Welcome to Western Engineering

Hi, everyone! My name is Elaine Cook, and I am your Undergraduate Engineering Society (UES), President. What is the UES and how does this relate to you? The UES is basically the student council for the undergraduate engineering students and we are here to make sure that you have the best possible 4+ years here at Western. If you want more information, you can look at my second blog: What is the UES that can be found on our website westernues.com.

I want to welcome you to Western Engineering. I truly hope that you fill the next four years with great memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Before writing this, I looked back on my time spent at Western and have pinpointed five things that I wish to share with you as you enter first year.  In doing so, I hope that I can help you achieve the success you are looking for and help you have the best four years.

1. Fail and Fail Hard: These next couple of years will push you past your comfort zone, I encourage you not to fight it but rather go with it! You are surrounded by a community of wonderful people that will help you stand up after you fall. If you had told me in first year that I would be writing this to you, I would have never believed it, but after many failures, here I stand. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back.
2. Ask for Help: If you don’t understand what is happening in a course/class don’t hesitate to ask your friends, professor, TAs or someone sitting across from you in the UES lounge. We have all been in your shoes and if we can help make your time any easier, we will. Don’t feel embarrassed for not knowing everything, that is why we are all here: to learn.
3. Give Help: Engineering is a team sport. Always remember that. If you see someone struggling with homework or with life, offer them your help. This not only helps them but will strengthen your understanding of the process.
4. Do at least one extracurricular activity: Western University has 180 different clubs on campus, and Western Engineering has 14, plan on joining at least one. Taking a step back from school one or two times a week to do something that you are passionate and excited about is refreshing. You get to meet people outside your regular class friends and develop lasting friendships.
5. Make Time for Yourself: This is one that I can not stress enough. Take at least a 15-minute break each day to just relax. Whether this is going to the gym, meditating or watching a little Netflix, this short break will be enough to refresh your mind so you can work at your best. Fifteen minutes will not be the difference between passing or failing a class, but it will make a difference in your mental health.

I look forward to meeting you in September and once again welcome to Western Engineering!

Jake Girling - Hello from Hangzhou

    Adjusting to life in China has been an adventure to say the least. Not being able to communicate effectively with the locals and being thrown into a radically different environment was a shock when we first arrived, but after two months of learning the tips and tricks on how to flourish here, I couldn’t be more grateful for my experiences. International travel unlocks something deep within you, it teaches you how to be independent on a scale you never before though imaginable, but also teaches you the importance of collaboration. Any task, no matter the difficulty, is easier when tackled with a team, be it ordering food at a street vendor or climbing up the hills in the tea fields. Finding my footing here was a struggle at first, but once I learned I could rely on the people around me, I’ve been able to unleash the full potential of the trip and break free from my normal bubble I live in.

    I’m glad that I was able to get a good schedule going pretty quickly after we arrived in Hangzhou and it helped immensely with adjusting to life here. Working Monday to Friday in the lab has been immersive, interesting and educational. Being able to have hands on work and be included to help with an ongoing research project has made this trip so worthwhile. There are many duties I help with at the lab as my project is about studying the denitrification of wastewater based on the fluidized bed reactor design. I’ve helped create synthetic wastewater, set up the reactor and done six different determinations to test if the reactor is doing what is hypothesized. On the weekends we’ve been lucky enough to travel all around China and explore some amazing sights. One of my favourite places I’ve been so far is the Kubuqi desert in Inner Mongolia. I got to ride camels, motorcycles and slide down the sand dunes. My favourite part of this trip however are the connections I’ve made with the people around me.

    Journaling has kept me sane this entire trip and without my black Moleskine I don’t know if I would have adapted as well as I have. Every time I have some time to myself I use it to write about my day, about what I’m thinking about or what I have planned. I’ve been able to work through my thoughts more effectively and better come to a conclusion about how to better the situation I’m in after careful reflection. I’ve always enjoyed writing as a catharsis for myself but doing it on such a regular schedule gave me an effective release during stressful times and will be something I try to incorporate into my daily life at home. Here is an excerpt of my journal from an entry last week that I’d like to share.

