ENGINEERING - BUILDING THE MODERN - TEACHING. RESEARCH. ENTREPRENEURSHIP. ENGINEERING WITH IMPACT.
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ENGINEERING
TEACHING. RESEARCH. ENTREPRENEURSHIP. ENGINEERING WITH IMPACT.
16 | SPRING 2022
BUILDING
THE MODERN
ENGINEER
ENGINEERING
PROFILES
2
MEET OUR UP-
AND-COMING
RESEARCHERS
Dean’s Message
FEATURE
4 THE MODERN
ENGINEER
GREETINGS TO OUR ENGINEERING COMMUNITY. It’s been just over nine
months since the release of our last Engineering Magazine, and we have a lot
of great news to share.
FEATURE
10
IMPROVING THE The Faculty of Engineering is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of its
HEALTH OF ASTHMA new strategic plan. Since September of 2021, we have been developing our plan
PATIENTS in consultation with a diverse group of stakeholders including faculty members,
leadership, students and community partners. The plan maps a new direction and
vision in engineering education.
12 ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
The plan takes a forward thinking approach with an emphasis on building the
GOING CLEAN AND GREEN
“Modern Engineer.” The Modern engineer is a theme you will see throughout this
20 FACULTY NEWS issue of the magazine.
DR. JANIE WILSON OPENS
NEW DOORS IN BIOMEDICAL Today’s students are driven by the power of technology and a stronger awareness
ENGINEERING of the global challenges we face, including health, equity, economic growth and
climate. Our students are looking for careers where they can make a positive
24 ALUMNI PROFILE impact on our community, and companies are seeking engineers who possess the
REMEMBERING THE GREAT desire for innovation, creativity, interdisciplinary efforts, and the confidence to take
PEARL SULLIVAN on bold projects and become bold leaders.
While the Faculty of Engineering will continue to teach and train the traditional
technical competency of an engineer, we are also investing in professional skill
development, experiential learning opportunities and industry experts to coach
and mentor students to be future leaders and innovators of tomorrow. These
enhancements will lead to engineers with the capability and power to positively
change our world.
CONTRIBUTORS
EDITORIAL In this issue of our spring magazine you will meet a variety of students and young
Theresa Anne Salah, Merilyn Layne, alumni who are destined for future success. These engineers are developing
Mark Campbell, Jennifer Cameron key skills and experiences through participation on our student design teams,
academic programs, opportunities available in our Emera ideaHUB, and key
PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Pearce
research work within the faculty. We are proud to call these students and alumni
DESIGN Erin Lee our “modern engineers.”
CONTACT Theresa Anne Salah,
Editor, tasalah@dal.ca We hope you enjoy the 2022 issue of Engineering, and we look forward to sharing
our full strategic plan with you soon.
@DalhousieEngineering
@DalEngineering Sincerely,
DalhousieEngineering
Dr. John Newhook, P. Eng., FCAE
instagram Dalfacultyofeng Dean, Faculty of Engineering
2005 575 2580
UNDERGRAD GRADUATE TOTAL
STUDENTS STUDENTS ENROLLMENT
23% 77%
FEMALE MALE
UNDERGRADS UNDERGRADS
30% 69% 61%
CANADIAN
FEMALE GRAD MALE GRAD
STUDENTS STUDENTS
39%
119 18,589 INTERNATIONAL
FACULTY ALUMNI
97% 580 SEXTON
SCHOLARS
41%
FROM
CO-OP
PLACEMENTS 37 SEXTON
LEADERS
NOVA SCOTIA
632 60 12
UNDERGRADUATE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
SCHOLARSHIPS BURSARIES CHAIRS
ENGINEERING | 1
RESEARCH STORY
Helping
Communities
Prepare for
Natural Disasters
AS THE WORLD GRAPPLED WITH shipping routes to assess the potential those larger vessels could take a couple
how to manage a once-in-a-lifetime for ship damage and interruptions. of days to a couple of weeks to start
pandemic, Dalhousie University Almeida drew on that research to moving efficiently again.”
Industrial engineering graduate students develop a logistics and multimodal “This was quite an undertaking for
Lauryne Rodrigues and Luana Almeida transportation model that identified Luana and Lauryne not just because they
dedicated themselves to helping us communities that might be cut off from did most of the work on this project but
prepare for another potential crisis. relief supplies. Through workshops, they also because they had to learn what data
“We have research indicating there will shared progress with stakeholders and was available and apply methodologies
be a major earthquake within the next used feedback to expand and refine their to gathering and assessment that
500 years on Canada’s west coast,” says efforts, such as considering the impact were not taught in class,” says Faculty
Rodrigues. “That will have a significant of an earthquake and tsunami on the of Engineering Professor Dr. Floris
impact on marine transportation Gulf Islands. Goerlandt, the Canada Research Chair
systems and the communities that rely in Risk Management and Resource
on them in British Columbia. We wanted Optimization for Marine Industries.
to better understand the vulnerabilities “WE WANTED TO BETTER “They also faced the added challenges
in the systems so that decision-makers
can be better prepared.”
UNDERSTAND THE of communicating with stakeholders
online and working remotely due to the
Collaborating with Dalhousie faculty
and researchers, Almeida and Rodrigues
VULNERABILITIES IN pandemic, which was not easy given the
scale of an undertaking like this. The way
developed detailed models and analyses THE SYSTEMS SO THAT that they persisted and completed the
of potential earthquake activity and work was admirable.”
infrastructure damage for Shipping DECISION-MAKERS CAN Now that the project has wrapped,
Resilience: Strategic Planning for Goerlandt and Dr. Ronald Pelot, a
Coastal Community Resilience to Marine BE BETTER PREPARED.” professor in the Department of Industrial
Transportation Risk (SIREN). Funded Engineering, are developing a book that
by Emergency Management British — LAURYNE RODRIGUES will summarize the findings and how
Columbia and the Marine Environmental they can be applied to address similar
Observation, Prediction and Response “It’s a model so it cannot capture all challenges. For Almeida and Rodrigues,
Network (MEOPAR,) the project’s the variables and everything that could SIREN created invaluable opportunities
objective is to assess the potential happen, but I am trying to make it as to connect with other academics, apply
damage to marine transportation realistic as possible so stakeholders their learning, and work with a range of
systems from natural hazard events to and decision-makers have the insights stakeholders to achieve a collective goal.
help authorities to prepare for the risk. they need to be prepared for a natural “It was really good to see those
“We were not trying to predict what disaster,” Almeida says. interactions and different views on how
the emergency response should be,” One insight that emerged from their to solve problems,” Rodrigues says. “But
Almeida explains. “We were trying to work was the realization that barges will it was also a great experience in that
project which roads, ports, and ships likely play a key role in the distribution I got to work with a lot of data analysis
are likely to be damaged or remain intact of relief supplies. “Barges are flexible and science and that is something
and how could those projections be assets in that they do not require the I would like to continue doing.”
used to maintain supplies to affected port infrastructure that many ships or
communities.” ferries require to deliver goods,” Almeida
Over the course of the project, says. “However, Lauryne’s research
Rodrigues conducted data collection suggests that barges are likely to see
and analysis of Vancouver Island-related more damage than larger vessels, but
2 | ENGINEERING
RESEARCHER PROFILES
Dalhousie Researchers Set to
Make a Big Impact on our Water
Fresh, clean water is vital to all life on earth. But human activity, and climate change
related to that activity, poses significant threats to this vital resource. Dalhousie
engineering researchers are addressing this challenge through innovative new initiatives.
the same. We might see one monomer is such as streamflow and water levels
incorporated more readily than the other. in wetlands and, potentially, deep
By figuring out how to better control groundwater wells.
the incorporation of those components, “We are looking at which landscapes
we can predict and manipulate the are most important for sustaining
structure of the resulting polymer.” streamflow or feeding community
Understanding that will facilitate the wells,” says Somers, a professor in
development of polymers that target the Department of Civil and Resource
specific contaminants in drinking water, Engineering.
municipal wastewater, or wastewater “Eskasoni, Ingonish, Baddeck,
from industrial processes such as Cheticamp—they all get their water
mining. The work is still early stages, but supply from groundwater that comes
Scott is already thinking about other from Highlands or the foothills. Through
applications, such as hydrogels—a mesh this research, we hope to discover where
approach to polymer design that could that water comes from and the extent
have absorbency applications in a range to which the quality and quantity may
of industries from agriculture to diaper change as the mountain climate shifts.”
manufacturing, and biobased polymers Somers is also collaborating with
that could replace synthetic ones. Department of Civil and Resource
Engineering colleagues Dr. Barrett
Meanwhile, DR. LAUREN SOMERS Kurlyk and Dr. Rob Jamieson on
is exploring hydrological systems—how research involving the consequences
they function, how climate change and of agricultural-related coastal nitrogen
human actions can impact them, and pollution on water systems in
how to improve the functionality of Tatamagouche and PEI’s Basin Head
DR. ALISON SCOTT is exploring the
these systems from an adaptation and Provincial Park. Somers will assess salt
potential of customized polymer design
mitigation standpoint. One research marsh ecosystems. Through efforts such
to facilitate water treatment. Her work
project will explore the role of wetlands as this, she hopes to enhance our ability
involves synthesizing small batches
in recharging or storing groundwater in to mitigate or adapt to changes in our
of polymers to better understand the
the Cape Breton Highlands. Somers will water system from climate change and
design process and thus the structure,
install hydrologic monitoring equipment human impacts.
properties, and performance of the
at selected wetlands to assess factors
resulting polymer chain to assess
its efficacy for different treatment
applications. She is particularly
interested in multicomponent polymers—
chains with different repeating units.
“These different units impart different
properties to the polymer,” says
Scott, an Assistant Professor with the
Department of Process Engineering and
Applied Science. “For water treatment,
one aspect we are focused on is
incorporating monomers with different
charges to understand how they
incorporate into the chain. If we have
a formula that has 50 percent of one
monomer and 50 percent of a second
one, the reactivity of the two is often not
ENGINEERING | 3
FEATURE 1 4 | ENGINEERING
BUILDING THE
MODERN ENGINEER
At first glance, it may seem like the role of the engineer
hasn’t changed over the years, and in many respects,
this is true. At their core, engineers will always be critical
thinkers and problem solvers. But as our society rapidly
evolves, so has the role and the face of the modern
engineer.
Technology has played a huge part in this change.
Today’s engineering students are entering post-secondary
education with a world of knowledge at their fingertips
and stronger global interconnections influencing their
career decisions.
Over the years, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering has
made a concerted effort to train the modern engineer. This
includes introducing new programs and opportunities into
their curriculum. The campus is now filled with students
poised to have a big impact on society. But who are these
future engineers, and how will they change our lives?
Meet four students who are defining the role of the
modern engineer.
