Proud alumni helping to build Centre for Engineering Innovation

When the opportunity presented itself to play a role in the design of the Centre for Engineering Innovation, Vince Aleo knew he wanted to help fulfill his alma mater’s aspiration to be Canada’s premier destination for engineering research and education. 

“It’s a tremendous pleasure to be involved,” said Aleo, president of Aleo Associates Inc. Engineering Consultants. “I want to give something back to the school and to the students and I want to be involved with the University of Windsor’s engineering building, so I put in extra effort to be part of the team.”

Aleo is just one of a number of UWindsor alumni intimately involved with the design, engineering and construction of the $112 million CEI, the first phase of which is slated to open next year.

Beginning with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1978, Aleo now has three degrees from the university, including a PhD he earned in 2004. Those degrees hang on the walls of his Erie Street offices and he still wears his class rings proudly.

It’s exactly that kind of institutional pride that Tom Porter is convinced translates into increased dedication to the project.

“I’m sure those graduates working on the project are really proud to be part of it and are probably going the extra mile to make sure that it’s completed as best it can possibly be,” said the local lawyer, former city councilor and president of the university’s alumni association. “If you have someone who is closely connected to the institution or the undertaking, I think you will have more effort, you will have more pride and you will have better results.”

Better results for the facility’s users is one of Jennifer Di Domenico’s top priorities. One of several project managers who works for JPT Management, the architectural and engineering firm overseeing the building’s construction, she completed her undergraduate degree in environmental engineering in 2004 and a master’s degree in 2006. Being a recent graduate, she has a unique perspective on student, faculty and staff needs for the new facility.

“The opinions that I offer and the decisions I make really reflect what the students embody and what they think,” she said.

When Di Domenico was a student, her labs were held in Essex Hall while most classes were scattered around campus in other buildings.

“There wasn’t really any cohesive area, which is going to be quite different in the new building,” she said. “All the classrooms and the labs are going to be in one spot which I think is going to bring the engineers closer together. It’s going to be a spectacular facility. I’m proud to work on the project. I think it’s going to be great for the city and great for the university.”

Porter agrees and says whenever he meets fellow alumni, he senses a great deal of momentum-gathering excitement about the CEI’s highly anticipated opening.

“It’s only just beginning and as the project gets nearer to completion you’ll see more of that kind of pride where graduates are very excited about this huge new facility on campus that’s going to allow the university to continue to expand and grow,” he said. “This state of the art facility puts Windsor on an international map from an engineering perspective and allows us to recruit the best engineering students from around the world.”