Zoey Zhang (BASc '24, biomedical engineering) is the recipient of the 2024 Pearl Sullivan Emerging Global Leaders Award. Zhang was recognised for her dedication to fostering community and advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the engineering field.
The award was established by Sanjay Malaviya (BASc '93, computer engineering) in honour and remembrance of Pearl Sullivan, former dean of Waterloo Engineering and the first woman to serve in that role. It recognizes a graduating student who, with determination and passion, has worked to make the Waterloo Engineering community a better place and will take that same energy to a career focused on improving the human condition. Award winners receive $50,000 to fund their future. The award supports promising global leaders who will work to build a better world.
2024 winner Zhang showed remarkable commitment to creating inclusive and supportive environments, particularly in roles with Waterloo’s Engineering Society (EngSoc). She co-chaired the Conference on Diversity in Engineering 2023, established the first student mental wellness survey and led significant improvements in EDI policies within EngSoc. Zhang will use the award to support STEM outreach programs for marginalized communities and fund her graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering.
The other finalists for this prestigious award were Yasemin Beckers (BASc '24, environmental engineering), Helen Engelhardt (BASc '24, nanotechnology engineering), Kasturi Ghosh (BASc '24, environmental engineering) and Olivia Misasi (BSE ’24, software engineering).
Go to 2024 Award Recipient and Finalists to learn more.
Award winner Zoey Zhang