OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013 - (Page 10)

uP FrontTITLE SECTION ENGAGING TOMORROW’S ENGINEERS OSPE Student Ambassador Program going strong after first full year By Alina Oprea Launched in Spring 2012, the OSPE Student Ambassador Program recently marked its first full year. During this period, the program has enjoyed substantial uptake. Today, 21 dedicated volunteer Student Ambassadors represent OSPE on 10 different campuses across Ontario. Our goal for 2014 is to have a Student Ambassador presence in all 15 accredited engineering schools in Ontario. OSPE developed the Student Ambassador program to foster greater connections with engineering students across the province and engage them early in their chosen profession. Working with the Student Ambassadors, OSPE has organized numerous highly popular facility tours and on-campus networking events aimed at providing students with opportunities to connect with industry and prepare for the transition from school to a career in engineering. In addition, four OSPE student clubs were created at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Ryerson, University of Toronto and McMaster. These student-run clubs create opportunities for engineering students to work with the Student Ambassadors on programming, identifying issues and developing solutions. While organizing on-campus events, OSPE has also built strong relationships with EngSocs, faculty and staff, as well as alliances with local student clubs and societies. These industry-specific events provide a unique opportunity for students to connect with industry leaders and learn about employment opportunities. OSPE Student Ambassadors gain unique opportunities not only to represent their engineering student community but also to influence their career prospects. Through the efforts of OSPE Student Ambassador Seyedali Aghahosseini, a PhD candidate at UOIT, that institution has become the first school in Ontario to recognize student involvement with OSPE as an extracurricular activity on its official transcript. STuDENTS fLOCK TO fACILITY TOuRS AND INDuSTRY-SPECIfIC EVENTS Students have enjoyed OSPE-organized facility tours at the Nuclear Reactor at McMaster university in hamilton; Bombardier’s Downsview facility and the Rogers Centre in Toronto; the NavCanada Simulation Centre, NRC Wind Tunnel and National fire Laboratories in Ottawa; and the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Cambridge. Open to all students, these tours were at capacity registration within days. Students have also gained opportunities to connect with industry on campus at events cohosted by OSPE, including: Aerospace and Defense event at Carleton university, in partnership with Carleton Mechanical and Aerospace Society; Biomedical Engineering night at Ryerson, with Ryerson’s Biomedical Engineering Society Student Chapter; Chemical Engineering event at Western university, with the Chemical Engineering Club; and the Aerospace and Defence Student event at university of Toronto, organized in partnership with the u of T Aeronautics Team. 1 0 TheVoice Summer 2013 Engineering students take a tour of the Toyota Plant in Cambridge, Ontario

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013

OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013
Contents
Viewpoint
Newsbytes
Anne Sado, P.Eng.
National Engineering Month Ontario 2013
Engaging Tomorrow’s Engineers
Student Ambassador Profile
Innovation
The OSPE Research and Innovation Guide
The Advocacy Agenda
Maintaining and Expanding Our Engineering Capability
Engineers as Leaders
Why Throw It Away?
Connecting with Queen’s Park
Can We Engineer Better Drivers?
Insuring Your Work
Closing the Gap
Bridging the Gap
Learn, Develop, Grow Your Career
Grow Your Engineering Team

OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013