Tell Me More: Coffee with Chris Yip

We tried something a little bit different with this month’s episode — we turned the tables on Dean Yip. Undergraduate student Mahmoud Rashid (Year 3 MSE) took a turn as host, asking Dean Yip questions about his journey through engineering, his life as a runner, what he likes to bake, and more.

Earlier this year, David Boroto (EngSci 1T8 + PEY) became the CEO of Engineers Without Borders Canada. Dean Yip speaks with him about his journey from South Africa to Saskatchewan to the University of Toronto and about how he’s using infrastructure engineering to impact and improve the lives of low-income communities in a sustainable way.

U of T Engineering Alumna Sofia Bonilla completed her PhD in our University of Toronto Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, having previously completed degrees in microbiology and environmental science. Her thesis focused on protein production, and she has since leveraged that expertise to become the founder and CEO of ALT-PRO, a company that is creating the next generation of pet food with clean and sustainable ingredients from insects, algae and fungi.

Dean Yip spoke with Bonilla about protein engineering, launching a startup and the future of sustainable pet food.

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After graduating from the University of Toronto, Melodie Schaffer (ChemE 9T1, MASc 9T4) had a successful career designing biomedical devices. More recently, she’s made big pivot to the world of offshore sailing. She is the first Canadian woman to complete a round-the-world sailing race, earning her the Canadian Rolex sailor of the year award for 2023, the Gerry Roufs Canadian Offshore Sailor award for 2024 and the Women of Inspiration inaugural Women in Sport award for 2024.

Prandtl Dynamics is a company recently founded by U of T Engineering undergraduates. Over the past year, they have been making headlines by doing something that many established aerospace companies cannot yet do: develop effective, acoustic-based strategies to neutralize threats from Uncrewed Aerial Systems, also known as drones.

Dean Yip spoke to Michael Acquaviva (Year 4 EngSci) and Anna Poletaeva (Year 3 MSE) to find out more about Prandtl’s unique technology and its rapid rise to prominence.

Both during and after his time at University of Toronto Engineering's Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Mina Shahid was heavily involved in Engineers Without Borders. The experience led to a successful career in international development, and today he is the co-founder and CEO of Numida.

The company offers digital financial services to micro and small businesses in East Africa, including working capital financing and savings.

Immediately after graduating from the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Kristina Menton was recruited by what would become Pivotal, a company that is changing the face of aviation.

Today, she is the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Flight, leading the development of new kinds of personal aircraft, such as the BlackFly and the Helix. She has also stayed involved with U of T Engineering, most recently as a guest lecturer.

Dean Yip spoke with her about the future of flight, and about her advice for current students.

Since graduating MechE 8T8, Vince Arone has held senior roles at a number of technology companies. Most recently, he has entered the exciting world of battery electric storage systems and DC fast chargers.

Dean Yip talks with Vince about this fast-growing industry, and how he has now brought some of that tech back to campus as part of the Landmark renovation. They also discuss the importance of supporting the next generation through the new U of T 8T8 Resilience Scholarship.

After earning her BASc and her MEng in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at U of T, Liane went on to apply her knowledge and skills as a senior manager in health and life sciences consulting at Deloitte. 

She has returned to U of T Engineering to serve as president of the Engineering Alumni Network, where she is working to help the next generation of engineering leaders develop the abilities they will need to thrive in a dynamic global marketplace.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at: uofteng.ca/podcast 

Carlos de Oliveira and Michael Gray are co-founders of Cast Connex, an industry leader in the architectural and structural use of cast steel components in the design and construction of building and bridge structures. Cast Connex recently made their mark on the Las Vegas skyline by contributing to the development of Sphere at the Venetian, the world's largest spherical structure. 

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at: uofteng.ca/podcast