Articles by author: Brock University

• Mature female STEM students face many barriers to success

  Tuesday, December 04, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor; Liette Vasseur, Brock Professor of Biology and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability; Bonnie Schmidt, Founder and President of Let’s Talk Science; Hon. Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport; Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant-Governor; Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation; and Sébastien Goupil, Secretary General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

  ---

  Mature female students pursuing Canadian university degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects face discrimination and other barriers, says a Brock-authored Canadian Commission for UNESCO research report.

  “Most women return to school because they know they have the capacity and ability to contribute to society,” says the report, researched and written by Brock University Professor of Biology Liette Vasseur and Brock Biology master’s student Heather VanVolkenburg.

  “These people are usually highly motivated and efficient in their studies in part because of their level of maturity,” says the report, which also applies to women in college programs in the trades. “Unfortunately, they face several barriers that they most likely never anticipated.”

  The report defines ‘mature students’ as being 25 years and older.These barriers include things like inadequate daycare, ineligibility for scholarships, and a belief that mature female students won’t produce as much research because of family commitments, says the report, titled “The Non-Linear Paths of Women in STEM: The Barriers in the Current System of Professional Training.”

  Vasseur, who holds the UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, presented the report at a conference in Ottawa Tuesday, Nov. 27. Following Vasseur’s keynote address, a panel discussion was held on equity and inclusion in post-secondary STEM learning that included Canada’s Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer.

  The report identifies six reasons why people don’t pursue a ‘linear’ university educational path, which typically moves from undergraduate to master’s to PhD with no or little break:

  • New career options
  • Need for more credentials
  • Delay due to family reasons
  • Need for family support
  • Career prospect improvement
  • Self-interest

  Unlike their male counterparts, many female mature students delayed further studies because of a widespread perception that raising a family and pursuing academic degrees and careers were incompatible goals, says the report.

  This perception results in an “unconscious bias” that manifests itself in many ways, explains Vasseur.

  “One woman told me she was given a less-important research project because it was believed that she wouldn’t return the next year, as she was expecting,” says Vasseur.

  In another case, a mature woman had a similar experience, but in her case she was given a less-important project because she was close to retirement age.

  Female students with young children may find it difficult or impossible to attend an 8 a.m. or evening class when daycare centres open at 8:30 or 9 a.m. and end by 5 or 6 p.m., Vasseur says.

  Regarding financial support, the report notes that many student scholarship and employment opportunities are limited to people 30 years old and under. There are similar age caps in some post-graduate employment recruitment and retention programs.

  Ironically, despite these and other barriers, mature female students have a graduation rate of 70 per cent compared to a graduation rate of 56 per cent for male mature students, says the report.

  And, the graduation rate of all mature students was four times higher than for young students for the years leading into 2015, says the report.

  Most universities are not particularly welcoming to mature students in general, says Vasseur.

  That’s because many universities in Canada were set up in the 1950s and 60s for a new generation of youth who needed to be educated in a booming post-war job market.

  The report makes a number of recommendations, including:

  • Improve information for mature students, especially on things like specific awards
  • Take work experience more into account for mature student admissions
  • Offer more online options, especially for early morning or evening classes
  • Train professors and admissions staff on unconscious bias
  • Remove age limits for scholarships and student employment programs

  The report, “The Non-Linear Paths of Women in STEM: The Barriers in the Current System of Professional Training,” can be found on the Canadian Commission for UNESCO website.

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Students experience sustainability science in the field

  Thursday, November 22, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Liette Vasseur, far right, speaks to Master of Sustainability students in the core zone of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve at Brock University.
  

  ---

  Thursday, November 22, 2018 | by Jeannie Mackintosh
  From: The Brock News 

  As a group of Brock students recently learned, sustainability science is all around us.

  It can be found along the Niagara Escarpment, in the waste-sorting stations of Guernsey Market and on the properties of the Niagara Parks Commission.

  Students in the Sustainability Science and Society graduate program got a taste of sustainability initiatives in action during a series of field trips in October.

  The Master of Sustainability program has always encouraged students to think critically about the theories behind sustainability science. Developing a sound theoretical understanding is essential, but practical application also plays a major role, said Ryan Plummer, Director of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) and Professor of Foundations of Sustainability Science and Society.

