here - Simon Fraser University

co-op
School of Engineering Science
NEWS, Fall 2004
www.ensc.sfu.ca
Engineers Without Borders
sfu.ewb.ca, ewb@sfu.ca
This past summer, I had an eye-opening experience as a
volunteer for Engineers Without Borders. My journey began in
Toronto, where I was trained for the Scala Project, a computer
literacy initiative. Many other volunteers were trained for
work around the world, on projects ranging from water and
sanitation to food processing. When training finally came to an
end, I was sad to leave but excited about the journey ahead.
The Philippines are physically beautiful, but there is also
overwhelming squalor and poverty. Working in pairs, we
helped to establish 12 computer education centres for out-ofschool
youth, providing them with employment prospects. My
first location, San Jose Del Monte outside Manila, had none
of the amenities, from bank machines, to hotels, to telephone
lines. Barriers to education for youths were also shocking,
from the cost of daily transportation to school (a mere 25 cents
round-trip) to severe overcrowding.
I was struck by the enthusiasm of these youths—they were
desperate for a chance to apply themselves. Even if my work
was but a surface scratch, it’s a scratch I made with pride.
SFU students from all faculties are encouraged to join
the Engineers Without Borders team in promoting human
development at home and abroad.
Nokia knows....fun!
Listening to water splashing in the fountains, I pass by the
spruce-trunk-surrounded fireplace and immerse myself in the
aroma of fresh-brewed coffee; it is the beginning of another day
at Nokia, at a tranquil site on the Fraser River.
This summer, I worked with engineers experienced in fields
ranging from audio and power management, to production
and even ASIC. Together we were developing the latest 3G
mobile phones. I now have experience in different disciplines
of electronics engineering, such as micro and macroviews
of product design: from the fine details of circuit design and
component considerations, to the large picture of how system
modules integrate into top-notch cell phones.
Nokia has a large online resource database, which I
occasionally browsed to satisfy my personal curiosity about
advanced wireless technologies, as well as offering on-site
training courses on the latest developments in this everchanging
industry.
With the feel of a country holiday resort, including a gym, a
basketball/tennis court, and weekly social and sports events,
the Nokia office was not just a place to work, but to have fun. I
am truly glad I had this opportunity, and I believe anyone would
feel the same working for this Finnish industry giant.
Robin Prest, President, Engineers Wthout Borders—SFU
5th year Engineering Physics
Special thanks to the Department of Engineering Science and
the Faculty of Applied Sciences for their continued support!
Henry Lin, 5th year Engineering Physics

Fall 2004
Victoria Chen, Systems Engineering
My summer work term as a Marketing Assistant at Binary Stream
Software Inc. was a great education and a rewarding experience. Binary
Stream is a software company that values dynamic individuals—I had the
opportunity to work on projects involving aspects of marketing, business
development, project management, software development and systems
engineering!
Through my studies at SFU and with the help of my dedicated professors
I have realized that I want to become a marketer in the high tech industry,
and I feel that both the theoretical concepts and the practical experience
I’ve gained have given me a competitive edge.
In Fall 2003 I was accepted into the MBA program at the New York
Institute of Technology and have taken some introductory business
courses as preparation for co-op. Working on developing parts of a
successful marketing mix (price, product, place, and promotion) for Binary
Stream Software Inc. was exactly the experience I was looking for.
After I graduate, I’ll finish my MBA and work on the corporate side,
marketing technological products. But eventually I’d like to work as a
facilitator, helping high-tech companies communicate with their advertising
agencies. With a Media & Communication Art Certificate from the Emily
Carr Institute of Art and Design, an Engineering Science degree from SFU,
and an MBA from NYIT, I look forward to a future that allows me to learn,
help, play, create, experience, and grow.
where are they now
Alumni
1986 Dean Schebel, Director of Engineering, iON Digital
First 10 years
1987 Bruce Bernard, Chief Operating Officer / Chief Technology Officer, Arkon Technologies Inc.
1987 Mark Pillon, P.Eng., President, Dorigo Systems Ltd.
1987 Charley Heung, General Manager, Advent Instruments (Hong Kong)
1988 Randy Chapman, Senior Product Design Engineer, PMC-Sierra
1988 Walter Tarasoff, P. Eng., President, Redline Digital Technologies
1988 Remy Kozak, V.P. Business Development, New City Pictures
1989 Dave Patterson, President, Discerning Systems Inc.
1989 Robert Wilson, Chief RF Development Engineer, VTech
1990 Philip Scheltens, Software Consultant, TELUS
1990 Darren Jarvis, Director, Manufacturing, Honeywell Video Systems
1990 Errol Samuelson, President, TOP PRODUCER Systems and SVP Software Group, Homestore, Inc
1991 Craig Scratchley, Lecturer in the School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University
1992 Patrick Quinn, Founder and VP, Wave7 Optics (Alpharetta, Georgia)
1993 Anind Dey, Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania)
1994 Erin Deakin née Hunter, Senior Product Design Engineer, PMC-Sierra
1994 Brian Hargreaves, Research Associate Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (California)
1995 Andreas Huster, Control Systems Engineer, OceanWorks International Corporation

Fall 2004
Co-op...up close and personal
Graeme Smecher, 5th year Computer Engineering
There I was, on the plane to Toronto, with my entire life packed into a
storage locker, heading for a co-op term at Research In Motion, a company
I’d only read about. But my nervousness was infinitely redeemed during my
first week at Research In Motion—Waterloo is a beautiful place to spend
a summer and my work was rewarding and challenging. My fear that co-op
students get the miserable, meaningless work that full-timers avoid was
definitely not true at RIM, where I worked on unreleased devices, evaluation
boards, and the latest test and development tools.
Getting RIM’s software to work on a new piece of hardware and new
compilers was enjoyable because of the variety—my tools ran the gamut
from oscilloscopes to the most sophisticated development and debugging
software. When I ran into a tool limitation, I was encouraged to spend some
time improving it. The work was by turns challenging, bewildering, and
delightful. I’m amazed by what I’ve learned and what I’ve accomplished.
The perks were great, too: co-op students got their own Blackberrys! There
was also free ice cream every week, donuts and coffee a-plenty, and tons of
social events. My co-workers seemed to share a fixation for good, dark beer!
I don’t generally associate “job” with “fun”, but it was a blast—I hope that I’ll
be back at RIM before too long.
Shirin Farrai, 4th year Electronics Engineering
During my time at the National Research Council of Canada in the
Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, I realized there are still major hurdles
to a commercial fuel cell, with all its promised environmental benefits. For
example, although a fuel cell burns cleanly, producing only water and heat
as by-products, the process of obtaining hydrogen is not always clean—one
of the most efficient ways is by burning methane or coal. It will be interesting
to see how these issues are addressed and how fuel cells begin to enter
everyday use.
My project at NRC was with the Micro Fuel Cell group, which is working on
a fuel cell that could be used in laptops, PDAs, and other small, portable
devices. This was particularly exciting because small fuel cells offer
instant recharging and will last as long as fuel is supplied. I worked on the
automated manufacturing of a micro fuel cell using an inkjet printer setup.
In a research setting, co-op students are given the freedom to explore and
learn based on their own interests. I also attended seminars by fuel cell
researchers, including an engineer who is working on an artificial olfactory
system to detect and distinguish between gases, and another by the head of
the hydrogen division of Powerex, who spends his days assessing the safety
of compressed hydrogen in vehicles by exploding cars and compressing
cylinders.
At NRC I saw the unveiling of the government’s plan for a Vancouver to
Whistler Hydrogen Highway by 2010—the first of its kind in the world.

Fall 2004
Watch for...
Information on the
Spring 2005 Applied
Science Employer
Open House
Events celebrating
SFU’s 40th
Anniversary in 2005!
Recent events
• Our Engineering Co-op Hiring Manager Panel included representatives
from Nokia, PMC-Sierra, Omnex Controls, Sierra Wireless
• Guest speakers on-campus included Dr Peter J. Smith on “The Impact
of Complexity in MIMO Channel Models”; Dr Arun Madan on “Flexible
Displays and Solar Cells Using Thin Film Silicon Technology”; and
Dr Juin J. Liou on “Evolution and Recent Advances in RF/Microwave
Transistors”
• Undergraduates who defended their theses: Aaron Ridinger on “Power
line interference minimization techniques for use in a wireless surface
EMG system”; Herman Lo on “SurgiBox: A Computerized Physical
Laparoscopic Surgery Training System”; Prashan Gunasingam on
“Simulation of Rigid Body Dynamics by Solving of Multiple Constraints”;
Jimmy Tsai on “Navigation System for a Helicopter UAV”
Winner of the first Co-op Photo Contest is from Engineering!
Yasaman Mohammadi, an Electronics Engineering student, is the Grand Prize Winner of the First Annual SFU Co-op Photo Contest.
Congratulations Yasaman!
Yasaman is currently completing a co-op work term with ATR in Japan and will receive a new Apple iBook for her winning entry.