Engineering Conversations

Send us Fan Mail Who remembers rotary phones and push button phones that were connected to land lines?  Now we all rely on cell phones and telecommunications companies have evolved to provide way more services than just phone calls.  In addition to wired and mobile telephone services, many telecoms now provide television services, wireless internet, homes security, and more!  The telecommunication...

Send us Fan Mail Consulting engineers provide engineering services to virtually all sectors.  This can include private industry, municipal infrastructure, financial systems, health care, and more.  There are consulting engineers working on projects in countries all over the world. In this episode we sit down with Goke Rufai to hear about his career in consulting engineering.  Goke is a Project Man...

Send us Fan Mail With an ever-growing population, the world has seen a steady rise in the demand for energy.  There is a renewed interest in nuclear power due to its lower carbon footprint when compared to other technologies. In this episode we sit down with Esam Hussein to talk about nuclear engineering.  Esam is a retired nuclear engineer and professor who spent time working in both industry and...

Send us Fan Mail Having a safe and abundant source of water is very important for society.  Engineers play a huge role in helping manage water resources for drinking, irrigation, and agriculture uses, as well as recreational and ecological needs.  Managing all of this water requires the construction and maintenance of water infrastructure.   In this episode sit down with Rayna Belyk-Kaytor to talk...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed how much we depend on having access to safe, affordable energy systems?  In the last 100 years, society has become dependent on energy for transportation, heating and cooling our homes, powering our appliances, and much more. In this episode sit down with Sam Hong to learn about the new Energy Systems Engineering program at the University of Regina.  This pro...

Send us Fan Mail A career in engineering can be difficult to explain or define because engineers can end up doing so many different things during their career.  At the time of graduation, it is really hard to predict what your career path might look like. In this episode sit down with Adam Fehler to learn about his experience as an Industrial Systems engineer.  Adam has a diverse engineering backg...

Send us Fan Mail Many industries need both engineers and geoscientists to make their operations successful.  In Canada, most of the provincial and territorial regulators that oversee the engineering profession also oversee the geoscience profession. In this episode we take a break from engineering and sit down with Jason Cosford to learn about geoscience.  Jason is a professional geoscientist with...

Send us Fan Mail Many things in our world run on power and contain electronics.  As a result, there is a demand for electronic and electrical engineers in almost all sectors.   In this episode we sit down with Cory Dumalski to talk about his career as an Electronic Systems engineer.  Cory has over 17 years of experience working in a variety of industries including mining, manufacturing, and power...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that roughly 30% of the world’s potash is produced in Saskatchewan?  That is significant!  Potash companies need large teams of operators, technicians, geoscientists, and engineers to have successful potash mines that are safe, economical, and environmentally viable. In this episode we sit down with Caitlin Knaus to talk about her career in the potash industry.  Caitl...

Send us Fan Mail Going to university to study engineering is not easy.  Many students report seeing a drop in grades, difficult courses, and a high work load with labs and lectures.  In many ways, students have to learn time management skills, develop good study habits, and ask for help when they need it. In this episode we sit down with Holden Rogers to talk about his experience in engineering. ...

Send us Fan Mail It is hard to believe that Engineering Conversations is already celebrating its first anniversary!  To recognize the occasion, I thought it would be fun to do a “behind the scenes” episode.  Justin Gwilliam is back on the show with a list of questions that dive into this podcasting journey. Thank you to all of the guests who have been on Engineering Conversations this past year. ...

Send us Fan Mail Structural engineers are involved in the design and construction of buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, and other infrastructure that we find throughout the world.  People often do not think about whether a building or bridge is safe when we use it, but structural engineers have worked hard to design and build safe projects that get used on a daily basis by the general public. In t...

Send us Fan Mail Environmental engineers play an important role in helping communities and industry function in sustainable and responsible frameworks that protect the public and the environment.  First Nations communities in Canada have many engineering challenges that need to be addressed with both sound engineering and cultural considerations. In this episode we sit down with Darlynn Lavallee t...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever thought about where all of the metals we use come from?  Mines around the world help produce all of the metals that we rely on for use in our infrastructure and day-to-day devices. In this episode we sit down with Jared Orynik to talk about his career as a metallurgist.  Jared has a background in materials engineering from the University of Alberta, and he has over 2...

Send us Fan Mail To celebrate Pi Day, I invited a bunch of engineers to my office to eat some pie and talk about random “engineery” things! A big thank you to Tom Atkins, Kim Korchinski, and Bailey Armstrong for coming to chat about about engineering, childhood toys, sitcoms, sci-fi, energy, water, food, what makes a great engineer, and more!  Also, I extend a HUGE thank you to my mom for making u...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that engineers and geoscientists have to be licensed to practice in Canada?  Licensure helps provide greater protection to the public and environment as members have to be competent, accountable for their work, and adhere to a code of ethics. In this episode we sit down with Chris Wimmer and Kate MacLachlan from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscienti...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been on a university campus and been in awe of the sheer size and complexity of the buildings and services?  In many ways, a university campus is a lot like a mini-city and it needs a great deal of planning and effort to operate the infrastructure required for the university to function. In this episode we sit down with Carol Reyda to talk about her career as an engi...

Send us Fan Mail How often do you drive on roads or highways, walk on sidewalks, or cross the street?  Have you ever thought about the safety features that have been built into the system?  Transportation engineers work to design roads, intersections, and pedestrian walkways that are safe for everyone! In this episode we sit down with Kwei Quaye to talk about his extensive career as a transportati...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that the demand for energy increases year after year?  This helps  drive growth, diversification, and innovation in a very dynamic industry.  While fossil fuels have been a reliable source of energy for the world, new energy sectors have been growing to meet the demand. In this episode we sit down with Bryden Wright to talk about his career in the energy sector, which...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed how much we rely on the infrastructure that we have in our cities and rural areas?  We all drive on roads, cross bridges, use water, and spend time in public buildings.  Civil engineers play a major role in helping to design and build the infrastructure we need to support the quality of life we have become accustomed to in today’s society. In this episode we...

Send us Fan Mail It is very hard to predict the type of engineering career someone may have when they graduate from university.  In fact, there are so many different roles and responsibilities for engineers.  For example, engineers can be involved in consulting, technical design, project management, sales, and so much more.  It takes all kinds of different engineers, working in a variety of roles,...

Send us Fan Mail The world of software engineering is exploding.  We now see software being developed for all sorts of applications, having a huge impact on our day-to-day lives.  If you like to modify and improve existing products and processes, and you like to play around with technology, maybe you have a software engineer lurking inside you! In this episode we sit down with Trevor Douglas to le...

Send us Fan Mail Do you like to tinker around in workshops and fix things?  Or maybe you like to design and build new items?  Have you ever thought about what might be involved in large scale manufacturing of commercial products?  Engineers around the world help companies figure out how to design and manufacture their products in affordable, efficient, and safe processes. In this episode we sit do...

Send us Fan Mail Do you heat your home with natural gas in the winter time?  Do you have a natural gas stove, barbeque, or water heater?  How does the natural gas get to your house?  A team of engineers has worked behind the scenes to ensure that you have a safe and reliable supply of natural gas. In this episode, we sit down with Zeshan Hyder to talk about natural gas pipelines.  Zeshan is the Ma...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed the large air ducts in buildings, or wondered how the climate inside the building was controlled over the summer and winter months?  Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) engineers are the people who ensure that the environment inside a building is safe for the occupants. In this episode, we sit down with Jared Larson to talk about his experience...