Innovation doesn't always begin in a laboratory. Sometimes, it starts with a personal experience.
For one student, it began with seeing how floods threaten entire communities. For another, it was witnessing the challenges first responders face after natural disasters. For a third, it was the determination to break barriers and inspire more women to pursue careers in engineering.
Different backgrounds. Different disciplines. One shared purpose: using engineering to solve real-world problems.
Every year, students around the world push the boundaries of innovation with ideas that have the potential to improve lives. Through the Progressive Automations Engineering Scholarship, we're proud to recognize those who combine technical excellence with a commitment to creating meaningful impact.
This year, three remarkable students stood out not only for the creativity of their projects, but for the passion, resilience, and purpose behind them. Their ideas range from autonomous flood protection systems to disaster-response robotics and next-generation electric actuators. Still, each project shares the same belief: engineering is at its best when it serves people.
Let's meet the engineering students behind these inspiring ideas.
Liam Chelkowski
Designing smarter infrastructure for safer communities
When Liam Chelkowski chose Chemical Engineering at Cornell University, he wasn't simply looking for a technical degree. He wanted to solve complex problems that could make a real difference.
That mindset led him to research energy and environmental systems in Alaska, where he studied how extreme weather affects critical infrastructure. Working alongside researchers and communities exposed to flooding and permafrost thaw fundamentally changed his perspective: collecting data isn't enough; engineering solutions must be able to act when people need them most.
Inspired by this experience, Liam developed the concept for the Adaptive Flood Barrier System (AFBS), a proposed automated flood protection system powered by Progressive Automations industrial linear actuators. Using sensors, Hall-effect actuator feedback, and fail-safe control logic, the proposed system is designed to detect rising water levels and deploy protective barriers before catastrophic flooding occurs.
Today, Liam continues to build on that vision as a Process Engineer Intern at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, where he applies the same systems-thinking approach to one of the world's most advanced manufacturing environments. His long-term goal remains clear: developing automation systems that protect people and critical infrastructure when conditions are at their worst.
Vince Angelo Rivera
Engineering that reaches people when they need it most
For our second scholarship recipient, engineering has always been about people before technology.
While still in high school, Vince organized engineering workshops for younger students, discovering firsthand that building something with your own hands can inspire the next generation of innovators. That experience inspired Vince to pursue Mechatronics Engineering at McMaster University, where mechanical, electrical, and software engineering come together to solve complex challenges.
Inspired by the devastating effects of typhoons and floods in the Philippines, Vince proposed a modular, autonomous search-and-rescue robot to help emergency teams reach victims more efficiently after disasters. Mini and micro linear actuators enable precise movement of the robot’s arm, supporting its rescue capabilities. Alongside the robot, Vince also developed OPRATOR, an AI-powered wearable headset that assists first responders by identifying victims and providing real-time navigation information during rescue missions.
Beyond engineering, Vince also founded Filipinos Forward, a non-profit organization that has helped feed hundreds of children while partnering with organizations in both Canada and the Philippines. For Vince, engineering and community have always gone hand in hand.
Saira Tariq
Breaking barriers while advancing electrical engineering
For Saira Tariq, becoming an engineer meant overcoming expectations that extended far beyond the classroom.
Growing up in Pakistan as the first woman in her family to pursue engineering, she recognized early how few women had the opportunity to enter technical fields. Rather than seeing this as an obstacle, she made it part of her mission: to inspire more young women to build careers in STEM.
Now pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at ÉTS in Canada, Saira specializes in Linear Flux Switching Machines, researching actuator technologies capable of delivering reliable linear motion while reducing mechanical complexity. Building on this expertise, her scholarship project explores an all-electric actuator system designed for disaster response, replacing traditional hydraulic solutions with cleaner, more reliable electric actuation for harsh environments.
Alongside her research, Saira actively contributes to sustainability initiatives at ÉTS, reinforcing her belief that engineering should help create a more resilient and sustainable future.
More Than Three Scholarship Winners
Although their stories are different, these three students share something remarkable. They see engineering not simply as a profession, but as a way to solve real-world problems. Whether protecting communities from floods, helping first responders save lives, or creating technologies that make critical systems safer and more reliable, each project reflects the same belief: innovation has its greatest impact when it improves people's lives.
Supporting students like these is one of the reasons Progressive Automations created the Engineering Scholarship Program. By encouraging ambitious ideas today, we're helping shape the engineers who will solve tomorrow's challenges.