Describe your time at the School of Engineering so far.

My time at UBC Okanagan would be, simply put, absolutely amazing. When I first went into engineering I didn’t actually know where I wanted to end up. I just knew that engineering was for me just based off of talking with different individuals and I really knew I wanted to be here. What I didn’t know was that there were so many opportunities for engineers. I came in here just wanting to sit down and study but really talking with different individuals led me to some various amazing opportunities. I’ve gone all over the world started my international career over in Denmark in Copenhagen and then went all the way back down over to Prince George British Columbia. Now I’m back here finishing my studies, I am hoping to talk a little bit more about energy management and what that means for efficiency in the future.

How did you get involved with the Coordinated International Experience?

I knew that once I saw the CIE program I really wanted to be involved with it. I really didn’t understand where I wanted to go until I looked more at the universities themselves; what they could offer me. What that meant in particular was I saw that Denmark was a leader in renewable energy sources, and I really wanted to be a part of that so I went to Denmark. I chose that specifically for its courses, and at that time I was taking seven masters-level courses which was definitely over the recommended load but I definitely learned a lot that I could bring back to my studies.

What was the experience like?

Amazing.  It’s great to be home. It’s always great to put yourself out there and really be part of a different environment so that’s how you know if you’re actually going to succeed in your specific industry. Although it was really scary to go all the way over to Denmark leaving friends and family behind it was really a chance for me to spread my wings, and really see what I was capable of. I have done things there where I never knew was possible. I decided that I wanted to take all these different courses and really branched out in industrial design as well as energy systems. I did a competition that was a 24-hour hackathon where we hacked world issues, so it wasn’t really hackathon, but my team and I won first place there in our competition as well. I also got to meet new people, which allowed me to really understand different perspectives. In Canada, you only occasionally get to explore international opportunities but when you’re over there you really get to immerse yourself into a different culture.  To be part of this new environment I knew when I first got there everybody had an accent and I was noticing my Canadian accent and that was definitely an eye-opener if you will. Just being a part of a nation and a university that has such a great reputation it was really awesome to be able to branch out and talk to different people as a Canadian. One example in particular, it was five degrees outside and I wasn’t cold so I was wearing a t-shirt and then somebody came over to me and they’re like “where are you from that you’re wearing a t-shirt outside it’s so cold.” As soon as I said Canada, they said “oh okay.” That was really, really funny.

You weren’t just involved with CIE, you started co-op immediately afterwards.  What was that like?

My first co-op was over in Prince George. When I started I had no idea what to expect. It was definitely challenging putting myself forward into a new environment. I didn’t know if I had the qualifications for the job. I didn’t know if I would be able to handle the stress of working four days a week whereas in Denmark it was more condensed in your learning opportunity. But in that time I was able to learn things I never knew. I was able to be a part of different projects that had real-world impacts. Just learning all of the knowledge related to energy management systems really allowed me to put myself forward for my next co-op. Since my first day at the School of Engineering, you hear the term ‘tuum est’ (it is yours), and people don’t really understand what that is until you get involved with the community and see what opportunities lie in front of you being a part of the CIE community as well as co-op. It really allowed me to see a more holistic image of what an engineer actually is because I know they keep telling us that engineering isn’t just math and numbers but that doesn’t really hit you until you actually see that with open eyes.  So being a part of both programs as interesting as that was it really brought a whole new meaning to my degree in engineering as I really found what my niche is as well. It also gave me a glimpse into the future, and reinforced my interest in the subject-matter.

You have been involved in many extra-curricular activities as well including a short-trip back to Canada for a competition.  Tell us about that.

When I was in Denmark, I traveled back to Canada for a weekend to compete in the Canadian Engineering Competition in Waterloo, Ontario.  My partner and I were part of the impromptu debate stream, and I like to say that we turned out pretty well. It was definitely a unique experience just being able to mingle with students from all over the country, and being able to gather their stories as well as compete with them in a very healthy sense. If I remember correctly, we tied fifth. Next year, we hope to  bring home gold.

How did your experience/studies at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering prepare you for your current role?

Engineering provides you with a problem-solving skillset that really enables you to breakdown and take on almost any challenge.  While it might be focused on math and science, it can easily be applied to anything.  While I don’t think anything really prepares you for being an entrepreneur, the idea of making the best decision with the information you have is rooted heavily in all of our engineering principles.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time at UBC Okanagan?

