{{Short description|Malaysian-Canadian engineer (1961–2020)}}

'''Pearl Sullivan''' (1961 – November 28, 2020) was a [[Malaysian Canadians|Malaysian Canadian]] engineer and the former Dean of Engineering at the [[University of Waterloo]], the first woman to hold the position.

== Early life and education ==

She graduated from the [[Technical University of Nova Scotia]], now part of [[Dalhousie University]], in 1985 with a master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering.<ref name="SullivanObit" /> Following her time in Halifax, Sullivan completed a PhD in materials engineering at the [[University of British Columbia]] in 1990.<ref name="SullivanObit" /> Her doctoral studies were supervised by Anoush Poursartip.<ref name="Handy">{{cite web |last1=Handy |first1=ErinRose |title=UBC alumna Pearl Sullivan named Dean of Engineering at Waterloo |url=https://apsc.ubc.ca/news/2012/02/ubc-alumna-pearl-sullivan-named-dean-of-engineering-at-waterloo |website=apsc.ubc.ca |publisher=UBC Applied Science |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref>

== Academic career ==

Shortly after completing her studies she accepted a position at [[Nanyang Technological University]], Singapore in 1991.<ref name="INBio">{{cite web |title=Pearl Sullivan |url=https://innovation-nation.ca/pearl-sullivan |website=innovation-nation.ca |publisher=Innovation Nation |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="SullivanObit" /> Sullivan returned to Canada in 1994 after taking a position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the [[University of New Brunswick]], where she was twice awarded the university's Faculty Merit Award for Excellence.<ref name="Truemner" /> Sullivan joined the University of Waterloo in 2004 as a professor of mechanical engineering.<ref name="SteppingDown">{{cite web |title=Pearl Sullivan stepping down as Dean of Engineering |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/news/pearl-sullivan-stepping-down-dean-engineering |website=Engineering |publisher=University of Waterloo |access-date=1 December 2020 |language=en |date=19 September 2019}}</ref> She served as Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering from 2006 until January 2012.<ref name="Truemner">{{cite web |last1=Truemner |first1=Carol |title=Waterloo mourns the loss of Dean Pearl Sullivan |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/stories/engineering/waterloo-mourns-loss-dean-pearl-sullivan |website=Waterloo Stories |publisher=University of Waterloo |access-date=1 December 2020 |language=en |date=29 November 2020}}</ref> In 2012 Sullivan was named the Dean of Engineering, becoming the first woman to hold the position at Waterloo.<ref name="Dehaas">{{cite news |last1=Dehaas |first1=Josh |title=Waterloo Engineering hires first female dean |url=https://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/waterloo-engineering-hires-first-ever-female-dean/ |access-date=1 December 2020 |work=www.macleans.ca |date=24 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="Truemner" /> She held the role until December 2019.<ref name="Pare">{{cite news |last1=Pare |first1=Mark |title=First female dean of engineering at UW passes away |url=https://kitchener.citynews.ca/local-news/first-female-dean-of-engineering-at-uw-passes-away-3138003 |access-date=1 December 2020 |work=KitchenerToday.com |date=30 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

== Awards ==

Professor Sullivan was a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.<ref name="CAE">{{cite web | title= Canadian Academy of Engineering In Memoriam | url=https://cae-acg.ca/in-memoriam-2/|access-date= 5 March 2021|language=en}}</ref>

== Death ==

Sullivan died on November 28, 2020, of cancer.<ref name="SullivanObit" /> At the time of her death she had been dealing with the illness for 12 years.<ref name="Pare" />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Pearl}}

[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Waterloo]]

[[Category:University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science alumni]]