    “July 7^th, 2017. Usually I have a plan when I write one of my entries but today I just have some time to myself and feel like writing. Writing about the future, about the past and about right now. Right now, I’m living in the future, I’m yearning to be reunited with my favourite people and love and appreciate everything I have waiting for me when I will return home. It’s easy to forget about what you have right now when you have something to look forward to. But looking back, what an incredible journey this has been so far. I’ve been immersed in a radically different culture, seen cities and sights I’ve only ever dreamed of and been able to work and interact with people in the industry I’ve wanted to be in since I was a boy; and lived to tell the tale (so far!). I can’t get over how this place is changing me. I’m becoming more self aware, pushing my limits and my priorities are shifting into what I truly care about. It’s truly amazing the amount you can learn about yourself when you reflect on your past self from a lens on the other side of the planet. I feel empowered and independent and I can’t wait to take this new Jake home and see how my friends and family react to the new and improved me. It’s not the experiences where you can ride a camel or stand in the worlds second tallest tower (Shanghai Tower) that change you. Those are the memories we share with our friends and tick off our bucket list, but it’s the connections we make in the 10-hour bus ride to the desert, how we fill our free time and interact with the locals that show our character and allow us to reflect on ourselves. From the start I’ve approached this trip as a turning point in my life. I’ve always seen this experience as a way to reflect and change for the better, two months into this crazy journey I can say for a fact that I’m different than I was before I left. I’m thinking clearer and a new fire has been lit inside me to constantly work towards bettering myself. I am eternally grateful for all the people who were able to make this trip happen and I can’t wait to find out what my last month in China has in store. Travelling is a crazy thing, but I think I’ve been able to take advantage of every opportunity I’ve had here to better myself. I recommend to anyone who can travel or study aboard to take that opportunity without hesitation. It’s worth it. Always and Forever, Jake Girling.”

Jake Girling

(The Longjing Tea Fields in Hangzhou)

(Me Riding a Camel in the Kubuqi Desert) 

(Left to right: Anastasia Maslak, Yazan Hassan, Jake Girling, and Iris Zhou all doing our best High School Musical Pose at the Bund) 

Anastasia Maslak- My Summer in Tianjin pt 2

Hello,

     It has been a fun past few weeks. Not only have I enjoyed travelling on the weekends but I have also really enjoyed learning about crystallization in the lab. Typically my work day lasts from 8:30-5:30. One of my favourite things about the lab group that I am fortunate enough to be a part of this summer is the sense of community that they share between them. The graduate and PHD students work typically very long hours. However, even outside of the lab they enjoy spending time together. Every lunch and dinner they call everyone in the lab to gather and walk over to the nearest cafeteria. They also do things like play badminton or basketball together. Anyways, the lab that I am working in is the premiere crystallization facility in China. There are many faucets of this topic that are being studied here. The PHD student I am paired with, Lina, is looking at pharmaceutical polymorphs. Polymorphs in chemistry are essentially compounds that have the ability to form two or more different crystalline structures. They are especially important in the pharmaceutical industry as different polymorphic forms of the same drug can impact many aspects of the drug such as its production, formulation, transportation and biological action. Over the past few weeks Lina has led me through several of the techniques that are used to manipulate the desired drug to see if more polymorphs can be discovered. I have also been able to learn how to use some of the equipment that tests the substance to see if it is a polymorph of the original product such as TGA, DSC and XRD. So far I have learned a lot and received more relevant hands on experience than if I had just returned to my typical summer job back home.

An exterior view of the lab building. The campus I am at is like an oasis in the middle of the city with many beautiful trees linning all of the streets.

    A few weekends ago Ammi and I took the fast train to Shanghai to meet up with some of the other Western students. It was great to get to spend time with them and hear about their trip thus far. I also found it very interesting to compare the quickly developing and extravagant Shanghai to other Chinese cities that I have visited. Just this past weekend Ammi and I did a couple of short day trips. We visited the fragrant hills in Beijing and then we also went to Beidaihe. Beidaihe is a small beach town that is very popular with the citizens of Beijing as well as Russian tourists. We were able to try some delicious seafood and enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the beach. Overall it is hard to believe that our trip is over half way done. On one hand it seems like just yesterday that I got here. Needless to say, I am very excited for the upcoming weeks.

