Name: Calene Treichel
Program: Mechanical Engineering
Degree you are studying toward: PhD
Expected year of graduation: 2024
Institution: Carleton University, University of Manitoba
Email: Send Email
Fun Facts About Me
If your best friend had to describe you in 10 words or less, what would they say?: Friendly, resourceful, positive, fun-loving, logical, social
Share one fun fact about yourself: I have a cuddly, chatty cat named Plutonium (Pluto for short)!
What do you want to accomplish in the next 10 years?: I hope to have a positive impact in our low carbon future through my professional and personal choices. My goals are to successfully complete my doctorate degree, earn my professional engineer designation, and find a job that I love. In addition to my career goals, I hope to work towards making engineering a more gender balanced profession by being a mentor and role model, and by educating younger females on career options that are possible with engineering.
The most inspiring engineer I know is ....... Because ........?: My graduate supervisor Cynthia Cruickshank because she is such a positive role model for her students, treating them with compassion and having everyone’s best interest in mind. She is an active advocate for 30by30 as Carleton University’s ambassador, and is very willing to take the time to make people feel valued, explain concepts clearly, and share her knowledge and passion for low carbon buildings.
Profile Questions
Why did you choose your program of study?: I am passionate about combating climate change via energy efficient technologies and sustainable electricity generation sources. I want to work in this field for my career, so I felt it important to specialize for my graduate degrees. I kept my undergraduate degree more general (mechanical engineering) because I was unsure what career path I wanted to pursue earlier on in my education. Mechanical engineering was great in providing a solid foundation for my current program and future career, but I am excited to continue learning more about sustainable energy throughout my graduate studies.
What has been your favourite course (in Engineering) and why?: I loved thermodynamics and heat transfer courses during undergrad, but my favourite course was a graduate level building performance simulation course. The course was focused on simulating heat and energy transfers in buildings using EnergyPlus and ESP-r, and understanding the calculation methods for the heat transfer phenomenon occurring within the buildings. It was a course for which I directly saw the applicability within industry, my research, and my future career prospects, and I am excited to continue applying the knowledge I gained from it in the future.
What has been the best part of your Engineering education to date?: My two best experiences were receiving the Gold Medallion in Mechanical Engineering and receiving my iron ring. Both serve (then and now) as reminders of the hard work I put into my undergrad. Earning an iron ring had been a goal of mine since I decided to pursue a career in engineering nearly ten years prior (in grade 8), so I was excited about the Iron Ring ceremony throughout my whole degree. My final year of my undergraduate degree became even more exciting when I found out I’d also earned the Gold Medal in Mechanical Engineering for graduating with the highest overall grade-point average in my class!
What do you hope to do after you graduate?: I hope to have a career working towards increasing energy efficiency of buildings and building systems, and be able to teach engineering students in the future. My goal is to use the knowledge I have gained throughout my education and apply my skills to reduce our carbon footprint, while educating others on impactful changes they can make.