Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering
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| Established | September 1990 |
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| Contact | powe@mcgilleus.ca |
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Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering (POWE) is a McGill student-run organization with a vision to increase the presence of women in the engineering classroom and profession. To achieve this goal, POWE reaches out to future engineering students and supports current students through professional development activities.
Mandate
Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering (POWE) is a philanthropic group at McGill University under Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS). POWE’s main goals are:
- To support female and gender minority students in engineering
- To encourage young women to join this field of study by exposing them to the many career opportunities that an engineering degree offers
- To enlighten everyone about the important contributions and general role of women in the engineering field
- To create a positive and friendly environment where fellow female engineers can socialize and seek support
- To promote inclusion and diversity in engineering in all our activities
Main Events
Speed-Networking
One of the largest and most successful annual internal events that POWE organizes is Speed Networking. It is an evening of fast-paced discussions between female/ gender minority students and industry professionals that facilitates valuable connections and conversations that students can then carry with them throughout their careers.
The evening is always extremely popular and in the past year drew roughly 80 students and 25 professionals. Due to its success, POWE also hosts a mini version of Speed Networking in the fall called Speed Mentoring, where we invite 10-15 professionals and about 30 students for more intimate, mentoring-focused conversations.
POWE Conference
By far POWE’s largest event, the Conference for Future Women in Engineering has been an annual event at McGill for over a decade. The event is so successful that we always fill to capacity months prior. During the conference, over 135 high school students from the Montreal and surrounding area come to McGill for a day to experience a microcosm of what it means to be a McGill Engineering student. The full day conference involves a keynote speaker, lab tours, student and professor panels, and concludes with a design competition. Year after year, we receive enormously positive feedback from both teachers and students.
Industry Tours
POWE visits many industries throughout the year. These tours aim to expose students to a wise variety of possible career paths with the hope of encouraging female students to remain within the discipline after graduation. In the past, POWE has visited Medtronics, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), Pfizer, Pepsi Co., IREQ (Hydro-Quebec Research Institute), and l'Oreal Canada.
Conferences
One of our major initiatives is in sending a strong delegation to represent McGill at national science and engineering conferences, particularly the Conference on Diversity in Engineering (CDE) as well as WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) and SWE (Society for Women Engineers). These conferences allow selected applicants the opportunity to participate in the conferences and, equally importantly, connect with industry, academic, and student representatives from across Canada, and internationally.
Outreach
POWE’s outreach and mentoring program helps elementary school, high school, and CEGEP students learn about the many wonders of engineering. In addition to POWE’s annual conference, select engineering academic advisors, POWE student representatives, and professors participate in the McGill CEGEP Caravans. These McGill-dedicated visits to targeted Montreal CEGEPs (French and English) promote our engineering programs, services and opportunities to CEGEP student and counsellors. In total, ten visits are made, beginning in September and ending in mid-February.
History
POWE McGill was founded in September 1990. The first POWE Speed Networking event took place in 2010.
Executive Team
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Co-President | Houda Shafique |
| Co-President | Sarah Ford |
| VP Branding | Suzanne Lee |
| VP Conference | Saumiyaa Pathmarajah |
| VP External | Sruthi Sudhir |
| VP Finance | Florence Yared |
| VP Internal | Sharon Kattar |
| VP Outreach | Lakshmi Roy |
| VP Social Media | Ruolin Zhang |
| VP Sponsorship | Julia Strauss |
| Community Director | Stephanie Kirichu |
| Photography Director | Melanie Rodger |
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Co-President | Diana Serra |
| Co-President | Taylor Curtis |
| VP Communications | Suzanne Lee |
| VP Conference | Julia Strauss |
| VP External | Sarah Ford |
| VP Finance | Sadiyah Shamsuzzaman |
| VP Internal | Sharon Kattar |
| VP Mentorship | Houda Shafique |
| VP Outreach | Aastha Goyal |
| VP Sponsorship | Julia London |
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Co-President | Nina Qi |
| Co-President | Emma Rozier |
| VP Communications | Jenny Li |
| VP Conference | Catherine Pronovost |
| VP External | Serah Ladhani |
| VP Finance | Stephanie Wu |
| VP Internal | Diana Serra |
| VP Mentorship | Julia London |
| VP Outreach | Taylor Curtis |
| VP Sponsorship | Tiffany Wang |
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Co-President | Isabella Bozzo |
| Co-President | Stephanie Greene |
| VP Communications | Nina Qi |
| VP Conference | Sara Bozzo |
| VP External | Jenny Pan |
| VP Finance | Emma Rozier |
| VP Internal | Marika Ueda |
| VP Mentorship | Diana Serra |
| VP Outreach | Taylor Curtis |
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| President | Helen Lin |
| VP Communications | Stephanie Greene |
| VP Conference | Isabella Bozzo |
| VP Engagement | Gustav Sustar |
| VP External | Amanda Bianco |
| VP Finance | Sarah Ma |
| VP Internal | Emma Rozier |
| VP Mentorship | Tarjei Skaar |
| VP Outreach | Gabriel Benchitrit |
| Position: | Name: |
|---|---|
| President | Vanessa Jones |
| VP Communications | Jacqueline Harvey |
| VP Conference | Helen Lin |
| VP External | Jacqueline Varey |
| VP Finance | Sarah Ma |
| VP Internal | Sheelah McCarthy |