Despite harsh conditions and a small workforce, new research from UBC Okanagan suggests Augmented Reality (AR) could improve the efficiency of remote construction projects.

In a paper that was recently nominated for best paper at the 22^nd International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality, PhD student Kantheepan Yogeeswaran and Assistant Professor Qian Chen have designed a solution to upskill labour in remote communities.

“In recent years, there has been a shift toward prefabrication construction in remote areas but the shift can impact the labour market as a result,” says Kantheepan, “In many cases no training is available for local trades to undertake this work.”

As a result, external skilled laborers are brought into these communities to lead these projects. The new research seeks to help local workers transition between traditional construction and the assembly part of prefabricated construction.

According to Chen, the key to a successful training solution is affordability and accessibility. “Construction processes are usually complex and dynamic, that’s why we were focused on a solution that was simple to implement and intuitive to use.”

Prefabricated construction typically uses components made off-site that are transported to a location for assembly. For craftspeople, the process can be challenging because the steps do not mirror traditional construction.

Using the approved installation sequence as a foundation, the researchers created a step-by-step training module that uses 3D modelling to provide labours with a clear understanding of the process.

“Whether it’s a puzzle or Lego, a user can get lost in the assembly process, so this solution is intend on removing uncertainty while providing a clear and visually-appealing method of training,” explains Kantheepan.

While similar technology has been implemented within pre-fabrication factories, it is not the case within the construction industry. The researchers are hoping this new technology will further improve the success integration of prefabrication construction in Canada’s north and remote areas around the globe.

The research is published in the proceedings of the CONVR 2022, and was done in collaboration with the Professor Borja Garcia de Soto from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and was benefited from the collaboration with NYUAD Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES) funded by Tamkeen under the NYUAD Research Institute Award.

Madison Smith is a fourth year mechanical engineering student at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering.

Why did you choose engineering?

Hi, my name is Madison. I am a fourth year mechanical engineering student at UBC Okanagan. I decided to choose engineering because I was really interested in math and science in high school, so I definitely knew that I wanted to go into some sort of STEM program. And I also really liked being creative, and so I was trying to find a way to mix the two. And engineering has actually a lot of creative aspects. So within design, there’s a lot of room to have your own input in the design as well incorporate mathematical calculations. I really love the combination of those two as well as the job prospects were really great.

When I decided to pursue my engineering degree, I also was really looking to develop a lot of my soft skills because I know when you enter the workforce you’re working in a lot of teams and a lot of projects, and so joining clubs is a way to get yourself exposed to working in teams with different people and building soft skills. For example, I’ve learned budgeting, event planning and those are things I just did not expect to learn while I was getting an engineering degree.

Why UBC Okanagan?

The main reason is the fact that it’s in the Okanagan. The Okanagan is probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in Canada, and that was definitely a big drawing factor for me as well as it being UBC itself. UBC has such a good reputation and as a person who is from a very small town.

Growing up in the Gulf Islands, coming to a city like Vancouver seemed like way too daunting for me. It was just much too big of a city. I also hoping for like a smaller campus dynamic. So, I really love the size of UBC Okanagan. I feel like I have really good relationships with my professors and I’ve become friends with a lot of my TAs as well.

Getting to know people in different programs, in graduate programs is really nice. And I also really love that there’s so many mountains nearby. The views are beautiful and Big Way Ski Resort is pretty close by and I really wanted to learn how to snowboard and I did!

Community is really important for me especially as an 18 year old moving away from home. And I think if you have a really good community around you, it allows you to be the best version of yourself because you’re more confident to go out and want to do things. You feel accepted. One thing that I found really interesting is coming back. I mean, we were I was part of the COVID year, so there was about a year we were fully online. But coming back, I realized the smaller campus dynamic made a huge difference in allowing me to have already established a strong community of friends and mentors on campus. And even when I go out, it’s like everywhere I go, I know somebody and it just makes you feel like you really belong on campus and even off of campus.

Why did you choose Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is such a diverse degree to have. It’s one of the reasons that I chose it.  I wanted something that was a little bit more open-ended.

I am in the biomedical option, and really love the option. I’m hoping to eventually work within the biomed field or something that is applicable to biomed. However, with a mechanical engineering degree, I may end up in aerospace or I could end up in biomed or maybe even automotive.

As of right now, once I graduate, I have an internship as a sales engineer.  It is kind of a career path I didn’t know about. You can work within sales and do technical sales or work to engineering products. As a sales engineer, I’ll be using the soft skills I’ve developed through extracurriculars including negotiating, presenting, and working with a team.

The opportunities are so broad, so I don’t exactly know where I’m going to end up. I mean, I am in my fourth year of a five year program and so soon I will figure out where I’m going to go. I have heard that engineers change their career paths like four or five times throughout their career.

Having a job lined up already, makes it less daunting heading towards graduation, knowing that I already have something lined up.

Tell us about your extra-curricular activities

In my third year, I helped host the Western Engineering Competition 2022 and that year was still somewhat mid-pandemic. We were hoping originally to have the event in person and it was quite a long and arduous process. Organizing a 350-person conference involves a lot of moving parts. We were hoping to have it in downtown Kelowna, but at the last minute we had to move it all online.

It was still such an amazing learning experience, and I got to work with an awesome team of people along with sponsors and companies. It felt like being in a professional environment while still being a student.

For me, I built a community through joining clubs. The first club that I actually joined was the Engineering Society, and I got exposed to so much more by going to conferences. I didn’t know that you could be traveling the country representing your school, but you can. And I met a lot of amazing people there and that helped me create really great bonds in my first year. And after that, I’ve continued being a part of the Engineering Society. As a group, we advocate for the student body. It’s a really great team of driven students and it’s a really great way to network.

Throughout my engineering degree, being part of the engineering society really allowed me to find a good group of students who were just as driven as me and interested in the same fields that I’m interested in.

Atousa Soltani is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus School of Engineering and a Product Developer at Lululemon.

Describe your academic journey

I graduated from University of Tehran with a Bachelors in Economics. My undergraduate studies specialized in theoretical economics which involved substantial mathematics and statistics courses, which later helped me in transitioning to Engineering. I then got a full scholarship to pursue my graduate studies at Simon Fraser University and graduated with a Masters in Economics. This was the beginning of a new journey for me. Immigrating to a different country on my own was a difficult transition and a huge risk that I’m happy I took.

During my graduate studies, I did my research studies on Development Economics and resources, which eventually got me interested in sustainable development and the circular economy. After graduation, I investigated opportunities to continue my studies in sustainability which I believed is the solution to many challenges facing the developing and developed world.

What drew you to UBC Okanagan?

During my search, I found Dr. Rehan Sadiq‘s research and the work he and his team were doing related to sustainability. Dr. Sadiq’s Lifecycle Management Lab undertakes research across a diverse multi-disciplinary field and that was exactly what I was looking for.

Right after my initial conversation with Dr. Sadiq, I was convinced that UBC Engineering was where I wanted to be. Dr. Sadiq became my supervisor and to this day I consider him my mentor and role model in leadership, kindness and thinking outside the box. Later, Dr. Kasun Hewage also joined as my co-supervisor and guided me on project management and industrial partnerships. I completed my PhD with a thesis on “Sustainable solutions for municipal solid waste treatment: a multi-stakeholder decision-making”, where I developed a novel decision support framework that guides stakeholders to reach an agreement on the most sustainable and pragmatic waste treatment option. The framework used game theory to help decision-makers reach the most efficient and sustainable solution for all parties. The research on alternative fuels, waste management and uncertainty decision-making was published in a number of prestigious scientific journals.

Describe your experience at the school of Engineering.

I met amazing people and scholars at the School of Engineering, and particularly within the Lifecycle Management Laboratory. School staff, Shannon Hohl and Renée Leboe, tirelessly guided graduate students and always treated me with kindness. As an international student and a woman in science, I appreciated our research team’s diversity and inclusion which made me feel seen and heard and helped me thrive in my studies.

My time at UBC School of Engineering was very fulfilling. From choreographing dances for our cultural events to working at UBC’s Disability Resource Centre, I’ve collected memories that I cherish forever. I even met my husband at the School of Engineering, which made my time at UBC that much more memorable and special.

What were some highlights?

During my studies at UBC, I received a scholarship in Teaching in Higher Education that enabled me to receive training and an opportunity to teach the “Engineering Economics” course to third year engineering students. Teaching a 200+ class was an unforgettable experience.

What was your transition to the workforce like?

School of Engineering at Okanagan campus is a research-based institution with a strong connection to the industry and community stakeholders. Students have opportunities to learn skillsets that will guide and support them in transitioning to the workforce. I was fortunate to gain valuable experience from leading research projects with organizations such as Health Canada, Metro Vancouver, and Climate Action Secretariat at BC Government.

