June 18, 2018
Three members of the ECE community have been recognized by the Canadian Academy of Engineering with fellowships and scholarships. The CAE is a national institution through which Canada’s most distinguished and experienced engineers provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to Canada.
Professor Frank Kschischang (ECE) and alumna Catherine Lacavera (CompE 9T7) are among the CAE’s 57 new fellows and two new International Fellows for 2018.
ECE undergraduate student Jane Illarionova (CompE 2T0) earned the CAE Bruce Aubin SAE Aerospace Design Award, acknowledging outstanding aerospace design by a university student. Illarionova was commended for her accomplishments in AI and neural networks, and for her teamwork competencies demonstrated through her extensive volunteer and community activities.
“The accomplishments of our honourees are tremendous, ranging from research excellence to business leadership,” said Cristina Amon, dean of U of T Engineering. “On behalf of the Faculty, I extend my warmest congratulations to the recipients.”
Professor Kschischang is an outstanding research engineer and educator whose highly influential work on error-correcting codes significantly shaped the development of algebraic coding theory and iterative decoding methods. His theoretical contributions on the sum-product algorithm laid the foundation of the modern theory of codes on graphs. His work on network coding and fibre optic channel revealed the fundamental limits of information transmission in communication networks and significantly advanced the state-of-art in the theory and practice of digital communications. Kschischang has been extremely active in leadership positions in several well-established engineering societies and conferences.
Catherine Lacavera is globally recognized as a leader in the field of intellectual property law. As Director of the IP and litigation for Google Inc., she has led a team of lawyers in successfully defending more than 1,000 patents and other intellectual property claims, globally. She has contributed to shaping and advancing intellectual property law around the world to keep pace with the ever-evolving world of technology. Lacavera’s work has affirmed the legality, and ensured the continued availability, of a free and open Internet, user-generated content platforms, content streaming, and many other innovative technologies developed by Google and its partners.
Read about all of the U of T Engineering professors and alumni inducted as Fellows of the CAE.
With files from Lamia Bica
More information:
Jessica MacInnis
Senior Communications Officer
The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
416-978-7997; jessica.macinnis@utoronto.ca