3rd prize: Olivier Gauron, Université de Sherbrooke
Olivier Gauron has worked as a research professional in the Centre de recherche en génie parasismique et en dynamique des structures (CRGP) at Université de Sherbrooke since 2009 and is a member of the Canada Research Chair in Earthquake Engineering led by Professor Patrick Paultre. He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from École Centrale de Lyon (France, 2005) and a master’s degree in civil earthquake engineering from Université de Sherbrooke (2009).
In the past decade, Olivier has applied his expertise in mechanical and civil engineering to develop several of the CRGP’s major projects, including the use of elastomer materials in civil structures (dampers and insulators) and the establishment of a platform for the remote monitoring of Québec’s bridges. His expertise in experimental methods and equipment was critical to the activities of the major structures laboratory at Université de Sherbrooke.
Since 2009, he has coordinated the Centre d’études interuniversitaires des structures sous charges extrêmes (CEISCE)—a strategic cluster of the FRQNT that brings together 29 researchers—and contributed to two rounds of renewed funding. Olivier Gauron helped secure 17 sources of research funding for the CRGP (over $5M) from national programs over the last ten years. Also focused on knowledge dissemination, he organizes the CEISCE’s annual scientific symposiums and is currently among the main organizers of the 12th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering (Québec, June 2019).