Name: Catherine Tsouvaltsidis
Program: Aerospace Engineering
University(s) / College(s) Attended: York University
Education / Degree(s): B. Eng (Space Engineering)
Current Job Title: Senior Data and Visualisation Analyst
Current Employer: TD Bank
Email: Send Email
Fun Facts About Me
Share one fun fact about yourself: I first practised engineering at the Algonquin Radio Observatory – Canada's largest fully steerable radio antenna!
The most inspiring engineer I know is ....... Because ........ ?: Neil Armstrong – talk about a rich history and amazing story.
Profile Questions
Why did you choose to study engineering?: I have always enjoyed tinkering and solving problems. Engineering was a way for me to explore the world and come up with innovative solutions to problems I encountered.
What are your best memories of your engineering education?: My capstone project was my best memory of my engineering education. We performed a high altitude ballooning project where we measured atmospheric parameters and compared them to know data. It was a huge project - we built everything from scratch because we couldn't afford to buy the pre-made equipment. It was a cumulation of hardware, software, laboratory and field work, and ingenuity. It sparked my interest in RF engineering and led me to explore how remote sensing is performed.
How do you apply your engineering degree to your current career?: In my current work, I use engineering to help people with their data analysis and data visualization. I work on a team where we get about 100 problems to solve a day, so I need to be fast on keyboard and come up with effective solutions. I also need to work directly with the end user, so it is really important to use my soft skills and communication when some issues are difficult or the solution may be more technical than the end user's abilities.
What do you love most about your career?: I love being able to continuously challenge myself and my pre-conceptions.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to pursue a career in engineering?: I would recommend for someone to work hard, study well and make lots of friends. It is important to remember that each theoretical lesson you will learn in school has a application in real life and to be flexible with how those applications present themselves.