John S. MacDonald
Encyclopedia
John Spencer MacDonald, OC
co-founded MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates with partner, Vern Dettwiler, in 1969. He served as President and CEO until 1982, and as Chairman of the Board from 1982 to 1998. In addition to professorships in electrical engineering
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and University of British Columbia
(UBC), Dr. MacDonald has served in an advisory capacity to the government and on the board of directors of numerous companies.
In 2001 Dr. MacDonald co-founded Day4 Energy, a company that designs, manufactures and sells high performance solar electric modules. Day4 Energy went on to have one of the largest IPOs in Canada in 2007, at over $100 million and has since grown to almost 300 employees.
In 2008 Dr. MacDonald was awarded the British Columbia Technology Industry Association
Impact Award for Person of the Year in recognition of his contributions to science and the BC High Technology Industry. Day4 Energy also won the Impact Award for Emerging Company of the Year.
MacDonald currently holds the position of chancellor at the University of Northern British Columbia
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
co-founded MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates with partner, Vern Dettwiler, in 1969. He served as President and CEO until 1982, and as Chairman of the Board from 1982 to 1998. In addition to professorships in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) and University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC), Dr. MacDonald has served in an advisory capacity to the government and on the board of directors of numerous companies.
In 2001 Dr. MacDonald co-founded Day4 Energy, a company that designs, manufactures and sells high performance solar electric modules. Day4 Energy went on to have one of the largest IPOs in Canada in 2007, at over $100 million and has since grown to almost 300 employees.
In 2008 Dr. MacDonald was awarded the British Columbia Technology Industry Association
British Columbia Technology Industry Association
The British Columbia Technology Industry Association is a not-for-profit member-funded trade association in British Columbia, Canada, which promotes the technology industry in the province...
Impact Award for Person of the Year in recognition of his contributions to science and the BC High Technology Industry. Day4 Energy also won the Impact Award for Emerging Company of the Year.
MacDonald currently holds the position of chancellor at the University of Northern British Columbia
University of Northern British Columbia
The University of Northern British Columbia is a small, primarily undergraduate university whose main campus is in Prince George, British Columbia. UNBC also has regional campuses in the northern British Columbia cities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and Fort St. John...
.
Achievements
- Bachelor's degree with honours in Electrical Engineering from UBC
- Master's Degree and PhD in Electrical Engineering from MIT
- named an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1988 - registered Professional EngineerProfessional EngineerRegulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
- Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
- Founding Fellow of the Canadian Academy of EngineeringCanadian Academy of EngineeringThe Canadian Academy of Engineering is a national academy of distinguished professional engineers in all fields of engineering, who are elected on the basis of "their distinguished service and contribution to society, to the country and to the profession."The Academy was founded in 1987...
- Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute