Engineering spring summer 2015

ENGINEERING MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 9 | SPRING/SUMMER 2015

PASSION FOR THE PROFESSION SARAH DEVEREAUX CHAMPIONS WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

DAL ENGINEERS AT NOVA CENTRE A NEW IDEA TAKES SHAPE

FROM THE DEAN As we look forward to the coming academic year, we would like to congratulate our 2015 graduates and wish them all the best. 2014-15 was a big year for the Faculty of Engineering. We saw continued growth in all of our programs and redesign of a few courses to increase the hands-on content.

This past year, the Campaign Cabinet for the IDEA Building (see p. 8) was formed. We are excited to look ahead to this innovative learning space where Engineering and Architecture and Planning students will collaborate to a degree never before possible. In March we held our 2nd Annual Engineering Design Expo, organized by our Engineersin-Residence. This was followed by the Friends of Capstone Banquet to thank our industry and community partners for working with and supporting our students throughout these significant projects (see p. 10-11).

It is always great to see our alumni at events both locally and nationally. Follow us on twitter @DalEngineering, and check out engineering.dal.ca for coming events and for our latest news. We hope you enjoy this issue of Engineering, and hope to connect with you in the fall.

Joshua Leon, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

ON OUR COVER Sarah Devereaux, partner at Dillon Consulting Limited and past president of Engineers Nova Scotia, has led an exciting career as a design engineer, and is a steadfast supporter of women in engineering [Nick Pearce photo]

CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL Kelly D'Agostino, Ryan McNutt, Jennifer Moore PHOTOGRAPHY Danny Abriel, Bruce Bottomley, Kelly Clark, Nick Pearce, Ali Seglins DESIGN Jane Lombard CONTACT Jennifer Moore, Editor, at media.engineering@dal.ca

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Passion for the profession SARAH DEVEREAUX (BEng Civil’93; MEng Civil’99) ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO BE AN ENGINEER. “My mother tells a funny story, that from the time I could talk, I would tell people that I wanted to be a ‘civilized engineer,’” she explains. “My parents are both teachers, but we had family friends who were engineers. From an early age, I was intrigued by the work they did, and because of my curious nature, I would always ask questions about it.”

In her parents’ friends, Devereaux found role models who inspired her to become an engineer and her many accomplishments speak to her passion for the profession. She’s a design engineer and partner with Dillon Consulting. She served as the second female president for Engineers Nova Scotia (2012-13) and was also the first female president of the Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia (2010-11). And Devereaux is a fellow of Engineers Canada.

Yet her most important work may be her efforts to encourage a new generation of young women to follow her into the field. It is her passion to remove all barriers to women entering the engineering profession. She’s motivated in part by the fact that the percentage of women graduating from engineering – 20 per cent – is virtually unchanged from 22 years ago when she first graduated from Dalhousie, although there are pockets of success across Canada. Twenty years ago there were almost no women in the engineering profession and that number has grown to just ten percent of the profession in Canada.

“Women in the profession have this underlying sense of, ‘I made it and there is no reason why others can’t do what I did.’ We want to succeed because of our capabilities and not necessarily call attention to ourselves as women engineers. Because of that, there aren’t many women who want to be role models, and young women don’t choose engineering because

they don’t see enough people that look like them.”

PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES Devereaux first embraced the opportunity to be a role model by joining the Engineers Canada Women in Engineering Advisory Group as an Engineers Nova Scotia representative. “I wanted to know what types of activities were being offered across the country for women in engineering. I wanted to have a voice and provide some influence on that group.”

Other opportunities opened up from there. In 2012, Devereaux was involved with the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering Science Trades and Technology Conference, and her group developed speakers for the event. That led to the creation of the Women in Engineering Nova Scotia Committee, which supports networking activities and lunch and learn sessions.

The highlight of the activities that the Women in Engineering Committee have accomplished is the Spotlight on Innovation Event held the past two years during National Engineering Month.

“We encourage women to step into the spotlight and talk about their projects for 10-15 minutes, and we really celebrate that. Similarly, at Dillon, we have a Women in Dillon initiative. The goal of the Women in Dillon initiative is to effectively identify barriers to attracting and retaining women of merit within Dillon, and propose positive solutions to overcome them. Our strategy is in support of Dillon’s long-term commitment towards diversity and gender equity.”

ACCOLADES Over the years, Devereaux has earned many accolades for her efforts. She received the 2014 Engineers Canada Award for the support of women in the

I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES WERE BEING OFFERED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR WOMEN IN ENGINEERING. I WANTED TO HAVE A VOICE AND PROVIDE SOME INFLUENCE ... CELEBRATING WOMEN IN ENGINEERING IS SOMETHING I LOVE TO DO.

engineering profession. The award recognizes engineers who, throughout their careers, have demonstrated support for women in the profession and established a benchmark of engineering excellence.

That same year, she was presented with a Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Award. The awards recognize the incredible breadth of female leadership talent in Canada and spotlight what can be achieved through the pursuit of excellence.

Receiving both awards was very humbling for Devereaux, but she was particularly surprised to be recognized by the Women’s Executive Network. “It was awe inspiring to hear the stories of what these women have accomplished and to be celebrated along with them was an honour. I know what I’m doing is important, and I’ll continue to do it.

Celebrating women in engineering is something I love to do.”

Equally fulfilling is the work Devereaux does for Dillon. Most of her projects are focused on waste management, with municipal infrastructure and storm water management making up the balance.

“My career has been amazing in terms of flexibility. Consulting is so different every day that you can bend it to be what you need it to be. I also love Dillon’s One Firm Firm approach, which essentially means that when projects arise in an engineer’s area of expertise, Dillon will enlist their specific talents,

no matter where the project is located.

We collaborate and work together as one office of 700 rather than 17 different offices“ As for the future, Devereaux will continue to promote engineering to young women whenever the opportunity presents itself. Her rationale is pretty compelling: “We will get better solutions if we are more diverse. The need to supply more engineers is evident, and we’re missing out on 50 per cent of the population. I think there are girls and women out there that could be a vital part of this profession and that’s why I do it.”

Sarah reviews plans for a current project site with Rebecca Appleton, project engineer at Dillon Consulting.

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Alumni collaboration makes Nova Centre possible TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION DOESN'T END IN THE CLASSROOM

When Murray Tate (BEng’01, Mechanical Engineering) says the engineering constraints associated with the Nova Centre project are challenging, he’s not exaggerating.

The Nova Centre is a unique mix of retail, hotel, office, residential parking and convention space that will also have Grafton Street Public Plaza cutting through the centre. It’s also squeezed on all sides by view planes, rampart heights and the four property lines, leaving no area to stage or prepare materials.

“In the face of these constraints, the structural team is committed to delivering on the vision: Create an Iconic Structure,” notes the project advisor for the 1M square-foot mixed-used development currently taking shape on two city blocks in downtown Halifax.

That structural team, engaged by Argyle Developments, includes BMR Structural Engineering, Cherubini Metal Works, Harbourside Engineering and LEAD Structural Formwork. All have

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been working in close collaboration, navigating a project that is constantly undergoing design changes to address space and construction constraints.

Roy McBride, principal, BMR, has been witness to its evolution since 2009.

