We Made a Difference. We Made it Together. WEMADEIT.

engspirational

engHERO: Pamela McRae

by

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

When I was in high school I had no idea that I would be working in technology let alone enter in to the engineering world. This field is so diverse that the opportunities are endless. I guess I would have loved for someone to come speak to my class and show me a few areas of professional outcome to open my eyes to the wonderful world of engineering.

What’s your proudest accomplishment as an engineer?

I can’t think of just one, so I will summarize it this way. Everyday I come to work and lead a team to make meaningful changes to the way we live. Working under the healthcare umbrella I am changing the world and prolonging lives. As Technology experts and Engineers we are often forgotten about, however we are the ones that change visions into reality. It is an amazing world to be part of and I am proud of all the work I have taken part in; both the success’ and failures.

Tell me about a time in your career when your work has been about discovery or curiosity?

I am very blessed to work in an area of innovation. We get ideas sent to our team daily and we are always in a mindset of discovery and curiosity. I manage my team to have fun and ensure that we are open to mistakes as we discover the best solutions from our failures.

What are you doing these days?

I’m leading a team in Pharmaceutical technology. My team of talented individuals are always working on efficiencies for the workflow and quality to ensure patient safety with less user intervention allowing technology to replace most if not all human intervention.

Do you feel your work contributes to society? How so?

Absolutely, my team and I change lives daily. Working in the healthcare industry we are part of the future demands to help society live longer and healthier. Without teams of engineers making all these process’ and visions come to life we would not advance as humans.

Why do we need more female engineers?

We need more engineers in general, however I believe that having more female engineers is critical for the reason of creativity. Having both male and female talent allows more diverse views on the same problem which always means a better outcome. We are wired differently and that is the beauty of having a good mix of well rounded individuals in this industry.

Do you have any hobbies/passions that give you a unique perspective in engineering?

Well I must admit, I live a simple and boring life outside of work. I do a lot of keynote speaking to younger students to give them an opportunity to ask questions and see through my lens of life in technology. I am a single mother of two boys age 18 and 16 and they teach me new things everyday, encouraging me to be better, stronger and faster in all aspects of life.

When you were becoming an engineer, were you nervous and stressed out about all the math and science? What made you push through and become an engineer? Were you sure that you wanted to become an engineer when you were in gr12?

I honestly had this field fall into my lap, it was not something that I thought I would have considered in grade 12. I changed my direction after first year of university and have not looked back. I think that it is critical for a successful engineer to want it, feel it and love what they do, not just have the degree.

Tell us about a cool project you’ve worked on.

Me! I am my best project. I think that we should all focus on what we are and have ourselves as the best project in life as it’s the only project that you can’t control the start and end date. I continue to work on myself and each project that my team completes under my direction is another level of maturity and excellence that is embedded in my brain that can’t ever be forgotten. I use these to learn, adjust, and grow. Be a “Learn it all” not a “Know it all”.

The Power of Women in STEM: Jin Yan

by

Jin Yan is a postdoctoral scholar in FSU and a product development engineer in General Capacitor Int. LLC. She is also a recipient of the Amelia Earhart Fellowship from Zonta International, a fellowship that gives financial aid to women studying aerospace science. She knows the value of studying science and the importance of women being involved in the STEM field.

WESTERN ENGINEERING – ENGSQUAD

by

Mentors and High school girls pose for a photo during a outing to a rock climbing gym.

Finishing high school and trying to figure out what you want to do with your future can be a scary task.

It may be that you already know what you want to do so the decision is easy, maybe you have a parent who is an engineer and inspires you, or maybe you have had some exposure to a STEM field and found the combination of creativity and innovation in engineering was right for you.

However, for many young women this isn’t always the case. That is why universities around Ontario create programs and events to give young women the opportunity to explore the wonderful world of engineering.

Western Engineering’s “ENGSquad” is one such program. ENGSquad matches female high school students in Grades 9-12 with mentors who are female undergraduate engineering students at Western University.

Over the course of a weekend girls will get to take part in engineering activities to explore how to achieve creative solutions, visit engineering workplaces to see what can be achieved with a career in engineering, and even have a taste of what it is like to attend a university when they stay overnight in a residence.

High school girls work in teams to come up creative solutions to a given challenge.

Both engineering and university can be daunting experiences, but that is why Universities across Ontario are working together to ensure that neither obstacle is too high to overcome.