The Bund in Shanghai

 

-Anastasia

Bryan Straatman - Landshut, Germany

My name is Bryan Straatman and I just finished my 3rd year of Mechanical Engineering here at Western University. I've accepted an internship where I'll be in Landshut, Germany for the next 11 months working at BMW researching CFRPs (carbon fiber reinforced polymers), to try to make them more accessible to a wider range of vehicles.

I'm 22 years old and I've lived in Canada my whole life. I love sports of all kinds, music, and I'm a car enthusiast. Ever since I was young, I've had the dream of living in Germany working at BMW. I'm very excited for this opportunity, and I hope it serves me well in my future.

I'll provide updates every so often about my experience of moving, living and working in Germany.

Bryan

 

Shoshauna Oryema - Nancy, France

When I first found out I would be studying in Nancy, I didn't have high expectations. Of course I was excited to spend a month in France, however I hardly knew anything about the city. I envisioned a small town with lots of baguettes and cheese, but boy, was I wrong.

I have been fortunate enough to travel to four out of the seven continents, but after spending time in Nancy, I have to say it is one of my favourite places in the world. Nancy is a picturesque city, rich in history and culture. Whether you are looking for a peaceful place to spend the afternoon or a fun atmosphere to get to know the locals, this city has it all.

One of my favourite spots in Nancy is Parque de la Pépinière. The park is situated on a large plot of land in central Nancy and is the perfect place to getaway. The park accommodates anyone and everyone - with its outdoor gym, volleyball courts, and numerous gardens. The playground stood out to me the most, as it has a wheelchair-accessible swing. Seeing something so innovative and accommodating demonstrated Europe's advancement in technology and engineering, a step I would love to see more of in Canada. As a group, our favourite pastime at the park is playing frisbee together. Even if the heat of the sun is scorching down on us, we can't resist a little post-class frisbee.

My second favourite spot in Nancy is Place Stanislas. This square was made under the direction of Stanisław Leszczyński, the duke of Lorraine (the region Nancy is located in) and the king of Poland. Place Stanislas is covered in gold coatings and is breathtaking. Every day we walk through Place Stanislas to get to ENSIC and it continues to amaze me. The detail put into each sculpture and engraving must have taken days, if not months.

Being able to explore Nancy has led to the discovery of a new hidden gem every day. Regardless of if you are able to take ES3310 in the future, I highly suggest visiting Nancy, France – you will not regret it!

Parque de la Pépinière

Gold Coating Entrance to Place Stanislas

Place Stanislas

Anastasia Maslak- My Summer in Tianjin pt 1

Ni Hao,

    My name is Anastasia Maslak. I just finished my second year at Western University in the Green Process Engineering program. This summer I am participating in a research exchange organized by Professor Zhu, here in Tianjin, China. As part of this opportunity, I will be working as a research assistant in a lab that specializes in Crystallization technology at Tianjin University.

    It is hard to believe that I have nearly spent three weeks in Tianjin already. After a period of adjustment, I think I have finally brushed off the jetlag and have settled into a routine for the next couple months. I feel extremely honored to have such wonderful graduate students to supervise me in the lab and help me with anything else outside of it. They have brought me to delicious restaurants, helped me to set up the popular apps here in China and taught me some basic mandarin. I would have to say that the biggest challenge for me so far has been the language barrier. Luckily with the help of technology, such as google translate I can normally make out just fine. However, there have been some instances where things have certainly been “lost in translation”. On one of the first few nights here one of our awesome grad students brought my fellow classmate Ammi and I on a tour of the campus. We took a little break at one of the small lakes to take a look. A better word to describe this lake would have probably been a large pond as it could not have been larger than perhaps 1km in circumference. As we were admiring the lake I was trying to ask how close we were to the ocean (as Tianjin is a bustling port city). Our grad student started laughing for a solid 2 minutes and I could not understand why. Ammi later informed me that he thought I was asking if the pond was the ocean. We couldn’t stop giggling about the event later as we imagined it from his perspective.

