News & Events

CEDA Becomes First Company to Provide Business Internships to Hotchkiss Brain Institute Students

CALGARY, AB – Applying a PhD in neuroscience to a business environment is not common, but for CEDA, it was the starting point of an innovative and unique relationship with the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI). CEDA is the first company to offer business internships to PhD neuroscience candidates looking to gain mentorship and work experience outside of academia.

How does a corporation take individuals with PhDs disciplined in neuroscience and harness their research and analytical skills for business? By removing the focus on neuroscience.

“If you look beyond neuroscience, you can see an individual who has been extensively trained to research and think critically. You have the opportunity to harness these strong analytical minds for the benefit of the business, have them look at data with a fresh perspective and draw conclusions without bias,” said Roberta Roesler, CEDA CIO & EVP Corporate Services.

Through engaging with HBI, CEDA was able to bring the REALISE internship concept to fruition. “By being innovative and forward-looking, CEDA was able to see the value in the HBI internship and turn it into reality in a way that not only benefited CEDA, but HBI and the intern. We were able to provide PhD students with the break they needed to discover a career beyond academia,” said Roberta. 

Three PhD candidates were selected to gain direct experience working alongside experienced business leaders at CEDA.

“Landing a good job can be difficult under the best of circumstances, so exploring opportunities outside of academia made sense. Being able to bridge the gap and gain familiarity in the oil and gas sector really appealed to me,” said Shadna Rana, one of the REALISE interns and now a Business Analyst contractor at CEDA. “The chance to learn about a company’s culture, adapt to a new challenge and apply my softer skills in a collaborative environment was exactly what I was looking for.”

By determining gaps and issues worth exploring within the business, CEDA gained valuable insight into tailing pond technologies, developed an online service centre and identified workforce labour solutions, all the while providing imperative mentoring to PhDs looking to expand their business knowledge.

About CEDA

CEDA provides maintenance, turnaround, construction and project services to help clients maximize production, mitigate risk and avoid costly outages. CEDA’s seven core service lines include pressure and vacuum, chemical cleaning, pigging and decoking, electrical, mechanical, dredging and fluid management and pipeline services. CEDA’s service lines work independently or as an integrated service offering. CEDA employs over 2,000 talented people across Canada.

Media Inquiries:

CEDA Corporate Communications
403-253-3233
corporatecommunications@cedagroup.com