At Spring Convocation on June 13, 2017, students from The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) will mark both the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Having enriched their community as undergraduate and graduate students, they will transition into our vibrant, global network of Skule™ Alumni, where they will continue to address pressing challenges around the world.
This year’s “Grads to Watch” from ECE embody the spirit of U of T Engineering; they demonstrate the engineering values of creativity, innovation and global impact. Watch their next steps!
William Graydon (CompE 1T6 +PEY)
From simulations to cybersecurity
During his undergraduate degree, Graydon researched traffic simulations under the supervision of Professor Alberto Leon-Garcia (ECE). His goal was to produce results faster so that these simulations can be used for real-time data prediction, for example, estimating travel times based on current traffic conditions. Graydon presented his work at the IEEE 18th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems as well as the Annual General Meeting of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Canada.
Graydon has a passion for inspiring the next generation of engineering talent, and taught courses in computer security and cloud computing through the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) facilitated by Engineering Outreach. He also played trombone in the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad [sic], competed on Varsity Mountain Biking team and served as the Speaker of the Board for the University of Toronto Students Union. “The opportunities for personal growth have been plentiful and diverse,” he says. “I’ve tried my hand at so many different things here, and I feel ready to take on just about any challenge now.”
Next fall, Graydon will begin his MEng studies at U of T, focusing on computer security. “In the short term, I hope to go into the computer security industry to help prevent breaches of personal data,” he says. “In the long term, I hope to apply my engineering background to public policy to improve our legal and regulatory system to protect state secrets, and to make our critical infrastructure more resilient against terror attacks.”
Shout out: “I owe a huge thank-you to the Skule Community for being so supportive throughout my degree program, for all of the opportunities it has provided me and for always having a spark of madness in its methods.”
Pirathayini Srikantha (ECE PhD 1T7)
Clean power innovator
“U of T is a wonderfully diverse institute that provided me so many exciting opportunities to develop as a researcher and a teacher,” says Srikantha. “I have learned tremendously during my time here and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been part of such a prestigious institution.”
Srikantha studied how electrical grids can better accommodate renewable sources — such as wind and solar — that generate power intermittently and sometimes unpredictably. She also looked at how patterns in consumer power usage can be leveraged to make better use of “peak generation” sources, such as natural gas plants, which are only turned on when power demand is high. Through the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE), Srikantha collaborated with consulting engineers at Hatch to see how her solutions might be integrated into the existing power grid.
In addition to her thesis, Srikantha had many opportunities to mentor undergraduate students. She supervised summer research projects and taught first-year programming. Her participation in the Prospective Professors in Training (PPIT) program prepared her for her new position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Western University.
Shout out: “I want to thank my academic advisor, Professor Deepa Kundur. Her incredible patience, motivation and insights have allowed me to realize many of my academic and career goals. Thank you Professor Kundur, I will always cherish your mentorship, guidance and friendship!”
See the complete list of “Grads to Watch” from U of T Engineering.
This story originally appeared on U of T Engineering News
More information:
Jessica MacInnis
Senior Communications Officer
The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
416-978-7997; jessica.macinnis@utoronto.ca