    While week days are spent in the lab, weekends are spent travelling! Ammi and I are fortunate enough to be joined by a group of 11 colleagues from the University of Ottawa who are partaking in a similar program as we are. Our first weekend together we spent exploring Tianjin. With the use of the popular bike sharing app ofo, we were able to see many of the popular tourist extractions that the city has to offer.

    Just this past weekend we went to Beijing! On the first day we climbed the great wall. Although it was very physically demanding I would have to say it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  Sunday we were able to spend some time exploring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.

Ammi (Right) and myself at a museum in Tianjin

Climbing the Great Wall! (That's me second from the right) 

As for now I am back in the lab! Until next time,

-Anastasia

Shoshauna Oryema - Welcome to My World

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain."

This quote by Vivian Greene was shared with me when I needed it the most and now it's one I try to live by.

My name is Shoshauna Oryema and I just finished my second year of chemical engineering at Western University. I am spending this May abroad in Nancy, France studying at l'école nationale supérieure des industries chimiques (ENSIC) through the course ES3310: Chemical Engineering in a Global Context.

I am a 20 year old Guyanese-Ugandan who is an avid traveller, foodie, and Bollywood movie enthusiast from Toronto, Ontario.

My next few posts will highlight my visit and act as a glimpse into my time here in Nancy.

Welcome to my world,

Shoshauna

Q&A with Tessa Leonard — Hydro One Internship Experience

1. Where did you complete your placement? Why did you select this company?
I chose to do my internship at Hydro One as a member of the Protection and Control Technical Services department. I selected Hydro One for my internship because in my career I would like to work with power systems and with Hydro One being the largest power transmission company in Ontario I felt this was the perfect opportunity to gain the necessary technical experience and learn about the overall power transmission business.



2. What did you gain from this experience?
From this experience I was able to expand my technical knowledge on a daily basis. Every day I was exposed different designs that would constantly challenge me and encourage me to learn more about our power system. I was able to work with a variety of mentors that were always eager to answer any questions I would have. In addition to any technical experience I learned a lot about the overall business and what it is like to be in a business environment. Examples of this was attending meetings, coordinating projects with a variety of teams and providing progress updates to my manager.

3. How did you apply knowledge and skills you learned at Western Engineering?
My main responsibility while on internship was to work with a team of students to update a data base that managed all protection and control equipment used across the entire power system. Whenever my team received a new request to add or modify a piece of equipment in the data base, my team and myself would review a variety of drawings to ensure the equipment was represented properly. In order to be able to do this properly I would use the knowledge I had learned at Western Engineering to gain an understanding of the drawings and how the devices worked with each other. I also I had developed strong communication and time management skills prior to my internship because of my involvement within Western Engineering. I feel this assisted me in being selected for a team lead position for 12 months of my internship.



4. What type of position and experience(s) did you have at your placement?
For the first four months of my internship I was placed on a team that was working on updating cyber information for over 6000 devices. This was a great way to learn about the power system and it was an amazing opportunity as it was one of the highest priority projects at the time. I was then I was selected to be a team lead where I was responsible for delegating and reviewing the work of four students. Over the remainder of my internship I got involved with a few more projects that involved improving processes across the department. Outside of my day to day work I was involved with the Women in Trade, Technology and Engineering society and I was able to get involved with the Hydro One University partnership and become the student representative for Western Engineering. Hydro One has partnered with Western, Ryerson, UOIT and Waterloo and work together to create engineering outreach initiatives for young girls.

5. How has this placement enhanced your learning experience at Western Engineering?
This experience reassured me that I have made the right decision of what I would like to do with my career and has motivated me to finish strong at Western. I really enjoyed the work I was doing while on internship and look forward to being able to do this type of work and work in this industry as I begin my career.



6. What insights have you gained from this experience that will help you make decisions about your future career? From this experience I have learned that I would like to get my Professional Engineering License as I was able to gain a better appreciate for the value of obtaining this. I do eventually see myself getting a masters at some point in my career, however I feel that I should gain more experience before I pursue that.

