Aiping Yu honoured as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women
Professor Aiping Yu has been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). She is a Top 100th award winner in the BMO STEM category.
Yu is a Chemical Engineering Professor, Director of the Applied Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory, and a researcher at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.
Yu leads groundbreaking research in electrochemical energy systems engineering graphene and other 2D materials for energy storage for use in Zinc-ion and Na-ion batteries. She is also working on battery recycling to ensure the minimum environmental effect caused by batteries. Globally, batteries and electrification will be the pathway forward in terms of energy creation. In the next few years, governments and researchers will race to find solutions to move away from fossil fuel-based cars to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Yu works closely with industry partners and is often approached to collaborate. She considers research and collaboration to be not just part of her job, but a social responsibility to use her lab resources effectively to benefit Canada’s economy. To Yu, being considered powerful or influential means taking more social responsibility in society and the community.
Yu is also an educator, and as one of few female professors in her field, also takes on a powerful role as an influencer fostering the success of female students and younger colleagues.
“The standard for myself is to be humble and take high responsibility for my career and my students,” says Yu, who is also a University Research Chair. “Many of the people who inspired me in my life were men, as historically my field was male-dominated. As a woman and a minority, I hope that I can be somebody who can inspire my students.”
Yu is also a role model for her two daughters. She encourages her children and her students to break out of their comfort zone and pursue high objectives to reach their dreams.
“As owner and CEO of WXN, I want to personally applaud you on your incredible, fought-for achievements,” said Sherri Stevens in a media release. “We are honored that you are a part of our influential community that now numbers over 1,500 remarkable women. You do not walk alone.”
The ceremony to recognize Yu as a recipient of this important accolade takes place in November in Toronto.