About Heidi Thiessen
The Heidi Thiessen Memorial Award was officially named in 2000, although the award itself was established years before that.
The Southwestern Ontario Chapter of the STC created this award to keep her memory and legacy alive. Beyond her involvement as an active member of our chapter, Heidi was influential in hiring new graduates, and she mentored many students and young writers. Through her work at the University of Waterloo Centre for Professional Writing, and later at Storm Technical Communications, many co-op students gained valuable work experience in a supportive environment. Unfortunately, Heidi passed away from breast cancer while she was still in her 30s.
Requirements for Submission
To apply for this award, students had to meet the following requirements:
- Attend a college or university full time
- Be in second year or higher in their program
- Have a minimum of a 75% average (official transcript required)
- Write a letter describing how their writing skills have improved with experience
- Submit two writing samples to demonstrate their technical writing skills (for example, reports, newsletter articles, and essays).
General Comments
This is the first year that we made the Heidi Thiessen award available to all college and university students in Ontario who are in their second year of study. Previously the award was restricted to the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University. It was also previously restricted to 3rd and 4th year students. These changes are definitely reflected in the winning entries. Two of the winners are in their second year of study, and all of them would not have met the requirements for this award in the past.
1st Place – Josh Wellstood
4th year student at McMaster University (Electrical Engineering Management Program)
His Letter
The following sentence captures an important concept about technical communication:
“I have worked significantly to develop key communication skills to effectively explain technically detailed material in a manner that a person without a background in the subject can understand.”
Submission Titles (Topics)
- Analysis of the SLN-Aecon Field Change Notice Process for Bruce ‘A’ Restart Balance of Plant Project
- Arc Flash Hazards: Causes, Calculations and Controls
Comments
While the titles seem complex, the well-written text and great use of graphics within these submissions made the information easy to understand. In addition to content, the information was laid out well with useful headings and groupings of information. These are truly impressive entries and very worthy of their 1st place finish.
2nd Place – Daniel Pinelli
2nd year student at McMaster University (Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering)
His Letter
Daniel’s cover letter was very strong. In fact he started with a definition of communication:
“Communication. A skill that is immensely important in the fields of science and engineering and yet is rarely given the emphasis it deserves in academic study.”
Submission Titles (Topics)
· Propeller Selection
· ECCS Work Term Report for a company that is a component repair shop for the aerospace industry. His main task during his work term was the improvement of the thermal spray process.
Comments
Daniel made good use of flowcharts to illustrate processes with corresponding explanations and formulas. He also provided good descriptions of elements before providing more details. He did an excellent job of presenting his goals and then following those goals with examples of how they were met. He also included examples of problems and solutions.
3rd Place – Daniel Dulcin
2nd year student at Lakehead University (Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology)
His Letter
The following is a quotation in Daniel’s letter:
“I am determined to strive for excellence in my written work and have already registered for two writing classes this summer that are not requirements in my degree.”
Submission Titles (Topics)
The following articles were written as part of the SPARK program at Lakehead University. The SPARK program conveys to the public the importance and significance of local research. Daniel wrote two such articles:
· Mussel Man (Note: Since you cannot see the spelling, it refers to the one in the Clam family.)
· Evolution: An Evolving Science
Comments
Daniel’s two submissions demonstrate that technical documentation can be easy to read, even by people not educated on the topic. It also shows that the length of the document is not necessarily reflect the quality of the writing. If you can say the same thing with fewer words then you should be commended. Daniel has demonstrated that he knows his audience and recognizes how much content that audience can grasp, and how much time that audience will spend to read an article.
Debbie Kerr
Immediate Past President
Southwester Ontario Chapter, STC
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