Get to know F&S: Lambert Adlam

As a control technician, Lambert Adlam harnesses his passion for engineering to create comfortable environments for students, faculty, and campus members.

With over 26 years of experience in building automation and controls, Lambert Adlam has worked as a control technician with U of T’s automation and control group for 13 years. 

Maintaining a diverse range of systems, from pneumatics and hydraulics to steam, Adlam and his team oversee more than 6,000 digital direct controls (DDC) and programmable logic controls (PLC) across the St. George campus. 

Adlam has always enjoyed taking objects apart and putting them back together.  

As a child, he was fascinated with the intricate Johnny 5 robot from the movie Short Circuit. Adlam was especially inspired by the workmanship behind creating the sophisticated puppet—which ultimately inspired him to pursue a career in engineering.  

An average day for Adlam starts with a group meeting at the office where each team member is assigned their daily tasks. These typically involve wiring up control panels using engineering drawings, installing new controls instrumentation equipment on existing systems, and inspecting malfunctioning valves to determine whether to repair them, rebuild them, calibrate them, or simply verify their functionality.  

The automation and control group at U of T performs a wide range of specialized work. Adlam particularly enjoys the diversity of the technology he troubleshoots. 

“The control systems that we deal with range from the 1940s to completely brand-new ones,” says Adlam. “There’s always an opportunity to learn something.”  

Adlam worked at U of T briefly in 1991, where he built projects for various faculties as an electronics engineering technologist. His favourite was an Ocean-Bottom Magnetron, an experimental device used to explore the ocean floor.  

He returned to U of T as a control technician in 2011.  

“Ultimately, I am working for the students,” says Adlam. “My goal is to provide them with the best experience possible by maintaining a comfortable environment.” 

Adlam recently earned a service excellence award at the Operations and Real Estate Partnerships (OREP) awards ceremony. When asked about the recognition, he chuckles. “I was genuinely surprised; I was in the midst of enjoying a burger.”  

He is quick to credit the hard work of his team members: Sean, Gus, Mark, Peter, Chris, and Michelt. “I simply come in like the rest of the team, with the goal of delivering the best quality work.”  

Michelt Carvalho, manager of building automation and operations, enthusiastically acknowledges Adlam’s valuable contributions. “He stands out by staying calm in tough situations, fostering a strong team spirit, and promoting collaboration across departments. His proactive approach involves diving into complex issues, exploring innovative solutions, and tapping into his team’s combined knowledge— a true role model of collaboration and excellence in action.” 

Outside of work, Adlam enjoys spending time with his family. He once rode his unicycle from Scarborough to Mississauga.