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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ENGINEERING
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.”