The first cohort of Elevate interns showed off the results of their summer research projects in poster presentations before the start of the fall semester.

Elevate scholarships, a new program by dean of engineering Bill Van Heyst, afford opportunities to students from equity-deserving groups: those who identify as Black, female, non-binary, or Indigenous. Along with a $5,000 award, they offer research positions working directly with faculty in the summer following the completion of first year.

Thirty-two students participated this year.

“The feedback from our Elevate recipients and their faculty advisors has been phenomenal,” says associate dean Jennifer Johrendt. “For practically all students, this is their first encounter with engineering research, and many are eager to continue pursuing research during the completion of their undergraduate degrees. A few told me that they would be open to considering graduate school, an idea that was never on their radar before this summer.”

Faculty and staff were invited to attend the poster presentations vote for prize winners.

• Huda Saleh and Autumn-Rain Turpin took honours for best poster for their project, “EV Technology.”
• Brooklyn Boucher and Bansari Patel were named most informative presentation for “Investigating the Future of EV Technology in CHARGE Lab.”
• Amber Enns won for most engaging presentation for “Sustainability Rating Systems in Communities.”

To learn more about the Elevate scholarships or the opportunity to mae a donation that will be matched, visit the engineering website.

—Naomi Pelkey