Dr. Ania C. Ulrich, 2020 AWSN Minerva Mentoring Award Recipient

Dr. A.C. Ulrich, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, first female Associate Dean in the Faculty of Engineering and acting Associate Vice President (Research) at the University of Alberta. Dr. Ulrich has worked on developing non-invasive biological remediation techniques for contaminated soil and groundwater. Dr. Ulrich’s work has dealt with contaminated sites in the United States, Ontario, and Alberta, most notably the 2005 Lake Wabamun CN rail derailment, Alberta’s oil sands and their water management practices and Indigenous communities and their relationship to water. Dr. Ulrich’s work focuses on inspiring the next generation of engineers and improving student and professor success through compassionate based leadership she calls Engineering with Decency. She believes strongly that everyone matters and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented groups. She is the faculty advisor to the Diversity in Engineering student group, established the Female Engineering Mentorship program for high school students, the male allyship group within the Faculty of Engineering and the I-STEAMS pathway program which encourages Indigenous youth through summer research placements to explore careers in environmental engineering, sciences, and law. Her work is showcased in her 2018 TEDx talk and has been recognized by the City of Edmonton in 2019 when she received the Women’s Initiative Leadership Award and provincially by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta in 2020 when she received the Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award. In her spare time, Dr. Ulrich leads meditation and mindfulness classes for faculty, staff and students as well as workshops on how to live life with greater ease and intention.