I most often think back to the large group projects we did.  This is where we pulled the late hours, pushed past the challenges and adversity, and managed to make some lifelong friends. Plus all those weekends up at Big White made our time very enjoyable.

Is there one class and/or prof in particular that really inspired you?

No, nothing in particular.  I think each class presents itself at different times of your career, and your appreciation for them really peaks when you have a real-world problem to solve and apply your knowledge to.

Did you envision starting your own business when you were at UBC Okanagan?

Starting my own business didn’t even cross my mind while I was in school.  I always thought I would be working in manufacturing or product design.  I guess I just found a way to manufacture and design the products I really wanted to see in the market.  It just meant going out and finding a way to do it on my own.

The new Manufacturing program ,now offered at the School of Engineering, would have been an ideal fit for me had it been offered when I was there.

What does the future hold for you?

I really don’t know…  I ended up here by solving a problem that was interesting and important to me.  This could mean new businesses, or even going back to a more traditional engineering role.  As long as it is interesting and pushing me to learn and grow, it could be anything.

How did your experience/studies at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering prepare you for your current role?

In my current role as a Controls Engineer at USNR, I rely not only the fundamentals of electrical theory, but the ability to assess a problem and reason a workable solution. UBCO has provided me with the theoretical knowledge to thrive in an ever advancing technological industry, and in completing my degree, I built a work ethic that I am proud of. I was fortunate to have small class sizes at UBCO which made the lectures more personable and interesting. UBCO offered various courses in digital and analog control theory that directed me to pursue a career in industrial automation.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time at UBC Okanagan?

One of my favourite memories is winning first place in the second year hovercraft competition. This project was both fun and a great introduction to applying engineering principles to create a functional item. It also tested our ability to work in a team environment.

I was attending UBCO while the engineering building was being constructed. I remember in 4^th year when the building was completed and we had our first access to the lecture halls and labs. I was appreciating the modern construction and great study space.

Is there one class and/or faculty member in particular that really inspired you?

I have great appreciation for all my professors and the effort they put in. There are two classes that contributed to my path into automation that stand out, Dr. Wilson Eberle in Power Electronics and Motor Theory, and Dr. Homayoun Najjaran for his courses in Control Theory.

What does the future hold for you?

Controls Engineering is always pushing the boundaries of new technology which keeps this industry exciting. I get to travel the world and implement the work I’ve done. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

A lot of people would describe MIT as the pinnacle of engineering and science in North America – how did your experiences at UBC Okanagan prepare you for graduate studies at MIT?
MIT is a pretty amazing place to be–and surprisingly, it’s about the same size in terms of student population as UBC Okanagan. I think having around 10,000 students is sort of a sweet spot–a great size to be able to run into people you know on campus and still meet new people every day. The community at UBCO definitely helped prepare me for grad school– even though when I first came to MIT, I felt way out of my depth. Taking graduate-level courses that I had practically none of the pre-requisites for (as my bachelor’s was in mechanical engineering, whereas my master’s was in computer science) was tough, to say the least. Fortunately, though, students, staff and faculty at UBCO provided an academic rigor and community of support, preparing me for a challenge. Some of my fondest memories at UBCO are of working on tough projects with friends late into the night, and finally cracking that last problem right before the deadline. I remember once designing a motor for a group project in a way that the professor thought would be near-impossible–or at least very difficult–to implement. At around 3:30 am, four and a half hours before we had to present our work, we also thought it might be impossible. But we didn’t give up, and against all odds, our motor started spinning right before the deadline. At UBCO, I learned not to give up, as well as the value of supportive friends, faculty, and staff. The same is true at MIT. Without the support of my community–back home as well as in Boston–I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m incredibly thankful for those who have mentored and been there for me.

How have your studies evolved since you started at MIT?
They’ve changed a lot! I originally applied to MIT thinking I would continue the autonomous vehicle research I did at UBCO. After visiting MIT, though, I realized I had the freedom to choose any area where my interests aligned with a professor’s. One of my favourite things at UBCO was teaching younger students how to code. There’s nothing like watching others solve problems in their communities through programming–especially when they’ve never programmed before! So when I heard Dr. Hal Abelson was doing this through his research at MIT, I asked to join his lab. For my master’s, I developed an interface within MIT App Inventor (an open source website lowering the barrier to entry to programming) to empower young learners to develop their own conversational agents–computer programs that can talk to humans. Students created recycling-helper agents, memory-helper agents, and even apps to help people living with deafness use Amazon Alexa.

