Posted June 7: Class of 2002 engineering and science students graduate today

McMaster's 2002 engineering and science graduands will receive their degrees today at two ceremonies in the Great Hall, Hamilton Place.

Engineering will award bachelor degrees in technology, engineering, engineering & society, engineering & management; master's degrees in science (materials science), applied science, engineering; and doctorates in philosophy.

At the afternoon ceremony, science graduands will receive doctor of philosophy, master of arts (geography), master of science and bachelor of science degrees.

Receiving honorary degrees at these ceremonies are Art Heidebrecht, George Stephanopoulos, Stephen Jarislowsky and Leslie King.

Science student Leila Salehi will receive the President's Award of Excellence in Student Leadership at the afternoon convocation.

Valedictorians Monique Bergeron (engineering) and Gregory Restivo (science) will address their fellow graduands and guests.

Faculty of Engineering, Morning Convocation

Arthur C. Heidebrecht

Doctor of Science

A graduate of the University of Alberta (B.Sc., civil engineering, 1960) and of Northwestern University (M.Sc. 1961, PhD 1963), Arthur Heidebrecht has spent most of his academic and administrative career at McMaster University. Starting as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering in 1963, he became a full professor in 1974 and taught until his retirement in 1997.

He chaired the department of civil engineering and engineering mechanics for two terms and was dean of engineering from 1981 to 1989. He was provost and vice-president academic of McMaster from 1989 to 1994. He was also interim principal of Divinity College (2000-01).

Heidebrecht has shared his knowledge and expertise in the fields of civil engineering and structural and earthquake engineering with numerous universities abroad including the Universities of Southampton, Bristol, and Canterbury. He holds special research interests in the seismic response of tall buildings and the site effects on dynamic response of buildings. He has been active in the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering, the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. He is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario and the Canadian National Committee for Earthquake Engineering.

Closer to home, Heidebrecht serves on the Redeemer University College senate and board of trustees of McMaster Divinity College.

Currently, he is professor emeritus of civil engineering and engineering mechanics at McMaster University.

George Stephanopoulos

Doctor of Science

George Stephanopoulos obtained his master of engineering from McMaster University in 1971, and a PhD from the University of Florida in 1974. He is currently the Arthur D. Little Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His research interests include product and process development and design, process operations and control, and integrated computer-aided environments for process systems engineering. In addition, he conducts research on computer technology for the development of integrated engineering environments, such as high-level languages and intelligent graphic interfaces.

His industrial experience and consulting history is extensive. Currently chief technology officer and managing executive officer at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation in Tokyo, Stephanopoulos has also served as a consultant to Shell, Honeywell Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Mobil Research and Development Co., Japan Energy Corporation, Dupont, NASA, Exxon, Union Carbide and the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning in Greece.

He is the author of numerous publications and technical papers and has been member of editorial boards for journals such as Advances in Chemical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence in Engineering. He holds and has filed patents for a number of software systems.

A leader in his field, Stephanopoulos is the recipient of honours and awards from such professional associations as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Society of Engineering Education.

Stephen A. Jarislowsky

Doctor of Laws

Stephen Jarislowsky is chair and CEO of Montreal-based Jarislowsky, Fraser & Company Ltd., an investment firm he established in 1955. The Canadian financier graduated from Cornell University with a B.Sc. in 1944, and obtained an MA at the University of Chicago (1947), and an MBA from Harvard University (1949).

Prior to starting his own business, he worked in various management positions for Alcan Aluminum Ltd., travelling extensively for the company. Over the years, he has served on the boards of numerous Canadian businesses, organizations, institutes and educational institutions, often as director or chair.

He served in the US army from 1944 to 1946 in the Counter Intelligence Corps, and is the recipient of the Order of Chrysanthemum (4th Class) from Japan. From 1956 to 1960, he taught investment analysis in the Department of Commerce at McGill University. He has been a consultant to various banks and corporations, and a frequent contributor on economic issues to newspapers, radio and television.

In 1999 McMaster, with the support of Jarislowsky, McMaster established an endowed research chair in environment and health. The chair will help to strengthen the University's role in educating undergraduate and graduate students in all aspects relating to the environment and human health.

Jarislowsky is the recipient of a number of honorary degrees, and was made an Officer in the Order of Canada in 1994.

Leslie King

Doctor of Laws

Born and educated in New Zealand, Leslie (Les) King completed his BA and MA degrees at the University of New Zealand. A Fulbright Scholarship brought him to the US, where he received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1960. He taught at the University of Cambridge, New Zealand, McGill and Ohio State University before joining McMaster as professor and chair of geography in 1970.

His research focuses on regional economic growth and land use planning and he has taught courses in economic and urban geography and urban planning. He is currently a professor emeritus in the School of Geography & Geology.

King began his administrative career at McMaster in 1973, serving as dean of graduate studies for six years. For the next 10 years he was vice-president academic of the University. In his capacities as dean and vice-president academic, he was a member of the University's Board of Governors for a total of 13 years.

King has authored four books including Statistical Analysis of Geography and Central Place Theory.

In 1984 he received the Canadian Association of Geographers Award for
Scholarly Distinction and in 1989 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Canada.

King's professional activities included serving as president of the Canadian Association of Geographers in 1986-87.