Catching Up With Young UNB Engineering Alumnae

Author: Engineering Alumni Office

Posted on Jun 23, 2020

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, we asked three young UNB alumnae about where they are currently working and how their programs have helped them succeed.

Trupti Abhang (MScEE'15) is a Transmission Planning Engineer at Énergie NB Power in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

What engineering stream did you graduate from at UNB and what did you like about the program?
I did my Masters in Electrical Engineering at UNB. It was a course-based program and liked that I had the flexibility to choose my courses according to my interest.

What responsibilities do you have?
Currently, I work as a Transmission System Planning- EIT and my responsibilities include conducting technical studies and assessments for the NB Power Transmission System within the 1-10 year planning horizon. These reliability studies incorporate forecast changes (generation, transmission, and load), long-term outages and retirements, existing transmission commitments on interconnections, and result in identifying future needs for transmission upgrades/changes.

How did your program prepare you for your current position?
I have to perform these technical studies in Power system simulator tool which I had studied as a part of my Power System courses during the program. I apply the knowledge that I gained from my courses to solve real engineering challenges.

Do you have any words of wisdom for today’s students or new grads?
Give your 100% in whatever you decide to do and always look at the bigger picture while solving any challenges. Focus on the present but don't lose sight of your end goals!

Erica Martin (BSE.GGE ’17) is a Quality Control Manager at Strescon Limited in Saint John, New Brunswick.

What did you enjoy about the program:
I graduated from the Bachelor of Science program in Geodesy and Geomatics. I made lifelong friendships and met my now husband during my time at UNB. The program was tough and pushed me to my limits, but it also made me better for it.

How did your program prepare you for your current position
It taught me to think critically and to work ethically.

What words of wisdom to you have for today’s students
Read ahead, study hard, and enjoy the university experience. Be open-minded when going into the workforce, you might end up in an industry you never expected.

Xin (April) Liu (MScCHE'11) is a Senior Engineer with Enbridge in Edmonton, Alberta.

What engineering stream did you graduate from at UNB and what did you like about the program?
I received my Master's degree from Chemical Engineering at UNB in 2011. This program equipped me with both solid engineering knowledge and soft skills,

What responsibilities do you have?
My responsibilities include completing and overseeing the pipeline and facility hydraulic design for liquid pipeline projects through the whole project lifecycle.

How did your program prepare you for your current position?
Besides the technical knowledge, the critical-thinking skills and problem-solving abilities that I developed from this program benefitted me a lot when I started my career.

Do you have any words of wisdom for today’s students or new grads?
Everyone is talented in some way. You will never know how much potential you have if you don't give it a try.