Sheryl Staub-French ’93 received the School of Engineering’s 2015 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, which honors alumni whose accomplishments in their professions, communities, and/or service to the School of Engineering have set them apart. Staub-French reflects the qualities and characteristics that best define the ideals of a Jesuit education: a passion for and commitment to excellence.
Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree at Santa Clara, Sheryl Staub-French went on to earn her master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University. She is currently associate professor of civil engineering at University of British Columbia. An active proponent of the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM)—a digital process for modeling the spatial, functional, and contextual dimensions of a construction project—Sheryl researches and develops tools and techniques to better support multidisciplinary decision processes in the increasingly complex field of construction coordination. During the past 15 years she has contributed more than 50 papers in leading journals and conferences in BIM and topics related to the technological and organizational issues associated with its implementation.
She is also the inaugural holder of the Goldcorp Professorship for Women in Engineering and director of the eng•cite program (
www.engcite.ca), which develops and delivers a targeted recruitment strategy for UBC Engineering that aims to increase the number of women enrolled in its programs to 50 percent by 2020. Eng•cite works with teachers, counselors, parents, and high school students to promote engineering education, and provide mentorship and role models for young women who might not otherwise consider or pursue engineering careers. For her contribution to the field of civil engineering and her commitment to the education of the next generation of practitioners, Sheryl received this award.