Women in Engineering

UBC Civil Welcomes Dr. Bavisha Kalyan as Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering for Thriving and Equitable Communities

Dr. Kalyan focuses on environmental engineering and community-driven research

UBC Civil in the Media – UBC researcher brings clean water home to Kenyan school

The Kisii project shows how powerful it can be to combine academic research with real-world applications to address pressing global challenges

Earthquake Preparedness and Resilience: UBC Civil Engineering’s Latest Insights for BC ShakeOut Day

featuring research on heritage preservation and Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Dr. Tamara Etmannski awarded Sustainability Fellowship

UBC Sustainability Fellowships are awarded to full-time faculty members who are initiating the development of innovative sustainability courses and programs.

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French appointed Head, pro tem

She has held a number of additional administrative and leadership roles, and has received several awards

Faculty Promotions: Dr. Kim, Dr. Swei, Dr. Jelovica and Dr. Molina-Hutt

This well-deserved recognition highlights their exceptional contributions to research, teaching, and service.

Boston Bar Landfill Renewal Project is D&I Project Poster Winner

On Design and Innovation Day, the project titled “The Boston Bar Landfill Closure and Site Renewal” by Team 19 from CIVL 446 was selected as the winner of the project poster category among several amazing projects by civil engineering students.   This project, undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Iqbal Bhuiyan, P.Eng. of Sperling Hansen Associates […]

UBC Civil Engineering Teams Headed to Nationals

The American Society of Civil Engineering chapter of UBC (UBC ASCE Student Chapter) has successfully hosted the 2024 ASCE Pacific Northwest symposium. The two-day event took place on April 6th and 7th. Over 350 participants, judges, and volunteers from the United States and Canada competed in four competitions: Steel Bridge, Concrete Canoe, Sustainable Solutions and […]

Civil Student Spotlight – Building and Maintaining Connections

Kimia Miraki Program: Civil Engineering Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science Campus: Vancouver What extracurricular activities are you currently involved in? I am currently the co-president of the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineering) Student Chapter of UBC, where I am involved in leading our team through various projects. This year, our team has undertaken significant […]

Civil Student Spotlight – Striving to Develop Ideas Into a Reality

Kelly Kim Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science Program: Civil Engineering Campus: Vancouver What extracurricular activities are you currently involved in? Currently, I am involved in the Concrete Toboggan Engineering Design Team as the Ski Design Subteam Lead, the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Society (Civil Club) as Co-President, and I work part-time with Industra Construction Corp as […]

Dr. Sara Beck: Transforming Access to Clean Water

The pressing question that prompts this research is how do you achieve the same efficacy of water treatment at smaller scales with limited resources

Alumni Talk – “I was willing to do work that others weren’t.”

Annie Stancheva Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science Grad year: 2015 Program: Civil Engineering Campus: Vancouver Current Company: Urban Systems-multi disciplinary company based out of Kamloops, with many offices across Canada. The company is a networked organization where the structure is non-traditional. The structure allows for employees to have internal and external clients while working under […]

UBC Civil in the media – UBC team probing tire chemical linked to salmon death wins $1.8M in funding

It was one of 58 B.C. projects splitting $86 million in funding for salmon protection and habitat restoration.

Provincial funding will advance UBC Disaster Resilience research

Four of the twelve funded projects are under the skilled guidance of faculty from UBC Civil Engineering

UBC Civil in the Media – Learning from Turkiye earthquake 

UBC engineering experts were among a group of researchers that visited Turkey to study the aftermath of its earthquake

Dr. Tamara Etmannski named Co-Director of Environmental Engineering

Dr. Tamara Etmannski, with her illustrious journey in academia, is set to embark on a new chapter.

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French Receives NSERC Funding

This grant is about laying the foundation for a future where STEM education is truly inclusive

Rain gardens could save salmon from toxic tire chemicals

Salmon holds immense ecological and cultural significance in B.C. However, the survival of these magnificent fish is under threat due to multiple stressors. Among the challenge salmon fac is a toxic chemical associated with car tires, which finds its way into our rivers and streams when rainwater washes it off roads. Fortunately, there’s a ray […]

Civil Engineering PhD candidate receives Doctoral Scholarship

Kishoare Tamanna, a PhD student in Civil Engineering and a UBC Killam Doctoral Scholar at the School of Engineering, is making waves in the field of sustainable infrastructure development. Working at the Applied Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Structures (ALAMS) under the guidance of Professor Shahria Alam and co-supervised by Professor Tony Yang at the […]

Civil Engineering Students Take on the Challenge of Designing a Nearly-Zero Carbon Building

Third Space Commons is one of Canada’s first institutional spaces designed by students to be near-zero embodied carbon

Dr. Amy Kim and Dr. Tarek Sayed receives 2022 UBC Faculty Research Awards

Dr. Amy Kim and Dr. Tarek Sayed are among the 2022 recipients for UBC’s prestigious Killam Research Prize and Accelerator Fellowship.