ENGINEERING | 5
FEATURE 1
Designing Sustainable
Solutions to Global Challenges
IF YOU ASK 4TH YEAR Dalhousie’s Solar Race team after
electrical engineering student Gina learning more about the project from
Park why she created Dalhousie’s first other solar car team alumni across
solar car team, she’ll list several reasons North America. Now she and thirty other
why the initiative has had a remarkable engineering students at Dal are in the
impact on her educational journey. process of building a solar vehicle for the
From multi-disciplined experiential Formula Sun Grand Prix 2022 in July. The
learning to project management, Park collegiate competition is open to teams
says building a raceable car takes more from around the world.
than technical skills. She adds that many “I wanted to work on an extremely
people fail to realize that the project is hands-on project that is focused on
more than just the experience of building renewable energy,” she says. “There is a
a vehicle to race in a competition. huge network of brilliant minds within
“Look at the conflict in Ukraine and the solar car community. It was also the
the effect on gas prices. More and spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork
more people are made aware of our I’ve observed within this community that
dependence on non-renewable sources encouraged me to start the team.” Next fall, the team will begin work
and are adopting to sustainable ways of The group has now started creating on designing and creating a brand-new
living life,” she says. “All the problems a new battery pack, reconfiguring the solar car from the ground up. Park hopes
that are happening in the world are solar array, developing a new electrical the team will compete in the 2025 World
going to come to us and we will need to power system and making several major Solar Challenge.
solve them. Solar car is our take on what mechanical upgrades on the body of a “I want my team to start and lead
we are going to do about it. We want retired vehicle they acquired from an conversations about sustainable
to leave a legacy that adds value to the American team. Park says it typically transportation in Atlantic Canada,”
planet and to us.” takes two years to build a solar car she says. “The foundation on which
With an increased interest in from scratch, but with limited time this I want to build this team is grit and
sustainable energy systems, solar year, her team will revamp the solar car willingness to learn. Such qualities teach
cars could change the future of body to meet regulations for this year’s us a wide set of skills to use in
transportation and the automotive competition. our engineering careers.”
industry. Park felt inspired to start
6 | ENGINEERING
FEATURE 1
Engineering
Gregory, it was time to lead them in a
new direction.
“If you connect the dots between
with Leadership
what we need from a sustainable society
and what we are developing here, there
are direct linkages. If you do that with a
gas car, there’s a disconnect,” he says.
“Building battery systems and building
FOR MITCH GREGORY’S THIRD
electric vehicles, whether it’s big or small
co-op term, the 5th year mechanical
is a skill set that’s applicable to a future
engineering student saw a unique
career in many different industries.”
opportunity for his career growth.
Now captain of Dal’s FSAE team,
Instead of accepting a position with a
Gregory is leading the design and
company in the mechanical engineering
development of the University’s first
field, he decided to pursue an
electric powered vehicle sponsored by
entrepreneurial placement of his own. He
Emera. Gregory says he hopes to have
created and launched his own start-up,
the car ready for competition in 2023.
Mavio Technologies. The new venture
Partnerships are key to successful
focused on developing clean technology
innovations, and with a generous
solutions and applying them to today’s
sponsorship from Emera, the team now
real world problems.
has the ability to add an electric motor
Since starting his engineering degree
to their vehicle. Throughout the years, fall. Down the road, he is also hoping
at Dal in 2017, Gregory’s educational
Emera has continued to empower the to push his ambitions one step further,
journey has been driven by his interest in
next generation of engineers at Dal developing stronger partnerships with
renewable energy technologies. Joining
through the Emera ideaHUB. external companies, and collaborating
Dalhousie’s Formula SAE (FSAE) team
“I think industry supports this on initiatives that will positively impact
in his third year of studies, he pushed
because it’s what we need to see,” says the growth of his teammates.
the team to move from an internal
Gregory. “There are so many different “One thing that I would love to
combustion engine car to an electric
opportunities for collaboration because do is work with industry to test their
powered vehicle.
there are so many different areas of an innovative technologies. There are a
The team, which provides students
electric vehicle development that are lot of companies who have motors for
with the opportunity to design, build
relatable to areas that are being rapidly example that they’re testing, and what I
and race an open-wheeled race car for
developed.” think we could do is to collaborate with
competition in the Formula Student
Gregory says he hopes to have the industry to test their systems and help
Collegiate Competition, has built ten
electric vehicle ready for testing this develop them further.”
gas-powered vehicles since 2007. For
ENGINEERING | 7
FEATURE 1
Taking on
engineering student from taking the lead
on the project. She and her teammates
are now participating in the Launch
Bold Projects
Canada Challenge. This will be the first
time a rocket has been designed in the
Atlantic Canada region.
The Launch Canada Challenge
provides post-secondary students with
KATERINA VINOGRADOVA HAS
the opportunity to build their expertise
always been fascinated in the space
and interact with the larger rocketry
sector, but as a chemical engineering
community. Teams are required to build
student, she wasn’t sure how to connect
and launch a solid rocket motor to an
her skillset with the right opportunities
altitude of 10,000 feet. While some teams
in Atlantic Canada. When she learned
build sophisticated vehicles using large
about the Faculty of Engineering’s
off-the-shelf rocket motors, others teams
Dalhousie Space Systems Labs (DSS),
develop their own hybrid and liquid
she jumped at the chance to join the
rocket engines.
student team.
Although this year Vinogradova says
DSS primarily focuses on the
she and her teammates will use solid-
research and development of small
fuel to propel their rocket, she feels a
satellites called CubeSats. These are
sense of exhilaration thinking of the
square, miniature satellites that perform
possibilities for the future. industry. Vinogradova says without the
specific tasks in the Earth’s orbit. The
“One of the reasons I wanted to start team, she may not have found the right
team’s original satellite, known as the
rocketry is because I have a specific path.
LORIS project, will be the first satellite
interest in propulsion and fuel,” she says. “I was always interested in the space
fully designed in Nova Scotia. Recently
“My hope is that within the next couple sector and I didn’t know how to get into
however, the student team has taken
of years the team will have designed and the industry and get exposure. This has
on a number of bold new initiatives
built a hybrid fuel engine instead of using 100 percent made me want to work
including the design and creation of
an off the shelf solid motor.” in the industry. I’ve figured out what I
a rocket.
Since their launch in 2017, DSS has don’t like and what I do like within the
“Neither me nor my other teammates
been working to make Nova Scotia sector, and the avenue I want to take is
have any experience designing a rocket,
a hub for space exploration in the propulsion, developing liquid fuel and
building a rocket or testing
province. Their hope is to retain students hybrid fuel.”
a rocket,” says Vinogradova. But that
interested in a career in the space
hasn’t stopped the 3rd year chemical
8 | ENGINEERINGFEATURE 1
Understanding teams to build self-driving marine vessels
capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
the Value of When Covid-19 hit in March of 2020
there were only six students remaining
on the sailboat team, Farr included.
