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engHERO: Zarana Bavishi

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Q#1: What are you doing these days?

I work as a stress analyst in a landing gear place — it’s called Heroux Devtek. Basically, my job is to make sure that the landing gear we design is structurally strong, and it’s good for any kind of landing. I’m not sure if you remember the time the aircraft had to land on the Hudson River in the United States? So, we have to make sure the landing gear is intact and that it doesn’t cause any problems. 

Q#2: When did you know you wanted to be an engineer?

I actually knew in around grade 10. I was a part of this team that was called Formula 1 in school where we had to design tiny wooden cars that were propelled using carbon dioxide canisters. It would have to propel down 20 metres of track, and the challenge was to complete that in less than a second. Obviously, we couldn’t finish it in less than a second, but we were pretty good. We went through nationals, even an international competition [after] that. So, that was an eye opener, and I absolutely loved my time working on it, so I wanted to be an engineer. 

Q#3: How does your work contribute to society? 

I think it helps make sure that people are traveling safely, because these days it’s not just a car or a train; there’s more to that then traveling. I also think it’s very important that engineers know what they’re doing because if a doctor messes up, I mean I’m sure it happens, but that is one life. If an engineer messes up, there [are] millions of lives at stake. I think me doing my job would really benefit society in that way. 

Q#4: Why do we need more women in engineering?

Honestly, I just think that shouldn’t be a question to be asked these days because women should be everywhere. We’re in no comparison to guys, we’re equal! We’re in a world where everything [has equal value], where equality is something we shouldn’t have to fight for. So, honestly, if a woman wants to be in engineering, she should be! 

Q#5: Do you have any hobbies/passions that give you a unique perspective in engineering?

I do some puzzles here and there, but I don’t really have a specific kind of hobby that gives me an edge to engineering. Engineering is my passion and my job but I do things outside of that as well to make myself a little bit well rounded — still not there yet.

Q#6: What advice would you give to young girls who are thinking about pursuing a career in the STEM field?

Don’t get overwhelmed by who you talk to or who you see. Just think, what’s going to make you happy. [What] if 20 years from now, your fear stopped you from doing something, or actually enjoying what you do? If you want to delve into [engineering], try different things like solving puzzles or playing games that stimulate your mind. And if that still inspires you, you should go into engineering! Don’t get scared or overwhelmed by anybody you talk to who sounds like they know everything. No, we don’t know everything!

3 Super Cool Engineering Traditions

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Engineering has a very rich history with many fun traditions that have been performed by engineers all around the world for decades. Many of these traditions are still alive and well and are practiced regularly by engineering students in Canada and many other countries. Today we are going to learn about the history of three notable traditions that all engineers-to-be can look forward to participating in one day! 

Iron Ring Ceremony

  • The Iron Ring is presented to graduating engineering students as a symbol of their dedication to holding up ethical standards in the profession once they are practicing engineers
  • The Iron Ring ceremony is primarily a Canadian Engineering tradition although there are some similar ceremonies in the United States
  • The first Iron Ring ceremony was performed in 1925 in Montreal 
  • The idea was created in 1922 by a University of Toronto professor, H.E.T Haultain
  • Now this ceremony happens annually at school across Canada! 

Purple!

  • This was probably the strangest sight to see during the first week of university! Engineering students walking around with purple skin! 
  • Purple is a very significant colour for all engineering students. The origin of the purple traditions is not verified but it is said that this colour is used because it was the colour worn by the marine engineers on the Titanic, it is also speculated that it is because purple was the colour of the engineering corp in the British Miltary. 
  • During orientation week, new engineering students dye their skin purple in this super funny tradition!

Boiler Suits/ Patches 

  • Boiler suits are another very fun engineering tradition to look forward to! 
  • This tradition started in Sweden in the late 1960s and spread to Finland, Canada and other countries after that
  • Engineering students would write all over their boiler suits and attach different patches to their suits. They also trade patches with other students and collect as many as they can!

