Manmeet Brar, far right, found a direct path from mechanical engineering to the aerospace industry, and led a student team dedicated to designing and building rover-type vehicles capable of working on other planets.
(Edmonton) When Manmeet Brar tells the story of the journey to her degree in mechanical engineering, there's a point in her story that sets her apart from other graduates, where you know she is reminiscing over something special.
And no wonder: that special something involved building a Mars rover.
Ever since she was a child, Brar knew she wanted to work in the aerospace industry. When first introduced to space in elementary, she felt "amazed and overwhelmed with the complexity and beauty of what was outside of planet Earth."
She recalls memories of visiting the library and gathering as many space books and posters as she could carry. Her high school physics class allowed her to see and understand applications that she never noticed before, and she realized she was destined for a career in the aerospace industry.
The route she chose was through mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta.
As a new student, she heard about a new student aerospace group starting up and jumped at the chance to be involved.
The fact that she knew nothing about Mars rovers or how they worked was beside the point-she'd learn. And she did, as one of the first members of the Space Exploration Alberta Robotics (SPEAR) team. What followed was a steep learning curve and hours of hard work and dedication. But with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that came with it, the effort was well worth her time.
For the past two years, SPEAR has been involved bringing together students of all faculties together to design and build small Mars Rovers. The team competes annually in Drumheller, Alberta for the Canadian International Rover Challenge.
Now the general manager for SPEAR, Brar plays a crucial role in making sure the team runs smoothly, from financials to managing the resources but most importantly keeping the team motivated and excited.
Between balancing school, work, and SPEAR, this was a full-time job, but Brar has no regrets.
"Engineering at the U of A meant innovation-the ability to create something that can enrich the human experience," she said.
The collaborative culture on campus and in SPEAR enriched her education.
It's an atmosphere that "truly allows students to not only receive the full experience of an undergraduate degree, but provides the space to grow and expand one's ideas and goals."
With her undergrad degree in hand, Brar is optimistic about the future. She's excited about starting graduate studies, under the supervision of mechanical engineering professor Mike Lipsett.
Brar's excited to see where life takes her next. Her graduate studies will take her in directions she never imagined, but it's certain that path will lead to the final frontier.