The Bridge: Virtual Hugs (20/21)

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FEBRUARY 2021 Vice President of Communications

Director of Publications

Junior Editor

Cover Design

Contributors

Copyright

Delaney MacIntosh & Elizabeth DeCorby Jason Tao

Amlan Bose Celine Fong Shelby MacLeod (PLLC) Shreya Roy Chowdhury Engineering Art Show

Safiya Ahmad

Megan McGaffin All materials appearing in The Bridge bear copyright to their creator(s) under the Engineering Students’ Society (ESS) and may not be used without written consent.

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Engineering Students’ Society of the University of Alberta

JOIN UR TEAM! EXPRESSION DESIGN ART LEGACY COMMUNITY

email essint@ualberta.ca

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Photo: Delaney MacIntosh

DEAR READER, February not only marks the turn of Winter semester, but a month of appreciation and compassion. This edition of The Bridge continues to explore the wonders of our local engineering community and far beyond.

With Black History Month, we take some time to discover the incredible accomplishments of some of the greatest scientists and engineers.

We then go on to explore the power of leadership right at home. In anticipation of the annual Engineering Art Show, we also recognize that there is so much more to engineering than the technical work we do – connect with your creative side!

In this month of love, take a moment to appreciate the people and the things that you care about most. From Valentine’s to Family Day and everything in between, join us as we witness the peaks and valleys of ‘engineering romance’ (as you’ll see, a lot of valleys...).

With Love, Delaney MacIntosh & Elizabeth DeCorby Vice President of Communications

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C O N T E N T S

6 Beyond Science

Black History Month Music & Engineering Busting Engineering Myths

16 Our Community

Leadership & Engineering – PLLC Feature SustainabiliTea Unity: Engineering Art Show

26 Love is in the Air

Love, Maybe? (Awkward First Dates) A Valentine’s Love Letter (MadLib) Sudoku

30 Upcoming ESS Initiatives

GEER Yeer Scoreboard

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH To welcome Black History Month, let's take some time to learn a little more about these incredible engineers and scientists. Let us learn more about their experience and work to honor, listen, and amplify their stories. It is crucial to recognize not only the accomplishments of these individuals but also the struggles they faced from being Black in STEM. While making instrumental contributions to their respective fields, they also paved a way for other underrepresented folks.

Pictured (from top left): Katherine Johnson, Mae Jemison, Kunle Olukotun, Hattie Scott Peterson, George Carruthers, Ursula Burns, Annie Easley, Archie Alexander, Richard Spikes, Alan Emtage.

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OTIS BOYKIN - INVENTOR

VALERIE THOMAS - MATHEMATICIAN AND INVENTOR

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ELIJAH MCCOY - INVENTOR

DOROTHY VAUGHAN - MATHEMATICIAN

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LILIA ANN ARBON - CHEMICAL ENGINEER

MARIAN CROAK - VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING AT GOOGLE

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KIMBERLY BRYANT- ENGINEER AND ENTREPRENEUR

WALTER BRAITHWAITE - ENGINEER AND FORMER BOEING EXECUTIVE

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APRILLE ERICSSON-JACKSON - MECHANICAL ENGINEER

GERALD LAWSON - ENGINEER AND GAME DESIGNER

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MUSIC AND ENGINEERING

by: JASON TAO

Conventionally, fine arts and engineering are believed to be two separate entities with nothing alike. That paradigm has since become dated; passion extends beyond conventional boundaries and can often intertwine between fine arts and engineering. A historical example of engineering and music includes Bartok’s “Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta,” where he utilizes the Fibonacci number sequence. Fundamentally music notes are not just scribbles on a piece of music but are also wave forms (PHYS130).

To preface, I was inspired to write this article when I attended the engineering art show during my second year. From there, I met a number of students who were passionate about music. The art show was eye opening: I’ve met many like minded people there whom I still keep in touch with to this day, and it rekindled my interest in piano and music.

I started taking piano lessons at a young age up until my first year in university. Near the end of my first year in university, I had completed my last practical exam for piano and I felt “done.” Burn-out was imminent as I was thoroughly preparing for the exam while also getting through first year. I was relieved that I finally finished my last piano exam, but at the same time I didn’t want anything to do with piano anymore. I was done, I disliked it, and I stopped playing piano altogether during the end of first year and most of second year, but it wasn’t until the engineering art show where I rekindled that interest.

