Petaling Jaya (The Star/ANN) - A Malaysian-born woman has been named dean of Waterloo University Canada's award-winning engineering faculty.
Professor Pearl Lee Sullivan (pic), a composite materials and aircraft structure expert, will assume the mantle on July 1 as the first female dean, succeeding Prof Adel Sedra whose nine-year tenure has come to an end.
She said she was proud to have been named dean, adding that engineering would benefit from having more women in the field.
"Engineering helps solve a lot of the world's problems. If only men practised engineering, then you're looking at problems from one perspective," said Prof Sullivan.
"I hope more young women will see engineering as an exciting profession that makes an impact on our lives," added the mother of three, whose youngest daughter looks set to follow in her footsteps.
Prof Sullivan graduated with a Bachelors in Engineering degree from Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1985 before completing her Masters of Applied Science at the same institution.
She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia before joining Waterloo University in 2004 as a mechanical engineering lecturer. She is currently the faculty's mechanical and mechatronics department chair.
Prof Sullivan said although she spent most of her years growing up in Petaling Jaya, she had also lived in Kuantan for several years.
"I was raised by parents who were civil servants my father was a police officer and my mother a nurse," said the youngest of four siblings, adding that her parents worked hard to give her a good education.
Prof Sullivan credited the national education system for her success, pointing out science and mathematics as its strengths.
"I sat for the O-level examinations back then and must admit that the education I received didn't let me down," she said.
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