Dr. Alex Czekanski
Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
NSERC/Quanser Chair in Design Engineering for Innovation (2014 – present)
Before joining York University in May 2014, Dr. Czekanski held the position of Engineering Manager of Advanced Engineering Analyses and Materials (CAE, NVH, Advanced Material and Process Engineering, Structural Design Optimization and Design Compliance/Safety) in a tier-one automotive global part supplier. With over ten years of automotive experience, he has a keen understanding of automotive business and manufacturing operations.
Dr. Czekanski is the recipient of many honours and awards. He has received the Gold Medal in the Robert J. Melosh Competition, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance Award in Engineering, and the prestigious NSERC Gold Medal Doctoral Prize. He is a founder of the Innovative Design Engineering and Analysis Laboratory (IDEA-LAB) dedicated to conduct fundamental research in applied mechanics especially in computational mechanics, mechanics of elastomer and cellular materials, and manufacturing. He is also founder of the Lassonde Design Studio (IDEA-STUDIO) to enhance design education at York University, to support design collaborations with industrial partners and other educational institutions, and to advocate for design engineering within the University and beyond.
During his research, Dr. Czekanski was constantly and purposefully widening the scope of his engineering and management skills by participating in various research and industrial projects, namely in the automotive and aerospace industries. He has made considerable contributions to the areas, and the findings of the aforementioned activities have been presented in several international peer-reviewed journals and well-recognized and respected conferences.
Dr. Czekanski holds both a Master of Applied Science (Silesian Technical University) and a Doctor of Philosophy (University of Toronto) degree in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in addition to a Postgraduate Teaching Diploma. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Management Science and Strategic Management from the Schulich School of Business, York University.