John Makaran

John Makaran received his B.E.Sc. in electrical engineering (1987), M.E.Sc. in mechanical engineering (1990), and Ph.D. in electrical engineering (2002) from the University of Western Ontario. From 1990 to 1992 he held the position of Advanced Electrical Engineer in Engineering Research at 3M Canada Ltd. From 1992 to 1993, he held the position of Senior Electronics Engineer in machine controls at Husky Injection Molding Systems. From 1993 to 2006, he worked at Siemens VDO Automotive Inc. in various senior roles. In his career with Siemens VDO, he was involved in activities spanning product and process development, to supplier quality issues. He was responsible for the electronics design on the world’s first brushless motor used for automotive engine cooling applications for which he received an innovation award from Siemens Canada Ltd. In his work with Siemens VDO he led, and was part of, multinational project teams in North America, Asia, and Europe. From 2006 until 2012, he was the Chair of the School of Applied Science and Technology at Fanshawe College where he championed project-based learning and initiated programs such as the Electromechanical Engineering Technician program as well as the Practical Elements of Mechanical Engineering program (PEME). For his work on project-based curriculum, he received the Distinguished Contributor Award from the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 2008. He was Fanshawe’s first Industrial Research Chair within the Centre for Research and Innovation from 2012 to 2015 where he oversaw projects within the College’s largest research grant at the time, The Centre for Sustainable Environments (CSEE). He was the originator and technical lead for Fanshawe’s Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV), a one-of-a-kind multidisciplinary product validation facility in London’s Advanced Manufacturing Park where he is presently the Director of Engineering and Research.

He has taught at Fanshawe College and the University of Western Ontario where he created courses in industrial controls and mechatronics. He also teaches within the University of Toronto’s M.Eng. program affiliated with Magna’s Stronach Centre for Innovation (SCFI). He has supervised Master’s level students at Harriot-Watt University and the University of Toronto and is a member of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), College of Reviewers. He has acted as a consultant for Teleflex GFI, WET Automotive, Standard Motor Products, and Magna International, and has also acted as an expert witness for Warner Norcross and Judd LLP on automotive sector related issues. He has authored or co-authored 25 patents in the area of brush motor and brushless motor controls. He is a Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario, and a Senior Member of the IEEE. He is an Ivey Influence and Persuasion Program alumnus.