He recalls how arches were once considered the principal structural support.

Later, the design incorporated a massive truss system, and that changed as a result of public consultation.

“That process determined that the ballroom should be above ground,” notes McBride, “and the entrance to the parking structure was to be moved from Argyle onto Grafton – inside the structure. This change derailed the concept of the massive truss system. That’s when Cherubini came into the picture with the final solution: box girders.”

Typically, Cherubini fabricates girders as one long piece, but given the constraints of the site, that wasn’t possible. “The physical length and mass of the girders required us to ship them in three pieces and then assemble near the crane,” says Tom Parsons (’79). “Normally, we’d haul the girders longitudinally across the span but there’s simply no room. After they were assembled, we jacked them onto skates so they could be pulled laterally into their final resting place.”

With two clear spans of over 160 feet – one above Grafton Street and one below – the structural team’s challenge is to ensure they are not a factor for visitors. “Vibration was one concern, as movement caused by dancing in the ballroom or traffic on Grafton Street could have a noticeable impact on people in other parts of the building,” notes Daniel Grant (’06, ‘09), Structural Engineer, Harbourside. “We performed rigorous vibration analysis and found that mass tuned dampers were needed, and these are installed in each girder to dampen the vibration out of the structure.”

Meanwhile, David Pottier (’88) and his team at LEAD Structural Formwork have been working with BMR since the inception to determine how to construct the elaborate concrete shapes – the front exterior, when completed, will resemble the bow of a ship, sitting atop a blue ocean – that will inspire Nova Scotians to sail successfully into the future.

“It’s a very complicated structure.

Constructing the concrete shapes and achieving the desired appearance required us to invent new formwork systems in collaboration with Cherubini and BMR,” says Pottier. “The design includes a 70-foot vertical clear span atrium that will simply make you wonder ‘how did they ever get that up there?’”

There are other challenges that the integrated team are working to resolve.

There are nearly 50,000 cubic metres of concrete they must safely transport to the site and offload while minimizing disruptions to neighbouring businesses and local traffic. There is a merging of structural steel and concrete to negotiate as the ballroom takes shape and marries into both the office and hotel towers. And there is the creation of the covered portion of Grafton to consider.

“Every day, we’re solving problems,” observes McBride. “It’s very much a

Nova Centre architecture reflects our maritime past team effort and I think that is the real strength of this project.”

Joe Ramia, president of Argyle Developments, agrees. “What we do on all our projects, and especially this one, is we go to the people we believe are the best in their field. This is a great team that has worked very well together and that’s vital given the challenges involved.”

If anything, the challenges seem to have exhilarated the team. “A project of this scale and magnitude is a once-in-alifetime job for many of us,” says Aaron Everett (’05), Structural Engineer/Project Manager, LEAD Structural Formwork Ltd. “Most of the projects you see around here are very straight-forward. Everything about Nova Centre – its shape and designs – is very unique, so its design and constructability are challenging in a very good way.”

Tate adds that there is considerable enthusiasm among the team to take on similar collaborations in future. “We’re hopeful the relationships being forged on the project will act as a catalyst.

This project has been conceived and constructed by Nova Scotians, and it will be a major accomplishment if it inspires others to work together and create a brighter future for our province.”

Developing a unified vision for a project like Nova Centre wasn’t easy, but lead architect Noel Fowler (BArch’79) made it happen.

What he has conceived reflects a careful consideration of context that goes far beyond scale and city street grids to take public opinion and aspirations into account.

“It became clear that people wanted a contemporary design,’ says Fowler, who worked with IBI Group Inc. on the project. “Basically a bold, forward statement that would raise the bar in terms of building design we see downtown.”

Yet behind what will be Nova Centre’s fairly modern and rectilinear exterior will be curvilinear geometry, a rather ingenious and subtle reference to the province’s seafaring and shipbuilding heritage.

“In the ballroom, for example, the perimeter’s structural supports consists of tubular steel members spanning from the floor to the ceiling at various angles.

These are meant to reference our maritime past, ship’s spars, fish flakes and the weirs of Hall’s Harbour.”

Public consultation also influenced the predominate use of glass in the overall design. “People wanted a light

building. They didn’t want to see any more stone and brick. On completion, while the materials are contemporary, you’ll see patterns in the glass that recall traditional punched windows, so people can relate to that.”

Considering the size and complexity of the project, Fowler has done well in balancing all the distinct interests and constraints to deliver a design unlike any that has ever been attempted in Halifax.

Components larger than the city blocks where they are located have been raised above street level to maintain street grid patterns but without compromising view planes. The hotel, residential parking, ballroom, conference, office and retail spaces have all been thoughtfully integrated. And Nova Centre incorporates bridge technology, something you don’t often see in building designs.

“Most buildings in the downtown belong to a family we have come to know over the past several hundred years,” says Fowler. “Here, you have large cantilevers and large spans, so it’s unique among downtown buildings in scale, geometry and structure. It’s a oneof-a-kind project for sure and we may not see anything like it for a while.”

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Engineer on the rise

LIBBY OSGOOD IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON HER PHD IN DESIGN ENGINEERING – BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! SHE ALSO TEACHES AT UPEI AND MAKES ANNUAL TRIPS TO DO VOLUNTEER WORK IN KENYA.

Libby Osgood is an engineer who is really moving up in the world. She’s teaching design and dynamics courses at UPEI. She runs a Robotics Club on the Island for students aged 9-14. She makes annual trips to Kenya to help deliver basic health services to this east African nation. And she’s working on her PhD under Dr. Clifton Johnston, the NSERC Chair in Design Engineering.

That’s a lot to take on at once, but Osgood is up to the challenge, and each of her pursuits seems to enrich the others. Take her PhD, for example. “What I really love is that I am able to immediately implement the research I’m doing with Clif into my classes at UPEI,” she says. “Many of my engineering diploma students here go on to complete their degrees at Dal. It’s a great feeling knowing that I’ve played a role in laying some of their foundational skills in design.”

Osgood earned her foundational skills at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona, where she specialized in Aerospace Engineering. She followed that with a Master of Science in Aerospace from Texas A&M University. It was Dr.

Johnston’s work that led her to Dalhousie for her PhD. “Dalhousie has a strong reputation for engineering, and to be able to work with Clif, who is focusing his research on how to do design better, is really exciting. I want to deliver teaching in a more effective way, so it just seemed natural to work with him.”

It was equally natural for Osgood to start a Robotics Club at UPEI. As if to prove everything in her life is connected, Osgood says the inspiration for the venture came to her through her annual trips to Kenya with Mikinduri Children of Hope, a group that offers medical, dental and vision clinics to Kenyans.

“At the time of my 2013 trip, I was taking Professor Mae Seto’s autonomous robotics class at Dalhousie. There was a fair bit of homework (to control a robot), so I brought my robot with me.”

She began teaching eighth graders in Kenya a little bit about robotics, physics and engineering and, on returning to UPEI, realized there were no robotics initiatives for students on the island. Supported by Engineers PEI, she launched

Young entrepreneurs embrace the solar revolution EMPOWERED HOMES FOUNDED BY 2013 ENGINEERING GRADS Long time friends and ambitious Dal engineering grads Joshua Green Co-Founder and President (BEng’13 Mechanical) and Riccardo Ciccarelli Co-Founder (BEng’13 Civil) have joined forces to create Empowered Homes, a solar energy company.

