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Registration is now closed
Registration is now closed

MacEng Applicant Challenge

Overview

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Looking to make friends, earn scholarship dollars, and get immersed in the McMaster Faculty of Engineering community, all before you graduate from high school? 

The MacEng Applicant Challenge is a week-long (at-your-own-pace) innovation event for all prospective students (Fall 2023 or 2024) to McMaster Faculty of Engineering undergraduate programs including Bachelor of Technology (not DCP), Computer Science, Engineering and iBioMed.

The purpose of the event is to give students a sense of the collaborative, hands-on design projects they will engage with at McMaster Faculty of Engineering. Students will be introduced to the core philosophies  by engaging in a collaborative, problem-based learning design project. Students will work in small groups, review workshops and materials, and gain guidance from current McMaster Engineering students. At the end of the event, teams will compete for the chance to win MacEng Scholarship prizes!

Registration

Update as of April 19th: The event registration is now full. You may continue to register until registration close, however you will be put on a waitlist and contacted only if space becomes available to participate.

Registration closes Friday, April 21st, 11:59 PM (ET). Registration is a 2-step process. After registering, you will be instructed to fill out a questionnaire so we can learn more about you and to gather your team member information. If you do not have a team to participate with, you will be provided details on how to search for a team. Teams must include 3-5 participants.

Registration is open to any future undergraduate program students with expected post-secondary school start dates of September 2023 or 2024. Grades 11 and 12 students are welcome to register. Graduated high school students are welcome as well as long as they have had only 1 year of  gap without any post-secondary education. Please note that redeeming scholarship prizes would require enrolment in a Faculty of Engineering program at McMaster.

Limited space available, register to save your spot! A waitlist will be opened once we reach our capacity for this event.

Registration is now closed

This is a virtual event! Team members may have varying schedules and/or be participating from different time zones. At the start of the event, make sure to discuss expectations and meeting times. How you communicate is your team’s choice!

 

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 – The Challenge

Whether it’s living sustainably, contributing to sustainability research, or promoting sustainability, everyone plays an important role. Students, faculty, and staff across McMaster University have contributed to significant advances in supporting environmental, social, and economical sustainability.

You and your team will design a solution (product or service) to make the McMaster student experience more sustainable. Your solution must be designed in a way that promotes environmental sustainability, innovation, and diversity/inclusion.

The full challenge overview and rubric will be shared on Day 1 of the event with all participants.

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People pose holding their projects for the sustainable future program.
two men sitting in front of a printer.

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 – Prizes

All prizes will be evenly distributed amongst teams of 3-5 students. The value of prize will be distributed as a scholarship to McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering undergraduate programs.

Important note: Maximum of one prize/scholarship per team. The amount awarded to winning team members is not transferable to other participants. Scholarship prizes are only redeemable if a participant receives an offer to a McMaster Faculty of Engineering undergraduate program and successfully enrolls.

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1st Prize: Best Overall Design

$20,000 (CAD)

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Best Sustainable Design

$10,000 (CAD)

Best Innovative Design

$10,000 (CAD)

Best Inclusive Design

$10,000 (CAD)

Donor: Roy Verstraete

Gift: Roy Verstraete Innovation Award

Roy Verstraete is an international leader in the automotive parts sector. He is a graduate of McMaster’s Chemical Engineering program and has worked in a variety of executive positions in manufacturing and has served on numerous boards. He has a great affinity to MacEng, demonstrated by his support of our students through his philanthropic contributions to the Hatch Centre for Engineering and Experiential Learning, and support of student innovation and entrepreneurship, through the Faculty of Engineering Innovation Fund.

MacEng Applicant Challenge – Donor Highlight

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Roy Verstraete

About Roy Verstraete

Roy Verstraete, retired President & CEO, Anchor Danly, Detroit/Windsor is an international corporate Director, senior executive and internationalist with 30 years of global leadership and achievements, including 20+ years serving on Boards of Directors for public, private, and start-up companies in the auto, manufacturing and industrial sectors. This was built on an outstanding record of building results-driven organizations and high-performance leadership teams across a variety of companies in various countries.

