UBC Okanagan civil engineering student Archisha Mahendru during a field visit, where hands-on learning connects classroom concepts to real-world infrastructure.
As a child in northern India, Archisha Mahendru would follow her father to work and sketch bridges and streets with a pencil, imagining how people might move through them.
She once dreamed of a career in architecture, but when it came time to choose her path, she opted for civil engineering—a field broad enough to hold all her interests and flexible enough to take her wherever she wanted to go.
“Engineering has always been more than a career for me. It’s a lifelong dream,” says Mahendru. “Since I was young, I’ve wanted to build things that last; things that help people.”
That choice led her to UBC Okanagan. Mahendru says she was drawn to the tightly knit campus’s civil engineering program for undergraduate research opportunities, work-study and co-op opportunities.
What she found quickly reshaped her idea of what a career in engineering could be.
Archisha Mahendru uses virtual reality tools in a UBC Okanagan engineering lab to explore transportation systems and design challenges.
Education through experience
Eager to understand how engineering works beyond the classroom, Mahendru sought hands-on research experience early in her degree, joining the UBC integrated Transportation Research Lab (UiTR) in her second year.
Drawn by a desire to understand how data is prepared and used at a foundational level, Mahendru joined UiTR to see how engineering decisions are shaped long before designs reach the real world.
She helped organize and clean massive datasets, supported surveys on travel behaviour and contributed to projects ranging from COVID-19 mobility studies in B.C. cities to an autonomous transit concept for the Okanagan Rail Trail.
She also worked on designs that could encourage walking, cycling and transit use while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
The work wasn’t just about numbers. Her projects explored equity in transportation by looking at how socioeconomic factors shape access to mobility. She even touched on innovations like machine learning and autonomous transit.
“At first, I wasn’t sure I belonged in the lab,” she admits. “I was surrounded by doctoral students, postdocs and experienced programmers. I didn’t know if I should ask questions or stay quiet. But the more I showed up, the more I realized I had something to offer, too.”
Over time, asking questions and contributing consistently helped her realize she belonged.
At the centre of Mahendru’s experience was the guidance she received in the lab, led by Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, associate professor of civil engineering.
Field-based research allows UBC Okanagan engineering students to study infrastructure and environmental conditions beyond the classroom.
Dr. Fatmi’s group focuses on developing advanced travel behaviour and simulation modelling tools to help government agencies in developing climate resilient, low-cost, equitable transportation and land-use plans and policies.
For Dr. Fatmi, bringing undergraduates into that environment is both a challenge and an opportunity.
“Undergraduates arrive with curiosity and a willingness to learn, and that energy enriches the lab,” says Dr. Fatmi. “They may not start with all the technical skills, but their persistence and openness often lead to real contributions.
“In the lab, they get the opportunity to be a part of a community involving graduate students and postdocs; they can build networks with government agencies and private sector groups who are my close research partners.”
Weekly feedback from Dr. Fatmi and the open, collaborative lab culture helped Mahendru find her footing. She learned to spot patterns in messy data, test assumptions and see how research could influence real-world decisions.
“The first time I saw one of our projects move forward, that’s when I felt like a real engineer.”
UBC Okanagan student Archisha Mahendru drew this street scene as a child, an early indication of her interests in engineering.
Building perseverance
That same persistence guided her when she set her sights on a co-op position. After applying to multiple positions, Mahendru patiently waited for the right opportunity before joining global engineering firm WSP in Vancouver.
As part of the bridges team, she worked as a structural engineering student on projects that connect communities.
Through her exposure to bridge projects, Mahendru gained insight into assessing existing structures, understanding material behaviour and appreciating the importance of sustainable, resilient design. The experience strengthened her interest in buildings and bridges and confirmed her desire to pursue structural engineering.
“I used to think perseverance meant staying up late and cramming,” she says. “Now I think it means staying consistent, asking for help and making space for balance. I started meal prepping. I go to the gym. It keeps me grounded.”
Mahendru has continued her career with WSP, transitioning in January to a structural engineering role with the Buildings team in Edmonton. The move reflects the performance and commitment she demonstrated during her co-op, and has allowed her to apply her academic training to real projects while working alongside experienced engineers on building systems and design standards.
Mahendru credits her growth to supportive professors, mentors and classmates—and to seizing every opportunity, even when it felt intimidating.
“My advice is don’t wait for the perfect time—it doesn’t exist,” she says. “Ask questions, take risks, meet people. And don’t obsess over grades. Skills, curiosity and how you treat people matter more. Opportunities come when you’re willing to try—even if the answer is no.”