Now, for my PhD, I’m developing a conversational agent to lower the barrier to entry to programming even further. So, for example, someone might ask the agent, “Make my robot dance while playing my favourite song”, and through the conversation that follows, the user and agent will collaboratively program the robot to do so. My hope is that eventually, everyone will be able to program and access the problem-solving potential it provides.

How different has your experience been between MIT and UBC Okanagan?
Like I said before, when I first came to MIT, I thought it would be huge–it’s at the forefront of so much of research–so I was surprised to find that it’s a similar size to UBCO in terms of number of students. I love the tight-knit feel, and being able to find someone you know at almost any school event. One difference, though, is the ratio of graduate to undergraduate students. At MIT, the majority of students are graduates and it seems like everyone is investigating some fascinating new technology or theory.

One thing I love about MIT is that, in my experience, no matter how big your “sigma”–how much you differ from the norm–you are accepted. There are so many unique interests here–we have clubs about the science of creating chocolate, how to lightsaber duel, and even a Canadian club. Although, now that I think about it, some of the clubs at UBCO were also pretty unique–people can’t believe that I used to be a part of a “concrete toboggan” club!

What was it like crossing the stage at MIT to accept your MASc?
That’s actually a funny story–at MIT, before crossing the stage, we walk around one of the fields dressed in our graduation gowns. (I think it’s so that friends and family can take photos, but I’m honestly not sure.) As I was walking, one of my shoes broke, and in true MIT-fashion, my friends banded together to engineer it back into working shape. Unfortunately, though, it fell back apart right before I was about to cross the stage, so I ended up walking across barefoot! They got a pretty good photo of it too. (It was all good though–many of the MIT undergrads go shoeless around campus, so I fit in well!)

All things considered (including the shoe mishap), it felt pretty surreal walking the stage. It was difficult transitioning from an undergraduate mechanical engineering degree to a graduate computer science degree. The courses were tough, and I didn’t know much about the subjects–especially at the graduate level. I honestly wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish. With the support of friends and family, though, I passed the technical qualifying exams and completed my thesis (and made it to the stage without completely shredding the soles of my (very bare) feet!) The journey wasn’t easy, but I’m incredibly thankful for the experience and all the support!

You’ve decided to pursue a PhD – how do you anticipate your PhD studies to differ from your MASc?
I talked a bit about how my research will differ–moving from a visual programming system (App Inventor) to a voice-based system for AI and computer science democratization–but in terms of the studies themselves, it will involve less coursework, and more focused research and development. One thing I love about doing research is the opportunity to attend conferences and learn from people from around the world, and I think I’ll get to do this even more at the PhD level.

You still keep in contact with the UBC Okanagan, the SOE and faculty here – why is that important to you?
I grew and learned a ton while at UBCO. The faculty and staff there had incredible impact on the trajectory of my life–for instance, if it wasn’t for Renee Leboe reaching out to me about potentially joining the SOE, I wouldn’t have even considered engineering! Same goes for Dr. Najjaran, who inspired me to consider grad school. I am so thankful for the people I met there and glad I can stay in contact with them.

Although you are just starting your PhD, do you have a clearer vision of what you hope to accomplish when you are done?

Beyond developing a conversational programming agent and finishing my dissertation, I hope that my research inspires others to use technology to solve problems they care about. Being able to program has given me a great advantage in a technology-filled world, and I hope to empower others in the same way.

What inspired you to go into Engineering?

When I was a teenager, I remember visiting a civil engineer who owned a large successful construction company, and it made an impression. I also enjoyed working on the farm. As a result of those experiences, I decided I wanted to work on large construction sites. Engineering seemed to offer a great challenge and opened the door to opportunities in construction. Growing up on a farm provided the foundation for basic construction knowledge and engineering complimented that experience by providing the technical tools required to be in management on a construction site.

Why did you choose the School of Engineering?

UBCO was a great choice for me because it was close to home (Kamloops) but still far enough away from home to provide the independence I wanted. I had some friends and an older brother that also attended UBCO. In addition, it was also a little more financially viable than other Engineering schools in BC.

What were some of your highlights of studying at UBC Okanagan?

Winning the 2nd year hovercraft competition!

Were there some faculty / courses that really had an impact on your experience?  If so, how/which ones?

No single course had a major impact on my experience but collectively they all did! I found that I would use bits and pieces of what I learnt from each course to help with problem-solving.

Upon graduation, did you plan on taking an entrepreneurial path?

Not right away but I knew at some point I definitely wanted to start my own business.