Currently, Roy serves on the board of the Reko International Group, Windsor Ontario; the Wall Colmonoy Corporation, Detroit, Michigan; Wall Colmonoy Limited, Wales, UK; Flex Machine Tools, Wapakoneta, Ohio and as well the Private Directors Association Chicago, Illinois.

Roy, a Mac Chemical Engineering grad, has a great affinity to MacEng, demonstrated by his support of our students through his philanthropic contributions to the Hatch Center for Engineering and Experimental Learning, and support of student innovation and entrepreneurship, through the Faculty of Engineering Innovation Fund

Roy and his wife, Luella, have three children, two of which are also graduate engineers and a total of six grandchildren. He enjoys very much his continued engagement with industry, leadership, governance, mentorship, and family.

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 – Schedule

All times listed below are in Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

Friday, April 28

6 – 6:30 PMWelcome Session This session will kick-start the MacEng Applicant Challenge as we reveal the challenge details!

Live session – we highly encourage you to join, but the session will be recorded.
6:30 – 7 PMTeam IntroductionsGet to know your group through team-building activities. Also a good time to sort out schedules!

Live session – we highly encourage you to join to meet your team members, especially if you have not met yet. Otherwise, it is expected that you arrange a time to meet on your own time to set expectations with your team.
7 PMModules 1 & 2 All Module 1 & 2 workshops are released.

Saturday, April 29

9 – 10 AM
8 – 9 PM		Office HoursVirtual drop-in to ask questions to your student partner.
7 PMModule 3All Module 3 workshops are released.

Sunday, April 30

9 – 10 AM
8 – 9 PM 		Office HoursVirtual drop-in to ask questions to your student partner.
7 PMModule 4All Module 4 workshops are released.

Monday, May 1 / Wednesday, May 3 / Friday, May 5

8 – 9 PMOffice HoursVirtual drop-in to ask questions to your student partner.

Tuesday, May 2 / Thursday, May 4

9 – 10 AMOffice HoursVirtual drop-in to ask questions to your student partner.

Saturday, May 6

9 – 10 AMOffice HoursVirtual drop-in to ask questions to your student partner.
11 AMSubmission DueSubmit your 5 minute videos to your team’s submission folder!

Sunday, May 7

12 PM Closing SessionCelebrate your hard work! Judges announce
winning teams and showcase top designs.

Live session – we highly encourage you to join, but the session will be recorded.

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 – Judges

Judge Profiles

Alexi Buenaventura

Alexi Buenaventura

Hi everyone! My name is Alexi Buenaventura and I just finished up my fourth year in Materials Science and Engineering at McMaster. Over my time here I have indulged in different aspects of hands-on collaborative learning, as a future engineer, I think it’s one of the best ways to learn! Hope you enjoy the challenge opportunities and cannot wait to see what you all bring to the table.

Fireball

Claudia Alonso-Cantu

Educational Background:
– 2020 McMaster Engineering graduate
– Materials Engineering Co-op program
– Completed 12 month co-op at Magna International (Magna Exteriors Ltd.) in Automotive R&D
Professional Background:
– Manufacturing Engineer at NWI Precision Tube LLC (located in North York, ON), an aerospace/nuclear manufacturer of high-precision shafts and reactor components.
– Been at this role since 2021 and oversee the heat treatment process development of high-grade steels and the implementation of specialized manufacturing processes such as Induction Hardening, Carburizing, Plasma Coating, Electron Beam Welding and more.
– Many of our high-value customers are US-based and some that I am currently involved with are General Electric Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, Williams International & US DoD.
– I am also an approved Source Certifying Agent (SCA) which allows me to certify the heat treatment processes through NADCAP qualification in compliance to industry standards and regulatory bodies such as AMS, ASTM & AS9100D.
Gagan Sehra

Gagan Sehra

Educational Background:
– 2020 McMaster Engineering graduate
– Materials Engineering Co-op program
– Completed 12-month co-op at Magna International (Magna Exteriors Ltd.) in Automotive R&D
Professional Background:
– Manufacturing Engineer at NWI Precision Tube LLC (located in North York, ON), an aerospace/nuclear manufacturer of high-precision shafts and reactor components.
– Been at this role since 2021 and oversee the heat treatment process development of high-grade steels and the implementation of specialized manufacturing processes such as Induction Hardening, Carburizing, Plasma Coating, Electron Beam Welding and more.
– Many of our high-value customers are US-based and some that I am currently involved with are General Electric Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, Williams International & US DoD.
– I am also an approved Source Certifying Agent (SCA) which allows me to certify the heat treatment processes through NADCAP qualification in compliance to industry standards and regulatory bodies such as AMS, ASTM & AS9100D.
Hunter Csetri

Hunter Csetri

I’m a fifth-year iBioMed student, Mac Eng Student Ambassador, and aspiring entrepreneur! I have a passion for STEM education, health innovation and commercialization. I’m always looking for ways to bring healthcare products to market in the places they are needed the most.

