Distinguished alumnus and donor Paul Cadario (CivE 7T3, Hon LLD 1T3) has had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of students.
His passion for education and community development is reflected through his generous contributions to student scholarships and university infrastructure. His transformational gifts include establishing the Paul Cadario Chair in Global Engineering, Experiential Learning Student Awards In Engineering, Social Impact Internships in Engineering, and the Paul Cadario Civil Engineering Award.
For U of T Giving Day — a 24-hour fundraising campaign on March 26 — writer Kristina Kazandjian spoke with Cadario about his journey from civil engineering to the World Bank, the impact of scholarships on his education, and the importance of giving back.
What are your thoughts on engineering as a profession that can lead you anywhere?
Engineers are trained to see systems and operate within complex environments. These skills are invaluable in a wide range of fields that engineers take up with great success, from technology to law to business.
For example, my own field, global development and poverty eradication, involves intricate economic, financial and political systems that evolve rapidly and sometimes unpredictably.
The adaptability that an engineering education provides makes it a great way to open doors to countless opportunities.
What was the first donation you made to U of T and what was the inspiration behind the gift?
The first donation I remember was to support a modest scholarship; as a young World Bank staffer with a mortgage, it was all I could scrape together at the time. But it felt important to do so. It was my way of saying thank you for the U of T entrance scholarship, and for the Inco scholarship that covered my tuition.
This financial aid meant that my mother, who was widowed young, didn’t have to worry about supporting me through university. The scholarships I received meant I could work summer jobs related to engineering, gaining practical skills before graduation. Measuring water currents and temperatures at future Ontario Hydro generating sites and examining municipal services in Inuit communities in Nunavut gave me real-world insights into how engineering impacts communities.
You chose a somewhat unconventional career path after engineering: the World Bank. How did your time there shape your approach to philanthropy and giving back?
It’s fair to say that graduating from civil engineering, specialized in urban transport and the environment made me close to being a social scientist and comfortable with quantitative economics and data analysis. This skill set was invaluable when I joined the World Bank, which still hired many engineers due to its origins in reconstruction and development.
For example, my training helped me explain to colleagues why groundwater irrigation on the Greek side of a river would impact groundwater on the Turkish side as well, and the political problems that might raise. Another example: an architect colleague and I concluded that a government’s interest in an urban freeway had more to do with who owned the property than it did with inflated traffic counts. The hours I’d spent counting cars turning from McCaul onto College Street during Traffic Engineering and analyzing the number of homes the Scarborough Expressway would cut through taught me to consider the broader impact of investments on real people.
Ultimately, philanthropy is about making a tangible difference in people’s lives, whether through better classrooms and labs for students or ensuring that the brightest minds have access to education regardless of their financial means.
You’ve made significant contributions to the University of Toronto, mostly to student awards. What motivates your generosity toward the university and why is student access so important?
I owe my education to the generosity of others, having attended U of T and Oxford on scholarships. Giving back is my way of paying it forward and ensuring that talented students can attend U of T regardless of their financial situation.
On top of that, my volunteer work since graduating has given me a deep understanding of all the incredible teaching and research happening at U of T. I want to support, maintain and expand that excellence.
How do you see your philanthropic efforts benefiting the next generation of students and the broader community?
Our future depends on having great scholars and teachers advancing knowledge. I’m thrilled with the impact the Centre for Global Engineering has had, from bringing water innovation to poor communities to advancing rapid diagnostics for health centres.
Graduates from U of T Engineering and the Munk School have gone on to influential roles in government, consulting, banking and other sectors, reflecting well on U of T’s academic community. Investments in facilities for the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and University College create spaces for learning and discussion. Bringing people together in this way is what great research universities do.
Can you share a story or moment that made you especially proud of your involvement with the university?
There are many moments, but celebrating Geoff Hinton’s Nobel Prize in Stockholm stands out.
His work on artificial intelligence has had a profound impact on science and our daily lives, highlighting the importance of addressing the ethical and societal implications of technological advancements. It’s moments like these that make me proud to support U of T.
For someone interested in giving back but unsure where to start, what would you recommend as the first step?
Volunteer. Learn about what’s happening at U of T in a field that excites you and talk to a favourite professor about how you can get involved.
Engage with your community and share how U of T and other post-secondary institutions contribute to society. Encourage young people to consider U of T for their education and future careers.
By Kristina Kazandjian
Two CivMin students were among the worthy recipients who received recognition at the U of T Engineering Student Leadership Reception on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
The University of Toronto Student Leadership Awards (UTSLA) recipients from CivMin include Priya Jadav (CivMin MEng student) and Janishan Jeyarajah (Year 4, CivE) who was also recognized for his 3T5 Second-Mile Award.
UTSLAs recognize students in their final year of study, with a minimum cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 2.70. Students may be nominated by staff, faculty or alumni. All nominees must have at least one year of significant volunteer leadership and high-impact service in the year immediately prior to the current nomination period.
