Metsoc Brimacombe Award

MetSoc Brimacombe Award

In January 1998, the MetSoc Board of Directors created this award to honour the memory of Professor J. Keith Brimacombe who was an innovative giant in the field of materials process engineering.

THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2026 IS OPEN The deadline is February 10, 2026.

2025 Recipient

Sa Ge

Process Metallurgy Specialist, Hatch

Dr. Sa Ge (Gesa) is a Process Metallurgy Specialist at Hatch, where he has spent the past ten years supporting major metals projects and developments across North America, Asia, and Africa. His work focuses on advancing low-emission and energy-efficient processes—particularly in the iron and steel sector—by integrating applied research, technology innovation, project delivery excellence, and strategic analysis to support a lower-emission steel value chain. He is one of the main developers of Hatch’s Electric Smelting Furnace (ESF) technology for sustainable iron and steel production.

Dr. Gesa earned both his B.Eng. (2011) and Ph.D. (2015) in Materials Engineering from McGill University, where he conducted graduate research under the supervision of Prof. Roderick I. L. Guthrie and Dr. Mihaiela Isac. In addition to his role at Hatch, he serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, where he contributes to teaching and the supervision of aspiring metallurgists and engineers.

He has authored over 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, and patents. Dr. Gesa is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario and a long-time engaged member of CIM-MetSoc. In 2016, he was selected as one of the inaugural recipients of the MetSoc Emerging Professionals Development program.

2024 – Jing Liu2023 – Yu Zou2022 – L. Tafaghodi
2021 – W. Liu2020 – P. Lind2019 – H. Zurob
2018 – J. Song2017 – S. Mostaghel2016 – K. Chattopadhyay
2015 – M. Barati2014 – A. Phillion2013 – E. Asselin
2012 – L. Bichler2011 – M. Brochu2010 – P. Coursol
2009 – P. Wanjara  

Criteria

The Brimacombe award is to recognize early-career MetSoc member achievers who have made noteworthy contributions in any of the scientific and technological disciplines relevant to MetSoc.

Preference will be given to an individual who has demonstrated the ability to collaborate with all parts of the metallurgical and materials community.

All nominees must have a minimum of three years of membership in the Institute and be in good standing.  The contributions and impact must be to the benefit of Canada.

There is no cash prize for this award.

MetSoc Pyrometallurgy Best Paper Award

The nominees of this award must be individuals working for a Canadian academic, industrial, or government organization, who are within the first 10 years of their professional career at the time of nomination.

 

The award nomination program is closed for 2025.

 

The nominator has 5 steps to complete.  The documents can be uploaded to our online nomination system.

  1. Fill in the contribution box – a summary of why this person is being nominated (see item 3) with any information listed above that is not included in the CV.
  2. Fill in the citation – in 15 words this person is being recognized for.
  3. The CV should contain the items listed below. If the CV does not contain these items, consider adding them to the Contribution box and letter statement:
    1. Major contributions relevant to the award
    2. A record of at least five relevant patents and/or papers authored by the nominee plus a count of other patents and papers
    3. A service history related to CIM/MetSoc if applicable
    4. A record of the years of membership in CIM
    5. A listing of volunteer activities if applicable
    6. A listing of awards previously received
    7. A listing of academic achievements
  4. One written letter by the nominator on letterhead describing in full length why this candidate is nominated for the award.
  5. A minimum of 3 Endorsers (outside of company colleagues) – these endorsers simply must support with an online approval click, however, a supporting letter is also welcomed and encouraged.
Start Nomination

General Policies

  • A nominator can put forward only one candidate up for nomination in each award category.
  • No Member of the Executive Board shall be nominated for a MetSoc administered Award while in office. The nomination will be held until the term on the executive board is expired.
  • Each award shall be made from time to time as circumstances warrant with no more than one award recipient per year.
  • The nominators are responsible for verifying that all conditions of the award have been satisfied and all procedures were properly followed in making the nomination.
  • All nominations will stand for three years.
  • The adjudication of the award shall be made by the MetSoc Awards Committee of The Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM.
  • The award shall be presented at the Awards Banquet of the Conference of Metallurgists.
  • Posthumous awards will be allowed only if the candidate has already been shortlisted.
  • Self-nominations are not permitted.