Skill Development Events & Webinars

Originally from Chilliwack, B.C., Zion came to Edmonton in 2007 to attend the U of A. In 2011, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering. After graduating, Zion began working as an Environmental Engineer at Thurber Engineering in Edmonton. His role at Thurber took him to every corner of Northern Alberta to manage and execute environmental assessment and remediation projects. In 2017, Thurber sponsored Zion to return to U of A to complete his Master of Engineering Degree in Geoenvironmental Engineering and he finished the program in 2019. Today, Zion continues his role at Thurber Engineering as an Environmental Engineer where he manages environmental projects around Alberta. Outside of Thurber, Zion volunteers with various organizations including his role as the Chair of the U of A’s Engineering Young Alumni Council (ENGGYAC), as the Secretary of the Geotechnical Society of Edmonton (GSE), and as a volunteer mentor for ENGG100 students at U of A. In his free (pre-COVID) time, Zion loves to travel and explore new places (including over 15 countries in the past seven years). He’s also an avid scuba diver, golfer, snowboarder, and backcountry camper.

David Sirois completed his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (Traditional) in 2015. Since graduating, David has worked in the role of consulting structural engineer in the commercial, multi-family residential, light industrial, institutional, and healthcare sectors.

Heidi Cossey is an Environmental E.I.T. and a PhD student at the University of Alberta studying Geoenvironmental Engineering. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Environmental Engineering (Co-op program) in 2015 and her Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering in 2018, both at the University of Alberta. She worked as an E.I.T. in remediation at AECOM before returning to graduate school. Heidi has won numerous awards throughout her career for academic excellence, research and teaching abilities, and leadership. She is currently the Chair of the Engineering Young Alumni Council’s Women & Diversity Sub-Council, Vice President of the University of Alberta's Canadian Geotechnical Society Student Chapter, and  co-founder of the Faculty of Engineering’s FEM Program, a mentorship program to encourage women and other underrepresented groups to pursue engineering.

Maisam Al-Mehdawy, P.Eng., is a Project Engineer at ATCO. She received her B.Sc in Civil Engineering in 2012 from the University of Alberta. She began her career as a field engineer in the construction industry where she travelled periodically between Canada and the United States. She then transitioned to the pipeline integrity industry with ATCO where her current role includes the project management of pipeline inspections and repair, the design of cathodic protection and AC mitigation facilities, integrity assessments and investigations and other integrity related duties that ensure the safe and efficient operation of pipelines.  Maisam is also a member of the ENGGYAC Women & Diversity in Engineering sub-council where she focuses on supporting and promoting the inclusion of under-represented groups in Engineering.