Wei - Q&A with Schulich Leader Zack Rooney
Mechanical Engineering, University Life, Internships, Starting Up an Alternative to WiFi, Schulich Leader Program
Zack Rooney is a third-year mechanical engineering student at Memorial University (of Newfoundland) and a 2017 Schulich Leader.
He has co-founded a startup on a mission to connect the four billion without access to the Internet using SMS, and interned as a STEM instructor in Northern Canada, mechanical product design intern and mechanical reliability engineering student. He is also a member of Memorial University's Eastern Edge Robotics Team which competes in the international MATE ROV competition for underwater robotics.
How did you come to choose mechanical engineering?
I started engineering having no idea what I wanted to specialize in – all I knew was that I liked math, science and technology. I remember, as a kid, being in love with cars though, to the point where if you were to ask me, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would have said, “Automotive Engineer.” But then in high school I started tinkering with software and saw a different avenue begin to take shape. Fast forward to my first year of university and my interests revolved mostly around robotics. With my very brief experience of software development and my fascination with mechanics, I found myself having to decide between Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering – and at the time I would have been happy with either. My decision between the two was based on my understanding that mechanical engineering is broader than computer engineering. In this context, broad is relative, because engineering in general is already extremely broad. Honestly, I look back at that decision and I could have gone either way – although I’m very happy in mechanical engineering now.
Does Memorial University engineering have any unique or outstanding features for its undergraduate students?
I think the most unique feature is the structure of the co-op program. It’s a 5-year program where your first year is very general, dubbed Eng One. The courses you take in Eng One are very similar to a first-year science student with a few introductory engineering courses. After that year, you alternate between work terms and academic terms. The theory behind that is that you learn the scientific and engineering principles in a classroom and then you go apply it in the real world. So, at the end of your typical engineering degree at MUN, you will have completed 8 academic terms (same as standard 4-year degree) and up to 6 work terms. Those 6 work terms add up to 2 years of practical on-the-job experience when you graduate.
(If you finish all your Eng One courses in the Fall and Winter, you can choose to take a work term in the Spring)
I believe MUN’s a world leader in marine engineer/naval architecture education. Do you know anyone in that program?
Yeah, I have few friends in the Naval Architecture Engineering program! I think that’s also another unique feature of MUN Engineering. A lot of graduate engineering research is related to marine and Arctic engineering.
What is mechanical engineering like in university? Are you in a particular stream?
Mechanical engineering is simply the study of anything that moves. Studying it in school is no cake-walk, but if you’re passionate about design and innovation, you will love it! You do get to choose a particular stream, but my understanding is that it’s pretty underwhelming. For instance, one of the streams you can go into at MUN is mechatronics, however, you don’t come out of that stream being an expert in mechatronics. If you were to go on to get your master’s degree in mechatronics, then you might be considered an expert. Personally, I haven’t chosen my stream yet, but I’m thinking either ‘mechatronics’ or ‘mechanics and materials’.
What was the transition from high school to university like? Do you have any tips for current students?
I think my transition from high school to university was a unique experience and I don’t think I speak for everyone. I chose to go to the Grenfell campus of MUN (located in Corner Brook, NL) which is much smaller than the main St. John’s campus. In terms of size, my high school was approximately the same as the Grenfell Campus. That said, I didn’t experience the shock of being a small individual in a large institution that I think most students typically experience. All of my classes had less than 30 people. However, I did still experience the difference in how fast academic content is delivered and living on my own for the first time. I think one of the best things you can do as a new student is meet other new students – invite people out to lunch, invite them to play a sport, or just find some comfy couches and get to know each other. Also, the other advice I have is to just be yourself (I know, I know, you’ve probably heard that many times before, but there’s a reason for that). And the third piece of advice is to take risks – you have a lot of freedom at this point in your life to try different things.
Did your study methods change during university? Do you have time for hobbies like sports and/or community involvement?
