A group of women with impressive resumes shared their authentic stories and helped contribute to women’s advancement as part of the third annual Championing Women in STEM event. 

The event, which was organized by the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology and supported by Siemens Canada and the Canerector Foundation, happened on Thursday, March 5 in the Polytainers Atrium at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation. It was held ahead of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated annually on March 8. 

The speakers included:  

• Humber Faculty Weijing Ma, Ph.D., P.Eng., a professor in the Bachelor of Engineering – Mechatronics program and program coordinator with the Master of Engineering in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering program.  

• Natalia Malafeeva, P.Eng., director, Higher Education & Sustainability with Siemens Canada.  

• Shanell Roye, B.Eng., C. Tech., a Humber graduate employed as a Civil Technician II with AECOM.  

• Navjot Kaur, a Bachelor of Engineering – Information Systems Engineering student at Humber.  

Janice Wojcik, BASc., manager, Work Integrated Learning & Co-op at Humber, served as the moderator.  

In addition to members of Humber’s Women in Engineering club and the Humber community who attended the event, which included a lunch reception and networking opportunities, also in attendance were 75 young women from Dante Alighieri Academy Catholic Secondary School. 

The responses to what brought each of the panelists into the world of STEM were varied but showed how a childhood hobby, family support, or acts of inspiration can lead one down a path they didn’t expect. 

Ma said her love of STEM started when she was young and had to replace components on an aging computer. That got her interested in electrical and computer engineering. 

Roye was in high school when one of her teachers made physics come alive. His passion made big concepts feel exciting and achievable, and it sparked her desire to use engineering to help communities grow and thrive. She had a succinct but powerful message for those in attendance. 

“You belong in STEM. Your perspective, voice and ideas matter,” she said to cheers from the audience. 

Malafeeva has several immediate family members in engineering and it was her parents who impressed on her the importance of the field and how it can provide a strong foundation for her future career. 

When asked what she loves most about her engineering career, Ma said that it’s an important industry and those in it will be the ones helping shape the future and that’s exciting. 

Kaur spoke about how engineering can be used to solve real-world problems. During her work-integrated learning placement, she developed code to automate a reporting process for her manager, reducing a task that took 30–35 minutes to about 30 seconds. The experience showed her how small technical solutions can create meaningful improvements in everyday work. She encouraged students to see engineering as a powerful tool for innovation, efficiency and making a real impact. 

“STEM isn’t going anywhere,” said Ma when asked why it’s important to attract women into the engineering field. “I keep telling my students that, 10 years ago, you needed programing skills to ensure you had good job prospects. Now, you need them just to keep from falling behind your peers. STEM is like that. It has become so deeply integrated into so many aspects of society that excluding it from your career options is incredibly limiting.”  

Mentorship is important for supporting and encouraging the next generation of young women in STEM.  

Kaur said the help she has received from mentors at Humber has been invaluable. She’s now giving back by sharing her advice to others interested in applying to her WIL employer. 

The panelists noted that navigating male‑dominated professions can be difficult. Malafeeva described frequently being the only woman in mechanical rooms and recounted moments when her competence was questioned simply because she was a woman. She added that while there will always be people who make insensitive remarks or question you just because you are different, you shouldn’t let that deter you.  

Consider it noise, know your worth and let your internal knowledge and confidence guide you, she added.  

“Whatever challenges you face in this industry, don’t let them stop you, let them shape you,” said Roye. “Every setback is an opportunity to build resilience, strengthen your skills and grow into the engineer you’re becoming.”  

More information about some of the STEM-related programs Humber offers can be found by visiting the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology website.