Meet our June 2023 Graduands

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
The Iron Ring ceremony was a highlight from my time at SFU. This was a special event for me because my dad also received his iron ring at the ceremony and then presented my ring to me. As the first accredited SEE cohort, we were all incredibly proud to share this moment with each other and with our SEE Director, who was able to present the rings to all the SEE students. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
The co-op semesters that I have done through my SEE degree have been instrumental in helping me find a career path that I wanted to pursue. I have been fortunate to gain work experience in both the public and private sectors, where my technical skills have evolved. I learned about new areas of work such as modeling, which led me to pursue building modeling.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
The piece of advice I always give students going into or starting their first year is to join clubs and make friends! 

What are your current plans?
My current plans are to continue to work as a Building Performance engineer-in-training (EIT) at RJC Engineers and work towards my P.Eng. In this position, I create building models and perform life cycle assessments (LCA) for buildings. While I work towards my P.Eng, I hope to collect certifications that can help me make decisions for a sustainable future through buildings.

Danielle is among the first cohort of undergraduate students to graduate from the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering. Read more here.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
One of the highlights of my time at SFU was the exhilarating experience of finally meeting my supervisor and research group in person. Due to the COVID situation, our initial meetings were held online, and I never had the opportunity to connect with my collaborators face-to-face until the last semesters of my program. This experience was my favorite because it brought a sense of belonging for the first time since I moved to Vancouver.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
Before SFU, I hadn’t delved deep into machine learning and its real-world applications. However, working alongside an incredible research team at the Multimedia Lab and taking relevant courses allowed me to explore practical technologies within my research. This hands-on experience complemented my theoretical knowledge and equipped me with skills that will undoubtedly contribute to my future career success.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
I would like to encourage new students to actively engage in social activities and networking. Building connections and forming friendships can greatly shape your personality and open doors to opportunities and fresh ideas for your future career. Remember, it's not just about your studies; make sure to have fun and enjoy every aspect of your life as well. 

What are your current plans?
I have recently begun my Ph.D. studies at SFU and plan to continue my research with the same supervisor. I aim to enhance and expand upon the work I accomplished during my master's program by incorporating new ideas.

What was your research focus?
My research primarily focused on visual coding for machines, addressing important challenges such as privacy concerns. Within this field, my objective was to develop efficient and privacy-preserving methods for compressing visual data for machine vision models. Tasks such as image classification, object detection, etc., require specialized codecs designed specifically for these tasks, as relying solely on human-targeted codecs may not yield optimal outcomes.  

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
One of the most memorable and impactful moments during my time at SFU was when I had the opportunity to utilize a high-speed camera to visualize gaseous fuel jets in our laboratory. Being able to capture the invisible and observe the intricate dynamics of these jets was truly incredible. This experience not only deepened my understanding of the injection and ignition of fuel jets but also sparked a sense of wonder and curiosity within me. It highlighted the power of scientific visualization and its potential to unravel hidden phenomena. This project not only enriched my academic journey but also contributed to the broader scientific community by expanding our knowledge in this field.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My experience at SFU, studying sustainable energy engineering, has greatly prepared me for my career path in sustainability. The aspect of my SFU experience that I cherish the most is the numerous discussions I had with fellow students and researchers in our group and other research groups. These conversations broadened my perspective, enhanced my critical thinking skills, and allowed me to delve deeper into the complexities of sustainability. They equipped me with the ability to analyze and tackle real-world challenges in the field, making me ready to contribute meaningfully to sustainable practices in my future career endeavors.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
To students in their first year, my advice would be to embrace the journey and prioritize self-care. It's easy to get overwhelmed with coursework and adjusting to a new environment. Remember to find a balance between academics and personal well-being. Seek support when needed, explore extracurricular activities, and build connections. Don't be afraid to ask for help and take time for self-reflection. Enjoy the experience, as it goes by quickly.

What are your current plans?
Currently, I am working as a Sustainable Engineer at an environmental engineering company, where I am actively involved in projects related to sustainable practices and environmental impact assessment. My plan is to continue working in the field and gain valuable experience that will further enhance my expertise.

