UBC Mechanical Engineer a Woman of Distinction
May 29, 2013
UBC Mechanical Engineering professor Elizabeth Croft is this year’s recipient of the YWCA Vancouver Women of Distinction Award in the category of Education, Training & Development.
Croft working with students in her robotics laboratory at UBC. Martin Dee Photo.
Over 1,100 guests attended last night’s gala at the Westin Bayshore to honour all 83 nominees and to celebrate the 11 winners, all of whom make outstanding contributions in their communities.
“I am incredibly grateful for this award,” said Croft. “Thank you to all of the nominees tonight. You inspire all of the young women in universities and in high schools. Engineering needs these young women as leaders and visionaries, to serve the world and make it a better place.”
Award Citation: “For more than 18 years, Elizabeth has been at the forefront of the campaign to increase the number of women engineering graduates. A dedicated engineer and professor of mechanical engineering at UBC, she is a passionate advocate for increased participation and retention of women in the engineering profession. Elizabeth has championed innovative programs such as the UBC Women in Engineering program, UBC Global Engineering Leadership Course series and the highly successful Engineering Tri-mentoring program at UBC, providing female engineering students with role models and industry mentors. She founded Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST) and has also worked on national initiatives to help ensure that closing the gender gap becomes a national priority at universities across Canada.”
Croft will be giving a talk on Transforming Human-Robot Interaction at 7pm on June 13, 2013 at the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre. Learn more
Also, honoured was UBC Nursing graduate Sara Eftekhar (BSN ’13), this year’s recipient of the YWCA Vancouver’s Young Woman of Distinction award. Read more
The Women of Distinction Awards began in 1984 to honour, encourage and recognize women whose outstanding activities and achievements contribute to the health and future of the community. Since then, YWCA Vancouver has honoured over 247 deserving women and workplaces.
For more information: http://www.ywcavan.org
Contact
Sherry Green
UBC Faculty of Applied Science
604.822.9091
sherry.green@ubc.ca
Tags: APSC, awards, engineering, nursing