Describe your role – how does it align to your studies?

I am a Product Developer at Lululemon where I develop accessories for lululemon’s special projects and external collaborations such as the Canadian Olympic Committee Team Canada apparel and school collaborations. My role has given me the opportunity to be part of Canadian Athlete’s journey at the World’s largest athletic stage, which has been an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It is amazing to see that UBC and Lululemon have now expanded their partnership. Having been part of both, I am looking forward to the continuation of this collaboration on R&D and co-branded gears.

A team of sustainability and environmentally conscious students has advanced to the International Solar Decathlon Competition Finals in Golden, Colorado.

The team made up of students from UBC Okanagan’s Innovate, Design, Sustain (IDS) Club and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is one of 10 teams in the Attached Housing Division semi-finals to qualify.

Over the past 20-years, the Solar Decathlon has challenged more than 25,000 students to create efficient, affordable buildings powered by renewables, while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry. This year, more than 94 universities from 17 countries are taking part. The student teams have 8 months to design a net-zero house and address specific engineering, architectural, structural, environmental impact, and stakeholder needs within.

The UBCO/TRU team designed a high-performance 4-unit residential building in the Village of Lytton. Working closely with industry and faculty advisors, the team designed a structure that can withstand numerous environmental conditions.

Lytton is at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, which influences its climate and has played a pivotal role in its rich history. The team named the design River Crossing to recognize this unique context.

As the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, residential buildings must adapt to withstand extreme weather. The UBCO/TRU design includes a resilient building envelope with a 2-hour fire resistance rating and high thermal performance. It demonstrates non-combustible timber buildings using market-ready materials are feasible in locations with a high wildfire risk.

Another key attribute of the design is its low environmental impact. The submission meets the requirements of BC Step Code 5 and LEED Platinum. To mitigate embodied carbon, all structural concrete was eliminated in favour of timber. A preliminary lifecycle analysis shows the construction of River Crossing generates 70% less carbon dioxide equivalent per square foot than the standard Canadian 2-story low rise. This environmental impact will drop further as the team continues the iterative design process, using lifecycle thinking as a tool to inform their decisions.

The team believes their unique design can be successfully scaled to other locations in Canada or around the world as its materials that are easily sourced, prefabricated, and easy to assemble.

The UBCO/TRU team is actively looking to broaden their industry connections as they prepare for next year’s Build Challenge, a 20-month competition to design and build an innovative net-zero building in their community.

Image by Samuel Spencer

High school students from Kelowna got a unique experience this past week as they visited the Motorsports Design Team’s race shop. Former Kelowna Secondary (KSS) student, and now UBC Okanagan School of Engineering student Will Tanner helped coordinate the visit by students at KSS grade 11 Physics Honours class.

“This is a great way for us to engage in the community as a club, and promote local opportunities to study engineering,” says Tanner.

UBC Okanagan Motorsports is a student-run design team that designs, builds, tests and drives  open-wheeled race cars to compete annually at the Student Formula Competition hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The high schoolers toured the fabrication area and learned how components are designed and created by the team. They also were provided with demonstrations from the CAD design team, the electrical team, and got to sit behind the wheel of the team’s two past formula one style cars.

KSS teacher Jim Strachan says his students really enjoyed the experiential opportunity to learn from the Motorsports team, and in particular getting a chance to take a seat behind the wheel.

Image by Samuel Spencer

“We had fun hosting the class at our shop, and I believe it benefited everyone involved,” explains Tanner.

The Motorsports team is completing the development of their 2023 car, and looking forward to competing at the 2023 Formula SAE Michigan.

Image by Samuel Spencer

Congratulations to School of Engineering Professor Julian Cheng for being elevated to IEEE Fellow as of January 2023.

Dr. Cheng is being recognized for contributions to mathematical modelling of wireless systems and energy-efficient resource management of wireless networks.

An expert in digital communications and signal processing, Dr. Cheng was recognized with the UBC Okanagan Researcher of the Year Award in 2021. He is a global leader in optical and radio frequency (RF) wireless communication and optical technology research. He invented a new indoor optical wireless location technique that substantially improves receiver accuracy that will have significant applications in refined control of robot movement. His research has advanced multiple access techniques and beyond 5G wireless technologies and has applications in machine and deep learning, quantum communications and blockchain technology.