“Our idea to create a solar panel business stemmed from my senior design project that I did in my final year of mechanical engineering, says Green. The summer after graduation Riccardo and me set out to develop the project even further. We successfully installed four panels on my Dad’s house in Nfld., and In January 2014, we decided to turn our venture into a full-time business.” Green explains.

Green continues, “At Empowered Homes we provide our clients with a Solar

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Thermal Heating System. Our panels serve as a supplementary heating system and provide an innovative way to reduce the amount of energy consumed at the residential level, specifically for space and water heating. The system consists of 2-4 solar thermal air collectors, depending on the size of the home, which offer a sustainable way to lower residential utility bills.”

Based out of Green’s hometown St. John’s, the ambitious founders of Empowered Homes have plans to expand throughout Canada as the business grows. Green and Ciccarelli didn’t waste any time getting started. They wanted to jump in and launch their company right away. Fortunately for the pair, they had a great support system to help them along.

“We’re very lucky in that we had a lot of support from both of our families to help us get started. Josh’s Dad especially believed in us and helped us out in a really big way. He funded the $8000 to let us put up the four test panels on his newly built home. That helped us out immensely and allowed us to perfect the product we have now,“ explains Ciccarelli.

Green and Ciccarelli credit their engineering education in teaching them how to collaborate with others. They both share a love of coming up with a concept, finding out it doesn’t work and coming up with a solution to fix the problem. Green deals with the thermo dynamics, while Ciccarelli handles the structural side of things.

the club in 2013. Between 30 and 50 students now participate in the club, which holds free meetings biweekly, and local engineers serve as mentors.

“The club is part of the First Lego Leaque, an international organization and registration is on-going throughout the year. What I love about the club is it provides a space for these kids, all with similar interests, to get together to explore and learn about robotics. The students in the club are so clever and they know so much. Often times they’re able to teach me a thing or two.”

This past February, Osgood made her sixth trip to Kenya, this time bringing along three UPEI students. Keilah Bias, now an industrial engineering student at Dalhousie, brought along her winning UPEI design project – a charcoal press that could help prevent deforestation underway across the nation. Current UPEI students Brady Gallant and Peter Doiron brought along their project as well – specially designed mobility devices that assist people in wheelchairs in navigating the nation’s hilly landscape.

Osgood is happy to offer her students

“Everyday we’re doing something to grow this business. It’s fun and challenging at the same time. In 2014 we submitted our solar panels to the Scotia Bank Eco Living Awards National Contest, we were selected as one of the national top 3 in the entrepreneur category. The judges were really impressed with what we were doing, and even though we didn’t end up winning, the experience itself was extremely rewarding,” shares Green.

“You really get the team aspect in engineering and you learn to utilize your team’s specific skills set. For example, I think Josh and I complement each other well. Josh is a big vision guy, and I’m a little more conservative, and that’s been a good balance for our business. For us, being recognized in the entrepreneur

Libby Osgood's students put design and robotics technology projects to the test in Kenya.

an opportunity to expand their horizons and hopes they found the experience as enriching as she does.

“In western culture we’re often rushing and searching for what’s next - newer car, bigger house, bigger salary. We don’t take the time to stop and appreciate what we have. In Kenya, they have so little in terms of materialistic things and opportunities when compared to Canada and yet they are content and genuinely so happy.

They’ve shown us an entirely different

way to live, and to be in the moment and to have purpose.”

Osgood remains on the move, developing her teaching skills, learning from everyone around her. Perhaps the most profound lesson has been that people around the world have the same passion for discovery, regardless of their background. “It’s been amazing to see how children here and in Kenya were so keen and interested to learn about robots and grasp basic engineering concepts.

That’s something you can only appreciate through travel and I think it will make me a better teacher.”

category of the contest really solidified that we’ve started something worthwhile.

We’re excited and hopeful for a bright future for Empowered Homes,” says Ciccarelli.

To help homeowners lower their energy bills through energy efficiency and renewable energy production.

RICCARDO CICCARELLI AND JOSHUA GREEN ARE CO-FOUNDERS OF EMPOWERED HOMES, A SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY BASED OUT OF ST. JOHN'S. ENGINEERING

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Campaign cabinet supports big IDEA at Dalhousie When the shovels come out to break ground for the proposed IDEA Building on the Sexton Campus, you can bet that 89-year-old Marjorie Lindsay will be there.

“I took up the banner for this building when John (BEng’51) passed away,” she says of her husband, one of the city’s preeminent developers and the founder of Lindsay Construction. “This was something he really wanted to be part of, so when they asked me to be the honourary chair of the fundraising cabinet, I said yes.”

You couldn’t find a more enthusiastic champion of the IDEA Building than Lindsay. Years in the planning, it will be an innovative new learning space where Engineering and Architecture and Planning students will collaborate to a degree never before possible. It will encourage a new era of design and construction that will change the face of Nova Scotia and likely Canada forever.

And it will contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the city’s downtown core, an area already enriched by a new central library, among other construction projects.

Stephen Harding, assistant vice-president, development, is delighted to have Lindsay on board. “She’s told me how the connections John made at Dalhousie led to a long and successful career. She’s determined to see this through and it’s her energy that is really driving all of the cabinet members in their fundraising efforts.”

A quick scan of the cabinet membership confirms that many accomplished

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Dalhousie alumni share Lindsay’s enthusiasm for this undertaking. They include Chuck Hartlen, executive vice president, Nova Scotia Power Incorporated, Jennifer Corson, co-owner, Solterre Design, Grant Ferguson, president, Michelin Canada, and Peter Hatcher, executive director of project operations, Fluor Canada.

“We were looking for people with a strong connection to the faculties,” says Harding. “We were really pleased with the response as we reached out to people to come on board. It’s a great mix of alumni from across North America, and they’re already making significant strides in pushing this forward.”

Kirby Putnam (C.E.’89) is among those volunteers. An executive VP at Lindsay Construction who brings considerable fundraising expertise to the campaign, he came on board because the IDEA Building will ensure Dalhousie graduates rise to the challenge of changing standards in construction.

“Buildings are becoming much more sophisticated than they used to be, particularly with the changes in the National Building Code of Canada. We need to prepare our professions for this.

By bringing the faculties together in one state-of-the-art building, by nurturing relationships between students, we will encourage more innovation in design and construction.”

Nurturing these relationships at the university level appeals to cabinet member George Cotaras (B.Sc’76; BEDS’78, BArch’81), president and GM

of Fowler Bauld Mitchell, as it will prepare students for working together on a day-to-day basis upon graduation. More than that, the lead architect for the new Halifax Central Library is encouraged by the fact that programs delivered through the IDEA Building will place significant emphasis on industry safety.

“Since Westray, there’s been a growing emphasis in the construction industry on ensuring everyone is safety conscious. It’s important to me that students learn and experience this in a workshop environment so they can contribute to that culture in the workplace.”

With a new, dedicated space for the two professions, Dalhousie will also be able to keep pace with both growing enrollment numbers and increased demand for skilled employees due to demographic shifts.

