StudentClub
FundingSummary
PeriodReviewing:Summer2013–Winter2014
June9,2014
Preparedby:MelissaSzopa
Advancement&AlumniRelationsCo‐opStudent
Summary
Although formal academic learning is the core of any successful University experience it is also
valuable to develop different areas of skill through extra-curricular activities. At the Faculty of
Applied Science and Engineering, we seek to build opportunities for personal growth outside of
the classroom through student clubs. Through alumni donations to the Skule Fund for
Education, the Faculty generously provides financial support to numerous student clubs, teams
and organizations at Skule. Students have also shown their support of the student experience
through Graditude which contributed another $7,252 to the Student Club Funding allocation
process.
During the 2013-2014 school year, the Faculty received a total of 73 applications, of which 59
were granted. The total amount requested by student clubs was $206, 837, of which $110,550
was granted. Please see figure 1 and figure 2 for details.
Figure 1: Club Funding Summary, 2013-2014
Spring
2013
Number of Applications
13
Number of Applications
Granted
9
Total Amount Requested $61, 890
Total Amount Granted
$23, 300
Fall
2013
38
Winter
2014
19
Total
70
Total
Unique
61
31
$104, 947
$43, 500
19
$40, 000
$43,750
59
$206, 837
*$110,550
50
n/a
n/a
* The normal distribution allocated to students clubs each year is $100,000. However in 2013-2014, $103, 297.92
came from the Dean’s Annual fund, with an additional $7,252.08 from the Graditude campaign to support our
student clubs.
Figure 2: Club Funding Summary, 2012-2013
Spring
2012
Fall 2012
Number of Applications 25
54
Number of Applications
Granted
21
40
Total Amount Requested $79, 491
$217, 085
Total Amount Granted
$20, 000 $47,500
Winter
2013
34
Total
113
Total
Unique
69
28
$58, 152
$44, 950
89
$354, 728
*$112, 450
56
n/a
n/a
* The normal distribution allocated to students clubs each year is $100,000. However in 2012-2013, $104, 123.39
came from the Dean’s Annual fund, with an additional $8, 326.91 from the Graditude campaign to support our
student clubs.
Attached you will find summaries from clubs who received funding in Summer 2013, Fall 2013,
and Winter 2014.
Blue Sky Solar Racing
Total Granted: $21,450
In October of 2013, after two years of hard work and planning involving over 100 students from
the University, Blue Sky Solar Racing participated in the World Solar Challenge in Australia with
B-7, the team's 7th solar car. The team finished in their best ever, 8th place, in the Challenger
class. The 20 member race crew returned to Toronto with much pride and a brand new set of
amazing experiences captured along the way. Blue Sky is now in the planning stage for a brand
new car to be entered into the
next World Solar Challenge,
which will take place in 2015,
again in Australia.
The Student Club Funding
which Blue Sky received from
the University's Skule Alumni
played a major role in
sending the team to the 2013
World Solar Challenge. The
funding contributed to the
purchase of materials and
manufacturing services for B7 as well as her travel to and
from the competition. Skule
Alumni Student Club Funding
The Blue Sky Solar Racing Team at the 2013 Bridgestone World
was a vital piece of the team's
Solar Challenge
balance sheet and the team's
success would not have been
possible without this support. Blue Sky wishes to continue its long and successful relationship
with the Skule Alumni to achieve greater success in the future and to create an even greater
impact on the education of the many students who attend Skule.
Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers (CSChE)
Total Granted: $750
The University of Toronto CSChE Student Chapter is extremely grateful to the Skule Alumni.
The funds provided by the Skule Alumni Student Club Funding were extremely helpful in the
operations of our society and provided a strong financial backbone for many of our events.
This year, the CSChE started a new mentorship program called ChemConnect. This program has
two parts. The first is a Mentorship Program for first year students with upper year students.
The funding that was provided to the Chapter was put towards the Kick-Off event which
attracted more than 50 participants. The event itself consisted of first years meeting upper year
students through a series of activities and then choosing their mentor for the upcoming year.
The second part of the Mentorship Program was the Alumni Mentorship Network. The idea
behind this network is to increase dialogue between students and alumni to provide students
with the opportunity to ask career building questions. One key tool that we utilized for this
program is LinkedIn. A portion of the funding we received was used towards providing
refreshments.
Another event hosted by CSChE was the Student Research Symposium. This event showcases
student summer research projects and the best presentations represented the University
(sponsored by our society and the Department of Chemical Engineering) at the annual
conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Apart from professional development events, the Skule alumni also funded many of our social
events. These events included the Student-Professor Mixer and the CSChE Halloween Party.
Both events saw their highest ever turnout. The funding we received was mainly put towards
providing refreshments. Some funding was used for the Halloween Party to decorate the
common room and provide a festive atmosphere.
The support from alumni enables our Chapter to build connections between students, faculty
members and the alumni themselves. We pride ourselves in having a very tightknit community
and it is through the generosity of Skule Alumni that we are able to continue to have these
events that help us develop professionally and strengthen our relationships within our
community.
Chapter for Healthcare Improvement at U of T
Total Granted: $500
Thanks to the generous donation from the Skule Alumni, the Chapter for Healthcare
Improvement was able to organize the 4th Annual Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Conference (QuIPS). This event was hosted at the Li Ka Shing Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital
on May 2nd and 3rd, 2014.
On May 2nd, 2014, an Evening
Reception was hosted with
opening remarks given by
Jason Manayathu, Chief
Medical Officer and VP
Education of St. Michael’s
Hospital, and Mark Potvin of
the Michner Institute. A panel
discussion was held that
included Dr. Michael Rachlis,
Dr. Chandrakant Shah and
Axelle Janczur, focusing on
health inequities affecting
Canadians. Over 80 students
and professionals attended this
event and had the opportunity
to network.
Poster presentation competition judging phase
Engineering students in
particular were exposed to many of the other disciplines in healthcare and had the opportunity
to meet professionals from these areas and learn about the healthcare system from new
perspectives.
On May 3rd, 2014, the QuIPS conference was held with a full day of events, workshops, panel
discussions, poster and oral competitions, networking events and a keynote talk. The day
opened with a panel discussion on “Quality Improvement: Practical Solution to a Complex
Problem”, which included Ruby Lam, Dr. Ritika Goel, Dr. Katie Dorman, and Dr. Steve Lurie.
This discussion brought diverse perspectives on healthcare and focused on how quality
improvement can bring about a better healthcare system.
Students were also given the opportunity to attend various workshops, including User Centred
Design, Quality Improvement Foundations, Intermediate Quality Improvement Workshop, and
Applying Quality Improvement Principles in Community Healthcare Setting. These are very
relevant to engineering students in Industrial, Biomedical or Clinical Engineering and for those
interested in healthcare and consulting industries. Finally, students had the opportunity to
showcase their work in quality improvement and patient safety through a poster and oral
presentation competition that was judged by UofT professors and industry professionals. Over
140 students and professionals attended the full day conference, enabling many networking
opportunities.
Chinese Engineering Students’ Association (CESA)
Total Granted: $750
In Summer 2013, the Chinese Engineering Students’ Association (CESA) received a total of $750
from Skule Alumni Funding. CESA is a student-run, non-profit organization dedicated to
promoting Chinese culture, as well as friendship and communication between its members. The
aim of our events throughout the year is to enrich the lives of U of T students during their time
at university. In recent
years, we have been
working closely with
alumni on hosting
workshops and
seminars, which provide
meaningful networking
and informational
opportunities for current
students, as well as a
happy reunion for
alumni and faculty
members.
The funds CESA received
in 2013 were put
towards hosting an event
Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey and CESA executives
on the topic of
sustainability and
engineering in China. On January 15th, 2013, CESA had the honour to invite Dr. Chris TwiggeMolecey, a U of T alumnus and strong advocate for sustainable development, to share his
experiences as a guest speaker. He has led the expansion of a successful engineering business in
several countries. The registration was open to both undergraduate students and alumni. We
had about 90% undergraduate student attendees and 10% alumni. It was a great event for
students who were interested in the opportunities available in the developing engineering
markets overseas as well as sustainable development. Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey shared
insightful experiences and advice to students and there were many constructive discussions after
his speech. It was truly a successful event that CESA is very proud of.
The funds were used to order food, refreshments, and to purchase gifts for the guest speaker. We
were very grateful that Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey volunteered his time to share his invaluable
experiences. We are also very grateful that we received Skule Alumni Funding, which made it
possible for this event to happen. As there were not only students but also alumni attending, we
put in a lot of effort in organizing this event, striving to professionally present the best of U of T
Engineering. Many thanks to EAA for all the assistance provided when co-hosting this event. We
look forward to many more cooperative initiatives in the upcoming school year.
Club for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (CUBE)
Total Granted: $1,000
The Club for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (CUBE) has again had a very successful
academic year thanks in large part to our various sponsors, the Skule Alumni funding in
particular. All 9 of the major CUBE events were well received, empowering students who are
curious or passionate about biomedical engineering with opportunities in industry and in
academia. Our Biomedical Engineering Competition (BMEC); however, was undoubtedly the
most impressive event this year as we increased participation capacity and made it bigger and
better than ever before.
The fourth annual BMEC
took place on February
8th, 2014. This year's
competition was the
biggest yet, featuring
nearly 80 competitors.
The competitors were
challenged to tackle a
relevant biomedical
engineering problem
with limited time and
resources, and showcase
their designs to fellow
competitors and judges.
To support teams in their
design, we supply
materials (including Lego
Mindstorm kits),
First place winners at the 4th annual BMEC
workspace, mentors, and
other resources. Herein, competitors were encouraged to consider mechanical design features,
material selection, and user-friendliness among other design considerations for a full-scale
production of their chosen design and prototype. Students were asked to justify the design
decisions and have their mechanical prototype critiqued by a panel of judges. Post-competition,
students were encouraged to interact with other teams, and provide feedback to the competitors
in order to enhance each team's design, and foster a greater engineering knowledge pool and
community. Without key Skule Alumni funding, the competition would not have been possible -
from providing materials, to reserving dedicated design space, Skule Alumni funding
contributed to the overall success of the event.
We could not have accomplished this without the generous support from Skule Alumni. We look
forward to expanding the club next year and to provide even more students with the resources
and opportunities necessary to become successful biomedical engineers upon graduation in this
rapidly growing field of biotechnology and bioengineering.
Concrete Canoe Team
Total Granted: $2,000
During the first semester of the 2013-2014 academic year, the University of Toronto Concrete
Canoe Team developed a design for the canoe that would be brought to the Canadian National
Concrete Canoe Competition, held in Sherbrooke, QC, May, 2014. Every year, a specific aspect
of the canoe design is improved, and this year, the emphasis was on the casting and finishing
process. Thanks to the funds received through Skule Alumni Club Funding, our team was able to
make the following improvements.
In previous years, the
canoe is casted only on a
male mould, which outlines
the inside of the canoe.
This leads to a very rough
exterior and varying wall
thickness throughout as it
would be mostly dependent
on the skill of the people
casting the canoe.
However, by creating a
double mould system, the
wall thickness would be
much easier to control, and
would result in a smoother
finish as compared to the
previous year. A portion of
the funds received went
Concrete Canoe Team with their canoe – The Cheshire’s Grin
towards the purchase of
materials as well as the milling of the mould. Additionally, a special resin was purchased this
year, which allows a surface to become suitable for casting canoe on. This will replace the shrink
wrap that had been previously used.
Additionally, to replicate the conditions of where the canoe itself cures, we built a humidor for
the testing beams. When the canoe cures, it is placed under a humidity tent where it will have
plenty of moisture to ensure a slow and even curing process. However, when the test beams are
cured, it is done in open air. By building the humidor, the test beams will be cured in the same
way, and thus, the results from these samples will better reflect the quality of the actual canoe.
The Concrete Canoe team appreciates the financial support from Skule Alumni as it contributes
to about 10% of our yearly budget. We hope that we will be able to bring home successful results
from the competition later this year.
Concrete Toboggan Team
Total Granted: $1,000
The generous funding received from Skule Alumni was used to help send thirty University of
Toronto engineering students to the University of Western Ontario, to compete in the 40th
annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race. The race is an annual design competition in
which teams are tasked with designing and constructing a toboggan capable of safely carrying
five riders down a hill, all while having a running surface made entirely of concrete.
With your support we were able to design and build our toboggan, as well as transport it and our
full team to London, with minimal cost to each individual. While at the competition, our team
had the opportunity to interact with students from schools across the country in a friendly,
competitive, and extremely spirited setting.
In order to ensure that any student is able to afford attending the competition, we rely heavily
on the generous support of Skule related funding programs. In addition to inter-university
support, we also conduct a vigorous corporate sponsorship campaign, through which we raise
the majority of our funds.
Concrete Toboggan team competing in the the 40th annual Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race
The competition itself provides an opportunity to put our technical knowledge to the test and
apply our learning in new and creative ways. The unorthodox task forces us to think outside the
box in terms of design, and provides the team with a lot of hands-on experience in both design
and construction.
Our team’s hard work and dedication once again paid off as we received numerous design
awards and a third place overall finish at the competition. In addition to the awards, our team
brought back improved strategies and toboggan design ideas which we are eager to implement
in the future. Looking to build on our success for the past two years, we’re already hard at work
preparing for next year’s competition hosted by the University of British Colombia Okanagan.
Attending the competition promises to be one of the highlights of any student’s university
experience, and the lessons and experiences we take away from it are invaluable. Each year we
return with a little more knowledge and a few more friends, and can’t wait to get started on the
next year’s design.
Thank you once again for all your support. We really couldn’t do it without your help.
Engineering Chinese Club (ECC)
Total Granted: $200
The Skule Alumni Funding supported the Engineering Chinese Club (ECC) with our annual PEY
seminar. The PEY internship program is one of the most important experiences for engineering
students at the University of Toronto. Despite the official information, students love to hear
graduates and past interns speak about: tips for success during the application process, working
conditions and future career paths. The
past experiences from the graduates
and past interns not only provide our
members with a detailed picture of
their 12-16 month working conditions,
but also give our members an
opportunity to network with alumni
and graduates and ask detailed
questions. In essence, the PEY
seminar provides our members with a
different perspective on the internship
program and assists them with their
decision making.
The funding provided by Skule Alumni
funding was used for food and drinks,
as well as small gifts for the speakers.
Speakers sharing their experiences to ECC members
Every year, ECC’s PEY seminar is one
of the most popular events, with 50-80
members attending each year. Last year, a total of 61 members attended the seminar. This
funding is important to the success of ECC’s events and the accomplishment of ECC’s goal of
assisting fellow engineers with their academic and professional development.
Engineering Orientation 1T3
Total Granted: $1,500
We would like to thank the Skule Alumni for providing our initiative with funds for Orientation
Week 2013; funds were well used and helped in pulling off an amazing event. The funds were
used towards creating an unforgettable experience for 1,200 incoming first year engineers
during their first week of university.
Orientation Week is arguably the most impressionable event for University of Toronto
engineering undergraduates, where they are first introduced to the traditions of the Skule
community.
The funding received from Skule Alumni allowed us to finance initiatives such as:
• Commuter Program: A large
number of the Skule
community do not live in
downtown Toronto. We rented
hostels in order to provide
accommodation for some of
these students during Frosh
Week. This allowed them to
participate in our events late
into the night, fostering
tradition and camaraderie.
Engineering students marching at Orientation 1T3
• Frosh Kits: Each incoming
first year received a bag filled
with items which promoted
Skule, provided them with
handy tools and tips on
university life and enhanced
the student experience.
This funding provided us with the opportunity to provide the first years with a high quality
experience, and allowed us to make the event inclusive for everyone. Skule Alumni Funding
accounted for the second largest individual contribution (11%) behind the combined total of
departmental funding.
Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
Total Granted: $1,500
University of Toronto Chapter is incredibly grateful for the continuous support from Skule
Alumni. The amount received will be deposited into our bank account along with funding
received from other sources to support activities including a 3-day national conference that is
aimed at rethinking the ways in which individuals and organizations can work within
international development and with our overseas Junior Fellow placement. Skule Alumni
funding is incredibly important to us because we would not be able to support such a wide
variety of workshops, seminars and conferences without it.
We invited Anamjit Singh Sivia,
this year’s Junior Fellow and
incoming co-President, to talk
about his EWB experience:
Conference delegates from UofT
Engineers Without Borders is a
community that believes firmly
in investing in individuals. In my
journey from a first year student
to a Junior Fellow and now, coPresident of the University of
Toronto Chapter, the
organization has put my
engineering education in the
context of today's global
systems. I have learned not just
how technical skills can be used
in international development
but, more importantly, how the
systems-based approach that
engineers take to problemsolving can be used to innovate
in situations where extreme
poverty hinders basic human
progress.
This summer, I will be working as a Junior Fellow with the Business Development Services
venture of Engineers Without Borders in Tamale, Ghana. During my placement, I will be
working with small businesses to help them build an effective business plan, manage their
supply-chain and improve their marketing skills. These businesses usually range anywhere from
new cashew farmers to mobile clinics to small-scale industries. We believe that these
entrepreneurs will help lift their communities out of poverty and help create jobs.
As co-President this year, my focus will be to invest in our students and share the experiences I
had in Ghana. I believe that I can help put other students' educations into context by sharing my
stories from international development, and how I will be applying my problem-solving thinking
in a context that is fundamentally different from where we live. My focus will be also to ensure
that our engineering curriculum prepares us for diverse situations like these, and allows us to
become true Global Engineers.
Generation: U of T Energy Fair 2014
Total Granted: $500
Generation: University of Toronto Energy Fair was granted $500 in funding from Skule Alumni
for its 10th annual U of T Energy Fair. The funds were used to buy lunch for about 500 students
(coupled with other funding sources) attending the fair. The lunch served as a great leverage to
encourage students to enter the fair at the ground floor of Bahen Centre of Information
Technology on March 12th, 2014.
As students entered the fair site, they were greeted by fair executives who provided a brief
summary of the fair and motivated them to become involved by interacting with exhibitors that
comprised of leading energy firms or, by attending free workshops like the “Sustainability and
the TTC” discussing TTC’s future commitment to sustainable development; "Canada's Energy
Evolution" and "From Lab to Research", exposing them to challenges of Canada’s energy future
and its direction. Some of the guests invited as and exhibitors (particularly hosted by
researchers within university) were Skule Alumni.
We found that the lunch event served as a great marketing tool for students to check out the
Fair, especially if they were previously unaware of the event through our marketing efforts. The
large number of students at the fair created a ripple effect spurring curiosity and attracting even
more students.
Feedback from exhibitors was positive. They found the event a rewarding experience with
engaging dialogue with students. Moreover, on the workshops portion of the fair, we were able
to attract an average of 20 students per workshop.
We really thank and appreciate the support from Skule Alumni as it went a long way to
encourage students to become involved with the Fair. By being involved with the Fair, students
improved their understanding of Canada’s Energy Industry as they had the opportunity to
connect directly with the people in the industry. We hope to receive continued support from you
in our future annual events.
Hacker Academy
Total Granted: $150
During this past semester, the Skule Alumni Funding generously provided $150 to Hacker
Academy. In order to encourage consistent attendance of our events, Hacker Academy uses a
gamified points system that awards
prizes to our members based on
attendance of our events. These prizes
were awarded to our members at our
end-of-semester event, the purchase of
which would not have been possible
without the financial support provided
by the Graditude fundraiser.
