Alumni Profile | Muneeba Omar

While studying at Waterloo, Muneeba received the Queen Elizabeth II “Aiming for the Top” Scholarship for four consecutive years. She was appointed the University of Waterloo delegate to the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, where she represented student interests at provincial and federal lobby group conferences.

Muneeba started her career in Pakistan as a current affairs columnist and editorial staff member with a leading English newspaper. In 2006, she returned to Canada to pursue an MA in International Affairs at Carleton University. She graduated with distinction, in 2008, and was the recipient of the Domestic Tuition Scholarship, the Joubin-Selig Scholarship in International Affairs, and the International Affairs Departmental Scholarship.            

In June 2008, Muneeba joined the Canadian federal government through the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program, an initiative aimed at recruiting exceptional candidates into the Public Service. She is also a graduate of the Accelerated Economist Training Program, a two-year leadership development program, during which she worked on a variety of social, economic, and international policy issues.

Muneeba is currently a Deputy Director at the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Prior to this, she held various government positions with the Federal Eocnomic Development Agency of Southern Ontario, Health Canada, and the Department of Finance.

Her humanitarian and volunteer initiatives have included, assisting with victims of the 2005 Pakistani earthquake, the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, and the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign.

Muneeba stays connected to Waterloo by participating in alumni events, and she is an informal liaison for Government of Canada post-secondary recruitment, reaching out to departments and students in the Faculty of Arts.

She resides in Ottawa with her husband John Harder, who is also a Waterloo Arts graduate. 

Degree: Muneeba obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Waterloo in 2005.