Dr. Cynthia Cruickshank is a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University and Director of Carleton’s Solar Energy Systems Laboratory and newly established Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research. She received her Ph.D. (2009) and B.A.Sc. (2003) degrees at Queen’s University in Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Dr. Cruickshank’s research focuses on the design and optimization of advanced building energy systems, including research related to high performance building envelopes, energy efficient insulation materials, solar-assisted heat pumps, solar absorption cooling, and thermal storage. She has supervised 50 graduate students in advanced building energy research and secured over $8M in research support since 2009 as well as produced over 130 refereed publications. Dr. Cruickshank has been the recipient of several research and teaching awards, including the 2023 Ontario Building Envelope Council’s Rising Star Award, the Carleton University’s Research Achievement Award and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – Excellence in Education Award for Promotion of Sustainable Practices. Furthermore, as Carleton’s Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Engineering and Design, and Carleton’s Ambassador for Engineers Canada’s 30 by 30 initiative, Dr. Cruickshank has become a visible, active leader at the university and nationally for initiatives in support of women in STEM. In 2013, as Carleton’s Faculty Advisor, she co-led Team Ontario to a first place finish in Engineering in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a collaboration between students and faculty from Carleton University, Queen’s University and Algonquin College. A regular collaborator with industry and government, Dr. Cruickshank has been a member of the Canadian Home Builders Association Technical Research Committee since 2010.