Welcome to November’s NAVBLUE Employee Spotlight Feature! We’ve created these stories with the goal of shining a spotlight on the pivotal role our employees play in the tech and aviation field, their journeys so far, and how NAVBLUE aims to create an innovative and inclusive workforce with their help.
Today we are sharing the story of Melda Kiziltan, Software Developer at NAVBLUE in Waterloo, Canada ✈️
Fun Facts
1. I have been to the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, and NASA – all for different competitions!
2. I am a five-time hacker and three-time winner of Hack the North, Canada’s largest hackathon. This year I went back as a workshop lead and mentor!
3. My capstone project won six awards both locally and nationally for innovation and sustainability within Canadian automotive and green energy systems.
Hello Melda! Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to NAVBLUE?
I always had a passion for space and the stars, and initially debated becoming an astronaut! However, upon realising that I’d much rather send other things up there instead of myself, I decided to pursue engineering. I have a bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering and am now doing a Master’s degree at the University of Waterloo in Electrical and Computer Engineering for Aeronautics and Algorithm Optimization. Through my bachelor’s, I had a co-op term at Navblue in 2022 where I worked as a software developer on N-Tracking. This sparked my passion for aeronautics, which led to many exciting opportunities – including coming back to work full-time.
You recently won a significant award and led some incredible projects, like the EV-TREx system and the CubeSat. Can you tell us about the award and the experience of working on those game-changing technologies?
I was named by The Logic as one of Canada’s Top Prospects and Leading Innovators from the Class of 2025. This award recognizes graduating students who are solving major challenges through the creation of new technologies and continuous innovation, as well as giving back to their community through mentorship and outreach. My fourth year capstone project EV-TREx was an idea I had in my first year of engineering, which was then brought to reality and won several awards for its impact on sustainability, human life, and the Canadian automotive industry. UW Orbital is a student engineering design team that I was mechanical lead and team lead for, and throughout that time, we won first place at the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge at the Canadian Space Agency, and traveled to the Netherlands for the European Space Agency’s Fly your Satellite Programme. We pride ourselves in developing completely from the ground up and for our educational outreach in schools, businesses, and our community. Being able to not only work on, but to create technologies such as this is incredibly rewarding – not to mention very fun!
You recently joined Navblue as a Software Developer. What excites you most about working on products that enhance airline safety and efficiency?
As an engineer in Canada, we take an oath when we finish our bachelors: to wear the iron ring and commit ourselves to our communities and public safety. Navblue and our products fulfill this commitment, and allow me to contribute to not only my community but the world as a whole, with improved airline safety and efficiency. It’s also very fun whenever I travel, to know what’s going on behind the scenes and to know that I made an impact on the world.
As a leading innovator, how important is it to you to support STEEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environment, and Mathematics) initiatives, and how can Navblue continue to encourage the next generation of diverse innovators?
It is extremely important to me that we support STEEM initiatives. As someone who continually gives talks and takes part in mentorships for engineering and aerospace, I am dedicated to giving back to my community. Navblue’s contributions such as our Girls Can Fly day, and collaboration with the University of Waterloo and the Accelerator Centre, are all great examples of how we, as a company, are supporting the next generation of pioneering technology for both aviation innovation, and safety operations.
How would you describe the future of NAVBLUE, in one word?
Zenith