Name: Laura Bishop

Hometown: Collingwood, Ontario

Program Studied: Mechanical Engineering

University attended: Deakin University, University of Southern Queensland

Education: Bachelor of Engineering Technology, Master of Engineering Practice, Graduate of Business

Current Job Title: Product Engineer

Current Employer: AGNORA Ltd

Email: lbishop@agnora.com
LinkedIn Profile: Laura Bishop | LinkedIn

Why did you choose engineering?

Completely by accident! Becoming an engineer was never a childhood dream and wasn’t a career that I had much knowledge about, to be honest. I dreamt of becoming an architect, an architect that incorporated artistic and out of the box thinking, with the perpetual desire to find a solution to complicated problems. I remember sitting in the qualifying exam to enter the architect program at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia, the table was maybe 24” wide, and there were 2499 other students crammed in a small space taking the very same exam. The space was stunning, with incredible details on the roof, but I couldn’t help feeling that this wasn’t for me. Before the exam even commenced, I grabbed my gear and left. It was time to change gears, what career could feed my desire to imagine out of the box solutions, while being artistic, and solve complex problems? Engineering. This became clear as I was flipping through the university handbook deciding on degrees to apply to. The description of the degree resonated with me so clearly.

How do you currently apply your engineering degree?
Throughout my career I have found myself focused on the development of products within the manufacturing sector. Progressively over the years, my focus has shifted to working with cross functional teams to strengthen operational processes to improve business performance. While this shift moves away from the development of tangible products, developing strategies and plans for deployment within a business utilizes many of the skills and methodologies which we learn and utilize as an engineer.

What advice do you have for someone hoping to pursue a career in engineering?

Engineering is a mindset that can be applied in many careers. Its not always number crunching and solving complicated equations, it can be simple or it can be complex, but the process is the same. As you are developing your engineering skills, don’t forget to develop your people and communication skills. In our roles, we are constantly working within cross functional teams and rely on these teams to discover the best solutions. Be tenacious in continually learning.

What do you love most about your career?

Learning … Thinking … Creativity … Sharing

These are words that motivate me within my career. Working with people to develop and help them grow, is what I love the most.

Share one fun fact about yourself:
My husband and I designed and physically built our home on our farm. We raise our own animals and produce as much as possible and strive to one day have a self sustained farm that provides for our family. We have 6 horses, which all have a unique stories of owners that gave up on them. My daughters and I work together with these horses to get them back to their full potential. I am not an expert or professional, but thoroughly enjoy the breakthrough results.

The most inspiring engineer you know is…? Because….?:

Mary Jackson. Aeronautical Engineer at Nasa in the 1950’s. Her career as an aerospace engineer was extraordinary, but it was her decision to leave engineering and take a demotion to become the manager of the women’s program at NASA that inspires me. Women empowering other women to be their best selves, while personally taking a step back from an exceptional career, to pursue something you are deeply passionate about is truly difficult and inspiring.