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Imagine a carefully choreographed routine in a closed classroom where a collection of robotic arms rise and sweep ultraviolet light across desktops, eliminating bacteria and viruses before the doors open and the professor and students walk in to begin their work for the day.

This balletic sanitizing creation is the brainchild of three classmates in the Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician program who are participating in this year’s RE/ACTION Applied Research Showcase: Ellington Ferrall, Mahdi Fawaz and Taghride Farhat. All three have been working furiously to complete their prototype for presentation virtually on April 9, 2021.

Ferrall, 25, the team lead, says the design of the robotic arms has undergone many changes since the idea was first proposed.

“Originally, it was going to be an arm that sits on one spot in the corner and reaches out to wipe a UVC light over the top of the desk,” Ferrall says. “That changed to a rail system that fits under the desk and brings out the light, moves it across the desk along the rail, and resets itself after every use.” Continue reading →

Sometimes a career path has a bump in it that leads to a new and improved one. For horticultural student Kristin Topping, that new path has led to a new career and a prestigious Prince’s Trust Group Award.

Trained as a chemical engineer, Kristin Topping had served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 22 years when she suffered a serious injury and was forced to retire.

Unsure of her next steps, she enrolled in Operation Entrepreneur through the Prince’s Trust, which is designed to help Veterans transition from service and explore second career options, while providing a continuum of training and support services, and the network building opportunities needed to start and grow successful businesses. Continue reading →

Monday, March 22 marks World Water Day. A day acknowledging what water means to people, its true value and how we can better protect this vital resource.

AC graduate Breanna Foster and colleague Christine Gan are dedicated to water conservation. Gan, an engineering specialist at Bishop Water explains that there are simple things people can do every day to conserve water. That in turn will reduce the load on local water treatment plants, which can have a lasting impact on the community. Continue reading →