CenTiRe Honors Eric Pierce of Smithers as the 2025 Industry Mentor of the Year

CenTiRe is proud to announce Eric Pierce of Smithers as the recipient of our 2025 Industry Mentor of the Year Award. Now in its fourth year, this recognition celebrates exemplary industry mentors whose engagement, expertise, and collaboration significantly elevate CenTiRe’s research efforts.

This award acknowledges individuals who provide exceptional contributions and support to active research projects, including expert guidance, interpretation of experimental results, and meaningful direction that strengthens project outcomes. Nominations were submitted by researchers from current projects, recently completed projects, and those in no-cost extension status—highlighting the broad and sustained impact Eric has had across the center.

Eric’s contributions this year stood out not only for their technical depth, but also for the clarity, consistency, and real-world context he provided to our research teams. One group of researchers he supported shared the following testimonial:

“His contributions were pivotal to our project’s success. He supplied essential snow–tire traction data that enabled accurate CAD generation and FEM model validation. His expert guidance improved simulation accuracy and ensured our models reflected real-world performance, ultimately strengthening the rigor and relevance of our research.”

Eric’s engagement exemplifies the partnership-driven model that allows university researchers and industry experts to co-create impactful, application-ready innovations. His commitment to mentorship reflects the best of CenTiRe’s collaborative mission.

CenTiRe also proudly recognizes the other 2025 Industry Mentor of the Year nominees, each of whom made meaningful contributions to their respective research teams:

• Toshio Tada, Sumitomo Tire

• Jan Terziyski, Nexen Tire

• Lawrence Rittman, Triangle Tire

Please join us in congratulating Eric Pierce, the fourth honoree to receive this distinction, and in celebrating the outstanding dedication of all our 2025 nominees. CenTiRe extends our deepest appreciation for their leadership, expertise, and ongoing support of our research community.