[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/CEC-2010.jpg” caption=”Nafisa Kanji accepts her award from Dan Motyka, president of Engineers Canada, for winning the Engineering Communications category at the 2010 Canadian Engineering Competition.”]

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Nafisa Kanji, a fifth-year chemical and bioengineering student, took first place at the 2010 Canadian Engineering Competition on March 21 in the Engineering Communication category. Her topic was Tissue Engineering of Blood Vessels.

Her win in the McMaster Engineering Competition last December was the start of Kanji's climb to the top. Winning her category at the McMaster event qualified her to compete in the Ontario Engineering Competition held January 29 to 31. Winning the provincial event allowed her to move on the national competition.

At the Canadian Engineering Competition, Kanji was up against students from seven other universities whose topics ranged from The Evolution of a Lunar Base to Motor Neural Prosthetics: Using the Mind to Control Motion.

“Tissue engineering was one of the things that originally got me interested in bioengineering,” explained Kanji. “In my second year I had the opportunity to explore the topic and its relation to vascular grafts. For the provincial and national competitions I thought I would re-explore the topic in greater detail with a broader and more technical look at tissue engineering of vascular grafts.”

Communications is often an overlooked component of engineering, where the latest technology device or infrastructure project garners greater attention. But the ability to explain ones findings and ideas is essential to gaining wide acceptance for it.

When asked why she chose to enter the communications competition in particular, Kanji said the decision stemmed from her experiences at a child.

“When I was younger I used to participate in speech competitions and it was something that I really enjoyed but never pursued further,” she said. “This year, the opportunity to compete presented itself and I thought I would give it a try and learn from the experience.”

Kanji plans to continue her education within the health sector after she graduates.

The Canadian Engineering Competition is an annual event that challenges university engineering students from across the country to a series of competitions. More than 150 students compete after qualifying through provincial or regional competitions.

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