Lassonde Professor George Zhu honoured with gold medal from Ontario Society of Professional Engineers 

Professor George Zhu in the Mechanical Engineering department at the Lassonde School of Engineering, recently received a gold medal from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), as part of the Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA).  

OPEA honours first-class engineers and members of OSPE who have made outstanding contributions to their field and broader community. The gold medal represents the highest honour within OSPE, recognizing individuals who demonstrate exceptional public service, technical excellence and professional leadership.  

“This award recognizes the achievements and efforts I have made in my profession and the contribution I have made to the community of professional engineers in Ontario,” says Professor Zhu. “Receiving this award will help elevate my reputation among engineers nationally and internationally, while expanding my network and creating opportunities for collaboration with industry partners.” 

Receiving this OPEA gold medal is a testament to Professor Zhu’s ingenuity and research impact. His work spans vast areas of research – from spacecraft control to nanosatellite technologies. He has received millions of dollars in funding from prestigious organizations like the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Canadian Space Agency. 

Currently, Professor Zhu has many activities on the go, including a substantially funded project which aims to make access to space more cost-effective by fabricating spacecraft and other structures in space using 3D printing. His vision for the future of outer space has inspired other innovative projects, like using intelligent robots for space debris removal and tether systems for space transportation. His research output and projects have expanded the research capacity of Lassonde and attracted attention from broad scientific communities.  

Left: Ground Experiment System of free-floating robots for identifying, tracking, and capturing space debris. Right: Tensile testing of 3D printed specimen at various orientations relative to the gravity for 3D printing in space (graph shows how different printing angles impact 3D printed specimen)

Professor Zhu is also a co-director of Lassonde’s Manufacturing, Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre (MTEC) – an organized research unit blending a trio of complementary disciplines to rapidly bring innovative technologies to market.  

As a recipient of the OPEA Gold Medal, Professor Zhu will continue to exemplify professional leadership and advance the field of engineering. His distinguished position provides ample opportunity to build academic and industry partnerships that will help drive impactful research for the future. 

Congratulations Professor Zhu!