Graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Civil Engineering, Matt Dugie has a world of possibilities in front of him.
In his time at AV俱乐部, Matt strived to make the most of his education and encourages those who follow to do the same.
鈥淔ocus on why you鈥檙e in university,鈥� he advises. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e here to get an education. Work hard. Take as much as you can from the resources available to you in your classes, professors and the people around you.鈥�
This philosophy has permeated聽Matt's time at AV俱乐部, from his academic performance to his extracurricular activities. His hard work garnered him a Frank E. Milne Scholarship in each year of his degree, which also provided him with networking opportunities that he credits with helping shape his career.
In 2013,聽Matt led the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 concrete toboggan team to a third-place finish at its national competition. This accomplishment brought with it hands-on experience and a valuable connection with Craig Lake, chair of the Department of Civil and Resource Engineering and faculty advisor to the team. Dr. Lake has since taken time to mentor Matt on career decisions including his upcoming move to Vancouver, where he鈥檒l begin work with BGC Engineering specializing in geotechnical engineering.
鈥淏ritish Columbia offers an interesting mix of hard rock and soft soil,鈥� explains Matt. 鈥淚n Halifax, the terrain is predominantly shallow bedrock, so I am excited to be working with a different range of conditions.鈥�
In the future, he hopes to find ways to use his engineering expertise to bring about positive change.
鈥淯ltimately, I want to do design work,鈥� he says. 鈥淎s an engineer, there is potential to advance society technically, socially and environmentally, while protecting public safety. I think that in a design role, eventually with a master鈥檚 degree, I can work to accomplish that.鈥�
This article is part of a series on our newest graduates. These profiles are also published in the 2014 Spring Convocation Keepsake, which is distributed at Convocation ceremonies. For more on Convocation (including live webcasts), .