Alison Scott, who studied chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo between 2008 and 2019, is now Assistant Professor, Department of Process Engineering & Applied Science at Dalhousie University.
A grade 11 Chemistry project on Teflon sparked Alison Scott’s interest in using small compounds (monomers) as building blocks that could be put together to make something useful (polymers). She appreciated the concept of creating something that was more valuable than its parts. Perhaps that wasn’t surprising, because she has incorporated that concept throughout her life – whether she is making connections among people, helping students learn how to use their knowledge to solve big problems or using resources wisely to create useful materials.
Now, after completing her BASc, MASc and PhD in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, she is an assistant professor in the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Sense of community
Scott pursued her undergrad studies at University of Waterloo because its specialized first year and co-op program let her jump in and get the hands-on learning she wanted.
Growing up in northern Ontario, Scott anticipated moving away from home for university, but she was pleasantly surprised to find a sense of community immediately upon arriving on campus. At Conrad Grebel Residence, she met friends and found the support network she needed to cope with the challenges of her education.
Time management
Her biggest challenge was balance. The high volume of school work combined with the necessity to move every four months to fulfill her co-op requirements created a shortfall of time and overload of stress.
“I was always motivated to learn and used creative strategies, even colour coding my notes, to study effectively. But the sheer volume of assignments, quizzes and co-op responsibilities at university was overwhelming. It was a challenge for me.” she says.
To cope, Scott built a sense of community, first with her friends in residence and later with her classmates. They worked together to build strong study habits, encourage one another and celebrate successes. In the process, Scott learned to prioritize her work, be protective of her time and find a balance between doing her best work and finding time for selfcare, socializing and music. These relationships and skills became her personal set of building blocks, helping her learn and do more, including sharing those skills with others.
Beyond academics
Scott’s eleven years at UWaterloo were full, between academics, co-op employment, research, teaching and her many extra-curricular activities. She progressed from teaching assistant to sessional lecturer. She was a student supervisor within the polymer reaction engineering lab, a lab safety representative, a journal reviewer and a guest speaker for the Institute for Polymer Research Seminar Series. Through it all, Scott worked closely with Women in Engineering, engaging young girls in STEM activities and finding creative ways to encourage them to consider a career in engineering.
Mentorship
Scott’s interest in STEM developed from a young age, and she was nurtured by many family members and teachers. But at university, she was surprised to see that women were underrepresented in engineering. During her undergraduate studies, she interacted with only a few female faculty members. As she progressed to graduate studies, they were among the many people who were instrumental in her journey. Her mentors provided advice, motivation and emotional support; wrote reference letters; and introduced her to helpful people and organizations. They supported her development as a student and more.
“I always focused on being well-rounded,” she says. “I was fortunate that I was able to publish research work early in my academic career, but I was careful to not let that define me. I made time to do outreach, develop relationships and be intentional about developing myself as a person – not just a researcher,” says Scott.
Supporting mental health
Through her involvement in the TA program and the Centre for Teaching Excellence, Alison became more aware of how many people struggled with the challenges of university. She saw that teaching assistants could play an important part in supporting students.
“Everyone needs to prioritize mental health,” she says, “and I’d like to see all students feel more comfortable supporting each other. But TAs, who regularly interact with students, have a perfect opportunity to recognize when something is not right. They might even see it before the professor does. So they need to know what steps to take, immediately.”
With skill and compassion, one can move beyond simply teaching facts. “To be an effective mentor, you need to be well versed in whatever your students are experiencing – whether it’s stress from too many university deadlines or feelings of exclusion from being a member of an underrepresented group in your profession. I feel very fortunate to have had the support and encouragement of many mentors over my academic and professional career,” says Scott.
Positive role models
Recognizing the value of having positive female role models to guide and inspire her progress, Scott wanted to be that positive role model for the next generation of engineers. She decided to become a professor herself when she was part way through her undergrad degree. Under the supervision of another instrumental mentor, Professor Alex Penlidis, with whom she worked during her third and fourth-year co-op terms and both of her post-graduate degrees, she became an expert in polymers.
Polymer research
In her current role as a professor, Scott continues to investigate how the ‘building blocks’ work together so she can improve the processes through which new materials are designed.
“My research aims to improve understanding of how chemical reactions take place to form polymers (polymerization) so that we can tailor-make materials for specific custom applications,” she explains.
Historically, many new materials were designed through trial and error. Scott takes a more deliberate approach. She uses statistical design of experiments to draw links between the synthesis steps, the polymer structure and the application performance. With careful planning and intentional design, she aims to make the most of limited resources and create the best polymeric material for each application.
To date, Scott has 22 refereed journal publications and has shared her research at national and international conferences. She has received several awards in recognition of her work, including the Vale Masters in Engineering Scholarship from the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation, an NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship, a Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology Nanofellowship Award and a 2018 Institute for Polymer Research Award.
This year, she was honoured with the department’s most prestigious award: the Park and Veva Reilly Medal for Proficiency in Research, which is awarded to recognize skill in research as measured by analysis of an engineering problem, planning an efficient solution of the problem and achieving the solution with superior insight into the science and/or engineering involved.
Lessons Learned
Alison Scott is more than an expert on polymers. She’s also a great resource on university life, having been an undergraduate, masters and doctoral student, postdoctoral fellow and lecturer. While her advice is applicable for students at any stage in their academics, Scott offers it specifically to the first- and second-year students who may be struggling with new challenges and emotions:
- When you’re looking for a co-op job, look beyond Southern Ontario. There are many great opportunities in other places – Northern Ontario, Eastern or Western Canada, International. Explore! Go where the jobs are. You will benefit from interesting work, personal growth and technical opportunities that will provide many benefits.
- When you are sitting in a class, studying foundational concepts, it can be difficult to see why they matter in the field. But have confidence that the information will be useful. When I got my first two co-op jobs at a metallurgy site in Northern Ontario, I saw why the concepts matter, and I was glad to have that information in my toolbox.
- You will face disappointment, and you will need to learn how to develop resilience. Everyone will face challenges at some point. Reach out for help from friends, family, classmates or instructors – build a community of people around you that will support you on your journey.