How did Woodward Cider Company begin?  What role did you play in its creation?

I worked for 5 years doing shift work in northern Manitoba before I decided to get a “normal” job at home in Kamloops. After working for a year in Kamloops, I still had the same unsatisfied feelings with my work that I felt in Manitoba. I was driving home from Whistler after a wicked mountain biking trip with my friends when the thought of going back to work on Monday set in. Going back to a job that I wasn’t happy to be at anymore. That was the tipping point for me wanting to start my own business. From then on I started reading entrepreneurial books non-stop and saving money. I was educating myself to become self-employed while not even knowing what my business was going to be. It was my girlfriend, Michelle, that got us into drinking cider. She has celiac disease which forces her to seek gluten free options. With time I really started to enjoy ciders and soon found myself buying them all the time. So there I was drinking lots of cider wondering what my big business idea could be. Hmmmm… It didn’t take long for the idea of building a cidery to start making sense. I reached out to my brothers to see if they would be interested in the idea which they both were. The rest is history.

What’s it like working with your brothers?  Do they have the same academic background as you?

Although Tim and Ben are not working full time in the business yet, they do participate in the company at a board level. It’s pretty cool.  We’ve come together, and really work quite well together despite how we used to treat each other growing up. Tim and Ben both attended UBCO’s School of Engineering; Ben took Civil (Class of 2010) while Tim took Mechanical (Class of 2017).

Was it important to you to stay in the Interior?  If so, why?

The interior is home for me. It’s where most of my family is. I always say you have to go away for a while to be able to appreciate what it has to offer. The people are friendly, the climate is favorable and the terrain offers unmatched beauty and plentiful outdoorsy activities.

Overall, what would you say is the impact that UBC Okanagan and the School of Engineering has had on you?

My education at UBCO has been an essential step to where I am today. Engineering provided the foundation and tools I needed to open the door to industry. From there I learned many different aspects of business including, human resources, finance, safety,business development, marketing, sales, operations, etc. It has been pretty handy having all this knowledge when starting my own business.

What’s on the horizon for the company, and for you?

We are in a scale up phase. The current short term goal is to get large enough to support my two brothers to enter the business. After that, the door is wide open for further business ventures; maybe a distillery or a meadery** – making booze is fun!

* A cidery is a facility were apples are crushed into apple juice for use in making apple ciders (source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider_mill)

** A meadery is a winery that produces honey wines or meads (source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadery)

Why did you choose UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering?

I received funding from the Malaysian government to pursue a PhD, and only universities in the world’s top 50 rankings can be selected. I initially didn’t consider North American universities because not many of my colleagues had those universities on their radar. But I took this as a challenge, and then shortlisted several North America universities, and cross-matched them with my area of study.

I completed my BSc in Civil Engineering from UTM, Malaysia & MEng major in geotechnical engineering from UMP, Malaysia. During my MEng, I completed an extensive literature review in soil stabilization of organic soil using clay additive (my core research area); I came across interesting articles from Dr. Sumi Siddiqua and her research group from UBC Okanagan. I was inspired by those articles, and reached out to Dr. Siddiqua.  After establishing a connection with Dr. Siddiqua and her group, I decided to pursue a PhD at UBC Okanagan. I joined her research group in September 2015.

Apart from the high-impact research, I found many positive reviews of Okanagan lifestyle such as how the community welcomes international students. With a young family, my husband and I did a great deal of research into the community where we were intending to settle.  We particularly liked the size of Kelowna compared to other larger urban areas/cities.

Describe your research?

The goal of Dr. Siddiqua’s research program is to develop new generation chemical-based binder technology for road subgrade stabilization. As part of the program, I worked on silty sand subgrades.

The majority of BC highways are laid on problematic soil called silty sand. Due to changes in moisture, the strength of such soils weakens during winter and spring season. This weakness can lead to deterioration of the flexible road pavement and results in the development of cracking, rutting and potholes. This soil can be improved by using locally-mined calcium bentonite with the addition of MgCl₂ and alkaline activator. The traditional chemical soil additive for soil stabilization are cement, fly ash or bitumen.  Our results to date are promising for the construction (specifically road infrastructure) industry. Collaborators for this project are the Ministry of Highways Kamloops, Pacific Bentonite Ltd. and, the Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Malaysia.  A part of my project was also supported by Eminence funds from the Green Construction Research and Training Centre.

What was it like working with Dr. Siddiqua?