Oftentimes, engineering and music are compared in a manner such that music theory is closely associated with mathematics (see Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta). I believe that engineering transcends music theory; in a way learning a piece of music develops work ethic. The best skill that carries over between engineering and music is the persistence of work ethic, whether it’s spending countless hours on my structural engineering assignment or spending days perfecting the cadenza in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto II. Playing piano has deeply instilled persistence and a drive that has helped me throughout my engineering degree. Furthermore, both music and engineering has honed my problem solving and time management skills. When I first look at a piece of music, I formulate my approach and my method of learning and the same applies when I look at an engineering exam for the first time.

Music has and will continue to have a significant impact on my life, whether it shares parallels with engineering or serves as a stress reliever.

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BUSTING BUSTING ENGINEERING MYTHS MYTH: Engineering is all about math.

Proficiency in math is important but you don’t have to be a math genius to succeed in engineering! Most students take their last “real math” course in second year. In the real world, mathematical equations and models are often solved by computers and programming.

FACT: Engineering is about people.

Whether you’re designing a bridge or an HVAC system, the first thing engineers and designers consider are the people using it and the communities affected. Learning to understand community, their beliefs and their way of life is essential to engineers.

MYTH: Engineering students lack social and personal skills.

Communication is vital in engineering! Although popular belief states that engineering students are introverted and socially inept, that paradigm has since become dated.

Fact: Engineering is hands on.

Engineers can be out in the field, in the office, in research labs, or working for NASA!

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Think you have what it takes to be an engineer? Test your knowledge of engineering and random things with these true or false questions. Just kidding, this is just for fun!

1. Iron Rings are made from the beams of the first Quebec Bridge, a bridge that collapsed during construction and was deemed an engineering failure.

2. The Channel Tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in the world.

3. The wavelength of red light is shorter than that of blue light.

4. The speed of sound is constant.

5. The Burj Khalifa is the largest free standing structure in the world.

6. There are 100 zeros in a 'googol.'

7. Madonna's real name is Madonna.

8. Your 'radius' bone is in your leg.

9. The only letter not in the periodic table is 'J.' 10. Hilary Clinton and Celine Dion are realted.

11. Cardi B's real name is Cardigan Backyardigan.

12. An octopus as 3 hearts.

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1. False 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. True 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. True 10. False 11. False 12. True

LEADERSHIP ENGINEERING

By Shelby MacLeod from the Peter Lougheed Leadership College

C

olonel Chris Hadfield, Bill Nye (AKA. the Science Guy), and Mark Watney, the protagonist of The Martian. These are some of the famous engineers listed by my contacts in Engineering—those that regularly trekked from Eng Quad to Peter Lougheed Hall pre-remote learning. Even though those distinguished engineers are worthy role models, they’re unlikely to know the feeling of a warm ETLC door handle like you do. In the case of Dr. Watney, it’s impossible that he’s had that pleasure, unless author Andy Reid writes a sequel that takes place in Edmonton.

In fact, we think the home of the U of A would be a great place for a sequel. Members of the next generation of big-name engineering leaders are among us on campus, and with this edition, The Bridge may be the first of many media to publish their names and insights.

Kate Bennett, a Mechanical Engineering co-op student that accents her degree with leadership credits from the Peter Lougheed Leadership College (PLLC), somehow also finds time to mentor with Future Creators. In commenting on leadership and engineering, she shared, “all innovations have both advantages and risks. A leader must consider this and prioritize ethics and social responsibility. They must build multidisciplinary teams that respect these ideals.”

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Shaurya M. Karki UAlberta Engineering & PLLC Alumni

Her call to build bridges across disciplines was shared by Engineering graduate, Shaurya M. Karki, who recommends you learn a little bit about each stream of engineering, even though his degree was in Chemical, plus PLLC’s leadership certificate. He now works as a Process Engineer, and his advice for up-and-coming engineers was to, “be honest and perform your duties with integrity... ask the right questions, and foster trust in the team.”