“Engineering is one of the fastest growing faculties on campus,” says Harding. “Meanwhile, we have baby boomers in both engineering and architecture that are starting to retire. With the IDEA Building, we have an opportunity to get ahead of these trends and help drive the economy through innovation.”

The cabinet will take its fundraising efforts public this fall, but already its connections have gone a long way to turning the IDEA into a reality.

“Dalhousie is a fine engineering and architecture school,” says Lindsay.

“To see so many accomplished alumni across North America interested in promoting this building and the university’s future really gives me a great feeling.”

Innovation in action MECHANICAL ENGINEERING END-OF-YEAR PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS TIDAL POWER

IDEA BUILDING CAMPAIGN CABINET ROBERT J. GILLESPIE, Principal,

Westmount Investments, Rochelle Park, New Jersey JIM HANLON, P.Eng. CEO

Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise, Halifax CHUCK HARTLEN, P.Eng., Executive

Vice President, Nova Scotia Power, Halifax

MARJORIE LINDSAY, Honourary

Campaign Chair, Dalhousie IDEA Building Campaign, Halifax WESLEY CAMPBELL, P.Eng., President,

Campbell Comeau Engineering Limited, Halifax HENRI CAMPEAU, President,

Campeau Financial Services, Calgary JENNIFER CORSON, Principal, Solterre Design, Halifax

PHILIP HARVEY, P.Eng., Vice President, Anderson Energy, Calgary PETER HATCHER, P.Eng., Executive Director, Fluor Construction Canada, Calgary COLIN LATHAM, P.Eng., CEO (Retired)

MT&T, Halifax MIKE MACDONALD, P.Eng., President & CEO, CBCL Consulting Engineers, Halifax

Fowler Bauld & Mitchell Ltd.

JERRY MCPHERSON, P.Eng., Vice-President, Syncrude, Fort McMurray

JOHN CRACE, Principal,

KIRBY PUTNAM, Executive

Architecture 49, Halifax

Vice President, Lindsay Construction, Halifax

GEORGE COTARAS, President,

MAURICE FARES, Vice President,

W M Fares Group, Halifax

DEAN ROBERTSON, P.Eng., President & CEO, The Shaw Group, Halifax

GRANT FERGUSON, President, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., MARK SHERMAN, P.Eng., General Halifax Manager, Refinery, Irving Oil, Saint John ANDY FILLMORE, Vice President, Waterfront Development Corporation, REG WEISER, P.Eng., President and Halifax CEO, Positron Inc., Montreal

Thank you Fundy FORCE for participating as a sponsor for Dr. Swan’s mechanical engineering students, end of year project: Deployment of an In-Stream Tidal Energy Generator. Thanks also to industry representatives that attended the competition: Tony Wright, FORCE; John Hughes, Hughes Offshore and Shipping Services, and Andrew Carlisle, OpenHydro.

PETER WILLIAMS, President Annapolis Capital, Calgary ENGINEERING

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Dalhousie Engineering Design Expo: From classroom to industry

DESIGN STUDENTS TAKE ON REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES WITH THE CAPSTONE PROJECTS In late March, the departmental Engineers-in-Residence together with the NSERC Design Chair hosted the Second Annual Engineering Design Expo. The Sexton Gymnasium was busting at the seams with a bustling and curious crowd – close to one thousand in total – who came to see the Senior Year Engineering students showcase their Capstone Projects via poster presentation. (The Capstone Project is a course in 4th year that spans two terms. Students take on industry- or community-based projects and work with clients to solve a specific problem that the client has identified.)

Attendees included industry representatives, potential employers, associated university students, high school students, and the Dalhousie Engineering community at large.

Thanks to our generous prize sponsors, Shell, Irving and Ultra Electronics, there were three $1000 prizes up for grabs for the top rated posters as deemed so by our group of hand-selected industry judges. The judges had an intense job evaluating the posters under a tight schedule and we were fortunate and grateful for their dedication and involvement.

Overall, the engineering work carried out by the students, their professionalism and presentations of the posters were impressive and encouraging that the future is in great hands. We had a three-way tie for the second place and the office of the Dean came forth and sponsored a fourth prize in order to honour these teams’ outstanding work.

The Senior Design Expo, which was first created, organized and held by the Engineers-in-Residence last year, is turning out to be a phenomenal and very fruitful hub for our local Engineering community. The Third Annual Engineering Design Expo will be held March 22, 2016.

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BENEFITS FOR THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS Getting to present their work in a professional environment (à la convention style) Receiving valuable feedback from the show attendees Networking with students from other disciplines, industry representatives, faculty and other Dalhousie Engineering community members Ì Talking with potential employers Ì Getting media coverage (local newspapers and TV news reports) Ì Competing and the chance to win one of the $1000 prizes Ì Ì Ì

BENEFITS FOR INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES Ì Seeing the latest local technical advancements Ì Getting involved by providing or getting ideas for future design projects Ì Helping out by judging the poster competition Ì Giving feedback to future engineers Ì Networking with other industry representatives Ì Scouting for new talent based on their work on the Capstone Project (all the project posters are presented by graduating students)

Faculty of Engineering

THANK YOU TO OUR 2015Year EXPO SPONSORS Senior Design Expo

INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Do you have a design problem that needs a solution? If you or your organization would like more information about participating in the Capstone program, please contact Dr. Clifton Johnston at clifton.johnston@dal.ca or contact one of Dalhousie’s Engineers-in-Residence, through their respective departments: Sandra Macaulay Thompson, Industrial Engineering: S.Macaulay.Thompson@ Dal.Ca Andrea Doncaster, Civil Engineering: Andrea.Doncaster@Dal.Ca Georgeta Bauer, Mechanical Engineering: Georgeta.Bauer@Dal.Ca Peter Gregson, Electrical Engineering: Peter.Gregson@Dal.ca Kathy Lea, Process Engineering: Kathylea@ns.sympatico.ca Colin Dickson, EIR at large: Colin.Dickson@Dal.Ca

Senior Design students passionately defend their Capstone Projects in front of a panel of industry judges. The teams had been working since September on solutions to real-world engineering problems posed by industry.

2015 WINNING PROJECTS WINDSOR SALT HOISTING ACQUISITION: Irving Shipbuilding Award NEOCON FAST EASY JUNCTION PACKAGER: Shell Award FIREWOOD SPLITTING ASSEMBLY: Ultra Electronics Award LAFARGE LUMP BREAKERS: Dalhousie Faculty of Engineering Award

Friends of Capstone Banquet In mid-May, the Faculty of Engineering hosted the inaugural Friends of Capstone Banquet — welcoming an enthusiastic group of industry representatives, students and faculty. It was a fantastic way to further strengthen local community and industry collaboration in the Capstone Projects. The dinner featured a timed engineering project competition as an ice-breaker, as well as opportunities to discuss Capstone Projects and propose new ones for the coming year.

Friends of Capstone Banquet attendees team up to solve an engineering "Table Challenge" between salad and main course.

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FOCUS ON RESEARCH

Craft brewery toasts CIFT expansion into fermentation There was a time when Bob Lawrence sent samples of the P.E.I. Brewing Company’s award-winning beers to Chicago.

