Fresh faces of Mac Eng – Summer 2025

We’re excited to welcome the following individuals into our Fireball Family, Read through to learn a bit more about our newest faculty and staff members.

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

I was incredibly excited by McMaster Engineering’s emphasis on providing early opportunities for students to develop research skills and work experience through the co-op program. The positive impact of this is clear by how advanced the senior undergraduate students are with collaborative and self-driven technology development and research objectives. It’s a privilege to get to work with such talented and inspired students!

At work, you…

My absolute favorite parts of my job are mentoring students, and luckily, that’s how I spend a lot of my time. Whether it’s over of period of a semester or through the course of a student’s degree, I always observe significant progress in ways the students may not even realize themselves.

What emoji do you use most?

I use 🐢 and 🤠, and even better, on Android I can combine them into a turtle wearing a cowboy hat.

What’s a highlight of our campus?

The nature trails, they are a wonderful place to go and enjoy some fresh air on my lunch break.

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

JHE 144A – I was interviewed in that room and got lost on the way to the interview! I now have a colour coded map of the building which I share with students.

What’s your favourite thing you’ve experienced so far?

Meeting one of our students as she was just about to complete her Thesis Defence, supporting her through the process and seeing her excitement to have completed this step in her academic journey.

Fireball shoutout – was anyone extra helpful to you in figuring out life at Mac Eng?

Amelia Brook – Thanks for being so patient answering all my questions!

Outside of work, you….

Outside of work, I enjoy listening to music and playing guitar. I grew up playing hockey, and so athletics continues to be a part of my life. Running is an avid hobby of mine and this past year I participated in Hamilton’s Around the Bay – 15KM race.

What’s your favourite thing you’ve experienced so far?

My favourite thing that I’ve experienced so far was the Faculty Fest. Getting to chat with the students from our clubs and teams was very eye-opening. We have so many bright people on this campus and getting to see what they create and design with their clubs is super cool! Some of my favourites were the aerospace team, Mars rover team, and the baja racing team.

What emoji do you use most?

🤣 – probably this laughing emoji!

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

The Loft (4th Floor DBAC)

What emoji do you use most?

The red heart!

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

I have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and the role was very much to my liking. It was a win win for me. I like working with data day in and day out.

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

I like the Hogwarts like Archway close to Gilmour Hall. Mostly because I had my picture taken there with the former president of the university.

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

I had trouble finding my office in JHE 214 when took a wrong turn.

What emoji do you use most?

Apart from Smileys. I like using Eyes a lot.

At work, you….

I manage the Materials Property Assessment Lab (MPAL). I specialize in using advanced characterization techniques to understand how material structures influence performance, helping industries solve challenges and improve product reliability. My current focus is on translating emerging technologies into practical applications across sectors, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world engineering solutions to enable sustained innovation and impact.

What is a highlight of campus?

The Willy Dog Stand

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

Basement of Chester New Hall

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

I’ve heard great things about the people – staff, students, faculty and senior leadership!

Outside of work, you…

…volunteer at 1812 museums as a historic cook and re-enactor (think Jane Austen meets Iron Chef).

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

ABB Tower C201

What’s your favourite thing you’ve experienced so far?

Meeting students and alumni at the Engineering and Management Program’s 50th Anniversary Celebration during Homecoming.

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

It’s a place where I can push the boundaries of research, collaborate with industry, and still be part of a vibrant campus community.

At work, you…

At work, I make metals dance under extreme conditions, watch them transform in unexpected ways. Each experiment becomes a story about how science meets industry.

What’s a highlight of our campus?

For me, the highlight of campus is the mix of nature and community. I love that you can go from lab to forest trails in just a few minutes

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

Definitely the fourth floor of JHE.

At work, you…

I have the coolest job: I take the really complex, important things our researchers are working on and figure out the best ways to present them to various audiences, both inside and outside the university, in ways that they will understand. This can take any number of forms – my primary trade is writing so most projects feature a story of some sort, of course, but I’m also a video producer, graphic designer and digital marketer, so I’m able to really pick and choose the best avenues to share these stories.

What’s a highlight of our campus?

“The walkability of campus is really underrated. Creative work has a tendency to be mind-numbingly frustrating from time to time, especially when you can’t quite translate the ideas you have in your head to the Word doc. I’ve found that the best way to remedy that frustration is to go for a walk, so it’s an immense privilege to be able to do just that on a campus that’s surrounded by such beautiful natural landscapes.

Also, Willy Dog. It was iconic when I started here as an undergrad 15 years ago, it was iconic when I finished grad school 10 years ago, and it’s still iconic today.

What’s been the hardest room/building to find so far?

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to navigate JHE. It just doesn’t make sense.

What emoji do you use most?

I don’t know what it’s called, but my most used emoji is definitely the smiley face with the little bead of sweat running down its face.

At work, you…

At work, I create spaces where Black students in Engineering feel seen, supported, and connected to opportunities that help them succeed. On the recruitment side, I engage with high school students and their families to support their pathway into Engineering, and on the career advising side, I work with current students to help them navigate opportunities, resources, and next steps in their journey.

Outside of work, you…

Outside of work, I love exploring Hamilton’s food scene and supporting local businesses. You can usually find me at a spin class, lifting weights, or hanging out with my partner, family, and friends. I also support BLK OWNED HAMONT, a passion project that highlights and uplifts Black-owned businesses in the city.

What emoji do you use most?

🙌 I use the praise hands most often at work — whether it’s to give kudos to teammates, congratulate someone on an achievement, or simply say thank you.

What attracted you to McMaster Engineering?

I did my undergrad here!

Outside of work, you…

Play board games and go hiking.

---

The people featured above opted in to this feature and are part of a larger cohort of staff and faculty who joined Mac Eng in the past couple of months.