As for how to work with integrity, we talked to Chemical Engineer Oluwaseun E. Adedeji, PhD. “The true value of engineering work is in how much it positively affects people and society,” he tells us. He gave the example of a design for a pediatric heart pump he contributed to, known as a Left Ventricular Assist Device. The link to a community-in-need may not always be this clear, and perhaps your tedious drafting feels distant from the project’s users, but envisioning the community will help you apply yourself according to your values.

María Belén Ortiz Industrial Engineer, PhD Candidate & PLLC Teaching Fellow

Oluwaseun E. Adedeji Chemical Engineer & Former PLLC Teaching Fellow

Industrial Engineer and PhD Candidate María Belén Ortiz showed how important values are by pointing to the impact her and others in the field can have. “As an engineer, I have a responsibility to develop and apply my leadership skills to create effective solutions to our society's more pressing problems." From her experience improving the culture of a manufacturing company as a Continuous Improvement Coordinator, to her time teaching leadership as a PLLC Teaching Fellow, it’s clear she follows her own advice.

You may not have the experience Kate, Sharuya, Oluwaseun and María Belén have, or be in the position to practice these principles, but as we tell everyone at PLLC, you can lead from where you are: in your group projects, volunteer work or personal life. If you’re not confident enough to do so, practice by seeking mentorship and networking. These local and famous leaders—likely including Dr. Watney—all started as students like you. Follow the examples of those around you and before you know it, it’ll be your turn in the spotlight.

Enhance your Engineering degree with a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies

Peter Lougheed Leadership College scholars develop leadership skills through: ∙ Leadership electives with students from across campus (Includes Engineering-approved Arts credit, INT D 301: Foundations of Leadership) ∙ Support for a personal leadership project with up to $5,000 in funding ∙ Coaching and networking from the PLLC Mentor Team ∙ Access to scholarships and awards Apply this semester to get started in Fall 2021.

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SustainabiliTea with Sara Hooker

By Shreya Roy Chowdhury & Celine Fong

We had the amazing opportunity to speak with Sara Hooker, who is a research scholar at Google Brain along with being an educator. Her field of research includes machine learning, algorithm interpretability, security, and model compression for accessible use of deep learning in resource constrained environments. She is also the founder of Delta Analytics which is a non-profit organization that uses “data for good”. She spoke to us about her journey which started out with a passion for combining machine learning and non-profit organizations and unfolded with her becoming a researcher at Google Brain.

sustainabilitea

Q: Could you just take a brief moment to introduce yourself and your current research interests at Google brain and your role in Delta Analytics?

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A: So, my research of Google brain is all about how we can make models work in the real world and resource-constrained environments. We are working on model compression techniques so that deep known networks are accessible for everyone. But how do we ensure that they’re fair and robust and perform the way we presume? Delta is actually in some ways like this gem that has grown into so many different things now.

I started Delta seven years ago and it is a data for good organization that works on bridging the skill gap as well as building capacity. It was very small when I started it and now it’s become an entirely volunteer-run organization with over 100 people. I currently run our education program; hence I’m really interested in building capacity and communities where we serve and build technical expertise. So, the goal is that eventually we will not have to bridge this gap and we’ll just be building data experts within communities.

Q: So, what was your journey as a data scientist because I know that you didn’t originally start out with that in mind?

A: My path is perhaps more zigzag than some of my colleagues. I started out very intent on being an economist for the world bank. But at the same time, I was doing all these projects on the weekends for Delta and really engaging with non-profit organizations. So, in economics the favorite toolset is to make assumptions to essentially simplify the distribution of your data. But, as soon as you start to realize that there exist more powerful parametric models that you can use to model

real-world data it’s almost like intoxicating. Then I joined Udemy which teaches anyone anything, but I joined as a data scientist and even that didn’t quench my thirst for more knowledge. So, I transferred into engineering which proved not to be enough for me and I wanted to experience research. Hence, finally I joined Google brain as a researcher and now I enjoy a mix of problems. I primarily work on research problems that I remove from deployment, so they tend to be more theoretical, but I still like the kind of constraints that deployments give.

sustainabilitea

Photo: Sara Hooker

I think in that sense my zigzag path has given me an interesting perspective on how to tackle different problems with a different approach.

