McGill alumnus receives prestigious Young Innovators Award
Philippe Simard honoured with Industry Canada distinction
McGill University alumnus Philippe Simard, an electrical engineer originally from Saguenay, Quebec, has received the prestigious Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Young Innovators 2005 award, which honours "top Canadian researchers whose work in knowledge transfer benefits society."
Simard is a three-time graduate of McGill's Faculty of Engineering (BEng'98, MEng'99, PhD'04). He and his brother, Louis Simard, a two-time McGill engineering graduate (BEng'01, MEng'03), founded SimActive, a leading developer of technology that updates and enhances 3D models of the environment in real time using aerial photographs and satellite images.
"I'm very grateful for this award," Philippe Simard said. "I'm thankful for my opportunities and experiences at McGill, where I was fortunate enough to have excellent instructors like Professor Frank Ferrie, Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies), Faculty of Engineering, who inspired me to pursue my dreams and enabled me to enjoy this honour."
Nicholas Chrisman, scientific director of the GEOIDE Network, a member of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program and longtime supporter of Simard's research, said, "Dr. Simard's career demonstrates a spectacular success in the Canadian contribution to the worldwide marketplace in the treatment of imagery and spatial information."
About McGill University
Founded in 1821, McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university. McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools, offering more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. There are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students at McGill's two campuses in Montreal, Canada. McGill is one of two Canadian members of the American Association of Universities. For additional information see the McGill website.
About Networks of Centres of Excellence
Established in 1989, the NCE program is supported by Industry Canada and three federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. NCEs are unique nationwide, multidisciplinary partnerships among universities, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations, aimed at transforming Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians. For additional information see the NCE website.
