Alumni Spotlight

Not every path is linear. For Teresa Lau, her academic and career journey has been shaped by curiosity, the willingness to explore and the encouragement she found within the SFU community. 

Teresa actively participated in engineering competitions to build up her technical and collaboration skills, which have become a part of the most standout moments in her university journey. 

In the SFU Engineering Competition, Teresa and her group developed and brought iNTUiTH — a personal awareness device designed to improve safety in low-light conditions — to life. They even won silver award at the Canadian Engineering Competition.  The process of building from an initial idea to receiving recognition was definitely a unique, rewarding experience for Teresa. 

Teresa also had the opportunity to participate in organizing the Western Engineering Competition 2023, a large-scale event for undergraduate engineering students to showcase their skills to address real-world challenges. Within a tight timeline, these moments challenged Teresa to grow and bring ideas to life in meaningful ways. 

Teresa’s co-op experience became a key turning point in her career inspiration. What started as a co-op role evolved into her current position as the Addictive Design Assistant at Hodgson Orthopedic Group, where she contributes to the research and development in the prosthetics and orthotics field. 

Building on this experience, Teresa returned to SFU to pursue her Master’s degree in Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) and now works as a Graduate Research Assistant. Her research explores the intersection of engineering and the healthcare sector, focusing on how equipment design can help prevent worker injuries. Her research focus reinforces the belief that even small design improvements can have a meaningful impact. 

Teresa believes curiosity and exploration of new opportunities are beneficial in undergraduate studies. Within the four years, you have access to many resources, networks and experiences from extracurricular activities and research. Taking advantage of these opportunities can help you discover interests and career paths you may not have considered before. 

From spending time with classmates solving math and physics problems to co-founding a start-up tackling global energy challenges, Sumreen Rattan’s journey is deeply rooted in valuable connections, leadership and teamwork experiences. 

Sumreen describes the engineering program as the way to shape her professional path. She emphasizes the value of learning alongside like-minded, driven individuals in a collaborative environment. Working closely with her cohort taught her how to lean on one another for support, combine diverse skills to tackle complex problems and celebrate shared success.

Beyond academics, student clubs played a central role in Sumreen’s university life. By starting and leading clubs such as Team Phantom and SFU Befikre, she transformed her passion into action while developing leadership, communication and community-building skills.

Through co-op placements at companies including Apple, Archiact and PNI Digital Media, Sumreen gained valuable industry experience and insights into professional environments. These roles served as important training grounds, teaching her how to adapt quickly, build effective working relationship and collaborate with new teams.

At the core of Sumreen’s journey is her belief that engineering exists to design and build technology that improves the world. Drawing on her experiences at university, she co-founded Moment Energy, a company dedicated to providing affordable, reliable, clean energy by repurposing retired electric vehicle batteries.

Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2023, Sumreen hopes her work can serve as an example that age, gender and ethnicity should never define one’s potential. She believes meaningful change begins with taking the first step and sustaining that vision with grit and perseverance.

Her message to students and aspiring entrepreneurs is simple yet powerful: “Being naive is a superpower, because a beginner’s mind isn’t roadblocked by preconceived notions of difficulty.”

For Sumreen, the act of doing is the only way to uncover new knowledge, challenges and opportunities — letting the work itself guide the journey, even when it gets tough.

Graduated with a Master of Engineering in Smart Manufacturing and Systems from the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering in 2023, Sanjam Chhabra is now an Automation Designer at QCA Systems. 

For Sanjam, pursuing the MEng program was a transformative experience that interconnected theory and real-world application. Through hands-on projects, such as designing automation workflows and implementing advanced manufacturing solutions, she explored the technologies and equipped herself with practical skills essential in the field of automation.   

A key highlight in Sanjam’s academic journey was the co-op program, where she gained invaluable industry experience applying smart manufacturing principles to live projects. The transition from classroom environments to real-world settings also strengthened Sanjam’s ability to adapt to new dynamics, collaborate with colleagues and time management skills. 

Now in her role as the automation designer, Sanjam continues to apply what she learnt from the MEng program — areas in predictive maintenance, IoT-enabled devices and AI-driven decision-making that are at the forefront of technological advancements.

During 2025 Mechatronics Day, she represented QCA Systems at the event, reconnecting with the university as an alumnus, and having meaningful discussions with students and peers about the current automation industry.

Looking back, Sanjam reflects on how the program laid a solid foundation for her future career. Building up her confidence and practical experience, the academic journey shaped and inspired her to drive meaningful impact and innovation in the industry.