First-of-its-kind engineering program readies SFU students for emerging green industries

This article was initially published in SFU News on April 26, 2019 

Second-year engineering student Danielle Arciaga faces a tough decision once she graduates from Simon Fraser University—which emerging green industry should she choose: clean tech or smart cities?

Both are real possibilities for Arciaga, who will begin to take a deep dive into both before deciding after she transfers from engineering into SFU’s Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program this fall.

That’s because the SEE program, the first of its kind in Western Canada, is preparing its students for high-demand sectors such as cleantech, renewable energy, smart cities, sustainable manufacturing, clean power generation and utilization, and sustainable food and water solutions.

“I’ve been looking for ways to prepare myself for a career where I could really contribute as a green innovator in my own community,” says Arciaga. “I saw that the program will show students how these new emerging green industries could impact the City of Surrey and that’s what really drew me in.”

To help prepare students like Arciaga, this Faculty of Applied Sciences program takes a unique approach to curriculum by incorporating courses from other disciplines, including the Faculty of Science, Beedie School of Business and the Faculty of Environment.

“I feel confident participating in a program that not only takes an interdisciplinary approach to its course structure, but also incorporates co-op work terms where I can gain valuable industry experience while I complete my degree.”

When the program launches in fall 2019, SEE students will attend classes in a new, state-of-the-art building located on SFU’s Surrey Campus.

The building targets energy-efficient LEED Gold standards. It was designed and built with strategies to showcase sustainability and foster environmental health. “The new building embodies the values of the SEE program and is an inspiration to students because it shows tangible results of what sustainability can lead to,” says Arciaga. “I can’t wait to get started.”