is a multi-disciplinary project course offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering. Designed to expose students to the working world, TEAM’s unique approach brings together engineering, commerce, law, and science students to work collaboratively for fee-paying industrial clients.
TEAM was the initiative of professor Barrie Jackson, who established the project in 1995 to address the need for chemical engineering students to prepare for life after university. He realized that classroom projects could be very different from the issues and complexities of real-world professional practices. By working on multi-faculty projects, students from all disciplines cultivate an ability to understand, work, and communicate with the wide variety of stakeholders involved in projects today.
The companies working with TEAM are as diverse as the projects themselves, which include everything from assessing the feasibility of using geothermal energy for improving oil sands processes, to finding new ways to use pineapple crowns, to helping banks improve their future customer experience. In an average year, TEAM tackles approximately 26 projects from around the world. Students define the project’s scope, build the project management systems, plan and execute the projects, and deliver recommendations with a report and presentation at the client’s office. Funding to the program from Shell has exceeded $1M since 2005.