5 Weird things you can do with a Chemical Engineering Degree

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What is chemical engineering? Chemical engineering is a discipline of engineering that involves transforming raw materials and creating innovative processes in products to solve global issues. However, a chemical engineer is NOT a chemist. In fact, the two are quite different! Chemists spend most of their time conducting research with novel substances in a laboratory. While chemical engineering does involve the study of chemistry, chemical engineering focuses on applying the research done by chemists, and it also involves the application of biology, math and physics to create useful tools for society. There are lots of ways to apply a chemical engineering degree to help society. Below are some interesting industries you could work with as a chemical engineer:

1. Cosmetics

Many chemical engineers work in research labs and manufacturing plants that develop chemical-based products. New cosmetic products are the result of blending different chemical products, so you could work in a cosmetics industry as a chemical engineer!

2. Ice Cream

Similarly, to pharmaceutical, chemical and consumer product companies, ice cream development is a multiphase system. Chemical engineers in the ice cream industry control many different aspects that impact texture, taste and shelf life.

3. Toilet Paper

2020’s hottest commodity: toilet paper! Toilet paper can be manufactured from new or recycled paper. Then, chemical engineers use water, bleaches and different chemicals to break down the raw materials into usable fibers.

4. Toothpaste

Toothpaste is another must-buy product for most households An important ingredient in toothpaste in fluoride, as well as binders, abrasives, foaming agents, flavours and colourants. Chemical engineers experiment with these substances to find the perfect product to make our teeth sparkle!

5. Medicine

There are many opportunities for chemical engineers to get involved in the advancing medical and health sciences fields. One way is to develop new pharmaceuticals or medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc. Chemical engineers may also use bacteria, animal, and plant cells to increase the understanding of diseases, disease pathways, and human responses to drugs.

Self-Employed Civil Engineers

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Being Your Own Boss is very Compelling

Making your own rules, and having complete control over your workload and earnings. This comes with freelance work and running your own business. Unfortunately, when people think of freelancers they often only think of IT workers. However, self-employed IT workers only make up 15% of the industry and is dropping steadily. Engineering is a profession that is often done in firms and large groups of collaborators, however, there is a new wave of civil engineers who are changing that landscape.

Why is Civil Engineering Heading Towards Self-Employment?

The number of civil engineers working for themselves rose by 33% between 2013 and 2018. An interesting point in this research is that large portions of these engineers are women. Currently, 4% of self-employed civil engineers are women (2,250) compared to 1.6% in 2013 (659). Self-employment is great when the work you are doing can be completed primarily independently, and works on a per gig basis. Access Financial chief executive Kevin Austin said the civil engineering sector’s project-based work “lends itself to self-employment”.

Kevin Austin also stated that there is a skills shortage in the transportation sector, which paves the way for civil engineers to fill that gap by working independently. Gig based work is also becoming an increasing trend in the economy today, this can be attributed to deteriorating employee benefits in companies. It is becoming harder to find a stable job that offers everything you want both financially, through the form of benefits,  and long term needs.

What Types of Gigs Can You Expect?

The initial stages of freelancing work often take place online. As a freelancer, you want to make sure you are utilizing as many platforms as possible to ensure that your schedule is busy with clients and work. This can be difficult if your network is just beginning to grow, and you need to build a strong reputation. Instead of clients coming to you directly, freelancers often use websites such as; freelancer.ca, workana.com, and upwork.com.

Once you have logged onto these sites and the search has begun, what can you expect to find as a civil engineer? Well, there is a great deal of speciation and variety when it comes to civil engineering postings online. Take this, for example, there is gig-based work posting on freelancing.ca calling for designers of racetracks. The posting can also be more generalized such as; construction manager, structural engineer, and concrete designer. There are also other job postings on these sites including; 3D design artists, and report writing experts.

There is a Demand

As you can see, there is a demand for independent contractors among all positions under the umbrella of civil engineering. With this demand comes a huge opportunity for upcoming civil engineers. Since freelance civil engineers are becoming very popular, there are more and more reasons to join this profession. Becoming your own boss has never been so easy.

enghero: Natalie Shears

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Who inspired you to be an engineer?

Shows like Mythbuster or MacGyver inspired me when I was a kid. I just thought it was so cool to see someone make something so incredible with just their imagination and some tools.

