Outreach Officer 2009-2010, Finance Executive 2010-2011

Working on: PhD, Department of Electronics
Undergrad: Engineering Physics (Carleton University)

Email: sdemtche AT doe.carleton.ca

About Me

I did my undergrad in Engineering Physics with co-op, which added a year to my degree, but gave me an amazing opportunity to peak into the world of engineering industry and research and even to live and work in Europe for a year! Now I am pursuing a PhD in the field of organic/inorganic solar cells.

Undergraduate Studies

I have always been good at Math and Sciences and my father is an engineer, so a career in engineering has always been at the top of the list. The Engineering Physics program had a reputation of being one of the hardest programs. Naturally, I couldn't turn down such a challenge. In retrospect it was probably not the best reason to choose a program, but I had a great experience anyway.

Graduate Studies

I was lucky to have a few opportunities to TA in undergrad and figured out that I loved teaching! A career in academia seemed a natural choice. Currently I am doing my PhD in the field of organic/inorganic solar cells. I will continue to keep my mind open to other opportunities, but there might be a PhD in my future.

Women in Science and Engineering

Why I joined

I always knew the statistics about women in engineering. Someone always quotes them, you just can't escape it. However, throughout my career at Carleton I never felt like a minority. So, naturally, I was very surprised to find out that this made me an exception rather than a rule. If my involvement in WISE can make at least one woman as comfortable in sciences and engineering as I have been, I will consider my mission accomplished.

Other Interests

Apart from my thesis I love hiking, skiing, travelling and sewing. But I am always open to new and interesting activities.