Interdisciplinary Understanding the significant impact
interdisciplinary collaborations would
Work
have on the success of their project,
Farr has spent the last two years working
to recruit a wide-range of students to
the team.
“When you go into classes you are
DALHOUSIE ELECTRICAL only with your own discipline, you
engineering student Jade Farr loves only do projects with students in your
talking about the Dalhousie Microtransat discipline, but that’s not the real world,”
Autonomous Sailboat. And she should. she says. “In the real world, you’re
Once a Faculty led project, the team is working with different people who
now driven by student leaders from every have different backgrounds, and you’re
discipline on the engineering campus. working together on a common goal.”
“When you look at where we started The team is now divided into four
and where we are now, there is so much sub groups: Management, Electrical,
growth within the past two years. We’ve Software and Mechanical. In addition
rebuilt this group from the ground up,” to engineering students, Farr has also She adds that as a leader, she has a
she says. recruited students from the Faculty of lot of trust in the team around her and
The student design team is a Management and Computer Science. has worked to build the team as a family.
continuation of a project originally Together, they have raised around She says she’s amazed at how many
overseen by the Faculty of Engineering. $10,000 for the project, and are gearing students have joined and remained on
Their famous sailboat, the SeaLeon, set up to set sail off the shore of Cape the sailboat team over the last two years
a record for the longest distance travelled Breton this fall. Their autonomous and commends her other team leads for
by unmanned marine technology in 2018. sailboat is equipped with a number of their hard work.
Since then, the project has been taken new features this year including two 40W “We’re really lucky to have this many
over by Farr and a team of over fifty flexible solar panels. students who want to work with us and
students on campus. Together they’ve “Depending on how many batteries contribute to the project. And that’s why
been analysing the previous vessel, and we are using for the sailboat, the solar I joined the team. You get the experience
working to design and create a new panels may provide the extra push in of working in a team and combining all
and improved sustainable, small-scale, energy required to make the entire trip. of those people together to finish your
autonomous sailboat. The project is part If not, they are just an added bonus,” one goal.”
of an international competition known as explains Farr.
the Microtransat Challenge, which tasks
ENGINEERING | 9FEATURE 2
DALHOUSIE COUPLE
HELP CHILDREN
WITH ASTHMA
BREATHE EASIER
“OUR GOAL AT HOLLO IS TO HELP BRING THIS
SOLUTION TO PEOPLE IN NEED, BUT ONE OF MY
PERSONAL GOALS IS TO INSPIRE WOMEN IN STEM.”
— SARA FEDULLO
SARA FEDULLO (BENG’21) the dose of medicine slower and more
didn’t want to be a small ant in a big ant smoothly.
farm. She wanted to stand out and make “Spacers tend to be very bulky, they
an impact on society. Her gateway to do are the size of a water bottle, but
that: her engineering degree. they’re also very essential,” says Fedullo.
When her partner, Dal medical “Unfortunately because of how big these
student David Hodgson, came home spacers are, people don’t use them as
one evening with the idea to create a much as they should.”
solution that would help children with Interviewing respiratory therapists,
asthma more effectively administer allergists, people with asthma, and
their medication, the Dal chemical the parents of children with asthma,
engineering grad was inspired. Fedullo and Hodgson discovered that
Inspiring Future
She says that when children use many children felt embarrassed carrying
their asthma inhaler (also known as the around their bulky spacers, leading to
common puffer), there’s a 90 percent missed doses when they need them
Engineers
chance that they aren’t doing it correctly. most.
That’s because the pressurized inhalers In the summer of 2021, Fedullo
release the medicine too quickly, making and Hodgson launched their start-up
it difficult for children to coordinate HOLLO Medical and turned to Dal’s
inhaling their medication. As a result, Emera ideaHUB which helps ventures Fedullo is leveraging her training
much of the drug is deposited to the accelerate the development of innovative as an engineer and expertise in 3D
back of the throat and swallowed, physical-products. The pair are now printing to accelerate HOLLO Medical’s
increasing the risk of side effects and working on a pocket-sized spacer that’s product development. Although she
minimizing the intended relief. portable, effective, easy to use and easy only graduated last year, she says she
Spacers are traditionally used by to clean. left Dalhousie feeling confident in her
people of all ages to improve an inhaler’s “This is not as simple as just making abilities as an engineer, an innovator and
performance. They attach to the inhaler something portable. You also have to an entrepreneur.
and act as holding chambers for the think about matching the features of the “I knew from the start that engineering
medication. The medication is dispensed devices that are currently on the market, would help me grasp how to create this
and then suspended in the spacer's and trying to make it so that this new device and how to make it functional,”
chamber. This gives the user more time device overcomes the issues that the she says. “With my chemical engineering
to breathe normally so the lungs absorb other devices face,” says Fedullo. degree, I understand at the microscopic
10 | ENGINEERINGhow the medication should travel inside In addition to launching a successful In just over a year, HOLLO Medical
the device. David also has a mechanical start-up company and designing a device has expanded their team three-fold,
engineering degree, so he was quite that could help millions of people who won the Ready2Launch People’s Choice
confident designing and prototyping suffer from asthma and other respiratory award, secured a place in the Volta
initial concepts.” illnesses, Fedullo hopes to inspire Cohort, Innovacorp Accelerate, the
When she moved from Italy to other women in STEM who sometimes ideaHUB BUILD program and Bridge
Canada to pursue a degree at Dalhousie struggle to find their path within the Residency, and are well on their way to
University, Fedullo says she didn’t fully industry, especially those hoping to bringing this solution to the pockets of
understand the correlation between a pursue their entrepreneurial goals. those in need.
degree in engineering and its universal “We can talk about how great our
application. solution (HOLLO Medical) is going to
“But I knew that engineering was a be and all of the things that we’ve
broad word for a specialty that applies accomplished, but at the end of the day
to everything, from the medical field, what’s most important to me is to show
to the food processing and automotive people that this is possible,” says Fedullo.
industries. Anything that has to do “ Our goal at HOLLO is to help bring this
with making something work requires solution to people in need, but one of
an engineer. “Because we are in so my personal goals is to inspire women
many fields, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly in STEM.”
what an engineer does because we do
everything.”