Each year, following a rigorous evaluation procedure, the IEEE Fellow Committee recommends a select group of recipients for elevation to IEEE Fellow. Less than 0.1% of voting members are selected annually for this member grade elevation.

New federal funding paves the way to an inter-disciplinary project that will assess the impact of travel behaviour changes and alternative strategies, such as work-from-home and mobility pricing.

A UBC interdisciplinary initiative is among 24 projects across from the country selected for Climate Action Awareness funding. The UBC project is led by Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, who leads the UBC integrated Transportation Research (UiTR) laboratory.

“Data is an extremely valuable tool to help  develop effective plans, policies and infrastructure investment decision-making,” says Fatmi. “This project aims to collect transportation data from the public, use the data to build models, use the models to test emissions mitigation strategies, and finally go back to the public with the findings. The knowledge and evidence created through this research project will strengthen decision-makers’ capacity to effectively make climate emergent policies and investments.”

In collaboration with 14 industry partners, researchers from across UBC will analyze the similarities and differences in travel behaviours between a big urban region (i.e., Metro Vancouver) and smaller/medium-sized region (i.e., Central Okanagan) in BC. The project will also analyze the impact of travel on emissions from the transportation sector to the health care sector. The project is designed to address challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic such as changes in people’s travel behavior and their implications.

The project will adopt an integrated approach to model land use, newer vehicle technologies, in-home activities, travel and emissions, which will allow the researchers to look into the future with higher prediction accuracy.

Along with the federal government, the researchers have partnered with different levels of the government including municipal, regional, provincial and federal government, transit agencies, and Indigenous communities. They join a compliment of researchers from a variety of backgrounds including Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Naomi Zimmerman, Rehan Sadiq, Kasun Hewage, Jon Corbett, Khalad Hasan, and Andrea MacNeil.

“We are excited to have partners who share our commitment to address climate change,” says Fatmi. “Our findings will play a significant role in future policy decisions that will help governments in Canada and around the world meet their emission reduction targets.”

The UBC integrated Transportation Research (UiTR) laboratory awarded a $2.85-million grant by Environment Canada. The project includes 14 partners from different levels of government to investigate decarbonizing Canada’s transportation sector.

How does it feel to be returning to UBC Okanagan for your graduation ceremony?

To be completely honest, bittersweet. I can vividly remember the last day that I was on campus for regularly scheduled classes, and thinking that the pandemic wouldn’t be a big deal. While I’m appreciative of the virtual graduation I received last year, it’s still only natural to feel a sense of loss of experience; convocation was an incredibly important piece of the puzzle to me and my family. Two and a half years later, it doesn’t feel real that our in-person graduation is finally happening. I’m excited to close this chapter of my life formally – and in person!

What is the first thing you are going to do when you are back on campus?

I’m excited to see all the new developments on campus. Skeena and Nechako are two buildings developed past my stay, and it will be nice to see where the campus is now. I also plan on visiting folks that I worked with while in school, and the student teams I had the opportunity to be a part of. Most importantly, I plan to re-connect with friends and faculty.

What are some of your fondest memories from being at UBC Okanagan?

Create Orientation was easily one of my favourite times of the school year. I remember my first Create, being incredibly nervous to be a part of the faculty, let alone being away from home; and I remember being approached by senior engineering students at the time, being handed a bandana and given facepaint, and feeling encouraged to be proud of my faculty community. From then forward, I felt a sense of inclusion; and that’s what propelled me to do what I did in my undergrad. Even in future years, I did my best to share the same sense of joy I felt every year as an orientation leader and a faculty lead.

UBC Geering Up will also always have a special place in my heart. Being able to work with kids across BC to promote STEM was truly a unique experience, and I’ll never forget the times when I was able to see something click in a kid’s mind, and how they started to interact with the worlds of science and engineering. Looking back, if it hadn’t been for the pandemic, I wouldn’t have been able to start new initiatives which would have grown, and I wouldn’t have been able to meet a lot of the friends that I hold near and dear to me.

Beyond orientation and outreach, I also fondly remember having the opportunity to travel, representing the University across Canada and the United States in my work in student leadership. I had the unique opportunity to advocate for what mattered most to UBCO students regionally and nationally, and it’s because of initiatives like the Professional Activities Fund and groups like the Engineering Society that those opportunities became possible. Even to this day, every so often I’m reminded of the impact I was able to create when current students contact me for advice, or I see initiatives take flight which started during my time. It always brings a smile to my face.

