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Michael D’Andrea named recipient of 2025 L.S. Lauchland Engineering Alumni Medal

Western Engineering is proud to announce Michael D’Andrea, BSc’80, BESc’84, MEng’86, as the recipient of the 2025 L.S. Lauchland Engineering Alumni Medal.

The award recognizes alumni for their outstanding contributions to the engineering profession, business leadership and community service. D’Andrea’s exceptional leadership in municipal infrastructure and commitment to public service make him a worthy recipient of this honour.

Michael D'Andrea“I am deeply honoured to learn of my nomination for this award and humbled that my fellow Western Engineering alumni have chosen me as the 2025 recipient,” says D’Andrea.

As chief engineer and executive director of the City of Toronto’s Engineering & Construction Services (ECS) Division, he led a team of more than 600 professional and technical staff providing engineering design and construction services to both internal and external municipal clients.

John Tory, then mayor of the City of Toronto, noted that D’Andrea in his role had been “instrumental in improving the lives of Torontonians, leading complex initiatives including the Wet Weather Flow Master Plan, the award-winning Basement Flooding Protection Program, improvements to the Ashbridges Treatment Plant and other massive and innovative projects that have improved our city, its resilience and the quality of our environment.”

D’Andrea drove a transformation of the ECS team through strategic planning that addresses the challenges of a growing population, aging infrastructure, traffic congestion and climate change. He forged strong collaborative relationships with elected officials, city staff and external agencies, as well as consulting-engineering and construction-industry partners.

Under his leadership, ECS's professional and technical staff ramped up the delivery of municipal capital projects to an incredible $1 billion annually.

D’Andrea’s work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2021 OPEA Engineering Medal for Management and the 2023 Municipal Engineers Association Award.

Before his appointment to ECS in 2013, he served as manager, water infrastructure asset management from 1998 to 2004 and director, water infrastructure management from 2004 to 2013 for the City of Toronto, and spent nearly a decade as a municipal specialist for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

A three-time graduate of Western University, D’Andrea earned a bachelor of science in mathematics in 1980, a bachelor of engineering science in civil engineering in 1984 and a master of engineering science in 1986.

“I have many fond memories of my time in Engineering at Western,” says D’Andrea. “Professor Mel Poucher, who was Chair of the Civil Engineering Department, tried to impress upon us in third year, the importance of developing strong communication skills, as he felt this was ever more important for a successful career as a professional engineer.”

“And who would have thought that the research I conducted on discharge plumes in a one metre cubed plexiglass tank in the Engineering Hydraulics Lab for my ES400 course and expanded upon for my Master’s, would serve as a foundation for the work undertaken to develop a plan to cleanup Toronto’s waterfront, and protect the drinking water source for municipalities across the north shore of Lake Ontario.”

As an active member of Western University’s Civil & Environmental Engineering Advisory Committee, he regularly returns to campus as a guest lecturer and panelist, inspiring the next generation of engineers.

“Looking back on my career, I have always had a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish and a strong passion for my work,” says D’Andrea.

“I consider myself to be a strong leader, developing and leading highly effective teams, motivating them to take on new challenges and breaking from convention to be at the leading edge of the industry.”

“Without question, the genesis of this drive, is deeply rooted in my experience and time spent in Western Engineering!”

Western Engineering congratulates Michael D’Andrea on his outstanding achievements. His leadership, vision and dedication to improving urban infrastructure and public service exemplify the values celebrated by the L.S. Lauchland Engineering Alumni Medal.


Michael D’Andrea will receive the L.S. Lauchland Engineering Alumni Medal at the 14th Annual Western Engineering Leaders’ Reception in Toronto on November 6th.