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 

Raylene Mitchell is an IBET Momentum Fellow and a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. 

Under the supervision of Professor David Sinton (MIE) and

Raylene sat down with Dean Yip to discuss growing up in Makkovik, N.L., her unconventional path to engineering and why she believes Indigenous people are engineers at their core.

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

U of T Engineering alumna Eva Lau is co-founder of Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the next evolution of computing and its applications. Today, she leverages her experience to help early-stage transformative tech companies achieve internet scale.  

Eva sat down with Dean Yip to discuss innovation, the importance of mentorship, what she enjoys most about working with U of T students and more. 

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

Shrey Jain just completed his Bachelor's of Engineering Science with a major in Machine Intelligence, and is among the more than 1,000 U of T Engineering undergraduate students who will walk across the stage at Convocation this month. Over the past few years, Shrey has worked on a number of high-profile projects relating to AI and its implications for our society, work he will be continuing after graduation as an applied scientist at Microsoft.

Dean Yip spoke to Jain about his experience at Skule™ and what lies ahead for him, as well as what he thinks the future holds for AI more generally.

Nika Shakiba completed her PhD in our Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2017 and is now an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on stem cells — using systems biology to understand how they work, and synthetic biology to engineer new therapies for regenerative medicine.

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

Jenna Usprech completed her PhD at U of T's Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2018, specializing in tissue engineering. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She spoke to Dean Yip about student wellness, science communication, and classroom strategies that promote critical thought.

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