I’m really thankful to Dr. Siddiqua for this research opportunity. Dr. Siddiqua created a great learning environment in her research group. Her lab is welcoming for female students, and students from diverse backgrounds.

My experience in the research group was excellent. Dr. Siddiqua encourages a highly collaborative working environment in her research lab with industry partners and researchers from other disciplines interacting and sharing ideas. She fosters hands-on experiences in the lab and provides informal interactions with lab members on a regular basis. There is a highly interactive weekly meeting in the research group, where all members present their progress and participate in discussions. Because of this, I was always focused and driven to perform the best in my work.

You have a young family, how did you juggle parenting and graduate studies?

When I registered as a PhD student at UBC Okanagan, which is a thousand miles away from home, I arrived with my husband and a 6 months old baby. It was quite a struggle during the early stage of my research, but my husband and I worked hard to establish strong time management, so I could fully concentrate on my research work and classes during my time at school. When I arrived at home, I’d switch gears as a wife and a mom. During my third year of studies, I delivered my second born. My time was very restricted with two kids, and again time management was crucial. It was not an easy task to juggle between parenting and studies. Still, as a student as well as a parent, I strived to be mentally and emotionally stable, and physically active. I’m not afraid to cry out loud; in fact, I always shared my problem with my close friends. I have to give credit to my husband for being so supportive and understanding.

Kelowna is a great place to raise kids.  We were fortunate to find a strong support system of young families in the area.  My husband and I are not only devoted to our workloads, but to ensuring that our children receive the love and attention they deserve.  I always dedicated my weekends to them.

Being a part of Dr. Siddiqua research group also helped me excel in my studies.  With weekly group meetings where research progress was tracked, I was provided with tools to plan and organize my work in an effective manner.  From my personal experience, it is invaluable to have a supervisor that really cares and understands your situation (especially as a student with a young family).

What does the future hold for you?

Having a PhD is the beginning of my new academic journey. It taught me how to be organized, and how to structure scientific research in order to ensure that it leads to significant contributions to the body of knowledge. It’s never-ending work.

I am really eager to share the knowledge that I have gained and deliver it to aspiring, future engineers.

I hope by completing my PhD that my children will be inspired to pursue a similar passion. One day if they feel like there is a something blocking their way, they can reflect on my successes (realizing that nothing is impossible), and find a way to overcome their obstacles.

We asked Dr. Muhammad’s supervisor, Sumi Siddiqua, what impressed her about Dr. Muhammad?

Munira is attentive, thoughtful and patience. These qualities helped her to complete her PhD on time with two young kids at home.

What made her such a good fit in your lab?

Munira joined my lab as she is passionate to learn advanced techniques related to road subgrade studies. She is a team player and a great mentor to new students in my lab. Most importantly, she is organized in research. She is respectful towards all the lab members and never hesitate to help others when needed. Interactive environment is essential for my lab and Munira played a key role to maintain such environment.

My lab plays a key role in promoting Women in Engineering on our campus.  Equally important, I actively hire students from diverse backgrounds. By training students in the areas of personal development, that includes valuing respectful interactions and communication skills, our lab encourages positive and progressive approaches to research. Munira checks out all those boxes. She came from UMP, Malaysia and she worked to become an excellent researcher.

What do you think the future holds for her?

Munira holds a faculty position in Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Malaysia. She is excited to join her university as she wants to establish her own research group at UMP. I know she will have a successful team in coming years and we will be collaborating in some exciting projects soon.

UBC Okanagan researchers from the Centre for Transportation and Land Use Research (CeTLUR) will present their research this week at the 2020 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.  The meeting features over 5-thousand presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops featuring topics related to the theme “A Century of Progress: Foundation for the Future.”

“This is the most reputed transportation conference engaging around 12,000 attendees every year, and it is important to present our findings to these major stakeholders from around the world,” explains Mahmudur Fatmi, assistant professor and principal investigator at the CeTLUR.  The CeTLUR focuses on modeling transportation and land-use interactions including urban system simulation, autonomous and shared mobility, activity-based modeling, transit planning, vehicular emissions, and road safety.

CeTLUR researchers will present five full papers, and Fatmi will preside over one session during the four-day event.  Topics will vary from modeling destination choice behavior for dockless bike sharing service users to developing methods for improved trip generation prediction, and modeling injury severity of road collisions.

“I am very proud of the contributions to the field that our group has achieved since arriving at UBC,” says Fatmi, “and we are excited to showcase our latest findings at TRB.”

