Three ways one prof’s passion is shaping the future of engineering

Mars rovers, futuristic trains and lightning-fast race cars are all things you might expect to find in a film directed by Ridley Scott, not in the labs of student clubs housed right here at the University of Alberta. But the Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund has been helping engineering students transform science fiction into a reality since 2008. 

A beloved professor, mentor and Dean, George Ford taught mechanical engineering at the U of A for 40 years. He was a mainstay of the department, but far from mainstream.

Once, after returning from a trip to Europe, engineering professor George Ford recounted to his class how his hands started shaking after making the pilgrimage to the gravesite of one of his heroes: Leonhald Euler, the esteemed polymath.  

“That was George Ford. He was a man of passion,” explains former student Gordon Winkel, ’77 BSc(MechEng), ’79 MSc.

“[He was] passionate about the fact that engineering was a stepping stone to a brighter and better society. He felt privileged to be part of that and felt a real passion for his students and setting the stage for their success.”

Ford was well-known for making even the driest of theoretical subjects come to life through entertaining stories about the real people, politics and policies behind the scenes. Through his various roles as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Founder of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, he inspired his students to build a better world through putting engineering into action. 

So it’s only natural that the Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund would honour his legacy by supporting undergraduate engineering students in gaining hands-on, practical skills through extracurricular student activities. These opportunities allow students to make the most out of the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities housed exclusively at the U of A, while applying and deepening their classroom learning. 

As long-time donor Alan Scott, ’68 BSc(MechEng), sees it, “A donor-supported fund like this improves the quality of education. Besides a lot of practical engineering things, you learn a whole bunch of soft skills, like time management and how to work as a team.”

Perhaps most importantly, the fund helps stoke a sense of wonder about what engineering makes possible both for people and society.  

“It’s one thing to learn through the great example and instruction of others, but it’s another notch in an engineer’s experience to actually make it real, and see the beauty of the physics of nature and science in action,” says Winkel, who is also a donor and committee member of the fund.

“It truly does build a person’s passion and excitement for engineering.” 

Here are three examples of how Ford’s spirit continues to inspire the next generation of students shaping the future: 

The Future of Transportation 

The Engineering Student Project: Alberta Hyperloop is developing prototypes for a high-speed ground transportation system that propels a levitated passenger pod through a vacuum tube via frictionless magnets.

The Experience: As co-president of the student club, third year electrical engineering student Alexander Anderson is responsible for managing a multi-disciplinary team of 60 members, while overseeing the daily logistics.

“Over the years I’ve seen the club grow and evolve with the challenges it faced, from the same ones as the other engineering clubs to the unique needs of a project like this,” he says. “Not only has it allowed me to use what I’ve learned in class and gain experience from it, but it’s also increased my knowledge of other engineering disciplines and has shaped my preferences of the types of jobs I want to look for after graduation.”

The Bragging Rights: Alberta Hyperloop competed at the first ever Canadian Hyperloop Conference last year where they won the Mechanical award and will be competing there again in May 2023. The team continues to build up steam — growing in both size and ambition — with hopes of attending the European hyperloop competition in the future.

The Alumni Edge: One founding member of the group recently landed a job with Siemens designing the LRT in San Francisco.

The Impact: The fully electric Hyperloop pod is a greener option to existing ground transport options and can reach aircraft-level speeds with zero carbon emissions.

The Future of Racing

The Engineering Student Project: Founded in 1998, the University of Alberta Formula Racing club brings together a team of students every year to design, fabricate, test, and compete with a new race car from scratch in Formula SAE, one of the world’s largest engineering competitions. 

The Experience: After four years with the team, materials engineering PhD student Daniele Calista’s dream of attending the competition was made possible last year. The event was a pivotal moment in his journey toward a career in the high-performance automotive sector.

“It's an indescribable feeling to be there with everyone you’ve spent so much time with throughout the year. Building the car is such a team effort and such an insane amount of work — literally a full-time job on top of being a full-time student. Finally being able to present and compete with our vehicle as a close-knit team was immensely rewarding.”

The Bragging Rights: Last year, the team participated in two FSAE Michigan competitions in the United States, where the car placed in the top 10 for design out of 90 teams. They were also the first FSAE team to turbocharge a KTM 690 motorcycle engine and use it to create the most torque the team has ever produced. In the coming Summer, the team is not only competing in the combustion class again, but they are also currently building an electric vehicle for the first time.

The Alumni Edge: Many group members have ended up with companies like Tesla and Continental, with one alumnus even becoming a testing and development engineer for the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. 

The Impact: Formula SAE helps address the rapidly changing needs and skillsets of the mobility industry. A goal for the team each year is to enrich all students’ hands-on learning experience by providing the opportunity to do first hand design, fabrication, and testing of their ideas. 

The Future of Space Exploration

The Student Group: Space Exploration Alberta Robotics (SPEAR) is designing and building a mars-style rover to compete in international competitions, as well as promoting space exploration technology through educational outreach. 

The Experience: During her inaugural year with the club, fourth year mechanical engineering student Jana Gebara joined Mission SpaceWalker, a sub-committee of SPEAR. The group comprised 12 women and focused on smaller-scale robotics in microgravity. The experience gave her the confidence boost she needed to pursue her dream of working in the space industry.

“What pushed me was just the sense of community that this all-woman team fostered … Not only have I been able to apply the skills and the knowledge that I've gained in my classroom, but it’s also allowed me to create this network.”

The Bragging Rights: Founded in 2017, SPEAR has created two rovers to date, both of which competed at the Canadian International Rover Challenge in Drumheller. 

The Alumni Edge: Many former members have gone on to pursue careers in robotics or manufacturing, with the former mechanical lead now working in manufacturing at the Elko Engineering Garage and alumni working on projects to be deployed on future space missions.

The Impact: Rovers aid in space exploration by helping scientists in their quest to understand the make-up of the planet Mars.

These students aren’t exactly playing chess after class. They’re propelling human invention forward. Given the scope and ambition of these projects, it’s easy to forget they’re being led by students juggling full course loads.

“Students are actually finding the time in that demanding schedule of development … to work together to learn what it is to be collaborative, to learn what it is to actually build the future,” says Winkel. “It's just wonderful to do anything we can to support them in that journey of discovery and realisation.”

By supporting the Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund, donors empower these students to ask questions and work together to find the answers. Together, they’re pushing the boundaries of what education makes possible.

“They're right on the edge there. They're going to places where former students have never gone before.”