"Awarded to an APEGGA member whose nomination is received within ten years of eligibility for professional registration in Canada. The award recognizes exceptional achievement in the early years of an engineer's, geologist's or geophysicist's professional career. The member will have shown outstanding work-related achievement and continued leadership in the profession and community."

Janet A. W. Elliott, P.Eng., PhD

Dr. Elliott completed her undergraduate work in engineering science at the University of Toronto in 1990. She then completed her M.A.Sc. and PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto. Currently, Dr. Elliott is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Interfacial Thermodynamics.

During the four years Dr. Elliott has been at the University of Alberta, she has established a research program that has already attracted international attention. Her work on statistical rate theory and other nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory has resulted in international invitations to speak at a Gordon Conference in Italy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Elliott has combined her theoretical research in statistical rate theory with many applied engineering problems. She is involved in projects that span biology, transport process and oil sands technology. Her work with Syncrude Canada Ltd. includes leading a project to conduct measurements of the interfacial properties of bitumen at temperatures up to 300 ºC. Dr. Elliott is also working on a project dealing with the effects of microgravity on interfacial properties that is funded by the Canadian Space Agency. The University of Alberta recognized Dr. Elliott's excellence in research by awarding her the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award.

Dr. Elliott has authored over 30 conference and journal papers and has supervised five graduate students and four undergraduate students. She is active in curriculum development and has developed a new undergraduate course in Colloids and Surfaces. Since assuming her academic position in 1996, she has attracted more than $750,000 in research from a variety of sources.

In recognition of her research, she has been awarded several prizes including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Doctoral Prize for the most outstanding doctoral work completed in Canada in 1997, and the 7T6 Early Career Award from the University of Toronto for the most distinguished engineering graduate from 1990 in the profession.

Dr. Elliott's commitment and dedication extends to her community. She has volunteered on numerous committees. In 1996, she won the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award for her participation on more than fifteen groups and governing bodies at the University of Toronto. Currently, Dr. Elliott is the fourth year advisor for chemical engineering students at the University of Alberta, and the elected director with Education and Student Affairs Portfolio for the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE).

Previous Recipients

2000 Award not presented
1999 M. Mazher Ali, P.Eng.
1998 S.M. Kresta, P.Eng., PhD
1997 S.J. Stanley, P.Eng., PhD
1996 A. Garg, P.Eng.
1995 R.J. Marsden, P.Eng.
1994 M.E. Cannon, P.Eng., PhD
1993 C.G.M. Parenteau, P.Eng.
1992 N. Trovato, P.Eng.