Hydro One Celebrates Women in Engineering

June 28, 2023

On the 10^th anniversary of International Women in Engineering Day, Hydro One announced the 2023 recipients of the Women in Engineering Scholarship. Granted annually to 10 women studying engineering at an Ontario university, the scholarship is part of Hydro One’s ongoing commitment to increasing the representation of women in engineering within the company and electricity industry.

“I am very thankful to Hydro One for the ‘Women in Engineering Award’. It will motivate more girls like me to achieve their dreams,” said Aarti Sethi, award recipient, McMaster University. “This award will also provide the opportunity to work in the field providing real life experiences which is very important.” 

The scholarship, founded in 2014, is one of Hydro One’s initiatives to increase women in STEM through the company’s Women in Engineering Consortium, which includes WeMadeIt, a program to increase interest of young girls in engineering with resources for students, educators, and parents.

“Hydro One is deeply committed to building a strong and diverse work force and breaking down barriers for women who want to pursue a career in engineering,” said Farah Alexis, Vice President, Talent and Culture, Hydro One. “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of this year’s recipients. Your keen desire for learning and perseverance demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing our sector; our future is in good hands.”

Hydro One would like to congratulate the following engineering students: 

Amanah Albaba, Toronto Metropolitan University
Committed to continuing to work towards a more diverse and inclusive engineering community through her work as the Vice President of Operations for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Society as well as the Hardware Specialist at Tetra Ryerson, third-year student Amanah has been hard at work with a small team to develop an app that allows people with limited hand dexterity to access hospital bed controls.

Sophia Aslanidis, McMaster University
Sophia is in her third year of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University and while passionate about the intersection of technology, engineering, and healthcare, as well as the Co-Vice President of Outreach for the McMaster Women in Engineering Society she is also a dancer and choreographer for the McMaster Recreational Dance Team.

Olivia DeSimone, McMaster University
With hopes to one day be working within the environmental and energy sectors to help find sustainable ways to power our society, amateur baker and second year student Olivia joined the McMaster Energy Association and now serves as the Vice President of Marketing. Within this role, she provides McMaster students with an outlet to discuss energy and how it impacts our society.

Devin Hastey, Queen’s University
Being from a small town, Devin understands the importance of STEM-based programs and so in her first year of university, Devin worked with a team of students to develop an engineering workshop for female students aged 7 to 14, through an organization called Robogals. She is looking forward to applying knowledge from her thermodynamics and energy-based courses to electricity-based projects at Hydro One.

Anna Leuprecht, McMaster University
For the past two years, Anna has been involved with the McMaster Women in Engineering Society as a Co-Vice President of Marketing & Media. In her a third year as an Electrical Engineering & Society student, Anna devotes her extra time to volunteering at Go ENG Girl events, where she helped lead technical projects for 100+ girls and non-binary youth that allows them to explore the world of engineering.

Aarti Sethi, McMaster University
As a girl growing up in India, Aarti quickly realized that math and science were her educational passions. With a Masters in Physics under her belt and now in her second year pursuing an Engineering degree, Aarti credits her past as a teacher for grade 11 and 12 students and her work as Director of Finance, Women in Engineering at University of Windsor for keeping her youthful dream alive and well.

Giselle Soares, McMaster University
A fourth-year Electrical and Biomedical Engineering student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Giselle is an Electrical Technical Director for MAC Formula Electric, a student-run team that designs, builds, and competes with a fully electric, quarter-scale Formula-style race car in Formula SAE competitions.

Janani Sridev, McMaster University
As a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council award recipient, third-year student Janani is currently working as a teaching assistant in a first-year engineering design course where she mentors students beginning their education. With a passion for sustainability, healthcare, and social equity, Janani has worked on educational initiatives focusing on synthetic biology and cancer as a part of the McMaster Synthetic Biology Research Team.

Sara Tufaha, McMaster University
As a third-year mechanical engineering student, Sara has a great passion for design and mechanics. Focused on inspiring numerous youth and women in STEM, Sara enjoys being heavily involved in outreach and volunteering to give back to her community.

Rhiannon Vu, McMaster University
It was only after taking a high school course in AutoCAD and 3D printing that Rhiannon realized an affinity for math and science. Now in her third year, Rhiannon advocates for female representation in engineering and hopes to encourage other young girls to pursue careers in STEM. Currently the Co-Vice President of Mentorship for the McMaster Women in Engineering Society, Rhiannon works to create a safe and inclusive space for women-identifying students on campus and regularly volunteers for outreach programs such as Go ENG Girl.