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Philanthropy leads to victory
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February 19, 2003
Five Simon Fraser University engineering undergrads are readying their already winning projects for national level competition. Earlier this year, they won silver and gold medals at the 2003 Western Engineering Competition and Conference at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Their victories enabled them to enter the Canadian Engineering Competition at Memorial University in Newfoundland, February 27 to March 2. SFU gold medal winners were Eric Hennessey, Shaun Jackman, David Poon, James Hu and See-Ho Tsang in the regional competition. Natisha Joshi, Chris Mitchell, Hani Mehrpouyan and Matt Brown were awarded silver medals. SFU students took six of the possible 20 medals for papers and projects in seven categories.
Seventeen of the regional competition’s more than 150 entrants from Western Canada’s eight engineering schools were SFU engineering undergrads. The generosity of the Kaiser Foundation, a philanthropic group created by the founder of Burnaby-based Alpha Power Technologies, greatly contributes to SFU students’ success in these competitions. Over the last four years, the foundation has contributed $98,000 to the SFU Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF). That includes a $28,000 contribution this year.
The endowment fund, which sits at just over $200,000 currently, finances the development of promising projects by undergraduate engineers. The Kaiser Foundation is the largest donor to the fund and has also donated $43,000 in scholarships to SFU. Engineering undergrads hold an annual open house to showcase projects funded by the endowment fund. This year the open house drew more attendees than previously. They included researchers from the National Research Council and the Association of Professional Engineers and geoscientists.
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(electronic photo available)
Contact
David Poon, dkpoon@sfu.ca
Deborah Bartlette, 604.268.6716, deborah_bartlette@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, Media & PR, 604.291.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Seventeen of the regional competition’s more than 150 entrants from Western Canada’s eight engineering schools were SFU engineering undergrads. The generosity of the Kaiser Foundation, a philanthropic group created by the founder of Burnaby-based Alpha Power Technologies, greatly contributes to SFU students’ success in these competitions. Over the last four years, the foundation has contributed $98,000 to the SFU Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF). That includes a $28,000 contribution this year.
The endowment fund, which sits at just over $200,000 currently, finances the development of promising projects by undergraduate engineers. The Kaiser Foundation is the largest donor to the fund and has also donated $43,000 in scholarships to SFU. Engineering undergrads hold an annual open house to showcase projects funded by the endowment fund. This year the open house drew more attendees than previously. They included researchers from the National Research Council and the Association of Professional Engineers and geoscientists.
—30—
(electronic photo available)
Contact
David Poon, dkpoon@sfu.ca
Deborah Bartlette, 604.268.6716, deborah_bartlette@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, Media & PR, 604.291.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca