Krembil Scholar Alumnus Helping Take Canadian to the Moon

November 29, 2022

< Back Deniz Eralp (MBA ’18) is a Senior Systems Engineer at MDA and a Schulich Krembil Scholar. He is currently working on technologies for moon exploration that will be used by Canadian Space Agency and NASA as part of the Artemis program that is scheduled to take the first Canadian to the moon surface and back. Eralp sees his MBA much like Lunar Module Pilot William Anders saw Earth back in 1968 when Anders was part of the first mission to circle the moon.  Anders said, “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” “When I decided to pursue my MBA and explore business, I discovered what engineering stands for,” said Eralp, who obtained a MSc. in Engineering Management, System Design and Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before studying at Schulich. The Space industry is becoming more commercialized than ever before, with more private companies funding exploration versus governments only. Interested industries include agriculture, gas, communications and even retail.

Eralp credits his Schulich MBA for allowing him to anticipate what his colleagues in other departments may need from him on projects. “Being able to see things from other perspectives makes you more beneficial,” he says. The technologies Eralp is currently working on will be part of Canada’s contribution to Gateway, a key element of Artemis, the NASA-led program to establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon. Once completed, the Gateway will serve as a Moon-orbiting outpost that will sustain human presence on the Moon and as a staging point for the next generation of deep space exploration. A Canadian astronaut will be part of the pretest flight in 2024. Over the last 20 years, the Krembil Foundation has been an invaluable benefactor and pioneering partner of Schulich. At the heart of this special relationship is the mutual commitment to championing next generation business leaders through generous scholarships and real-world internship opportunities.