Mia Penney

This year marks a significant milestone in engineering education and industry collaboration as Memorial University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science celebrates 20 years of co-operative partnership with Exmar Offshore Company (EOC), a global leader in maritime innovation.

Since 2005, the relationship has resulted in over 220 placements for Memorial students, with the largest single intake in Winter 2012 being 12 students. Excluding the university itself, in the last 15 years, EOC has consistently ranked among Memorial Engineering’s top 15 employers. 

Photograph: 2019 with a group of hired interns and current interns at the time, including James Craig, Class of 2013, Alison Sheppard, Class of 2008, and Matt Murphy, Class of 2006.

“This 20-year partnership represents a successful connection in supporting students, EOC, and the University,” said Patrick Sullivan, Director of the Engineering Co-operative Education Office. “EOC provides our students with meaningful work in areas such as structural, stability, or electrical analysis, and project management. These experiences and the skills developed transfer well academically and prepare students for their careers. This relationship reflects the quality of our students and our programs.”

EOC goes above and beyond in supporting students, assisting with the U.S. visa process, which is often costly, as well as providing a housing allowance, a car, and flights to Houston. For many students, it’s their first time living abroad, and the experience is both professionally and personally transformative.

Photograph: Blair Kirkland attending the arrival of a project using EOC’s OPTI® Hull in which he managed the hull construction.

“Memorial’s co-op program is unique among its peers,” said David Lim, Managing Director at EOC. “We’ve come to consider MUN a true partner in the execution of our projects. It has been particularly impactful in the growth of Exmar Offshore Company, where Memorial is represented at every level of the organization.”

Students are integrated into project teams and given real responsibility, something they consistently identify as the most rewarding aspect of working with EOC. They gain experience with industry software, contribute to design solutions, and return to campus able to share their new knowledge and skills with peers.

One of those students was Tim Squires, now a full-time Project Engineer Specialist with EOC. “My co-op experience with Exmar Offshore Company was exceptional,” said Squires. “Getting to visit the shipyard where two of our semisubmersible units were being prepared for deployment was eye-opening. Seeing in person what I had contributed to on paper really showed the impact of our work.”

For Alison Sheppard, now Commercial Development Manager at EOC, co-op shaped the entire trajectory of her career. “By the time I graduated, I already had two years of work experience. It gave me a competitive advantage and helped me land a full-time job before even finishing my degree,” she said.

Photograph: Interns and some of MUN graduates (including Tim Squires, Class of 2024) in front of Exmar’s OPTI® Hull at KOS, in Ingleside, Texas.

This long-standing partnership continues to be a model for experiential learning and career development, strengthened by early cooperation between senior EOC personnel and former ASM-CE (Co-op Coordinator) John Hudson. Today, numerous Memorial alumni at EOC hold executive roles, keeping the connection strong and paving the way for the next generation of engineers. Matt Murphy, Class of 2006, was one of EOC’s first Memorial interns and is now Senior Vice President at EOC, along with Blair Kirkland, Class of 2006 who is now the Construction and Operations Manager with EOC. “Co-op is not just a program—it’s an investment in the future of our industry,” said Lim. “And Memorial students have proven time and again that they are ready to meet that future head-on.”

Photograph: Alison Sheppard in photo, preparing to deploy EOC’s first OPTI-EX® platform in 2009.

As Memorial and EOC look toward the future, this partnership remains a testament to what is possible when academia and industry work together. It not only opens doors for students to step into meaningful careers but also fuels innovation, strengthens global connections, and reinforces the reputation of Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering as a leader in preparing world-class engineers.