employed by PanCanadian (president and CEO, 1999- (Mechanical ’82) 2001). In addition, Howard opment. Banner worked in engi- has been appointed Energy and Schlumberger neering and senior supervisory Limited at various locations in served as a governor of the president of ATCO Canadian Association of positions at several Canadian Pipelines. Mr. Texas and Canada. mines such as Tundra Gold, Bull Petroleum Producers (1995-97) Brouwer joined and its predecessor, the River Mine, Granisle Copper, ATCO as engineer, and Premier Gold. His experi- GIRCZYC, DR. EMIL Independent Petroleum gas operations in (Electrical ’79) Producers Association of ence also encompasses engineer- 1982. Prior to his ing and management for several has been appointed Canada (1982-87) including as involvement with ATCO president and chief its chair (1986-87). He also large-scale British Columbia Midstream, Brouwer worked at mine development projects executive officer served the Government of a number of progressively for Summit Design Canada as a member of the including Bullmoose Coal, responsible technical, marketing, Quintette Coal, Crows Nest Inc., a world leader Energy Options Advisory and operating positions with in electronic system Committee (1987-88). Howard Resources, Premier Gold, and ATCO including senior engineer Mt. Milligan. -level (ESL) design has sat on the board of many operations, supervising engineer solutions and methodologies in corporations and is currently a marketing, manager storage, and Burlington, Massachusetts. Dr. member of the following boards general manager, integrated gas BRAWN, ROBERT Girczyc has over 20 years expe- of directors: Bear Creek Energy system. Prior to his appointment (Chemical ’58) PEng rience in EDA management. Ltd., Chariot Energy Inc., has been appointed to president of ATCO Pipelines, Most recently he served as the Eastshore Energy Ltd., Trifecta chair of the Van Brouwer was president of ATCO president and CEO of 0-In Resources Inc., and Westrock Horne Institute for Midstream for four years. Design Automation, and led the Energy Ltd. International Brouwer has been an integral company through the market Transportation and part of the development of the adoption of assertion-based veri- Regulatory Affairs “midstream” sector in Canada. fication. Before joining 0-In, he KING, FRANK board of directors. He is a former board member was vice president of marketing (Chemical ’58) PEng Mr. Brawn has held numerous and executive director and trea- at Cadabra Design Technology, was appointed to senior positions during his career surer of the Canadian Gas now part of Synopsys. From the board of in the oil and gas industry. He is Processors Association and is 1989 to 1997, he held several directors for currently chair emeritus and also a former director of the management positions at CanWest Global director for Acclaim Energy Small Explorers and Producers Synopsys, where he led the Communications. Trust, a director of Alberta Association of Canada. research and development efforts Treasury Branches, Parkland Currently, Brouwer is a director for HDL Compiler and for sev- Industries Ltd., Forzani Group of the Canadian Energy Pipeline eral new products, including Ltd., the Calgary Airport Association. DesignWare, Behavioral LUTLEY, HOWARD Authority, Zapata Energy Corp., Compiler, Cyclone, and most (MSc Civil ’81) PEng and chair and director of recently served as the vice presi- has been appointed CUMMING, KEVIN J. vice president, min- Grande Cache Coal (Civil ’86) PEng dent and general manager of Corporation. Brawn’s many simulation. Prior to Synopsys, ing and has been appointed extraction with community service contributions TCO Girczyc held positions as president, A UTS Energy include president of the Young Midstream. Mr. Audesyn, Inc., BNR (now Presidents’ Organization Nortel), and taught computer Corporation in Cummins joined Calgary. (Alberta); president of the ATCO in 1986 as and electrical engineering at the Independent Petroleum facilities planning University of Alberta and Association of Canada; president Carleton University. engineer with PLECASH, ROSS of the Calgary Chamber of Northwestern Utilities, now (Mechanical ’88) PEng Commerce; director of the ATCO Gas. He was appointed has been appointed Canadian Chamber of HOWARD, JOHN A. vice president, gas gathering and chair of the Alberta Commerce; director of the OCO (Chemical ’68) PEng processing, ATCO Midstream in Computers for '88; chair for the Calgary Winter has been appointed to the board 2001 and was named to his Schools project. Festival Foundation; and co- of directors of the trust’s operat- prior position as vice president, Mr. Plecash is chair of the Calgary Economic ing subsidiary of APF Energy business development, ATCO director, corporate Development Authority. Brawn Incorporated in Calgary. Mr. Midstream in 2002. and member serves as an honourary lieu- Howard has had a distinguished affairs, for the Association of tenant colonel in the Canadian 35-year career in the oil and gas Professional Engineers, Army. He has also received sev- industry, and held senior leader- Geologists and Geophysicists of eral awards including the ship roles with Aberford Alberta.

