Here is your monthly dose of my Canadian engineering news created for licensed and aspiring engineers, geoscientists and technicians in Canada.
- Jonathan Rose, professor at the University of Toronto, received the 2024 Engineers Canada Gold Medal for his innovations in FPGAs and work using large language models for mental health, including a chatbot to aid smoking cessation at CAMH.
- Elsie MacGill, the first Canadian woman to earn an electrical engineering degree and a master’s in aerospace engineering, is honored with a new $1 commemorative coin by the Royal Canadian Mint. MacGill's achievements include overseeing the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes during WWII and advancing women's and children's rights. The coin was unveiled on Aug. 1, 2023, celebrating her legacy as a pioneer and advocate for women's rights.
Holus, invented in Vancouver, Canada, is a tabletop holographic platform that transforms digital content from computers, tablets, or smartphones into 3D holograms. It brings board games, DNA structures, and the solar system to life, allowing users to view and interact with them from four different angles, offering an unprecedented interactive experience.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, a team of engineers, designers, and tinkerers sought affordable, accurate 3D scanning solutions but found few options and no supportive community. This led to the creation of Phiz, an accurate, affordable, easy-to-use 3D scanner connecting enthusiasts worldwide. Phiz creates 3D models that can be sent straight to your 3D printer.
Introducing the ALL Controller: the world's first universal and fully customizable game controller from Hamilton, Canada. Connecting to consoles is as simple as plugging in the custom USB adapter, allowing compatibility with XBOX 360, XBOX One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Support for Nintendo Wii, WiiU, and Switch is also planned.
What technology or gadget are you currently enjoying and would recommend to other aspiring and licensed engineers? Let us know in the comments below.
Here are the news links to every Canadian Association. If there is anything beyond the standard stuff (elections, new appointments), I'll try to list them below. The news tends to slow down during certain parts of the year (e.g. Summer, X-Mas).
- APEGA News-Congratulations to the 2024 Ivan Finlay Award Recipients
- APEGS News -National Statement of Collaboration
- APEY News
- ASET News- Impactful SAIT instructor receives provincial teaching honour
- EGBC News -Board Approves $15 Licensing Fee Increase for 2025
- EGM News -International Women in Engineering Day 2024 Panel Discussion Event
- Engineers Nova Scotia News- We're hiring: Communications Assistant
- Engineers PEI News
- NAPEG News-12th International Kimberlite Conference
- PEGNL News
- PEO News
Building a successful engineering career requires more than just technical skills; it demands strategic vision, proactive personal and professional growth, and alignment of career goals with personal aspirations. This article explores essential steps to set and achieve your engineering career goals, ensuring your professional journey aligns seamlessly with your aspirations.
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To advance as a junior engineer, one must focus on solving problems independently, avoiding burnout by selectively learning relevant skills. Read this article for advice on the mental framework you should use to tackle difficult problems.
- In this TED Talk, Michael Murphy emphasizes a holistic approach to architecture, focusing on factors like airflow and light to create beautiful buildings and communities. He showcases projects in Rwanda and Haiti and shares an ambitious plan for The Memorial to Peace and Justice.
- In this TEDx talk, Dr. Anne Schauer-Gimenez recounts her journey from engineering to business, inspired by the advice that every engineer should know about running a business. She shares her experience starting Mango Materials and transitioning from the lab to outreach and marketing.
“Engineering problems are under-defined, there are many solutions, good, bad and indifferent. The art is to arrive at a good solution. This is a creative activity, involving imagination, intuition and deliberate choice."
-Ove Arup
Thanks for reading, and have a great month!
Gavin Simone, P.Eng. (AB), LEED AP
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Thanks for reading! This month, my questions for you are:
Q1: In what ways has your engineering career path differed from what you initially expected or planned? How have you adapted to unexpected turns or opportunities? OR
Q2: How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance as an engineer with a demanding career? What strategies have you found effective?
Q2 – Trying to maintain healthy work- life balance by doing regular exercise in between times, having ergonomic equipment. Balancing the time between work and family is equally important.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance as an engineer with a demanding career? What strategies have you found effective?
Tuning out after work. that means logging off of all devices and giving yourself personal time to reflect and prepare for the next day. big challenges or obstacles become a lot smaller with a clear mind after a restful evening.
My path didn’t change much; however, with the frequent changing technology, I have to continuously keep up with the market trends.
A2: I found that dedicating time to being outdoors and scheduling it in has helped tremendously. Being outdoors truly is an underappreciated way of clearing the mind of stress and acts as a reset button for myself.
Q1: In what ways has your engineering career path differed from what you initially expected or planned? How have you adapted to unexpected turns or opportunities?
My career has evolved a lot from my undergrad days. After several unsuccessful attempts to get into my engg major, I retrained myself further in a different specialization and pivoted my career in an allied domain. The next transition came several years later when I decided to switch industries to move away from the volatile boom bust cycle. Its a lot to learn and develop but that’s the whole reason I became am engineer. The biggest lesson I learnt is to stop holding on to past efforts and keep developing my skills.
As most of the people in Practice PPE Exams, I can relate very well with the second question, a healthy work-life isn’t easy to achieve with our demanding career. Setting clear boundaries around work hours and sticking to them has been important for me, there are times when I need to stay longer, I think this is normal to our field, but having well defined working hours and sticking to them is very important. Prioritizing tasks each day also helps me manage my workload, reducing stress and allowing for more focused efforts. But the most important tip I can give is to have hobbies or activities that bring joy and relaxation. I am biking to work at least three times a week, this makes my day so much better! My family thanks me for regulating my work life, and they can definitely tell I had bad days due to work stress. Find your balance 🙂