Engineering researcher the first Canadian to receive international award

St Johns, NL – Dr Aziz Rahman of Memorial University of Newfoundlands Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has been selected as the 2007 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Richard H Kaufmann Award recipient from the IEEE for his contributions to analysis, design, and development of Interior Permanent Magnet Motor drives.

The IEEE, a non-profit organization, is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology. Established in 1986, the IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award is given for outstanding contributions in industrial systems engineering. It is presented annually to an individual, or team of up to three people, who have made exceptional contributions to electrical engineering in the industrial environment through the design or application of systems technology, as well as apparatus, devices, or materials for plant power distribution, drive systems, process control, or other utilization systems.

The award is named in memory of Richard Harold Kaufmann and his many important contributions to industrial systems engineering and his dedicated service to the IEEE Industry Applications Society. The award consists of a bronze medal, certificate and a $10,000 honorarium.

Dr Rahman has been teaching for more than 44 years and 30 of those have been at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial. In addition to his teaching, Dr Rahman is a consultant to many companies including the General Electric Company, Iron Ore Company of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. He has published 565 papers and is a registered professional engineer in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, a member of IEE Japan, a fellow of IEEE, a fellow of IEE (UK), a life fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, and a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada.

Dr Rahman was the second Canadian in history to receive the 2004 IEEE William E Newell Power Electronics Award for outstanding achievement and was also awarded the 1992 IEEE Industry Applications Society Outstanding Achievement Award.