Schulich faculty members honoured at APEGA Summit Awards

A quartet of Schulich School of Engineering faculty members have been recognized for their contributions to Alberta’s engineering landscape.

Drs. Laura Curiel, Elena Di Martino, Josephine Hill and Abdulmajeed Mohamad were honoured during the spring gala in Calgary for the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Summit Awards, recognizing the best across the province.

“We are extremely proud to have four of our faculty members recognized with APEGA Summit Awards in 2025,” says Schulich Dean Anders Nygren. “These awards are a credit to their hard work and tremendous impact on our students and the broader community.”

Striving for educational excellence

An associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Laura Curiel, PhD, researches high intensity focused ultrasound therapy for mental health.

She played a pivotal role in developing and launching Schulich’s Biomedical Engineering program with an emphasis on independent learning, critical thinking and teamwork.

Curiel’s work garnered her the 2025 APEGA Excellence in Education Award, which she calls a meaningful recognition of her work at Schulich, showing the importance of education within her profession.

“More than anything for me, this was a team award for all of the people who helped create our Biomedical Engineering program, and I felt privileged to be a part of this and to be recognized for my participation,” she says. 

“It also gives me the motivation to continue evolving in my teaching practices and innovating to make our students better prepared for the profession.”

Inspiring the next generation

Dr. Elena Di Martino, PhD, was described as a “beacon of advocacy and innovation” as she received the 2025 APEGA Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award.

Dedicated to removing systemic barriers faced by women in STEM, the professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering is also making groundbreaking contributions to cardiovascular research.

She aims to make a difference beyond the campus community as well, organizing Women in Engineering Day events, speaking with high school students, and being a champion for diversity-focused programs like Biomedical Engineering Industry Day.

“The most rewarding aspect of my career so far has been this opportunity to mentor young researchers, guiding them as they strive to achieve their goals,” says Di Martino.

Being a mindful mentor

Creating and strengthening connections has been Dr. Josephine Hill’s goal since she began her career.

A globally recognized expert in catalysis and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, she’s described by her peers as a pioneer, role model and inspiration.

In recognition of this, Hill, PhD, was honoured with the 2025 APEGA Outstanding Mentor Award.

“Mentoring is so important but often done quietly in the background,” says Hill, who became board chair of the Chemical Institute of Canada in June 2024. 

“It is lovely to be recognized for all the work that I have done to help students and colleagues navigate challenges and be successful.”

Standing on two fundamental pillars

Few have the resume and array of interests as varied as Dr. Abdulmajeed Mohamad, PhD.

The Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering professor is devoted to innovating energy solutions and inspiring global change through his work in solar energy, nanofluids and sustainable energy storage.

Mohamad says his most meaningful career accomplishment has been simplifying and synthesizing complex problems in teaching to educate a broad spectrum of students worldwide, and this work led to him receiving the 2025 APEGA Frank Spragins Technical Award.

“The award represents a recognition of dedication to advancing engineering, enriching knowledge databases, and shaping future generations and society,” says Mohamad, who is also interim director of the Centre for Environmental Engineering Research and Education. 

“Engineering stands on two fundamental pillars: knowledge and ethics.”