The main prize, a Raspberry Pi
miniature computer, was awarded to
Kevin Eisa, a second year Engineering
Science student. Kevin has shown a
great interest in software development
by participating in all of Hacker
Members of the Hacker Academy
Academy's events during this past
Left to right: Kevin Eisa, Wen Bo Li, Tom Zhang,
semester. The Raspberry Pi, which can
Varun Sharma, Jason Li
be used in projects ranging from
robotics to web development, will help Kevin gain practical experience in electrical and
computer engineering. The purchase of this computer did not use all of the funds provided to
Hacker Academy by Skule Alumni.
Next semester, we will use the remaining funds to award a similar software development tool to
another Hacker Academy member who has shown passion about hands-on learning by
attending our events. Hacker Academy is grateful to the Skule Alumni for providing Hacker
Academy financial resources to ensure its success.
Human-Powered Vehicle Design Team (HPVDT)
Total Granted: $750
The Human-Powered Vehicle Design Team (HPVDT) is a student organization at the University
of Toronto that is focused on the design and construction of innovative, high-performance,
human-powered vehicles (HPVs). The club aims to design, manufacture, promote and race
HPVs at top-level competitions. Funding for our team is used for two primary purposes:
1) parts and materials to
fabricate test specimens
and the vehicle itself, and
2) to cover the costs of
attending competitions
and conferences
(transportation,
accommodations,
registration fees, etc.).
Minor expenses include
additional tools or
training equipment.
One of our main
competitions is the ASME
Human Powered Vehicle
Challenge (HPVC). In
The HPVDT at the 2013 ASME HPVC with vehicle, Celero.
2013, we placed 3rd overall
From left: Cameron Robertson, Calvin Moes, Alfie Tham, Alan Pettit,
out of 31 teams from
Trefor Evans, Victor Ragusila, Danielle Hayes, Din Romeli
across North America with
our faired recumbent
tricycle, Celero. Our success was largely due to our innovative and practical design approach – a
tricycle is much more stable and rider-friendly at low speeds, while the fairing allowed it to
reach sufficiently high speeds. This year, we hope to do even better, by greatly improving our
performance on specific events such as the design report and innovation. Our goal this year is to
build a leaning tricycle, which has the stability of a tricycle at low speeds but the agility of a
bicycle at high speeds. So far, the team has already made some great accomplishments. Our
current vehicle is well under way - we have already purchased materials for the mould and have
started construction. We have also made much progress on a prototype leaning tricycle, which
will be crucial to understanding the handling of such vehicles, as well as training the riders.
Furthermore, our members are training hard, by attending circuit training sessions three times
a week, to physically prepare for this year’s race.
Another main event is the Battle Mountain Human Powered Vehicle Speed Record Challenge. In
2013, team member, Trefor Evans, achieved a new collegiate record, reaching an impressive
speed of 123.67 km/hr in our 2012 vehicle, Bluenose. This vehicle was revamped with an
electronic vision system, eliminating the need of a viewing canopy, which greatly reduced the
vehicle’s weight and drag.
We hope to continue to reach new heights in 2014. Our achievements would not have been
possible without sufficient funding from the alumni and other sources. The Skule Alumni funds
help support and greatly contribute to the club’s success.
Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering
Graduate (iLead:Grad)
Total Granted: $2,000
Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering: Graduate (ILead:Grad) is a unique student
group that brings together graduate students from all engineering departments and helps them
to develop leadership skills that are often overlooked in engineering education. Our events are
very well received by students (50-60 students registering in the first day the events are
advertised), highlighting the need for our program. We are very proud that our organization
strategy is already bringing positive results: 50% improvement in member involvement and
retention of members as well
as improvement in event
attendance by 50-75%
depending on the event. The
granted funds are used to
organize several events for
engineering graduate students.
These events provide graduate
engineering students with the
opportunity to develop skills
that enable them to work more
effectively on their own (ex.
time management, problem
solving) and in teams (ex.
Studio Y Design Thinking workshop
conflict management,
negotiation), all of which are very important for any engineering profession. Further, we help
students develop strategic thinking for identifying performance gaps, setting direction and
achieving goals. To facilitate such events, we have invited well-known speakers to the University
of Toronto. In addition to educational events, several social events have been organized by this
group. The objective of these social events is to allow graduate students to exchange their ideas
and provide a friendly, supportive, and low-risk environment to practice leadership skills. We
have also collaborated with student groups and organizations across the University of Toronto
and outside (such as VCG, MaRS Studio Y, and YTMAT) to establish connections and provide
opportunities for our members to participate in activities organized by those groups. Skule
Alumni funding makes up a significant portion (38%) of our funding and are essential for us to
run our events.
We will continue to use the Skule Alumni funds to: 1) organize more workshops and make
events accessible to more students (and alumni), 2) invite distinguished speakers to our events,
3) develop more programs (ex. mentorship program, alumni engagement program).
Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Total Granted: $500
During the past academic year, the IEEE U of T Student Branch hosted more events than ever
before in its history as a club. With more than 20 events held throughout the year, our club was
able to offer various events that catered to a large range of students. The types of events our club
held were social, educational, or professional development events, aimed at connecting with
fellow students who are interested in technological innovation. During these events, we provided
students with engineering related
resources and guidance to strengthen
their academic abilities. In addition to
this, our club helped students develop
insight into possible career paths in
various areas of technological
development.
The majority of this funding was
allocated to our “Industry at a
Glance” event series held throughout
the academic year. These events had
industry professionals, such as
Ontario Power Generation (OPG);
present on behalf of their companies
to engineering students. This event
Event Coordinator, David Li, assisting an event
series helped engineering students
participant
gain insight into engineering after
graduation, discover possible career paths and provided students with important networking
opportunities.
In addition to the “Industry at a Glance” event series, a portion of the funding provided by Skule
Alumni was allocated to our Electronics Workshop held in February, 2014. The electronics
workshop taught students how to design and manufacture a proof-of-concept prototype. It
helped students to become familiar and confident using programming in combination with
electronics, which they can use in their future studies. Upon successful completion of this
program, students were granted an IEEE certificate.
The Skule Alumni funding helped our club achieve a major goal for our club this year, which was
to provide our members and students with increased industry and career-oriented exposure.
During the coming year, the IEEE U of T Student Branch wishes to continue our relationship
with the Skule Alumni to host events that provide significant value to the U of T student
community.
Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
Total Granted: $500
The funding was used to provide food for Deloitte Business Acceleration courses and industry
speakers. The Deloitte course was a 3-night event used to teach a group of 50+ students the
basics of consulting. This also gave students the chance to mingle with multiple Deloitte
representatives each night. We hosted an industry panel featuring five speakers, including Skule
Alumni, with experience in many different aspects of industrial engineering. Additionally, we
hosted a consulting workshop with Accenture that was open to students of all disciplines. We
also used funding to help subsidize the registration fees for the National Institute of Industrial
Engineers Student Conference.
Due to the nature of scheduling
with industry professionals, the
majority of our industry events
took place during dinner time.
We used a portion of our
funding to provide food for
those who attended these
events, which resulted in higher
attendance and participation.
This year the student
conference was hosted by
Ryerson University but the cost
of registration per delegate was
still very expensive. Many
students were deterred from
attending the conference due to
U of T delegates at the student conference
monetary reasons; however, the
ability to give a subsidy enticed people to attend the conference. This was not only very valuable
for these students, but it also ensured that U of T had a strong representation at the conference.
Alumni funding is important to IIE because as mentioned previously, the majority of the events
we host need to be in the evening. Providing refreshments for the students and speakers during
these events is quite costly. Specifically, Skule Alumni funding is important because as a
professional club we hope to have a strong relationship with alumni in general. Many students
prefer to listen to Skule Alumni speakers as they can relate with them better than other speakers
from industry.
Iron Dragons
Total Granted: $2,500
The University of Toronto Iron Dragons is a dragon boat club which represents the U of T
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering in the international dragon boat racing community.
Each year we have more than 150 student athletes try out for the club. With the successful
introduction of our second crew, Iron Dragons Gold, 50+ students from all disciplines are
selected to join one of the best university dragon boat clubs in the nation. Our club is managed
and operated exclusively by Skule students, and coached solely by Skule students and alumni.
The main use of Skule Alumni funding will be to allow us to complete regatta registrations for
key events such as the Toronto International Dragon Boat Racing Festival (TIDBRF). Dragon
boat is an expensive team sport, and this funding has helped us tremendously in providing the
means for our athletes to compete against some of the best crews in the world. Skule Alumni
funding has provided us with the resources to practice our paddling technique during the offseason. We were able to schedule more pool practices at a larger facility to accommodate our
growing number of club members.
Skule Alumni have been one of the top sponsors for the Iron Dragons. As a team, we truly
appreciate this funding and support. With your help, the club is able to continuously grow and
to become more competitive than ever before. Last season, the club’s premier crew, Iron
Dragons Blue, posted the fastest 500m race time in Iron Dragons club history; and were also
champions of a regatta for the first time since the club’s inception.
The Iron Dragons have
made a positive impact
on the Skule
community. Each year
we attract an excellent
turnout to our tryouts
and are able to
continuously promote
physical activity and
fitness to the Skule
community at large.
We take pride in
inspiring students to
Iron Dragons Blue at the Pickering Dragon Boat Festival
stay active and to strive
towards self-improvement. We want to set the example that engineering students can stay active
while in school.
The Iron Dragons would like to thank the Skule Alumni for their generous funding of our
initiatives. Without the support of our sponsors, we would not be able to achieve such a unique
and exciting experience for Skule students during their time at the University of Toronto.
Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad (LGMB)
Total Granted: $1,000
The Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad received $1000 this year from alumni funds. The majority of
the funding was used to pay for jerseys, with $700 going toward that purchase. Purchasing a
jersey is required for students to attend the engineering semi-formals with the LGMB. We make
a very small profit on each jersey, which is
used to offset the cost of paying for
transportation and dinner. In addition,
$200 was put toward instrument repairs.
This was vital in helping us host a rehearsal
in September, which was the first in many
years. The rehearsal was successful in
increasing the interest of new band
members, especially first-years, as well as
increasing our musicality. Finally, $100 of
the funding was used to purchase TTC day
passes to attend the Toronto Santa Claus
Parade in November, 2013. We had a great
turnout with 40+ students attending.
LGMB in the Santa Claus Parade
The majority of the LGMB income is
Names (left to right): Aidan Solala, David Belvedere,
Thomas Santerre, Paul Zhou, Maya Zhang, Andrew
through the pop machines we operate in
Barolet, Krysten Szatan
the SF Atrium. However, the profit margin is fairly low and the money is mainly put towards
reoccurring yearly costs. This means that without external funding, it is difficult to run new
initiatives or to purchase annual necessities.
Without the alumni funds, we would have most likely had to drastically scale back on events that
cost money to attend, as well as small gestures of appreciation for bnad members such as
providing hot chocolate after the Santa Claus Parade. The funding helped us continue to carry
on this 64-year-old tradition to the benefit of the Skule community.
LGBTQ & Allies in Science and Engineering
Total Granted: $250
The Skule Alumni’s support is vital to the LGBTQase student group. Skule Alumni have
historically been, and continue to be, LGBTQase’s largest contributor.
Over the Fall Term, LGBTQase hosted three events:
1. September Meet & Greet
The goal of our Meet & Greet was to provide a welcoming and friendly space for students and
faculty to meet new people and get reconnected to the LGBTQase community at the start of a
new school year. Students can feel overwhelmed trying to prioritize school work, personal
commitments, and the student groups that they want to be involved with. Furthermore, people
may be new to LGBT positive spaces and need an icebreaker. To address both of these issues, the
funds provided by the Skule Alumni Fund were used to provide refreshments and pizza for the
event. This strategy had turned out to be a success, because by the end of the Meet & Greet,
approximately 50 participants and 25 Skule members had dropped in, and all of the pizza was
finished!
2. October Glow-in-the-Dark Scavenger Hunt
The Glow-in-the-Dark Scavenger Hunt was a fun follow-up to our September Meet & Greet, and
was planned to build off of the momentum set up by the U of T Tri-Campus Queer Orientation.
The Scavenger Hunt took place in Toronto’s Church and Wellesley Village, and was designed to
familiarize participants with the area’s landmarks, such as the 519 Church Street Community
Centre, the Alexander Wood statue, and Woody’s on Church. Since the event took place in the
evening and just before Halloween, funding was used to provide all participants with glow-sticks
and glow-bracelets, and 3 candy loot bags were awarded to the top three participants with the
highest scores. The evening was a great success with approximately 20 participants, including
about 10 Skule members, having visited all landmarks of the scavenger hunt.
3. November Video/Board Game Night
This event followed one of LGBTQase’s traditional events known for large participation: games
night! This was co-hosted by LGBTQase and The Cannon to foster interaction among different
student groups in Engineering. The event involved four video game systems operating
simultaneously and multiple board games. Funding was split between the two hosts to provide
pizza and refreshments to encourage participants to stay and have some fun for the entire
evening. We had 40 participants join us, including 25 Skule members. Another great success!
Mining Games Team
Total Granted: $1,000
I am writing on behalf of the University of Toronto 2013-2014 Canadian Mining Games Team to
extend our gratitude for your sponsorship. The funding provided by the Skule Alumni Fund
allowed 16 U of T Mining Engineering students to compete in a national mining competition
held at Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.
The event allowed students to test their engineering skills in case studies, surveying, mineral
identification, equipment handling and much more. By participating in the competition, the
students networked with industry professionals and other mining engineering students from
across Canada, representing U of T Mining Engineering on a national stage.
The funding helped cover the cost of transportation, team attire, accommodation and food. It
allowed us to participate in the premier undergraduate mining competition in Canada, and we
are happy to say that we had our best ever showing at this year’s Mining Games! We placed in
the top 3 in a total of 12 events, a tremendous improvement over past years.
The results are summarized below:
● 1st Place – Mine Design
● 1st Place – Mine Rescue
● 1st Place – Health and Safety
● 1st Place – Stock Market Challenge
● 1st Place – Mineral Identification
● 1st Place – Exam Package
● 2nd Place – Sustainable Development
● 2nd Place – Mechanical Design
● 2nd Place – Mineral Processing
● 2nd Place – Surveying
● 2nd Place – Mine Trivia
● 3rd Place – Speech Competition
2013-2014 University of Toronto Mining Games Team
Overall, this amounted to a 5th place finish in the competition. Our performance was a
tremendous improvement over past years, including first place in the most important challenge,
Mine Design! We cannot begin to say how proud we are of our team, and how excited we are to
achieve even better results in the future.
We look forward to your continued support and thank you sincerely for allowing us to build new
friendships with other mining engineering students, gain valuable engineering experience and
represent U of T in the mining industry.
Moment, the Valentine’s Ball Total Granted: $300
This term, thanks to the generous support of Skule Alumni, Skule Music was once again able to
host Moment, the Valentine’s Ball, our annual formal dance. This year, Skule Orchestra was
joined by Skule Stage Band at this event, providing a wider selection of dance music than in
previous years. This event is unique to date in this combination of Skule Music groups, and we
hope that it will set a precedent for
future collaboration.
The event took place in the Hart
House Great Hall. Dance
instruction was provided by Suzette
Risto of Twylite Studios. The
Engineering Photography Club
provided attendees with
complementary photography
(galleries now available at
moment.skule.ca), and the catered
hors d’oevres and desserts were
provided by Hart House.
Moment has historically been noted
for bringing together different
segments of the U of T community
and continued to do so this year, with both current students and alumni participating in
significant numbers. We are always pleased to see alumni at Moment, particularly because of
the generous support that Skule Alumni provide to this event and to our individual groups.
Students and Alumni enjoying a night of dancing featuring
Skule Music groups
Multidisciplinary Analytical Kinesthetic Education (MAKE)
Total Granted: $250
The generous funding from Skule Alumni enabled more than 60 first year engineering students
at U of T to apply their knowledge from first year education into practical situations. In MAKE’s
Electromagnetic Engineering event, students were required to work in teams to utilize their
electromagnetism knowledge from high school regarding Faradays Law and Lenz’s Law to
design, build, and test their own electromagnetic coil gun prototype.
An executive of MAKE, Alan Li who conducted his summer research related to
Electromagnetism gave an introductory tutorial to Electromagnetism and demonstrated an
example of its real world applications, the braking system of a roller coaster, using only magnets
and coils. Then, students gathered into groups to design an electromagnetic coil gun with an aim
of achieving the fastest projectile speed. Later, they build their own working coil gun prototypes,
using only knowledge from Alan’s tutorial and their group’s design discussion.
As groups took turns to test their prototypes, other groups mingled, compared their prototypes,
and enjoyed the pizza served by MAKE. Unsatisfied groups continued to work on their prototype
so that it could perform better. At the end of the event, all groups were happy with their
prototype and brought it home with them.
The funds were used to purchase materials for our events so that each and every student can
build and bring home their own prototype. It was also used to purchase pizza so that each
student can have the opportunity to relax, mingle, and connect with engineering students from
other disciplines. This funding was important to MAKE as it allowed first year students to apply
their first year engineering education at U of T in a practical setting.
Nspire Innovation Network
Total Granted: $1,000
In 2013, Nspire Innovation Network was able to host our Discovery Series at the University of
Toronto campus, with the gracious support of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
As a student run non-profit, Nspire is truly grateful for our donation from the Faculty. Nspire’s
events reflect the vibrant spirit of the Skule community in many ways, by giving youth a handson, entrepreneurial learning experience.
At 'The Power of You', students participated in a mini-conference where they were encouraged
to discover their personal potential. Keynote speaker, Michelle Romanow, founder of
Buytopia.ca, shared her entrepreneurial story and provided valuable insights so that others
would also realize what they themselves are capable of. Other speakers included Zeeshan Syed
(Hak Studio founder), Konrad Listwan-Ciesielski, (Next-36 alumni and Kira Talent founder),
and Junaid Warwani (Suits U VP Operations and Logistics).
At 'Starting: Top to Bottom', students toured Uken Games, a successful Toronto-based mobile
gaming startup. The audience experienced the dynamic culture of the leading tech hubs in
downtown Toronto. Co-Founder Mark Lampert gave a presentation on the lessons he
encountered upon meeting his co-founder and building Uken Games from the ground up. This
gave students an unparalleled opportunity to network and talk to Mark and other employees
who are all experts in their
respective tech fields. At 'Magnify
your Marketability with Diana
Chan', the professional speaker
and career coach encouraged
students to follow their career
goals and be reminded that they
were able to find a job on their
own aspirations and passions.
Diana shared resume and
interview tips from when she was
a professional recruiter for
Google, leaving the audience
feeling empowered and ready to
Nspire at ‘Power of You’
face their upcoming job search.
Nspire has partnered with the U of T Engineering Hatchery to present the 'Accelerator Weekend'
competition, where students, in teams of four, will compete for a $500 grand prize. Teams will
have 24 hours to build their dream start-up, receive entrepreneurial mentorship and guidance,
and present a winning business idea to the judging panel.
Nspire also hosted Canada’s largest 14th annual student business and technology conference,
filled with workshops, speakers, national competitions, and a career fair, on March 21st and 22nd,
2014 in downtown Toronto. We are grateful to be able to host this monumental event with the
support of the Faculty, as we will be joined by Canada’s best and brightest and some of the
world’s most influential business leaders.
Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA)
Total Granted: $200
The University of Toronto Ontario Works Association Student Chapter (U of T OWWA‐SC)
would like to thank Skule Alumni for supporting our events during the 2013/2014 school year
through the Student Club Funding program.
With generous support from Skule Alumni, we were able to bring together alumni, faculty and
students for our annual World Water Week Film Screening and Panel Discussion event. The
funds helped us cater the event, which attracted attendees and allowed for a complete evening.
This included viewing Watermark, a critically acclaimed film dealing with the topic of large‐scale
human impacts on local and global water resources, an interactive expert panel discussion, and
an opportunity to network during the dinner break. Our expert panelists were U of T alumni and
faculty members and both students and alumni were in attendance.
The World Water Week event is an important event for the U of T OWWA‐SC, as it tends to
attract new members and results in meaningful conversation about global water issues. This
event is a vibrant learning opportunity for students interested in water issues, whether they are
in Engineering or in other disciplines.
Promise to Future Generations (PTFG)
Total Granted: $200
The Promise is an active choice made by engineering students who believe they have a duty to
protect the rights of future generations to enjoy this bountiful earth. Each academic year, the
Promise holds several awareness events where students are introduced to the Promise values
and can further explore their meaning. The focal event is the Signing Ceremony, where
graduating students are invited to sign the Promise and commit to its principles throughout
their careers. Skule Alumni funding will mainly be used to fund the Signing Ceremony which
will be held on June 18th, 2014. This is our main event where graduating students, professors,
faculty and alumni come together to sign the Promise. To date, the Promise has successfully
conducted five signing ceremonies with over 250 signatories.
PTFG gives students the opportunity to learn about and understand how to consider the needs
of future generations in their daily decision-making. Community, in addition to Awareness and
Leadership, is one of our three key areas of focus. The Promise creates a community where
signatories can interact with current students to discuss some of the challenges we face today as
well as share best practices, success stories and lessons learned. Through events and
discussions, students are also encouraged to explore the concepts of long-term thinking and bigpicture approaches to solving problems. Some of our events include movie nights, guest speaker
events, trivia nights, bake sales and “Are you smarter than a Professor” events. These events are
key to ensure face-to-face
interaction between Alumni,
industry professionals and
current students.
The Promise events are
designed to inspire and
educate students about
sustainable engineering. For
example, our trivia events
over the last two years looked
at different types of resource
use. In addition, we had an
alumni networking event to
provide a forum for students
to discuss such issues and
develop contacts with alumni
Promise to Future Generations Signing Ceremony
currently working in their
respective professional fields.
Overall, we aim to provide a basic awareness of the field of sustainable engineering, which will
give students a strong foundation which they could build upon throughout their professional
careers.
Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX)
Total Granted: $2,000
On behalf of Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX), we would like to express our deepest thanks
for your invaluable support this year. RSX is extremely proud to receive the support of Skule
Alumni. As one of our main sponsors, your generous support will help propel us in our first year
as a rising design team and the only space engineering team at the University of Toronto. With a
long term vision of becoming the first undergraduate team to send a robot to an extra-terrestrial
body, it means a lot to all of us to know that our own alumni support our dream.
The end of May will mark the first
year of existence of Robotics for
Space Exploration. Starting out as
only two friends with a vision of
becoming a leading space robotics
student design team, RSX has
come a long way in less than a
year. Before being allowed space at
the University of Toronto Institute
Of Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) in
March of 2014, our entire team
operated, quite literally, out of a
box. We are now a team of more
Team members of RSX
than 40 committed and talented
undergraduate students, PhD student mentors, and professors, all working together to design
and construct our first Martian rover. Our faculty advisor, Professor Tim Barfoot (Canada
Research Chair in Autonomous Space Robotics), has been extremely supportive since our
inception, and we are extremely grateful for faculty support.
The funding provided by Skule Alumni will allow us to realize the completion of our rover’s
design by purchasing ground station and telemetry equipment to teleoperate our rover in the
desert, and purchase mechanical components to complete our power transmission systems. As a
new team, we started by putting our personal funds into the initiative with the aim of building a
robot on a very tight budget. Today, we are proud to state that we have over 10 sponsors,
including several departments at U of T and MDA (our largest corporate sponsor). We have
negotiated sponsorship deals with countless robotics suppliers, and even secured an in-kind
donation for a 3D printer - an instrumental tool for prototyping and manufacturing.
RSX’s fall/winter efforts over the past several months will be celebrated this May before we
initiate our summer projects by travelling to the Mars Society’s Desert Research Station in Utah
to compete against 31 teams from around the world at the international University Rover
Challenge (URC). This competition represents our first mission and the culmination of a year of
dedication and hard work from our members on our first Martian rover. We are incredibly
excited about the competition, and are eager to demonstrate the prowess of Skule engineers. We
are also very proud to represent the Skule community internationally.
However, the URC is only a stepping stone. With projects from robotics camps for children, to
high altitude balloon experiments and hosting our own international design competitions, our
team is as full of ambition and prospect. For us, the sky is not the limit – it’s just in the way.
Skule Nite
Total Granted: $3,500
The funding provided by Skule Alumni helped Skule Nite put together one of the most creative
and technically impressive productions in a long time. The funding was used to purchase much
of the materials used in our “tech number” which included, black lights, building material,
fluorescent fabric and paint, and
various key props. The funds
allowed for a unique
opportunity to involve all the
production’s departments and
required the integration of
many components and
coordination of over 60
individuals all at once. This kind
of exposure is unattainable
outside of the University of
Toronto.
Traditionally, the success of
Skule Nite has always been
tightly correlated to the
immeasurable quantity of Skule
spirit. In turn, Skule Nite
participates in most, if not all, of
the events organized by the
Cast of Skule Nite 1T4
Engineering Society. The continued existence of Skule Nite is undoubtedly due to the support it
receives from the faculty and especially alumni, with the majority of our funding coming from
the faculty, 10% of which is directly from Skule Alumni.
With the first Skule Nite being held in 1921, the show is now one step closer to being a 100 year
old tradition – one that is older than the iron ring tradition! We thank the continued support of
the Alumni, and we will continue opening up more opportunities for students to show the world
that engineers are capable of anything!
Skule Orchestra
Total Granted: $1,000
This term, thanks to the generous support of Skule Alumni, Skule Orchestra was able to
continue to hold events that enrich the Skule community and the wider university community
culturally and socially.
The majority of the funding that we received was used for our Pops concert, which took place at
the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre’s Al Green Theatre and appeals specifically to the
student audience with its program of chiefly popular music, movie themes, and show tunes.
With its reasonably-priced tickets and more popular repertoire, this event was successfully
designed to suit student taste and budget. Specific uses of the funds included advertising,
including putting up posters around campus, venue rental, insurance, and sheet music
purchase. The funding used for advertising was particularly helpful to our club’s work, as it
allowed us to promote our event to the university community, helping us make this our most
successful Pops concert to date. The concert was a larger financial risk than in previous years, as
it was held at a new and larger off-campus venue, but ticket sales were in excess of estimates,
and the concert was highly successful. The new venue was situated near campus; therefore, we
were able to appeal to a wider audience from both the university and non-university
communities, both of which were represented in the audience.
Our repertoire for this concert
was larger and more challenging
than in previous years, featuring
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Festival
Overture and Dukas’ The
Sorcerer’s Apprentice, alongside
selections from movies, musicals,
and cartoons. The orchestra rose
to the challenge with energy,
making the event a notable
musical success.
Pops concert, featuring conductor Salvatore Alberti
Other events this year, made
possible by our generous
sponsors, included a trip to a
concert by the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra, which was a brilliant
performance enjoyed by all.
Our club operates on a budget of about $12,000 per year, with roughly a third of this amount
required for our fall events. About half of our revenue is derived from sponsorship, including the
contribution of Skule Alumni. Consequently, the alumni funding constitutes a generous part of
our fall funding, and is sincerely appreciated.
Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
Total Granted: $350
On behalf of SPE U of T, I would like to thank Skule Alumni for providing us with important
funds in our first year of operation. During this year, we used the funds to host our seminar
series. In this series, we had various guest speakers who spoke on topics such as the
development of the natural gas industry in New Brunswick, working in oil and gas in Calgary,
seismic detection of underground oil sources and other such technical talks. This provided our
members with exposure to the oil and gas industry in a capacity that was previously inaccessible.
The funds that were provided by Skule Alumni were very crucial to our success. Since this was
our first year of operation, we were not able to leverage corporate sponsorship, meaning that
this funding was integral for the club’s functioning.
At the end of the year, we can confidently say that we have made the first step in strengthening
the connection between U of T engineering students and the Canadian oil and gas industry. We
have exposed students to the wide range of careers available, and will continue to build this
network with the continued support from the Skule Alumni.
Spark Design Club
Total Granted: $1,000
As a fairly new club, the Spark Design Club has experienced tremendous growth. Spark has
created an outlet for students to display creative work, build hard skills and inspire students and
faculty on campus. This year’s efforts have been focused on offering new initiatives and methods
for members to get involved which would not have been possible without the help of Skule
Alumni Student Club Funding and their support from the creation of this club.
In addition to traditional project-based workshops where members get to work on building a
large-scale display, the club has held skill building workshops and contests. In the summer, two
skill based workshops were held. In the first, students learned about coding arduinos and
designed final arduino projects at the end of the workshop which were judged by Alumni and
Graduate Students. The second was a trammel workshop where students each built an
Archimedes Trammel, a complex mechanical structure that draws ellipses, so that members
could learn about wood-working skills.
