OTTAWA – Canadian satellite operator Telesat today announced the winners of its 2021 inaugural Women in STEM national scholarship program and launched an expanded version of the program for 2022.
“The scholarship program focuses on closing the gender gap in the sectors of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and helps to inspire, prepare and enable more women to join these important and fast-growing fields,” a press release explains.
For the inaugural 2021 program, eight winners in their third or fourth year of a bachelor’s program in a STEM field received $5,000 each. (A complete list of winner and their bios can be found here.)
“I’m grateful for this opportunity provided by Telesat, and I’m proud to stand as a female scientist and engineer,” said Lauren Healy, one of the 2021 scholarship winners, in the press release. Healy is a third-year biochemistry and chemical engineering student. “Most importantly, I am so excited about encouraging other highly capable women to pursue degrees in science and engineering,” she said.
The Women in STEM 2022 program is now open for submissions. Like last year, eight full-time students will receive scholarships of $5,000 each. This year, however, the program will accept applications from those who are in any year of an undergraduate program.
The program is administered by Scholarship Partners Canada, which is a division of Universities Canada, on behalf of Telesat. Applications are due by March 15, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET. More information about eligibility and the application process can be found here.
“Telesat intends for this program to reflect Canada’s broad diversity and we strongly encourage Indigenous and visible minority students to apply,” the press release says.
“Attracting more women to STEM, where they account for only about a quarter of those employed in those fields, is a key initiative for Telesat, and should be for other organizations in Canada and beyond,” said Michele Beck, Telesat’s, senior vice-president, Canadian sales, who graduated from the University of Ottawa with a BaSc degree in electrical engineering.
“Leveraging Canada’s rich diversity and encouraging and supporting those who are underrepresented in STEM programs will be pivotal for our company’s – and the nation’s – long-term success.”
