The PEGG

May 2001

Networking and Celebrating Mark Students' Dinner

This year, through a collaborative effort from the Engineering Students' Society and APEGGA, a forum for students and industry representatives to meet and interact was created. With more than 300 students and 80 professional engineers in attendance, the 31st annual First and SecondYear Engineering Dinner was held on March 2 at the Palliser Hotel, and was once again a proven success!

The dinner's purpose lay not only in the opportunity to network. The night was also a celebration.

Traditionally, this dinner served as a final social gathering for second-year students before they separated into their respective departments.

Now, with the inclusion of first-year students, it is also a time to mingle with industry, talk with professors and celebrate academic and extra-curricular achievements. Several awards were handed out and individuals were recognized.

The recipient of the Bill Howard Memorial Award was Natasha Bond. The winners of the CSME speech competition awards were: 1, Mark Hanlon; 2, Walter Andreeff; and 3, Ryan Mittonrd.

The Rookie of the Year, an award given to the individual who most embodies the spirit of engineering, was presented to Joy Rattie. Yet, it wasn't just students being acknowledged.
Often times, students, so focused on their own learning, overlook the efforts displayed in the classroom by those individuals up front -- their professors. Professors are essentially the guides in our career paths. It is imperative that we recognize all their hard work, but
especially honor those who go that extra mile.

Teaching excellence achievements were given according to first and second year classes. Dr.Yousry Elsabrouty, Dr. L.P. Bos, Dr. Tom Brown, P.Eng., (head of the Department of Civil Engineering) and Dr. Ron C.K. Wong, P.Eng., were the professors selected for teaching excellence by the first year class.

Second year students awarded their teaching excellence awards to Dr. Neil Duncan, Dr. David Irvine-Halliday, P.Eng., Dr. S.A. Norman, P.Eng., and again Dr. Yousry Elsabrouty.
Finally, as the night drew to a close, students flashed their cinematography skills and presented an entertaining and amusing class historian's video.

In addition, the night's keynote speaker was Tim Dobbing of Nortel Networks, who introduced students to the ever dynamic and revolutionizing industry of wireless communication.

The Engineering Students' Society would also like to take this opportunity to thank its primary sponsor Nortel Networks, and all the support from APEGGA, without whom this dinner would not be possible.

"I am proud to have been a part of the First and Second Year Engineering Dinner tradition. I know the value of this dinner is an experience the students will not forget. It was a lot of fun too," says Dave Damberger, vice-president, first year, of the Engineering Students' Society and a dinner organizer.