Participating in the Elevate Scholars program sparked a love of research in civil engineering student Mariah Saad, leading to an honourable mention for her paper at the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Conference, June 5 to 7 in Niagara Falls.

The second-year student has been a part of the Elevate Scholars program since her first year of post-secondary study. Elevate scholarships afford opportunities to students from equity-deserving groups: those who identify as Black, female, non-binary, or Indigenous. Beneficiaries receive a $5,000 scholarship and upon completion of their first year, a $10,000 summer internship to conduct research with a faculty member.

Saad worked with three professors — Edwin Tam, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; civil engineering professor Rajeev Ruparathna; and environmental engineering prof Niharendu Biswas — conducting research and writing a paper. Before that summer internship, she never would have considered research an avenue she was interested in.

“Their support and guidance have been instrumental, and I have learned many valuable skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my academic career,” she says. “I would not have had this experience without them.”

Her research to minimize waste in the construction industry resulted in the paper, entitled “Circular Economy in the Construction Industry: Reclamation Audits to Increase Material Reusability in Demolition Projects.”

She counts completing the internship as one of the highlights of her education, along with receiving the 1967 Civil Engineering Commemoration Scholarship, which gave her relief to be able to concentrate on academics.

“This has truly been an experience I will never forget,” says Saad. “I felt grateful enough to have presented at the conference, but to have received an award as well was an incredible feeling. I owe this experience to the Elevate internship within the faculty of engineering.”

To learn more about the Elevate scholarships, visit the program website.