Career insights, key connections, and advice from young alumni in tech: students at Smith Engineering got an inside look at the industry and met employers from across the sector at the faculty’s inaugural Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering Industry Open House on October 17.
The evening session, exclusively tailored for MRE students, faculty, and recruiters, featured representatives from companies including Honda, Amazon Robotics, MDA, IPG Photonics, and MacLean Engineering along with Smith Engineering researchers and student design teams.
Students benefited from an insider’s look at the industry with Brian Quon, Sc’04, the evening’s keynote speaker. As Senior Manager, Powertrain Manufacturing Controls Engineering at Tesla, Quon shared his journey in automotive manufacturing, reflecting on his transformative internship at Honda and the rich array of experiences he accrued across various sectors. Following his internship at Honda, he was later offered a full-time position.
Professor Keyvan Hashtrudi-Zaad, who introduced Quon at the event, reminisced about their collaborative work. "I distinctly remember working with Brian and his peers on the capstone engineering project, when they developed the code to transform a personal digital assistant (PDA) pocket device into a robot teach pendant. We used the technology in our undergraduate teaching lab, and it continued to operate successfully for many years,” Hashtrudi-Zaad says. “Brian showed rigor and dedication to his project and carried it through his career. He consistently displayed an innate drive to create new things. I positioned myself as a mentor, providing explanations for the 'whys' and wholeheartedly cheering him on. Our role in academia is not just to disseminate knowledge, but to empower students to apply that knowledge to address real-world challenges.”
In his talk, Quon emphasized the invaluable support and mentorship he received from Hashtrudi-Zaad while on internship, and how he has subsequently paid forward the same level of dedication and enthusiasm to his colleagues in the industry. Ioan Buzdugan, a Queen’s alumnus and current Engineering Lead at Honda shared similar sentiments about the valuable guidance he received from Quon during his time at Honda.
"My years at Queen’s (Smith) Engineering were foundational steps toward who I am today. I highly value the collaborative aspects of learning, problem-solving, and teamwork that were embraced starting in the first year. The (QUIP) internship opportunity was especially pivotal in determining the eventual direction of my career," shares Quon.
“The Corporate Relations Team at Smith Engineering is dedicated to advancing innovative engineering education, strengthening industry ties, offering steadfast support to departments, faculty, and students, and acting as a bridge connecting employers with enthusiastic alumni, such as Brian, who are keen on fostering and engaging with our engineering talent,” says Chelsea Elliott, Director of Corporate Relations, Smith Engineering.
“This event is part of our strategy to engage our exceptional alumni community as a pivotal group that can continue to enhance Smith Engineering’s work-integrated learning experiences,” Elliott says. “We are continually expanding the kinds of professional opportunities our engineering students can benefit from, as part of the faculty’s commitment to ensuring all students benefit from exposure to industry through internships, professional experiences, and experiential leadership opportunities.”
Since its launch in 2021, the Smith Engineering Mechatronics and Robotics program has become a Canadian leader in educating students in the integrated design of computer, electrical, and mechanical systems, including robotics automation, programming, autonomous functionality, and artificial intelligence.
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