Carleton civil engineering graduate Brent Weatherdon (BEng/07, MEng/13) serves as Manager of the Special Projects Department at Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd. in Ottawa. Having worked with the firm for nearly a decade, his widespread expertise in areas such as structural design, restoration and renovations, and construction management has allowed him to work on various types of facilities and institutions over the years including Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, and The Ottawa Hospital, as well as several apartment and commercial high rise structures.We recently had the chance to connect with Brent to discuss his position with Cleland Jardine, his experiences at Carleton, and how he has been giving back to the Carleton community through the Alumni Association Engineering Chapter.
Carleton University – What drew you to Carleton’s civil engineering program?
Brent Weatherdon – I’ve always had an interest in buildings and structures, dating back to when I was a kid playing with Lego in my basement. In high school, I always did well in math and science, but I wasn’t sure how those courses could be applied to my interests at the university level. I decided to attend a university fair in Toronto where I ended up meeting a couple of professors from Carleton who helped explain the courses that Carleton’s civil engineering program offered along with the types of careers that a civil engineering degree could lead to. After visiting Carleton’s campus and taking a tour, I fell in love with the university and made it my top choice on my university application form.
CU – Can you describe one (or more) fond memories from your time at Carleton?
BW – My time at Carleton was great for so many reasons and because of that I have many fond memories. One of the best decisions I made was to get involved with the university right from the start. In my first year, I was elected as a first year rep for the Carleton Student Engineering Society (CSES) and the following year I became their Vice President – Social, a position which was responsible for organizing and running the student engineering society’s key events. My time with CSES was unforgettable and helped me meet some great friends that I am still very close with today.
My time on the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race team is another memory that I will never forget. That project has a mix of everything – technical design, hands on construction, competition and a large social component. A lot of time went into designing and building our sled with a large team of friends, which made the trip to Montreal and our success on race day that much more rewarding.
CU – Tell us a bit about your role as Manager of Special Projects at Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd.
Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd. is a consulting firm that specializes in structural and building science engineering and in the investigation, analysis, design, and review of both new and existing buildings. The Special Projects department is dedicated to small and medium sized projects which require an engineering seal, such as modifications to existing structures for commercial, industrial and retail renovations; the design of temporary shoring and scaffolding systems; seismic restraint design for mechanical, electrical and architectural components; and floor and roof load assessments to name a few. My day-to-day role as Manager of the department is to oversee the active projects, manage workload and project timelines and ensure that my team has all the resources they need to complete the project successfully and on time.
CU – How did your studies at Carleton help you prepare for a career in structural engineering, particularly as it applies to your current role?
BW – Carleton’s engineering program taught me many technical skills and valuable lessons that I use on a daily basis. When I graduated from Carleton, I left with a great understanding of the various design codes used in structural engineering, which gave me the confidence early in my career to take on challenging projects. The work ethic I developed throughout my studies at Carleton has also played a major role in my career. As a student I learned how to work in a team and was taught that deadlines are important and must be met. Today, in my role as a manger, a lot of time and effort is spent hiring the right person to fit within our team and I place a lot of emphasis on promoting a fun team environment that people are happy to work in.
CU – Which professors do you recall as influential to your education?
BW – Without question, Professor O. Burkan Isgor was one of the most influential professors throughout my undergrad at Carleton. My first course with him was Mechanics II, a course in second year in which the foundation of civil and structural engineering is established. His teaching methods and passion for the course material was obvious in his lectures, which really motivated me to do well and learn the material. He was also great to work with and extremely helpful throughout yearlong and extracurricular projects. In my third year, was the professor for our Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race team, where I was one of the team leads responsible for the design of the light weight concrete slab that formed the base of our race toboggan. He was also the professor of my fourth year reinforced concrete design course and my fourth year design project.
CU – Why did you decide to become a volunteer with the Carleton University Alumni Association (CUAA) Engineering Chapter?
BW – Back in 2012, Mathew Main (CUAA Engineering Chapter President from 2012-2016), asked me to join a committee that he was forming for a new Engineering Chapter within the CUAA. Looking back on my time spent with the Carleton Student Engineering Society while I was in school and remembering all the good times I had, joining the committee was an easy commitment to make. I was also motivated by the fact that we were starting with a clean slate, which meant that I could have an impact on everything from planning events to the structure of the committee. Our first four years were focused on planning a few key events and executing them in a way that would make people want to keep coming back.
CU – What are you most excited about in your new role as president of the chapter? If fellow alumni are interested in getting involved, how can they help?
BW – In my new role as CUAA Engineering Chapter President, I’m most excited about growing our current events to make them even better and introducing a few new events and fundraising initiatives that will keep us aligned with Carleton’s overall goals and message. We’re always looking for fellow alumni to get involved and there are many ways to do so. We are currently looking to fill a couple of vacancies on our chapter committee. As a committee member the alumni would be invited to our meetings and be involved in helping to plan, organize and run the chapter events. If someone is looking for a lower level of commitment, we are often seeking volunteers for the student engineering competitions or to help at a specific event such as frosh week, ring day, etc. Being involved also means simply attending the events that we run or promote.
If anyone would like to get involved and join our chapter committee, help out at one of our events or attend an upcoming event, we would love to hear from them. They can get in touch by sending me an email at engineering.alumni@carleton.ca and letting me know what they are interested in.
CU – What advice would you offer to new graduates as they enter the workforce?
BW – When it comes to new graduates who are looking for employment, it’s important to put in the time to research the companies that you are applying to. Learn how they are structured and what types of projects they work on. Tailor your cover letters and resumes so that they are specific to each company or position that you are applying to and make sure to express interest in the details that the position is offering.
As for new graduates who have already entered the workforce – don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a new graduate, your employer will devote a lot of time to training you and teaching you what they have learned throughout their many years of experience, so it’s important to absorb as much information as you can and use it in the tasks and projects that are given to you. Remember that hard work does not go unnoticed and if you are able to perform well in the tasks you are given and meet project deadlines you will remain an asset to your company.
