Samantha Espley takes home the hardware

Published: 25/05/2015

By: Northern Ontario Business staff

Samantha Espley of Sudbury was honoured at the Engineers Canada Awards Gala in Calgary, May 21.

The general manager of the Vale’s Mines and Mills Technical Services Department received the Award for the Support of Women in the Engineering Profession.Espley, a graduate of the University of Toronto’s engineering program, leads a team of more than 200 engineers, geologists, metallurgists and technologists at Vale’s Ontario operations.She has published and presented more than 60 papers, reports and publications, with topics ranging from underground mine designs and automation systems to the role of women in the mining industry.

Espley is a founding member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and has held leadership roles with WISE, the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM), Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Canadian Mining Research Network (CAMIRO).

She’s been a speaker at events such as Ontario-wide university initiative, Go Eng Girl (for young women in grades seven to 10), WISE Gearing Up sessions (for high school students), Science North and WISE Fireball events, as well as Science Olympics (for girls in grades four to eight) and PEO Job Shadowing events.

In recognition of her achievements and contributions to the engineering profession, Espley has received the International Women’s Week Award, the CIM Distinguished Service Medal, the U of T Engineering 2T5 Mid-Career Award and the Trailblazer Award from Women in Mining Canada.