What was your research focus?
My research focus revolved around studying the injection and ignition characteristics of gaseous fuel jets, specifically hydrogen and natural gas. Through experimental investigations, I aimed to understand and analyze the properties of fuel injection and ignition under various conditions. The goal of this research was to contribute to the development of efficient and clean combustion systems, ultimately promoting advancements in sustainable energy technologies and reducing environmental impacts.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
My most memorable moments from SFU stem from meeting like-minded individuals in the SEE program, who share a common goal of making a positive impact in the world. Working alongside my peers was truly inspiring and fueled our collective motivation. A defining experience for me was attending the ASHRAE Winter Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where our team was honored to receive the Rising Star Award for our outstanding performance in the ASHRAE 2022 Integrated Sustainable Building Design (ISBD) competition.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
Participating in the Co-op program played a pivotal role in shaping my career goals, thanks to the invaluable guidance and support it offered. With SEE being an interdisciplinary program, I had the opportunity to explore career paths in varying fields. This exposure allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse roles and environments engineers work in.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
In my first year, I underestimated the value of networking. Seemingly small chance interactions have led to unexpected opportunities. Start building your network by connecting with peers, professors, and mentors who inspire you. Consider joining a design team or club you resonate with. These connections not only contribute to your professional growth but also create a valuable support system along the way.

What are your current plans?
I am currently working with QuantoTech, contributing to the development of a hydroponic vertical farming system to enhance food security. Following this experience, I have been accepted to pursue the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) InnoEnergy Master’s in Smart Electrical Networks and Systems with a specialization in Energy Management for Buildings and Power Grids.

Emma is among the first cohort of undergraduate students to graduate from the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering. Read more here. 

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
My highlight at SFU was definitely when I was the president of SFU's Satellite Design Team. The feeling of camaraderie of working together toward a shared goal that everyone cares deeply about is a feeling that I hope to find again. I remember the weeks leading up to flying across the country to present to the Canadian Space Agency and the energy of the team around that time was very meaningful to me.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
One thing I learned is that you can’t wait around for an opportunity. You need to start learning the skills necessary so that if an opportunity does appear, you are ready to jump into it. If you are focused on a goal, and invest time into it, you can set yourself up for success.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
Join a club that is building something interesting and invest time into it. You will learn much more trying to build something challenging than you will in a classroom. Also, don’t try to take on too many projects or classes at once. If you spread your time too thinly, you won’t reap the benefits of focused, intentional, learning. 

What are your current plans?
I am currently vacationing after a busy 5 years at SFU and intentionally did not look for work after graduation so that I could travel and enjoy my vacation without stress. When I return to Canada, I will be job seeking in the Vancouver area for embedded software positions relating to Robotics, Aerospace, Electric Vehicles, or AI. 

What is your academic background and how did you become interested in the program you pursued?
After earning my first bachelor’s degree in computing science from Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, I began working at a web development company where I was assigned several full-time Data Feed Analysis projects. These projects ignited my interest in the field of data science and analytics.

As I researched various options for formal education in Canada, I discovered that SFU's Professional Computing Science program was highly regarded, particularly in British Columbia. Since data science requires a solid foundation in math and statistics, I decided first to pursue a second bachelor's degree with a major in Statistics at SFU. After completing about five terms of study in statistics, I enrolled in the Professional Computing Science program in Fall 2021.

Overall, my academic background in Computing Science, work experience and interest in data science led me to pursue this program, and I have found it to be an incredibly valuable learning experience thus far.

How has your experience in the program prepared you for your career path?
The program's co-op component was undoubtedly one of the most valuable aspects of preparing me for my career goals. It allowed me to gain practical work experience in the data engineering field. As part of the co-op, I developed several distributed real-time streaming applications using Apache Flink and Kinesis Data Analytics. I later helped my data platform team build a data warehouse in Snowflake.

In addition to the above, the program’s lab courses, including Big Data Lab 1 and Big Data Lab 2, were also invaluable. The program's focus on developing well-rounded skills has equipped me to adapt to new challenges, technologies, and the job market.

What advice would you like to share with students in their first year?
Make sure to have a strong foundation in basic statistics if you're interested in pursuing data science or machine learning fields. Practice Python programming basics before starting the program, as the language is heavily used and can be challenging to pick up during a busy first term. Rest the program will equip you with the relevant skills.

What are your current/future plans?
Currently, I work full-time as a Big Data Developer at SFU's Big Data Hub where I continue to apply the skills and knowledge I gained from the Masters of Professional Computer Science - Big Data program.

