UCalgary EDIA

Making Change Summit

Hosted by the Schulich School of Engineering

Making Change Summit

We warmly welcome you to attend our second annual Making Change Summit. This year's theme is Agile Minds, Brave Hearts: Engineering a Just Future.

This engaging event will bring together academics, students, early-career, and established professionals to learn, collaborate, and drive meaningful conversations around change. The program features a series of distinguished speakers, interactive workshops, and seminars addressing topics such as equity, advocacy, understanding global grand challenges in diversity, and how to take action to make change.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop practical skills for creating impactful solutions, with sessions that reflect our deep commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) through innovative approaches and courageous thinking.

We hope you leave the summit feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to drive meaningful change in your community.

Event details

Dates: May 28-29, 2025
Location: Schulich School of Engineering

Schedule:

  • Wednesday, May 28th:
    • 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.: First Day of Summit (complimentary breakfast and lunch provided): Learn and engage with topics related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility that impact the education and professional practice of engineers.
    • 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Evening Networking Reception held at the MacEwan Ballroom (complimentary food and drinks)
  • Thursday, May 29th:
    • 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Second Day of Summit (complimentary breakfast): Take action and help shape creative solutions to future grand challenges.

Keynote Speaker

Gayathri Shukla is the founder of Campfire Kinship, a social enterprise providing story-based training, advisory and creative media to build inclusive cultures. Gayathri holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of Calgary and an Executive MBA from Queens University. She started her career in a remote mining town where she was one of the few women of colour working in an industrial setting. As she progressively moved into leadership roles, Gayathri observed how teams thrive when every member feels valued, seen, and heard. Her insights led her to transition from a 17-year engineering career to start Campfire Kinship in 2020.

Thank you to our sponsors!

  1. Learn more about the Schulich School of Engineering

    The Schulich School of Engineering is passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, which is why EDIA is a pillar of focus in our strategic plan.

    Engineers have many opportunities to make significant positive changes in our communities, but the world also faces complex challenges. Access to reliable and trusted information, secure and affordable energy, clean water and climate resiliency are just a few of the issues our society is up against. These are also areas where engineering know-how and problem-solving will make a difference. Our students, alumni, staff and faculty members continue to innovate and have a meaningful and positive impact in our community. From new programs to creative makerspaces, from transdisciplinary research to technological advances, we celebrate our faculty momentum in educating the engineers of the future. 

    We are committed to weaving ways of being, ways of knowing, ways of connecting and ways of doing into our learning and research through Indigenous engagement and reconciliation. We are driven to be a national role model in fostering a community through equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We are preparing tomorrow’s changemakers by providing unique experiences inside and outside of the classroom. We are inspired by the significance that will come from elevating our research and innovation impact.