Engineering Career Connections Honors Faculty, Staff and Employer Advocates of the Year

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Pictured, L-R, are Mostafa Elsaadany and Katie Pope

Engineering Career Connections launched several new awards this year to recognize faculty, staff and employers for their roles in helping students with their professional development.

The office chose Lineus Medical, a medical device startup, as Small Employer of the Year, and Mastercard as Large Employer of the Year.

In addition, Katie Pope, director of the college's Engineering One-Stop, was named Staff Career Advocate of the Year, while Mostafa Elsaadany, teaching assistant professor for biomedical engineering, was named Faculty Career Advocate of the Year.

Student awards were announced previously.

Lineus Medical was praised for its passion for supporting students as they navigate their professional development, industry options and transition from academia to industry.

The college's selection committee commended the strong support provided to students despite the company having just six full-time employees who could offer mentorship.

In particular, the committee was impressed with how Lineus Medical offers students the ability to learn about the industry and company through market research and writing technical documents, and then building into larger and more substantial projects as the interns gain confidence, skills and knowledge of the company.

Mastercard impressed selection committee members with its application process, which allows students to gain practice with interviewing and offers insights into what employers value and how applicants' skills are evaluated.

In addition, the selection committee noted the large number of supportive services offered to help students transition to their first full-time job after graduation, including the Mastercard Launch program and the extension of the buddy system into their full-time jobs.

Pope's nomination said that she has played a pivotal role helping the Engineering Career Connections to launch the U of A's Career Everywhere Initiative by integrating career education into the college's student advising appointments. This effort increased the awareness of career services and resources for students.

"We are extremely grateful for Katie's commitment to supporting students' career development and the ideas she has brought forth to continue to integrate our office and the Career Everywhere culture into the engineering student experience," said Robyn Williams, associate director of Engineering Career Engagement.

Elsaadany's nomination said his impact on the career journeys of his students has been profound and far-reaching, and students have described him as encouraging, genuine and insightful. One student shared, "One of the main things I learned from him is how important networking and connections are, making sure we know all the available resources we have."