Read more about Rishabh here>>

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
One of my favorite moments was my time spent on the capstone project. I worked closely with my friends who have computer and electrical engineering backgrounds for eight months, supporting each other day and night. During that time, I not only got the opportunity to develop my skills but also learned a lot from them, as they helped me expand my skills beyond the field of biomedical engineering. I tried several features for the first time. Although we decided to drop some features after struggling with them for the first four months, we managed to effectively modify our plan and deliver a fully functional product by the deadline. It was one of the moments that I realized that ideas become successful when shared with multiple minds.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
Through various projects and co-ops, I have gained experience and enjoyed exploring the relationship between integrating software, AI, and medical technology. My co-op at Microchip Technology boosted my interest and knowledge in low-power register-transfer level (RTL) design techniques. Additionally, my co-op experience as a Research Assistant for SFU’s Image Tech Lab, which is located at Surrey Memorial Hospital, and my participation in a brain-computer interface hackathon allowed me to work with advanced EEG headsets. These experiences have allowed me to explore research areas related to the brain, medical imaging, machine learning, and computational modeling. I am fortunate that these co-op positions and projects have equipped me with many technical skills and a broad perspective that extends beyond the biomedical field.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
It may sound a bit philosophical but based on my personal experience, I strongly advise all first-year students not to give up just because you are finding it hard or because you received a C grade in any course. Especially don't give up because you think others around you are smarter and you’ll never be smart enough. I never imagined that someone like me, who struggled with programming and physics courses in the first year while also carrying the burden of a part-time job, would eventually succeed in passing my thesis with distinction in my final year.  This unexpected accomplishment is proof that my persistent questioning and belief in myself paid off. I constantly wondered, "If others can do it, why can't I?"

What are your current plans?
After graduation, I will be starting a full-time role as a Design Engineer I at Microchip Technology. I will be working on the implementation of low power design techniques and testbench development for the groundbreaking High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) project associated with NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Admiration) Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I am grateful for the chance to work on such a project and excited for new challenges.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
One of my favorite moments at SFU was my Tech-E Capstone experience. Going from learning about product research and development (R&D) steps to the actual implementation was like a rollercoaster ride of problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork. Out of sleepless nights in the lab, and countless cups of coffee, we witnessed our idea slowly coming into life. It was the moment where all our hard work got recognized and when an incomparable fulfilling emotion of pride took over. “We did it!”

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
SFU’s internship program greatly benefited my career, as it allowed me to experience interdisciplinary collaboration. Working alongside engineers from various backgrounds, such as computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering, taught me how to effectively communicate and collaborate across disciplines. This allowed me to integrate different perspectives to obtain an optimum solution. Being equipped with such experiences will assist me in my career significantly. 

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
My advice to students in their first year is to enjoy the journey and do not fixate your vision to the end goal, you’ll reach it one way or the other. So, go and try new things, join clubs, meet new people, and explore different opportunities. Take advantage of the resources and support available on campus. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. Remember, it's okay to make mistakes but learn from them. Enjoy the process of growth and self-discovery because your university years will fly by in the blink of an eye.

What are your current plans?
I am currently taking advantage of this summer to relax and enjoy the weather for the first time after five years! In the meantime, I am exploring my options and opportunities for a career in the near future. 

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
The highlight of my time at SFU was when I saw my Sustainable Living Indoor Gardens project come to fruition. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I collaborated with SFU Living Lab and Embark Sustainability to create a space that showcased my research on sustainable horticulture while engaging with the SFU community. The project provided a beautiful space in the student study area with fruits and vegetables growing in it. When the posters went up, students started coming to me, asking questions and giving me ideas about how we could use it to increase food safety and security in our community. It was a perfect intersection of my research project and community engagement, and it was very rewarding to see the positive impact it had on the community.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
During my time at SFU, I learned the valuable skill of knowledge mobilization, which allowed me to present my STEM research to diverse audiences. This skill equipped me with the ability to showcase my technical expertise to potential employers and view problems from multiple perspectives. As a result, I developed my problem-solving skills, which broadened my horizons for future career opportunities.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
My advice to first-year students is not to feel like you have to do everything on your own. It's okay to reach out for help. SFU has a fantastic scientific and student community, and the more you engage with it, the more opportunities will open up for you. Whether it's finding new and exciting research ideas or building a sense of community, there's always hope and happiness to be found at SFU.

What are your current plans?
My sustainable horticulture project tackled the global issue of food scarcity and resource depletion. The skills I developed landed me a job at a top Canadian company, where I can continue to make a difference. Thanks to SFU, I've also honed my passion for teaching. Combining industry experience with teaching skills, I aspire to join the academic community as a professor.

