UBC offers 14 types of engineering programs currently, so deciding which program is right for you is an important and complex decision. Let us demystify it for you! Come learn about the engineering journeys of our diverse panelists in the “Women* in Engineering: Career Explorations” event. Keep scrolling to see our lineup of panelists this year.
With guidance from our panelists and Geering Up team, you will engage in a career mapping session to envision and focus in on your engineering journey. Close out the day by finding team members with similar interests to yours to design a solution for a real-world problem through an Engineering Design Challenge.
Open to all girls* in grades 10-12.
* We use the words “girls” and “women” inclusively. All trans, genderqueer and non-binary folks belong at and are welcome to attend our events.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey in engineering?
A: My background is in civil and environmental engineering, and now I focus on hazard and risk management, specifically in steep creek and landslides hazards. I also lead initiatives like our risk-informed decision making specialty team and support research and development at BGC Engineering.
Q: Why is it important to have women* pursue careers in engineering?
A: Women make up more than half of the Canadian population but are underrepresented in engineering fields. At the same time, studies have shown that more diverse teams perform better. We all benefit when there is a wide range of skills, abilities, and perspectives to develop sustainable solutions to engineering challenges.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey in engineering?
A: I wrapped up my degree in Materials Engineering at UBC just as the pandemic began in 2020! Now, I’m a Process Engineer-in-Training; I support pilot-scale projects and other senior engineers at Teck Resources, Canada’s largest diversified mining company.
Q: Why is it important to have women* pursue careers in engineering?
A: The mining sector is not a common industry that many women are interested in because it has been so heavily dominated by men in the past. There are many opportunities where women can contribute our skills and expertise in this field to influence the efficiency and safety of the work.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey in engineering?
A: I studied Chemical and Biological engineering at UBC, and I’m a proud recipient of the Women in Technology scholarship! Today, I work with AECOM to support ongoing wastewater treatment projects.
Q: Why is it important to have women* pursue careers in engineering?
A: Although numbers are slowly growing, a large percentage of positions in the engineering field is still held males. Having women in the field will encourage a more diverse work culture, which overall benefits society, and it will also encourage future women to pursue these careers.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey in engineering?
A: A women can pursue career in software development which offers numerous benefits, such as high demand with multiple tools and technologies, job security, flexible work schedules with remote work culture and the potential for high salaries. Software development is a creative profession that offers opportunities for innovation.
Q: Why is it important to have women* pursue careers in engineering?
A: Software development careers have numerous benefits… from employability (there’s a high demand for developers with skills in multiple tools and technologies!) and job security to flexible work schedules and competitive salaries, you get to flex your technical AND creative skills in this innovation-forward field.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey in engineering?
A: After I received my Bachelor of Science in BioPhysics, I’m now pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at UBC. I work with UBC HUMBL (Human Motion Biomechanic Lab), where we study the application of wearable sensors—specifically for women in soccer—to accurately measure high impact scenarios common in injuries.
Q: Why is it important to have women* pursue careers in engineering?
A: There are so many aspects of the world designed for white males, and that has very serious health and safety consequences for anyone who doesn’t fit that description. We strengthen the science that we do by diversifying the voices in biomedical engineering, thereby shrinking our blind spots and bringing in fresh ways of thinking!