  “We train students to be leaders in sustainability. They need more than just classroom instruction to prepare them to take on leadership positions when they graduate,” Plummer says.

  A series of three field trips added an experiential education component to the program this year, giving students a first-hand look at how sustainability science is implemented on Brock’s main campus and in the wider Niagara community.

  “Sustainability science extends beyond the classroom and the University campus,” says Plummer. “Modifying the curriculum in our foundational course to include an ‘experiencing sustainability’ module enables new ways to connect theory and practice.”

  On the first trip, Liette Vasseur, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science and UNESCO Chair of Community Sustainability, led an outdoor education-based exploration of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Lisa Gribinicek, Senior Strategic Advisor with the Niagara Escarpment Commission, also spoke with students about the area.

  The second trip focused on sustainability efforts at higher learning institutions and included a tour of Brock’s Central Utilities Building. Scott Johnstone, Associate Vice-President of Facilities Management, and Ryan Stewart, Energy Manager of Maintenance and Utilities Services, demonstrated how current University initiatives contribute to the Brock University Project Charter on environmental sustainability. Students learned how Brock is working towards its goals of low emissions and an overall sustainable campus.

  At Guernsey Market, students visited the waste-sorting area to see what happens behind the scenes to the scraps and recyclable containers left behind after a cafeteria meal. Bryan Boles, Associate Vice-President of Ancillary Services, and Malcolm Dale, Associate Director of Operations, described the sustainability challenges faced in Dining Services.

  The final trip focused on the ESRC’s innovative partnerships with the Town of Lincoln and the Niagara Parks Commission, and included a tour of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

  “Seeing how the world works outside of the classroom is an invaluable experience,” says Meredith DeCock, a candidate in the Master of Sustainability program.

  Each field trip in the series was “unique and engaging” according to DeCock. “I even presented my research to the Town of Lincoln,” she says.

  Readings and assignments took precedence but, beyond the serious work of learning, there was also time for some fun. In Niagara Falls, students enjoyed the famed Journey Behind the Falls.

  “When an experiential learning session includes a trip to Niagara Falls, you really can’t go wrong,” says DeCock.

  “The thoughtful development and execution of the field study modules is a perfect example of why Brock is such a leader in experiential education,” says Carolyn Finlayson, Experiential Education Co-ordinator for the Faculty of Social Sciences. “Bringing to life course theories and concepts outside the classroom is what we do best.”

  The trips were organized with financial support from a Teaching Learning and Innovation grant.

  Tags: Brock University Project Charter, Carolyn Finlayson, CCEE, environmental sustainability, environmental sustainability research centre, ESRC, Experiential Education, liette vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Falls, Niagara Parks Commission, Ryan Plummer, Sustainability Science
  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• 2019 Sustainability Poetry Contest celebrates International Year of Indigenous Languages

  Wednesday, November 21, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Language plays a critical role in the daily lives, histories and identities of people around the world.

  Despite the important connections tied to the words we speak, UNESCO has identified more than 2,000 languages spoken by Indigenous peoples around the world that are in serious danger of disappearing.

  In an effort to recognize the important contribution these languages play in our cultural diversity, Brock’s UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability has declared the theme of its annual Sustainability Poetry Contest to be aligned with the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

  Every year, the contest calls for writers from the local community to submit unpublished poems and artwork on themes related to sustainability.

  The contest is open to all residents of Niagara (inclusive of members of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and Six Nations), and will operate in co-operation with Indigenous groups and stakeholders across the region.

  UNESCO Chair Liette Vasseur said the contest will raise awareness about the need to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous languages and knowledge around the world.

  “I believe this is one small step that contributes to the sharing of knowledge with and about Indigenous peoples of Canada,” she said. “Their knowledge and languages are essential to understanding where we come from as a society and the sustainability of the environment around us.”

  The contest also seeks to promote the steps being taken by UNESCO, other United Nations agencies and stakeholders around the world to support, access and promote Indigenous languages in co-operation with the people who speak them.

  In Canada, every effort should be made to contribute to the Truth and Reconciliation Call for Action, Vasseur said — and little steps count.

  UNESCO has been celebrating March 21 as World Poetry Day since 1999. The contest uses poetry as a tool to bring awareness to social issues, give a voice to the community, promote linguistic diversity and change the way people view their place in the world.