Drastically. I don’t think I knew how to study when I started university. I remember my first university test was in a chemistry class, and using my high school studying skills, I got a 34%. That didn’t bode well with me and I decided to actually learn how to study. We had 3 tests in this class and the last one I got a 96%.
I always make time for hobbies, sports, and community involvements. For anyone starting university and you’re keen on doing the best you can in all courses, you may find yourself working on school work all day long. Unfortunately, fully engulfing yourself in school work is a bad strategy and you may burn out before the end of the semester. It’s important to always have something else other than school that you’re interested in, that you can allow you to decompress or regain some energy. For myself, my hobbies are cooking, skiing (snow and water), being active outside, or any cool side project I’m working on.
Are there any applied learning opportunities (e.g. labs) other than internships, design teams?
The best ways to gain practical knowledge is through design teams and internships. Unless you make your own opportunities (such as taking on personal projects or self-learning), those are your two best ways of applied learning. In my opinion, labs have the intention of being an applied form of learning but inevitably fall short of their goals. Many labs (at MUN and other Canadian universities) are outdated and don’t have the “wow factor” that you can get with design teams or internships.
Joining designs teams when you first start university will help you get the best internships.
Eastern Edge Robotics is really interesting to me. You gained a lot of experience with CAD, 3D printing and CNCs right? What other skills did you gain?
Eastern Edge is a phenomenal school team at MUN. Staying true to the coastal geography of Newfoundland, the team at Eastern Edge designs and builds an underwater robot (we call them remote-operated-vehicles, or ROVs) to compete in the MATE ROV competition (https://materovcompetition.org/) every year. CAD software, 3D printing, and CNC toolpaths were some of the hard-skills I learned, but one of the most important soft-skills was how to work in a team environment. If you understand the scientific and engineering concepts in class AND have a really good understating of practical applications, BUT lack team work skills, you will NOT be a successful engineer. Being able to work and communicate collaboratively in a team environment is one of the most important skills of an engineer.
Perhaps interest in engineering/tech started with OffNet?
OffNet certainly played a role in my decision to pursue engineering. It showed me that I was capable of being an engineer or computer scientist.
What difficulties did you encounter along the journey? What did you learn?
Everything was a difficulty. I was a high school student with no background in programming, trying to build an app with a friend. So, everything from learning Java to giving technical presentations were difficult for me. The best thing I learned was that sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. For instance, the natural reaction after searching for hours for a missing semicolon on a line of code (I’m not telling you how many times I did that :)) would be frustration, but instead I would just laugh at myself.
Actua was unique for 3 reasons. First was that I got to travel to some of the most northerly communities in Canada and truly understand what life is like up there. It’s completely different than life in southern Canada. Secondly, their STEM activities are top-notch; Actua doesn’t give children 5-year-old laptops to use – they are using brand new computers, tablets, and hand-help robots. Thirdly, everyone who works for Actua are extremely kind and will always welcome anyone into their program, no matter their geographical, societal or cultural background.
I spend a lot of time scouring the internet for cool or interesting jobs and Actua was just one of them.
For mech eng, do you usually start your work career with quality assurance/reliability internship?
Not always, no. In fact, there really is no ‘start-point’ in engineering internships. Most of the time, as you are starting out with very little experience, so it can be difficult to get into the position you want most. As you progress with your internships, your options for positions widens.
What is production engineering?
Production engineering is a broad term that can mean different things for different companies. Some would describe it as everything that happens after a new product is designed. It’s closely related to manufacturing engineering.
How has the Schulich award and foundation affected you throughout your time in uni? How have you continued interacting with the Schulich network and foundation?
Have you met many people who are passionate about what you are passionate about? How have you helped and encouraged each other?
The Schulich scholarship was taken away the financial burden of going to university. It has also given me the freedom to live on my own during my academic terms and travel to new places for my work terms. But, above all else, the Schulich foundation gave me access to a network of some of Canada’s smartest and ambitious students. Every year, the Schulich foundation gets everyone together in their provinces and we all take part in a national online conference. Additionally, we have online groups on Facebook and LinkedIn where people share job ads, share project ideas, or ask questions.