Joining Fatmi in Washington will be graduate researchers Muntahith Orvin and Bijoy Saha.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 99th Annual Meeting will be held January 12–16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

The CeTLUR presentation schedule is below. If you are attending the event, please feel free to stop by.

On December 6^th the School of Engineering is hosting a memorial and vigil for 14 Not Forgotten from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in the EME Zero Level Foyer.

All are welcome.

The School will also be unveiling a 14 Not Forgotten plaque that will be permanently situated in the EME main foyer.

On December 6, 1989, an armed man walked into an engineering class at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. After forcing the men to leave, he stated that he hated feminists and began to shoot the women in the class. By the end of the shooting, he had killed 14 women and injured ten more. In response to this tragedy, Canada established December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women. This day serves as a reminder of the gender-based violence against women in Canada and around the world that persists today.

Hundreds of community members and prospective students toured the UBC Okanagan campus and the School of Engineering on Saturday.

The half-day event featured interactive demonstrations, lab tours, and information presentations about all four disciplines (civil, electrical, manufacturing and mechanical engineering) along with minors and options.

“Today is all about giving the community and students an inside look at what engineering is all about at UBC Okanagan,” explains Marie Reid, outreach coordinator for the School of Engineering.  “Community members and prospective students have an opportunity to speak one-on-one with current students, alumni, faculty and staff.”

According to Reid, who earned an undergraduate degree and MASc in mechanical engineering prior to working for the School, the event is aimed at highlighting all the academic, social and research opportunities available at UBC Okanagan.

The event included a student design team showcase presentation featuring undergraduate students from a variety of design teams discussing their design projects in interactive sessions.  The teams included UBCO Motorsports, Concrete Toboggan and UBCO Aero Club discussing their latest projects.

Female students in grades 10, 11, and 12 had the opportunity to participate in a women in engineering lunch where they networked and heard from a panel of current female engineering students.

“Every year this event gets bigger and bigger, and the interest from the community continues to grow,” says Reid, “we are thrilled to give our community a glimpse about what the School of Engineering is all about.”

For more information about School of Engineering outreach activities visit https://engineering.ok.ubc.ca/programs-admissions/outreach-programs/

Full album of images from the event are available at https://www.facebook.com/pg/UBCOSOE/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1258402667661529

Never one to let an opportunity pass him by, Ilija Hristovski used a networking opportunity at UBC Okanagan’s Aerospace Industry Night to establish an international research internship in Germany at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

Hristovski, one of the executives of the UBC Okanagan Aerospace Club, not only helped organize the 2017 Industry Night but forged a relationship with a DLR representative who was a guest speaker at the event.  The DLR representative (who had a specialty in manufacturing engineering) referred Hristovski to colleagues at DLR’s Institute of Communications and Navigation.

“Networking and persistence definitely pay off when you have a particular goal in mind,” explains Hristovski, who is fast-tracking from his MASc to a PhD next spring.

Since DLR typically does not accept international undergraduate internship students, Hristovski had to wait until he started his Master’s before being accepted into a six-and-a-half month internship.  His experience this summer at DLR translated into directed studies course credits towards his MASc.

Hristovski’s research at DLR focused on correcting atmospheric turbulence for ground-to-satellite communications using a laser guide star method.  Hristovski describes the process as shooting a laser into the upper atmosphere to help optical signals establish an undisturbed path to reach space.  “The initial laser establishes a path for the optical signal to follow; basically bending or adjusting the beam in the most efficient way possible to reduce the negative effects caused by the atmosphere.”

DLR’s Institute of Communications and Navigation is a global leader in this field.  The facility holds the current world-record in free space optical communications links at the highest data rate.

“Where UBC Okanagan excels at component level processes and improvements, I found that DLR was working at the systems’ level,” says Hristovski.  Working in an international environment with interns from around the world, Hristovski and the research team worked on several confidential projects that resulted in one poster presentation and several internal reports.

Although most of his time in Germany was spent in the lab, Hristovski was able to explore some of the surrounding villages when the team undertook a 10-kilometre optical link test between mountains.  “The work was so interesting that you’d wake up in the morning, and want to run to the lab,” says Hristovski.

One of the biggest accomplishments for Hristovski stemming from this experience is building a PhD collaboration between his supervisor, Jonathan Holzman and colleagues at DLR.  Hristovski will most likely return to Germany next summer and start experiments related to those studies.

“I’m ecstatic about this next chapter of my research, and can’t wait to get started.”