Nation: 
Mohawk
School attended:
Queen's University
Cambridge University
Degree:
BSc (Math & Engineering)
PhD
Job title:
Professor
Type(s) of Engineering:
Civil
Favourite thing:
"Working with students and discovering new ways of doing things."
Dr. Mark Green has been an engineer for over 30 years. He teaches engineering at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (the same place where he got his undergraduate degree). Teaching allows him to combine two things he really enjoys - working with people and conducting scientific research.
In his research, Dr. Green studies the materials which are used for building structures like skyscrapers, houses and bridges. He is involved in a project with other researchers across Canada who are trying to make structures and the materials they are made out of "smarter." These engineers hope that by implanting tiny electronic sensors into building materials, they will be able to create "smart" structures which can monitor, regulate and adjust to their environment. If Dr. Green and his colleagues are successful, there will be many applications for their work. For instance, one day sensors in bricks on the outside of your house might be able to tell when the outdoor temperature is dropping and send a message to your furnace to turn up the heat - all before you realize it's getting colder.
As a teacher, Dr. Green works with students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He lectures in classes, supervises student research and provides guidance to students about their course work and career paths. Teaching provides Dr. Green with the unique opportunity to give something back to the academic community which helped him become an engineer. Giving back is important, and he believes that math and science education provides that kind of opportunity to young Indigenous people.
"It's only by learning how to use technology that you can use it to benefit the people in your community. And, in a technological society, we need Aboriginal people who understand how technology fits in or impacts on traditional life. People with a knowledge of science and engineering have a valuable contribution to make in bringing that knowledge back to their communities.
He adds, "We need to adapt technology to our lives in order to maintain the integrity of traditional life. We can't do that if we are always importing technical expertise instead of developing it ourselves."