“We need women role models... What does a ten-year-old want? She wants a woman role model she can aspire to- and to me, that's what's missing right now. We don't have enough women that are role models for them” – Eli Fathi (CEO, Mindbridge AI)
Listen to Make the Future podcast on equity, diversity and inclusion
Eli Fathi, CEO of Mindbridge AI, recently participated in a discussion on the topic of diversity and inclusivity in the field of STEM as a guest on the second season of Make the Future Podcast. He highlighted the importance of women role models in encouraging girls to pursue a career in STEM fields, in which women are still largely underrepresented today.
In light of International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the inspiring women role models at the Faculty who are breaking barriers, making an impact, and contributing to a better society. Keep reading to learn just how they are “Making the Future”.
Catherine Mavriplis
Inspiring women to succeed in STEM fields
For over 20 years, Prof. Mavriplis has been dedicated to supporting and encouraging women to thrive in STEM fields. Being herself a successful woman in mechanical engineering, a male dominated field, she continues to advance the cause in numerous ways as Chair holder of the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering.
Melike Erol-Kantarci
Ensuring efficient 5G wireless networks
Prof. Erol-Kantarci is at the forefront of Canada’s transition to 5G wireless networks. Working with AI and machine learning to ensure the efficiency of those high-speed networks, her research is crucial to society’s smart digital transformation initiatives, such as autonomous cars and “SmartCities”.
Stéphanie Guilherme
Providing access to drinking water to Northern and Indigenous communities
Prof. Guilherme, who has very recently joined the team of professors at the Faculty of Engineering, has been conducting research for the past 10 years on access to drinking water in the small isolated villages of Northern Canada. She remains incredibly passionate about helping Northern and Indigenous communities get access to a reliable and clean water system and she is dedicated to continue working with them to create a lasting impact in their quality of life.
Clémence Fauteux-Lefebvre
Contributing to a more sustainable future
Prof. Fauteux-Lefebvre has built her career on her desire to find solutions to environmental problems and to contribute to a more sustainable future. As a chemical engineer, her research focuses on sustainable catalysis processes and aims to save energy and eliminate pollutants.
Hanan Anis
Offering uOttawa engineering students practical and valuable experience
As NSERC Chair in Entrepreneurial Engineering Design at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Hanan Anis is the creator and the director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Design (CEED). She is dedicated to equip students with all the tools and support they need to become successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and change makers.
Natalie Baddour
Using technology to improve healthcare
Prof. Baddour is part of the CREATE-BEST team, a program for engineering graduate students that prepares and trains them to meet the needs of the mHealth marketplace. mHealth integrates mobile technologies to the practice of clinical healthcare to improve the lives of patients and practitioners.
Elena Baranova
Promoting cost-effective sustainable alternative fuel sources
As the head of the Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering (LEE), Prof. Baranova promotes renewable energy and clean technologies. Her current research focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering the cost of alternative fuel sources in the objective of a more sustainable future.
Shiva Nejati
Improving autonomous driving system’s reliability
Prof. Shiva Nejati, who has just arrived at the Faculty after many years of conducting research with various automotive and software companies in Europe, is now fostering new collaborations with Ottawa’s industry sector in order to build impactful solutions to real-life problems. She is working on improving the safety of self-driving cars systems by using AI and machine learning technologies.
Handan Tezel
Developing safe and clean renewable energy storage systems
Prof. Tezel leads the Energy-S.M.A.R.T. team (Energy-Storage, Membranes, Adsorption Research and Technology) at uOttawa, and is working with undergraduate and graduate students to research renewable and sustainable energy sources as well as energy storage systems to reduce energy waste.
Elena Dragomirescu
Preparing the community for the next tornado
Prof. Dragomirescu is researching solutions to make our cities safer in the event of a tornado. Though her research focuses on preparing buildings to withstand damage from heavy storms, she also makes recommendations for updates in Ottawa’s building codes and raises public awareness about safety through a mobile app.