Walter Kirkness Email & Phone Number

Brampton, On

Minotaur Software is a traceability ERP software developer serving food, beverage, meat and chemical manufacturing businesses. I spent the summer work term there full-time and have continued part-time while finishing my last year at university.In this role I assist the lead architect on programming tasks for clients, including:- writing reports using a C based report writer- doing software update and customization testing- sourcing and fixing bugs in new and customized programs- preparing updates for customers- programming ERP applications in C- writing instructions and documentation for new programs- working with Project Managers to ensure new programs meet the needs of customers-hardware troubleshooting and updating

Brampton, On

Colortech is a North American based manufacturer of color and additive concentrates for the plastics industry. Reporting to the Canadian Process Engineer, in this co-op placement, I assisted with evaluating and improving manufacturing practices for optimal yields and quality for customers. This involved:-preparing daily production reports using Excel with data from Microsoft Access-conceiving innovative solutions for daily plant problems-working with unionized plant and warehouse workers to hear complaints and help resolve issues on the production floor-helping with the implementation of a new software program for ensuring quality product through visual electronic form creation

Burlington, On

Zeton is a leader in designing and building pilot chemical plants for manufacturers with offices in Canada and Europe. In this co-op placement, I assisted a team of engineers on a design/build project for a customer.This involved:- working with suppliers to get quotes for inputs to the project, including entering PO's into Microsoft Dynamics ERP system and placing the approved purchase orders with the suppliers- working with a team of engineers participating in weekly progress meetings with the customer to continue to meet deadlines and move the project forward- drafting some P&ID's as part of the project- using Microsoft Excel extensively to enter and update material tracking spreadsheets- completing an economic analysis to assist in material selection, specifically comparing insulation options

St. Mary'S, On

Completed a CO-OP work term with Perth County Ingredients, a leading manufacturer of dried egg products. My high marks from Waterloo and the projects I was working on, allowed Perth to qualify for an NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council) hiring grant. In this role, I learned about drying techniques and sought to improve the efficiency of these automated plant processes by analyzing existing times and data to speed up and optimize them for greater output. This involved researching the technology in use, reaching out to experts and suppliers to problem solve and writing a recommendation. I was also responsible for documenting procedures in accordance with government requirements for food products. This included updating the HACCP plan and preparing standard operating procedures (SOP's) such as a Food Defense Plan. I also helped with preparing customer specific supplier approval documents and participated in a customer audit.

Vaughan, On

Completed two co-op work terms at KG-PackagingDuring my first work term, I learned about aerosol technology and spent time conducting quality control tests on samples prior to production. I also began working on formulations with the R&D team. At the Canadian head office and the food manufacturing plant, I catalogued and inventoried the lab chemicals. Tests I performed include viscosity, specific gravity, pH and Karl Fischer moisture titrations. My second work term had me primarily working with the company's senior chemist, a PhD in Chemical Engineering as part of the R&D team, helping with new product formulations, reverse engineering samples provided by customers and creating product samples for customer review. I enjoyed juggling multiple projects to meet customer deadlines.This included work on both consumer and industrial household products (paints, lubricants, body sprays, etc.) as well as products for the food industry (cooking sprays).

Bachelor Of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.), Chemical Engineering, With Distinction

Ossd Graduate In 3 Years

Activities and Societies: - Reach for the Top, Member - Science Olympics, Member - Basketball Team, Member - Ultimate Frisbee, Member I.

Education record

Combining day classes at Erin High with online classes at Virtual High School, I was able to complete my OSSD in three years as an Ontario.