The Indigenous Futures in Engineering (inEng) Circle of Advisors is a network of engineering professionals, students and alumni who are giving back by sharing their experiences to support the next generation of engineers.
The Circle has been designed to benefit from the experience of Indigenous educators and leaders and to hear the voices of recent alumni and students to guide the Circle’s initiatives.
The Circle of Advisors is comprised of:
Tabatha Bull, President & CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)
Tabatha is Anishinaabe, a proud member of Nipissing First Nation, and an electrical engineer. As CCAB’s president and CEO, she is committed to helping rebuild and strengthen the path towards reconciliation and a prosperous Indigenous economy to benefit all Canadians.
Tabatha works with government, various organizations, committees, and boards on Indigenous economic development, and has appeared on numerous occasions in the Senate and House of the Parliament of Canada. She was named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women in 2023.
Curtis Dewasha, Smith Engineering student
Curtis is Mohawk from the Watha community in Muskoka, and is currently a Co-op Engineering student at Agnico Eagle’s Macassa Mine. He has completed three years at Queen’s in mining engineering, is a member of the Indigenous Rocket Team and is also an active infanteer with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Curtis hopes to work in underground mining after finishing his degree in 2025.
Kanonhsyonne Janice. C. Hill, Associate Vice-Principal
Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation, Queen’s University
Kanonhsyonne (Jan) is Turtle Clan, a Clan Mother of the Mohawk Nation from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. She leads the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at Queen’s University, providing strategic support and leadership university-wide to oversee the implementation from the Queen’s Truth & Reconciliation Task Force Report recommendations.
Jan began her academic career in the Faculty of Education and helped establish the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program. She also served as the Director of the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre for seven years.
W. Warren Holmes, Queen’s BSc ’64, Mining Engineering.
Warren is a Queen’s alumnus, and worked with Noranda and Falconbridge in a number of supervisory and management positions before being appointed as Senior Vice-President, Canadian Mining Operations at Falconbridge After retiring from Falconbridge, Warren served on the Boards of a number of mineral industry companies and private companies. He has received a number of recognition awards for his contributions.
Irving ‘Bing” Leblanc, Former Director of Infrastructure and Emergency Management, Assembly of First Nations
Irving is an Odawa of the Three Fires Confederacy and a member of Wiikwemikoong Unceded Territory located on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. He served as the Director, Infrastructure/Water at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), responsible for representing the AFN and advocating on various initiatives related to infrastructure, water and sanitation, source water protecting and other infrastructure-related issues affecting First Nations.
Irving is Co-Chair of Networks of Centres of Excellence – Knowledge Mobilization (NCE-KM) at UBC and is passionate about supporting and allying with organizations to provide easier access to engineering education for First Nations students, and to ensure gender balance.
Haven Moses, BSc, ‘15, Structural Engineering
Haven is is Oneida and a member of Six Nations of the Grand River. He is a Queen’s alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering. He is an experienced Engineer In Training with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. Haven is also an amateur enthusiast of the arts and sciences including Visual Arts, Musical Arts, Herpetology, Entomology and Earth & Space Sciences.
Keith Pilkey, Department Head, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University
Keith is the Department Head for the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department at Queen’s. He obtained his PhD in the area of microstructure-property relationships and formability of aluminum alloy sheet developed for automotive structures. He played a leadership role in the establishment of the new undergraduate program in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering.
Keith has been named a Champion of EDI by Engineers Canada. Along with serving on the Circle of Advisors, he has established a Women in MME working group and an EDII committee in the department.
Melanie Howard, Director, Indigenous Futures in Engineering
Melanie Howard is a citizen of the Mohawk community of Kanehsatake. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a profound commitment to supporting Indigenous youth in diverse contexts, including First Nations communities and urban environments. Recognized as an impassioned "Indiginerd," Melanie brings a wealth of expertise in education, coaching, and youth mentoring to her present role as the Director of Indigenous Futures in Engineering at Queen's University. One of Melanie's paramount strengths lies in her aptitude for fostering valuable connections between individuals and opportunities.