Pierson McGillivray
Masters of Mechanical & Materials Engineering Graduate
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About
Master of Engineering graduate in Mechanical and Materials Engineering with an Automotive Engineering background and applied experience in CAD, CFD, FEA, experimental testing, fabricating, data analysis, and prototype development. Skilled in SolidWorks Modelling/Simulations, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB/Simulink, and validation through research, capstone, and independent projects.
Experience
Graduate Researcher – Thermofluids at The University of Western Ontario (2025-09 – Present)
Experimental thermofluids research focusing on transient flow systems and human cough flow field replication.
- Designed and validated an apparatus to replicate human cough flow fields, controlling expelled volume, peak velocity, duration, and orifice geometry
- Developed repeatable test conditions across varying Reynolds numbers to ensure experimental consistency
- Conducted airflow characterization to support disinfection research in public-space applications
- Performed testing in biosafety-certified facilities, validating performance up to Level 1 conditions
Undergraduate Researcher - Automotive/Aerodynamics at Ontario Tech University (2023-11 – 2025-05)
Research in automotive and aerodynamics including ESC system performance testing and aerodynamic device modeling.
- Co-authored two research papers for CSME 2024 and 2025. Presented at CSME 2024
- Conducted tests and evaluated ESC system performance for FMVSS-126 and ISO-3888 test procedures
- Interpreted results and set vehicle performance criteria for yaw rate
- Modelled active aerodynamic devices using CFD for drag/lift analysis
Lead Vehicle Designer & Aerodynamicist at McGillivray Motors (2023-10 – Present)
Lead aerodynamic and vehicle design for high-performance vehicle concepts with focus on CFD analysis and FEA optimization.
- Designed multiple high-performance vehicle concepts using SolidWorks Surfacing
- Aerodynamic development using ANSYS Fluent and SolidWorks Flow Simulation to improve L/D ratio
- Iterated designs based on pressure, velocity, and force figures to improve aerodynamic performance
- Performed FEA/Topology studies on individual components to minimize weight, while maintaining strength
- Concept vehicle-based development of an active aerodynamic wing forming the basis of an academic study
- Experience in SolidWorks Visualize rendering add-in to enhance visual and realism of the vehicle designs
Education
Master of Engineering in Mechanical and Materials Engineering – The University of Western Ontario (2025-05 – 2026-04)
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Automotive Engineering – Ontario Tech University (2020-09 – 2025-04)
