Sullivan
STRONG, determined and resilient, yet full of kindness and whimsy – that is how Kuala Lumpur-born Dr Pearl Lee Sullivan is remembered at the University of Waterloo, Canada.
“She was, as someone once said, in every sense an ‘iron butterfly’,” said the university’s Engineering dean Prof Mary Wells of her predecessor.
Sullivan, who was the first woman to be appointed to the role at the university, steered the Faculty of Engineering through a period of significant growth and innovation during her tenure from 2012 to 2019, before her passing in 2020 at the age of 59 after a battle with cancer.
Her legacy continues to be honoured at the university through the recent renaming of its iconic Engineering 7 building as The Pearl Lee Sullivan Engineering Building.
Prof Wells, in an email interview with StarEdu, said the renaming was made possible by a transformational $20mil (RM59mil) gift from Frank and Valerie Baylis’s Gloria Baylis Foundation.
“The foundation saw a powerful connection between Gloria Baylis and Pearl Sullivan, both trailblazing women whose resilience and leadership opened doors for others. It is a fitting tribute to Pearl’s impact on our community and to the standard she set for engineering education and research,” she said.
Reflecting on Sullivan’s contributions, Prof Wells said as dean, Sullivan elevated Waterloo Engineering’s global research profile in fields like artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology and robotics, while ensuring students had the hands-on experiences to match their ambitions.
“She championed the Educating the Engineer of the Future campaign, led the construction of Engineering 7 and the launch of the Engineering IDEAs Clinic – now also named in her honour – and strengthened a culture that values both entrepreneurship and inclusion.
“Those choices continue to shape how our students learn, how our researchers partner with industry and how we work for the public good,” she said.
An aerial view of the building. – University of Waterloo
Prof Wells also highlighted Sullivan’s leadership attributes.
“Pearl led with strength and heart. She pushed people to aim higher but never lost sight of the person behind the work.
“I remember the long drives we shared to presentations and events. She’d be answering emails or planning the next big initiative, but she’d always pause to ask about my family or how things were going at home.
“That balance of drive, care and joy was classic Pearl, and it’s what made her such an inspiring leader,” she noted.
She added that Sullivan believed deeply in opening doors for others.
“Her story reminds us to work hard, ask big questions, lift each other up and take our place in shaping the future,” she said.
True to Sullivan’s spirit of opening doors for others, Prof Wells shared that there are many opportunities for Malaysian businesses and institutions to engage with the university’s Faculty of Engineering.
These include exchanges with Malaysian universities in areas aligned with Waterloo Engineer-ing’s strengths; joint research clusters at the intersection of health, humanity and technology; entrepreneurship pipelines that connect Malaysian talent to its incubators and alumni mentors; as well as opportunities for Malaysian industries to engage some of Waterloo’s top talent through its co-op programme.
Beacon of inspiration
Expressing her family’s gratitude to the foundation and the university, Sullivan’s sister Susan Lee said the renaming of the engineering building is a tremendous honour that celebrates Sullivan’s lifelong dedication to education, research and her students.
“Knowing Pearl, she would have been genuinely honoured yet characteristically modest about such recognition. She always believed that her accomplishments were made possible through the collective effort of her colleagues, students and the community that supported her.
“Most of all, she always acknowledged God’s blessings, grace and favour in her life, and saw her vocation as a calling to serve as a teacher, leader and mentor,” she said.
Lee also expressed hope that this recognition will serve as a beacon of inspiration, especially for young Malaysians and women pursuing studies in engineering and science.
“Pearl’s journey reminds us that with passion, determination, perseverance and purpose, one can overcome challenges and make a meaningful contribution to society. Her story and legacy demonstrate that women have a vital role to play in shaping the future of technology and innovation,” she said.
The renaming was unveiled at a special ceremony held at the university on Nov 4.
University of Waterloo president and vice-chancellor Dr Vivek Goel said Sullivan was a visionary leader whose passion for engineering education and student success transformed the faculty and community.
“Naming this building in her honour ensures that her spirit of innovation, courage and compassion will continue to inspire generations to come,” he said.
Completed in 2018 under Sullivan’s leadership, the building – a hub for collaborative learning, design innovation and hands-on experience – houses cutting-edge facilities for mechanical and mechatronics engineering, biomedical engineering, robotics, and the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business.
Raised in Kuala Lumpur, Sullivan pursued higher education in Canada, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in metallurgical engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (now part of Dalhousie University), where she graduated with distinction. She later obtained her PhD in materials engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Her distinguished career included teaching appointments at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the University of New Brunswick in Canada before joining Waterloo in 2004.
In recognition of her lasting contributions, Sullivan was named a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and received multiple awards for excellence in teaching, leadership and research.