It wasn’t, he explains, an attempt to tap into a lucrative market; it was strictly for product analysis.

“We’re a craft brewery and we don’t have the equipment on site to analyze things such as IBU, alcohol content or the colour of our beer,” says the company’s senior vice president of operations. “It was the closest lab we could access, and it was rather cumbersome and expensive to send alcohol across the border for testing. I thought there had to be a better way to do this.”

Then, in December 2013 came welcome news for Lawrence via a visit from Dalhousie’s Dean of Engineering, Dr. Joshua Leon. Dr. Leon informed him that the university’s Canadian Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) had expanded into fermentation services for the region’s rapidly growing craft brewery, wine and cider industries.

“He was asking what kind of expertise we were looking for and the services

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they could provide. I said, ‘if you’ve got the ability and the methodologies to do this analysis in Halifax, that’d be great.’

Soon after, I was sending samples to Dr. Andrew Macintosh at CIFT and he was sending the results back.”

A biological engineer and assistant professor in the department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dr. Macintosh’s hiring was a key step in CIFT’s expansion into fermentation services. He first became interested in the process while earning his master’s degree, exploring the production of antibiotics through fermentation. That experience inspired him to earn his PhD, examining the role of carbon dioxide during standard brewing operations.

“What fascinates me about fermentation is that it’s both an art and a science.

We’ve taken advantage of it since the dawn of civilization, we’ve studied it thoroughly and yet there’s still so much we don’t fully know about it.”

Even so, what Dr. Macintosh and his colleagues do know about the process will be vital in helping Atlantic Canada’s

craft beer industry grow. With CIFT’s expanding focus, small breweries now have ready access to the same kind of analytical expertise and equipment that large scale brewers have built into their operations, all without having to make costly investments. They can monitor water pH to see how it impacts the quality and consistency of their product.

They can even take advantage of a pilot brewing operation to experiment with new products and recipes says Dr. Allan Paulson, CIFT’s director, who led the Institute’s expansion.

“If they want to try a different fermentation process, yeast, grains or hops, we can do it on a small enough scale so that they can take more chances on innovative products and it won’t cost them much time or money, or tie up their production facilities.”

That’s something Lawrence would eventually be interested in. Right now, he’s happy that he can get analysis of the company’s beers with a frequency that wouldn’t have been possible if he were still using the lab in Chicago.

Spencer Gallant, P.E.I. Brewing Company, is shown hopping the brew kettle.

Engineers-in-Residence support the Capstone Projects program “Having access to CIFT has allowed us to make adjustments in the hops we’re using, or the amount we use, so we can more consistently hit the targets we want to hit for alcohol content and bitterness. But the brewing capability opens up an opportunity to use them as a true pilot scale operation to explore product and process development.”

The collaboration with the PEI Brewing Company has also been beneficial for CIFT as Dr. Macintosh’s says it has given him a better understanding of how they can serve the needs of the region’s craft brewers. “They’ve helped us determine which analyses are most useful, the kind of turnarounds and accuracy they require, and other ways we can use our expertise and equipment to deliver the data they need.”

As for the future, CIFT will continue to offer traditional services as it expands into other aspects of fermentation. Dr. Macintosh would like to work with the winemaking industry in developing more value-added products. He’d also like to see CIFT invest in new technologies that will not only stimulate craft brewing and winemaking growth, but also result in groundbreaking fermentation research and an enhanced educational experience for students.

“Our mandate is to produce highquality scientists and engineers. By introducing them to fermentation and analytics at the university level, we can give them a competitive advantage in their careers that will also serve to advance research and support the industry in Atlantic Canada. That’s the win-winwin we want to achieve.”

The timing couldn’t have been better for industrial engineer Sandra MacAulay Thompson. After taking time off to start a family, she was looking to return to the profession in a way that allowed her to be there for her children when they needed her. That’s when she heard that the Engineers-in-Residence program was looking for someone with her particular expertise to come on board.

“I get to assist students with Capstone Projects, build relationships between academia and industry and have family time so it’s a dream come true,” says MacAulay Thompson.

MacAulay Thompson is one of six Engineers-in-Residence at Dalhousie. For the past two and a half years, she’s been travelling from her home in Truro one day a week to mentor graduate students and help prepare them for successful careers in industrial engineering. She has also been connecting with smallto-medium sized businesses across the Maritimes to see how the Capstone Program, the Faculty and students can effectively and cost efficiently resolve the design, process or production issues that are hampering their growth.

“Whatever the situation, we want businesses to know that we have students who can work on these challenges with support from Dalhousie professors.

These projects give students vital handson experience and result in really good technical advice and ideas that not only benefit the companies involved, but our economy.”

Typically, Engineers-in-Residence programs are comprised mainly of retired males, but design chair Clifton Johnston says Dalhousie is unique in that four of the six engineers participating are women – several of them returning to the profession after starting families.

Johnston notes the current group has jelled very well and their collective industry contacts have been particularly beneficial when it comes to community promotion and outreach. “The majority of the Capstone projects that students

(Front, l-r): Andrea Doncaster, Georgeta Bauer, Kathy Lea. (Back, l-r): Colin Dickson, Clifton Johnston, NSERC Chair in Design Engineering, Peter Gregson, Sandra MacAulay Thompson

are doing are ones that the Engineers-inResidence helped source. They’ve given the faculty a more cohesive public face, while letting industry know that we’re here to help them with any problems they might have.”

“I get really excited about that, adds MacAulay Thompson. “There’s huge potential for industry to benefit from the research that goes on at Dal, and the students who are here. And there are huge benefits for the university and its programs when it engages in real-world problem solving.”

Johnston is hoping to secure a fiveyear renewal for the program, but would ultimately love to see it continue in perpetuity, hopefully through an industrysponsored endowment. As for MacAulay Thompson, she plans to continue her involvement for the foreseeable future.

“I feel really lucky to work with such an outstanding group of engineers.

They’re all energetic, intelligent people who’ve accomplished great things, and they truly value engineering education.

It’s nice to be part of something that is giving guidance and support to the next generation.”

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Shell partnership helps a dream come true Now that Shelby Pottle has completed her formal engineering education, she’s ready to begin an exciting career with Shell as Mineral Processing Engineer in Training.

“Shell is definitely the company that I want to build my career with,” says the 2015 Chemical Engineering graduate.

“It’s been my top choice as an employer for a while now, for a few different reasons. When you get hired on with Shell, you’re not just a number; they have a social responsibility not only to the public, but also to their employees.

They put a strong emphasis on development and training, and they place you in a position that you can grow from within the company.”

Pottle is just one of many Dalhousie Engineering alumni to have benefited from the Shell Experiential Learning Fund (SELF), which provides hands-on learning opportunities to students. For example, the labs and equipment that Pottle has

THIS PARTNERSHIP IS FUELLED

BY A SHARED PHILOSOPHY THAT INNOVATIVE LEARNING IS KEY TO UNLOCKING THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL OF OUR YOUTH. used throughout her studies were all made possible through the fund. These resources not only enhance learning, they also help ensure engineering students like Pottle gain practical skills that are essential in the real world.

