Ontario lacks Black and Indigenous engineering profs — this program hopes to change that

A new University of Waterloo-led project hopes to make Canada’s engineering schools more reflective of the country’s population.

The Indigenous and Black Engineering Technology (IBET) PhD Project will provide $25,000-a-year fellowships – along with mentorship and networking opportunities – to Black and Indigenous students pursuing doctoral degrees in engineering and math.

“Currently, we have a huge under-representation of Indigenous and Black scholars in academia,” said Tiz Mekonnen, who is the inaugural director of the PhD project.