Fellowship Established in Honour of Former Chair K.C. Smith
Professor Emeritus K.C. Smith fondly remembers the student who donated $75,000 in his honour.
“He was a good student with naturally built-in skills.”
The fellowship, entitled the Kenneth Carless Smith Engineering Science Research Fellowship, will offer financial support to Engineering Science students who are seeking industry research opportunities.
Professor Smith recalls his former student, who has requested that he not be publicly recognized for his gift, had asked to work in Professor Smith’s lab as a research assistant to help pay his bills.
“Having gone through the experience of trying to find financial support and a connection with industry for his research, this gift seemed fitting,” he said.
The fellowship was established in celebration of Professor Smith to recognize his substantial contributions to the field of electrical and computer engineering and for his interest and support of student entrepreneurship. Professor Smith received the Engineering Alumni Association’s top prize, the Engineering Alumni Medal, in 2011.
Throughout Professor Smith’s illustrious career, he was appointed chief engineer of various enterprises at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. However, teaching and mentoring students was always an important aspect in his life.
“I was blessed to have such bright students to teach,” said Professor Smith, who spent a lot of time working with students in tutorials and answering their questions. When selecting PhD students for research, he would allocate time to get to know each student on a one-on-one basis and discover what they genuinely wanted to do.
“The truth is you will always come across students who know more than you,” he admitted. “I have learned a tremendous amount from my undergraduates and graduate students.”
Professor Smith and his wife Laura Fujino have themselves offered considerable support to the Faculty, including assisting with the annual California Skule™ Alumni Receptions. An acclaimed author and advocate for education, Professor Smith’s vision is admired by his students and colleagues.