MONTREAL/November 7, 2002—
Montrèal/November 7, 2002 - The Concordia Institute for Aerospace Design & Innovation (CIADI) held its second annual recognition ceremony yesterday to officially acknowledge the accomplishments of their students - our future aerospace engineers - who, together with 7 industry partners, have conducted joint aerospace projects.
"CIADI is the first initiative in Canada to group seven major aerospace companies under one roof with the main objective of enhancing the education of undergraduate students, by providing them with real design and research projects,î asserts Dr. Hany Moustapha, Senior Fellow & Manager of Pratt & Whitney Canada Technology and Director of CIADI.
This year, 42 students, as compared to 26 students for last year, have helped CIADI realize its primary initiative. Prime industry supporters include Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, EMS Technologies, CAE Electronics, CMC Electronics and HÈroux-Devtek who together, also jointly manage the Institute as an Advisory Board.
In addition to handing out recognition certificates to the students, CIADI presented its first "Excellence Award" to Danny DiPerna, VP of Procurement at Pratt & Whitney Canada for his outstanding contribution to the field of Gas Turbines and for the success of CIADI. Danny graduated from Concordia in 1989, with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
FranÁois Caza, Vice-President, Engineering, Bombardier Aerospace, and chairman of CIADI Industrial Advisory Board, adamantly claims that the CIADI initiative ìwithout a doubt makes a significant contribution to the development of engineers, through the provision of skills specific to the Aerospace Industry. Key strategies in this type of program are the tools provided to the students combined with the access to aerospace specialists, making the learning curve of the students steeper than otherwise possible in the regular university program structureî.
For students the experience is invaluable. ìChallenging projects, state-of-the-art facilities and flexible work hours define CIADI", enthuses Nancy Paliotti, CIADI students' president who has been working on a roller bearing research project for Pratt & Whitney Canada. "Through it, I have been exposed to many facets of the aerospace industry and my experience here has undoubtedly helped shape my future career".
Since the creation of CIADI in January 2001, a total of 17 students have worked on Capstone aerospace design projects. Out of the twelve CIADI graduating students in May 2002, five were hired by CIADI industrial partners and five are pursuing graduate studies in aerospace. Student visits have been organized at the seven industries and the students have actively participated in aerospace collaboration forums, conferences and workshops.
The Institute is actively involved in collaborating with the new Consortium Recherche Innovation Aerospatial Quebec "CRIAQ" and is spearheading an initiative to extend the CIADI concept to other Montreal area Universities.
Information:
Lise Prefontaine, Administrative Assistant, CIADI
Tel: 514-848-7905, Fax: 514-848-7890, e-mail : lise@ciadi.concordia.ca
Montrèal/November 7, 2002 - The Concordia Institute for Aerospace Design & Innovation (CIADI) held its second annual recognition ceremony yesterday to officially acknowledge the accomplishments of their students - our future aerospace engineers - who, together with 7 industry partners, have conducted joint aerospace projects.
"CIADI is the first initiative in Canada to group seven major aerospace companies under one roof with the main objective of enhancing the education of undergraduate students, by providing them with real design and research projects,î asserts Dr. Hany Moustapha, Senior Fellow & Manager of Pratt & Whitney Canada Technology and Director of CIADI.
This year, 42 students, as compared to 26 students for last year, have helped CIADI realize its primary initiative. Prime industry supporters include Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, Bell Helicopter Textron, EMS Technologies, CAE Electronics, CMC Electronics and HÈroux-Devtek who together, also jointly manage the Institute as an Advisory Board.
In addition to handing out recognition certificates to the students, CIADI presented its first "Excellence Award" to Danny DiPerna, VP of Procurement at Pratt & Whitney Canada for his outstanding contribution to the field of Gas Turbines and for the success of CIADI. Danny graduated from Concordia in 1989, with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
FranÁois Caza, Vice-President, Engineering, Bombardier Aerospace, and chairman of CIADI Industrial Advisory Board, adamantly claims that the CIADI initiative ìwithout a doubt makes a significant contribution to the development of engineers, through the provision of skills specific to the Aerospace Industry. Key strategies in this type of program are the tools provided to the students combined with the access to aerospace specialists, making the learning curve of the students steeper than otherwise possible in the regular university program structureî.
For students the experience is invaluable. ìChallenging projects, state-of-the-art facilities and flexible work hours define CIADI", enthuses Nancy Paliotti, CIADI students' president who has been working on a roller bearing research project for Pratt & Whitney Canada. "Through it, I have been exposed to many facets of the aerospace industry and my experience here has undoubtedly helped shape my future career".
Since the creation of CIADI in January 2001, a total of 17 students have worked on Capstone aerospace design projects. Out of the twelve CIADI graduating students in May 2002, five were hired by CIADI industrial partners and five are pursuing graduate studies in aerospace. Student visits have been organized at the seven industries and the students have actively participated in aerospace collaboration forums, conferences and workshops.
The Institute is actively involved in collaborating with the new Consortium Recherche Innovation Aerospatial Quebec "CRIAQ" and is spearheading an initiative to extend the CIADI concept to other Montreal area Universities.
Information:
Lise Prefontaine, Administrative Assistant, CIADI
Tel: 514-848-7905, Fax: 514-848-7890, e-mail : lise@ciadi.concordia.ca
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