Students

Convocation ‘23: Oussama Tijani, BSc, Materials Engineering (traditional)

Donna McKinnon - 1 June 2023

 

Rote learning was never Oussama Tijani’s objective as a student in materials engineering. Genuinely fascinated by the subject, Oussama's work ethic encompassed more than just the acquisition of knowledge, but also the step beyond to a deeper and more grounded understanding of the subject.

“When you put your energy into understanding how and why things work the way they do, your learning experience is much more enjoyable,” he says, adding that his peer group, particularly his best friend, were instrumental in pushing him beyond his self-imposed limits.

At the end of this term, Oussama received the APEGA Past Presidents' Medal in Materials Engineering, which is awarded to the graduating student with the highest academic standing in materials engineering on the basis of the third and fourth year combined.

Inspired by the various mentors in his life — managers, professors and friends — Oussama’s ultimate goal is to become a great engineer, and a great leader.

Congratulations Oussama!

 

What led you to choose your current area of study, and why the U of A for your studies?

I've gotten a materials engineering diploma from NAIT and worked in a manufacturing company under a great manager who was a material engineer himself. He was knowledgeable and respected, and I was inspired by his great leadership. I am naturally a curious individual, and I wanted to expand my knowledge further in materials engineering. So, acquiring an engineering degree was simply the first step. The University of Alberta was the perfect choice to get this degree as it is local and reputable for engineering in Canada.

Tell us about your experience in your program.

One thing you quickly notice is the small size of classes in the materials engineering program compared to other disciplines. These smaller classes fostered interactive discussions among students and professors, which improved learning. For introverts like myself, it forced me to get out of my bubble and meet other students who share similar ideas, interests and values, which made that experience less frightening. It also helped in connecting professors with students, which addressed issues/questions concerned by the majority of the class. Professors are happy to assist students outside of class with projects, assignments or reports as long as they show interest.

One thing I genuinely appreciate about the materials engineering program is the high number of presentations required in third and fourth-year classes. They genuinely put a lot of emphasis on improving presentation skills for the students, and they certainly provide many opportunities to do so.

What is one of your favourite memories from your time at U of A?

I had the pleasure to meet Bebak, a classmate in my third year, and a brotherhood instantly formed. Bebak has played a significant role in my success in engineering as we pushed each other to our limits in all of our classes. One of my favourite memories is the countless times we had to practice for our capstone presentations. We would begin seriously planning and preparing the presentations, and by the end of the day, we would be joking and playing like two kids at the playground. Looking back at it, it was incredible how we could instantly switch between being goofy/playful to being super focused and serious about the work. This companionship was instrumental in my academic success.

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

Although the capstone projects were challenging and rewarding, failure analysis (MAT E 474) was my favourite class. This class combined various fundamental knowledge in materials engineering to solve problems. There were no correct answers. Answers needed to be formed based on evidence and the information provided for the problem. This approach was completely different from how I approached problems throughout my degree, and this gave me insights into how to approach problems differently. This class is interesting as it genuinely fed my curiosity and sparked my interest in materials engineering.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

There is no magic potion to success. A great work ethic is partly the reason for being successful. However, I would emphasize understanding. When you put your energy into understanding how and why things work the way they do, you develop interest. This interest makes your learning experience much more enjoyable and way less tedious. I understand it is difficult to do so when you have to juggle five or six classes a semester, but over time, you develop resilience and acquire knowledge that becomes useful in the later years of your degree.

You would be surprised by how much you've learned over the years. If you are in engineering, you already possess remarkable qualities. My advice is to put your energy into understanding class material and always give your best, and I can guarantee that you will be surprised by how much you can achieve and how great you can be.

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

I will recuperate the time lost with my family, so I will celebrate this special moment with them as they have always been supportive and sacrificed greatly for me to reach my goals.

What's next after graduation?

Failure analysis has always been of great interest to me, and I hope to pursue this field as a career in the future. As for now, I will be looking to earn some real-world engineering experience to become a great leader and an inspiring engineer.