2009 Arbor Awards

From left to right: Orlando Martini, Dean Cristina Amon, Robert West, Betty Hill, Helen Wojcinski, Anton Davies, Mathew Szeto, Byron (Ike) Goodfellow, Derek Little, and Claire Kennedy; Missing: Alec Monro and Donovan Pollitt


On Monday, September 14 U of T recognized 10 members of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering with the Arbor Award. Established 20 years ago to recognize alumni volunteers for outstanding personal service to the University, this year we honour the following members of our Engineering community:

		Anton Davies (MIE 7T2, MASc 7T4, PhD 7T7), vice president of Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc, is a member of the MIE advisory board. He actively volunteers at student and alumni events within the MIE Department. During these events, Anton can often be found sharing his experiences with students and providing advice about their own career goals. Anton has also been a frequent guest lecturer in MIE design courses.
		Byron (Ike) Goodfellow (ECE 5T3, MASc 5T4), a leader in secure network applications whose past clients include the FBI, National Research Council and the Department of National Defence, served as a member of the Engineering Alumni Association in 2004 and now sits on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also a Class Leader for the Class of 5T3, where he helps connect the members of 5T3 through a monthly newsletter, and also supports their monthly luncheons that feature prominent guest speakers.
		Betty Hill (ChemE 4T8) held numerous high profile engineering roles during her career and has served on the Engineering Alumni Honours and Awards Committee for the past three years. She actively mentors women students within the ChemE Department. Betty has long been an advocate for women in Engineering and was one of the first women to graduate from ChemE. Recently, she was recognized with the Leaders of Tomorrow Alumni Appreciation Award, presented by ChemE students.
		Derek Little (CivE 5T3), founder of Municipal Planning Consultants, worked tirelessly on behalf of the Class of 5T3 to bring forth a Class Fund for students. He spearheaded this initiative in 1998 in anticipation of his Class’ 50th Anniversary. Derek formally introduced a motion at an executive meeting in 2002 to create a fund for students, and began rallying classmates at that time. To date, his Class has raised close to $360,000.
		Orlando Martini (CivE 5T6), Fellow of both the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering and American Society of Civil Engineering, has been a dedicated volunteer to the CivE Department for the past 50 years. Since graduating, he led the creation of the 5T6 Civils Scholarships, which now carries an annual value of $3,000. Since its inception, over $45,000 has been awarded to students in need. Each year he personally contacts the recipients to offer his congratulations. Orlando has also been an outspoken champion of Survey Camp and has motivated alumni to contribute to the revitalization and protection of the site.
		Alec Monro (ChemE 5T9), a retired leader of du Pont Canada Ltd and current volunteer president for Wildlife Preservation Canada, was instrumental in the development and support of the Class of 5T9 ChemE Leaders of Tomorrow Award. To date, his Class has raised almost $130,000 to support ChemE students. Alec also spends countless hours reconnecting with fellow classmates by organizing socials to provide the Faculty with his classmates’ most up-to-date information. This year, his contribution to Spring Reunion resulted in one of the largest Class attendance to date.
		Donovan Pollitt (MinE 0T4), vice president of corporate development at Wesdome Gold Mines, is one of the most active volunteers in the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program. To date, he has acted as a mentor to students, has been a key alumni/industry supporter of the Canadian University Mining Games, has acted as a volunteer fundraiser for the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program, has been a guest speaker at recruitment and career events, and continues to participate in Skule™ Nite. In addition, Donovan – out of his own initiative for the last five years – has reached out to alumni to bring them together for reunions and social events.
		Mathew Szeto (ECE 0T4), a prominent trader in the Portfolio Trading Group of Global Equity, has attracted some of the best and brightest students to the ECE Department. His passion and commitment to the Department is evident each time he addresses a group of prospective students at the many recruitment events he participates in as a guest speaker. During these events, Mathew also counsels students about their own goals and aspirations. Acting as a mentor to Fourth Year students, Mathew has been key in building a strong relationship between the Faculty and RBC Royal Bank.
		Robert West (ChemE 8T1), assistant vice president at The Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Canada, was a member of the Engineering Alumni Association during the 1990s. He played a key role in resurrecting Skule™ Nite in 1973 and wrote, stage-managed, acted in, and directed the revival revue. Robert has mentored many Engineering students, devoting time and energy to Skule™ Nite every year since 1973. He presently serves as an alumni member on the Hart House Theatre Committee, where he has provided leadership since 2001.
		Helen Wojcinski (CivE 8T7), president of Wojcinski and Associates Consulting Engineers, has been a steadfast volunteer within the CivE Department, offering mentorship to undergraduate students. While serving as the Chair of the Professional Engineers Ontario Women in Engineering Advisory Committee, she became a powerful advocate of women in Engineering and delivered numerous keynote presentations at recruitment and career events at U of T.