42 UofA E n g i n e e r Taking pride in achievement

POLICICCHIO, SETTIMIO of business development, coor- STANFORD, DR. JAMES VAN DEN CAMP, PAUL (Electrical ’79) PEng dinating business strategies for (Petroleum ’60, LLD [Hon] ’00) PEng (Civil ’76) PEng has been appointed North America. Lehigh Cement was appointed to has been appointed vice president, is the largest business unit of the Canada’s outstand- vice president, engineering and HeidelbergCement Group, ing CEO of the operations for construction, with based in Heidelberg, Germany year advisory ATCO Noise ATCO Electric in and operating in 50 countries. board for 2004. Management. Mr. Edmonton. Mr. HeidelbergCement Group is the Van Den Camp Policicchio’s group third largest cement group in joined ATCO will provide support to both the world. Noise Management in 2000, transmission and distribution in and has been manager, projects several key areas including engi- and general manager, U.A.A., RIVA, WALTER neering, project management, (Mining ’49) STANLEY, DR. STEPHEN and, most recently, manager, materials management, and was appointed to (Civil ’86, MSc Civil ’88, PhD Civil projects and engineering. Van metering. He will also take on ’95) PEng the Canadian Den Camp has over 20 years responsibility for aboriginal has been appointed Mining Hall of experience with major Canadian strategy and regulatory sup- president, EPCOR Fame in recogni- construction companies in both port–essential functions that Water Services Inc. tion of his tireless technical and general manageri- serve ATCO’s wires business. (EWSI). During Dr. leadership of al roles. ATCO Group is a His additional projects include Stanley’s tenure as Canada’s coal min- Canadian group of companies, mapping and isolated generation vice president and ing industry. Mr. Riva started Alberta-based with 7,000 remediation. Policicchio joined general manager of his career as an underground employees actively engaged in ATCO Electric (formerly Alberta EWSI, he was instrumental in labourer at Canmore coal oper- utilities, power generation, and Power) in 1979 and has held a gaining North American recog- ations. In 1949 he joined global enterprises. variety of positions in the com- nition of EPCOR’s expertise in Canmore Mines Ltd. as a min- pany, including manager of sys- water quality, including ing engineer, eventually becom- tem operations, manager of EPCOR’s use of ultraviolet dis- WILKINSON, RON ing executive vice president and energy risk, and senior manager infection systems. Stanley also (Chemical ’76) PEng CEO. Riva moved to Denison of transmission. He was served as an advisor for New has been appointed senior vice Mines and then to Kaiser appointed vice president, opera- York City on ultraviolet systems president, North America Resources in 1973, first as vice tions in January, 2000. In July and was principal investigator Wholesale for Agrium president, coal mining opera- 2001, Policicchio was appointed on two American Water Works Incorporated. Mr. Wilkinson tions at Sparwood, B.C., then as project manager, special projects, Association Research has more than 25 president of its coal division in for ATCO Utility Services. In Foundation projects concerning years of engineer- Vancouver—the first Canadian November, 2002, he returned to automation of water treatment ing operations and to hold this position. When ATCO Electric to take on the plants. Stanley’s other accom- business manage- Kaiser was acquired by British role of vice president responsible plishments include instituting ment experience Columbia Resources Investment for planning, engineering, and performance-based rates for the within the petro- Corporation in 1980, Riva construction. City of Edmonton and serving chemical industry. became president and CEO, and as the lead technical expert for Wilkinson joined Agrium in then chair and CEO. He retired the North Battleford water 1996 through the acquisition of from management to serve as PURCELL, JAMES D. inquiry. Stanley was also the sci- Viridian Inc. and has since held vice chair and later chair of B.C. (Civil ’77) PEng ence component leader for the numerous senior positions with Resources until he fully retired has been named Northern River Basin Study. the organization including vice president and gen- in 1986. A pioneer, Riva devel- president, operations and tech- eral manager of oped new markets and intro- nology; director, technical ser- Lehigh Cement’s duced new technologies and SYMINGTON, WAYNE vices; general manager, South White Cement procedures. He introduced (Mechanical ’78) PEng American operations; general Division for North mechanized mining at Canmore, has been appointed vice presi- manager of operations and pro- America. Mr. using continuous miners and dent and general manager, oper- jects, Asia Pacific; and manager Purcell has also been named to shuttle cars to improve produc- ations for ATCO Power Ltd. in of transportation. Lehigh’s North American execu- tivity. His 350 tonne prototype Calgary. Mr. Symington started tive committee. Purcell has held dump truck became the stan- with ATCO Group in 1979 as several key positions with dard in mining. With the assis- production licensing engineer Lehigh and predecessor compa- tance of the Canada Centre for with Alberta Power in nies Genstar and CBR since Mineral and Energy Technology, Edmonton. He held progressive- 1977, in operations and general he invented and patented a ly senior management positions management, as well as business form-coking process that served with Alberta Power and ATCO development and total quality in a higher-value niche market in Electric until his recent appoint- western North America and the electric furnace field. He ment as vice president, Ontario Europe. In 2001, Purcell relocat- expanded the markets for with ATCO Power. ed from Vancouver to Lehigh’s Canadian coal into Asia (China headquarters in Pennsylvania to and Japan), South America, and take on the position of director Europe.

