Professor Jennifer Drake has won the 2018 OPEA Engineering Medal for Young Engineers. It is awarded to “outstanding young Ontario engineers, who have made exceptional achievements in their chosen fields.” Her research focuses on Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater systems, watershed planning and stormwater management, and the impact of LID technologies on aquatic environments, urban security and wet weather policy. One of the goals of her research is to help predict and minimize urban flooding – an issue becoming increasingly more serious due to urban sprawl and climate change.
Drake has created new regional flood equations for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. She has served as an expert reviewer for funding agencies and international journals, and has authored several articles for professional magazines. Drake is involved in the local community, serving on the Toronto Region Conservation Authority’s Board of Directors and its Watershed Alliance. She advocates increasing the profile of water resources engineering by engaging with the public through both social and traditional media.
Drake is an Assistant Professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and is cross-appointed with the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.
Since 1947, the Professional Engineers Ontario have handed out the Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA) annually. The OPEAs acknowledge the outstanding work and achievements made by organization members.