Across Canada, women continue to be underrepresented in engineering education and in the engineering profession. That's why long-time UM supporters, Gerry and Barb Price and their family, have supported the Faculty of Engineering's vision of greater gender equality by establishing the Price Graduate Scholarships for Women in Engineering.
Gerry Price (fifth from left) with 8 of 10 inaugural winners of the Price Graduate Scholarships for Women in Engineering at the Price Scholars Reception on Nov. 26, with Jonathan Beddoes, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, fifth from right.
Gerry Price [BSc(ME)/70, MSc/72, LLD(Hon)/17] and Barb Price [BHEc/69, CertEd/70], along with the Price Family Foundation and their company, Prince Industries Limited, are some of the UM's strongest champions. This is their eighth major gift to the Front and Centre campaign.
After graduating with two degrees from the University of Manitoba, Gerry Price earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from Lehigh University in 1976. He strongly values graduate programs and knows first hand the impact graduate students have on research, innovation and discovery.
"As the president of a company that relies on engineers, I'm seeing the impact female engineers are having on our industry every day," says Dr. Price. "I hope that this scholarship encourages more women to consider graduate work at UM and eventually shape our field for the better."
The Price Graduate Scholarships for Women in Engineering were established through a $600,000 gift from the Price Family Foundation. Every year for the next five years, 10 female engineering graduate students will receive $12,000 each to support their studies and further their research in the field of engineering. This November, the first 10 students received their awards.
To receive the award, students must be in a graduate engineering program and have a high level of achievement. The selection committee looks for individuals who have positively impacted their departments, fellow students, and the university.
"The first 10 recipients of this award are all exemplary students who are incredible role models for their peers," says Dr. Jonathan Beddoes, Dean, Faculty of Engineering. "They are the future of engineering and we are so pleased that the Price family has established this prestigious scholarship."