ENGINEERING | 11ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
ACCELERATING
LEADERSHIP
IN THE EMERA
IDEAHUB
WITH A FORWARD-THINKING tech incubator in Canada that has the
1. BUILDING INNOVATION AND
approach aimed at helping future
leaders recognize opportunities and
best equipment and the best expertise on
hand to help people build products that
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLSET:
“Learn the skillset to build a financially
embrace challenges, Erin O’Keefe matter and impact the world,” she says.
viable venture and a collaborative team.
Graham has a clear vision for “But we’re trying to make sure that while
We partner with Dal Innovates and MIT
Dalhousie’s Emera ideaHUB. these teams are building these technical
(Martin Center for Entrepreneurship)
Recently appointed the Director products, they’re also learning to become
to help our technical founders build the
of the HUB, Graham has fostered better leaders, building stronger teams
business skillset and entrepreneurial
partnerships and introduced programs and building viable businesses.”
mindset to build a financially viable
designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs Graham’s vision stems from three
venture and a collaborative team.”
thrive in today’s economy. main pillars of success:
“Our vision is to be the leading tough 2. SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS
FUELED BY INDUSTRY INPUTS:
“In partnership with select industry
advisors, collaborate on customer
research to yield rich innovation
opportunities. Founders will develop
solutions with greater precision thanks
to new customer data and industry
insight to impact our communities,
society and the world.”
3. BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY:
“Uniquely developed for “makers”,
leadership development happens
through an iterative habit-design process
while actively working in team settings.
When participants link new behaviours
to positive outcomes, they develop new
habits and learn that they can adapt
change. This means really understanding
what it means to develop as a leader and
working in a team setting.”
12 | ENGINEERINGINDUSTRY
SPOTLIGHT:
THE NEWEST RESIDENT IN THE
Emera ideaHUB is catching a lot of
attention.
Combining sustainability and
innovation, Katchi Tech is developing a
smart fishing net using technologies to
improve the efficiency of conventional
bottom trawling fishing while also
reducing its footprint on the ocean floor.
Bottom trawling is a method of
fishing where heavy nets are dragged
along the seabed to catch large
quantities of fish. In doing so, everything
along the ocean floor that happens to be
in the way, including all forms of marine
life, are swept up into these nets. also working on technology that will
While working for his family’s fishing use lights and bioacoustics to help
company in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, fisherman efficiently capture their target
Marc d’Entremont couldn’t help but species while also reducing by-catch.
wonder if there was a better way to Within the industry, by-catch refers to
Within the Emera IdeaHUB, execute their fishing activities. marine life that is unintentionally caught
Graham says their culture and success “I started to notice that industry in a fisherman’s net.
are strongly influenced by diversity, and DFO (Department of Fisheries and “Because the net can move up and
inclusivity and equity. Her team has been Oceans) were always butting heads,” he down the water column, we can target
working to instill an inclusive mindset says. “Industry wants to be profitable the species based on where they are in
that allows students, innovators and and DFO wants to save the environment. the water column,” he says.
company founders to view the world with At some point we needed everyone on Joining the Emera ideaHUB in
a wider lens. the same path and the only way to do February, d’Entremont and his team
“We think inclusion has to happen that was to get a new fishing method have begun utilizing 3D printing
from the very beginning” she says. “If that could adapt to the environmental equipment to develop the sensors and
want to enable early stage product challenges that we were facing.” electronics required in building their
innovation and be a tough tech leader, In 2019 d’Entremont founded Katchi SmartNet.
the ambition that we have here is beyond Tech and is now working on a net that “For a startup like us, having access
the product, it’s into educating engineers uses hydrodynamic blocks on the top to that equipment is huge because it’s a
to be inclusive, values-led-leaders.” and bottom of the net to ensure that cost that we don’t need to incur. It helps
A generous $10 million donation from it remains open while in the water, you build your prototypes and build
Emera led to the creation of the Emera and doesn’t touch the ocean floor. your proof of concepts, and that’s a big
ideaHUB in 2018. In only a few short The technology replaces existing trawl struggle for startups,” he says . “At the
years, the Emera ideaHUB has helped doors and reduces fuel emissions and ideaHUB, you have the right people and
54-start-ups create 106 new jobs and greenhouse gases. you have all of the equipment to build
secure $28 million dollars in funding. The “What we’re doing is measuring how what you need."
research and new technology born at the high the net is off the seabed, measuring In September, d’Entremont is hoping
Emera ideaHUB has put Atlantic Canada cable payout, taking lots of sounds to have his full-scale net ready for sea
on the map for innovation globally, and from the GPS vessel, and plugging it all trial. His team will board the Scotia
a key part of that success is attributed to into our algorithm which keeps track Harvest trawler Léry Charles, and will
the opportunities available to students of where that boat is,” he explains. “As test their net’s control system to see
and future founders to explore their the boat is pushing the net through the how it performs in real-world conditions.
innovative and entrepreneurial spirits. water, it measures what’s on the seabed “We’re going to follow another
from the vessel. If it sees a certain trawler with traditional gear, he’s going
structure, it automatically adjusts the to make a pass somewhere and we’re
net to avoid that structure.” going to go to the same spot and see
d’Entremont says his team is what we catch.”
