Faculty of Engineering

Dr. Santerre is an international fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) and a fellow of both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His list of awards includes the Julia Levy Award from the Canadian Society for Chemical Industry, the NSERC Synergy Award for his contributions to technology transfer activities, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Biomaterials Society and the Governor General’s Award for Innovation. He was inducted into the McMaster Alumni Gallery in 2024.

Looking for his next entrepreneurial opportunity, Mr. Orady realized that there was a gap in the fitness industry for people who needed or preferred to work out at home, but still wanted access to the benefits of machines typically reserved for gyms. His response was to use his knowledge of engineering and computer technology to create the Tonal system. As founder and chief executive officer, and now chief technology officer of Tonal, he developed the world’s most intelligent compact at-home strength training system and has established relationships with superstar athlete-entrepreneurs like Serena Williams, Lebron James and Stephen Curry.

Mr. Orady, who holds several patents for technologies including the Universal Serial Bus Assistance Engine, Thin Network Protocol and Digital Phase Locked Loops, is a charter member of C100, a by-invitation group of Canadian technology leaders, and an active member of the McMaster Engineering alumni community. He delivered the annual Innovation Minor lecture to undergraduate students in 2022 and, that same year, the McMaster Alumni Association inducted him into the Alumni Gallery.

Paris was a student-athlete on the Marauders varsity tennis team and an active member of LIFT Church and the Pinky Lewis community food program. A dedicated environmental steward, she was co-president of Zero Waste McMaster for three years and co-founded Students for Bike Share, which created Canada’s most affordable student bike-share pass. Paris published two peer-reviewed papers, helped create a climate change course for engineers, co-leads a national working group advocating for climate education in engineering, and was recently appointed to the Youth Council of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Paris was also recognized as a finalist for both the McCall MacBain Scholarship and the Rhodes Scholarship. 

Annika Culhane is a 2021 Schulich Leader, graduating from the McMaster Chemical Engineering Co-op program. She participated avidly in McMaster engineering case competitions, undergraduate research with the Pelton and Higgins labs, and an assortment of extracurriculars including MacChangers, Open Circle volunteering, rowing, and intramural softball and dodgeball.  

During her undergrad, Annika also continued pursuing her lifelong passion – competitive shooting (smallbore). As a nationally certified rifle instructor, she trained McMaster’s first competitive shooting team and introduced over 200 individuals to the shooting sports, prioritizing accessibility, safety, and precision across a variety of disciplines.  

Stemming from her experience in co-op, Annika is pursuing a career in the cement industry. She is now working in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the industry, which was part of the inspiration for her valedictorian speech. 

Dr. Seshasai Srinivasan, Associate Professor at McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering, hasa PhD in Computational Science and Engineering from Michigan Technological University, USA. He is the W Booth Endowed Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is the chair of the Software Engineering Technology program at McMaster. Prior to this, he has held postdoctoral fellowships at McMaster,  Toronto Metropolitan University, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zurich) in Switzerland, and University of Wisconsin-Madison in USA.

Dr. Srinivasan is co-director of BIOx Research Lab at McMaster, and has a very diversified research portfolio spanning the areas of computational modeling, biotechnology, and AI. Heactively engages with the industry and community partners to help them resolve key research issues, with a goal of commercialization.   

As an educator and EDI champion, his focus is on delivering top quality curriculum with a high degree of flexibility for improved accessibility, all the while balancing rigorous training for competencies with student wellness. For this, he has dissolved geographic barriers by delivering the Software program in a fully virtual mode, and completely abolished grades via the Residency Model of education. He leverages technology toenable students to learn at the time and place of their choice, and delivers the curriculum content using modern pedagogies to maximize student learning while minimizing student wellness issues.  

His educational leadership has been recognized via two LTL fellowships (2019, 2022), the Leadership Fellow at the Faculty of Engineering (2019), and MSU Teaching Innovation award (2022), and pedagogical research grants. 

Sheel Ayachi was born and raised in Ottawa, ON. After beginning their studies at McMaster University online in 2020, they are graduating this year with a degree in Chemical and Bioengineering. Throughout their time at McMaster, Sheel has been actively involved with Red Suits, the Society for Engineering Research, and the Chemical Engineering Society. They have contributed to research in the de Lannoy, Mhaskar, and Zhang labs within the Department of Chemical Engineering. As a teaching assistant, Sheel has supported courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, Entrepreneurship in Biomedical Innovation, and Leadership, among others. Outside of academics, they enjoy indoor and outdoor gardening, reading, baking, and exploring the trails around campus. This fall, Sheel will begin an MD/PhD program at the University of British Columbia.

Annika Culhane is a 2021 Schulich Leader, graduating from the McMaster Chemical Engineering Co-op program. She participated avidly in McMaster engineering case competitions, undergraduate research with the Pelton and Higgins labs, and an assortment of extracurriculars including MacChangers, Open Circle volunteering, rowing, and intramural softball and dodgeball.  

During her undergrad, Annika also continued pursuing her lifelong passion – competitive shooting (smallbore). As a nationally certified rifle instructor, she trained McMaster’s first competitive shooting team and introduced over 200 individuals to the shooting sports, prioritizing accessibility, safety, and precision across a variety of disciplines.  

Stemming from her experience in co-op, Annika is pursuing a career in the cement industry. She is now working in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the industry, which was part of the inspiration for her valedictorian speech. 

Anthony Turco is graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Over the past five years, he has grown both academically and personally, discovering his passion within the field and charting a path forward. A pivotal moment in his journey was his 16-month co-op term at Synopsys, which solidified his interest in electronics and circuit design. He also gained valuable experience conducting research under Dr. Mohamed Elamien and through his senior capstone project. Throughout his time at university, Anthony has been supported by a close network of family and lifelong friends who encouraged him to strive for excellence. As he graduates, he is proud to be receiving the Governor General’s Academic Medal—a recognition of his dedication, perseverance, and deep love of learning.

Taylor Wilson is a graduating part-time student in the Bachelor of Technology – Power and Energy Engineering program, which he began in 2017 while working full-time. He holds both Certified Engineering Technologist (CET) and Certified Energy Manager (CEM) designations. Taylor began his career in the electric utility sector and has since transitioned into consulting. He currently serves as Technical Lead – Energy and Carbon Management at Aladaco Consulting. 

In this role, Taylor leads the firm’s delivery of the IESO’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Program. He also supports a range of industrial, commercial and municipal clients through energy auditing, measurement and verification services, and development of greenhouse gas inventories/ decarbonization roadmaps. 

Outside of work and studies, Taylor is passionate about health and fitness and enjoys playing soccer. He is also, unfortunately, a devoted Toronto Maple Leafs fan. 

Taylor plans to pursue his Professional Engineering designation and continue growing his career in energy consulting with Aladaco. 

Sheel Ayachi was born and raised in Ottawa, ON. After beginning their studies at McMaster University online in 2020, they are graduating this year with a degree in Chemical and Bioengineering. Throughout their time at McMaster, Sheel has been actively involved with Red Suits, the Society for Engineering Research, and the Chemical Engineering Society. They have contributed to research in the de Lannoy, Mhaskar, and Zhang labs within the Department of Chemical Engineering. As a teaching assistant, Sheel has supported courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, Entrepreneurship in Biomedical Innovation, and Leadership, among others. Outside of academics, they enjoy indoor and outdoor gardening, reading, baking, and exploring the trails around campus. This fall, Sheel will begin an MD/PhD program at the University of British Columbia.