2010 Nominees For Council
Joshua Nakaska earned a B.Sc. degree and a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Calgary. His PhD dissertation focused on high-frequency microchip design for wireless communications devices.
Joshua’s career has spanned a broad range of roles, including research computing systems management, telecommunications research associate, analog and digital integrated circuit designer, entrepreneur, and project manager. His technology development activities have encompassed a wide variety of industry sectors including video surveillance, financial software, video broadcast technologies, biomedical instrumentation, integrated circuits and wireless communication. He has been designing microchips for more than a decade and currently performs analog integrated circuit design engineering at Gennum Corporation. He has presented his research findings at prestigious conferences in Canada, Europe, and the US. In recognition of his research excellence, he has received numerous top awards including post-doctoral research grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Alberta Ingenuity, as well as awards from Gennum Corporation and Analog Devices Inc.
Joshua also holds the Project Coordinator position on the Project Steering Committee for the Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society. The mission of this society is to build and operate a new world-class, multisport athletic training facility in Calgary. He enjoys many sports, and completed an Ironman triathlon in 2006. Joshua is married, comes from a large family, and resides in Calgary.
APEGGA Activities
Member (2009-present)
Affiliations, Corporate or Community Service
Project Coordinator, Project Steering Committee, Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society (2009-present)
Volunteer, Calgary Roadrunners (2009)
Paper Reviewer, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Symposium on Circuits and Systems 2010 Conference (2009)
Chair, Instrumentation and MEMS Session, Graduate Students Conference, University of Calgary (2004)
Member, IEEE (1998-present)
Vice-President Internal, IEEE, University of Calgary Student Branch (1998-1999)
Vice-President, Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs, University of Calgary Student Branch (1997-1998)
Is the concept of professional self-regulation of engineering and geoscience an outdated concept or an efficient and effective means of protecting public safety and well-being and the environment?
The specialized knowledge required of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists is more efficiently understood by a group of their peers. Moreover, engineering and geoscience peers have extensive training and experience in the complex situations faced by modern day engineers and geoscientists that aid them in regulating these professions. Since the 1920s self-regulation in Alberta has been effective at protecting public interests by licensing qualified Members, maintaining codes of conduct and determining disciplinary actions.
Should the need to facilitate international mobility of skilled knowledge workers to ensure Canada’s continued well-being and prosperity outweigh the need for due-diligence in evaluating the education and experience of internationally educated applicants for professional licenses?
The need for the international mobility of skilled knowledge workers does not outweigh the need for due-diligence in evaluating the education and experience of internationally educated applicants for professional licenses. Due-diligence is required to evaluate the credentials of professionals from foreign jurisdictions to protect the public, maintain professional self-regulation, and to maintain the high regard of the engineering and geoscience professions in Alberta. Ensuring only qualified people practice these professions is paramount.