Laksh Anand

Laksh Anand

Hey everyone, I am currently in my 4th year of Mechanical Engineering and Management and am currently on coop. Really excited to see all your creative solutions!

Matthew Little

Matthew Little

Matthew graduated from McMaster University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Materials Engineering. He spent most of his career in the brewing industry, working in BC, Alberta and Ontario with Labatt. He also spent 2 years at Steam Whistle Brewing in Toronto as Director of Operations. Currently, Matthew is Plant Manager at Ball Corporation in Whitby where they manufacture 355 mL aluminum cans for the beverage industry.

Michelle Ragany

Michelle Ragany

Michelle Ragany is a current PhD student in Civil Engineering, who is an active member of various graduate societies within the Faculty of Engineering.

Mohammad Salehpour

Mohammad Salehpour

Mohammad Salehpour is a current Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering focusing on hydrogen storage, with a background in petroleum engineering and carbon sequestration.

Omar Sabri

Omar Sabri

Hey Everyone, my name is Omar and I’m in my fourth year of electrical engineering. Looking forward to judging your creative submissions and having you all on campus next year!

Patrick Wojtera

Patrick Wojtera

My name is Patrick Wojtera, a previous B.Tech. Automation student here at Mac and loved participating in and running challenges such as this one. I’ve got an orange cat named Mylo at home and currently work for an Automation company in Brantford, ON – ProVantage Automation. Will be coming back to Mac shortly for their MBA program and am looking forward to consistently be a part of the Mac community.

Qiping (Angel) Liang

Qiping (Angel) Liang

Hi everyone! My name is Angel and I just completed the BTech Automation – Smart Systems program this past December. I have been involved with the Recruitment Office in many capacities and I am excited to be a judge this year. I look forward to seeing everyone’s creative ideas!

Ryan LaRue

Dr. Ryan LaRue

Dr. Ryan LaRue is a graduate of the McMaster University Chemical Engineering Department. His doctoral thesis involves investigating the use of membrane technologies towards the removal of microplastics from municipal wastewater effluents. Dr. LaRue’s research portfolio is broadly-reaching, involving numerous topics in chemical engineering separations including coagulation/flocculation in water and wastewater treatment processes, the design of novel membrane separations processes, and the design/validation of systems to evaluate the particle filtration efficiency of filter materials such as face masks. Dr. LaRue has also assumed roles as “sessional faculty” in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and he serves on the organizing committee of Hamilton’s local “Bay Area Science & Engineering Fair”.

Shelby Amponsah

Shelby Amponsah

My name is Shelby Amponsah and I am a recent McMaster Graduate from the Biotechnology program! I currently work in the McMaster Recruitment office under Venture Academy delivering STEM-like projects to youth all across the GTA. I’m excited to be a part of the judging team for this year’s challenge and I look forward to seeing the innovative skills of our future students!

Falisha Razack

Falisha Razack

Masters of Engineering and Public Policy Student & Faculty of Engineering Recruitment and Promotions Assistant

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 – Past Winners

Season 1 Winners

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 1 (April 23rd to 25th, 2021)

  • The challenge was to redesign a portable classroom into an eco-friendly engineering design studio!
  • Out of 40 high-quality submissions, the results of the following 4 teams stood out the most. Click the links below to learn more about the winning team’s submissions.

