Tim Schwalfenberg discovered a passion for the forces that bind our world together in materials engineering.
(Edmonton) Five years ago Tim Schwalfenberg probably would have told you that school, bladesmithing, guitar pedals, pipelines, and Lego have nothing in common - but today, he could tell you how each of these is somehow woven into his university story.
Having always been drawn to math and science, the choice to pursue engineering was an easy one for Schwalfenberg and after his first year of university, he was on track for a materials engineering degree with a co-op designation. At the outset, he thought the program would involve a lot of physical design but he soon learned it was more focused on the technical and functional aspects of making objects work.
Schwalfenberg describes materials engineers as people who look at materials and break them down into their smallest components before building them back up into structures, something all engineering disciplines do on some level, and something he discovered he really enjoys.
"I like looking at things in the real world and knowing why the materials they're made of were chosen," he said. "It's fascinating to me."
On top of finding a stream of engineering that suits his natural curiosities, Schwalfenberg also found a tight-knit community in the Faculty of Engineering. He made numerous close friends through his involvement in the Materials and Engineering Club and Gear Week, and stumbled into the University of Alberta's Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS) bladesmithing group.
The only Canadian university to compete in this annual competition, the TMS group makes blades that are judged on engineering aspects like how the metal is processed, treated, and its microstructure. Besides the hands-on fabrication experience he gained, Schwalfenberg also had the opportunity to travel to San Diego to present the group's work at the TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition.
Co-op provided another avenue for community building for Schwalfenberg, who spent several summers working alongside his fellow students. His first work placement was in the National Institute for Nanotechnology on the U of A campus, assisting with research on molecular electronics using guitar distortion pedals.
"I did quality testing on pedals to see what conditions they worked in," he said. "I even got to bring my own instruments."
Schwalfenberg also did work terms with Imperial Oil and Canadian Natural Resources doing pipeline reliability and integrity work. With Imperial Oil, where he got to interact with a lot of different people and get out in the field. This August, he will be returning to work for them full time.
Besides taking a full course load and working full-time co-op jobs, Schwalfenberg still managed to find time to pursue other hobbies. He credits this to the fact that in his first year of university, in preparation for the hard work he knew was ahead, he dropped quite a few activities he was involved in during high school. However, after earning a few scholarships that helped him avoid having to work too much outside of his co-op placements, he had a bit more free time than he had anticipated. So to fill the time gap, he took up building Lego!
His interest in Lego started after seeing other people's work online. Lego building has a mathematical and technical aspect to it that appeals to him and involves fitting together ratios and problem-solving.
Schwalfenberg's creations are nothing short of amazing. His work is displayed on his website where he describes Lego "as a way of giving substance to a story, of turning words into worlds and making ideas come to light."
"I like seeing the improvement in what I build," he said. "I am a visual thinker so I can see an object in my mind and then make it. Kind of like rapid prototyping."
His work recently caught the eye of the Lego Group, who invited him to Denmark - home of the original Lego factory - to display his creations there this September.