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Second-year Centre for Biotechnology master\u2019s student Amanda Williams is one of this year’s Women in STEM organizers.<\/p><\/div>\n
Previously held as a one-day event, the initiative seeks to raise awareness of the under-representation of women and other minorities in science, and to spark discussions about what can be done to achieve gender equity in STEM fields.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, attendees will hear the\u00a0stories, experiences and perspectives of scientists in different fields,\u201d said Biological Sciences PhD candidate Mariana Garrido, who is leading the event\u2019s organizing committee. \u201cFor the first time, the Women in STEM event is opening its doors to external speakers, with women scientists in positions outside academia joining us as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Event attendance rose from 125 participants in 2020 to 275 last year as a successful shift was made to a virtual format to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s initiative will include a wide range of activities, including an academia showcase, \u2018Meet a STEM Professional\u2019 session and a trivia night including prizes. Also planned is a screening of the documentary Picture a Scientist<\/em>, which focuses on sexual harassment and gender inequality in the wider science community.<\/p>\n Second-year Applied Health Sciences master\u2019s student Shawna Hopper is one of this year’s Women in STEM organizers.<\/p><\/div>\n A talk on Gender Consent and Supporting Survivors in STEM will be presented by Brock\u2019s Human Rights and Equity team, with the University\u2019s Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre hosting a session on Burnout and Imposter Syndrome in STEM.<\/p>\n \u201cPrevious events were attended by a diverse audience, including students from Brock’s undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty, local high school students and community members,\u201d said Garrido. \u00a0\u201cWe believe the event improves the recognition and visibility of women in STEM fields and increases awareness of the issues that drive women away once they are involved in science.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s initiative was organized by a committee of dedicated graduate students, including Garrido, second-year Centre for Biotechnology master\u2019s student Amanda Williams, second-year Applied Health Sciences master\u2019s student Shawna Hopper and Biological Sciences PhD candidate Hannah Charnock.<\/p>\n The expansion of Women in STEM was also made possible by support from Brock\u2019s Office of the Vice-President, Research and key sponsorship from Norgen Biotek Corp.<\/p>\n Hannah Charnock, a PhD candidate in Oenology, Viticulture and Plant Sciences in Brock’s Department of Biological Sciences, is one of this year’s Women in STEM organizers.<\/p><\/div>\n The opening ceremony on Monday, Feb. 7 will include keynote speakers Vanessa Tran, Clinical Microbiologist at Public Health Ontario, and Kira Lussier, historian of science and a post-doctoral researcher cross-appointed at the Institute for Management and Innovation at the University of Toronto Mississauga and Rotman\u2019s Institute for Gender and the Economy.<\/p>\n A full schedule of Women in STEM speakers and events can be found on ExperienceBU<\/a>.<\/p>\n Women in STEM is open to all Brock students, faculty and staff members as well as the general public. To register for the free event, fill out an online registration form<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Shawna-Hopper-RS-941x1050.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
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