At the start of the school year, the Spark Design Club also participated in creating a F!rosh
workshop. This workshop was catered towards F!rosh and our goal was to help first years
transition into design and engineering life. It was a short workshop which taught F!rosh the
basics about LED circuits while they created LED ‘throwies’, and eventually threw them at a
metal structure to reveal the house from the Pixar movie “UP”.
The Spark Design Club has also
been working on a display called
REACT!. The display is a retro
arcade game for students and
faculty to enjoy in the Bahen
Centre. The game has flashing
lights that indicate which button
to press and then a user must
react fast to press the
corresponding button which
include a touchless swipe. The
game continues to increase in
speed to challenge the user.
In addition, the club also held a
SolidWorks Design Contest where
The final display for F!rosh week after the LED throwies
students are invited to showcase
revealed the house from Pixar’s "UP"
their creative skills by designing
and modelling objects from campus life on the SolidWorks design tool. In January, submissions
were judged in an event by alumni and staff.
Sustainable Engineers Association (SEA)
Total Granted: $1,000
Thank you for supporting the Sustainable Engineers Association (SEA). SEA is a student club at
the University of Toronto that seeks to empower engineering students with knowledge, interest,
passion, and ultimately experience within the domain of sustainable development. The funding
went to support our field trips, seminars, and workshops.
The Alumni Funding went towards a number of our field trips. We had 4 field trips during the
school year:
 Evergreen Brickworks - Previously a brickwork factory, now converted to one of the
largest sustainable technology demonstration site in Canada.
 Water Front Walk Tour - Features sustainability initiatives by the Redpath Sugar Plant
and George Brown Campus.
 Steam Whistle - Showcasing how to incorporate sustainable technology into business
model and industrial executions.
 Direct Energy Centre – Introducing the GREENSmart initiative, with features such as
the TREC wind turbine, a geothermal plant, urban forestry program, and more.
The field trips are designed to be applicable to most engineering students. We believe that
through exposure to current designs, students gain technical understanding of sustainable
industrial and business development, and insight into the complex issue of balancing social
responsibility with commercial gain.
The Skule Alumni funding we received was also put towards three seminars: Sustainable
Aviation by Professor David Zingg, Environmental Challenges for Aviation Turbine Engines by
Professor Sam Sampath, and Renewable Energy Integration in Toronto by Dorothy Chau and
Wayne Chu from the Toronto Renewable Energy Office. These talks are some of the many
seminars we host throughout the
school year to bring leading
researchers to the students to address
the future directions of sustainable
technology.
Two interactive workshops that we
host, Through Smart Grids and The
Effect of North American
Consumerism on the Earth, actively
engage students on select topics in
sustainable engineering.
City of Toronto Renewable Integration Seminar with
Dorothy Chau and Wayne Chu from the Toronto
Renewable Energy Office
This year, SEA was also invited to lead
two workshops at the Beyond Green
Youth Summit presented by Earth Day
Canada. SEA executives presented on
the topics of Grid Optimization.
The field trips, seminars, and
workshops are some of our ways to
educate, inform and lead fellow engineering students to develop the necessary skills and
thinking to shape a sustainable society. SEA believes events like these significantly enhance
student's classroom learning experience and provide them opportunities for personal and
professional growth. SEA is grateful for alumni support in our endeavours, and continues to
work hard to serve the student body.
Tetra Society at the University of Toronto (Tetr@UT)
Total Granted: $500
Throughout this past school year, the
Tetra Society at the University of Toronto
has worked on a number of projects
related to creating assistive devices for
individuals throughout the GTA who have
disabilities. One of our main projects for
this year involved modifying a cane for the
blind. Essentially, the premise for this
project was to enable the blind to detect
water depth from rain/slush runoff at
curbs in order to safely navigate street
crossings. Members of the Tetra Society
have designed a cane tip with holes to pick
up water, sensors to detect the water, a
vibrating handle mechanism to alert the
Design of the modified cane:
Water will enter the device through the white
cylinder at the tip of the cane, which will then travel
to the black box, which will sense whether water is
present, and then transmit a signal to a vibrating
handle in order to let the user know that there is
water on the ground.
user and the circuitry to connect the components. Funding provided to us by Skule Alumni
specifically enabled students to travel to meet the client in order to discuss the project, as well as
to purchase sensors, and various components associated with the circuitry of the project in order
to build the device. This was key in the design process, because it gave the group a better idea as
to whether their design was plausible for not. Furthermore, funding from Skule Alumni enabled
us to hold numerous meetings throughout the year to discuss the progress on various projects
and for groups to get help from other students. Although we are still in the process of
completing this project, we believe that when we are complete, it will enhance the quality of
living of the blind in our community.
For the last few years Skule Alumni have been monumental in enabling the members of the
Tetra Society to work with members of our community to enhance their standard of living. Skule
Alumni represent the majority of our funding, and for that we are extremely grateful and
appreciative. The support provided by Skule Alumni, has enabled students to experience the
entire cycle of product development in a team environment, meet directly with a client in order
to see how their skills can be put to good use, in order to assist other individuals.
The Operations Research Challenge (TORCH)
Total Granted: $750
Operations Research (OR) is the “Science of Better”, an interdisciplinary field that combines
math, computer science and engineering to optimize manufacturing, service, transportation,
healthcare, energy and financial systems. The OR Challenge (TORCH) is an immersive one-day
contest where student teams compete to solve OR problems and attend presentations that
describe real-world uses of OR. TORCH aims to inspire interest in OR, expose youth to OR
careers, and provide youth mentorship. Youth are often not interested in math and science
because they do not see how to utilize what they learn. TORCH highlights real-world
applications of OR to inspire students to learn the mathematical and scientific foundations
needed to tackle problems with societal impact.
TORCH is organized by graduate and undergraduate student volunteers from the Department of
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE). In order not to discourage any interested
participants, there is no registration fee. Thus, all contest expenses are covered from funds by
generous donors such as Skule Alumni.
One of our goals each year is to increase the number of participants, allowing more students to
have the experience of working on realistic OR problems. The inaugural TORCH 2011 had 37
participants, TORCH 2012 had 65, TORCH 2013 had 88, and TORCH 2014 had 95. The $750
received from Skule Alumni helped us provide food for the participating students on the day of
the event and continue our promotional efforts. We used the money to maintain our web
presence through the hosting and domain purchase of our website, www.orchallenge.org, and to
print promotional posters. Without the support from Skule Alumni, we would not have been
able to increase the number of participants.
This year's contest took place on March 15th, 2014 with 95 participants and 36 volunteers.
Example questions from TORCH 2014: Where to best locate automated external defibrillators to
maximize coverage of potential cardiac arrest victims? How to increase connectivity for
Torontonians during the 2013 ice-storm power outages? When to schedule events during the
Winter Olympics? The competition was followed by an "Introduction to Operations Research"
lecture by a MIE faculty person, a discussion of the solutions and an awards ceremony.
Skule Alumni funding helped make our event, which advances high school students' problemsolving skills and creativity, a success.
U of T Aeronautics Team (UTAT)
Total Granted: $3,000
The University of Toronto Aeronautics Team is an interdisciplinary design team specializing in
aerospace design and educational outreach. Our team projects range from remote control
planes, to unmanned aerial vehicles, to sounding rockets, and – in the upcoming 2014-15 season
– small satellites. Highlights from our Powered Flight Division include 2nd place in the SAE
Collage of various UTAT projects and demonstrations
Advanced Class design presentation, 4th place in the design report, and 3rd place overall. Our
UAV Division continues to improve upon our fully autonomous and composite-fabricated aerial
vehicle, and our Rocketry Division has made significant improvements on our hybrid rocket
engine. Our team also engages heavily in community outreach initiatives, collaborating with
Ryerson University through the Toronto Students for the Advancement of Aerospace and
performing various outreach initiatives including Science Rendevouz and the University of
Toronto Space Design Contest.
As an interdisciplinary team, UTAT welcomes students from all backgrounds and skill levels.
Our membership includes first year undergraduate to doctoral students. Members begin with
the team in a series of internal workshops catered to aerospace design. Students then become
familiarized with aerospace-grade manufacturing techniques ranging from wood working, to
electronics, to metal, and composites fabrication. As skills develop, students become more
involved in the design phase, gaining experience using sophisticated analysis tools such as
Matlab, Solidworks, OpenFOAM, ANSYS, Mastercam, and STK. Students then involve
themselves in project management, handling deadlines, budgets, other team members, and the
transfer of knowledge.
The continued support of the Skule Alumni community ensures that UTAT is able to effectively
train the future leaders of the aerospace industry.
U of T Baja
Total Granted: $1,000
Skule Alumni funding was used to buy materials for the central component of our off-roader the chassis. Those materials include 1020 Steel tubing for the frame and sheet aluminum for the
bodywork.
Building the chassis bonded us
together as a team since it was
completely built in-house by
students. We combined our
engineering education, the
machining experience of UofT’s
MC-78 experts (Keith and Ryan),
and car building experience of the
fellow FSAE car builders to create
a structurally sound yet a truly
unique frame.
Daniel Okrent and Ricardo Lopes putting lower frame
members
In mid-September, the first frame
design was done by Volodymyr
Ponomar, chief engineer of our
team. Ten more iterations
followed until we created a frame
which met our team’s
specifications.
After the frame design was finalized, a partial mock-up was built. This was the first big team
effort. Using the mock-up we showed our team members the importance of prototyping as it
helped us to visualize the dimensions of the vehicle and further refine it.
The actual frame build followed. The team first made the templates for the tube bends. This was
necessary to achieve precision as we used a manual in-house bender. With the templates
finished, our team cut, bent and coped the majority of the tubes by the winter break. The team
members learned how to use the reciprocating saw, milling machine, angle grinder, belt sander,
drill and drill press in a process.