For more about the ENGSquad mentorship program, visit Western Engineering’s website.

Moving Sculpture

by

Procrastinating? We’ve got just the thing! The YTT have pulled together a series of TED Talks that they LOVE. Grab some popcorn and get comfy, because you’re about to get seriously inspired by these amazing engineering projects.

What is this TED talk about?

On a surface level this TED talk is about how a man fused his engineering and artistic sides together to create moving sculptures. On a deeper level this ted talk is about the moving cycle (like his work) of getting your internal aspirations to materialize and then how they are perceived by the external world.

What’s rad about it?

It is rad because it shows you a whole new area of engineering that I never thought about. It also manages to show how machines and the acute detailing attentiveness you need to create them are beautiful things.

How did it inspire you?

At first it made me feel very comfortable and sort of special in a way because I could relate to him about being an introverted person who communicated by physical creations. Then it further inspired me after I realized how he merged two strong passions of his together even though normally you wouldn’t think of them as one, it inspired me to listen to all my passions and try to find a way for them to work together like he did.

What surprised you?

What surprised me was my own reaction to his creations, normally I am someone who is not really into industrial or readymade art but I actually was very moved by how gracefully and intricately his machines worked and they always had a proactive function rather than a destructive one which is very nice especially in this era.

Did you ever have an idea about developing something yourself that solves a problem in the world? Tell us all about it

I’ve never really had a concrete idea of a product or invention that could change the world because I always thought since math and science weren’t my forte I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. But I have been thinking about programs I could start that would use yoga and poetry as the basis for attaining a holistic mindset and strength for those living in impoverished communities and empowering social change but I’m not sure yet how to do this because as someone from a middle class upbringing I don’t want to come off as ignorant and superficial to their real issues.

Ayah Bdeir

by

Q&A WITH EngHERO: Ayah Bdeir

Ayah Bdeir is an artist, engineer, and entrepreneur who founded littleBits, a library of tiny interactive circuit-boards which can be easily snapped together to perform specific functions.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you knew about engineering back when you were in high school?

That when you combine engineering with creativity and design you can create the most magical experiences.

Q: What’s your proudest accomplishment as an engineer?

Creating my company, littleBits! littleBits put the power of electronics in the hands of everyone and are changing the way people interact with and understand technology.

Q: Tell me about a time in your career when your work has been about discovery or curiosity?

I started littleBits as a prototype when I was a fellow at the Art and Technology Lab in New York, called Eyebeam, and made some prototypes and put them on my desk and put them on my website. There was only me at the time, so I continued, and I obsessed about the problem. I obsessed about this idea of how to make electronics accessible and how to make them modular. Three and a half years later, I had a product, and that’s when I decided to start a company.

Q: What are you doing these days?

I am the Founder & CEO of littleBits. littleBits are electronic modules that snap together with magnets for prototyping, learning and play.

I have a background in engineering. I did my undergrad as a computer engineer. In my 3rd year of undergrad we were required to do an internship and I got one at MIT as part of LIDS (Lab for Information and Decision Systems). It was a very dry and technical internship so I frequently went looking for something artistic. One day I stumbled upon a talk by the founder of IDEO at the MIT Media Lab and decided that was where I wanted to do my masters.

When I started engineering, I kept trying to find ways to bring more creative practices into engineering. When I went to the Media Lab it started my mission that I’ve been on for the past many years on how to make electronics accessible, and how to make electronics a creative medium.

Q: Do you feel your work contributes to society? How so?

Electronics are everywhere. We now produce, consume and throw out more electronic gadgets and technology enhanced products than ever before.

Over the past years, technology has moved from being an integral part of our lives, to helping define who we are. Yet, engineering is mystified, electronic objects are black-boxed and creativity is limited by the tools and materials available to each discipline.

I believe creativity with electronics (light, sound, sensors, etc.) will explode when they can be used as, and combined with other traditional materials such as paper, cardboard and screws. Materials are intuitive, accessible, self-contained, expressive, and most of all, can be integrated early in the creative process. Why not be able to combine felt with wood and light? Or Popsicle sticks with sound and motion sensitivity? Electronics are too pervasive and the technology too widespread for it to remain sequestered in its own space.

Q: Why do we need more female engineers?

