OSPE - The Voice - June 2020 - 4

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Spring is meant for renewal, but instead, in my first
month as president at OSPE, we found ourselves
in the middle of a potential disaster.

The role of engineers has become sharply
defined during these difficult months, as we
fully realize our potential to engage with
society and lead the charge of change.
When we think of engineers, we
sometimes think of long, laborious projects
that will come to fruition several years
in the future. COVID-19 has proven the
immediate way engineers can affect the
growth of society, as several different types
of engineers have reorganized their work
to "flatten the curve" and otherwise curb
the pandemic.
As we see in this issue, Dionne Aleman,
an industrial engineer at the University
of Toronto, leads the way on pandemic
modelling. Aleman uses optimizing
techniques to gain deep analysis from data
and help determine the specific way a virus
like COVID-19 can move. Noteworthy, too,
is the way engineers have reconfigured
processes to assemble and manufacture
ventilators, which are very complex and
time consuming to create. Engineers are
attacking this problem on all fronts, from
inventing new designs, to repurposing or
simply optimizing existing designs and
processes to meet the new demands of the
virus. The gaps being revealed in our supply
chain, such as raw materials needed for
production not being available, are being
closed by inventive engineers capable
of discovering and sourcing alternative
methods of construction. And the work of
Ontario engineers is not just limited to our
locality, of course; we see the potential of
this new frantic work to be applied globally.
We're even seeing unexpected
sources, like the Royal Canadian Mint,

4

THE VOICE Summer 2020

retooling to produce hand sanitizers as
20 years advocating for engineers as
we face shortages. This rapid scaling up
leaders in society, and I'm proud to see us
of manufacturing processes reinforces
stepping up during this difficult time. It's
the importance of engineers to the
never been clearer that engineers can-and
supply chain. Even if organizations, such
do-lead.
as the Mint, are not typically staffed
with engineers, we know
that without professional
Hard times mean digging in and
engineers overseeing the
remembering that we are all connected.
pivot in operations, public
Sometimes it takes a disaster to
safety is not guaranteed.
remember that, but we also have our
This need is increased in
times of crisis when shortcuts
cooperative mentality to thank for all
are tempting and traditional
the new solutions that are appearing
processes are circumvented.
and showing us a way forward.
The only guarantee of public
safety is to have secure, up-todate, licensed engineers guiding companies
through these changes. As you will read in
our special supplement this issue, OSPE
is laying the foundation for ongoing up-todate training for engineers that reflects
and mirrors the changes of society. The
Ontario Engineering Academy is built as
a single portal that can provide engineers
all the training they need, whether it's an
upskill of soft skills, or further training in
technical areas.
Hard times mean digging in and
remembering that we are all connected.
Sometimes it takes a disaster to remember
that, but we also have our cooperative
mentality to thank for all the new solutions
that are appearing and showing us a way
Réjeanne Aimey, P.Eng., MBA
forward.
PRESIDENT AND CHAIR
During this crisis I'm happy to see
Ontario Society of Professional Engineers
engineers standing up and driving society
forward with invigorating, innovative
solutions. Our organization has spent
OSPE - The Voice - June 2020

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