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The annual Esch Competition put on by the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship had no shortage of inventive projects, and among them were several Mechatronics Engineering Capstone Design Teams showcasing their senior projects, vying for esteemed prize money.  Our teams definitely delivered amazing pitches for their inventive solutions.  

Jordan Lin (BASc ‘22, mechanical engineering) had a goal in mind and was determined to pursue it. During his undergrad, Lin was a research associate for , a non-profit institution, during his co-op term. This experience sparked his interest in sustainability – a journey he had yet to realize he would continue.  

MME Professor Dr. Sushanta Mitra led a research team with two postdoctoral fellows, Shirshendu Misra and Sudip Shyam, and a professor in systems design engineering, to discover a simpler method to test the fertility of male sperm. Through their research they have found a positive correlation between sperm cell activity and droplet adhesion. This discovery could lead to the development of at-home strip test kits that can assess the viability of sperm cells.  

Dr. Mihaela Vlasea’s exemplary work in the manufacturing landscape highlights success earned from determination and an open mind. This mentality also proved to be fruitful during her transition from her academic to professional career.   

In cognizance for their contributions, Dr. Clovis Raimundo Maliska is awarded the Alumni Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement and Dr. Gamal Refai-Ahmed the Alumni Achievement Medal for Academic Excellence. Their work introduces improved technological advancements and revolutionary research, fostering innovation and transformative action that will continue to benefit their respective industries.  

Back in 2004, the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) Lab was established in a tiny but valuable 150-square-foot space in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. Twenty years later, it is the largest metal additive manufacturing academic research lab in Canada, housing over $25 million in infrastructure and is one of the best university-based research facilities in the world.   

Mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor Dr. Yue Hu is co-leading a project with Dr. Sebastian Fischmeister from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering that will address critical education gaps in the rapidly evolving domain of robotics cybersecurity and have been awarded $1 million in funding from the National Cybersecurity Consortium. Because robot technology moves so fast, many times, it outpaces the development of necessary cybersecurity measures.  

Ceragen was co-founded by Matthew Rose (BASc '21 mechanical and mechatronics engineering), the company's CTO, it develops microbes for soil to help with food production, aid with food security, and advance sustainable agriculture.

Three outstanding graduating students have won the Gold Medal. This award recognizes students who have achieved outstanding academic achievement. We were pleased to honour this award to Matthew Krmpotic on the undergraduate level, Kyra Wanuch on the master’s level, and Run Ze Gao on the doctoral level.  Keep reading to find out what some of our newly-minted alumni had to say about their award win.

Kitchener-À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ software startup has certainly been putting the pedal to the metal over the last few years. They’ve been pushing their expansion to the United States after seeing much success in Canada.