Associate Director, Centre for Career Growth & Experience
Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University
Stephanie Harper serves as the Associate Director of the Centre for Career Growth and Experience within the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University, a position she has held since November 2021. Located physically at JHE H301 in Hamilton, Ontario, she can be contacted via email at sharper1@mcmaster.ca or by phone at 905-525-9140 ext. 27283.
With 20 years of professional experience spanning talent development, recruitment, training, career education, and program management, Stephanie has developed extensive expertise managing complex, multifaceted organizational environments focused on career and talent development.
In her current role, Stephanie leads a high-performing team specializing in career and talent development as well as student engagement, specifically targeting engineering students preparing to enter the workforce. She is instrumental in structuring and delivering programs such as the Introduction to Career Planning and Employment, aimed at equipping all engineering students with essential career preparation skills, employment strategies, and work-integrated learning experiences. Stephanie has emphasized the critical role of co-op experiences with leading employers as a core component of the McMaster Engineering career development journey.
Stephanie is actively involved in thought leadership and knowledge dissemination through presentations at prominent industry and educational conferences, including the CEWIL/ECAIT Canada conference, where she presented on organizational restructuring and career service innovations in 2025.
Her contributions to McMaster University and the Faculty of Engineering have been formally recognized through the 2024 President's Award for Outstanding Service, an accolade denoting exceptional commitment and impact within the institutional community. This award places her among a select group of individuals honored for significant service and leadership. Additionally, she has published numerous career development resources and maintains an influential professional presence as a relationship builder and people leader, underpinned by her CHRL (Certified Human Resources Leader) designation.
Stephanie actively fosters partnerships between the university and industry to enhance student employment outcomes, promoting innovative, student-centered career development models adept for a hybrid educational environment. Through strategic initiatives, she helps companies better understand talent potential beyond résumés and buzzwords, focusing on deeper human insights.
Her prior academic and professional background includes longstanding ties to Brock University, where she was both a student and employee, and extensive human resources generalist experience covering recruitment, employee relations, safety, and program management across multiple sectors.
Recent initiatives under her leadership include the launch of a new co-op success course (2025) to help engineering students maximize their work experience impact, and targeted programs aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion within engineering fields, especially supporting women in engineering.
In summary, Stephanie Harper represents a deeply experienced career leadership professional within McMaster University's Faculty of Engineering, with a proven track record of fostering student success, employer engagement, and organizational excellence in career growth. Her recognized leadership, extensive sector experience, and strategic program oversight position her as a key influencer in engineering career education and talent development.