Why did you choose to be an engineer?

I always loved figuring out how things work. I was always taking things apart and putting them back together, it’s one of the first ways that I got interested in engineering. From there, I fell in love with physics and the type of math that you can see, like projectile motion, stress calculations, etc. just seeing how cool the world is and how it relates to math has always fascinated me.

What have you found is the difference between being a female and a male engineer?

I find the biggest difference is the surprise when I tell people. Whenever I say I’m studying engineering, they assume that I was in a different program, looking at me like I have 3 eyes. 

What’s one thing you wish you knew about engineering in high school?

I wish I knew that math and physics are the same thing. It sounds obvious, but I’m more talking about calculus and physics combining fully. Be good at both kids! (and don’t forget integrals end in +C)

Does anything in your life (ex. A hobby, experience or passion) give you a unique perspective to engineering?

Last year, I served as VP Student Life on Ontario Tech’s Engineering Society. Being in that position allowed me to not only set up fun, educational, or de-stressing events for the engineering students at our school, but it also allowed me to create networking opportunities and meet other leaders in Universities across Canada. It showed me the many diverse opportunities that engineering has to offer and helped me find my path after graduation.

How does your work contribute to society?

The saying “engineers rule the world” is not an understatement by any means. We help design your websites, buildings, phones, planes, cars… you name it. Specifically, mechanical engineering is about making sure any device that moves (or has moving parts) is properly designed, as cheap as possible, and is safe for people to use. The amount of thought that goes into designing even the most basic tools that we use every day is baffling, and I can’t wait to be one of the people that get to do that!

Strutting the STEM Runway

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Photo Credit: Kelly Hofer

We all know that a lot goes into engineering, and there are endless possibilities in the field. But, with all of these options, it’s easy to overlook some of the most exciting ones. Have you ever been interested in fashion, and love STEM just as much? Well, there is a new community and event just for it, that will satisfy your creative hobby with the exciting world of STEM. MakeFashion is an amazing company that showcases the combination of high fashion and the newest tech to create an unforgettable experience. This organization takes engineers, designers, and creators alike and brings them together, to create clothing that is both wearable and decked out with the latest tech as accessories and materials. Let’s take a closer look at this exciting collaboration of professionals!

MakeFashion has an annual gala that takes place in Calgary, Canada and is the largest event this organization holds. Every year at this gala hundreds of creatives gather and are paired with tech whizzes and engineers to create jaw-dropping pieces. Some of these fashion inventions amaze audiences by glowing, and some by moving. All that is guaranteed when taking part in this event is,  you will never see anything else like it. Some of the tech that has walked this runway include; fashion pieces that regulate your body temperature, accessories that monitor your vital signs, and a necklace that begins to glow when the sun goes down.

MakeFashion also runs year wide shows around the world, in North America, and across Europe! Each event takes inspiration from local talent, and local fashion trends to create a unique experience. The best part of these showcases is that technology is involved, however, fashion and aesthetics are weighted equally. Therefore, engineers and designers must work together in perfect harmony to execute pieces that are fit to walk this runway. This sets a great example that other designers and engineers should follow, to collaborate and create together.

MakeFashion doesn’t just hold show-stopping fashion exhibits, but they also run a series of workshops and leadership events meant to inspire the minds of tomorrow. This includes offering in-class lectures for age groups ranging from kindergarten to grade 12! This is an amazing opportunity because it gives the knowledge and power to kids that may not have the opportunity to travel to these fashion shows. The message of STEM and creativity being combined is one that is truly worth spreading to young students. The more collaboration that we encourage, the more discoveries that will be made in the future.

MakeFashion also hosts a series of maker events, that provide kids with hands-on experience creating new and exciting creations that fuse creativity with technology. In these workshops kids are instructed on how to build new tools and creations with every lesson, that will give everyone something wonderful to take home.

Overall MakeFashion’s message is clear through every initiative they have, we need to keep creating and collaborating across every industry. The reasoning behind this is simple, collaboration is beautiful and can lead to amazing products and even fashion pieces. The world of STEM needs more out of the box thinkers, who can create inventions that are suited for the runway and the world!