Through its annual Summit Awards, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) recognizes professional excellence and community contributions in the fields of engineering and geoscience. Up to 11 awards are presented to professional engineers, professional geoscientists, and related projects, chosen from nominations sent in by members, colleagues, students and the public.
Leading by example
“We take using our company as a force for good seriously,” says Alison Thompson, P.Eng., who received the Centennial Leadership Summit Award, recognizing an individual who has shown continued exceptional leadership in engineering or geoscience and in the community. Thompson is spearheading the way in catalyzing policy and technological updates to use renewable energy as a more sustainable choice for Canada. She launched Borealis Geopower in 2008, a registered B Corporation balancing purpose with profit, to begin to move those benchmarks.
Increasing diversity in the professions
Ania Ulrich, P.Eng., PhD, grew up wanting to make a difference in the world. The dean of outreach and a professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering, Ania is a long-time champion for diversity in engineering—particularly gender equality. She leads programs and drives policy changes designed to foster equality, and she saw her hard work pay off in 2019 when her faculty offered positions to an equal number of men and women for the first time. She was the 2020 recipient of APEGA’s Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Summit Award, which recognizes an individual, team, or organization supporting women in engineering and geoscience with diversity initiatives and inspirational support.
James Popowich, P.Eng., insists that working during his retirement is worth it: “There’s tremendous reward in seeing people think things through and saying, ‘I got it!’” He received the Outstanding Mentor Summit Award in 2020, recognizing an individual who has excelled as a mentor and supported and contributed to their mentees’ ongoing development. Throughout his career, has provided guidance to countless employees, and over the past decade, mentored about 500 University of Alberta mining students. In 2012, he worked with Dr. Tim Joseph, P.Eng., to create the Alberta Chamber of Resources Design Studio, where students solve real-world engineering problems with state-of-the-art technology and industry mentorship.
The Summit Awards also honours recipients in the Community Service, Excellence in Education, Early Accomplishment, Environment and Sustainability, Frank Spragins Technical, Honorary Membership, Project Achievement and Research Excellence categories.
Do you know a professional engineer or geoscientist affecting positive change in the professions and world around them? How about an engineering or geoscience project contributing new technologies, processes, or innovations for the improvement of society?