Schulich Connects - Engineering Outside the Box: The Power of Cognitive Diversity

The road to becoming an engineer isn’t always a straight line. Some of the greatest innovators in engineering have backgrounds in business, music, and even professional athletics—bringing unique perspectives that drive creativity and problem-solving.

Join us for a thought-provoking panel featuring a diverse group of professionals who have taken unconventional paths through engineering.

Event details: 

Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Breakfast: 7:30 - 8 a.m. MT
Program: 8 - 8:45 a.m. MT
Format: In-person (CNRL Complex Atrium) 

Meet our host and moderator:

Dr. Anders Nygren, PhD
Dean, Schulich School of Engineering

Dr. Nygren is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and currently serves as the dean of the Schulich School of Engineering. Dr. Nygren holds master’s degrees from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden and the University of Houston, Texas, USA and a PhD from Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA, all in Electrical Engineering.

Dr. Emily Marasco 
Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) and First Year, Schulich School of Engineering

Dr. Marasco works at the intersection of technology, innovation, and education. She is the founder of the ADAPT Lab: Advancements in Digital Applications and Pedagogical Transformation. Her current research and teaching interests are in the area of learning engineering, including the use of gamification, blended learning, and interactive digital learning tools as methods for enhancing creativity within software and computer engineering.

Meet our panelists:

Jessica Soodeen, MSc
Dynamic Speaker and Motorsport Engineer

Dr. Daryl Caswell
Professor Emeritus, Schulich School of Engineering

D’Andre Wilson-Ihejirika, P.Eng, PMP
Executive Director of Work Integrated Learning, Calgary Economic Development