Jadav’s citation:
Priya Jadaz is recognized for their impactful leadership as C0-Chair of FASE Ilead Grad, where they organized large-scale events, fostering leadership skills and community engagement among U of T graduate students, creating opportunities for growth, collaboration and cross-disciplinary connections.
Jeyarajah’s citation:
Janishan led the CSCE – U of T Chapter as President, organizing events like workshops, seminars and networking sessions to provide students with valuable professional development opportunities.
A full list of student award recipients is posted online.
Professor Eric Miller and Professor Khandker Nurul Habib among U of T researchers awarded funding as part of four new interdisciplinary research teams
The University of Illinois System and the University of Toronto awarded funding to four new interdisciplinary research teams that will drive innovations and advance collaboration between the universities. Selected from 21 applications, these are the first awards from an institutional partnership launched in 2024. Two of the four teams selected this year involve researchers from the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin), Professor Eric Miller and Professor Khandker Nurul Habib.
Building on talent, innovations and resources from the two universities, the initiative seeks to accelerate economic development through the development of innovative technologies. Funding for the program comes from U of T’s Office of the Vice-President, International and the U of I System’s President’s Office and the Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation.
The newly funded seed grant projects will focus on sustainable urban transportation in African countries, the future for archives as data, coupling large-scale transportation models with travellers’ decision-making science, and travel demand modelling in an era of autonomous and electric transport.
Miller relays his enthusiasm, “Professor [Marianne] Hatzopoulou and I are very excited to have a chance to work with CivMin alumni Prof. Kouros Mohammadian (PhD, 2001) and Prof. Sybil Derrible (PhD, 2010) on this groundbreaking project that we hope will lead to long-term research collaboration between our two universities to advance the use of big data and AI-based modelling in urban travel demand modelling.”
“We [Nurul Habib for U of T and Eleftheria Kontou for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign] are spearheading a groundbreaking initiative to integrate behavioural science with infrastructure systems engineering, shaping the future of autonomous and electric urban mobility. This research will develop advanced models for travel demand, infrastructure planning, and fleet management, optimizing shared and sustainable transport solutions. Through virtual seminars and a workshop at the 2026 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, the project will unite global experts to tackle key challenges in mobility modelling and accelerate the transition to efficient, low-emission transportation systems,” says Habib expanding on his project.
“This partnership, which has grown out of many conversations with our Canadian colleagues, adds to our portfolio of research and development programs across the world,” said Jay Walsh, the U of I System’s vice president for economic development and innovation. “We anticipate discoveries that will have impact near and far, improving quality of life for current and future generations. This seed grant program in particular is part of our strategic focus on growing partnerships with the University of Toronto, its faculty and its students.”
Project teams were required to have participation from the University of Toronto and at least one of the three U of I System universities, and proposals had to focus on partnership development in research and teaching in the areas of mobility, data science and sustainability – key areas of strength for both groups of universities.
The research projects receiving grants are:
- Cracking the Big Data Challenge in Transportation.
U of T principal investigator: CivMin Professor Eric Miller, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto. U of I principal investigators: Abolfazl Mohammadian, College of Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Fabio Miranda, College of Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Sybil Derrible, College of Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago. - Shaping Future Mobility through Travel Demand and Infrastructure Supply Modelling in the Era of Autonomous and Electric Transport.
U of T principal investigator: CivMin Professor Khandker Nurul Habib, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto. U of I principal investigator: Eleftheria Kontou, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. - Greening Africa’s Urban Transport: Unlocking the Potential of Electric Two- and Three-Wheelers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
U of T principal investigator: Moussa Blimpo, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto. U of I principal investigator: Richard Akresh, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. - Envisioning Critical Futures for Archives as Data.
U of T principal investigator: Jessica Lapp, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. U of I principal investigator: Emily Maemura, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
About the University of Illinois System: The University of Illinois System is a world leader in research and discovery, and the largest educational institution in the state with more than 97,700 students, about 28,000 full-time equivalent faculty and staff, and universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. The U of I System awards more than 27,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees annually. Learn more at https://www.uillinois.edu.
About the University of Toronto: Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada’s top university with a long history of challenging the impossible and transforming society through the ingenuity and resolve of its faculty, students, alumni and supporters. With a total enrolment of more than 99,700 students and more than 16,500 full-time equivalent faculty across its three campuses in Mississauga, St. George and Scarborough, Toronto is among world leaders in medical research, research citations, graduate employability and university-managed business incubators. Learn more at https://www.utoronto.ca/.
The University of Toronto team brought home six awards from the 2025 Canadian Mining Games. Represented by undergraduate students from the Lassonde Mineral Engineering program in CivMin and one from Engineering Science, the team of 16 students trekked to Quebec City, Que. for the 35th iteration of the games held March 6-8.
