Degree: Mechatronics Engineering, BASc 2018
LinkedIn: Naveen Nirmalaraj
What are you doing now and how does your engineering education from Waterloo help with your life today?
I am currently a Rail Systems Designer working for an engineering consulting firm, working primarily on the GO expansion project that is taking place in Toronto and the GTA. My education from Waterloo helped to hone my thinking so that I would be an effective problem solver. My co-op experiences give me multiple perspectives on how to approach any work situation, whether they be technical or social. I had one co-op experience in particular which is especially valued in the passenger rail industry, so I have the University of Waterloo to thank for that.
Why did you decide to be a part of REAC?
I have the perspective of someone who was not particularly excited about getting involved in engineering extracurriculars in undergrad, so I'm hoping to excite and engage like-minded alumni.
What is a favourite piece of advice or quote that you would be interested in sharing?
"But death and life, success and failure, pain and pleasure, wealth and poverty, all these happen to good and bad alike, and they are neither noble nor shameful - and hence neither good nor bad." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
What was your favourite place to eat at in Waterloo?
Itamae Sushi, Mr. Panino’s, Williams (for tea/coffee mainly), Chen's
What are your plans for the near future?
I'm getting married next August so all my plans for the near future are related to that - suit shopping, wedding planning, reaching out to vendors, etc.
Finally, do you have any fun and/or interesting media recommendations? Could be a book, song, movie, documentary, videogame, etc.
I've been going through Star Trek - The Original Series on Netflix. It's great to see how they navigated the perils of their time (i.e., the Cold War) and what they thought the near and far future would look like.