ENGINEERING | 13INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
EMERA IDEAHUB
START-UP GOES
CLEAN AND GREEN
“NO OTHER E-BIKE COMPANY HAS ACCESS TO SUCH
TECHNOLOGY. WE WANT TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO
COMMERCIALIZE IT WITH OUR E-BIKES AND SHOW
THE WORLD WHAT IS POSSIBLE.”
— RAVI KEMPAIAH
THIS YEAR, 30 MILLION E-BIKES barrier for people to make the shift to
will be sold around the world. At first more environmentally friendly modes
glance, those figures may seem like an of transportation. But it is the battery
environmental sustainability success technology developed by Dr. Dahn’s
story, but there is a catch: by 2025, the team that may prove to be the true game
lithium-ion batteries powering those changer for the industry.
bikes will need to be recycled. “What we have found is that even
“That waste and the price are after 1,000 hours, the battery still has
the main pain points associated 92 percent capacity,” Kempaiah says.
with e-bikes,” says Ravi Kempaiah, a “That means that, after 10 to 12 years
propulsion engineer who is completing of riding, it will still have 90 percent
a post-doctorate with the Jeff Dahn capacity, which will significantly reduce
Research Group at Dalhousie University. waste and enhance sustainability. No
“I was thinking about how to address other e-bike company has access to such
these issues, which led me to Dr. Dahn, technology. We want to be the first ones
who is the leading researcher in lithium- to commercialize it with our e-bikes and
ion battery technology. I shared my ideas show the world what is possible.”
for a new company that could resolve There are other notable advances in
those pain points and he said, ‘come to design and engineering that set Zen’s
Halifax and I’ll support you.” e-bikes apart from their competitors.
Kempaiah is the co-founder of Zen The drive system uses a high-resolution
e-bikes, a new company in the Dalhousie torque sensor instead of a cadence
Emera ideaHUB. The company is sensor, resulting in a smoother ride
dedicated to producing high-quality, net- that almost feels bionic. The motor has
zero alternatives for urban transportation a quick release system that enables it
and energy storage products using to be unlocked with one hand. And the
cutting-edge battery technologies. Its Samurai swaps out the standard chain
first two e-bikes will launch this year: the for a more durable carbon fibre belt.
mass market Shakti and the premium “With the belt, you can use the
Samurai. Kempaiah believes the pricing Samurai all year long, even in winter
for the Shakti will help break down the conditions such as slush and road
14 | ENGINEERINGsalt without any real impact to the
system,” Kempaiah says. “It really is low
maintenance and very well suited to
North America’s climate.”
Based on these advantages,
Kempaiah is hopeful that more North
Americans will invest in e-bikes both
to reduce their carbon footprint and
for their health. Each year, he notes,
Canada spends billions on hip and knee
replacements, and much of that could be
eliminated if more people commit to 20
minutes of exercise each day.
“Once we have the scale, we will be
exploring the benefits of e-bikes through
a pilot study with Dalhousie Medical
School,” he says. “If the data shows that
you can gain three to four years of extra
life from investing $3,000 to $4,000 in a
bike, that’s an easy decision to make.”
The company will begin fulfilling
pre-orders for its bikes later this year.
Kempaiah has ambitious plans for
growth, including cargo bikes, which
could significantly reduce last-mile
delivery costs for organizations such
as FedEx and Canada Post, and
other transportation modalities once
the company’s battery and motor
technologies are perfected.
“We hope to achieve that over the
next two to three years,” he says. “Once
the technologies are mature, that will
enable us to enter tangential markets
such as electric boats and snowmobiles.
The possibilities are endless.”
Kady Leard and Ravi Kempaiah,
members of Zen-e-bikes
ENGINEERING | 15ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
DALHOUSIE ALUMNA
HELPS IMPROVE
HEATHCARE
IN AFRICA
BAI BINTOU KAIRA (BENG’18) you can book appointments with your working engineers, Kaira says
didn’t always know that she wanted providers, whether virtual, in person, “I think the modern engineer is a better
to study engineering, but her plans or over text. Users can also set personal representation of our community.
for medical school changed when she medication reminders. I think people should be able to Google
started university in Canada. After This is a personal area for Kaira, who an engineer and find variations; ones
transferring to Dalhousie University from before her mother’s passing took on that look like them, ones doing different
studying microbiology and immunology the role of a care supporter in tracking things. It’s also having a way
in Africa, she was looking for advice on the medical information and medicines of connecting to those people.”
what to study when friends and family associated with her mother’s diabetes. “I think it is difficult to be what you
suggested she apply to engineering. “The whole point of this app is to can’t see,” she says on the value that
At first, she was hesitant, but the give patients the ability to own their comes from having visible differences
consensus of those around her was that health. They can share all, or parts of represented in the industry. Further to
she could do anything with a degree their records with any provider in the that, Kaira says it’s important that people
in engineering. That decision resulted network,” she says. This is a task that is or communities that are experiencing
in lifelong friends, new skills, and the a common accessibility barrier between a problem are also a part of creating
launchpad for Kaira’s career. providers. the solution.