Q: Was there ever a point you doubted your career path and felt like you were falling behind?

A: No, I knew even if I didn’t end up at Google which, I never actually pictured myself at, it was kind of fascinating. I think that’s partly why, your whole career is a combination of being prepared, luck and timing. I think that yes, I was putting in a brute force effort, but I was also lucky that I got allowed to transfer into engineering and what’s interesting about that is getting to that idea of what is within your control versus just aligning? I think that perhaps because I was so sure that I would end up doing this no matter what it kind of sets off an energy where people were like, well this person really wants this thing. So, it’s interesting if it doesn’t feel right. I think it’s also important to assess and I would say this that there’s a brute force stage to learning this technical skill set. It’s like when you learn a craft and that first stage of running a craft is painful and you don’t even know enough to ask your questions and that is just

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something you have to learn over time. But after you spent about a year learning a craft if you’re gut feeling is telling you that it’s not for you then listen to it. You know, I think there’s an interesting anecdote which several of my colleagues have said, you need to dedicate about four years, which over the course of a lifetime is not that much and be passionate about it. I encourage everyone to start but that’s the thing once you’re here in if you’re not feeling it listen to your heart.

Q: What kind of advice would you give to people that you know want to start their own initiatives? Also, what kind of challenges did you face during that process?

sustainabilitea

A: I think early on the main challenge we faced was figuring out what type of non-profit organizations were suited because we’re attracting people who were economists and engineering volunteers working with machine learning. The question which early on we were really struggling with was what would be an ideal problem that we are well positioned to solve and that would add value to the non-profit. So, we ended up spending a lot

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Photo: Deep Learning Indaba

of time choosing non-profit partners and our fellows because of the importance of the mission, but what’s tricky with non-profits is often data is just like a job that’s thrown at someone in the non-profit. Like it’s not why they’re passionate about the mission. Hence, we wanted people to work on problems that interested them, and we realized that by setting up a long application period it sets an expectation for the non-profits that this was really important to us and for them as well. Essentially the trickiest part of what we’re doing is we’re working alongside non-profits for six months and we wanted to get them tools that they can own and take forward. So,

Photo: Sara Hooker

What I would recommend for others is to start small because the truth is you really want to figure out what type of organisation you have. If you’re entirely voluntary chair driven, like our community remains quite small because we really want the ties between people to be really strong and we have a lot of recurring volunteers who have been here three four years, but we built that out really gradually and I would say to anyone to test out that what you’re doing is useful.

sustainabilitea

that type of dynamic has to be set over time, which is really interesting.

Q: So, what are some impactful things that you’ve learned as a result of the program and are there any memorable stories you can share with us?

A: I still remember one of our first projects was with Pontus in the UK who was an art historian, and we were helping him track how people have engaged with art history curriculum over years and what are their expectations about their future? Then we went to working with the BBC and working with rainforest connection, which is an entirely different project. Its massive data collection scale can require very complex yet sophisticated modeling techniques. So, what I’ve been proud of is that we’ve really been invested quite heavily in the person at the other end and the impact and I think we’ve done a really good job because we dedicate so much time to the selection process at choosing projects. I really love the people that we’ve worked with, but I will say that the most critical juncture point for me was starting the teaching fellowship because it’s kind of a point when you realize that bridging the skill gap is never going to be enough. Like the angle is that you just build technical opacity in the community. So, you have a domain expert who is also part of the community and can solve these problems.

Hence, we started the teaching fellowship.

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The craziest memory was we were teaching offered pilot and we were teaching in Kenya. We only had like three months to put this together and we were all hustling.

We were in Nairobi where they have crazy traffic jams.

So, we would drive to the classroom and we would be sometimes in traffic in a taxi for like an hour and a half.

Just trying to get to class and I would be there in the back seat, in the middle of summer and trying to finish the code lab by tethering to my phone. This was cool because I think forcing functions are also really great for making magic happen particularly when everyone’s volunteering it’s like a great way to have just an objective in mind where everyone’s like, whoa, we’re going to push and make this happen.

sustainabilitea

Q: Finally, what are your hopes and dreams for future engineers, software engineers and like data scientists?

