After graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras with a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering, Subramonian Shankar (MScEE'76) wanted to go on to do a master's degree. But in India in the 1970s, the $10 application fee for universities proved to be a roadblock. Thankfully, UNB did not require a fee to apply in those days.
This was the story Mr. Shankar told as he was inducted into UNB's Engineering Wall of Fame on September 28th. "I took the chance and applied to UNB and thankfully they gave me a TA position. Without that, I would never have been able to attend. What I found when I came here was a supportive environment and kindness personified. The two years I spent in Fredericton were two of the best years of my life."
Mr. Shankar is Chairman of the Board of American Megatrends Inc., the highly successful international technology company he co-founded in 1985 and of which he served as President and CEO for 34 years. He inspired AMI’s commitment to innovation, resulting in a growing collection of patents, awards and accolades. Under his leadership, the company evolved into a global enterprise that supplies hardware, software and utilities.
An accomplished entrepreneur, he recently embarked on a new venture, AmZeta Technologies, of which he is founder and president.
Mr. Shankar believes in the importance of giving back to the community that helped him reach where he is today. He has created a charitable organization, Lakshan Foundation, whose charter is to contribute to worthy causes. He serves the foundation as President.
"I was so positively impacted by my time in Fredericton and UNB that I wanted to give back in a way that had the most impact for students."
A strong believer in the importance of education, Mr. Shankar has been a benefactor both to IIT Madras, where he helped to fund a new building for Computer Science and Engineering known as the Subramonian Shankar Block, and to UNB, where he generously supported the creation of the Shankar Computer Science Laboratory with a $1M gift.
Mr. Shankar certainly fits the bill for the Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award, and his gift will inspire many more who follow him. UNB’s president and vice-chancellor Dr Paul J. Mazerolle said, “Mr. Shankar’s generous gift of this laboratory is an absolute game changer for students and our computer science program. A gift of this magnitude, from an industry leader of Mr. Shankar’s stature, is a huge vote of confidence."
