This year’s Young Alumni Leadership Award Recipient, Giuseppe Del Gobbo ’13 shares career-defining experiences close to his heart.
Giuseppe Del Gobbo’s progress as a young engineer has taken him from McMaster, where he was a Redsuit and executive of the McMaster Engineering Society, to the University of Oxford, to his ancestral homeland in Italy and then back to the Niagara Region where he grew up.
On June 5, 2025, the Civil Engineering & Management graduate will receive the McMaster Engineering Young Alumni Leadership Award at a ceremony hosted by the McMaster Alumni Association.
As Giuseppe’s career has progressed through doctoral studies at Oxford, research in Italy and consulting engineer work in the UK and now with Hatch in Niagara Falls, he has maintained strong connections with Mac Eng and his fellow engineers. He is a champion for young professionals, a volunteer with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) Niagara Chapter and a regular participant, mentor and speaker for the Faculty of Engineering.
The Structural Discipline Lead with Hatch’s Niagara Falls office spoke with Mac Eng about his career, life and connection to Mac.
“I was thinking that maybe my grandkids will take this train and, how, once you build the transit system, it’s going to affect where people live, where they work, and will have huge ramifications in the future.”
Here’s our Q&A with Giuseppe:
How does your work help create a sustainable future?
Most of my work is in the renewable energy space and hydropower. Canada is currently undergoing a historical energy transformation. Hydropower is currently the key piece for Ontario, but we need to figure out how to use our assets more effectively, to get them to last longer and get the most out of it we can.
I previously conducted climate lens assessments to consider climate change to boost the resiliency of major infrastructure projects. I was involved with the climate risk and resilience piece for the Eglinton Crosstown Extension in Toronto, a critical piece of infrastructure. The study looked at data from sophisticated climate models and variables like precipitation and temperature, and how they’re expected to change over the next century [to predict] what effect that is going to have on your key assets, your infrastructure. The idea is to factor the changing climate into our current designs and future proof it as best we can in a cost effective manner.
As I was working on that, I was thinking that maybe my grandkids will take this train and, how, once you build the transit system, it’s going to affect where people live, where they work, and will have huge ramifications in the future.
Why is doing volunteer work so important to you?
I’m involved with a few engineering volunteer organizations. One is the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers. There’s a history committee and we arrange for plaques to recognize historical engineering sites in Canada. Last year we put up a plaque at the Niagara Generating Station. What I find really rewarding is there’s going to be school groups going through the area; they’re going to read this plaque and it might inspire an elementary or high school student to think about engineering and the impact you can have on people. I also try to do a lot with young professionals, both at Hatch and through other organizations like PEO. I think about what kind of support I would have liked at the start of my career, and I feel like I have a lot of lessons learned to share with the next generation of engineers.
What advice would you give to engineers just starting their careers?
One big piece of advice is to grow your network both in the industry and within your company. The more you can connect with people, the more likely you’re going to know someone who has an answer to a technical question or to find a mentor that can help or inspire you.
Enjoy the early stage of your career and don’t be in a rush to advance. Being a new grad gives you a unique opportunity to try a wide range of projects and roles. Raise your hand for any different experiences you can get – it really is an amazing learning opportunity.
Of course, try to get out in the field whenever you can at the start of your career. It will get harder once you have kids!
You had a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the field about a decade ago. What was that like?
When I was doing my PhD in the UK, there were earthquakes in the central region of Italy in 2016. I was part of a team of volunteers, researchers and industry professionals who went to the area to do a post-earthquake study and investigation. There were spectacular villages where there was literally nothing left of them, so that was a really intense experience. We saw how buildings collapsed, how they actually behaved in earthquakes versus how we design things. That really impacted my research which was in structural and seismic engineering. It just showed that when you’re doing your calculations, how important that is and when you’re doing your engineering work, remember people are in these buildings and make sure you really think things through. I found that inspirational to see what can go wrong and then conversely, if you do a good job, what kind of impact you’re going to have. With diligent and thoughtful engineering, you can literally save lives.
My dad is from a small historical hilltop town in Italy (Limosano, CB) that was heavily damaged by earthquakes. I used to go there every summer as a kid to visit my grandparents and other family. Being exposed to historic masonry structures is probably what got me into engineering in the first place. I found myself finishing my PhD in earthquake engineering and being at a similar site many years later and trying to help, sort of completing a circle.
Why do you stay connected to McMaster?
Mac was an awesome student experience, both academically and socially. I made some lifelong friends there. I met my wife there. My wife and I actually did our engagement photoshoot on the campus. I think giving back is important. Your university trained you and gave you all these opportunities, so it’s nice when you’re working in industry that you try to help students have a similar experience. I also find it extremely energizing to work with young engineering students, they are full of energy and passion.
Alumni Blueprints is a Q&A series that highlights the journeys of exceptional McMaster Engineering alumni. Discover how they built their careers, from joining student clubs and teams to seizing co-op opportunities that ignited their passions during their undergraduate years. Our alumni share their unique stories and insights, offering a blueprint for success in their respective fields. Want to share your blueprint for success? Contact the Alumni Team at engalum@mcmaster.ca.