External Affairs Executive 2008-2009
Master of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering (Carleton University)
Bachelor of Engineering, Engineering Physics (Carleton University)
Website: http://www.linkedin.com/in/barboradej
About Me
I completed a 5-year program in engineering physics at Carleton with a co-op option. My 24 months of work terms were spent at places like DRDC, The Ottawa Hospital, and TRIUMF. I highly recommend co-op. Then I completed a Master of Engineering Degree at the Department of Electronics in 2009. Check out my LinkedIn profile to find out what I am up to now.
Undergraduate Studies
My choice
By the end of high school my academic interests were evident, my favorite subjects being math, programming, and physics. Not to say that you have to be very good at math to go into engineering. I was interested in two programs at the university level: computer science and engineering physics. In the end I chose engineering physics because of the additional physics aspect and because I didn't want to limit myself to studying computers. The program wasn't easy but it taught me a lot about problem solving and time management. My role model was my mom. She has a master's in civil engineering and now works in the IT business.
Graduate Studies
I completed a Master of Engineering Degree in August of 2009. It consisted of 9 courses and a 4-month project. Just a side note, a Master of Applied Science consists of 6 courses and a thesis. For my project, I researched the cooling of multi-junction concentrating photovoltaic systems and wrote a paper on my findings. My interest in photovoltaics began with my fourth year project on dye-sensitized thin film solar cells. Both project reports can be found on my LinkedIn profile. My most enjoyable experience in grad school was my role as a teaching assistant and I was glad to have that opportunity.
Why grad school
My undergrad left me with a great feeling of accomplishment, but I felt that there was so much more to learn. This, coupled with my interest in sustainable and renewable energy, convinced me to pursue a master's degree. And if I hadn't done so, I would never have been part of WISE, which has been an invaluable experience for me.
Life after my Masters degree
I decided not to pursue a PhD right away and work outside of academia. I feel like an entrepreneur at heart, so we'll see where that takes me.
Long-term goals
I have three goals: One, I wish for a challenging career which allows me to make a contribution to my community. Two, I wish to raise a family to the best of my abilities. And three, I would like to continue to encourage women to pursue careers in technical fields and help them through the process.
Women in Science and Engineering
My feelings about being a woman in engineering
When I first started my undergrad, I was surprised by the low number of women in engineering and have always felt it was a little discouraging. In fact, in Ontario the percent of women graduating in engineering has been steady around 20%. Nevertheless, I am happy to be in engineering and can't imagine myself studying anything else. To me, engineering means solving problems to make the world a better place, it means working with people, and it means you can do practically anything.
Why I joined WISE
WISE is not about hating on men; we need their support too. It's not about forcing more women into these fields, but about breaking down barriers so that they have the opportunity to see if it sparks their interest. And it's not about helping women academically because they need more help than men; they don't. WISE has taught me a lot about myself as a woman in a male-dominated field and I hope it continues to do so for many more women.
Why I recommend joining WISE
As an undergraduate student, I found engineering to be quite challenging and many times overwhelming. A WISE group did not exist during my undergrad, but it would have made my experience more enriching. I would have been able to seek advice from women of all ages, armed with loads of experience.
Other Interests
Outside of school I like to snowboard, play volleyball, and kayak. On the creative side, I've been known to write a poem or two. I've also completed several years of Mixed Martial Arts training. My teacher was a physicist! And last but not least, I love traveling. So far, I've backpacked through Europe, and I've been to the east/west coast, the Caribbean, and several places in the US.