USask Engineering Spring 2021 Graduation Award Winners

Hometown: Annaheim, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
I enjoy the blend of physics and electronics that we learn about. It's really cool learning things in a class and applying it or building on it in the future, especially some of those buzzword concepts like quantum physics or nanotechnology. We get to learn what that really means! 

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
Long nights in the Physics lounge doing homework with my friends. Doing it alone probably would've been much quicker, but it was much more enjoyable laughing and joking with everyone and bonding through the stress! 

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
Time really whips by, so make sure you take time to enjoy life along the way! Hanging out with friends and doing activities I loved really made the work that much easier. 

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am currently working with SuperDARN Canada at USask, as a Radar Computer Engineer-In-Training. The group uses radars to study phenomena in the ionosphere, such as the aurora. 

(Each year USask awards silver medals to the two students with the highest academic standing upon graduation from a bachelor's program.)

Hometown: Regina, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
The thing I enjoy most about mechanical engineering is the wide variety of subjects covered. Learning about all of these different subjects, ranging from fluid mechanics to engineering materials, allows for a wide range of career paths going forward after the degree is obtained.

What's a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
A great memory from my years in the College of Engineering is testing out the tennis ball launching devices we created in our second-year design course. It was quite fun to see all of the different designs pitted against each other in a friendly accuracy competition in the Hardy Lab.

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you don’t understand a problem or concept. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or inability, but a sign of commitment and dedication to learning.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am planning on returning to the University of Saskatchewan to start my Master of Science degree in the fall. The focus of my research will be in computational fluid dynamics.

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
I like that we are a smaller group. It's easy to get to know your peers and professors very well, and this helps the program feel like a community. 

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
All the times spent working on labs, assignments, etc. with friends in the library, or just chatting before or between lectures. 

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
It can be very easy to get lost in the assignments, labs, midterms that get piled on every year, and only focusing on schoolwork is also a very easy way to be miserable. Try to find balance between school, clubs, hobbies, spending time with friends that works for you and your goals. 

What are your post-graduation plans?
I'm looking forward to starting my career.

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
I think environmental engineering is interesting because it has a lot of variety and provides opportunities to work in different industries and fields. As someone who enjoys being outdoors, environmental engineering allows me to work outside through field work. In my experience, environmental engineering requires working in multi-disciplinary teams, which provides different learning experiences for all team members.

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
A good memory from my time at the College of Engineering was completing my capstone project, where we designed a constructed wetland for stormwater management on campus at the University of Saskatchewan. Designing a solution that provided stormwater management as well as educational and recreational benefits was a great learning opportunity. It was also rewarding to win the Best Industry Design at the 2021 SES Undegraduate Design Showcase as a result of our hard work.

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
Never be afraid to ask for help from classmates, professors, or others. Knowing when to ask for help ensures that you don't fall behind and reinforces your understanding of a topic. 

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am currently working in the field of contaminated site remediation and reclamation. 

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
What I enjoy the most about civil engineering is the variety of jobs available to the discipline and the opportunities for both sitework and desk work. The diversity of roles in all phases of a project ensures that one can never be bored. In design, the wide range of possible materials and construction methods creates an enjoyable and evolving challenge.

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
Some of the best memories from my undergraduate degree were laughing and talking with my friends in the Engineering library.

What are your of advice orencouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
My advice is to get involved in activities and clubs outside of classes. You will make connections, have a great time, and gain valuable experience and knowledge.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I will continue working at BBK Engineering Saskatoon Ltd. as an Engineer-in-Training learning structural consulting.

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Describe your discipline in three to five words.
Innovation. Cutting-edge technology. Sustainability.

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
The opportunity to present my research at the WISE National Conference in Toronto and to organize the largest professional conference, IEEE Illumination, hosted by the USask IEEE Student Branch in 2020.

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
I would say don’t consider an engineering degree as just an educational degree. You need to approach it with the mindset of a comprehensive experience that will assist you to grow as a person, amplify your ideas, and develop your technical and soft skills. With this mindset, you are more likely to seek the right opportunities for yourself and make the most out of your degree.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I have started my career at SaskPower in the Transmission and Industrial Services Department as an Engineer-In-Training.

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
I enjoy coding and learning about how the tech is designed. 

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
Working in the labs with friends. 

Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
Manage your time wisely and ask profs for help when you need it. 

What are your post-graduation plans?
Work in the industry. 

Hometown: Outlook, Saskatchewan

What do you enjoy about your discipline?
What I enjoy most about chemical engineering is that it challenges you and has so much diversity in class offerings. I really love the idea that your career can take you in many different directions and that you can find your passion, whether it is in agriculture, oil and gas, mining, pharmaceuticals, or food processing.

What’s a good memory that you will take with you from your time at the College of Engineering?
Other than learning from wonderful professors, doing very interesting labs, and working with other students in the library, I think a great memory that stands out to me is completing our capstone project completely online. With the help of our professors and our industry contacts, my design group members and I worked on designing a process to extract and purify anthocyanin pigments from sour cherry pomace. Our project was the Runner-up Best Industry Project at the 2021 SES Undergraduate Design Showcase, which was very exciting after the numerous online meetings that went into creating something that we were very proud of.

What are your words of advice or encouragement for undergrads still working on their degrees?
My first words of advice to undergrads working on their degrees would be to find friends in your classes that have similar goals to you that you can collaborate with. My second piece of advice would be to be open to completing your degree in an unconventional way. During my third year, I completed an academic exchange at Trinity College Dublin, and it was an amazing experience and it definitely made me a better student.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I will be working as an Engineer-in-Training at the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill in British Columbia. As part of the EIT program at Paper Excellence, I will be rotating between mills to learn the different processes.