What was your research focus? 
My Ph.D. research aimed to develop platforms for controlled environment agriculture that optimize energy consumption and output for plant production. I proposed an intelligent lighting and monitoring system for precise light delivery and daylight harvesting in greenhouses and plant factories. This technology can help solve significant challenges in the global food supply system, including food waste, safety, and security.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
The highlight of my SFU journey was undoubtedly the day of my PhD thesis defence. The discussion with the examination committee was an engaging and stimulating conversation, which lasted for over three hours. The most significant highlight was when the committee nominated my thesis for the Thesis Awards & Convocation Medals. This recognition made me feel incredibly accomplished, and I believe it was a great opportunity to complete my PhD at SFU.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My SFU experience taught me that knowing what to do is half the battle, and with the right approach, I could quickly find answers to how to do it. This approach helped me complete my PhD quickly with quality research. It has prepared me for my career path by instilling in me the confidence needed to pursue a research career. 

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
I think it is essential to start developing additional skills outside of the core subject or research to thrive in a competitive world. In addition, maintaining a work-life balance is something worth paying attention to. Taking breaks and travelling to new places helped me refresh my mind and think of solutions, effectively, to complex problems.

What are your current plans?
I currently work for Hydrogen In Motion Inc. as a Material Scientist, developing hydrogen storage materials.

What was your research focus?
My research focused on synthesizing, characterizing and testing physisorption-based hydrogen storage materials. I aimed to develop these materials for sustainable and economical hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature. The outcomes from my research can be applied to practical applications, including onboard hydrogen storage in fuel cell vehicles.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
During my third year, I won the 2021 Surrey Fire Fighters’ Linda Hepner Surrey Civic Leadership Bursary award. This award is given to students who embody leadership, volunteerism, and academic dedication with demonstrated ability to make a difference. For this award, I was nominated by my school director, which was rewarding as I was able to demonstrate what I wanted to represent as a SEE student, a first-generation immigrant, and a member of my community. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
Engineering is tough, with lots of simultaneous courses and deadlines but working with others helped me immeasurably. The teamwork required for an engineering degree, the common goal of a quality-driven result and the rewarding nature of sustainability as these goals are all part of what I want to portray as an engineering professional.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
The lifelong connections that I have built inside and outside the classroom at SFU have been the greatest gift of my entire degree. Outside of the very interesting courses and fantastic faculty, building relationships with people at SFU whether they are students, TAs, professors, alumni, or staff gave my degree perspective, depth and purpose.

What are your current plans?
In mid-June, I will be starting a position as an energy management engineer-in-training (EIT) with PRISM Engineering, who is a consulting firm based in the lower mainland that focuses on saving energy and a more sustainable world. I am really excited to be part of a consulting firm that is people driven and encompasses a wide variety of engineering practices. 

Felipe is among the first cohort of undergraduate students to graduate from the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering. Read more here.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
The highlight of my time at SFU was getting to know and falling in love with my wife, who also was a PhD student at SFU at the time. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
During my PhD at SFU, I had the opportunity to explore new topics and participate in several internship programs and symposiums. These experiences, such as my internships at NII, Japan, and Meta, exposed me to diverse research problems, expanding my toolkit and knowledge base. This in turn has given me the confidence to explore new topics and challenge myself as a researcher to venture into uncharted domains.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
Be patient, as long as you are making small progress, you are doing fine. Balance between your work or study and personal life. Remember to take breaks and explore new opportunities.

What are your current plans?
After graduating from SFU, I started as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

What was your research focus?
I mainly focused on two topics: privacy-preserving algorithms and theoretical computer science. My work resulted in developing privacy-preserving and practical algorithms for several central tasks in data science. I also spent a substantial amount of time on developing new theories for a fundamental problem in mathematics and computer science known as the Ideal Membership Problem (IMP). My contributions focused on developing tools to effectively address and deepen our understanding of this important problem.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
A highlight at SFU was being a FAS Outreach volunteer where I had the privilege of inspiring young girls who displayed an interest in computer science. I had the opportunity to connect with these young women, sharing the possibilities and impacts made in this field, and providing guidance in a manner that I would have appreciated during my own journey.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
The key factor in preparing myself for a promising future lies in the valuable co-op experience I acquired. Through my two internships, I gained firsthand exposure to the realities of the professional world, which honed my technical expertise relevant to my chosen field and instilled in me the qualities of a competent professional.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
One piece of advice I would offer to incoming students is to participate in campus clubs and organizations. The transition from high school to post-secondary can be intimidating, and forming new friendships can be challenging. By joining a club, you not only stay connected to campus activities but can also meet like-minded individuals who share your interests and passions.

