In Canada’s centennial year, 13 civil engineering graduates from Ontario’s newest public university entered into an unsuspecting world to compete for internship positions against those who graduated from older, more prestigious institutions.
In 2017, six members of the class returned to campus to rekindle friendships, poke fun at their convincing old men disguises, and offer the following observations and suggestions to those who are following in their footsteps.
Engineers are the primary life-support providers for the seven billion messy people crowded on planet Earth. They rely upon us to put science into action to satisfy their rapacious needs and to accommodate the estimated one billion newbies added to this planet every 12 to 15 years.
Their expectation is that these needs be satisfied not only quickly, safely and affordably, but sustainably as well. Welcome to our busy profession. Our effectiveness as engineering practitioners depends upon our ability to research, develop and apply the newest scientific discoveries and technological advances wisely.
— Published on Jan 5th, 2021
Daniel Green has been recognized by the University of Windsor for his “superior performance” in teaching.
Dr. Green, a professor in the Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering Department, was awarded a Medal of Excellence in Teaching during the university’s 13th annual Celebration of Teaching Excellenceon on Nov. 21.
“Dr. Green’s work helps people to develop new and improved products and provides them with a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” says a faculty colleague of Green’s.
— Published on Dec 23rd, 2020
On his daily walk over to a sewage contaminated lake in India where he was conducting his master’s research on water quality, Dylan Verburg would be greeted by three familiar faces.
They didn’t speak English, but the siblings who lived on the same compound would smile as they followed Verburg around, proudly show him their cartwheel skills and even volunteered to row a boat for him while he worked on implementing a water treatment system in the lake they lived by. The encounters were quickly becoming the highlight of Verburg’s five-month stint contributing to an international research project funded by the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-impacts).
“I have always loved being around kids and quickly built a connection with them,” the environmental engineering graduate student says about his recently orphaned friends, Guddu, 14, Kishan, 9, and Maya, 8, who also happen to be undocumented citizens. “But it really hurt knowing that these little ones weren’t getting an education and the future for illiterate individuals in India isn’t promising.”
— Published on Jan 5th, 2021
The landscape of the Canadian job market has changed and engineers like Jennifer Côté are preparing themselves for today’s competitive work environment by expanding their expertise.
Côté is one of 19 working professionals who took advantage of the University of Windsor’s weekend Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program and graduated in its inaugural class this fall. As a senior manager of corporate planning at ValiantTMS in Windsor and mother of three, the program was an ideal fit for Côté, who says each MEM course is tailored to real-life working situations that arise in the workplace.
“The students are all working professionals with backgrounds in engineering, which simulates real working conditions and allows for more dynamic learning through group discussion and brainstorming,” says Côté. “Because many of us come from diverse industries, we see similar and different issues arising in real-life situations – it makes for a great learning experience.”
In 2016, the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Engineering and Odette School of Business partnered to launch Ontario’s first weekend MEM degree. The two-year program allows working professionals to enhance their technical expertise with business and managerial skills without interrupting their careers.
— Published on Jan 5th, 2021
Engineering professor Waguih ElMaraghy was honoured as a founding member of the Design Theory and Methodology Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at its conference last week in Quebec City.
Dr. ElMaraghy, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering, also received a pin recognizing his 30 years of involvement with the group.
— Published on Sep 5th, 2018
The exciting part of working on a project redesigning the intersection of California Avenue and Wyandotte Street is the possibility of seeing it implemented, says Emma Teskey.
A fourth-year civil engineering student, she was part of a group that suggested several changes to the pavement and traffic signalling systems that would make the crossing safer for pedestrians and smoother for vehicles.
It was one of more than 60 projects displayed by graduating engineering students during Capstone Design Demonstration Day, Friday in the Centre for Engineering Innovation.
Teskey and her teammates — Abigayle Diemer, Kailee Dickson, Curtis Lanoue, and Sarah Zaarour — suggested altering the traffic signals so that cars and trucks are stopped in all directions while pedestrians cross, a system known as the “pedestrian scramble.” They also proposed adding wide white stripes to the crosswalk pavement and relocating a transit stop so buses do not block the intersection.
— Published on Jan 7th, 2021
There’s more to engineering than designing bridges and cars.
“We want to show people that engineers don’t just design things, they solve the problems of the world,” says Larysa Hyzka, a fourth-year civil engineering student at the University of Windsor.
Hyzka teamed with classmate Eleane Paguaga Amador to share this message with the public by creating and hosting I Look Like an Engineer, a community outreach event that ended up landing the pair provincial recognition.
Paguaga Amador and Hyzka invited Windsor-Essex community leaders and students to the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation to discuss why they chose to pursue engineering and what the professions means to them.
“Story after story, we heard from speakers who believed their highest potential could be reached through engineering because it allowed them to make the lives of others easier,” says Paguaga Amador, a third-year industrial engineering student.
— Published on May 11th, 2018
Christina Ure is completing her Master of Applied Science in Environmental Engineering.With a foundation in environmental engineering, Christina Ure knows the future is hers to build.
That’s because her degree from the University of Windsor makes her adept in the valuable art of solving problems.
“As an environmental engineer, we do a lot of problem-solving work for some of the world’s biggest issues,” Ure said. “That gives us a really good base for other fields – whether that’s business, law or medicine.”
— Published on Jan 9th, 2018
