A first in Canada, The Engineer of the Future Trust will provide a pool of student support, bridge financing and discretionary micro-seed funding for budding entrepreneurs at Waterloo Engineering.
Says Dean Pearl Sullivan: “Our students are driven to succeed, with a strong entrepreneurial tenacity and an innate desire to make a difference in the world. The Engineer of the Future Trust addresses the challenge to incubate student success in a fast evolving global economy. Our students can pivot faster with fewer entanglements – if they have the resources.”
The Engineer of the Future Trust (EFT) will provide the dean with flexible, short turnaround funding to leverage world-changing ideas in Waterloo Engineering’s proven incubation hub. Funds may be disbursed for tuition support, bridge financing, assistance with Capstone design projects – moving ideas from concept to full scale prototype, or accessed by Waterloo Engineering student teams, who are competing internationally. The key is that the fund can be used to move viable business projects forward when the timing counts. We ask a lot of our students and in return, with your support of the Engineer of the Future Trust, we can open doors to accelerate their achievements while they complete a rigorous program of study.
In 2013, a New York Times article referred to the University of Waterloo as “one of the world’s best technology schools”, pointing out that our unique approach to experiential, solution oriented education attracts Canada’s top engineering talent. This is reinforced by international rankings, which consistently place us among the Top 50 schools in the world, and our 20 straight years as Canada’s most innovative university in the annual Maclean’s rankings. Our alumni come back to hire our students, work with our faculty members and share their experiences.
Terry Cunningham, (BASc '83, Mech) President and General Manager of EVault (a Seagate Company), celebrating his 30th anniversary as a Waterloo Engineer, has announced a matching gift of $50,000, to “help fund the next generation of innovators at Waterloo Engineering.” When total donations received reach $50,000, your gift is effectively doubled.
The demand for Waterloo engineers is growing and the programs we offer, the students we graduate and the engineering solutions we develop act as a springboard for advances that improve the human condition. Help us help our students make a difference.
For further information, contact Nenone Donaldson in Waterloo Engineering's Advancement Office