Transforming Science Fiction into Reality

From left to right: Willow Dew, ’21 BSc(ChemEng), Erin Whitby, ’20 BSc(ElecEng), and Ang Li, ’19 MSc, with the EcoCar hydrogen fuel cell car.

Imagine ground transportation pods that can reach aircraft-level speeds with zero carbon emissions. Satellites that monitor Earthly wildfires, protecting rural communities from infernos. Top-performing, fuel efficient vehicles, manufactured with minimal environmental impact in a world with reduced oil reserves. Space rovers helping scientists understand the mysteries of Mars.

These are just some of the ways donor funding enables U of A engineering students to turn science fiction into reality.

Since 2008, the Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund has enhanced the engineering program by supporting student clubs focusing on innovative science fiction projects. It’s within these clubs that students find unique, hands-on opportunities to apply and deepen their classroom learning with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities housed exclusively at the U of A.

“Students are finding the time to work together to learn what it is to be collaborative, to learn what it is to actually build the future. It’s just wonderful to do anything we can to support them in that journey of discovery and realization.” — Gordon Winkel, ’77 BSc(MechEng), ’79 MEng, Donor, Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund Committee Member

The fund was named for a beloved professor, mentor and dean, George Ford, who taught mechanical engineering at the U of A for 40 years. He is described as “a man of passion” by his former student, Gordon Winkel, ’77 BSc(MechEng), ’79 MSc, also a donor and committee member of the fund.

To Ford, engineering was a stepping stone to a brighter and better society. So it’s only natural that the Spirit of George Ford Endowment Fund would honour his legacy by supporting undergraduate engineering students in gaining hands-on, practical skills through extracurricular student activities.

Long-time donors like Allan Scott, ’68 BSc(MechEng), believe donor-funded clubs do more than just improve the quality of education — they give students a taste of what it means to work together on complicated, multi-faceted projects. It’s like bringing the processes, training, leadership and network of a small professional company right to campus for students to be a part of. They develop the skills to make a difference on projects with real-world implications.

But most importantly, donor funding helps stoke a sense of wonder about what engineering and other programs make possible for society.