Faces of WISEST: Joanne Cai

I remember attending the CHOICES conference in sixth grade, learning about the Canadarm for the first time, and being absolutely awe-struck by Canada’s robotic arm in space.

Five years later, I participated in the Summer Research Program, working in a biomedical engineering lab. Prior to the SRP, I didn’t know much about engineering–I remember specifying I wasn’t interested in coding. It turns out coding is lots of fun, and engineering is a very creative, collaborative, and challenging field, one that I wanted to be part of.

I am now finishing my third year of mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta, and am also the Systems Lead of the student satellite group AlbertaSat. As part of AlbertaSat, I contributed to the second Albertan satellite, Ex-Alta 2, which launched to space in March 2023.

It’s opportunities such as launching a satellite representing your province, and working with the Canadian Space Agency, that remind me of why I chose to pursue mechanical engineering—the impact that investing in STEM research and outreach has on both a local and broader community scale. I felt similarly seeing the innovation and research taking place at the University of Alberta during my time in the SRP, and even as a kid learning about Canada's robotics contributions to space. Programs such as WISEST spark this feeling of wonder, while also building leadership and confidence in young, future change-makers.