UNB Engineering News

Three UNB Engineering students—Olympias, Vincent, and Syed—recently represented the university at the 2024 Map the System Canadian Final. This national competition brings together students tackling big societal challenges, and the UNB team earned recognition for their perspective on renewable energy and how positive psychology can encourage greener choices: “Our research into renewable energy was sparked by the team’s shared interest in greener energy. As we used a systemic approach to explore the challenges of integrating renewable sources and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into the power system, we discovered the potential of positive psychology in influencing the energy choices of New Brunswickers.” says Olympias.

The experience was a mix of excitement and surprise for the team. “It was my first time in a competition like this,” Olympias said. “I was so excited to travel to a new city, meet people in the Map the System community, and work with my team on such an important platform.” For Vincent, hearing they’d made it to the finals was unexpected. “I was proud of our work in the qualifying round, but I knew the other teams had great projects too. Making it to the final was a bonus!”

Their project, “Positive Psychology and the Implementation of Distributed Energy Resources in New Brunswick”, was inspired by a shared passion for renewable energy. “I’ve been interested in renewable energy since middle school,” Syed said. “It’s amazing how you can turn water or air into energy and still use it afterward.” As they dove deeper into the topic, they discovered something surprising: changing energy habits isn’t just about technology—it’s about understanding people’s behavior and motivation.

“At first, we thought the problems with renewable energy were mainly technical,” Olympias said. “But through our research, we learned that politics, finances, and social factors have an even bigger role. It completely changed how we looked at the issue.”

The competition itself was a highlight for the team. “The atmosphere was so welcoming and inspiring,” Olympias shared. “We met people who were passionate about their projects and got to learn from the Bear Chief’s incredible wisdom.” Syed said the event opened his eyes to new ways of thinking. “As engineering students, we’re usually focused on fixing specific problems. This experience showed me how important it is to look at the bigger picture and think about how everything is connected.”

Preparing for the finals wasn’t easy. The team had just a month to pull everything together, spending long days practicing and refining their presentation. “Dr. Kush Bubbar and Jeannie Bail gave us great feedback and connected us with experts,” Olympias explained. “They helped us fact-check and improve our work.” Vincent admitted he worried they might not have explored everything, but he was excited to present their ideas. “I really wanted to represent Dr. Bubbar and UNB well,” he said. “And hearing feedback from the audience was a great learning opportunity.”

Their hard work paid off when they won the Excellence in Systems Research Award. “It was such a proud moment,” Olympias said. For Vincent, a standout memory was the opening ceremony. “Roy Bear Chief talked about how communities are like spider webs: everything is connected, and we can all help when there’s a problem. It was a beautiful way to describe what we were trying to do.”

As the first team from UNB to compete in Map the System, they were thankful for the support they received. “We want to thank Dr. Kush Bubbar for his guidance and for offering the TME Systems Thinking course,” Syed said. “We were lucky to be the first students to take it—it was an amazing experience.”

The competition may be over, but the journey isn’t. Syed wants to keep exploring renewable energy’s impact, while Vincent has started a job in the energy sector to learn more about Canada’s transition to a low-carbon future. Olympias, meanwhile, says the experience has made her even more passionate about working across disciplines to solve today’s toughest challenges.

UNB can be proud of these students, whose creativity and dedication set an example for future teams participating in Map the Systems Canada.