UNB is committed to helping students become problem solvers and leaders in the world, and addressing the gender imbalance in technology fields is key to that mission.

The MacLauchlan McKenzie Scholarship was created by Julia MacLauchlan (BA’77, DLitt’10) and Warren McKenzie (BScCS’76, DLitt’10) to increase opportunities for women in tech. The scholarship, valued at $10,000, is awarded annually to two upper-year female students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in UNB Fredericton’s faculty of computer science.  

This year, the scholarship was awarded to Emma Morrison and Shahrzad Sarrafizadeh Rafsanjani, both of Fredericton. 

Emma Morrison has just completed her fourth year of the bachelor of computer science program. Emma loves the sense of community at UNB and finds her course work rewarding. “All the teachers are really kind and knowledgeable. I really like learning here.” 

Emma has undergone health challenges that have sometimes made it necessary to miss classes, but she is proud of persevering and maintaining her GPA. This year she has had the capacity to get back to creative pursuits in her spare time, which she says brings her a lot of joy. 

Shahrzad Sarrafizadeh Rafsanjani is entering her third year of the bachelor of science in software engineering program. Shahrzad served this year as promotions director for UNB’s Engineering Undergraduate Society and as a peer mentor for the faculty of computer science, and she says this involvement with the university community has been the highlight of her time at UNB. She was selected as a delegate representing UNB Fredericton at the Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference (CELC), allowing her to connect with engineering students from across Canada. She is proud of accomplishing all of this while also making the dean’s list. 

After graduation, Emma hopes to secure a remote programming position, which will allow her to play a productive role while also protecting her physical health. “I find programming rewarding regardless of the specific project being worked on.” Shahrzad, being earlier in her program, is keeping her options open but hopes to secure a position as a software engineer and obtain her PEng licence. “In the short term. I aim to secure a co-op position at a nuclear power plant. Several sessions at the CELC focused on nuclear energy, which piqued my interest in the field.” 

Both Shahrzad and Emma credit the MacLauchlan McKenzie Scholarship with facilitating their success at UNB. “This scholarship has enabled me to actively engage with the UNB community. Without it, I would have had to spend much more of my time working part-time, leaving me with less time to focus on my studies,” says Shahrzad. Emma agrees, saying, “This scholarship has really positively impacted my university experience. I'm not sure I could work and do school at the same time.  

“It really means the world to me.”

Photo caption: Shahrzad Sarrafizadeh Rafsanjani and Emma Morrison