KUDOS

H2O hero

Istockphoto

McGill chemical engineering graduate ('66) and Honorary Doctor of Science ('05) recipient, Andrew Benedek, has won the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, an international award recognizing an individual's outstanding contributions to the world of water management. After earning his Bachelor's degree at McGill, Benedek worked in the petrochemical industry and witnessing first-hand the adverse effects of pollution on the environment, he decided to specialize in environmental engineering. By 1980, Benedek co-ordinated the internationally renowned Wastewater Research Group, and founded ZENON Environmental Inc., a company dedicated to solving water quality problems. Under his leadership, the company became a global leader in the water treatment industry through the development and use of advanced membrane technologies. Benedeck is now a research associate at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego and is chairman and CEO of the Benedek Group of companies. He will be presented with a $215,000 prize by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, during Singapore International Water Week in June.