Geotechnical News • December 2018
21
Michel Aubertin.
ing both the state of the art and state
of the practice
”.
Lee Barbour
was mentioning
“in
addition to his outstanding research
contributions, he has been struck by
the energy and passion he pours into
team efforts. It does not matter if these
collaborative efforts are focused on
research, management, or techni-
cal society activities. Michel’s track
record is repeatedly marked by a com-
mitment to teams. Many people are
happy to ‘help’ but Michel has repeat-
edly demonstrated the commitment to
step up and lead
”
.
For
Ward Wilson
who knows him for
more than 25 years,
“Michel is truly
an extraordinary engineer, innovator,
educator, and champion of sustainabil-
ity in mining geotechnique
”, and Ward
could not think of a more deserving
individual for the Leggett Medal.
“His
contribution to the continued educa-
tion of highly qualified personnel and
the advancement of technology and
sustainability in mining have had a
profound impact on the Canadian
engineering community
”.
Personally
,
I could tell you many
anecdotes, but I will contain myself. I
have had the privilege to be exposed
to a significant part of his contribu-
tions. As an example, a point quite
remarkable and characteristic of his
doctoral work which became one of
his trademarks through his career, is
his profound knowledge and respect
of the available literature, which he
always made a point of honor to cite
appropriately (if not profusely).
I would say his contribution is at three
levels:
His scientific contributions
which are
well known and recognized.
The industrial partnerships
. He has
contributed to an increased connec-
tivity with the mining industry, and,
contributed greatly in developing a
community of experts and practitioners
with collaboration spanning over 25
years.
His impact on people
. His third and
possibly greatest legacy, is the impact
he has had on more than a generation
of professionals, researchers, practitio-
ners, whom he interested to mine waste
management, rock mechanics, hydro-
geology, soil mechanics and geochem-
istry. This one is quite important and
remarkable. Beyond the larger than life
person that we know who contributed
so much to his field(s), there is this
particularly charming, simple and good
person. Michel has always shown a
great sense of ethics and a profound
respect for his students. I cannot count
the number of persons, he truly gave
a chance in life. These students who
wanted to find their way as long, as
they were willing to put the effort and
contribute irrespective of where they
came from and their background, he
would find some funding and time, and
give them a chance.
Having said that, Michel is also a pas-
sionate person. He enjoys good food
with good wine. He is also not afraid to
share his opinion or his position on dif-
ferent topics. He can be quite passion-
ate on occasion, but his motivations are
always noble and driven by the desire
to improve the way things are done.
Au-delà de ses multiples accomplis-
sements, il a été une inspiration et
un mentor pour plusieurs personnes
incluant moi.
Pour toutes ces raisons, et bien plus,
c’est un honneur et un privilège
de vous présenter Michel Aubertin
comme récipiendaire de la Médaille
R. F. Legget. He is truly deserving of
this highest honour awarded by the
Canadian Geotechnical Society
Michel Julien
September 2018
2018 R.F. Legget Medal Award Acceptance Speech
Michel Aubertin, Professor Emeritus
École Polytechnique de Montréal
Dear Colleagues,
Chers collègues,
Je suis très reconnaissant pour cette
grande distinction professionnelle
qui m’est aujourd’hui octroyée par la
Société canadienne de géotechnique.
I am truly pleased to have been
selected as the recipient of the
Robert
F. Legget Medal
from the Canadian
Geotechnical Society. This is a great
honour and it will be a privilege to
have my name included in the same
list as the previous Legget Medal win-
ners.
I would like to thank
Suzanne
Lacasse
, from the Norwegian Geo-
technical Institute, for nominating me;
Michel Julien
, from Agnico Eagle
Mines, for introducing me at the
GeoEdmonton 2018 Conference for
this award; and those who wrote very
kind words in their support letters. I
also wish to express my sincere grati-
tude to the selection committee for this
prestigious recognition.
CANADIAN GEOTECHNICAL SOCIETY NEWS
