When Angela Wang discusses the path that led her to receiving the Order of the White Rose, one of Canada’s most prestigious engineering scholarships, she doesn’t begin with neural interfaces, biomedical design projects or even her years as a standout student at McGill University. Her story starts, instead, at an aquarium.
Wang was in Grade 6 when she started volunteering at the local marine centre in Victoria, B.C. It was there that she met someone who would redefine her understanding of technology, humanity and purpose.
One of the other volunteers had locked-in syndrome. Although fully cognitively aware, he could move only his eyes, communicating through an eye-tracking keyboard system.
“The technology fascinated me, but even more, his resilience. He was funny, he was helpful and he wanted to contribute,” she said. “At the same time, I saw all the ways society excluded people with disabilities. That stayed with me.”
From that experience grew both a calling and a conviction: engineering could, and should, be a force for equity.
That conviction travelled with Wang across the country to McGill University, where she would earn the bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering that made her eligible for the 2025 Order of the White Rose Scholarship.
Expanded Order of the White Rose cohort
Wang is one of 14 White Rose Scholarship winners this year; previously, the Polytechnique Montréal awarded only one of the scholarships annually. The historic expansion to 14, in memory of the 14 women killed on Dec. 6, 1989, was made possible by a generous group of donors.
The winners, who come from across Canada, each receive $50,000 to support their graduate studies in engineering.
For Wang, the symbolism of the scholarship carries weight.
“Expanding to 14 recipients brings so much awareness to gender-based violence and to the importance of inclusivity in engineering,” she says. “Being part of this first cohort is incredibly meaningful.”
Neurotechnology meets human-centred work
At McGill, Wang quickly found ways to turn her early inspiration into action.
She helped develop a brain-computer interface spelling system for nonverbal users, a technology that could one day give people like her aquarium mentor a more seamless way to communicate. She also collaborated with non-profit organizations to design accessible musical instruments, enabling students with disabilities to participate fully in music therapy programs.
But Wang’s commitment has never been limited to the laboratory.
“Engineering for humanity,” she said, “means seeing work through the lens of the individual and the community.”
During her time at McGill, she coached swimmers with intellectual disabilities, mentored women and racialized students in STEM and helped develop inclusive physical education programs. Each role, she said, was a way of offering the kind of support she needed when she first entered engineering.
“I wanted to be the mentors I had.”
Bringing innovation to underserved populations
Now pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical engineering at the University of British Columbia, Wang is continuing the trajectory she began as a young volunteer. Her current research focuses on creating more equitable pathways to care and improving access to essential support for marginalized and remote communities.
“I want to focus on people who can’t access expensive technology or support,” she said. “There’s so much innovation happening, but if it isn’t accessible, who does it serve?”
This question drives both her engineering work and her long-term vision. Looking into the future, she sees herself somewhere at the intersection of research, clinical application and community collaboration – still designing, still problem-solving, still advocating.
“I want to stay close to the forefront of innovation,” she said, “but also close to the people. That balance matters to me.”
For someone who once stood in an aquarium watching a man write sentences with his eyes, the trajectory seems entirely natural. The Order of the White Rose recognizes women who embody courage, curiosity and a commitment to the common good. Angela Wang’s journey, from a child witnessing resilience, to a McGill engineer designing for dignity, stands as a clear example of all three.