Pamela Wolf receives first APSC Inclusion and Belonging Award

Ms. Wolf is recognized for her leadership and practice in fostering inclusion and belonging within engineering education at UBC.

Dr. Rachel Scholes featured as Emerging Investigator by RSC

The series highlight research by newer voices with potential to influence future directions.

Dr. Sara Beck brings global collaboration to UBC Civil Engineering

The Department of Civil Engineering adds to our roster of world-class researchers and educators and welcomes Assistant Professor Sara Beck to the Environmental Engineering research group. Dr. Beck joins the Department after completing post-docs at the University of Colorado and Eawag, the Swiss Federal institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, opportunities that followed a Fulbright at the […]

Dr. Tamara Etmannski receives Killam Teaching Prize

Assistant Professor of Teaching Dr. Tamara Etmannski has been recognized with the 2020/2021 Killam Teaching Prize. This award is nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni and recognizes exceptional contributions through teaching. In addition to serving as a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Etmannski holds several academic leadership roles in the Faculty of Applied […]

Fourth-year student receives two Pipeline Engineering awards

Jezarah Ebel was always destined for a bright future in engineering. After excelling in math and physics in high school, choosing to study Civil Engineering at UBC was a no-brainer. Driven by a newfound interest in project management, she decided to further specialize in pipeline engineering. This year, Jezarah is one of three students (along with […]

Professors Li and Yang receive province’s top awards for engineers

We are excited to announce that two faculty members in our Department received the 2020 President’s Awards from Engineers and Geoscientists BC. The awards are the province’s top awards for professional engineers and geoscientists and recognize those with outstanding achievement in professional, technical, and community contributions. Professor Loretta Li received the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award, while […]

Pamela Wolf hired as Assistant Professor of Teaching

We are pleased to announce that Pamela Wolf (previously Rogalski) has been hired as Assistant Professor of Teaching with the UBC Department of Civil Engineering. Pamela joined UBC School of Applied Science as a Faculty Lecturer in 2013 and has developed and delivered numerous technical communication courses to students in Civil Engineering, Material Engineering, and […]

Female-led UBC Engineering student team wins at Solar Decathlon

UBC Engineering student design team, Third Quadrant Design, won first place in the Urban Single-Family Division at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, held April 17-19, 2020. Supervised by UBC Engineering faculty members Dr. Adam Rysanek, Dr. Sheryl Staub-French, and Dr. Susan Nesbit, Third Quadrant Design comprises of 25 UBC students across multiple engineering disciplines. It is led […]

Civil Engineering alumna strives to decrease gender imbalance

Kelsie Priest, a UBC Civil Engineering Alumna and a Structural Engineer with Glotman Simpson, is actively working to decrease gender imbalance in the engineering community. Priest currently serves as the co-chair of Women in Consulting Engineering (WCE), which is focused on “supporting and empowering women in engineering and increasing gender diversity and inclusion in [the] industry.” […]

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French Discusses Gender Gap in BC Engineering

Recent data from Statistics Canada indicates that despite the shortage in skilled engineers in British Columbia, the percentage of female students enrolled in post-secondary engineering programs (55.7%) continues to lag behind other programs such as health (72.7%) and law/social sciences (66.4%). In industry, women make up 12% of engineering jobs in BC and 20% of […]

UBC Civil Prof. Featured as Keynote Speaker at STEM Conference

On Sept. 16 2018, UBC Civil Professor Dr. Loretta Li was featured as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s STEM Career Conference, held at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. The conference is an annual event for high school and university students who excel at or are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and […]

Civil Engineering’s Dr. Loretta Li Speaks at Young WISE Event

Growing up in a family of only daughters and attending an all-girls school run by nuns, Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Loretta Li never thought to differentiate activities between genders. A rarity in 1950s Hong Kong, her father emphasized the importance of education for girls, supporting his daughters’ academic aspirations despite bewilderment from extended family and friends. Professor […]

