Edmonton's airport prepares for takeoff, a downtown oasis, NAIT breaks ground on biggest-ever project, and more

Each year, techlifetoday shares more than 100 stories highlighting student and alumni success, innovative research, and other exciting NAIT news. Every season, we collect the best right here in the techlifetoday Anthology so you never miss out.

Welcome to Volume 2, Issue 3! With this installment, we bring you a story about how a grad is taking the Edmonton International Airport to the next level, take you behind the scenes at the groundbreaking for NAIT's biggest construction project ever, show how applied research is fuelling a new Alberta-based performance nutrition company, and more.

It’s just a sample of the impact NAIT has on Alberta through the passions and skills of students, staff and alumni. Thanks for reading!

Cleared for takeoff: NAIT grad leads Edmonton International Airport into new era

For Myron Keehn (Accounting ’92), airports exist for more than just flying people from place to place. They're enablers of growth, regional boosters, engines of economic development. That's why the Edmonton International Airport president and CEO is positioning Canada's largest airport by area for takeoff into previously uncharted airspace.

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New heart of downtown: Grad helps turn Edmonton parking lots into O-day'min Park

While useful, a parking lot is not an inspiring urban space. But a park is, which is why Matt Sloan (Landscape Architectural Technology ’07), City of Edmonton senior landscape architect, was tasked with overseeing the transformation of 4.5 acres of surface lots into the downtown oasis known as O-day’min Park. Here's how the $48.6-million development turned out.

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NAIT food scientists help design sports drink for young athletes

Jen Koo’s sports nutrition venture was born of her concern as a  parent, watching her 17-year-old son and volleyball player from courtside. She found herself wanting to do more than just cheer on him and his teammates – she wanted to directly support their performance, even fuel it. The result was League, a sports drink designed specifically for youth, with the help of NAIT's Centre for Culinary Innovation.

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NAIT officially breaks ground on the Advanced Skills Centre

On Sept. 8, 2026, history was made at Main Campus, when NAIT-blue shovels were used to break ground at the site of the polytechnic’s largest project in history: the Advanced Skills Centre. Here’s a look at the progress of the project and the needs it will meet, as told by those who addressed the crowd of more than 300 that gathered nearby the construction site to mark a memorable day for NAIT.

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Why a celebration of Indigenous culture at the polytechnic is called “NAIT Treaty Days”

At the start of each fall, the NAIT community gathers outside the Centre for Applied Technology to raise a tipi. The effort helps kick off an annual event to support students who may find the campus experience unfamiliar, and to welcome others who may be unfamiliar with Indigenous culture. The event is called NAIT Treaty Days, and here's why.

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Accounting student’s app, Zelse, explores the joy of exploring

As if getting out and seeing the world wasn't fun enough, Accounting student Kyle Bauder has developed a way to gamify the activity. His recently released app, Zelse, outlines "missions" in more than 650 cities worldwide, rewarding completers with points because, well, “people love getting points,” says Bauder. Here's where the idea came from and how it works.