On this page: Individual projects | Team project
Individual projects
Sonia Cao (mentored by Shay Heans-Moreyra)
Project Area: Sonia researched effective teamwork assessment methods and gathered insight into strategies professors have previously implemented in their classrooms. Sonia was responsible for designing a framework to address the challenge of quantifying teamwork abilities with EDI considerations, which are inherently more difficult to measure than technical competencies.
Skills & Knowledge: Sonia enhanced her research skills through literature reviews and case studies, and improved her communication by regularly presenting ideas. She expanded her professional network by consulting with experts, gaining a deeper understanding of teamwork dynamics and assessment strategies. Sonia also acquired valuable experience working independently and interdependently on a multi-disciplinary team.
Rylee McKay (mentored by Barry Stewart)
Project Area: Rylee cultivated a comprehensive list of activities and resources to be utilized in future community partnerships and outreach initiatives. Rylee is also actively involved in reestablishing the Indigenous Inclusion Committee, a student club under the Engineering Undergraduate Society. This process will continue over the 2024/25 school year.
Skills & Knowledge: Through this experience, Rylee gained valuable insights into administrative processes and honed her planning and strategy skills. She learned how to develop and implement effective workshops, gained a solid understanding of creating well-structured project timelines, and enhanced her adaptability and problem-solving skills.
Halimo Moussa Fahyeh (mentored by Nia Fernandez)
Project Area: Halimo conducted a series of meetings with members of the EDI Advocacy Program to gather feedback and guide the program's future direction. She also supported one of the program鈥檚 Working Groups by co-authoring a preliminary report examining issues of representation and inclusivity in physical spaces within 麻豆AV鈥檚 Engineering buildings.
Skills & Knowledge: Halimo鈥檚 experiences enhanced her communication, active listening, collaboration, and presentation skills. She is deeply grateful for the support and creative freedom offered by her mentor and the entire E-IDEA team, who fostered a joyful and inclusive environment that made every meeting a safe space for learning and growth!
Aditya Nemana (mentored by Ren茅e Pellisser)
Project Area: Aditya鈥檚 focus was on developing pedagogical tools for course instructors to make their teaching more inclusive. He explored strategies for integrating EDI principles into Engineering curricula through frameworks such as design thinking. He also collaborated with the McCord Stewart Museum to compile examples of Indigenous engineering and design.
Skills & Knowledge: Aditya gained valuable insights on how to create more inclusive teaching environments and engage in ethical engineering. He also developed skills to effectively communicate EDI research to the general public. He encourages every Faculty of Engineering student to jump at this internship opportunity because the knowledge gained helps to keep sight of the most important aspect of engineering and design: the humans.
Team project
Sonia, Rylee, Halimo, and Aditya curated a special exhibit, entitled 鈥�The Power of Diversity / Le Pouvoir de la diversit茅鈥�, for the 2nd Annual E-IDEA Student Showcase on September 24, 2024. This exhibit pulled from the interns鈥� team project seeking to address the lack of diverse representation among design professionals discussed in Faculty of Engineering curricula.
The intern team created a database of design professionals from diverse backgrounds, filing information about their personal narrative and notable contributions. They have also designed a submission form to allow community members to suggest additions to the database. The long-term vision is for the Office of E-IDEA to create a digital library of professional profiles that can be accessed by the Faculty of Engineering community. The primary intention is for staff involved in teaching and communications to use this library as they prepare their materials.
Digital Intern Exhibit:聽鈥�The Power of Diversity / Le Pouvoir de la diversit茅鈥�
