This story originally appeared on U of T Engineering News.
Ernesto Diaz Lozano Patiño (Year 4 CivE + PEY)
During his time at U of T Engineering, Ernesto has held a wide variety of leadership roles while proving to be a tireless leader. As the U of T Civil Engineering Club academic representative, Ernesto pioneered the use of focus groups to foster effective communication between students and the Faculty. He joined the Engineering Society (EngSoc) as the Civil Engineering representative before becoming president in 2015. In this role, Ernesto is proud of having led the signing of an agreement with the U of T Students’ Union (UTSU) that provides EngSoc with an additional $90,000 to enhance their services. Ernesto also founded the first student chapter of the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association in Canada and led it through its inaugural participation in the Green Energy Challenge competition.
Andrew Fisher (CivE MASc Candidate)
Since arriving at U of T, Andrew has asserted himself as a leader while improving the quality of student life. Over the past two-and-a-half years, he has been a driving force in the revitalization of the Civil Engineering Graduate Students Association, where he served as vice-president finance, vice-president academic and interim president. During this time, he organized events that strengthened the social atmosphere amongst engineering graduate students, provided them with opportunities to showcase their research and facilitated networking with industry professionals. Andrew also served on several committees where he gave voice to issues faced by engineering graduate students.
Brandon Jacobs (Year 4 CivE + PEY)
Brandon has proven himself to be a strong and committed leader throughout his time at U of T Engineering. Whether ensuring the safety of incoming students as a member of the Skule™ Patrol during F!rosh Week or recruiting and coaching new players as co-captain of the Skule™ Rugby team, he has consistently enhanced the U of T Engineering student community. In 2014, Brandon co-founded the U of T chapter of Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) and has served as president ever since. Under his leadership, B2P contributed to its goals of completing infrastructure projects in the developing world by building a suspended footbridge in Chimoré, Bolivia. In addition to his role as project manager on that project, he led on-campus activities supporting recruitment, fundraising and design for additional bridge building projects.
See the full list of 2016 Engineering Gordon Cressy Award Winners.