Thomas
Anthony Brzustowski, born, Warsaw, Poland, 1937, is President, Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, (NSERC), Ottawa. He
was 11 when his father, an Aeronautical Engineer, came to Canada to join
A.V. Roe Company, Toronto, 1948. He graduated with a B.A.Sc. (Engineering
Physics), University of Toronto, 1958, earning at Princeton University
an A.M., 1960, and Ph.D. (Aeronautical Engineering), 1963. In 1962, Dr.
Brzustowski began his career, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University
of Waterloo, teaching and carrying out research in thermodynamics and combustion.
Between 1967-1970, he served as Chairman, Mechanical Engineering Department,
and was Vice-President, Academic, University of Waterloo, 1975-87. Appointed
Deputy Minister, Colleges and Universities, Province of Ontario, 1987-91,
he then became Deputy Minister, the Premier’s Council, for another four
years before being appointed President, NSERC, which makes strategic investments
in Canada’s capabilities in science and technology by providing grants
in aid of basic university research, assistance to university-industry
partnerships, and support for the advanced training of researchers in both
areas. Awarded the Angus Medal of the Engineering Institute three times,
Dr. Brzustowski holds honourary degrees from University of Guelph, Ryerson
Polytechnic University, and the University of Waterloo. Dr. Brzustowski
is also the recipient, Engineering Alumni Medal of the University of Toronto.
In this view, Dr. Brzustowski, right, receives a certificate of appreciation
from Dr. Ron Duhamel, Canada’s Secretary of State for Science, Research
and Development, May 1999. [Photo, courtesy Dr. Tom Brzustowski]