7. What did you discover was the most rewarding aspect about your past work term? Over my past work term, I feel the most rewarding part was learning from a variety of mentors about their career paths. It was interesting and provided some insight of experiences I may come across in my career and how to handle them. I received some amazing advice and made some great connections with my superiors whom I am still able to keep in contact with.

Ke Xi — Summer in Ghana

Ke Xi is a fourth year Civil and Environmental Engineering student. 

Where did you do your international placement and how long were you there for?
I did my international placement in Ghana from May to July, 2016.

Why did you participate in an international placement?  
I heard this international opportunity from my friend. I always wanted to have some international experience so I was really interested in this opportunity.

What were your responsibilities on your placement?
I worked under the waste water treatment department at the Accra Recycling and Compost Plant. My role was to research a technology – co-composting for their fecal sludge treatment project. How did this experience help your studies at Western Engineering? I had a lot of engineering experience that was related to my academics. This opportunity gave me the chance to put what I learned in class into real problems. It helps me understand the knowledge better. It also allowed me to see problems in a different perspective for my school projects.

How did your placement add to your overall undergraduate experience?
The biggest accomplishment I made in Ghana was contributing in the fecal sludge treatment project. Fecal waste treatment is not regulated in Ghana, there are gallons of human feces dumped into the ocean directly every day. This is a big threat to Ghanaian’s health and their living environment. After this project is done, a large amount of fecal waste in the Accra area will be treated and recycled into compost. The liquid from fecal waste will be treated in the water treatment plant and used for construction purposes.

From my internship, I did not just gain the professional experience but also communication skills. When I was working with Ghanaian collogues, I tried to understand the difference between the Ghanaian work culture and the Canadian work culture. Therefore, I learned to adapt myself in a new environment very quickly.

Why would you recommend an international placement to other students?
I would definitely recommend this international placement to other students. It is not just an internship experience, but also an amazing opportunity to explore the world and start to think about problems globally. It will help students widen their world and see things in different perspective.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience?
I would like to go around other African countries if I had time, to learn different history and cultural.

Jaeleah Goor — CEE International Development program in Accra, Ghana

1) Where did you do your international placement and how long were you there for?

This past summer, a group of 6 undergraduate students travelled to Accra, Ghana and spent close to 3 months there. We arrived on May 20 and left August 13^th, 2016.

2) Why did you participate in the International Development (ID) program? 

This international placement was an optional course organized by the ID program. I have always wanted to travel and this was the perfect chance to get some work experience in the international development sector which is somewhere that I am interested in applying my engineering degree in the future. I enjoy the challenge and excitement of learning to adapt to a new culture and I was hoping to expand my work experience. I wanted to serve the greater community with what I had learned so far in my studies and wanted to spend the summer giving of myself to help empower other people.

An international placement just made sense for me as I was hoping to apply my skills in real situations, while experiencing significant personal growth. I knew I wanted to work in industry during final summer of undergrad to get more work experience but I was looking for something more exciting and adventurous than a 9 to 5 office job. Ghana was a chance to try something new, step outside my comfort zone and immerse myself in a new culture, all while using my engineering skills in an environmentally-focused company. 

3) What were your responsibilities on your placement? Did you work on a project? If so please describe.

My placement was at Zoomlion Domestic Ltd.

I was fortunate to be able to work at two different subsidiaries and learn how they both operate. The majority of my placement was at a company that specializes in door-to-door and corporate waste collection. I initially worked in the Monitoring and Evaluations department. Among several other tasks, I inputted and analyzed data from the revenue and operations departments. I created spreadsheets and graphs to communicate performance and highlight areas that require attention and improvement.

Throughout the entire internship, I submitted weekly reports about my observations of company performance and included my recommendations and suggestions for improvement. My opinion was highly valued and my supervisors and co-workers supported me well. The last few weeks I spent with the operations department and was on site every day working with my supervisors to solve the current problems encountered on the field with company employees, clients and the general public. Although I worked Monday to Friday at regular hours, every day was different and I learned so much.

