International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), which this year takes place on June 23rd, is an opportunity to celebrate the amazing work of women in engineering worldwide. This year’s theme is enhanced by engineering. INWED began in the United Kingdom in 2014 as a national campaign from the Women’s Engineering Society. Since then, it has grown enormously, going truly global in 2017 due to the interest and enthusiasm developed by the international audience and participants in the previous years.
Although there is a steady increase in the representation of women in Engineering in Canada, women are still vastly outnumbered. According to Engineers Canada, only 18 per cent of licensed engineers working in Canada are women. It is the goal of Engineers Canada as well as Smith Engineering to increase not only the number of women who pursue engineering, but also the retention of existing women in the field. In Chemical Engineering, we are proud to have women make up over 50 per cent of upper year undergraduate students, and over 50 per cent of our graduate students. In celebration, we are highlighting the experience and research of some of our female graduate students.
Kathryn Jalink (left) and Yuxi Zhang (right), both PhD candidates in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Kathryn Jalink, a Chemical Engineering PhD student, was inspired to pursue engineering through her STEM oriented family. Kathryn has always been interested in healthcare, volunteering at KGH while she was in high school, but she realized engineering would allow her to combine her interests of healthcare and problem solving. This led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in Engineering Chemistry at Queen’s. She realized she could make a difference behind the scenes through research designing biomaterials leading to a larger and lasting impact in healthcare.
That is exactly the focus on her PhD research now, where she is supervised by Dr. Laura Wells and Dr. Lindsay Fitzpatrick. Her focus is research in regenerative medicine (via biomaterials), focusing on the lens of the eye. Her aim is to figure out how to regenerate the lens as a potential solution for cataracts, specifically juvenile cataracts, where the current treatment methods are designed for adults. The lens grows throughout our lifetime, adding layers on the outside like an onion. Kathryn is trying to harness that natural process to design biomaterials that when injected in the lens can promote regeneration and promote organized cell alignment.
After her PhD, Kathryn sees herself pursuing a career in industry. She came to this realization after a 6-month internship with Morphocell Technologies in Montreal, a preclinical regenerative medicine company focused on the development and commercialization of cell therapies and engineered tissues aimed at treating severe organ deficiencies. Kathryn grew up in Kingston, so the opportunity to see research being done somewhere else, specifically in an industry setting, was an excellent addition to her graduate education. She had the opportunity of experiencing industry, seeing how they approach problems, what kind of research they do, and learning about different biomaterials and systems. It also gave her new perspective for her own research, and she met several people, building her professional network.
“I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat”, Kathryn said on her internship experience. “I think it’s really good to go out and see what other people are doing, not only to learn new techniques, but to give you a fresh perspective on your own project. It helps you come up with new ideas, and think in a different way”
Kathryn indicates that her experience as a woman in engineering has been mostly positive. She has had the benefit of having many female mentors throughout her career at Queen’s. She has found great mentors in Dr. Wells and Dr. Fitzpatrick, who have pushed her to be a better researcher, but also show a great deal of kindness and compassion.
“Laura and Lindsay have been really amazing at providing opportunities for me to learn and further my career,” says Kathryn. “Laura brought the MITACS internship to my attention because I had expressed an interest in travelling or doing an internship during graduate school. She really went above and beyond to make the opportunity come to fruition for me and I am super grateful for her efforts.”
She indicated that Dr. Louise Meunier, who she met her first year of engineering through an interview has had a great impact. Although they only had the opportunity to talk briefly, Dr. Meunier remembered Kathryn when she saw her again in one of her classes and when she indicated an interest in research, Dr. Meunier invited her to a lab group meeting. After this, Kathryn worked with Louise throughout her undergraduate career as a summer and research student and is now a Teaching Assistant for one of Louise’s courses.
“At Queen’s, I’ve had pretty great female supervisors. One that has had the biggest impact on my career was Dr. Louise Meunier,” said Kathryn. “She did a really good job of mentoring me, teaching me the research process. She is a great person and a great mentor.”
Kathryn’s mother has also been a big inspiration. As a STEM high school teacher, Kathryn indicates it was inspiring to see the work she does in the classroom, exposing young women to STEM. Kathryn engages in outreach as well, visiting her mother’s class and talking to students about what she does in engineering, and encouraging and helping female students with the transition.
Kathryn acknowledged the challenges that come with being a woman in engineering. The engineering curriculum is heavy on group projects, and it was not uncommon for her to be the only women in a group, given that the Queen’s Engineering Undergraduate population is made up of less than 30% women.
