The late Pearl Sullivan, a former dean of Waterloo Engineering, and Carolyn Ren, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor, are named among the top 100 most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network.
Both Sullivan, who died in November 2020, and Ren are honoured in the annual ranking's Manulife Science and Technology category, which recognizes women in STEM roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment.
Sullivan was the first woman to hold the position of dean of Waterloo Engineering and just the fifth woman across Canada to head a school of engineering. Under her dynamic leadership from July 2012 to December 2019, the faculty reimagined engineering education and research with revolutionary spaces and transformative programs that will ensure Waterloo remains a leader in engineering well into the future.
Ren, the director of the Waterloo Microfluidics Laboratory, specializes in microfluidics for a wide range of applications from material synthesis to life science research, drug screening, environmental monitoring and wearable assistive devices. Also an entrepreneur, Ren has co-founded several startup companies based on her research.
There were a total of six women across Waterloo's campus recognized by the Women's Executive Network.