UofA E n g i n e e r 43 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40051128 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Faculty of Engineering, Postage paid Port payé University of Alberta Publications Poste- E6-050 Engineering Teaching Mail publications & Learning Complex 40051128 Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 EDMONTON, ALBERTA e-mail: [email protected]

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The Formula SAE is one example of an For further information contact: undergraduate student project you could sup- David M. Petis, port as a donor. This project provides students Assistant Dean with valuable hands-on experience applying External Relations their textbook education to a real-world engi- neering design problem. The skills acquired Faculty of Engineering not only include engineering design, drafting, University of Alberta and optimization, but also project administra- E6-050 Engineering Teaching tion, communication, cooperation, problem & Learning Complex solving, time management, and mentorship. Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4 Costs of this project are considerable; thus, Tel: 780.492.5080 project sponsors become an essential compo- Fax: 780.492.0500 nent of the team's success. Sponsors not only e-mail: [email protected]

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✃ cal advice, andCD publicHowe winnersexposure. from left to right: John Cotton, Aaron Hryciw, ✃ Katherine Huggons, Tim Poon, Agnes Yuen, and Colm Ryan.

I wish to make a gift of: I would like my gift to support:

$100 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $______$ ______Faculty of Engineering in support of undergraduate student projects, new educational initiatives in all disciplines, and general student life cheque (made payable to the University of Alberta) VISA MasterCard enhancement activities. $ ______Chemical and Materials Engineering Fund* ______/______/______/______/ expiry date: ______$ ______Civil and Environmental Engineering Fund* Name (please print): ______$ ______Electrical and Computer Engineering Fund* Signature: ______$ ______Mechanical Engineering Fund* $ ______Mining and Petroleum Engineering Fund* I have also enclosed: $ ______The Patrick Kent Memorial Endowment Fund* a corporate matching gift form from my (or my spouse‘s) employer $ ______The Bev Snyder Engineering Academic Excellence Scholarship*

If you were an Alberta resident on December 31, 2004 and have already I would like information on how to make a gift of publicly traded given $200 elsewhere, your combined income tax savings will be: securities to support the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A.

Your donation I would like information on how to include the Faculty of Engineering to the U of A $100 $500 $1,000 $2,500 at the U of A as part of a will, life insurance, or other planned gift instrument. Your tax savings $42.00 $209.00 $418.00 $1,045.00 I have provided for the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A in a will for your gift: or trust agreement. * To best meet Faculty of Engineering’s needs, donations may be directed to endowed funds.

Please return to: Office of the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, FG4 E6-050 Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4