Engineering Conversations

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever thought about starting your own business?  There are a lot of engineers that end up starting their own consulting firms after they have gained sufficient experience in industry.  Pursuing an entrepreneurial path allows engineers to focus their skills and talents in areas they find both challenging and rewarding. In this episode we sit down with Penny Popp to learn ab...

Send us Fan Mail When students graduate with an engineering degree, it is hard to know where their career will take them.  The one certainty is that their engineering degree has prepared them to solve problems in whatever sector they find work. In this episode we sit down with Greg Godwin to learn about his career.  Greg has a background in Industrial Systems engineering and 18 years of experience...

Send us Fan Mail Have you noticed that more and more engineering schools are starting to offer programs related to energy?  The reason for this is that the world has an ever-growing demand for energy and we need engineers that can design and build energy systems that are safe, reliable, sustainable, and affordable.  The University of Regina has a new Energy Systems engineering program that has opt...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever seen a pumpjack in an oil field and wondered how long it has been there, or what will happen to it in the future?  It turns out that the life of an oil well depends on its condition, how much oil it produces, and the current oil price.  Petroleum engineers are heavily involved in managing the lifecycle of oil wells. In this episode we sit down with Leta Brisebois to...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that potash is essential for food production around the world?  Saskatchewan happens to account for roughly one third of all global potash production.  Engineers from a variety of disciplines are needed to support potash mining operations. In this episode we sit down with Julien Brazeau to learn about his career.  Julien has a background in Industrial Systems Engineer...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we explore how we can nurture and encourage youth to consider a career path in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).  The world needs more engineers, and STEM outreach is a big part of the process to ensure we will have sufficient bright minds to solve big real-world problems in the future! Kevina Mullock and MacKenzie Chittenden are the Coordin...

Send us Fan Mail Can you believe this tiny little podcast project is already two years old?  In this bonus episode, Justin Gwilliam comes back on the show to help celebrate the occasion and ask some more “behind the scenes” questions.  (I honestly think he just came for the cake and to tease me a bit.) I extend a sincere thank-you to all of the guests that came on Engineering Conversations this pa...

Send us Fan Mail It is very difficult to predict the direction an engineering career will take as there are so many options.  One certainty is that an engineer can always take their knowledge and skills with them to address problems and challenges that exist in whatever industry they choose to work. In this episode we sit down with Mehdi Mohammadpoor to learn about his career.  Mehdi has a backgro...

Send us Fan Mail Environmental engineering is a broad field that includes air, water, and soil engineering.  Among those areas, air quality has broad impacts on the environment since it is not always localized.  For example, forest fires can affect the air quality for people and wildlife that are thousands of kilometers away. In this episode we sit down with Kevin McCullum to learn about his caree...

Send us Fan Mail The world relies on electricity for practically everything we do, including in our work lives and personal lives.  Electrification has changed the world, and we need engineers to design and build electrical systems. In this episode we sit down with Trevor Chadwick to talk about his career.  Trevor has a background in Electronic Systems engineering and has worked in electrical cons...

Send us Fan Mail To celebrate Pi Day, I invited some fourth-year engineering students to my office to eat some pie and talk about their experience in engineering!  We will hear their thoughts on surviving engineering, gaining work experience, completing a capstone project, and more! A big thank you to Madison French, Sarah Schatz, and Pranav Mukesh for coming on the show to share their journey in...

Send us Fan Mail Engineering careers can be dynamic, across many different sectors, and in new areas that require experience, a problem-solving lens, and perspective. In this episode we sit down with Dr. Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley to talk about her experience as a mechanical engineer.  She has extensive experience in the mining sector, where she worked in coal mining, lead and zinc smelting, and the...

Send us Fan Mail Do you like listening to the radio or watching television?  Have you ever wondered how that broadcast gets to your device?  It turns out that a lot of engineering is required to deliver that content to the audience. In this episode we sit down with Dave Rainnie to learn about his career in the broadcasting industry.  Dave has a background in Electronics Systems engineering and has...

Send us Fan Mail An engineering degree can be a ticket to see the world.  It can also help you think both critically and logically, which often has benefits outside of your work life. In this episode we sit down with Angela Jaimeson to learn about her journey in engineering.  Angela has a background in geological engineering and spent close to 20 years working in the oil and gas sector in Canada,...

Send us Fan Mail Environmental engineers work on all kinds of projects for industry and municipalities.  These can include site remediation, civil earth works, surveying, water treatment, and more.  We all benefit from the work of environmental engineers. In this episode we sit down with Greg Kuntz to learn about his career in environmental engineering, which spans over 25 years.  During this time...

Send us Fan Mail Do you pride yourself in how your organize your organics, recycling, and garbage materials for pick-up?  Or do you just throw everything together in one bin?  Clearly, if materials are organized properly it makes it much easier to process them at the relevant facility. In this episode we sit down with Sam Dietrich to learn about his career, which has seen him working in robotics a...

Send us Fan Mail Steel can be found everywhere in our day-to-day lives.  It is in our appliances, our vehicles, our houses, work environments and more.  Steel is used widely in manufacturing countless products.  The production of steel is a complicated process and engineers from several disciplines work in this industry. In this episode we sit down with Kamille Brunwald to learn about her career i...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that there is an entire field of engineering that studies how structures interact with soil and rock?  The engineering mechanics of these interactions help engineers design infrastructure including, roadways, buildings, lagoons, and much more.  Prior to any construction, geotechnical and environmental engineers are often involved in site assessment and during the life...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever considered that buildings are more than just a structure?  In fact, buildings have complicated systems that help the building achieve its design goals.  These include systems for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, and more!  Engineers design these systems so that buildings can be functional, safe, and energy efficient. In t...

Send us Fan Mail Engineering and athletics might not be two things that people think go together.  It turns out that a lot of engineering students are involved in athletics.  Being a student-athlete is a big commitment as students have to balance both their academic and athletic responsibilities. In this bonus episode we sit down Ryder Varga to hear about his experience as a student-athlete.  Ryde...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone knows that when you go to study engineering at university, you will have to take a bunch of courses and laboratories.  These academic activities help students learn core engineering skills.  However, there is a lot of learning that can happen in engineering student organizations.  These extra-curricular activities are where students develop additional skills that will hav...

Send us Fan Mail Over the course of their career, engineers can work on a large variety of projects, especially in the municipal engineering sector.  These projects have a large, positive impact for the residents and businesses in that region.   In this episode we sit down with Tom Williams to talk about his extensive career in municipal and water engineering.  Tom has a background in agricultural...

Send us Fan Mail Engineers need data to make informed decisions. For example, data can be used to evaluate new engineering design options and business opportunities. But data can also be used in urgent situations during the operation of a facility. In fact, technology has evolved to the point where real-time data can be sent from a remote plant in the field back to engineers at the head office for...

Send us Fan Mail Software and electronics are used for countless applications in our day-to-day lives and in industrial applications.  Have you ever wondered who the engineers are that lead the development of some of these technologies? In this episode we sit down with Brayden Willenborg to learn about his career in software development.  Braden has a background in Software Systems engineering and...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder where or how technology is developed?  Commercial technology requires a great deal of research, prototyping, and testing to refine it to the point where it is both effective and economically viable.  Engineers from all disciplines are involved in research and development projects that help drive the development of new technologies. In this episode we sit down wi...