Queen’s University renames faculty of engineering after entrepreneur, philanthropist

KINGSTON, ONT. — A new name has been announced for the faculty of engineering and applied science at Queen’s University in honour of a historic $100-million gift by Stephen J.R. Smith, a Canadian financial services entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The faculty will now be known as the Stephen J.R. Smith Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University or more commonly as Smith Engineering

The announcement was made by Patrick Deane, principal and vice-chancellor of Queen’s University.

Smith earned a bachelor of science (honours) in electrical engineering from Queen’s University in 1972. He is the chairman and CEO of Smith Financial Corporation, which has significant equity investments in a range of financial services businesses.

This is the largest gift made to an engineering faculty in Canada, one of the largest to any university in Canada and one of the largest ever to Queen’s, states a release, adding the gift will drive Queen’s vision to transform STEM through engineering education and to position its engineering graduates to have a lasting impact on Canada and the world.

“The majority of the $100-million gift will be endowed to provide an enduring legacy of talent and resources from around the world for generations to come. The balance will enable the development and implementation of new programs, and investments in research, technology and equipment,” said Kevin Deluzio, dean of Smith Engineering, in a statement. “It is about changing how we teach so our graduates can change the world they live in and help solve the grand challenges facing humanity.”