My placement was everything I would have experienced in a local placement and more. I felt much more appreciated and that my work made a difference. The analysis I completed was being used within the company and changes were being made because of the effort I put in. My work allowed the company to make changes to their operations, which will provide better service and have a greater positive impact on the well-being of local citizens and the environment.

Visiting a primary school in Abaasa, our professor’s home village.

4) How did this experience help your studies at Western Engineering?

Although my placement was not research-based and I was not able to apply a lot of specific technical skills I have learned at Western, I developed technical skills associated with numerical software and have a much greater understanding and appreciation for the work company management does. The concepts and skills I learned have made me more comfortable in management and leadership positions back at Western and potentially after graduation. I saw directly many topics that were discussed in class, such as culvert design and landfill design.

The company we worked for is a leader in waste management so I was able to better understand the big picture of how waste is generated, collected, treated and disposed of. It was a great opportunity to learn about every step of the waste management process and the connections between different components. For example, we are learning about waste landfill design at Western, but I was able to experience the challenges associated with operating landfills first-hand and what factors affect the design in real life.

For me, living and working for 3 months in Ghana helped me to better understand how what we learn in the classroom is so applicable to my future career. I have more knowledge about the subjects we studied because of this placement. My eyes have also been opened to how different countries manage their business and the challenges associated with working in a different country. Our ID classes will now be more vibrant and I will be able to contribute more since I have that international experience.

At a waste water treatment plant construction site.

5) How did your placement add to your overall undergraduate experience?

I really enjoyed this placement and it allowed me to experience another sector of work. I have been able to work in the consulting industry in London, work as a research assistant at Western, and now I have been able to work internationally in the waste management sector so I feel that I have a wide variety of unique and valuable experiences and skills developed because of the variety of summer placements.

This summer was a chance for me to grow academically, socially, personally and professionally. I was challenged in ways that I never could have been if I stayed at home this summer. The friendships with my fellow students who travelled to Ghana with me were significantly strengthened and I feel more confident when approaching new situations or new people. I am more confident as a student and more prepared for whatever employment is in my future thanks to this global opportunity. This placement added another dimension to my studies and fueled my passion to do international work in the future.

At the top of a ‘mountain’ at Shai Hills nature reserve.

6) Why would you recommend an international placement to other students?

I would highly recommend an international placement to other students. When you are in a new country and culture, you are forced to adapt and grow in ways you never knew you could. It can be challenging at first, but these new challenges allow you to grow and learn in so many ways. I think the best way to learn something is to go do it! So I would suggest going out into the world and completing an international placement that will be related to your studies. Be adventurous and take a risk! Going on an international placement that is organized through the school assures you that you will be well taken care of. It is a great time to complete an international placement while completing your undergraduate degree as it can be life changing.

Your eyes are opened to so many more possibilities that you never knew existed and your personal growth is significant. Whether your experience is as amazing as mine, or not as interesting, you will have learned so much about yourself and your abilities along the way. Regardless if you want to go international for the work experience, the personal adventure, or the service and community development, you will not be disappointed at the opportunities you will have to grow and learn.

Learning about Ghanaian history at Cape Coast Castle, largest slave trade castle in West Africa.

7) Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience?

International experiences are so much more than just work placements. Work had a significant impact on my experience but it was the culture, the community and the friendships that were established that made my trip so much more enjoyable. It makes a huge difference if you are able to embrace the local culture and traditions and live outside the group you travelled with from Western. The locals appreciate you trying to learn about them and are more than willing to help you with anything. Don’t be afraid to try something new. If you decide to go on an international placement, briefly learning about the important people and customs in the country can go a long way. For example, learning who the first president was (if you are visiting a young country) and who the current president is makes it is a lot easier to understand what is happening locally, who people are talking about. They are no longer unknown names but someone of importance to the local people, and therefore someone that should be of importance to you. Finally, have no expectations going in. Everyone has a different experience and no place or person is the same. If you are able to learn as much as you can and make the best of whatever situation you are in, your experience will be memorable and amazing.

Being taught local songs by children in Abaasa, our professor’s home village.