Civil Engineering Professor a BC Business 2018 STEM Star

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French recognized in the magazine’s list of influential women in STEM Civil Engineering Professor Sheryl Staub-French was recently acknowledged in BC Business Magazine’s B.C.’s Most Influential Women 2018: Stem Stars, a list that included six faculty members from UBC Applied Science, and several students and alumni. This year’s edition highlights influential women who are industry leaders and […]

Professor Staub-French named Dean’s Advisor on EDI

At last Sunday’s Academy Awards, Lee Unkrich, the director of the animated film Coco, concluded his acceptance speech by reminding viewers that “representation matters.” The story of a Mexican boy’s journey through the Land of the Dead, Coco features an almost all-Latino voice cast and was inspired by Mexico’s rich culture and traditions. Another hit […]

Prof. Staub-French joins Engendering Success in STEM (ESS)

Prof. Sheryl Staub-French brings outreach expertise to Engendering Success in STEM (ESS), a new partnership working to advance gender equity in science, technology, engineering  and math. This important initiative is a collaboration between scholars, experts in computer science and engineering, and educational and industry partners who aim to close the gender gap and improve experiences […]

How to thrive in spite of imposter syndrome

Sheryl Staub-French, Goldcorp Professor in Women in Engineering, spoke with CBC about the ongoing efforts to promote engineering as a career choice for young women, the imposter syndrome students sometimes face, and potential ways to deal with it. The Goldcorp Professorship in Women in Engineering focuses on promoting engineering as a creative and rewarding career. Learn […]

Prof. Loretta Li analyzes ancient medicinal clay

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Loretta Li is mentioned in a recent UBC Media release about research being conducted on Kisameet clay, long used by the Heiltsuk First Nation for its healing potential. First Nation’s clay kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria in lab tests – CBC News When Tradition Meets Business and Science: The Complex […]

Prof. Susan Nesbit appointed Senior Teaching Fellow

Friday, October 30, 2015 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Susan Nesbit has been appointed as Senior Teaching Fellow 2015-2016 of the UBC Sustainability Initiative. The UBC Sustainability Initiative was established in 2010 to carry out the University’s commitment to the integration of its operational and academic efforts in sustainability. Sustainability Fellowships are awarded to UBC […]

Dr. Ruth Derksen “Daughters in the City” Q&A

Monday, May 25, 2015 | By Lindsay Cashin Civil instructor Ruth Derksen, who teaches technical communication in the Faculty of Applied Science, discusses her award-winning book Daughters in the City in a Q&A with local media. Daughters in the City tells the story of young Mennonite women who arrived in Vancouver in the early 1930s. The Q&A appeared in The Province, […]

Meet the new Civil Club President! Q & A with Alyssa Schultz

Meet the new Civil Club President! The Department presents a Q & A with Alyssa Schultz. 1. Please share a brief bio with us – who is our new President? Born and raised in North Vancouver, UBC has always been a dream of mine, although engineering was not always on my radar. My passion for math and […]

Dr. Staub-French: Goldcorp Professor in Women in Engineering

From left to right: Tirajeh Mazaheri, MECH student and Goldcorp Intern, Applied Science Dean Marc Parlange; Florence Belanger, Goldcorp Intern; Jaime Awmack, UBC alumna (BASc/BA ‘07) and Process Engineer at Goldcorp; Sheryl Staub-French, Goldcorp Professor in Women in Engineering at UBC; Beverley Briscoe, UBC alumna (BComm ‘77), Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, Goldcorp […]

Civil professor co-leads Building Information Modeling project

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French is one of the leaders of the Construction and ICT project research team who published a report this week on the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Canada’s construction industry. The report, entitled “The Inevitable Shift Towards Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Canada’s Construction Sector” details the main benefits, challenges and […]

Why we need more women engineers: Sheryl Staub-French

Few women and a looming skills shortage could create a crisis for the industry On the eve of International Women’s Day, UBC Public Affairs conducted a Q&A with Civil Engineering Associate Professor and Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science & Technology Faculty Associate Sheryl Staub-French, on her work to boost female enrolment. Why are you concerned about the […]

Prof. Staub-French joins WWEST as Faculty Associate

Dr. Sheryl Staub-French has joined WWEST as Faculty Associate to work for improved gender diversity in engineering.  WWEST (Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science & Technology) is a program to support the recruitment and retention of women in engineering, science and technology on the west coast.  This program is funded through the NSERC Chair for Women in Science […]