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Associated Alumni

Alumni lending support to future entrepreneurs

(Marcel LeBrun (BScEng’92), Scott Shreenan, Mauricio Hernandez (BScEng’04, PhD’12) and Peter Lee (BScEng’87, MScEng’92, PhD’01))

Each Friday, Scott Shreenan ends his week at the J. Herbert Smith Centre in Head Hall, meeting a trio of influential UNB alumni who will directly impact his career.

For two hours, they discuss the viability of harnessing tidal power from the Bay of Fundy in an environmentally-friendly manner and ultimately transforming it into electricity. This mentor-student environment is a critical component of UNB’s master of technology management and entrepreneurship (MTME) program, which Shreenan started in September with support from the Armour M. ‘Ben’ McCrea Fellowship after completing his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 2014 and working in the field for a year.

Seated with him each week are three respected leaders in their fields, all with significant ties to UNB – Marcel LeBrun (BScEng’92), whose role as CEO of Radian6 led it to international prominence; Peter Lee (BScEng’87, MScEng’92, PhD’01), a structural engineer with years of experience at Stantec; and Mauricio Hernandez (BScEng’04, PhD’12), a former chief technical officer at Eigen Innovations, a startup he helped develop.

“They all had similar beginnings, especially with their UNB connections, and they all worked with mentors,” Shreenan explains, noting how fortunate he is that the three have an intimate understanding of the challenges he faces.

“Having mentors is key, and it is great that so many alumni are willing to work with students like me.”

During their meetings, the quartet develops and implements strategies for realizing the concept and discusses plans to build a new company in New Brunswick and commercialize the idea globally.

“It can be a little nerve wracking at times because I am thinking, ‘why me?’ but it has really been a great learning experience to hear their stories, work with them and gain so much valuable information,” Shreenan says.

Whether or not he can make a viable business in tidal power, Shreenan will have lessons learned through the MTME program and practical application of business and engineering theories.