Combining her interest in medicine Another barrier that GAPhealth helps “A modern engineer is someone that
and engineering Kaira co-founded overcome is support for people who may defines their path; whether on the road
GAPhealth Technologies Inc, a company not want to go to the hospital. The app less travelled or sometimes there’s no
focused on using technology to solve now provides them with an alternative trail at all.” Kaira believes it would be a
health challenges in Africa. for getting quality care within their person who lifts as they climb, pulling
Finding that phones were the most community. “Increasing accessibility from a quote from Mary Church Terrell,
accessible tool for individuals in the of care makes a tremendous impact,” a well-known Black American activist.
area, Kaira and the GAPhealth team says Kaira. “We know once people are “It should always be easier for the next
based their technology in the mobile healthy that has a ripple effect on their person. We all have a voice, and the
space. Special considerations were kids, their families, and their economic ability to help and provide opportunities
implemented to tailor the technology to gaining power. We think about health to help others.”
the realities of the region and to ensure a and have a holistic approach to care.” Kaira has an exciting year ahead, with
very user-friendly experience. “Long term, we are trying to solve the GAPhealth expanding in Ghana and then
The mobile application hosts biases in health.” Gambia. She says she’s excited to share
telemedicine and electronic health In addition to GAPhealth, Kaira works the app with the world.
records for users. There is also a provider full-time with a potash mining company “Our hope is that GAPhealth and
portal that gives the medical provider in Saskatchewan where she uses healthcare is accessible to people.
access to telemedicine. This gives technology to improve operations. She Quality healthcare is a right. People
them the ability to prescribe medicine does this all while completing her MBA should not have to choose between
to patients and view medical records. at the University of Saskatchewan. going to work and seeing a provider.
Additionally, the patient portal acts as a In reflecting on what features Opportunities should not be limited
comprehensive care medical app where contribute to the next generation of based on where you live.”
16 | ENGINEERINGENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
THE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
JOURNEY
ANDRÉS COLLART (BENG'14, MASC'16) this is the problem that you're out to Through the acquisition of Trip Ninja,
is a Dalhousie engineering alumnus solve. You solve that and then they're Collart has stayed on with the company
and entrepreneur. He is also the co- like, Oh no, I'd like you to solve a slightly as CEO. Together with co-founder Brett
founder and CEO of Trip Ninja, a travel simpler problem because we can use Zeigler, they continue to move Trip Ninja
technology company. that more broadly.” forward: “We are continuing to grow
His time at Dalhousie not only quite rapidly again. Right now, we have
introduced him to the world of Startups GROWING, CHANGING, AND five or six open job postings.”
and their ecosystems, it also introduced RESPONDING
him to two very important people: his “We originally developed the FROM ADVICE GIVEN TO
wife and the co-founder of his company. technology during evenings and ADVICE-GIVING
When undergraduate convocation weekends, starting in 2014. And then, I With this leadership role in a growing
rolled around, Collart saw many of his think it was 2017, I quit my job. Shortly company, Collart enjoys empowering
classmates considering trips to Europe. thereafter, Brett quit his job. We started others to build great products.
He noticed that most people didn’t raising some capital, put together a For people considering
care about the order of the places they small team, and we’ve grown since entrepreneurship, Collart’s advice is to
visited, they just wanted to choose where then… until the pandemic,” says Collart look at what options you have available.
they went. This was where the idea for when reflecting on the company’s path. “There's the ‘standard’ path around,
Trip Ninja began. Collart realized he The travel industry was acutely going off and getting a job and having a
could find a solution to the issue from an impacted by the pandemic: “95% of great career on that front. Then there's
engineering perspective. travel was gone, almost overnight” starting a business and doing that full-
He and co-founder Brett Zeigler he adds. time. But in the middle, there's a whole
(BEng'14) figured out how to optimize Trip Ninja entered the pandemic with gradient of possibilities that you can do
the best order of flights for the cheapest around ten employees. “It was tough as well. So, it's not binary.”.
price: “It used to take seven and a half to be able to navigate that. With the Collart is a big believer of going all-in
minutes to run the whole program, now burden of ‘I’ve hired these people and for something you are passionate about,
it takes 20 seconds.” I’m responsible for them.’” With this whether or not it's from the moment
Beyond the engineering, Collart had challenge, Collart worked hard to retain that you have the idea.
to immerse himself into learning the his staff, “I didn’t want to lay off my staff
industry, especially how flights were due to the pandemic. We were able to
commercialized. He soon realized that keep them employed throughout the
in addition to optimizing the order of pandemic.”
flights they could also improve the issue It was during the pandemic that Trip
of “split ticketing.” Their solution ended Ninja was acquired by WebJet. In rising
up having a broader impact than the and responding to this challenge, Collart
original idea, with over 42,000 travellers says, “I'm proud of being able to retain
using their technology. the people that we hired and being able
“This has been interesting to go to figure out a path forward that didn't
through,” says Collart, “you think that involve mass layoffs.”
ENGINEERING | 17ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
ENGINEERING
CAPSTONE TEAMS
TAKE ACTION
WHEN DALHOUSIE MECHANICAL Headquartered in Dalhousie’s Emera
engineering student Liam Maaskant IDEAhub, the company has teamed
co-founded Axtion Independence up with experts at the Hub to design
Mobility with business savvy partner a mobility device that combines a
Tracey McGillivray, his career path took four-wheeled rollator walker with a
a new turn. mechanical seat to help those who
Once a former defencemen with have fallen get back up on their own
the Ontario Hockey League and former with minimal assistance. They’ve also
Captain of the Acadia Axeman hockey teamed up with Occupational Therapist
team, Maaskant never imagined he’d and Dalhousie alum, Suling Duong, who
one day launch an up-and-coming opened their eyes to new possibilities for
medical device start-up company. But the device.
while completing the first two years “She really paved the way for what our
of his engineering degree at Acadia device could do and all of the features
University, he received a phone call from it could help with,” says Maaskant. “I
McGillivray whom he’d previously met came in and I was really focused on just
through Acadia’s Athletics Program. getting a seat that lifts. I didn’t see all of
She wanted to discuss the design of the constraints that it had to meet. So
a mobility device that would allow for example, lowering the seat flush with
her father to live more independently. the ground.”
Although her father already used a “Our design started as a fall recovery
Capstone
walker, he had been experiencing regular device and then moved into something
falls at home, and wasn’t able to get that could support users in their
back up on his own or with assistance daily activities,” he adds. “So users
Collaborations
from her mother. transferring themselves on and off a
Now, two years later, Axtion is set couch or a bed for example. Then lifting
to revolutionize the rollator walker themselves back up to a position that is
so that it can better help its users in much easier to stand from.”
the prevention and recovery of falls.
