We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Engineering a powerful career

Alexandre Kearnan | Class of 2007
Bachelor of Engineering, Nuclear Engineering

Alexandre is helping to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running in Texas. His University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) education and subsequent work experience prepared him for an exciting opportunity to become part of the evolving U.S. nuclear industry. He moved to Texas in the fall of 2013 and is working as a system engineer at the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC), located in Wadsworth, Texas.

Attracted to UOIT's unique Nuclear Engineering program, Alexandre valued the small class sizes and the ease of interaction with the faculty. He was a research assistant in the university's Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science in the summer of 2005. After conducting research on radiological decontamination of sensitive microelectronics, Alexandre presented the results at the International Youth Nuclear Congress in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2006. UOIT also gave him an opportunity to work as a summer student in 2006 with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

After graduation, Alexandre was hired as a System Engineer at Ontario Power Generation. For six years, he worked at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. His proudest achievement has been obtaining the Professional Engineer designation.

In his current position at STPNOC, Alexandre deals with the challenges of an industry that is using a fleet of aging reactors while constructing an entirely new generation of commercial nuclear reactors. The future looks bright: innovative reactor designs have the ability to dramatically improve the safety, sustainability and economics of nuclear energy.