Professor Tom Chau has been awarded the 2017 University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Network’s 2T5 Mid-Career Award.
The recognition, named in honour of the Class of 2T5—the first class in Canada to receive iron rings at The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, acknowledges a graduate of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering within 11 to 25 years since the completion of their undergraduate degree who has earned respect within the profession as well as the broader Canadian community.
Chau completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in 1992 with the Division of Engineering Science (EngSci) and his Master of Applied Science in 1994 with the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE).
He is currently the vice president of research at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, director of the Bloorview Research Institute, the Raymond Chang Foundation Chair in Access Innovations, and a full professor in the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) at the University of Toronto.
In addition to his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he also holds his doctorate from the University of Waterloo in the area of pattern analysis and machine intelligence and received post-doctoral training in paediatric rehabilitation engineering as a Duncan Gordon Fellow.
Chau held the Canada Research Chair in Paediatric Rehabilitation Engineering from 2004 to 2014, served as graduate coordinator for IBBME’s Master of Health Science in Clinical Engineering program from 2006 to 2011, and led the NSERC CREATE for Academic Rehabilitation Engineering doctoral training program from 2009 to 2015 at the University of Toronto.
Chau’s contributions to paediatric rehabilitation are world renowned with numerous significant awards and accolades to recognize his great achievements, including a March of Dimes lifetime achievement award, induction as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
“These alumni are exceptional ambassadors of Faculty in industry, government, entrepreneurship and academia,” said Cristina Amon, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “Their tremendous contributions to their fields and to our Faculty are testament to the strength of our alumni community. On behalf of our U of T Engineering community, I would like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude and warmest congratulations.”
A total of 10 U of T Engineering alumni were honoured at a dinner event held at Hart House on November 2.
—With files from the Office of Advancement, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering