lauren@kelman.ca

Recommendations

Info

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS & STUDENTS CORNER WHAT’S A STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION ANYWAY? By the Student Design Competition Subcommittee he Student Design Competition (SDC) has been a part of the WEAO Annual Conference and Technical Symposium since 2009, and although it may be nothing more than a line in the pocket program to many of you, it has boosted new graduates into their budding careers. As we prepare to cheer on the Windsor University team at the 2015 Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) event, we thought it would be a good opportunity to share the competition’s origins and what it takes to make it happen. Origins and WEAO participation The SDC began as a WEF initiative in 2002 as a way to showcase student talent. The idea originated in the Florida WEA Student and Young Professionals Committee and their event was adapted for the national stage. Since 2009 the event has had two categories: 1) Wastewater Design and 2) Environmental Design. WEAO has participated since 2009, and is a WEFTEC SDC superstar! In the seven years of participation, teams from WEAO have achieved 2nd place finishes five times. Road to WEFTEC There are two levels of competition that teams go through. The first level is the local competition, hosted by each Member Association (MA), typically at the MA’s Annual Conference. A real-world problem is given to teams to tackle, with each MA level event posing a different problem. The winner of this local competition is given funding to attend the next level of competition at that year’s WEFTEC. At the WEFTEC event, each team presents their winning design project from their local event, which means that there are as many topics being presented as there are teams. What’s Expected of the Students The scope of the project is something between a design proposal and a predesign report, where the students are expected to propose solutions based on fairly limited information, but also provide discussion of design alternatives and preliminary sizing and budget. The level of detail is expected to be that of a senior design project. Students have the assistance of an academic and an industry advisor, but are not permitted to use them for calculations or other major components of the project. For two semesters, the students juggle academic responsibilities and the competition, with the end products of delivering a design report (limited to 20 pages plus appendices), and a 20-minute presentation at the MA’s Annual Conference. This is no easy task as the presentation period typically coincides with final exams and papers! Designing the design competition The creation of a problem statement for the students to tackle is the responsibility of each MA. The MAs are aiming to choose a problem that is relevant and interesting to students; something to which creative solutions can be found; and something that would appeal to a wide variety of skill sets. Most importantly, the problem statement needs to be based on a real world project so that students can prepare for some of the challenges that await them in the professional world. Typical projects for the Wastewater Division would include upgrades to existing systems, or addressing a specific concern at a wastewater treatment plant. The Environmental Division deals with topics like wetland construction. A never ending process In WEAO, the responsibility of organizing the SDC falls to the Young Professionals SDC Subcommittee. Just as soon as one WEAO Conference is over, the subcommittee begins the search for the next sponsoring municipality and begins to collaborate to ensure the project is ready to deliver to students by September 1. The deadline to register is usually in the first week of October and students have until a few weeks before the next WEAO conference to finish the project. We get by with a little help from our friends The SDC subcommittee is dependent on a variety of WEAO members and organizations to get the project to the students and to get the winning team to WEFTEC, including: • A sponsoring municipality to provide the idea for a project statement based on a real world problem they are having and to provide background information including data, documents and drawings. A tour of the facility in question must also be provided, typically on a weekend. • WEAO staff who update the website and direct inquires to the committee. • The WEAO Board of Directors who support and advocate for the subcommittee. • The Conference Committee who funds and facilitates space, audio/visual and snack requirements for the event at the conference. • A panel of four intermediate or senior professionals who serve as volunteer judges to review the many design packages and attend the presentations at the WEAO conference, often on their own personal time. • WEAO sponsors who ultimately help fund site visit travel expenses and prizes for our winning teams. What’s in it for WEAO The benefits to the student participants are clear. They get exposure to a real world problem, the opportunity to use the event as their final year capstone project, an impressive accomplishment to add to their resume, networking 14 INFLUENTS Fall 2015 Click HERE to return to Table of contents
