Engineers who are reshaping the world (L-R): Panel moderator Mike Klassen (ILead), Geoff Frost, Marianne Touchie, Marc-Etienne Brunet and Amir Allana (photo: Alan Wu).
On Nov. 27, the Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (ILead) hosted a panel discussion with four engineering graduates who are tackling big social problems through global development, entrepreneurship and engineering leadership.
The event, aptly titled Engineers Reshape the World, was attended by U of T Engineering undergraduates who are part of The Game, a new program that pushes students to bring ILead’s vision of “engineers leading change to build a better world” to reality.
Through several curricular and co-curricular programs, ILead provides engineering students with a chance to practice leadership skills—including teamwork, self-awareness and emotional intelligence—in a living laboratory both inside and outside the classroom. The Game is just one recent example of ILead’s transformative learning opportunities.
The panel featured three U of T Engineering alumni and an alumnus from McGill University:
Amir Allana (EngSci 1T2) spent nearly two years as the program manager of market systems at Engineers Without Borders Canada, where he co-managed a team of consultants to improve the effectiveness of large market development projects in East Africa. He is currently a planning analyst at Ontario Power Authority.
Marc-Etienne Brunet graduated from McGill University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering followed by a graduate diploma in social innovation from the University of Waterloo. He’s the founder of social enterprise Equipmind and a soon-to-be management consultant at Accenture.
Geoff Frost (EngSci 0T9 + PEY) is currently pursuing a PhD at McMaster University. He is also the co-founder and CTO of XOR Laboratories, a medical technology startup focused on lung transplant procedures.
Marianne Touchie (CivE 0T9 PhD 1T4) spent the past eight months as a building research manager at Toronto Atmospheric Fund, an agency established by the City of Toronto in 1991 to help improve air quality and to reduce the climate footprint and energy costs of our city. She also helped found A Promise to Future Generations, a green initiative inspired by the work of Jacques Cousteau.
“It was reassuring to hear from the panelists about the different paths that they were able to carve for themselves,” said Anamjit Singh Sivia (ElecE 1T7), a third-year electrical engineering student. “It was also interesting to see the different paths and fields of work that the panelists identified as engineers—I was challenged to rethink my vision of what an engineer should do in society.”
Each panelist discussed their experiences working in multi-disciplinary teams, the difficult choices they made to follow their passions and reflections on their own leadership journeys. Their stories, each unique and uplifting, are proof that even the best-laid plans, when it comes to pursuing an engineering career, are malleable.
View an album of images from the event on Flickr.
Student attendees share their thoughts:
“The alumni at the panel definitely gave me food for thought. It is inevitable not to reflect on our values and the changes we want to contribute for a better world, starting right now at the University.” —Caroline Brunstein (ChemE 1T7)
“Through the stories of these young alumni, I came to understand the most important aspect of decision making: it is not whether ‘the right decision was made,’ but whether it aligns with your personal beliefs. They have inspired me to make future decisions based on my own values opposed to what others believe to be true.” —Kathy Huynh(IndE 1T8)
“As an undergraduate student who also zigzagged his way into engineering after high school, the panelists helped me further realize the incredible advantages I have due to my unorthodox path in terms of perspective, experience and context. As a student by day and entrepreneur by night, it was truly inspiring to be exposed to the genuine and unique perspectives from fellow risk takers and big thinkers who were exactly where I am now, not too long ago.” —Rahul Goel (EngSci 1T7)
-Jamie Hunter