How have your studies at UBC Okanagan prepared you for your journey after your Engineering degree completion?

My studies at UBC Okanagan prepared me both quantitatively and qualitatively. My role in the workforce relies on scholastic aptitude in engineering to contextualize the requirements and demands of what craft workers need to successfully execute a job. More than technical proficiency, my success in the role is propelled by qualitative skills in technical communication, craft engagement, and networking to achieve project success. I use many of the skills I learned on a regular basis, and UBCO’s design-based curricula allowed me to interface with engineering design software, drafting techniques, and real-world theory that I use on an ongoing basis – to the extent that I was able to easily transfer my skills to new platforms in the field. Many of the techniques that were discussed in Construction Management are used daily, and my ability to understand engineering theory allows me to assist our formal engineering teams by proposing solutions which are reasonable to the true field work being performed.

Describe what you have been up to since your degree completion?

Upon graduation, I started working as a Field Engineer-in-Training at the Whitla Wind Facility Phase 2/3 Project near Medicine Hat, AB – a project which is owned and operated by Capital Power Corporation. I spent six months helping to bring an additional 151 MW of renewable energy to Alberta’s grid. After finishing my role in the project, I transitioned into a role as an Energy Management Engineer-in-Training, where I translated these skills in the field into real-time 24/7 operations of all of Capital Power’s Coal, Thermal, and Renewable Assets across North America. I learned how to interpret the rules and regulations of different Independent System Operators and adapted to challenging circumstances requiring real-time operational support. Both experiences built different tools which I have been able to bring into my current role.

I now work as an Industrial Project Coordinator for PCL Construction – Heavy Industrial division. In this role, I directly oversee, facilitate, and assist in management of operations for large-scale industrial projects. On behalf of our field management teams, I submit inquiries to engineers and manage progress performance and reporting, perform quantity takeoffs to allocate budgets per specified project scope, and interpret engineering specifications to ensure the technical requirements of our operations are followed. In addition, I establish relationships with vendors and subcontractors to efficiently and effectively execute different exercises to reach project completion. Currently, I am stationed as the Structural Project Coordinator for the Cascade Power Project near Edson, AB – a 900 MW Combined Cycle Facility, owned by Kineticor, which is being constructed by a joint venture partnership between PCL Industrial Management Inc. and Overland Contracting Canada Inc. (Black & Veatch).

I haven’t let my passions for inclusivity and leadership fall by the wayside, though; as a part of my role with PCL, I’ve taken the opportunity to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee for all of PCL Canadian – Industrial Operations. I hope that as I grow in the professional workforce, I can use the critical discussions I had in my time at UBC Okanagan to create a direct and genuine impact on the engineering and construction industry; and help build it to become a more inclusive workforce for everyone.

What does the future hold for you?

My short time in the workforce has shown me how much I’ve learned in just a few years time after graduating – but it’s also shown me how much more I want to explore to become a seasoned professional. My hope is to work towards becoming a Project Engineer, or Project Manager – and eventually, to enter the world of business development. I’ve learned that my aptitude in engineering best serves me when I can contribute to innovative new ideas, and it would be incredible to use the skills I have to bring more work fronts and sustainable scopes to our team. To help build that expertise, I’ve begun part-time studies in a Master of Business Administration at Thompson Rivers University, alongside my professional work. I’m hoping that the real-world experience I gain, coupled with education in engineering and business practice, will position me to be a strong advocate and leader in the future.

If you could share a message to your fellow graduating class, what would it be?

Being a part of the Class of 2020 and 2021 means that there is something very special that is ingrained in our experiences – and while I’m sure we’ve all heard the terms, “unprecedented circumstances,” and “challenging times,” written in an email or two, there is one characteristic that we all had to learn as a result – and that would be resilience. Over the past few years, we have had to adapt to, and witness, incredibly challenging situations; social isolation, worldwide quarantine, and international warfare, to say the least. There are many social issues that have and will continue to shape the world we live in. As UBC engineers, it’s our duty to remember the influence that we hold on to the world, however big or small, and to use our skills to create meaningful actions.

