Women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will gather at Brock University next week with the goal of inspiring the next generation.<\/p>\n
The weeklong Women in STEM event, which is free and open to the public, will see women share their journey in their respective fields, including how they got to where they are today, and challenges and opportunities experienced along the way.<\/p>\n
Sessions will be offered in person and online from Monday, Feb. 6 to Friday, Feb. 10, touching on a variety of issues that affect women, both academically and professionally.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn some countries, we are seeing women barred from attending universities, women facing wage disparity, lost advancement opportunities and harassment,\u201d says Brock Biological Sciences PhD candidate Mariana Garrido, who leads the event\u2019s organizing committee.<\/p>\n
The event is intended to empower women interested in choosing a career in STEM and to identify and address issues that may discourage them from continuing on that chosen path.<\/p>\n
“Hearing a role model talk about the issues they overcame has proven valuable to our young STEM scientists, not just in academia, but in their careers as well,” Garrido says.<\/p>\n
The initiative tackles the under-representation of women and other minorities in science and sparks discussions about what can be done to achieve gender equity in STEM fields.<\/p>\n
Women in STEM kicks off Monday, Feb. 6 with an Academia Showcase featuring short talks from women professors and graduate students sharing their research and experiences.<\/p>\n
Among the week\u2019s wide range of speakers, panellists and presenters, including scientists from LGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities, will be physicist Jessica Wade, an Imperial College London Research Fellow and British Empire Medal recipient, who will speak on Wednesday, Feb. 8.<\/p>\n
Internationally lauded for her efforts to increase gender diversity in science and inspire the next generation, Wade has created more than 1,600 Wikipedia pages for women in STEM who had not received recognition for their contributions.<\/p>\n