As the Order of the White Rose scholarship expands from one recipient to 14, two students of Smith Engineering have been selected for the honour. The scholarships are awarded by Polytechnique Montréal to Canadian female engineering students entering a master’s or doctoral degree in engineering anywhere in the world.
The award was established in 2014 to pay tribute to those killed or injured and the families, faculty, staff and students directly affected by the tragedy on December 6, 1989.
Rabab Azeem (Sc’25, Computer Engineering) entered Queen’s as a 2020 Schulich Leader and in 2024 was named a Cansbridge Fellow. This past September she began her Master of Applied Science studies in Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto.
“I am honoured to be among one of Order of the White Rose laureates this year,” says Azeem. “While studying at Queen's, I would often be reminded of the events of December 6 when I would walk past the white rose memorial in Beamish-Munro Hall. The issue of women in engineering is something I am very passionate about as someone who didn't grow up with many female role models in engineering. Alongside helping society with my research in AI, I am committed to mentor those younger than me and uplift my peers to be ambitious.”
Brooke MacNeil (Sc’25, Computer Engineering) received the Medal in Computer Engineering upon graduation for achieving the highest academic standing in her program. She is in the 4+1 Accelerated Master's Degree program under the supervision of Keyvan Hashtrudi-Zaad. She is researching compensation detection in rehabilitation robotics.
“I am truly honoured to have been selected for the Order of the White Rose Scholarship,” says MacNeil. “To be recognized alongside 13 inspiring female engineering students from across Canada is both humbling and motivating. This scholarship is an opportunity to honour the memory of the victims of the December 6, 1989 tragedy, and to empower the next generation. As a woman in the male-dominated field of computer engineering, I am committed to supporting and strengthening diversity within the discipline. This recognition motivates me to continue pursuing innovations in rehabilitation robotics in the IRIS Lab at Queen's, and to inspire more girls to pursue engineering.”
“We’re delighted to dramatically increase the number of scholarships this year, thanks to exceptional new donors who share our values,” said Maud Cohen, President of Polytechnique Montréal in a statement. “I thank them for supporting our 14 recipients this year. Like their predecessors, these young women possess the passion and determination to truly make a difference in the world.”
Queen’s first recipient, and the awards' first Indigenous recipient, was Brielle Chanae Thorsen in 2020.