These new possibilities meant new
opportunities for two groups of Dal
engineering students working on their
senior year Capstone projects.
Each year, Dalhousie’s Capstone
program matches engineering student
teams with industry partners to design
innovative solutions to real-world
challenges. Their projects typically
involve open-ended problems that
companies may not have the resources
or expertise to tackle alone.
Maaskant, who is a senior mechanical
engineering student himself was also
required to complete his Capstone
project.
18 | ENGINEERING From left to right: Adam Dorrance, Liam Maaskant (me), Matt Ingham,
Will Houser, Ben Abraham, Danielle Dey, Lara Mullally, Aya Ghalib
As co-founders of Axtion, he and have really come on board and taken support,” she says. “He (Maaskant) has
McGillivray saw the Capstone program control,” he adds. “They’re the brains taken a backseat in terms of directing us
as an opportunity to partner with of the operation, so I learned a lot from and he lets us have the freedom to really
students and gain a fresh perspective them and from their concepts. make big changes as opposed to having
on the design of their device. With the I was ecstatic with how much input they a specific direction they want us to go in.”
goal of completing their prototype for had and how much value they added to With the device’s brakes and seat
testing by this summer, Maaskant says the product.” now ready for action, Maaskant says it’s
the device’s braking system and a strong, At the same time, Danielle Dey and been a unique experience working as
foldable seat for the lift still needed to her teammates, who include Aya Ghalib, both an industry partner in the Capstone
be designed. So, they teamed up with Lara Mullally and Ben Abraham were program, and a member of one of the
two student groups from the mechanical responsible for designing a mechanical student teams.
engineering program to work on each seat for the rollator walker. Taking into “I’m part of the team and I never really
component of the project. One of those account a list of general requirements wanted to be the boss. All of those guys
Capstone teams included Maaskant’s including building a foldable product have done a really great job and are
group. He, along with his three that can also support the full weight doing things that I probably wouldn’t
teammates, Matt Ingham, Will Houser, of its users as it lifts up and down, Dey have thought of or wouldn’t have been
and Adam Dorrance, were tasked with says both Maaskant and McGillivray able to do originally,” he says. “For us we
building the device’s braking system. have given their team the freedom and couldn’t have been happier.”
“For me, I love working with my peers. confidence to experiment with their
I guess it’s very valuable to me. Going design.
through school you learn a lot from class “The seat had to be able to fold in two
lectures, but you also learn from your directions, so it folds for storage and
study groups and meeting up with your it flips up and out of the way for the
peers,” he says. “Matt, Will and Adam user to stand in the centre for added
ENGINEERING | 19RESEARCHER PROFILE
Advancing the Role of Biomedical
Engineering in Nova Scotia
DR. JANIE ASTEPHEN WILSON patients,” she says. “The robotics system “Once we know this, we can come
is helping Nova Scotia Health develop is a new innovation that we’re adding up with interesting technology-driven
and oversee a world class research to this space that provides us with a solutions for optimizing patients
program around its first orthopaedic significant ability to tailor surgeries that before surgery and during surgery. And
surgical robot. are specific to a person’s anatomy and optimizing the surgery itself to suit
Appointed the Director of Dalhousie’s biomechanics.” the needs of the individual. And then
School of Biomedical Engineering last implement a technology and data
September, Wilson is among a team of ENHANCING PATIENT CARE driven approach to monitoring clinical
researchers at the QEII Health Sciences THROUGH COMMUNITY outcomes.”
Centre who will utilize the Mako
SmartRobotics system to inform and
PARTNERSHIPS
While at McMaster University, Wilson
improve patient care.
worked with surgeons to develop a
Only the second of its kind in Canada,
world class research program around
the innovative robotic arm assists
orthopedic robotics. The program
doctors in joint replacement surgery.
focused on the country’s first Mako
The robot’s first use in Canada was at St.
Robot.
Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario
Wilson is now bringing that
where Wilson was collaborating with the
research to Dal’s School of Biomedical
orthopaedic team in developing research
Engineering. As Director of the school,
and clinical protocols while working
she says these types of programs play
as a Professor of Surgery at McMaster
a significant role in attracting new
University.
students to their program and training
Now back in Nova Scotia, Wilson says
the next generation of biomedical
residents requiring partial or total knee
engineers. But they also play an equally
replacements may be offered an option
vital role in broadening Dal’s future
for robotic surgery. The technology will
collaborations with health authorities
increase the precision and success rate
and industry partners within the Halifax
of these surgeries by assisting doctors
community.
in more accurately mapping out surgical
“We want to continue to support
areas using a 3D Cat scan.
growth of the biomedical sector in Nova
Already leaders in orthopaedic
Scotia which is now a well-established
technologies, Wilson and her team
and growing enterprise, and the
have long been using research tools
School of Biomedical Engineering has
such as instrumented gait analysis,
a significant role to play in supporting
high precision image processing, and
this industry,” she says. “Part of what I’m
data mapping and analytics to study
interested in as a biomedical engineer is
the orthopedic patient population.
how we augment the health care system
Although still in the research phase of its
with innovation and technology to
development, she says the groundwork
support things such as patient selection
for using cutting-edge technologies
and triage, preparing for surgery
such as a surgical robot to offer patient-
and developing clinical monitoring
specific surgery has already been laid in
and rehabilitation programs with
Nova Scotia.
wearable technologies and outpatient
“What we’ve found in studying the
assessments.”
biomechanics of patients and failure
Wilson adds that the current work
of implants after surgery is that there
under way with the Mako Robot will lay
are patient factors that affect these
the foundation for future projects within
outcomes that we can study and model
the province by helping researchers
in greater detail. And we can use
understand how to tailor patient care
innovative approaches to understanding
based on a person’s needs and response
the complex differences between
to surgical procedures.
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