Profile: Anusha Qureshi
Coming from a family comprised mostly of doctors, Anusha Qureshi grew up assuming that she, too, would enter the medical field. That destiny would change course the more her passion for mathematics grew and eventually shift to engineering, thanks to the sway of her brother.
Anusha’s decision to leave Pakistan at age 17 and enrol in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Niagara College was a combination of her natural love and ability for math (as demonstrated by a 96 percent grade average) and inspiration from her brother Behram Shah, a recent graduate of the same NC program and now employed at Fleet Industries.
“My brother would talk about his AutoCAD assignments, 3D printing and also his co-ops in the aerospace industry and it was really fascinating,” says the second-year student and Research Assistant with the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
Considering the major move to this country, having the chance within her co-op to work on real-world projects has helped Anusha, both personally and professionally, she explains. “My communication skills are really good now, compared to what they were before, when I first started my co-op, because English is not my first language.”
One industry partnership in which she was able to learn essential skills was an innovative project involving a Canadian manufacturer of polymer-based materials who was seeking help with 3D molding options for its patented gel formula that helps relieve patients with pressure wounds.
“This company is helping patients with a common problem for people who are wheelchair bound or bedridden, so I’m working on something so meaningful,” she says.
“That’s the beauty of engineering; it evolves with the needs of people and for the betterment of the world.”
She says her time so far at the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre has provided her the opportunity to work with updated design software and the latest 3D printing and scanning technologies.
“With all these experiences I’ve had with Research & Innovation, I have learned that if you have the will, nothing can stop you.”
That “will” can be traced back to her family of professionals who stressed the importance of education. “My family taught me that being a youth of the society, the world looks up to us with the hope that we’ll make it a better place to live.”
She seems to be doing just that.