I was lucky to be raised in a household where we were never led to believe that women were different than men, or ever thought that there was anything we couldn’t do. That upbringing has informed my view in how to contribute to the betterment of women in the workplace. I just try to do the best possible work I can every single day and be proud of it, and hopefully make others proud and inspired too. But what I do actually take a lot of care in, is making a gender-neutral product. This helps us achieve part of our mission to get more girls interested in science and engineering, and has been working very well. It is important to me that men and women are evenly represented at my own company and in the larger field of engineering.

Q: Is there a person who influenced your decision to become an engineer?

Yes, see above. I actually tried to quit multiple times during my undergrad but my parents encouraged me to at least complete my degree and then I could try something else. By the time I graduated, I was convinced of all the creative and powerful things I could do as an engineer.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Check out: Little Bits

Abigail Hutty

by

Q&A WITH EngHERO: Abigail Hutty

Abbie Hutty is a Spacecraft Structures Engineer at Airbus Defense and Space. She helped create the ExoMars rover , which is the Mars Rover prototype, and her job involves making technical decisions about the design development on the rover structure. She is an artist and an engineer and she won the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2013.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you knew about engineering back when you were in high school?

That engineering is part of pretty much everything in our daily lives, and how high tech and cutting edge technology is always developed by a team of engineers! When I was at high school I shared the common misconception that “Engineers” were the people that came out to fix your home appliances in their overalls- I didn’t realize it included the design and development side too.

Q: What’s your proudest accomplishment as an engineer?

There are satellites in orbit with bits on them designed by me! That’s a pretty great feeling. You can see satellites sometimes with the naked eye, when the sun has set on Earth but is still shining on thing up in orbit- as they flash in the light from the sun they look like shooting stars. It’s great to go out and look up and know that something on that “shooting star” was once just an idea in your mind, that you developed and perfected, had made, and is now functioning all that way away!

Q: Tell me about a time in your career when your work has been about discovery or curiosity?

A lot of Airbus’ Science focused space missions are all about curiosity and discovery- exploring new worlds, imaging other planets, learning about our solar system, our galaxy, our universe. On a personal level though, the challenge of having to design such missions is so great that I am constantly having to learn about new things- for example today it was how the dust environment on Mars abrades the Materials we are designing our rover out of. You have to stay curious, and love learning new things and finding out about stuff like that.

Q: What are you doing these days?

I am a Spacecraft Structures Engineer at Airbus Defence and Space. My project is the ExoMars Rover- which means I am responsible for making sure the design is strong enough to withstand the launch, entry, descent and landing, and driving around on the surface, whilst also fulfilling all the secondary requirements that the structure fulfils- like thermal insulation, bio-containment, electrical grounding, and so on.

Q: Do you feel your work contributes to society? How so?

My work is helping to further mankind’s understanding of the Universe- so at the highest level, the findings from our missions contribute to society. On a more tangible level, though, discoveries and developments made in the Space industry to meet the unusual requirements up there, often then our found to have uses down on earth- like Teflon, which is now used on non-stick pans- that was developed as a Space material. You never know how something that you develop will one day be used.

Q: Why do we need more female engineers?

We need more engineers in general- a lot of the world’s biggest problems need engineers to fix them- power production, a growing population, an ageing population. Engineers, solve problems, and improve things. We don’t have enough engineers qualifying now to meet the future demand- so we need to increase the numbers entering the profession. If we aren’t targeting females as well as males we are missing out on half our potential recruits!

Q: What initially intrigued you to go into engineering?

I was first inspired to consider engineering when I saw a European Mars mission on the news, and saw that British engineers were working on parts of it. Knowing that such exciting projects were going on in the UK was a real light bulb moment for me- I had no idea. We always hear that high tech industries in the US or China are making these big leaps forward- but is going on all over the world, just some nations are less good at publicising their successes. Now I work on a Mars Mission- the very thing that inspired me to consider engineering in the first place!

Q: How did your project concerning the ExoMars Rover come about? What initiated this project? What new information do engineers and scientists plan to gain from this project?

ExoMars is a European Space agency mission- and its primary goal is to search for signs of life, past or present, on Mars. We have a large drill on board that can drill down up to 2m below the Martian surface, to where there is both protection from the harsh radiation environment at the surface, and where there are still water ice deposits. If life still exists on Mars, that’s where we expect to find it! No rover mission has ever had the capability before to take anything other than surface samples- so this is a really exciting part of the mission. We could be answering the question of whether we are alone in the Universe, or whether there is life right here in our own solar system- that would be a huge discovery.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Check out Abigail on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81J40tcMDX4