We are the newest generation of engineers and leaders; our degree arms us with the knowledge and aptitude to execute our work correctly and efficiently – but ultimately, it is up to us to do good in the world, past the confines of the university. For many of us, we are already being the changemakers in the communities we are a part of – and making impacts around the globe. We can change our world in many ways, by creating new technologies, bringing energy to our communities, creating new places to live and work, and everything in between. Never forget who you are, the people who brought you to be who you are, and the stories you’ve been able to live. Our experiences will guide us, and while there is no way to prove in certainty where the future will take us, we can choose to be stewards of a hopeful community.

How does it feel to be returning to UBC Okanagan for your graduation ceremony? 

It feels interesting to say the least, especially in the sense that I have not been back to campus since we abruptly left in March 2020. It was a hectic period, and I never felt that I had ample time to say goodbye to the place that I called home for the previous 4 years. In receiving the news of our graduation ceremony being renewed for this upcoming season, there are a lot of emotions: I’m excited to see how the campus has changed since I was last there, thrilled to see everyone that I used to talk to everyday, and inspired to see how I have changed as an individual since I first started as a student in 2016.

What is the first thing you are going to do when you are back on campus?

Have a milkshake at The Well! Hear me out… my first year was a time where my diet consisted of milkshakes, pizza, and grilled cheese (the key ingredients to the student lifestyle, of course). As such, I’m planning on one of my first acts to be going back to the UNC building to re-establish one of the traditions of late night studying. It’s exciting to think of how much we have grown since our first SolidWorks project, and rekindling our early onset routines will only bring back that nostalgia. With that, I’m excited to roam the halls and walkways of our campus to see what has changed and what is still familiar. While fixtures such as the water fountain in the Science building, the E, and the library study rooms are likely to be the same, UBCO is forever changing and I’m excited to see how much it has grown!

What are some of your fondest memories from being at UBC Okanagan?

UBCO was a place that not only allowed me to grow as an individual, but also allowed me to connect with people with similar aspirations and goals. As such, it’s difficult to pinpoint my fondest memories as my whole time at UBCO made me who I am today. It was not only the academic side – sharing jokes while writing reports until late at night with my group, competing in debate/re-engineering competitions, the feeling of when I finally understood my Vibrations course – but also the times in between. There was the embarrassment from when we burst into ongoing lecture halls for holiday carolling, the capture-the-flag competition between rival residence buildings (Go Nicola!), and activities even as small as being late to a class and running up the staircase in the Arts building completely out of breath with friends. UBCO was not just the academic or professional successes, but the small actions in the middle. What makes this school so great is the people in it, and the dedication they have to push the boundaries of engineering and support they give to their peers.

How have your studies at UBC Okanagan prepared you for your journey after your Engineering degree completion?

My experience at UBCO is what made me the engineer that I am today. When I first came to campus as a high school student, the faculty presented the inspirational message that  “Tuum Est”: it is yours. What this was intended to mean is that the future is up to you to decide, but what I took this to mean is that I am the catalyst to the future that I want to be a part of; that my future is solidified by the decisions that I make today. UBCO was the only school that inspired me to step outside of my comfort zone and become the best version of myself.

During my time as a student, I took leadership roles in clubs and course unions, such as Engineers Without Borders and the Engineering Society at UBC, to help become a student advocate to advance the portfolios of creating meaningful change in my immediate surroundings. Further, I took part in the UBC’s Coordinated International Exchange program to study abroad at one of Europe’s leading engineering institutions, the Technical University of Denmark, to understand, learn from, and contrast how successful national renewable energy infrastructures are built sustainably. In applying these teachings, UBC Engineering’s Co-op program allowed me to be a part of the clean energy revolution as well as contribute to meaningful electricity generation and efficient energy use.

It was UBCO that allowed me the opportunity to foster these leadership qualities at home, and provided me the tools to apply them outside of campus.

Describe what you have been up to since your degree completion?

During my degree, my focus was centered around renewable energy and building sustainable infrastructure into our developing society. It was my goal to harness learnings from UBCO and apply them towards building a cleaner future. During my time within the UBC Engineering Co-op program, I started towards this journey working in energy management, and upon graduating, I returned to work at an organization which I started at as a co-op student. Drax Group is a multi-national renewable energy company focused on renewable power generation, sustainable biomass production, and the sale of renewable energies to businesses, all while having the ambition to be carbon negative by 2030. In the time when the effects of the climate crisis are becoming more and more prevalent, my goals are aligned with this mission to help build society towards a cleaner and more developed future. I am currently a Process Specialist who is focused on industrial process optimization, implementation of efficiency measures/projects, as well as management of the energy/utilities portfolio for our sustainable biomass production facilities across Canada.

