Four UBC engineers receive Order of the White Rose scholarships
Current UBC Engineering graduate students Catherine Ko, Angela Wang and Ruth Yu and UBC Okanagan School of Engineering alumna Samantha Krieg were named laureates of the Order of the White Rose at a ceremony in Montréal on December 1. The newly-expanded scholarship program honours the 14 women killed at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1989.
Laureates are selected for their courage, curiosity and determination. “Like their predecessors, these young women possess the passion and determination to truly make a difference in the world,” said Polytechnique Montréal President Maud Cohen.
Previously awarded to a single student each year, the program has expanded to grant 14 Canadian women scholarships to pursue graduate or doctoral studies in engineering anywhere in the world. These four students demonstrate the ambition necessary to create a better, more just world.
Catherine Ko
Catherine Ko is a graduate student at the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary, Ko interned with cutting-edge biotech company exploring the use of stem cells in therapy for diabetes. She has continued this work through her research into bioprocess control systems for stem cell differentiation and manufacturing.
Ko is involved with Women in Science and Engineering, inspiring the next generation of woman engineers. She also served as president of Go Baby Go, a non-profit creating adaptive devices for children. As she continues to pursue her ambitions, she strives to advance scientific discovery while also pursuing social impact.
Samantha Krieg
After a career in fine dining, Samantha Krieg decided to pursue her passion and entered the UBC Okanagan School of Engineering. Her studies in civil engineering led to opportunities to work on internationally recognized research projects on materials and seismic resilience. Krieg emerged as leader in her program, mentoring her peers and establishing student initiatives.
Now a PhD student at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, Krieg is conducting research about trade-offs between embodied carbon reductions and earthquake resilience in concrete buildings. She also hopes to continue research she began at the School of Engineering. Never one to back down from a challenge, her goal is to help shape a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient world.
Angela Wang
Angela Wang’s interest in adaptive technologies led her to the bioengineering program at McGill University. While there, she combined inclusive technology with neurology in her work, developing a computer interface spelling system to assist nonverbal people. She also partnered with non-profits to design tools for students with disabilities.
Wang has continued her studies at the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, where she is member of the Human Motion Biomechanics Laboratory. She is also a trainee in Care Anywhere, a multidisciplinary sub-curriculum for students studying biosensors in healthcare. Her experience working with users of inclusive technologies continues to drive her ambition to make a transformative impact.
Ruth Yu
The potential to make a positive, lasting impact motivated Ruth Yu to study biomedical engineering at UBC for her undergraduate degree. As a co-op student, she helped develop methods to identify markers that can make diagnosing cancer easier. An engaged member of the engineering student community, she was also a member of the UBC BIOMOD design team and was involved with Engineers without Borders throughout her degree.
Now, as a graduate student at UBC, Yu continues to research genomic analysis methods, targeting the genetic patterns linked to high-risk cancers. Outside of the lab, she shares her passion for STEM through workshops in Vancouver schools. Through her passion for biomedical engineering and her ambition to work on complex problems, Yu continues to make an impact.
