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Sinan Abi Farraj named among 50 finalists for McCall MacBain Scholarship

Published: 15 March 2021

Sinan Abi Farraj, a senior Materials Engineering Undergraduate student, has been named among the 50 finalists for the inaugural McCall MacBain Scholarship, Canada’s first comprehensive leadership-based scholarship for master’s and professional studies. From over 735 applicants, 50 finalists were selected, chosen based on their character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength and intellectual curiosity.

Sinan has taken a leading role in enhancing academic support and mentorship in the Materials Engineering department. As the Materials Engineering tutor for the Engineering Peer Tutoring Service (EPTS) over the last four years, Sinan has tutored four cohorts of Materials Engineering students, providing them with academic support for all their first-year departmental courses. After becoming the manager of EPTS, Sinan expanded the tutoring service by introducing review sessions for upper-year courses and launched EPTS Skills+ workshops to equip engineering students with essential engineering skills. Sinan has also volunteered at a refugee center in Lebanon as a Math and English instructor and with the Youth Outreach Program in Montreal to provide support and mentorship to youth at risk.

Sinan is always looking to translate the knowledge gained from his academic studies and internship experiences during the Materials Engineering Co-op program into industrial applications that beneficially impact society. Over the last year, he has volunteered as a process engineer for Environ-Mental, an NGO that focuses on introducing sustainable and green technology to Lebanese industry. In his current project, he is studying the feasibility of implementing a manufacturing process to recycle end-of-life textiles into fibre-reinforced composites for building materials. By pursuing a master’s degree at McGill, Sinan is hoping to integrate his background in process engineering, materials science and nanotechnology to solve current challenges in clean water and energy technologies.

Sinan will join the other 49 finalists from 29 Canadian universities for the final interviews taking place from March 11 to 13th. Up to 20 students will then be selected as McCall MacBain Scholars and finalists who are not selected as McCall MacBain Scholars will be eligible for a $10,000 entrance award for their graduate studies at McGill.

*Here is the press release from the McCall MacBain Foundation: https://mccallmacbainscholars.org/2021-finalists/

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