opportunities within the industry, a one-year WEAO membership for completing the project, and a chance at the travel sponsorship and other cash prizes for the 2 nd and 3 rd place teams. But there are also benefits to WEAO. The event generates interest in the water environment as a career path, promotes Ontario as a place of innovation on the world stage and provides a handy showcase of prime, proven talent right at the Annual Conference that many members are attending anyway. So why not stop by next time and meet our industry’s future? What’s coming in 2016 The SDC Subcommittee is in the second year of a two-year partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to bring wastewater resource recovery and sustainable infrastructure into the spotlight. We are pleased to have the York Durham Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant as the host facility for our next event. Watch the WEAO website for more details and be sure to keep Sunday, April 10, 2016 clear in your calendars to come see what the teams have come up with. THE WATERING HOLE The YP Advice Column Each issue we take a reader question and pose it to a variety of seasoned and young professionals. If you have a question you’d like to see answered or would you like to share your advice in the next issue, send a message to Dawn at driekenbrauck@asi-group.com. “As an employer, what do you look for when you’re hiring a young professional?” Terry Arcese, Director, Engineering Sales, HTS The old adage, “Hire for attitude, train for skill!” is particularly true for hiring new grads and young professionals. When hiring a young professional for an engineering sales role, what I look for is the right attitude, and social aptitude. I’m looking for someone who will think and act like an owner, someone that is committed to doing whatever it takes to offer sensational service to our clients. I pay attention to extra-curricular activities because I find them to be a good indicator of social aptitude. I would take a new grad with a long list of extracurricular activities before one with a long list of academic awards every time. I also look for personal values that are in sync with the values that make our company culture what it is, or to use another cliché, ‘character counts for more than credentials.’ Patrick Coleman, Principal Process Engineer, Water, Black & Veatch We look for Young Professionals who demonstrate they think for themselves, who can show that what they achieved in life has been because they worked at it, they have more than one dimension to their life (the ‘other’ section on the CV), they are aware of their social responsibility as EITs, they can write and communicate, they are teachable, and they can work as part of a team. The responsibility of a University is to teach students to think. The role of the Engineering Firm is to teach them to be engineers. We are looking for individuals who are ready to partner with us in their development as an engineer and who can maintain a healthy/sustainable work/life balance. Ignatius Ip, P. Eng. Manager, Wastewater, AECOM Here are a few things that I look for when hiring a young professional: • Work Ethic – In the engineering consulting industry, it’s important that someone can multitask and do many things at once. A young professional that had attended school and maintained a part time job at the same time looks very good on a resume. • Passion to Learn and Grow. Ability to learn from others – It’s important that they have a passion to learn from others and grow into the engineering profession. They must have the willingness to learn from the diversity of stakeholders they will encounter in our industry (engineers, operators, contractors, equipment suppliers, etc.) • Computer Skills – The industry is gradually adapting more sophisticated tools, which require a higher level of knowledge in different software applications, programming and CADD/BIM tools. A working knowledge is good to have, but what I find more important is a person’s attitudes and beliefs toward using technology to make things more efficient in the workplace. • Communication Skills – Communication is the backbone of our industry. It’s vital that the young professional is able to effectively write and present. • Team Chemistry – It’s important that the potential candidate is a good fit for the team. It’s crucial that they are able and willing to work with others. Click HERE to return to Table of contents INFLUENTS Fall 2015 15
Page 1 and 2: FALL 2015 • VOLUME 10 Send undeli
Page 3 and 4: TOGETHER, MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF
Page 5: WEAO Board of Directors 2015 - 2016
Page 8 and 9: IN THE SPOTLIGHT SCOTT SMITH: UNDER
Page 11 and 12: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS & STUDENTS CORN
Page 13: (e.g., Malawi, Ghana, Canada, etc).
Page 17 and 18: Figure 2 - Composite Correction Pro
Page 19 and 20: • CONSTRUCTION DEWATERING • EME
Page 21 and 22: TERTIARY TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES & P
Page 25 and 26: OUR COMPLIANCE IS YOUR ASSURANCE. M
Page 29 and 30: Effective Liquid Analysis Memobase
Page 37 and 38: NEW 3rd Generation IQT part-turn ac
Page 41 and 42: GROUP AUTO AND HOME INSURANCE Get M
Page 55 and 56: THE PIPE THAT FITS IN SO MANY WAYS.
Page 57 and 58: Impact on biota: Soil amendment wit
Page 59 and 60: Sizing Up Your I&I Detention Facili
Page 61 and 62: Construction of I+I Tanks available
Page 63 and 64: COMMITTEES’ CORNER WEAO SPECIALTY
Page 65 and 66:
Anaerobic Digestion Equipment Steel
Page 67 and 68:
OPCEA NEWS OPCEA 24TH ANNUAL GOLF T
Page 70 and 71:
OPERATOR PROFILE PATRICK CARRIÈRE:
Page 72 and 73:
Smart. Choice. PaveDrain® A revolu
Page 74 and 75:
WRENCHES AND SPANNERS that yields t
Page 76 and 77:
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE ROSTER Gus
Page 78 and 79:
DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS INFLUENTS
Page 80:
Great Ideas. Long-term Solutions. I
show all

lauren@kelman.ca

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?