An engineering student at Polytechnique Montréal, studying steel decarbonization methods, has received $30,000 from the institution as part of the Order of White Rose scholarship, which commemorates the 1989 mass killings at the institution.
The scholarship candidates are assessed based on their academic record (30 per cent), technical achievements (35 per cent), and non-technical achievements (35 per cent). Every year, Polytechnique’s senior administration awards the Order of the White Rose Scholarship to a female Canadian engineering student who hopes to pursue graduate studies at the university of her choice, in Canada or elsewhere in the world. Sophia Roy is the eighth recipient of the award.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at McGill University, Roy was admitted directly to a PhD program in the same field at Polytechnique Montréal. Behind every scientist is a role model or source of inspiration. Taking action to fight the environmental crisis is what sparked Roy’s interest in engineering. At an early age, Roy learned about Jane Goodall, the well-known primatologist and biodiversity activist, and knew she wanted to pursue a career in applied research to address environmental issues caused by human activity.
The presentation ceremony, which was attended by Pascale Déry, the Minister of Higher Education, followed a moving commemoration of the tragedy that occurred on December 6th, 1989. White roses memorialize the tragic event, when 14 young women were killed, and several others were injured. The Order of the White Rose was created in 2014 to honour the women who lost their lives or were injured, as well as the families, faculty, staff, and students affected by the incident.
Nathalie Provost, who sustained injuries during the fateful event, and Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, who was the first woman to graduate in civil engineering from Polytechnique in 1963, are the scholarship’s godmothers. Michèle Prévost, a full professor and member of Polytechnique’s board of directors, chaired the Order of the White Rose selection jury this year.
“I’m extremely honoured and grateful to receive the Order of the White Rose Scholarship,” says Roy. “This award encourages me to continue doing my best as a woman working in the scientific field, fighting prejudice, and breaking down the barriers that still stand between young women and careers in engineering and science.”
“The upcoming generation that Sophia represents has everything it takes to be a good scientist: a drive for excellence, curiosity, tenacity, and the desire to share knowledge. In addition, they are acutely aware of their social responsibility and are willing to take action to protect the future of our planet. Over the past 150 years, Polytechnique has contributed to Québec’s growth, on both the technological and social levels, by training generation after generation of diligent and innovative engineers. By presenting this scholarship to Sophie, Polytechnique Montréal is demonstrating its commitment to finding sustainable solutions to pressing environmental issues, benefiting our society and the planet,” said Prévost, chair of the jury.
Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities and is located on the Université de Montréal campus— one of North America’s largest Francophone university campuses.
