Engineers are by nature and training achievers, innovative thinkers and creative doers. We are results oriented, led by our scientific knowledge and inventive spirit to achieve unique solutions to seemingly impossible problems and to create new technologies to meet the needs of our global society. Few professions turn so many ideas into realities and have such a direct influence on our everyday lives. It is not surprising, therefore, that entrepreneurship is a natural offshoot of the Engineering profession.

Derived from the French entreprendre – to undertake – the word entrepreneur has come to mean a person who envisions, operates and assumes the risk of a new enterprise. In this issue, we present some of the entrepreneurial activities of our Faculty members, both as highly successful innovators and, in the more basic meaning of the word, doers and achievers/movers and shakers.

The Faculty fosters a culture of entrepreneurship in a variety of ways. You will read here about the Engineering Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship, directed by Joe Paradi, and its unique courses. This work complements the ELITE (Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Innovation and Technology in Engineering) certificate introduced last year and integrated into our existing MEng program. Our Engineering Leaders of Tomorrow initiative includes a series of talks by entrepreneurs who describe the inception and operation of their companies for our students with a view to inspiring them to begin their own ventures.

By the time they graduate, our students have established a solid network of professional connections through their interaction with world-class Faculty members, many of whom are successful entrepreneurs (see the list of spin-off companies in this issue) and top-caliber alumni and fellow students. They have also had exposure through the Professional Experience Year (PEY) to leading national and international companies. Perhaps the most important component for successful entrepreneurship that we provide is the self-confidence that derives from an excellent Engineering education in a world-class institution.

Applications for admission demonstrate recognition of this excellence in Engineering education and the preliminary numbers of all students seeking admission for Fall 2009 are strong. The number of international, out-of-Province and transfer students seeking admission to our undergraduate programs is up by 12.85% from this time last year, with overall undergraduate applications up by 3.42%. This trend toward increasing numbers of undergraduate applicants started last year and reflects our ongoing, dedicated recruitment activities. Applications for admission to our graduate programs are up from this time last year up by over 25% and applications to doctoral programs by domestic students have more than doubled. I encourage all members of the Faculty to support our recruitment team as we continue our work in the coming months with post-offer information sessions and visits to help ensure that we continue to succeed in attracting the best and brightest students to our programs.

Cristina Amon
Dean

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