Winter break was a productive period for the team. Pulling twelve hour shifts from 11 am to 11
pm, day by day the frame was taking shape. Since the machine shop was closed, our team
members pushed their problem solving skills and utilized only the tools available in the Baja
shop. Our team’s progress is currently on par with other Baja teams.
The U of T Baja Team thanks Skule Alumni for contributing a substantial 10% of the total club
budget and we are looking forward to future collaboration.
U of T Destination Imagination (UofT DI)
Total Granted: $2,000
This academic year, the U of T Destination Imagination club has been more active than ever
with workshops, competitions and challenges. The club has expanded to having three competing
teams in five different challenges. This year at the Global Finals competition in Knoxville, TN on
May 21-24th, U of T will be competing in the technical, scientific, fine arts, structural, and service
learning challenges. With the support
of Skule Alumni, we are hoping to place
in the top three internationally in each
of these challenges. The teams are
currently in the process of developing
solutions for each challenge and a very
brief introduction to each is provided
below.
The technical challenge this year
requires the design and construction of
a robotic device to detect and remove
objects from closed containers and
transport them a set distance. The
scientific challenge requires the team to
select an extreme environment, where
humans could not survive without
The Destination Imagination team placed in all four
some sort of aid, and design a device to
challenges at the Global Finals in Tennessee, May 2013
help humans adapt to the conditions of
the extreme environment. The fine arts challenge asks teams to create a dramatic performance
in comic book style, while presenting a famous work of art through various set pieces and props.
The structural challenge requires the design of a structure constructed completely from wood,
monofilament fishing line and glue which can support a vertical compression load and a tension
load on all four sides of its base. Lastly, the service learning challenge asks the team to solve a
local need through an activity that involves play and partnering with a local organization.
Moreover, throughout the past two terms, UofT DI has been holding weekly development and
training sessions for U of T students in creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, technical
design, structural design, fine arts and improvisation. Students from the U of T DI program have
volunteered as appraisers at three local competitions for elementary and high school students:
the East-Toronto, West-Toronto and Provincial tournaments. This year was also the first ever
Instant Challenge Competition hosted by U of T DI at the Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education. In addition, five one day workshops were held each with a different theme:
technical, scientific, fine arts, improvisation and structural.
U of T Emergency First Responders (UTEFR)
Total Granted: $1,000
UTEFR’s services are provided through its fully voluntary Response Team, consisting of
undergraduates at the St. George campus. As such, we sought to improve our services by
strengthening the skill and cohesiveness of our Response Team members. UTEFR aimed to
achieve this by running bi-weekly trainings, encouraging member turnout to events and
improving the retention rate of newly recruited members.
Funding from Skule Alumni was crucial in accomplishing these goals. For example, UTEFR held
a Halloween-themed training on October 31st, 2013. Here, the funds were used to purchase
props and make-up to create a more realistic casualty simulation; attendees greatly enjoyed the
event. The ability to run more interesting workshops resulted in higher turnout rates to
trainings, with turnout rates averaging ~64% in the Winter Term.
UTEFR’s ability to provide high-quality trainings and member support enabled UTEFR to
expand its reach on campus. Members from a diverse range of faculties and disciplines were
successfully recruited, each bringing a unique set of proficiencies to the team. A specific success
story is the retention of these new members not just as part of the team, but as key decision
makers. Several new members have taken on leadership roles as Executive Members of UTEFR,
and will contribute in their respective capacities in the upcoming year.
Skule Alumni funding is UTEFR’s largest sponsor, representing ~30% of UTEFR’s income for
this year. The funds allowed UTEFR to keep running as a volunteer service, and thus continue
providing on-scene first aid services to student-run events such as the Godiva Week events. The
funds were also used to restock the equipment bags used by Response Team members when
patrolling at events, allowing UTEFR to maintain a high quality of service.
The continued improvement of UTEFR’s services has afforded us the chance for more growth.
UTEFR’s high quality of service established its credibility as a Response Team, and kick-started
an involvement with the CBRNE Collaborative. The CBRNE Collaborative is a community that
aims to improve education, information and training in Chemical, Biological, RadiologicalNuclear and Explosive/Environment (CBRNE) events. In the future, UTEFR’s members may
have the chance to provide first aid services at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto – a truly
unique opportunity.
Funding from the Skule Fund for Education has been indispensable to UTEFR, and we are truly
grateful for the Fund’s help.
U of T Engineering Kompetition (UTEK)
Total Granted: $3,000
The University of Toronto Engineering Kompetition was held on January 25th, 2014 at the
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). UTEK 2014 had been one of the most
successful years in terms of both event quality and student performance. The funding from
Skule Alumni has helped us to increase the overall quality of UTEK as well as build studentindustry relations.
In 2014, there were 270 engineering students competing in UTEK, compared to 258 students in
2013. The funding that Skule Alumni provided definitely benefitted the students as well as
judges who are mainly U of T alumni.
The following is a summary of how alumni funding has assisted us in improving difference
aspects of the competition:
1. Programming Competition: This new component was introduced a month before the
competition in order for UTEK to attract more students from various backgrounds. Skule
Alumni funding helped us provide a cash prize for the winning team.
2. Lego Mindstorms Kits: This year we purchased several new kits which allowed us to
increase the number of participants for the always-popular Senior Design Competition. Skule
Alumni funding allowed these purchases, as the kits are very expensive.
3. Ontario Engineering
Competition: With a total of 20
students advancing to the
provincial level, Skule Alumni
funding helped support their food
and accommodation expenses.
Participants examining the obstacle course for the Senior
Design Competition
With the funding from Skule
Alumni, we were able to
implement major changes that
improved the overall quality of
UTEK and students’ performance.
We would like to thank you and
all the alumni for their
contribution in providing a
valuable experience to all the
engineering students who
participated and volunteered in
UTEK.
U of T Engineering Toastmasters (UTET)
Total Granted: $350
We would first like to thank again the generous donors that provide to the Skule Alumni fund.
On behalf of University of Toronto Engineering Toastmasters (UTET), we truly appreciate the
financial support that helps us
to make our club community
stronger. As a club that
improves the communication
and leadership skills of
students within the faculty,
there are certainly many
reasons why funding our
initiatives are important.
The past year marks UTET’s
10th anniversary. We had a
special meeting in GB 202 to
honour our club traditions and
celebrate our successes.
UTET’s 10th Anniversary event
The funding we received has
been used for a variety of events this past year, primarily for food and refreshments. Other
notable events the past year have been our Fall Humorous Speech Contest and Winter
International Speech Contest.
Funding has also helped our club run other operating costs, such as paying for our locker space,
buying promotion materials for Clubs Day and our Open House, and paying for a new club
banner this year. With Skule Alumni representing approximately 50% of our club funding, we
very much appreciate the support it provides.
Overall, UTET provides a positive, supportive and fun environment for members to have crossdisciplinary social interactions and to hone their soft skills simultaneously. Along with
additional social events, our club is an excellent medium to establish a sense of community in
the Engineering Faculty and on campus.
U of T Formula SAE Racing Team
Total Granted: $15,000
The University of Toronto Formula Racing Team is proud to have our largest donor represent
the alumni who generously continue to support our activities. This season we have divided the
contributions to fund tradeshow expenses, the U of T Shootout and our upcoming Formula
Student Germany competition.
Our attendance at
tradeshows provides valuable
skills to our members as well
as exposure for the team.
This season we have attended
the Design Engineering Expo
2013 and the International
Motorcycle Supershow 2014.
As individuals, these
tradeshows allow us to
develop our networking and
social skills amongst industry
professionals. Speaking on a
self-developed product in an
engineering context is a key
ability as future engineers. In
this respect, the tradeshows
also present an opportunity
UT13 Executive Team Photo.
for the team to promote the
From left to right, Vivek Subbaya (Engine Leader), Luke Fregonese
engineering design and
(Drivetrain Leader), Kevin Ramsaran (Technical Director),
leadership skills fostered at
Amanda Persaud (Business Manager)
the university.
The annual U of T Shootout is the largest student run FSAE-style competition in North America.
Since 2001 we have invited 21 teams to showcase and race their vehicles one last time before
finishing the season. The event is also a chance to expose our new members to the various
engineering designs from other teams as well as experience the seriousness of competition. This
year’s 12th annual event was our most successful due to a fast track and the great prizes provided
by our sponsors. Without the help of Skule Alumni we would not have been able to fund the
track rental or promotional material for this year’s event.
As the largest donor, Skule Alumni funding is critical for covering the costs of shipping and
registration for the Formula Student Germany competition this summer. The event attracts top
teams from around the world, making it the most competitive test for our team and vehicle. As
an engineering design competition the team is required to present the design, methodologies
and financial aspects underlying the creation of the vehicle. In this regard our team functions as
a small business attempting to create a low-cost high-performance vehicle. As the last
competition of the year it has proven to be an eye-opening experience for our members and has
driven the designs for the next season.
The University of Toronto Formula Racing Team would like to thank Skule Alumni for their
continued support.
U of T Ironsports Club (UTIS)
Total Granted: $250
The University of Toronto Ironsports Club (UTIS) would like to thank Skule Alumni for their
generous support. The sponsorship funds were put towards the venue rental for two of our
events in Fall 2013, our Open Training Day and October Classic 3-Lift Competition.
In engineering, one of the first principles we
learn is that there will always be limited time and
resources available to see our conceptual designs
through to completion. One resource we often
forget about amid all the exams and lab reports is
our physical health. U of T Ironsports builds
better engineering students by providing the
education and support networks necessary to
protect this resource.
In November 2013, we introduced an event that
brought together over 30 Skule students, alumni
and members of the strength sport community
for a full day of weightlifting. Lifting workshops
were provided at no cost by U of T engineering
student and alumni volunteers to other attendees
of the event. Due to the event’s popularity, we
hope to include more group training sessions in
the future.
