In January 2026, Dalhousie University will host the Atlantic Engineering Competition (AEC) at Sexton Campus, welcoming over 175 students from nine universities across Atlantic Canada. This year’s theme, Engineering for All, invites students to focus their creativity and expertise on making technology and design more inclusive, ensuring no one gets left behind when it comes to the solutions engineers create.
Dalhousie Engineering has officially launched a new degree option, the Bachelor of Computer Engineering. Beginning in 2025, students entering their third year of engineering can now choose to specialize and graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering. In previous years, Dalhousie offered a Computer Engineering option within the Electrical Engineering program, allowing students to take a few computer-focused courses alongside the traditional electrical curriculum. The establishment of a dedicated degree represents a major step forward in recognizing the growing im-portance of computer systems and digital technologies in modern engineering.
Recently, final-year mechanical engineering students enrolled in the HVAC technical elective participated in a technical tour of the new Emera IDEA and Richard Murray Design buildings. Led by their professor, Dr. V. Ismet Ugursal, the tour was hosted by ASHRAE, a global organization dedicated to improving human well-being and environmental quality through better building systems. ASHRAE develops internationally recognized standards for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). The tour guide, Aaron Smith, a consulting engineer
Europe takes the cake for the most visited tourist destination in the world. In 2024 alone, it welcomed 758 million visitors (Soler and Iraola Iribarren, 2025). While this helped to create over 20 million jobs, and contributed roughly €807 billion to the EU Gross Value Added, it is a growing cause of concern in terms of infrastructure, climate change, housing, public health, and food security.
Attending the 42nd Annual Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Canadian Student Conference at Université Laval was an unforgettable experience for our Dalhousie University team of 25 students. With nine universities and over 400 participants competing in technical, academic, and non-technical challenges, the conference was an exciting test of problem-solving, teamwork, and engineering skills.
For many students at Dalhousie’s Sexton Engineering Campus, food insecurity has been a persistent challenge. With limited food options available on-site, students often find themselves having to leave campus just to get a meal—an inconvenience that not only disrupts their academic focus but also places a financial strain on an already costly education. Recognizing this issue, Sextant Publishing along with Loaded Ladle has taken proactive steps to ensure that no student has to choose between studying and finding an affordable meal.
From March 14th to 17th, 2025, Dalhousie University’s Sexton Campus played host to the prestigious Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC), bringing together 213 of the brightest engineering students from nearly every engineering school across Canada. Over the course of the weekend, competitors showcased their technical prowess, problem-solving skills, and teamwork across a series of intense engineering challenges, while also enjoying a vibrant lineup of social events.
Saturday, November 30th, marked Dalhousie Solar Car Community Day, the first event of its kind hosted by the Dalhousie Solar Car Team. Designed for members of the HRM community interested in renewable energy and sustainability, the event provided an exciting opportunity to explore green technology. Attendees even had the unique chance to see NOVA, Atlantic Canada’s first solar-powered electric vehicle!
The Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference is a week-long conference run by the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES). The conference gathers some of the most ambitious engineering student leaders from across the country for a week of development, networking, and fun. It also doubles as the election period for CFES, where the national executive team and national ambassadors are voted in for the year. Wednesday was a long day, with delegates arriving in Fredericton even late into the night. It ended with an Amazing Race around UNB’s labyrinthian Head Hall; the main engineering building on campus. The following day…
On November 20, 2024, the soon-to-be graduates of Dalhousie Engineering came together at the T-Room for the "100 Days to Iron Ring" celebration. This annual event marks the countdown to the Iron Ring Ceremony, a time-honored tradition that recognizes the transition from engineering student to professional. With just 100 days remaining until March 8, 2025, when graduates will participate in "The Calling of an Engineer," the excitement was palpable.
On Wednesday, Oct 23rd, 10 Dalhousie Engineering students travelled to Chicago, Illinois to attend the 3-day WE24 conference hosted by the Society of Women Engineers. This conference is hosted in a different US city each year and is the world's largest conference for women in engineering and technology. This conference offers women in engineering from around the world the enriching experience of attending various professional development sessions, networking events, a career fair and other advancement opportunities. This year’s conference theme was ‘Together We Rise’, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, unity and collective empowerment among women in engineering.
On Wednesday, October 23rd, ten Dalhousie engineering students awoke bright and early to begin their travels to Chicago, Illinois. These students were going to attend the world's largest women in engineering and technology conference. WE24: Together We Rise, is a flagship conference hosted annually by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). This event is designed for professionals and students to network, gain career insights, and connect with industry leaders on innovation. Attendees could attend a variety of workshops, keynote speakers, presentations, and a career fair.
Back in November of 2024, I and five other delegates had the amazing opportunity to attend the 10th annual Conference on Diversity in Engineering (CDE) hosted by Western University in London, ON. CDE is a space dedicated to expanding knowledge about the rich diversity of individuals, cultures, and perspectives within the engineering community. Throughout the three-day event, we were able to learn how to honor and celebrate the differences among engineering students and professionals and bring that positivity and unity back home to our Dalhousie community.
On November 23rd, 2024, the Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society hosted its annual Go Eng Girl event on Sexton Campus. The 2024 edition of the event was the largest hosted by the Society on record, with over 180 youth attendees, 80 engineering student volunteers, and a Go Eng Girl team made up of 16 executives. Students in grades 7 to 12 were welcomed from Digby to Antigonish to attend this year’s event.
In 2025, Dalhousie University will proudly host more than 200 undergraduate engineering students from across Canada to compete in the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC). This competition, which is run by the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES), offers competitors a special chance to showcase their technical proficiency and inventiveness while solving actual engineering problems.
Earlier this month, on Thursday October 17th, the Environmental and Civil Student Societies hopped on the bandwagon and held a “Pints with Profs” event in the T room. This was Civil’s second annual Pints with Profs and the first time for Enviro. The event had a solid turnout from the Enviro and Civil students and professors, as well as other random students who happened to be in the T room on a Thursday night. Dr. Lake, Dr. T, Mr. Burgess, Dr. Liu, Dr. Somers and the third years’ favourite design prof from last year, Josh Pidgeon, all made an appearance. Dominos pizza was provided by the Civil Society and if anyone has ever wondered why pizza at events is almost always from Dominos, it’s because it’s so cheap (discount code: 50STDNT for 50% off) and usually the only thing societies can afford.
On October 3rd, 2024, the Dalhousie Mechanical Engineering Society (Dal Mech Eng Society) hosted its "Pints with Profs" event at the T-Room, a casual gathering that drew over 100 students from various engineering disciplines. The evening was a huge success, creating a laid-back space for students and professors to connect over drinks, games, and food. Students appreciated the rare opportunity to engage with their faculty members outside of the academic setting, helping foster stronger relationships between them and their professors.
On March 30th, the Dalhousie EngiQueers hosted the first edition of Drag Force, a student-run drag show highlighting the talents of student and community drag performers. The event aimed to create a safe space for queer individuals and allies alike to engage in the joys that drag culture has to offer. Sponsored by Engineers Nova Scotia and The Sextant, the show took place at the T-Room and had a great turnout!
On September 19th, 2024, Dalhousie University held its "Promoting Community Connections on Sexton Campus" event in the Emera IDEA Building Atrium. Running from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the event saw over 200 engineering students come together to learn about the various student supports and services available on campus. The event was not only informative but fun, with interactive activities, trivia, and giveaways to keep students engaged.
Over reading week, Dalhousie sent me along with six Engineering students to the 2024 Conference on Sustainability in Engineering (CSE) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) with the theme of ‘The Essential Engineer’. As a first-year student that is passionate about sustainability and the environment attending my first conference, I was excited to see how engineering and sustainability go hand in hand.
