Future engineering students at McMaster University will have access to a state-of-the-art learning space, thanks to a $1.5-million gift from Candu Energy: the original equipment manufacturer of CANDU nuclear technology and a subsidiary of AtkinsRéalis, a global engineering services and nuclear organization.
This significant investment will fund the renovation of a former manufacturing hub into the Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio, a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance the educational experience for first-year engineering students. The studio, combined with associated renovated spaces, will be the most significant update to the John Hodgins Engineering building in several years.
(Left to right) Heather Sheardown, Dean of Engineering; Gary Rose, President & CEO of Candu Energy and David Farrar, President of McMaster University. (Photo by Georgia Kirkos/McMaster University).
"This gift is truly transformative. It allows us to create an environment that perfectly supports our innovative curriculum, challenging students to develop creative solutions for a brighter future," says Heather Sheardown, Dean of Engineering. "We are grateful to Candu Energy for their commitment to enabling future generations of engineers to flourish."
"We are proud to support the development of a space where the best and the brightest in our industry can learn and thrive," says Gary Rose, President & CEO of Candu Energy. "Ontario faces a pressing talent shortage across engineering, project management, and skilled trades. This poses a risk to the vast expansion of the province's clean power grid so critical to servicing the growing demand for power. Our gift not only reflects our commitment to fostering the next generation of engineering talent, but also our desire to see STEM students studying and working in Ontario in such critically important sectors like energy and infrastructure to sustain Ontario's competitiveness."
A new era for engineering education
The proposed Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio will be a 5,000 square foot hub where first-year students can collaborate, create and flex their ingenuity to tackle real-world problems through meaningful engineering solutions.
It will feature leading-edge equipment such as laser cutters and 3D printers, a prototyping area and designated areas for group collaboration. A teaching area with large LED screens and floor-to-ceiling windows will provide a bright, open learning environment. A second-floor mezzanine will offer flexible space for students, aligning with the renovation's goal of establishing a collaborative "collision space" for interdisciplinary teamwork.
The studio will host 1P13 - Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects in Engineering. This course introduces students to engineering concepts, develops their skills and applies those skills to three real-world group projects.
"It's exciting to imagine the possibilities for our students who will have the opportunity to learn in an exciting new environment, with ample space and equipment, designed with their fundamental needs in mind," says Sheardown.
Strengthening an academic-industry partnership
The gift marks a milestone in the growing relationship between Candu Energy and McMaster.
Earlier in the year, McMaster became an ambassador for Canadians for CANDU, a campaign promoting Canada's only domestically developed, owned, and licensed nuclear technology as a source of emission-free energy, which powers over half of Ontario.
As Canada's nuclear university home to the country's largest research reactor and with many McMaster Engineering researchers focused on clean energy, this gift further solidifies the alignment between the university and Candu Energy, which includes leveraging Canadian engineering excellence to create high-skilled, high paying jobs in Canada for future generations.
The Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio will be renamed to recognize Candu Energy's generous contribution and long-term commitment to McMaster and its students.
Construction of the Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio is scheduled to begin in early 2025 and slated to open in the fall 2026 semester.
