Meet the 2021 recipients of the Engineers Canada - TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Scholarship
The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Scholarship program offers three scholarships of $7,500 each annually to provide financial assistance to engineers returning to university to broaden their range of skills and knowledge.
Jeffrey Underhill, FEC, P.Eng.
Engineers and Geoscientists New Brunswick
Master of Business Administration
University of Fredericton
“Engineering provides a basis of understanding for problem-solving that opens up a world of new possibilities worth exploring.”
Jeffrey Underhill is pursuing a Master of Business Administration with the aim of sharpening his business acumen and enhancing his leadership skills. He seeks to expand his skillset to gain new perspective so that he can think more strategically, champion innovative ideas, and further challenge himself as an engineer. With a seven-year long commitment to volunteering with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick serving as President, a Member of Council and Chair for various committees, Jeffrey wants to continue to build his leadership profile. “The overall skillset afforded to engineers will prepare you to succeed in a variety of roles,” he says. Through this next step in his journey, he hopes to become a more well-rounded engineer and effective leader, helping local companies, non-profits, and mentoring young engineers.
Keenan Ngo, P.Eng.
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
Master of Architecture
University of Toronto
“As you move through your career, be hungry for different experiences and broad in your application.”
Keenan Ngo is applying his engineering background to find opportunities to address climate issues through the integration of engineering and architecture. His research focusses on the revival of mass timber buildings for disaster resiliency with a keen interest in the design and construction of existing historic Japanese buildings. By merging his engineering experience and his research efforts, he seeks to bridge the gap between practical construction and artistic expression. The pursuit of his Master of Architecture will enable him to design structures which are both architecturally significant and structurally expressive. Design is a collaborative practice, he says, and it is important that engineers, architects, and other designers work together to help uncover innovative details that may often be hidden.
Danielle Maitland, MASc, MSc, P.Eng.
Engineers Nova Scotia
PhD in Agriculture Sciences
Dalhousie University
“An engineering education equips you with valuable tools that not only help you address the world’s most pressing issues, but also carves a path to discover your passions.”
Danielle Maitland has a special passion for aquaculture. Her research focusses on aquaponics, a unique system which has the potential to address significant issues of global concern such as food security, sustainable food production and more. Through this research, her goal is to develop a functional fish feed that is optimized for omnivorous fish, and which enhances the nutrients produced in aquaponics systems. Since aquaponics is a relatively new technology, “there’s a great opportunity to improve and apply engineering knowledge to these systems,” she says. Beyond her research endeavours, she hopes to contribute to the development of aquaculture engineering curriculums and the training of the next generation of engineers, scientists, and agrologists.