Convocation 2023: Polytechnique Montréal awards nearly 1,900 degrees and diplomas along with honorary doctorates to Normand Brais and Danielle W. Zaïkoff

Normand Brais

A lifelong science buff, Normand Brais studied at Polytechnique Montréal, earning a bachelor's degree in engineering (1982), a master's in mechanical engineering (1986) and a PhD in nuclear engineering (1993).

While still a graduate student, he successfully launched a career as an entrepreneur, founding the consulting firm Brais, Malouin et Associés (BMA), which specializes in industrial combustion. Linking his research interests to practical applications in air purification, in 1995 he founded Sanuvox Technologies, now a global leader in air and surface disinfection using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for residential, commercial and medical buildings. The firm went on to design a system for decontaminating N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demonstrating his profound commitment to the common good, Dr. Brais developed that vital innovation in open-source mode, ensuring free access to the technology for anyone with the capability to manufacture the apparatus. He also founded several other tech companies, among them BMA-Tech, a division of BMA, in 2008, and Flash Steam Generation Technologies, in partnership with France-based INGENICA, in 2013.

Actively involved with the emerging generation of scientists, Dr. Brais became a professor at Polytechnique, teaching thermodynamics and combustion from 1992 to 1996. He served as Chair of the Polytechnique Montréal Foundation and Alumni Association from 2013 to 2016 and was named to its Cercle des Bâtisseurs Exceptionnels. In 2016, he made a donation to his alma mater that enabled the creation of PolyFab Normand Brais, a new fab lab space for state-of-the-art creation and prototyping. He has furthered his commitments through various volunteer activities, including with the Cercle des femmes GÉNIales, and as a mentor to young entrepreneurs.

Danielle W. Zaïkoff

When Danielle W. Zaïkoff began her engineering studies, she was already a pioneer: one of Polytechnique Montréal's first woman graduates, she earned her bachelor's degree in civil engineering (1967) and followed it with a master's in soil mechanics (1972).

Mrs. Zaïkoff began her professional career at Hydro-Québec, in the Contracts department, eventually rising through the ranks to fill a number of senior management positions. She played a trailblazing role at the public utility, helping to feminize the French title of director as directrice beginning in 1984, becoming the first woman to head the Plant Engineering department, followed by the Construction department and the Plant Rehabilitation and Modification department. She went on to excel in high-level positions within the E7 Network of Expertise for the Global Environment, under the aegis of Hydro-Québec, and as North America Liaison Officer for the E7 Fund for Sustainable Energy Development, under the direction of Électricité de France.

She also became involved with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, and in 1974 broke a glass ceiling in the engineering profession by becoming a member of the Ordre's Bureau, before being named its first female President the following year. A few years later, in 1978, she was elected the first female President of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (now Engineers Canada). In 1988, she added another "first-ever woman..." distinction to her résumé when she was made a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Danielle W. Zaïkoff has also filled roles on the boards of directors of organizations including the Office des professions du Québec (1981-84), the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal (1985-91), the CHU Sainte-Justine, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Infrastructure Québec (2010-13).

Polytechnique awards nearly 1,900 degrees

For 2022-23 (Po 147), Polytechnique Montréal awarded 1,865 degrees and diplomas, including 1,025 bachelor's degrees in engineering, 97 bachelor of science degrees, 32 advanced graduate diplomas (DESS), 288* master's degrees in engineering, 268 master's of applied sciences degrees and 155 doctorates.

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's largest engineering education and research institutions. It is located on the Université de Montréal campus, the largest French-language university campus in the Americas. With more than 59,000 graduates to date, Polytechnique has educated over 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec's current membership. Polytechnique offers about 120 programs taught by more than 300 professors, and welcomes close to 10,000 students yearly. It has an annual operating budget of $300 million, including a research budget of $100 million.

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