Each year, a top student graduating from the Lassonde School of Engineering is selected to receive the Bergeron Medal in recognition of their academic and entrepreneurial achievements in the  (BEST) program at 91ÑÇÉ«.
Mitchell Palmer shows off his BEST award
This year, the  has been awarded to Mitchell Palmer who has just graduated with a degree in geomatics engineering. Palmer was recognized for his academic achievements and participation in innovative and challenging projects such as the first Engineers Without Borders offered by Lassonde in conjunction with Technion Institute of Technology in Israel.
While studying at Lassonde, Palmer participated in both and the 2019  in Calgary, AB. In addition to these activities, Palmer undertook research with geomatics engineering Professor Baoxin Hu where he focused on artificial intelligence and remote sensing.
He is also one of the first three students to complete the new – which involves completing relevant courses at Lassonde, the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School –and winning a pitch competition. This experience Palmer said helped him prepare for his successful capstone project where he developed an automated functioning machine learning application for identifying hydro poles and other road assets.
The program is a unique interdisciplinary initiative offered at 91ÑÇÉ« and supported by Doug Bergeron, a 91ÑÇÉ« alumnus and successful technology entrepreneur (Verifone). BEST offers in-class, experiential and international opportunities to help develop Canada’s next generation of technology entrepreneurs, through a combination of curricular and co-curricular activities and real-world experiences to aspiring student-entrepreneurs.