“Shell Canada also sponsored the Senior Engineering Design Project that my group and I worked on. We designed a membrane scrubber for use in scuba diving re-breathers, which allows recirculation of the diver's exhaled breath, without emitting any bubbles.” That, says Pottle, is another important example of Shell’s commitment to supporting hands-on applied learning.

SHELL’S CONTINUED SUPPORT In March, the company announced a continuation of its support at an event

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in the Faculty of Engineering’s Alumni Lounge. It will contribute $600,000 over three years to fund experiential and extracurricular learning in the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Management.

“This partnership is fuelled by a shared philosophy that innovative learning is key to unlocking the tremendous potential of our youth,” says Stephanie Sterling, general manager of venture support integration and social performance with Shell Canada.

The relationship between the company and the University dates back to the 1960s, and the university was an inaugural partner in the Campus Ambassador Program when it launched in 2005. Since then, Shell has invested $1.9 million in experiential learning on campus.

The three-year investment includes $500,000 for SELF. It will support field trips, guest lectures, conferences and events, and extracurricular competitions.

These activities not only connect students with opportunities to learn more about their field of study, they offer real-world application and industry engagement.

The remaining $100,000 will be used to establish a new Offshore Energy Fund to support student-learning opportunities related to offshore oil and gas exploration and development.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS According to Sterling, what makes Shell’s partnership with Dalhousie unique is the large number of Dalhousie alumni who work directly with students.

“The Dal alumni at Shell partner with the faculty and the students to look for those opportunities for hands-on learning. I’ve never seen more passionate and committed individuals, and I think it speaks to the values that get instilled in students at Dalhousie.”

Shell sees the continuing investment as crucial in ensuring that the graduates of today become the leaders of tomorrow.

For Pottle, it means she’s ready to be part of the company’s dedication to ingenuity and innovation.

“What I’ve learned from my time at Dal is that you are rewarded with the best experiences when you get out of your comfort zone. I feel that my career will be a continuation of this. Every four years at Shell there is an opportunity to switch positions, either internationally or within Canada.

Pottle adds, “Shell strives to develop employees to their greatest potential, and I love that approach. I’m looking forward to digging in, and seeing projects through to completion. I think this is going to be a very exciting chapter for me.”

Celebrating excellence in experiential learning 2015 CO-OP AWARDS RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS While the co-op student experience varies greatly across sectors and academic programs, excellence is found everywhere. This was the prevailing theme during the 2015 Co-op Awards in March, hosted by Dalhousie’s Science, Information Technology, Engineering Co-operative Education. This year’s winners include: ENGINEERING CO-OP STUDENT OF THE YEAR Industrial Engineering student Carling Gratto Carling Gratto's attention to detail and exceptional organization are just two of the many traits that earned commendation during work terms with Capital District Health Authority, LED Roadway Lighting Ltd. and Proctor & Gamble Inc. “Carling’s performance was outstanding,” shared Carling’s co-op supervisor Vicki Howie, Supply Network / Operations Leader with Proctor & Gamble. “We have made an offer of full-time employment upon graduation.”

TOP CO-OP EMPLOYERS Blair George, Controls Supervisor, Nova Scotia Power, Point Aconi Generating Station.

Nominated by Electrical Engineering student Joshua Fritz: “Blair is an outstanding leader, supportive supervisor and a phenomenal person,” wrote Joshua.

“His guidance led me to be the person I am in the work force today and laid the groundwork for the engineer I hope to become tomorrow.”

Michelle Briggs, Engineer, Shell Canada, Process Technical Services.

Nominated by Chemical Engineering student Bonnie Moore: “I’m always close to

both my supervisor and my mentor, which allows for clear directions and immediate feedback,” shared Bonnie, who returned for a second work term with Shell last winter. “It is a great learning environment where diversity and inclusion are common themes and different life and work styles are recognized and celebrated.”

Andrez Flores, Mechanical Reliability Technician, Michelin North America (Canada).

Nominated by Mechanical Engineering student Emily MacRitchie: “Andrez went out of his way to ensure that I felt safe and comfortable in my environment and this gave me the courage and confidence to face many of my fears,” shares Emily.

“Because of this, I have grown immeasurably in the few months that I spent there. I honestly could not have asked for more in a supervisor than what I found in Andrez.”

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ENGINEERING

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Honorary degree for global community builder RICHARD ALEXANDER MURRAY (DENGR'64, BENG(NSTC)’66) Richard Alexander Murray’s relationship with Dalhousie goes back 50 years. He earned a Diploma in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in the mid-1960s from what was then called the Nova Scotia Technical College, and is now Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering. He has gone on to become an outstanding engineer, industry leader, mentor to young engineers, successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Early in his career, Mr. Murray spent 11 years as a civil engineer in Jamaica, returning to Canada in the 1970s to build the company we know today as R.A. Murray International Limited, an award-winning firm based in Halifax that provides engineering, general contracting, material procurement, and logistical services all over the world. R.A. Murray International specializes in the design, building and financing of highway

bridges; and the sale and transport of construction aggregates. One of Mr. Murray’s most impressive accomplishments was his work for the Jamaica Bridges Development Program from 2007 to 2011. His company designed and built 17 bridges plus connector roads across Jamaica. They also strengthened local communities–reconstructing schools, repairing police stations, supporting local employees and their families to further their education, and donating to charities.

In keeping with his philosophy of giving back, Mr. Murray and his wife Melda endowed a $1-million scholarship fund in 2012. The Richard and Melda Murray Scholarships bring Jamaican students to study engineering at Dalhousie. The Murrays’ hope is to train a new generation of engineers who will build the future of Jamaica.

From Jamaica to Halifax MURRAY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT DEVENE SINCLAIR CHOOSES BIOENGINEERING At first glance Devene Sinclair looks like any average student – she loves music and enjoys playing tennis. But, in reality, her 'average' qualities are few. This outstanding student came from Jamaica to Dal with clear goals of success, thanks to the $22,000 Richard and Melda Murray Scholarship.

Born in the rural town of Frankfield, Devene began excelling at a young age.

She achieved the “Young Leader” level of girl guides and was in her school’s environmental club. She was also active in the Interschool’s Christian Fellowship (ISCF) program.

There’s a strong sense of community in Frankfield that Devene still draws upon for support. Her community expects all of its advanced students to seek opportunities for post-secondary education. In fact, Devene's sister chose to study medicine in Cuba

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ENGINEERING

FOLLOWING HER OWN PATH Devene opted for a degree in bioengineering. She knew she wanted to help people and bioengineering seemed to fit the bill. Her choice led her to the Murray scholarship.

“The scholarship was established by the Murrays in 2010, specifically for students from Jamaica studying engineering at Dalhousie,” says Oluronke Taiwo, the head of the Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC) at Dal. The scholarship is renewable every year of Devene’s undergraduate studies as long as she maintains a certain GPA, which shouldn’t be a problem. “I hold myself to a higher standard, and being a scholarship-holder puts you in the limelight. People expect you to live up to it,” she says.

Devene is actively pursuing her dream of becoming a bioengineer and

making significant contributions to Jamaica and her new home in Canada, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down before achieving her goals.

“When I have an assignment or busy day I just think, ‘Let’s get this done.’”