1st Prize: Best Overall Design Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

Prize #2: Most Sustainable Design Learn More

$5,000 (CAD)

Prize #3: Most Innovative Design (Group 12) Learn More

$5,000 (CAD)

Prize #4: Most Innovative Design (Group 26) Learn More

$5,000 (CAD)

Season 2 Winners

MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 2 (April 1st to 3rd, 2022)

1st Prize: Best Overall Design Learn More

$20,000 (CAD)

Prize #2: Most Sustainable Design Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

Prize #3: Most Innovative Design Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

Prize #4: Most Inclusive Design Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

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MacEng Applicant Challenge: Season 3 (April 28th to May 7th, 2023)

1st Prize: Best Overall Design (Group 22) Learn More

$20,000 (CAD)

Prize #2: Most Sustainable Design (Group 43) Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

Prize #3: Most Innovative Design (Group 4) Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

Prize #4: Most Inclusive Design (Group 23) Learn More

$10,000 (CAD)

MacEng Applicant Challenge – FAQS

Registration

Registration is found at the top of this page. It is a 2-step process. Your initial form will be some basic registrant information. Once you submit, the confirmation page will showcase a link to fill out the Participant & Team form. You must complete both for the Recruitment Team to share any communications with you about the next steps.

Grade 11 and Grade 12 students with expected post-secondary school start dates of Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 are welcome to register.

If you have graduated high school, are currently on a gap year (max 1 year after high school), and have not done any post-secondary school, with an expected post-secondary school start date of Fall 2023, you are welcome to register as well.

The Applicant Challenge is not open to graduate students, students who have started or completed post-secondary school, or mature students.

Yes, you can participate if you have met the eligibility criteria. If your team does win one of the categories, only students who enrol in a McMaster Faculty of Engineering program will be able to redeem the prize. Prizes are not transferable.

Prizes

The total prize allocation for a category would be split evenly between the members of the team. Minimum amount of participants per team is three (3), maximum five (5).

The Applicant Challenge prizes can only be redeemed if the participant successfully enrols in a McMaster Faculty of Engineering program. If you are not planning on attending a McMaster Faculty of Engineering program, your share of the prize becomes null. It will not be transferred to another member of your team to use.

No, the category prizes can only be redeemed if the participant successfully enrols in a McMaster Faculty of Engineering program and will be directly applied to their student account.

If you are anticipating enrolment for Fall 2023:

  • If you are a current applicant with an offer, the award value will be applied to your McMaster account.
  • If you have not received an offer, it will not be visible until an offer has been made.
  • If you have received a MacEng Scholarship Award, the amount of your MacEng Applicant Challenge Award will likely be added directly to that existing scholarship amount rather than a separate award.

If you are anticipating enrolment for Fall 2024:

  • Please let the Recruitment Team know or reach out to us when you do apply so we can make note of this for the following year’s applications.

Unfortunately, your participation and or success in the MacEng Applicant Challenge will not influence any admissions decisions.

Team Formations

Yes! If you have classmates or friends that want to participate with you, you will list them at the time of registration. Teams must be 3-5 people. You can participate just with your premade group, or you can open up the other spots in your group to solo participants who are looking for a group.

Yes! You have the option to join open teams.

Once you complete the 2-step registration, the Recruitment Team will forward you a live spreadsheet where you can join or start a team. Participants are listing their time zones in the spreadsheet to help form groups in similar time zones so they can work together virtually.

No. Teams are subject to change to ensure teams are meeting the team size requirements and the timezones of participants in a group compliment each other.

As teams are subject to change, you may only get the contact information of your team the week leading up to the event.

PLEASE just let the Recruitment Team know ASAP you are no longer able to be part of your group you are in so that they can help rearrange groups as necessary.

Challenge Details

This is a VIRTUAL challenge.

The duration of the challenge will be about a week which you work directly with your team using platforms to communicate that make sense for your group. All resources and pre-recorded workshops will be shared with you at the beginning of the event and you will submit your idea (5-minute video) by Saturday, May 6th, 11 am ET for judges to review and score. The closing ceremonies will be time to announce the winners on Sunday, May 7th at 12pm ET.

Please review the schedule tab on this page. It outlines when information is released, what sessions (opening and closing) are live, where there are office hours to connect with Student Partners with questions you have, etc.

You and your team will design a solution (product or service) to make the McMaster student experience more sustainable. Your solution must be designed in a way that promotes environmental sustainability, innovation, and diversity/inclusion. The full challenge overview and rubric will be shared on Day 1 of the event with all participants.