This year’s team, led by co-captains Feroz Shah and Aarnav Deenapanray, realized six podium finishes from an impressive two first places, three second places and a solo third place:
First place – Rock Mechanics: Raymond Bhushan (Min 2T4) and Evan Kiriakou (Min 2T5)
Fist place – Data Analytics: Raymond Bhushan (Min 2T4) and Alyssa Dimoglou (EngSci 2T4)
Second place – Mineral Economics: Alyssa Dimoglou (EngSci 2T4) and Evan Kiriakou (Min 2T5)
Second place – Mine Trivia: Feroz Shah (Min 2T5)
Second place – Crisis Management: Alyssa Dimoglou (EngSci 2T4) and Thomas Golle (Min 2T5)
Third place – Mechanical Competition: Aarnav Deenapanray (Min 2T4), Adam Dimalanta (Min 2T6), Thomas Golle (Min 2T5), and Jamil Shalabi (Min 2T4).
Additionally, beyond podium finishes, two scholarships from Women in Mining (WIM) were handed to team members Dimoglou and Shah. Dimoglou won an award as an outstanding woman in the mining field, and Shah won for being a supportive ally of women in mining. These were separate from the awards for the actual Mining Games events and did not count for points.
“I’m so happy with our results, which exceed last year’s showing, and really look forward to seeing how we do next year too,” expresses Min Club President Raymond Bhushan.
March 8, 2025 | CBC: Quirks & Quarks
March 3, 2025 | CBC Radio – Ontario Today with Amanda Pfeffer
During the winter break, graduate students from the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin) participated in a structural engineering tour of the construction site for The One.
The February 20 tour began with a presentation at the SKYGRiD office by alumna Cora Pulnicki (MEng 1T8), who is the project’s structural design engineer with RJC. Presenters also included SKYGRiD construction manager Giancarlo Fucile (CivE 9T7 + PEY), RJC associate Dr. Andrew Voth (CivE 0T4, CivMin PhD 1T0), as well as David DeVisser and Corneil Byl, engineers from the project’s steel fabricator Walters Group Inc..
Reflecting on the tour, CivMin Professor Packer says, “It’s a good reminder that structural design has a real outcome – it actually results in a physical building – which gives a tremendous sense of pride for the designers, but it’s also a great responsibility.
The pinnacle of the tour was a visit to the 74th floor of The One, offering spectacular vistas over the downtown core and Lake Ontario. Once completed, the tower will be Canada’s tallest residential building and its first supertall skyscraper – exceeding 300 metres – as defined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The revised height stands at 308.6 metres (1,013 feet) with 85 storeys. The structure is centred around a 100-by-100-foot retail space featuring soaring 37-foot ceilings, with no interior or corner columns, showcasing its unique structural system and inclined struts.
Commenting on the value of the experience for students, Prof. Packer reflects, “Seeing how a record-breaking tower gets built – even on the coldest days of winter – and finding our very own alumni presenting on their design and construction roles offered a unique perspective.”
By Galina Nikitina
Junzhe (David) Liu, a CivMin PhD student under the supervision of Prof. John Harrison, has won the Best Oral Presentation Award at the Canadian Geotechnical Society -Southern Ontario Section’s annual Graduate Presentation Competition.
The CGS-SOS awarded Liu the honour at a January 22, 2025 event in Toronto with a distinguished panel of judges from academia and industry evaluating the presentations. Each participant delivered a 12-minute presentation, followed by a five-minute Q&A session, showcasing their research and presentation skills.
In his presentation titled ‘Improving Methodological Reliability in Application of Rock Mass Classifications: Likert Scale and Bayesian Ordinal Approaches’, Junzhe introduced a new approach to addressing challenges in rock mass classification systems. This study highlights the limitations of conventional Likert-scale ratings in quantifying subjective parameters such as weathering due to their ordinal nature and rigid empirical scoring. To enhance the accuracy and reliability of rock mass classifications, the research explores Bayesian ordinal models, which allow for unequal spacing between categorical ratings. By incorporating these models, the study demonstrates improvements in the robustness and granularity of rock mass classification, ultimately contributing to more reliable rock engineering design.
The results were announced on LinkedIn.
Omar Abdelazeem (CivMin MASc 2T3), a CivMin PhD student, and his supervisor, Prof. David Meyer, are this year’s winners of the Reproducible Research Award from ASCE’s Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.
The Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI)’s Awards Committee selected Abdelazeem and Meyer to win this award for their paper titled, How to Model an Intermittent Water Supply: Comparing Modeling Choices and Their Impact on Inequality.
“My stellar PhD student led this field-shaping work that compares different ways of simulating the performance of intermittent water supply systems, which affect one in five piped water users around the world,” says Prof. Meyer. “Omar worked really hard to ensure his data and code were reproducible – enabling others to validate, replicate, and build on our work.”
A 2019 study found that less than 2% of research papers in top water and hydrology journals have results that are reproducible (Stagge et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2019.30). This led to a renewed focus on reproducible results in the journal we published in (JWRP&M). That journal added a new (optional) step for papers called a reproducibility review – where a peer reviewer tries to reproduce the results using the provided data and methods. The results produced by the CivMin group were reproduced by Dr. Stagge himself as part of this reproducibility review.
The award will be presented at the 2025 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Anchorage, Alaska, May 18 – 21, 2025.