Engineering's Sexton Scholars The Sexton Scholar designation, named for Frederick H. Sexton, PhD. is unique to the Faculty of Engineering. This honor is bestowed upon students who achieve a GPA of 3.85 or higher — an average of 85% or higher. In addition, a full course load must be maintained in one or more

academic terms during the calendar year.

Even though engineering is known to be among the most challenging of academic disciplines, each year eight to ten per cent of our students achieve this level of accomplishment. Students

who maintain this caliber of academic performance throughout their years in Engineering receive a ‘Sexton Distinction’ on their diploma at graduation.

The 205 Sexton Scholars for 2014-15 are students who have proven they most represent the tradition of excellence for which F. H. Sexton stood, and for which he laid the foundation for others to follow and build upon. Each award recipient deserves our hearty congratulations for a job well done!

ENGINEERING TEACHING AWARDS The students also nominated their most inspriring professors for the studentinitiated Teaching Awards.

2014-15 recipients (pictured at left, l-r) are Dr. Rob Jamieson, Environmental Engineering; Dr. Kamal El-Sankary, Electrical Engineering; Dr. Peter Vanberkel, Industrial Engineering; Dr. Yi Liu, Civil Engineering; Dr. Andrew Corkum, Mineral Engineering; Dr. Ted Hubbard, Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Jan B. Haelssig, Chemical Engineering; (not pictured) Dr. Noubar Yemenidjian, Materials Engineering

The Legacy Effect Wickwire Bursaries Hundreds of Dalhousie engineering students, like Janna Boutilier, have benefited from Lloyd Wickwire’s generosity.

He was inspired by his mother’s tenacity and the struggles he and his brothers faced.

If you’re thinking of including Dal in your estate plans, we can help. Explore the possibilities at dal.ca/plannedgiving or get in touch, we’re here to answer your questions.

Ian Lewer 902-494-6981 ian.lewer@dal.ca Ann Vessey 902-494-6565 ann.vessey@dal.ca

Janna Boutilier, Wickwire Bursary recipient

Read more about the Wickwire family at dal.ca/donors/wickwire.

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ENGINEERING ON CAMPUS

You go, Eng Girl!

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING SOCIETY HOSTS OUTREACH FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS In late fall 2014, The Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society held an outreach event called GoEngGirl. The event is a day for high school students to discover engineering as a potential career.

The day’s activities included hands-on introduction to various engineering disciplines, presentations from current professionals and professors, and concluded with a design competition.

An information session for parents was also held. They learned about the co-operative education program, student life at Dalhousie, the various engineering disciplines offered at Dal, and about engineering as a potential career path for their daughters.

For information on this fall's event, please email dalgoenggirl@gmail.com.

Engineering Badge Day

Engineering Badge Day, held in May, was designed to inspire Girl Guides to choose engineering as a career

Engineers Nova Scotia would like to thank the members and alumni involved in making Girl Guides Nova Scotia’s Engineering Badge Day possible. On May 2, 2015, 66 Girl Guides from across Nova Scotia participated in various engineering activities. By the end of the day many of the Guides said they would consider a career in engineering. This was

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likely due to increased understanding of what engineers do and meeting our volunteers who were “ALL engineers!”

A special thank you to Susan Campbell, P.Eng. 97 (Industrial), and Dr. Mae Seto, P.Eng., Professor in Electrical Engineering, for creating the day and making the connection with Girl Guides Nova Scotia. Engineering Badge Day was

sponsored by Engineers Nova Scotia as part of the outreach initiatives to meet the ‘30 by 30’ goal; to have 30% of newly licensed engineers be female by 2030.

A sincere thanks goes out to all of the wonderful volunteers.

Cubs earn Computer Programming Badge at Dal When Mark Lawrence, BEng ‘99 (Mechanical), and one of the Scouting Leaders – the “Akela” – for the 1st Clayton Park Cub Pack) contacted Professor, Dr. Lukas Swan, to ask if the Mechanical Engineering Department could help the Cubs earn their computer programming badge, Dr. Swan immediately thought of Professor Robert Bauer.

Dr. Bauer teaches Aerodynamics and Control Systems in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Dalhousie.

In response to Mark’s request, Dr. Bauer held a “racecar and robotics” event for the Cub Pack on the evening of March 2. The Cub Pack toured the Mechanical Engineering Department, and got to see the Formula SAE racecar.

After the tour, the Cub Pack gathered in the Mechanical Engineering Measurements and Controls lab where Dr. Bauer introduced them to myriad robots that he uses as demos in his courses.

After the robot demonstrations, Dr. Bauer introduced the Cub Pack to Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits where the

students built and programmed Lego robotic vehicles that use light sensors and electric motors to follow black lines taped onto the floor. In a thank you email to Dr. Bauer, Mark wrote, “It was great! We had lots of positive feedback from the kids and parents!”

The 1st Clayton Park Cub Pack look on as Ian Finlayson, team captain of the Dalhousie Formula SAE Team explains the ins and outs of the team’s race car.

design.engineering.dal.ca

EXPLORE Engineering Design

A hands-on summer program for girls entering Grade 11 or 12 Experience engineering | Design projects for the community | University credit possible

2016: July 4-8 July 11-15 | Mon - Fri, 8:30 am - 5 pm NSERC Chair in Design Engineering 902.494.8431 | design@dal.ca

ENGINEERING ON CAMPUS

Dal student elected CFES president

MARK GRADY IS A CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT WHO PLANS TO DEVOTE A LOT OF THIS COMING YEAR TO NETWORKING NATIONALLY AS PRESIDENT OF THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS.

Fourth-year student Mark Grady is already well on his way in terms of building his professional network. From April 2015 – April 2016 the chemical engineering undergraduate student will hold the title of president of the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES).

“My nomination and subsequent election to the presidency was a natural progression. I’ve been involved at some level ever since I started my engineering degree," says Grady. "My involvement with the engineering society at Dal and the CFES are probably the most beneficial to my success and career from a networking stand-point. I’ve been able to meet a lot of industry people and have met over 1000 students and engineers across Canada.”

As president, Grady will oversee the operations of the CFES. The Federation holds several events for engineering students each year, including four studentrun conferences and a large engineering competition. Grady will also act as an ambassador for Canadian engineering students and serve as a liaison between the CFES and external engineering organizations.

The CFES provides students with worthwhile opportunities and experiences that they can use to begin laying the foundation for a rewarding career in engineering. There are a number of ways students can participate as members.

Students are encouraged to visit the CFES website to find out more at www.cfes.ca.

Adam Casey balances sport and study ADAM CASEY IS NOT ONLY FOCUSSING ON HIS MASTERS' THESIS, BUT ALSO MANAGES TO CURL AT THE NATIONAL COMPETITIVE LEVEL, AS SKIP FOR TEAM PEI.

This winter, Adam Casey, Dal Engineering masters’ student, was the skip for Team PEI at the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier.

Casey had competed in the last three Briers for Newfoundland and Labrador, but this year’s tournament was his first time representing P.E.I., and his first time

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as a skip at the championship level.

“This year was different because I was skipping, which I hadn’t done in the past,” says Casey. “The first year I competed it was in Edmonton, and it’s an 18,000-seat arena and there’s thousands of people watching on television, so it’s a different outlook to adjust to.