What are your current plans?
I have been offered and gladly accepted a position at MDA Systems as a Junior Integration, Verification & Validation Engineer within the Satellite Ground Segment Systems team. In this role, my primary duties involve developing test programs and implementing software subsystems for the current and upcoming projects.

Read more about Anmol here>>

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
It was the quality of instruction when I took the initial courses and the enthusiasm of the professors (senior or not) teaching the courses. It set the groundwork for the rest of the courses.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
I worked at BC Cancer while pursuing my PhD. My experience during my PhD has made me a principled and grounded researcher with the ability to communicate complicated ideas in a simple manner.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
In addition to focusing on the coursework and planning for immediate research projects, think about the bigger picture, i.e. what larger problems are these solving and how can they be integrated into a cohesive thesis.

What are your current plans?
My plan is to keep working in the healthcare domain and to keep my research agenda of applying machine learning to healthcare.

What was your research focus?
I have primarily focused on privacy-preserving and decentralized machine learning. My proposed methods are in process of being implemented in the healthcare domain in Canada. 

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
In the fall of 2019, I got to travel to Scotland with the SFU golf team to experience the home of golf and compete in an overseas tournament. This was a truly unforgettable experience that shaped my view on golf and presented me with unique perspectives that I carry with me today.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My SFU experience has provided me with countless opportunities to explore career options and extra-curricular experiences that have shaped my future. The most impactful were my co-op experiences working for startup companies and participating in the e-coop program where I was able to dedicate my time towards growing my own start-up, One Iota Performance. 

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
Seek out experiences outside of classes. University can be intimidating at first but you will get through it. The memories you will take with you after your time at SFU is over will be from outside your classes, there will be experiences or opportunities that will interest you, so go do them!

What are your current plans?
I will be working full time at a small start-up I founded called One Iota Performance. We have developed a software platform that tracks all four components of performance (physical, technical, tactical and especially mental) with the goal of helping athletes get one iota better each day.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
I’ve made many memorable moments as I took on positions such as being the first-year representative of the Computing Science Student Society (CSSS). Since, I have grown into larger roles like being co-president of Women in Computing Science (WiCs). A favorite memory was spearheading SFU’s inaugural large-scale hackathon, StormHacks, as the Director of Logistics at SFU Surge. It was truly fulfilling to see the lasting impact on our university community.  

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
During my time at SFU, I had the opportunity to complete five semesters of co-op experiences, enabling me to explore diverse roles in software engineering, project management, and financial analysis. These valuable opportunities not only shaped my future career but also helped me gain insights into various industry positions. Furthermore, they enabled me to gain essential soft skills, including teamwork and leadership.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
My advice is to embrace stepping out of your comfort zone and actively immerse yourself in student unions, clubs, and campus events. These spaces provide valuable opportunities to network, forge lifelong friendships, and explore diverse possibilities. Personally, I discovered my potential as a project manager by venturing into networking events and forming new connections within the community.

What are your current plans?
Currently, I am working as Development Manager for Electronic Arts, on their FIFA Live Content Production team. My role involves leading a team by overseeing risk management, process improvement, and capacity allocation. I ensure that our team can successfully deliver in-game content for patch releases and events on the platform while maintaining optimal performance.

What was a highlight or favourite moment from your time at SFU?
One of the highlights of my time at SFU was the experience of working closely with my lab mates during the final days before deadlines. The collaborative atmosphere and shared dedication created a memorable and enjoyable environment. It was during this time that we bonded, supported each other, and collectively pushed ourselves to meet project milestones.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My experience at SFU provided a strong foundation in scientific research. Through rigorous academics, hands-on projects, and research opportunities, I gained problem-solving skills, research expertise, and strong communication abilities.

What advice would you like to share to students in their first year?
My advice to students in their first year is to embrace the freedom to explore different research topics without limiting themselves to specific areas. By exposing yourself to a variety of subjects, you open doors to discovering your true passion. It is through the process of trying different things that you can find what truly resonates with you. So, I encourage you to remain open-minded, embrace curiosity, and allow yourself the opportunity to uncover your interests and strengths as you navigate your academic journey.

What are your current plans?
I will join MiHoYo as a researcher and continue my research, aiming to develop the next generation of game engines. 

What was your research focus?
My research focused on physics-based character animation and motion control, which studies how to synthesize physically-valid motion skills for virtual avatars and real robots. A long-standing goal of my research is to develop artificial agents that can replicate human movement behaviors. My collaborators and I developed an anthropomorphic human hand motion control system capable of using chopsticks like real humans. We think it would be a stepping stone for future works on dexterous manipulation skills acquisition for robots.