The Ontario Energy Network is pleased to announce the winners of our 2022 Scholarships. Our scholarship recipients all have impressive accomplishments to date, and most are focused on pursuing a rewarding career in the energy sector. The OEN Women in Energy Scholarship winner is Isabel Smith, an Ontario Tech University Electrical Engineering student. The OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship winner is Erin Davey, a Finance and Accounting student at CTS Canadian Career College. Katerina Vovk, winner of the OEN Sustainable Development Scholarship, sponsored by Alectra, is an Engineering Science student at University of Toronto. In 2022 we are awarding two OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies scholarships, one to Shirin Sarrafizadeh, a Chemical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick, and the other to Cameron Murray, a Lakehead University Electrical Engineering student; next year one of the OEN-Bruce Power scholarships will be repositioned as a new “OEN-Ron Oberth Advanced Energy Studies” scholarship for a student pursuing an advanced degree. All of our 2022 scholarship recipients have been invited to a future OEN networking event, where we can publicly recognize them for their achievements.
Isabel Smith – 2022 OEN Women in Energy Scholarship
The 2022 OEN Women in Energy Scholarship has been awarded to Isabel Smith, who is beginning her second year at Ontario Tech University, studying electrical engineering. At Ontario Tech, Isabel has Chaired the Engineering Competition and participated in the Engineering Outreach program, speaking to young women considering studying engineering and writing articles for the Hydro One “We Made It” website. Isabel has been part of our WiRE Student Table at OEN and worked for OEN member CIMA+ as a Co-op Student. Isabel hopes to find a career in the energy sector, with a particular interest in projects that focus on environmentally conscious transmission and distribution, as well as incorporation of renewable energy and distributed energy resources (DER).
Erin Davey – 2022 OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship
(Sponsored by the IESO)
The recipient of the Ontario Energy Network 2022 OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship, sponsored by the IESO, is Erin Davey, a second year Finance/Accounting student at CTS Canadian Career College. Erin is from Moose Factory, a Cree community located on an island near the mouth of the Moose River at the southern end of James Bay. In 2017 she was a volunteer member of the Waskaganish, QC Ground Crew Search and Recovery Team that searched for three missing hunters, the only woman on the team for the first week of the search. Erin obviously has strong leadership skills and hopes to make a difference in her community.
Katerina Vovk – 2022 OEN Sustainable Development Scholarship
(Sponsored by Alectra)
Our 2022 Sustainable Development Scholarship winner is Katerina Vovk, a third-year Engineering Science student at the University of Toronto. Katerina is passionate about the environment and sustainability. At UoT she has participated in the UTWind turbine design team and “Hack the Globe,” an international initiative aimed at finding solutions to world challenges. Two of Katerina’s grandparents were Electrical Engineers, and Katerina credits her grandmother for inspiring her to study engineering. At U of T, she has hosted weekly guided engineering academic review sessions for Engineering Science students. Katerina will graduate with a specialization in Energy Systems.
Shirin Sarrafizadeh – 2022 OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship
(presented in honour of Dr. Ron Oberth)
One of our two winners of an OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship is Shirin Sarrafizadeh, a 4th Year Chemical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. At UNB, Shirin has been Outreach Director for Atlantic Engineering Qualifier Chair and a Peer Mentor at UNB Engineering Undergraduate Society. She is interested in pursuing a career in the nuclear power field, an interest that began with a Fire Protection Co-op Student placement with OPG at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Shirin has also worked in the energy sector as an Intern with TransCanada Energy.
Bruce Power has added a second scholarship this year to honour Dr. Ron Oberth, former President of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries. Next year, one of the OEN-Bruce Power scholarships will be earmarked for a student pursuing an advanced degree and will be known as the “OEN-Ron Oberth Advanced Energy Studies Scholarship.”
Cameron Murray – 2022 OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship
The second 2022 OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship goes to Cameron Murray, a 4th year engineering student at Lakehead University. Hailing from a community located near one of Canada’s largest nuclear generating stations, a facility that is also a major supplier of medical isotopes, Cameron is interested in nuclear energy and has worked as a Co-op Student at Bruce Power. Cameron has volunteered to tutor Georgian College students in math, assisted Huron Bruce Minor Hockey with fundraising activities, and helped Lucknow Kinsmen with their Music in the Fields festival. Upon graduation as an Electrical Engineer, Cameron hopes to find a career in nuclear generation or electricity distribution.
On behalf of Ontario Energy Network, our members, sponsors and supporters,
congratulations to all of our 2022 OEN Scholarship Program winners!