BUILDING COMMUNITY
Karen Chu (CivE 2T0 + PEY)
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Karen Chu has jumped at any opportunity to both represent U of T Engineering and to be a voice for her peers.
She joined the CivClub, quickly moving up each year, from mentorship director to becoming the student club’s chair. As a student ambassador working in the Engineering Recruitment Office, she helped prospective students make the decision to choose U of T Engineering. And through the Girls’ Leadership in Engineering Experience initiative, run by the Engineering Outreach office, she shared her experiences to inspire the next generation of female engineers.
Like many civil engineering students, Chu says the highlight of her studies was Survey Camp. She and her classmates built their class monument, which consisted of a clear resin table that encased mementos from their undergraduate years, a tetherball pole, and a concrete stepping stone with their class year written on it with mosaic tiles.
“This experience incorporated all the elements of U of T Engineering — teamwork, designing and building, fun with friends, hard work and challenges, and a lasting impact,” says Chu.
Her biggest lesson from her undergraduate experience is to never give up and to never hesitate to ask for help — a message she wants to share with current and upcoming first years.
“Asking for help when needed has been vital to my personal growth,” she says. “I also learned the importance of community and communication. No work, especially in engineering, can be done alone and we need to be able to understand each other to accomplish goals together.”
Upon graduation, Chu plans to pursue a career in residential construction and apply her knowledge of building science to design sustainable homes.
“I would like to thank the CivMin Department, staff and professors, for their continued support, Civ Club for helping me develop my soft skills, and the Civil Engineering community for welcoming me into the family and providing a place to call home. I would also like to give a shoutout to the CIV2T0 class. It’s been a wild journey but your kindness and comradery have made it an unforgettable experience.”
CATALYZING SUSTAINABILITY
Chibulu (Lulu) Luo (CivMin PhD 2T1)
“I am passionate about using my engineering skills to address global challenges,” says Chibulu (Lulu) Luo.
Luo’s doctoral research examined current and future trends of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in one of Africa’s largest and fastest growing cities, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
“What was most exciting about my research was the opportunity to explore important sustainability and energy sector questions and conduct extensive fieldwork in Dar es Salaam,” says Luo. “I appreciate the fact that I led doctoral work that both aligns with this passion and aims to inform policies and investments for improved energy access and societal well-being in developing countries.”
In Dar es Salaam, Luo coordinated a diverse team of local graduate students, who helped to administer her research survey to more than 1,300 households across the city. Her research has also taken her to Ghana, Zambia and Rwanda.
She says one of her proudest moments during her time at U of T Engineering was helping to lead the Faculty’s Engineering Education for Sustainable Cities in Africa (EESC-A) project.
“I still have fond memories of 2018, a time when two of my EESC-A colleagues travelled from Toronto to Dar es Salaam to mark EESC-A’s presence at a policy workshop that I was planning as part of my fieldwork,” she recalls. “My memory is still painted with the joyous image of our after-workshop dinner and celebration at a beachfront restaurant in Dar es Salaam.”
Luo is currently working as a consultant with the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds, providing research and strategic expertise to various renewable energy projects around the world.
She says she’s not entirely sure what the future holds, but “I certainly want to continue fuelling my passion for research, teaching and topics that are globally relevant and significant.”
“A big thank you to my supervisor, Professor Heather MacLean (CivMin). Heather gave me space to delve into different topics, some of which did not make it to the written pages of my final thesis, but which were essential to developing my research questions and goals. I also appreciated our many conversations on research ideas or life in general – especially last year given the initial uncertainties of navigating research and life at home amid a global pandemic. I look forward to staying in touch with Heather over the course of my career.”
Stories by Liz Do and Tyler Irving
Read the full list of Engineering’s Grads to Watch posted on Engineering News