In October 2013, U of T Ironsports hosted our
biannual Classic 3-Lift powerlifting competition.
Twelve U of T student lifters demonstrated their
maximal attempts at the benchpress, squat, and
deadlift movements with the heaviest totals
taking home a prize. Will Kingsford (EngSci 1T5)
took home our Most Improved Lifter award,
Daniel Moon (Track One Alumni) teaches
Emily Ng (EngSci 1T5) how to perform the
Olympic weightlifting clean & jerk
movement
having added 100kg to his overall total since competing in April. As an example to his Skule
peers, Will demonstrated what can happen when you apply an engineering student work ethic to
a sport you love.
U of T Ironsports would like to thank Skule Alumni once again for making these events possible.
With your support we were able to once again showcase the athletic accomplishments of our
Skule members.
U of T Robotics Association (UTRA)
Total Granted: $7,000
This past year has been an incredible one for The University of Toronto Robotics Association
(UTRA), and for that we thank our sponsors. UTRA is proud to call Skule Alumni as one of our
main supporters, and would like to thank you for your generous donations. The funds allowed us
to continue to expand our team, to enter international competitions, teach new students the
fundamentals of robotics, and overall provide amazing robotics experiences.
What sets UTRA apart from other design groups at The University of Toronto is that we are both
a design team and a place where students are encouraged to learn and grow as engineers. Our
primary mission is to educate and inspire students in robotics and we are developing new
workshops, events and designs to achieve that goal. The best example of UTRA’s efforts is the
Sumo-bot Competition, where students new to the field of robotics are taught how to build an
autonomous rover, at a suitable pace for beginners. Sumo has expanded immensely over the
past year, now offering sessions both during the school year, and during the summer. We also
hosted bi-weekly workshops where experienced members taught a variety of topics ranging from
Solidworks modeling to soldering. The donated funds played a role in subsidizing the Sumo-kit
cost for each competitor, making the competition more accessible for more competitors.
Other highlights from our design projects are:
RepRap:
• Hosted tutorials and workshops on how to create models for 3D printing
• Purchased a new 3D printer that will arrive in the summer, giving members the opportunity to
assemble a 3D printer
Combat Robot:
• Designing and currently building both a 60lb and 120lb robot
• Will attend the STEM Tech Olympiad 2014 in Miami, May 2014
We also have many exciting plans for the upcoming year. We will once again host the summer
Sumo-bot Competition, directed at the students who could not find the time to compete during
the year. The RepRap team will assemble and learn how to operate the new 3D printer, giving
our team an advantage in our designs and putting us at the forefront of manufacturing
technologies. Additionally, the Combat team will build a new robot in a different weight class,
specifically a 60lb flamethrower-bot or a 120lb saw-bot.
Overall, these are very exciting times for UTRA; we were able to accomplish so much this past
year and have plans to continue to grow. We would like to thank you for your continued support,
and look forward to working together in the future.
U of T Space Design Contest (UTSDC)
Total Granted: $3,000
The University of Toronto Space Design Contest (UTSDC) is an annual high school design
competition organized by a committee of undergraduate and graduate students. Each year,
participants are asked to propose possible solutions to current prevailing problems in the
aerospace industry. A collection of organized workshops and seminars, culminating to the final
design report, presentation and critique strives to provide participants with an experience of the
engineering process, and the diverse opportunities in the many fields of engineering.
This year, the UTSDC organizing committee utilized the generous funding from Skule Alumni to
undertake significant steps forward on an initiative to extend our invitations to schools in the
United States. The participant outreach has also made it across Canada, and internationally to
India and China. The committee utilized the much needed funding to reach out to over 800
schools in Ontario, 70 schools in British Columbia and Alberta, 50 schools in the United States,
as well as 50 schools
internationally through a
variety of printed media.
Undergraduate membership
of the organizing committee
has been continuously
growing, providing more
students with opportunities
to connect with graduates,
professors, and faculty
members. Members also
receive exposure to
engineering design elements
including Request for
Proposals, project selection
UTSDC 2013 Conference Award Ceremony
and implementation. As a
testimony to quality of the
UTSDC experience to inspire interest and dedication to engineering, over half of the organizing
committee is composed of contest alumni, 4 currently holding positions on the executive team.
There are over 150 general members who are actively involved in our club activities and the
other new initiative this year – the mentorship program for contestants.
The team is currently in the process of setting up key communication platforms to allow
members of organization committee to consult the advice of over 400 committee alumni,
industry partners and faculty advisors, as well as communicating regular competition updates to
keep interested parties informed.
Additionally, the funding provided resources enabling participation at the University Clubs Fair
and University Fall Campus Day, attracting the attention of 200 attendees from various high
schools. This year, we invited Professor D’Eleuterio as our guest speaker at the Welcome Night
and the event was a huge success. Furthermore, the committee has partnered with the faculty
Outreach Office to distribute contest information through high school visits and to all members.
U of T Supermileage Team (UTSM)
Total Granted: $4,000
The University of Toronto Supermileage Team would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to
Skule Alumni for their recent contribution of $2,000 in support of our project.
As a relatively new club with an emerging reputation in industry, the Supermileage Team relies
heavily on monetary support from faculty and university affiliates in order to meet our goal of
promoting awareness for eco-friendly fuel
economy in the design of our “supermileage” vehicle.
This April, our team will be travelling to
Houston, TX to compete for the second
time in the globally recognized Shell EcoMarathon. This event aims to promote
awareness of fuel-efficiency by challenging
design teams at the university and high
school levels across the world to develop,
build and drive ultra-efficient vehicles.
This year, the team has been working
around the clock to fabricate a singleoccupancy vehicle with a completely new
engine and aero-body design. We aim to
achieve an efficiency of 4000 miles per
gallon through component-level
optimization of engine operation,
minimization of drag through computermodeled aerodynamics, and timing and
velocity control via a carefully tailored
custom engine control unit.
The money supplied by Skule Alumni has
gone towards the purchase of mould and
aero-body making materials essential to
The top half of the fiberglass negative mould
the construction of the brand new aeroassembled and being prepared for carbon fiber
body. This includes fiberglass, carbon fiber
layup by UTSM members. From left to right: Robert
and epoxy resin used to form the negative
Bento, Prashanth Murali, Heitor Shoichet, and
moulds and the final body of the vehicle, as
Jianwei Sun
well as other required materials such as
peel-ply, vacuum bagging, breather cloth and MDF boards. This will allow us to tackle a level of
design innovation previously unachievable with the resources that were available.
As the sophistication of our project grows, we will be able to offer a greater incentive to new
students who wish to join the team, not only by providing them the opportunity to learn about
fuel-efficiency, but doing so in the context of applying the skills they have learned in class to a
real-life engineering design scenario. Additionally, we have been featured in a mini-series with
Global News, showcasing our team and vehicle, which is to be broadcast nationwide.
Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)
Total Granted: $5,000
The second WISE National Conference was held on March 22nd & 23rd, 2014. The theme of the
conference was "Experience: A Measure of Tomorrow". We had registered 188 student
delegates and about 40 industry attendees from various sponsoring companies. The
questionnaires that the delegates filled after the conference showed extremely positive
responses, reflecting a valuable experience for our delegates. The conference opening was
presented by Kathy Lee, the President and CEO of GE Capital Canada.
The conference included a career fair. Companies involved in the career fair included MDA,
General Electric, Accenture and Altera. The conference also included workshops, fireside chats,
and two competitions. The first was a Technology Case Competition sponsored by Accenture
and the second was a Social Impact Challenge sponsored by Cisco.
WISE Executive Team
Our keynote speakers included President and CEO of Dignitas International, Co-Founder of the
Queen's University, School of Medicine Office of Global Health, and CEO and President of
iFinance Canada Inc. Dean Cristina Amon, who is a continuous source of support for WISE,
presented our closing. Alumni funding helped our group expense for the conference. It allowed
us to bring the resources needed to have a second successful WISE conference. We learned a lot
from this experience and exercised values of leadership, teamwork, and conference planning.
We are grateful for the support and encouragement and will continue to work hard to deliver
purposeful and successful events for our audience.
You’re Next Career Network
Total Granted: $2,000
This year's You're Next Career Network's team of 42 students continued to build partnerships
with companies that students are interested in including Google, Tesla, and P&G. The You're
Next Career Fair had 65 companies showing, with 2100+ students in attendance. The Startup
Career Expo was Canada's largest startup event at the Mars Discovery District which connected
80 startups with 2200+ students. Finally, the "Launchpad" and "YouX" initiatives hosted 20
career development events to over 2,500+ students. To learn more about You're Next Career
Network, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UofTYoureNext
Additional funding is used to launch new career development initiatives. For instance, we
organized a Startup Demo Day on October 23rd, 2013 where we hosted 7 high-growth startups
and over 100 students. Students from various disciplines came out to learn about the next big
technological platforms,
potential work
opportunities, and how
these entrepreneurs
succeeded.
With this funding, we
were able to focus on
creating unique
experiences for students
to develop themselves
professionally and
explore career
opportunities through
our events. We can pilot
new ideas such as the
Startup Demo Day and
the funding we received
allows us to minimize
Resume Hackathon, January 2014
the risk for startup
companies to participate. Having illustrated the value of our ideas, startups will be willing to
cover the costs of the event in the future and we can continue launching innovative events.
Another example are the Resume Hackathons we organize. This year, we held one in each of the
fall and winter semesters and had to book two rooms (SF3201 and SF3202) in January to
accommodate all the students!
Alumni funding is important to the You’re Next Career Network as it enables us to pilot new
initiatives that impact over 2,500 unique students annually, most of whom are in the Faculty of
Applied Science & Engineering. We aim to run all of our events at breakeven to keep them
affordable for companies and increase the range of opportunities available to students. We
appreciate the support shown by Skule Alumni and can only do what we do with your help!