Vancouver, Canada—October 17, 2011—UBC Civil Engineering professor Don Mavinic received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) at its annual awards ceremony this past weekend.

Mavinic (left) celebrates with his former graduate student Rick Corbett (UBC BASc Civil 1972; MASc 1975), who also received a Meritorious Achievement Award that night.

Dr. Mavinic’s contributions to science and the profession of engineering throughout his career are impressive to say the least. Dr. Mavinic was instrumental in the development of the Pearl Nutrient Recovery Process, which recovers nutrients from wastewater for use in environmentally friendly fertilizer, transforming a costly problem into a valuable product. This nutrient removal process has been commercialized through Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc. and has become a viable business venture. In 2010 Dr. Mavinic received both the Manning Foundation Award of Distinction and a Synergy Award for Innovation from NSERC for his accomplishments in this area. Dr. Mavinic supports the advancement of the professions through his membership with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada and the BC Water and Waste Association. The innovative accomplishments of Dr. Mavinic’s professional and academic career are certain to leave a legacy to the public and the profession of engineering.

APEGBC will be posting on its website a video vignette on Mavinic’s accomplishments in the next few weeks. We encourage you to check back to view the 2011 President’s Award videos.

Contact:

Sherry Green
Communications Manager
UBC Faculty of Applied Science
Telephone: 604-822-9091
E-mail: sgreen@apsc.ubc.ca