“As a woman in STEM, you have to be more conscientious of how you are perceived, whether it’s how you interact with people, if you want to be a leader, you don’t want to be perceived as bossy. You have to deal with peoples perspectives/biases.”
In Kathryn’s opinion, she thinks a priority is educating young people (especially girls) about what engineering is. She didn’t fully understand it herself until she experienced it second hand through her brother pursuing an engineering degree. It is more versatile than she once thought and a great fit for someone who likes math and sciences, problem solving and teamwork.
In terms of retention, she believes promoting more women in sciences is key as a means for women to have more visibility, and for there to be more role models for the next generation. She also thinks a big factor is having effective programs in place that allow people to take the time needed to for their families and still being able to come back to their jobs.
“Days like this are great, but it’s important to make sure that it is continuous actions happening. We need to make sure women are heard and that we’re doing something about it.”
Yuxi Zhang has always found engineering fascinating because it allows you to apply what you learn in a classroom to solving practical problems. Prior to joining Chemical Engineering as a PhD student, Yuxi completed her Bachelor of Engineering at the Qingdao University of Science and Technology in China and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University where her research focused on the cutting-edge field of anti-biofouling surface treatment with a particular focus on enhancing cell attraction to implant surfaces and medical equipment, primarily targeting orthopedic implants. Yuxi has received notable support during her PhD studies, including the Canadian Biomaterials Society (CBS) WBC2016 Legacy Travel Award in both 2022 and 2023 to attend their annual symposium, and the CBS Visiting Scholar Award in 2023 which provides funding to spend 2-weeks at an external university to foster collaboration and learn new techniques.
Yuxi is in her 4th year of the PhD program, under the supervision of Dr. Lindsay Fitzpatrick. Her research focuses on improving the lifespan of the cannula in continuous insulin injection pumps for treating type 1 diabetes. An issue in insulin pump therapy is that the cannulas in pumps have a recommended wear time of only 2-3 days because insulin absorption becomes unreliable beyond this period. Previous studies have shown that the foreign body reaction plays a significant role in this issue. Her research focuses on building an in vitro cell-material interaction model to profile the foreign body reaction at the infusion site and investigate how the local concentration of insulin at the infusion site can influence this reaction. Her research aims to inform the development of more effective and biocompatible insulin delivery systems, helping to mitigate the risk of chronic inflammation associated with prolonged insulin therapy. Yuxi notes a benefit of this research is being able to see the real-life implications.
“During a seminar, I presented my poster, and a student approached me to share his experience with using an insulin pump and the challenges he faced,” says Yuxi. “This experience made me realize the significance of my research in improving people's lives. Seeing the impact that engineering solutions can have on society motivates me to pursue engineering.”
After her PhD, Yuxi hopes to pursue a career in academia. Through the Chemical Engineering PhD program, she has acquired an abundance of research skills and the ability to develop original ideas and test hypotheses. She is eager to explore more innovative concepts and continue learning.
Yuxi also had the opportunity to complete a 9-month internship with Octane Medical Group. Octane is a biotechnology company in Kingston, expanding the boundaries of regenerative medicine with visionary innovations and novel applications that accelerate healing, restore normal function and deliver long-lasting results. This internship provided Yuxi with valuable insights into the practical aspects of engineering. She learned more communication skills and how to work effectively in a team-oriented environment. She noted that a big difference between her PhD research and industry is that there is a much greater emphasis on teamwork. She also indicated that this experience was also valuable to her as a woman in engineering.
“My director at Octane, a considerate and friendly woman was very supportive during my internship. This experience has given me a more comprehensive understanding of the opportunity for women in engineering.”
Yuxi feels that Queen’s has been a supportive environment for women in engineering.
“I have received support and mentorship from both male and female colleagues. In particular, my female colleagues and I have encouraged and empowered each other in the lab,” said Yuxi. “My supervisor (Dr. Fitzpatrick), a considerate and open-minded woman in engineering research, has provided us with opportunities to explore our potential in various areas beyond research.'"
Yuxi believes the key for recruiting and retainment of women in the field is organizing more activities within the community for women in engineering.
“We could invite more female alumni from the engineering field to share their experiences,” said Yuxi. “This could facilitate connections among women in the field and provide a platform for successful women to inspire and give advice to our students. This could help students understand the opportunities available to them in the future and appreciate the unique strengths that women bring to engineering.”
Both Kathryn and Yuxi are doing their part to inform and encourage the next generation of girls in STEM and engineering. They were both volunteers for this year and last year’s Science Rendezvous event in Kingston. They volunteered at booths hosted by Chemical Engineering where they actively engaged Kingston’s youth in biomaterial engineering, fostering an engaging learning experience.