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Photo: ESS Sustainability

My hope is that we work on more interesting problems. I hope that they include more people that are outside the US and are from different backgrounds. Also, it can get pretty lonely for me at times where I work right now because I am the only woman. I’m kind of at the very depth of my technical field and you realize as you go further in your career that it becomes increasingly lonelier in some ways. So, I think my biggest hope is that we get much better at articulating a technical field because you can only number a few cities where technical talent is, but also just include more people. It’s because often it’s really hard to navigate a space when you’re the only person with the background in that space and that’s because as humans, we’re quite triable right? I think we love regardless of whether it’s explicit or implicit. We love finding within groups and out of groups.

sustainabilitea

If you’d like to hear more about what inspired Sara Hooker’s passion for machine learning, and using data for the betterment of the world, check out the podcast!

Volunteer with ESS Sustainability

Listen to our Podcast

Stay tuned for more sustainability interviews each month!

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UNITY UNITY ENG RT HOW 2021

ENG RT HOW 2021

Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 19 Mar 17 Mar 18 Mar 15 Engineering Mar 16Art Show: Mar 19 MarArt 17 Mar 18 Showcase 5:30 - 7:30 Engineering Art Show 5:30 - 7:30 PaintEngineering

By Art Show Paint By Circles Circles

Engineering Art Show: Art Showcase 5:30 - 8:30 5:30 - 7:30 Engineering Art Show Engineering Art Show x 5:30 - 8:30 Sustainability 5:30 - 7:30 BobEngineering Ross Art Show Engineering Art Show x 6:30 - 8:30 DIY Sustainability Bob Ross Engineering Art Show Paint Night 6:30 - 8:30 BirdDIY Feeders Baking Engineering Art Show Paint Night Bird Feeders Baking Night Night

Mar 22 Mar 26 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 22 Mar 26 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Engineering Art Show: Art Showcase Engineering Art Show: Art Showcase 5:30 - 7:30 Engineering Art Show 5:30 7:30 Engineering Art Show Cooking 7:00 - 9:00 Cooking Night Engineering Art Show 7:00 - 9:00 Night Engineering Art Show Talent Show Talent Show Competition Competition

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6:00 - 8:00 Engineering Art Show 6:00 - 8:00 Engineering Art Show Closing Closing Ceremonies Ceremonies

Greetings from your Engineering Art Show team!

This year, the events and art display will be hosted virtually.

We have seven exciting events in store; check out the schedule, and join us for a night of art and fun.

Follow our social media page @engartshow to stay tuned for future updates!

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Love, ? e b y a M A series of awkward first dates

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I was on a date at an Indian restaurant. The food was amazing; however, that was the only thing that went well that night. In the beginning, I was having a great time and started thinking that she might be the one (although it was just our first date). After a while, in the middle of a great conversation, she started talking about this cousin of hers. It turns out I had a short past with this cousin of hers.

That was the most awkward dessert of my life.

My first kiss was actually at an ESS event. It was during the glow party of 2017. Soon after the first kiss followed the second and third at that same party.

That was the night when I realized that I am kind of a stud. Thanks to the ESS.

I was just having a great conversation with this girl and we had a lot in common. Then she said something about something. I loved that “something” so much that I said out loud, “Wow, you are amazing. I love you”. Now as soon as I said that out, I thought “ oops that’s awkward. I should say something. Anything.” So then I said, “in a friendly way”. Now it was actually awkward. However, she just laughed and now we are really good friends.

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A Valentine's Love letter Engineering Edition Dear

,

a person's name

I still remember the first time I love for you is like

noun

:

verb, past tense adjective

you during

and

.. In a

adjective

faculty of over 4000 students, you stood out to me because of your noun

adjective

. I never had the courage to approach you, but maybe we can go

on a Zoom date and noun

. My

course

activity

. If I look bad on camera, I blame it on

. Once we're on campus, we can meet at

can work on

course

campus building

to

activity

. We

homework and I'll save your spot in the Timmies

line. I'd imagine being with you nearly matches the Matlab runs with no errors. You are the

noun

noun

to my

I feel when noun

. I would

wait in the long lines of the GEER Store to get you the new release of engineering paper. I hope we may meet once more. May the breakout rooms be in our favour.

Yours truly, your name

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