2026 William Muir Edwards Award - Selam Demoz

Whenever Selam Demoz visits Edmonton’s annual Heritage Festival, she knows as soon as she nears the Ethiopia tent she will be greeted by multiple people who have known her since her childhood. The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, her parents volunteered at the cultural festival every summer and she often tagged along. “Even when I felt like maybe I didn’t belong elsewhere, I always knew at least I had that community, where I always felt I belonged,” she recalls. 

Attending the University of Alberta’s Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology (WISEST) program as a high school student, Demoz remembers, “It was like a whole new world opened up to me.” She had never imagined a future in engineering, but as she joined conversations with other girls about concepts like imposter syndrome, she began to feel empowered to reach for her dreams.

Demoz is now in the fourth year of a co-op program in environmental engineering at the U of A, and many of her most meaningful times in the Faculty of Engineering have involved giving her time and energy the way the mentors in WISEST did for her.

“I remember thinking at times, ‘If I am struggling to feel like I belong here, and others also feel this way, there must be something I can do to help,’” says Demoz. She has volunteered with the Faculty of Engineering’s fem+ program throughout her degree, mentoring high school girls. She’s also volunteered with WISEST, for programs aimed both at elementary school-age girls and high school students. She has especially fond memories of supporting the Grade 6 girls in a coding-related game. “It’s really great to see girls experimenting with STEM at such a young age, and to be part of giving them that early introduction.” 

Demoz loves giving back the way others did for her, but she also sees her volunteer activities as valuable learning experiences. “You don’t just give; you get so much back from it too,” she says. She has become much more comfortable asking for help, and sees it as a strength. And she has learned much about being flexible, adapting to the different ways people learn and take in information, in particular. It takes effort to build connections with a variety of people, and to find common ground. Mastering those important soft skills has given her increased confidence to push beyond her comfort zone both in class and during co-op experiences. 

“It’s really important to me to try to help lessen the barriers that exist in engineering,” says Demoz, noting that she has also acted as internal coordinator for the Black Engineering Students Association, planning and leading team-building activities. Seeing that group grow just in the two years she’s been involved has been tremendously inspiring to her.

Whether as part of a student-led peer group like the BESA, or leading a kids’ game activity with WISEST, Demoz thrives as a role model. “Seeing other people in positions you hope to be in someday makes those possibilities feel more real,” she says.

Named in honour of the Faculty of Engineering’s founding professor, the William Muir Edwards Citizenship Award recognizes Engineering at Alberta undergraduate students who have made exceptional contributions to society. It’s a celebration of citizenship and of engineering students who go to extraordinary lengths to make our world a better place. Special thanks to the David Morris Family Foundation for supporting our students and making the William Muir Edwards Citizenship Awards possible. 

Do you know an undergraduate student whose volunteerism, contributions, and efforts, both on-campus and off-campus, work to make the world a better place? Learn more about the nomination process.