Colby Arsenault is a 2025 Canada Student Merit Award winner. He achieved this award for obtaining the highest standing of his class in the fourth and final year of his degree. Here is a brief biography of the winner.
Colby’s passion for nuclear energy led to research at UNB’s Centre for Nuclear Energy Research, focused on the long-term storage of sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel. This research was presented at the Conference of Metallurgists in August 2024 and later published through the Canadian Nuclear Society.
Beyond academics, Colby is an active leader and competitor, representing UNB proudly across the country. He first served as the President of the UNB Saint John Engineering Society in his second year of studies, spearheading new initiatives to support engineering students across the campus. Following his transfer to UNB Fredericton, he co-chaired the 2025 Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference, Canada’s largest student-led engineering conference, welcoming over 240 students from across the country to UNB Fredericton for a week of professional development, collaboration, and networking. Colby’s engineering ingenuity was recognised nationally this past year at the Canadian Engineering Competition, where he was awarded 1st place in the Re-engineering category. He was also named a Fellow of the Nuclear Energy Agency’s NEST SMR program, collaborating internationally on nuclear development in remote communities.
In September 2025, Colby will begin a Master of Applied Science in Engineering Physics (Nuclear Engineering), at McMaster University, conducting research on CANDU nuclear reactors aiming to optimise their operation through reactor physics and thermal-hydraulic analysis. His long-term goal is to pursue a career in academia, leveraging both research-backed innovation and public engagement to meet the clean energy needs of the future.
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