On the heels of their historic win at the Ontario Engineering Competition last month, a team of students from Conestoga’s Mechanical Systems Engineering (MSE) degree program proved their mettle once again, bringing home top honours in the national competition held at McGill University from March 10-13.
The Conestoga team, consisting of Jamie Hobson of Waterloo, Ian Hillier of Petersburg, David Timmerman of Elora and Brian Montgomery-Wilson of Orangeville, competed against seven university teams from across Canada who had earned first or second-place rankings in their provincial competitions. In their first national competition, the Conestoga team received a second-place finish in the Senior Design category and was also awarded the W. R. Petri Engineering Design Award for innovative design.
At the event, the student teams were given ten hours to design and build a prototype for a bridge that would sense when a boat was near, open to let the boat through, then close once the boat was clear. The structure also had to be strong enough to withstand the weight of truck traffic. Each team was required to present their plan to the judges, with a demonstration of the working model.
Although competitors were presented with the general topic one week in advance, the specific objectives and constraints were not disclosed until the day of the event. Teams were judged on their presentations, as well as on the success of the tests on their working models.
The results of the competition were announced at a gala event in Montreal that was attended by more than 100 representatives of Canada’s engineering elite: university deans, industry representatives and executives, including the president of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
Mike McClements, executive dean of Conestoga’s Schools of Engineering & Information Technology and Trades & Apprenticeship, commended the team on their “stellar achievement,” and the mix of “confidence, professional focus and enthusiasm” that contributed to their success.
For McClements, the accomplishment has broader implications as well: “It sends a very powerful message that Conestoga is providing our students with the quality of educational experience that ranks with the very best, and that employers can expect excellent performance from Conestoga graduates.”
Students from Conestoga’s Videography program were in attendance throughout the event and have created a series of video capturing some of the highlights. Videos are available online at: http://conestogaengsoc.ca/
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is one of Canada’s premier polytechnic institutes. Recognized as leaders in applied education and research, we provide a comprehensive range of programs that prepare our graduates for success in business, industry and the community. For more information, visit us at www.conestogac.on.ca
For media questions, contact Brenda Cassidy, Corporate Communications Manager, 519-748-5220 ext 3336 or bcassidy@conestogac.on.ca