The Voice - Summer 2021 - 48

INDUSTRY
McMaster Engineering Launches Fellowships
and Scholarships to Increase Black and
Indigenous Representation in Engineering
OSPE member Ishwar Puri, P.Eng.,
Dean of Engineering at McMaster
N
48
ationwide, Indigenous and Black Engineering
faculty members are poorly represented.
The Indigenous and Black Engineering and
Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships,
created in conjunction with McMaster, uOttawa,
Western University, University of Waterloo, University of
Toronto and Queen's University, aims to expand the pathways
for Indigenous and Black students pursuing doctoral degrees
in engineering by encouraging and supporting the pursuit of
graduate studies.
" I think it's important that when we look at injustice or when
we look at historical efforts, to not provide opportunities to [only]
certain populations, " said McMaster's Dean of Engineering and
OSPE Member Ishwar Puri, P.Eng. " What we call systemic racism
or systemic misogyny nowadays, it's very important to have
very thoughtful ways of addressing these circumstances. The
Indigenous and Black engineering and technology fellowships
are a result of that, " said Puri. This fellowship will also create
a pipeline of students who will increase diversity in Canadian
technology industries as they enter the workforce with graduate
degrees from STEM programs.
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) McMaster
Chapter has also launched an annual scholarship for Canadian
Black undergraduate students entering the Faculty of Engineering
at McMaster. " Coming to McMaster University, more specifically
within my engineering class, I definitely didn't see many that
looked like me, " said fourth-year chemical engineering student
and NSBE McMaster Chapter President, Feyisayo Enuiyin.
Many people in her high school did not want to study engineering
THE VOICE June 2021
OSPE Member Feyisayo Enuiyin, engineering
graduate and President of the National Society of Black
Engineers (NSBE) McMaster Chapter
because " that's a white man's job. " For Enuiyin, challenging that
stereotype and changing people's minds was important to her
because, as she explains, " you cannot be, what you cannot see. "
Although Enuiyin's time at McMaster started with her feeling
somewhat isolated, she described her last four years at the school
as being " very progressive. " " A change is happening. We feel
heard, we feel seen and we feel understood and I think that is the
most important thing that the scholarship brings, " said Enuiyin.
With these new initiatives at McMaster, Dean Puri realizes
there is more to supporting these marginalised communities
than just providing financial support. " At McMaster engineering
we've had an effort to address the entire ark of the development
of an engineer, " explains Puri. " In that ark, the Indigenous and
Black engineering technology fellowships return, because they
provide opportunities for those scholars to become PhD students
and contribute to Canada and also further the aspirations that
they have and of their communities. "
For more on the Indigenous and Black Engineering/
Technology Fellowship and the NSBE McMaster
Chapter scholarship, listen to OSPE's full interview
with Dean Ishwar Puri, P.Eng., and Feyisayo Enuiyin on
episode 2 of our podcast, Engineering the Future.
Visit http://bit.ly/OSPEpodcast to listen now.
http://www.bit.ly/OSPEpodcast
The Voice - Summer 2021

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