A Victoria resident is one of three Vancouver Island women pursuing a STEM career who has been awarded a cash scholarship, recognizing leadership, innovation and community impact.
The awards were presented by Island Women in Science and Technology (iWIST) in partnership with local tech firms Redbrick and Shift.
Shukooh Goodarzi was the recipient of the Redbrick Woman of Impact, praised for her work on a platform project with the City of Victoria and UVic to reduce waste from single-use items.
The Victoria Reuse Loop proposes a circular economy solution; through a community network, residents can borrow and return standardized reusable containers from local businesses using a QR code system via a mobile app or SMS.
The platform – not yet officially launched – gathers data on each container's journey and impact data: how many single-use items were diverted from the landfill, the average return times of containers, and user demographics.
Goodarzi's work helps the City of Victoria pursue its zero-waste strategy, as it seeks to reduce 50 per cent of landfill single-use items by 2040.
"In my opinion, for achieving that goal, we need to decrease the production of single-use items, and I think the first step we can take is (creating) knowledge among the people," Goodarzi said.
Goodarzi was praised in the award's announcement for embodying the resilience of women in STEM fields, staying focused on her studies – master of engineering, civil engineering (industrial ecology) – while working four days a week.
Having moved to Victoria from Iran three years ago, she was celebrated for her resilience in her journey and providing an empowering example to other women.
"Shukooh brings a valuable and underrepresented perspective promoting diversity and encouraging women to consider a career in STEM," her award write-up said. "She is an emphathetic, creative and collaborative engineer."
Now one year into her project, Goodarzi said being recognized for her work has only lit more of a fire under her.
"It makes me more energetic, more motivated to continue my education pathway," she said.
