The StFX Extension Innovation and Enterprise Centre has awarded the four 2018 Wallace Family Internships to five innovative StFX students. The interns are Jenny Bowie; Emily Chisholm; Emma Logan; and Cameron Sehl and Kirsten Gallant (team).
Jenny Bowie is in her second year of the Engineering program at StFX. With her new venture “Aero-Opt Routing”, Jenny aims to develop the hardware to collect live data (speed, position, power etc.) from vehicles, as well as the computational process that would use that data to determine the aerodynamic drag on the vehicle. Since drag is the most important determinant of fuel economy, Jenny’s product would find ways to reduce it, such as improved routing to avoid headwinds, and would inevitably save money.
Emily Chisholm’s new venture “Fresh Fruit Forever” developed out of her desire for fresh fruits and vegetables and her love of exploring food. As a first-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition program at StFX, Emily wants to develop a product for consumers that will maximize the preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables without altering the taste. The Wallace Internship will help her develop the product and get it to the market.
Emma Logan’s new venture “Hearing for All” is a not-for-profit hearing-aid recycling foundation. The StFX third-year Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance student wants to develop the research and planning needed to create a foundation that will collect and refurbish donated hearing aids. Once she has created a network of contacts and volunteers and the necessary funding, Emma will arrange to have the hearing aids distributed to children with hearing loss in developing countries, with the help of volunteer audiologists and audiology students.
Cameron Sehl and Kirsten Gallant are both in the StFX Bachelor of Arts Honours in Economics program. Their new venture “Symbi Medical”, based on a pilot program at a hospital in India, is a digital therapeutics company that uses accessible technology to improve health outcomes. Cameron and Kirsten plan to focus and refine their business strategy, identify gaps in current health care services, and complete the technical development of the digital platform which aims to use available technology, such as text and voice messages with cell phones, to change the current disconnect between doctors and patients, and between treatments and outcomes.