Monique Frize

Monique Frize (BASc ’66) was the first female engineering graduate from the University of Ottawa. This instalment of Beyond the Lab uncovers how she went on to become a renowned biomedical engineering expert, and one of UOttawa’s most championed alumni. Monique Frize’s fonds are held at the University of Ottawa’s Archives and Special Collections.

Her story

Monique Frize is an expert in the field of biomedical engineering. She was the first woman to obtain a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Ottawa in 1966, and afterwards pursued her graduate studies in Canada, England and the Netherlands. She worked for 18 years as a clinical engineer in Quebec and New Brunswick. As a professor of electrical engineering, she became the first holder of the Northern Telecom / NSERC National Chair of Women in Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in 1989. In 1997, she joined Carleton University as a professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, and the University of Ottawa as a professor at the School of Information Engineering and Technology. She held the NSERC / Nortel Research Chair in Women in Science and Engineering from Ontario until 2002. Moreover, she is a founding member of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) and was its President from 2002 to 2008, as well as being President of the Education and Research Institute (ERI) from 2007.

As a researcher and engineer in the biomedical field, Monique Frize specializes in the development of medical instruments, medical imaging, and clinical decision support systems. She is the author of numerous scholarly publications and scientific papers presented at international conferences. Her research has helped to develop tools to detect complications in preterm infants and to develop a technique that uses an infrared camera to detect the presence of arthritis.

Throughout her career in engineering of more than 50 years, Monique Frize has been proactive in the advancement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). As a role model for women engineers, she has taught, conducted research, developed programs and led campaigns to encourage young women to pursue careers in this field and has been widely recognized for doing so. In her book, The Bold and the Brave, she charts the history of women in science and engineering down through the centuries and highlights the obstacles that women have faced in pursuing such studies.

Monique Frize has received several honorary doctorates and prestigious awards in recognition of her significant achievements. Among others, she received the Gold Medal from the Professional Engineers of Ontario and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, as well as being inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Monique Frize’s archives are held at the University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections