Convocation ‘24: James Tehusalawany, BEng Mechanical Engineering Co-op

James Tehusalawany, BEng Mechanical Engineering Co-op

A curiosity about the the inner workings of machinery leads to a career in mechanical engineering

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Curiosity is often what leads students to their field of study, and for James Tehusalawany, his fascination with the ‘inner workings of rotary machinery’ led directly to mechanical engineering. 

Understanding how things work, and finding ways to make them work better, is an underlying theme in his undergraduate experience, which culminated in the development of a robotic hand in his favourite course — MEC E 460. 

“We were able to design a robotic hand to automatically open residential and light commercial doors, with potential for use in the city's fire departments,” says James. “It was exciting because there were many unknowns that we had to tackle.”

Like many students in his cohort, James struggled with the isolation of online coursework due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but through perseverance (and a punching bag!) he learned to pivot and adapt, discovering a new level of resilience he did not know he possessed. 

As a co-op student, James worked with PCL Construction and Dow as a maintenance engineer intern. After graduation, he will continue with Dow troubleshooting heavy machinery and is looking forward to building his experience in the field.

Congratulations James!

What program are you graduating from?

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Co-op. 

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

I chose mechanical engineering because I'm fascinated by the inner workings of rotary equipment and the University of Alberta has a good mechanical engineering program.

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

One of my favourite memories was learning STAT 235 (Introductory Statistics for Engineering) from an online platform due to COVID. This was a challenging course personally, and that experience taught me the meaning of resilience. 

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

My favourite course was MEC E 460 (Design Project). I worked with a great team, and it was exciting because there were many unknowns that we had to tackle. We were able to design a robotic hand to automatically open residential and light commercial doors with potential for use in the city's fire departments. 

Did you face any significant obstacles or challenges during your program?

Yes, going through two online semesters due to COVID was tough. I thought I could transition easily, however, it took some time to get used to studying without being physically active. This was mentally challenging, so I had to force myself to move around in between online classes. I also put a punching bag in my room so I could de-stress from learning engineering via online. 

What advice do you have for current and future students?

Before I went through engineering school, a friend reminded me about these two rules:  

1. Never quit 
2. Never forget rule 1 

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

I plan to travel to Asia and Europe for five weeks.

What's next after graduation?

I will be working full-time as a mechanical engineer, troubleshooting heavy machinery.