What does the future hold for you?

It is us – as engineers – to adapt to new societal demands, and do our utmost to serve and protect the interests of the public with due diligence, respect, and integrity. This is especially relevant today where the future is completely unpredictable and can be upended with a moment’s notice. While the future is uncertain, I’m hoping to continue my mission to drive meaningful change within our infrastructure, and contribute to the movement that will see positive impacts that align with international climate goals. The future of my role within Drax is to continue to accelerate this mission, and foster sustainable energy infrastructure development. I thoroughly enjoy my work, and hope to grow with the company to achieve these objectives.

On the side, I have been studying towards my P.Eng., exploring my new home in Vancouver (bubble tea obsessions are absolutely real), and planning some international holiday travels. For this upcoming winter, I have been planning an expedition to Antarctica so that I can be a part of the unknown, and explore this completely new environment.

If you could share a message to your fellow graduating class, what would it be?

As graduates of 2020 and 2021, we are one of the most resilient groups of engineers who have completed university to date. As a result, we have had to navigate the transition of a “normal” society to one that is completely remote, become increasingly adaptable to meet new and emerging market trends, as well as become fully proficient in remembering to turn ourselves off mute when we are talking on a Zoom call (well… maybe most of the time). This has been a time of no other – no precedent to study off of, no manual to read from – for how to transition from being a student to part of the workforce. Because of that, we have had to rely on what we learned during our time as engineering students as well as what we learned about ourselves preparing for our degree. We each work to the best of our abilities and uniquely contribute to society and its advancement. We are all learning how to navigate this new environment, however, it is the perseverance, dedication and enthusiasm that we held initially as students that will propel us to be successful as young professionals. It is our drive, our passions, our personal missions that will allow us to be the best versions of ourselves and I’m excited to see the future that we all create together. Continue to stay strong during hard times, strive to make your mark within your communities, and be the change makers that society needs us to be.

How does it feel to be returning to UBC Okanagan for your graduation ceremony? 

I am excited to be returning to UBCO! The people that I met on campus and the experiences we shared are irreplaceable. I have mixed feelings about my time in University with its thrilling highs and sickening lows, but I am decided that the people – staff, faculty and students – made it worthwhile.

What is the first thing you are going to do when you are back on campus? 

Walk around the EME! I got to know the engineering side of the building well between my studies and undergraduate research. I especially look forward to finding some familiar faces on the 3rd and 4th floor.

What are some of your fondest memories from being at UBC Okanagan? 

Hunting down an available white board to hash out course concepts among classmates; those aha! moments dimly perceived through a professor’s sketch; the nervous energy of my colleagues, all buzzing about an exam we had just written; playing volleyball with my lab group during the summer months; milling in the machine shop; breathlessly sliding into the #8 bus moments before its doors closed; and yes, falling in love.

How have your studies at UBC Okanagan prepared you for your journey after your Engineering degree completion? 

While I have yet to apply much of what I studied at UBCO, I have made frequent use of the connections and resources that I made and found there. Whether it be consulting with colleagues about job searching, getting professional support from faculty members, discussing ideas with classmates, or even just catching up with friends made on campus, I feel supported at this early stage of my engineering journey.

Describe what you have been up to since your degree completion? 

Since I finished my degree, a lot of exciting things have happened! I got married, went on a 5-week long road trip through a foreign country, applied for graduate school in an industry-led project, lost that opportunity when the industry partner cancelled the project, and worked a couple of jobs as a technician. Then, my wife and I bought a gutted motorhome in hopes of realizing our dream of living in a small space, and we have been renovating it ever since. Also, I just became the proud dad of a beautiful baby girl!

What does the future hold for you? 

Throughout whatever surprises the future holds, I hope to apply my capacities inventing and designing solutions that meet a need.

Aside from that, a fully renovated motorhome.

If you could share a message to your fellow graduating class, what would it be? 

As a mature student, this program pushed me to my limit, so I was humbled to witness the courage and resilience of my younger colleagues during my degree. I would like to congratulate them on their remarkable achievement! I would also like to specifically mention the heroic effort of the graduates who studied in a new language, a new culture. Your perseverance and hard work continue to inspire me. Finally, to all of my fellow graduates: I honour your accomplishment, I embrace you as a colleague, and I look forward to congratulating you in person when we meet.