The past three years I think I’ve grown and matured a lot, and I obviously know more about the game.”

For Casey, the most important thing about being a competitive athlete is striking a balance. At the Brier especially, juggling autograph sessions, television breaks and interviews with playing several matches a day turned out to be an acquired skill.

On top of all that, he’s also working

on his thesis project in applied science.

“There’s not a whole lot of down time, so it’s about making sure that you properly warm up, cool down, try to maintain a certain level of fitness throughout the week, make sure you get your rest, and stay mentally focused."

“Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot better at doing work on the road, but obviously it’s a big commitment when you’re putting 30-plus hours into curling, and at the same time trying to manage a job and school work.”

Casey is proud of his teammates.

After tying for seventh place at the Brier, he says they’re happy with the way they performed and are turning it into a learning experience.

“I’m finishing my thesis, but once I’m back in P.E.I., I’ll be focusing on getting a team together, getting training, developing a support team and trying to take the next step to figure out what we need to do to get better,” says Casey. “It’s about making sure we check off all those little boxes so that when this season rolls around, we’re ready to go.”

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

Class Notes 1970s

DAVID BOSS’78 (NSTC electrical), freelance technical writer and editor (Boss Communications, www.bosscommunications.com) became a grandfather for the third time on January 8, 2015. The family wishes to welcome Jack Jeremiah Boss.

1990s

TIM MARRIOTT BEng’98 (TUNS mechanical), moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta after graduation, followed by Calgary, Tripoli, Libya, Dubai, UAE, Muscat Oman, and back to Dubai in 2014 where he lives with his family and travels frequently to Saudi, Iraq, and Oman. Tim works as Regional Businesses Development Manager for Integrated Project Management with Haliburton Project Management.

Tim Marriot in Dubai in front of the Burj Al Arab, the world's only 7-star hotel.

MEMBERS FROM THE CLASS OF ’95 attended the Civil and Resource Engineering Banquet this year as a mini reunion, and an opportunity for the 2015 graduates to hear different examples of what 20 years of a career in engineering looks

Pictured from left to right: Craig Lake, Tim Aulenback, Andrea Doncaster, Mike Mahoney & Chris Barnes.

2010s

IN MEMORIAM

AWAD ALMALKI, BEng’12(chemical), joined Sadara Chemical Company as a Production Engineer shortly after graduating. Established in October 2011, Sadara Chemical Company is a joint venture developed by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow). It is an unprecedented undertaking – the largest chemical complex ever built in the world in a single phase, with 26 integrated world-scale manufacturing plants, over 3 million metric tons of capacity per year, and a total investment of about US$20 billion. The following link further explains the scale of this newly established company. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2EDAOtU0AYM

MR. WILLIAM RALAND TRACY, BEng’45 (NSTC mechanical), passed away June 4, 2014 at the age of 93. He was living in Sackville, New Brunswick at the time.

He was an avid athlete while a student at Dal and his latest induction was to the Sports Hall of Fame in NB in June 2012.

His obituary can be found on line. Members of his family (grandchildren and great grand children) have graduated or are currently studying Dal Engineering.

like. If you are interested in connecting with the Class of ’95, please contact Andrea at andrea.doncaster@dal.ca

PETER MCNEIL, BEng’14 (chemical), is starting a one-month on, two weeks off, field assignment in an Alaskan zinc mine with Teck.

ENGINEERING

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ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

KUDOS Congratulations to GRANTEC ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS INC. for winning Best Engineering Analysis & Design Award for Excellence in Offshore Structures & Ocean Engineering. The award was given by Acquisition International magazine.

RICHARD GRANT BEng ’83 TUNS (mechanical), MEng ’84 (mechanical) TUNS, is the President and founder of Grantec, and a very strong contributor for CSA Group’s Technical Committee on Offshore Structures, bringing his expertise and enthusiasm to the CSA Group committees at home and abroad through the International Organization for Standardization.

Since 1997 Richard has been involved in the development and advancement of offshore standards for Canada and internationally, including his role in advancing Fire and Explosion safety.

With respect to the Fire and Explosion safety, Richard and Grantec continue to make advancements in this

important area which helps not only to elevate requirements around the world, but also fills in deficiencies in the offshore regulations in Canada.

DR. PAUL AMYOTTE, is a recipient of a 2015 Minerva Canada Education Award of Honour. The award established in 2011, recognizes individuals from academia, government, industry and Health and Safety (H&S) Associations for their long-standing contributions to advance health and safety education in Canadian post secondary teaching institutions.

Dr. Amyotte, formerly on Minerva’s Board of Directors, is a Chemical Engineering professor and it highly regarded for his Health and Safety knowledge and commitment. He is currently President of Engineers Canada and a former Chair of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. He was a key architect in prescribing more inclusion of safety and risk management in the new engineering student attributes.

2015 MAINSTAY AWARD RECIPIENT

CONRAD LELIÈVRE, P.Eng., FEC, has been awarded the 2015 Health and Safety Educator Award by the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, as part of their Mainstay Awards. The Health and Safety Educator Award honours an educator who has demonstrated a commitment to the promotion and advancement of workplace health and safety. The Mainstay Awards recognize Nova Scotians as leaders in promoting safety culture.

ABOVE (l-r): Ann Mellema, P.Eng., FEC, President, Engineers Nova Scotia, Conrad LeLièvre, Len White, P.Eng., FEC, CEO, Engineers Nova Scotia

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He was one of the key architects that organized the first H&S Summer Institutes for engineering professors in 2004 at Sarnia, Ontario. He is currently leading an effort at Dalhousie to see how best to incorporate Minerva’s H&S engineering student teaching modules into their curriculum - this work will be shared and will benefit other Engineering schools in Canada

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2015

4th year Civil and Mineral Resource Co-op students in the Rockies. Shown just south of Canmore, Alta. at the top of Ha Ling Peak, roughly 2400m elevation are Chad Sutherland (Civil), Michael Forsyth (Mineral Resource), Madelaine De Guerre (Mineral Resource), Mathieu Boudreau (Mineral Resource) and Jacob MacDonald (Civil).

On May 30, this year's grads crossed the stage to receive their degrees from Dalhousie's newly installed Chancellor, Anne McLellan. Congratulations to all Dal's new engineers.

See you this fall HOMECOMING 2015 | OCTOBER 15-17

Looking forward to a great weekend on campus.

DEAN’S COFFEE CLUB | SEXTON TOUR AND WELCOME RECEPTION | CLASS OF ’65 50TH REUNION Contact cathy.wood@dal.ca or 902-494-3267 for more information.

dal.ca/homecoming2015

ENGINEERING

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Thanks to our presenting sponsor:

NSTC 路 TUNS 路 DAL ENG

Seventh Annual

Engineering Golf Tournament

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015 GLEN ARBOUR GOLF COURSE 40 CLUBHOUSE LANE, HAMMONDS PLAINS, NS

For more information and to register, contact Terri Mann: 902.494.2071 | terri.mann@dal.ca

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Alumni & Donor Relations Office Faculty of Engineering Suite 108, Morroy Building, 5269 Morris Street PO Box 15000 Halifax NS B3H 4R2

40065040