  Vasseur said this year’s poetry contest has an especially important role to play in the promotion and preservation of linguistic diversity, culture and identity for vulnerable Indigenous communities in Canada.

  Poems can be submitted online until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15. Click here to submit a poem.

  Prizes such as books and gift cards will be awarded in each of four categories: elementary student; high school student; college/university student; and general public.

  Winners will be announced at the UNESCO World Poetry Day celebration at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21 at Mahtay Café in downtown St. Catharines. The event is free and open to the public, but registration will be required as space is limited. Register here. 
  

   

  Tags: liette vasseur, poetry contest, sustainability poetry contest, unesco, unesco chair, year of indigenous language
  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Research on long-term care facilities in mid-size cities published

  Thursday, May 17, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Liette Vasseur was among the authors of Evergreen’s recently released 2018 Mid-Sized Cities Research Series, which highlights important conversations and trends underway in Canadian cities. Those include the fact that our urban population is growing, leadership is changing, municipalities need to be smart and open, and inclusion is a must.

  Ten discussion pieces were prepared by researchers from across Ontario to demonstrate these perspectives through the lens of Canada’s mid-sized cities, with the goal of supporting Ontario’s city-builders in creating inclusive, innovative, and regenerative cities of the future.

  Vasseur was a contributor to this compendium with a paper entitled “Connecting memories with nature: opportunities for residents of long-term care facilities in mid-sized cities.”

  She co-authored the paper with Christopher Fullerton, Marcie Jacklin and Kerrie Pickering, all of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University.

  In the paper, the authors discuss the advantages and opportunities for mid-size-cities to develop a positive and attractive system of long-term care (LTC) facilities that can enhance quality of life for residents by having the capacity to be located close to a natural environment. They elicit the longer-term benefits that such planning can bring to these cities. Mid-size cities are uniquely positioned as locations for long-term care facilities, the authors note, because of the array of health services nearby, being in close proximity to large centres with specialized services, and having a large pool of elderly residents requiring LTC facilities.

  Mid-size cities often have more flexibility in their urban planning as they do not have the same development pressures as large cities, allowing for the development of LTC facilities that are more nature-friendly and attractive.  To speak further to this, the authors also included a case study on the Woodlands of Sunset Long-Term Care Facility in Welland in the paper to showcase how having a connection with nature can help boost the morale of LTC residents. Christopher Fullerton, as part of the core group of the UNSCO Chair, also presented on behalf of the authors at the Mid-Sized Cities Researcher + Practitioner Roundtable in London, ON, on May 16.

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Liette Vasseur presents at launch of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Canadian chapter

  Friday, May 11, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Liette Vasseur was at the University of Waterloo on Tuesday, May 8, where she presented at a lecture that took place as part of the launch of the university’s new Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Canadian chapter. Vasseur presented on behalf of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

  The SDSN Canada is part of a global SDSN movement to build a network of universities, research centers, civil society organizations, and knowledge institutions. With over 700 participating institutions worldwide, SDSN members work together, to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

  It was officially launched in Waterloo on Monday, May 7, and has become one of 24 other SDSN networks world-wide who are harnessing the capacity of the people and organizations determined to solve global problems like poverty, climate change, gender equality and clean water.

  Learn about the SDSN Canada.

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Brock-Lincoln Living Lab research project to examine Lake Ontario shoreline flooding

  Monday, May 07, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  The flooding of coastal communities along Lake Ontario last year caused major damage and made people realize that century floods aren’t nearly as rare as the name implies.

  A new research collaboration between Brock University and the Town of Lincoln is aimed at helping the community understand how to deal with the impacts of climate and environmental changes and examining potential avenues of solutions for future development along the shore. It’s the first externally funded project as part of the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab partnership announced in October 2017.

  Brock UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability Liette Vasseur is leading the three-year research study for the Ontario component of a larger project by Université du Québec à Rimouski, which is examining how various coastal communities can deal with and share ideas on the impacts of climate and environmental changes.

  

  Brock UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability Liette Vasseur

  “Communities are becoming more and more exposed to different hazards,” said Vasseur, who has been involved in similar research initiatives in other communities in Atlantic Canada and Ecuador. “With climate change, these types of events are coming faster and more often.”

  The project has received $280,000 in funding from the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), with additional support from the Town of Lincoln and Brock. MEOPAR is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government as a National Centre of Excellence that supports research and trains students in the area of marine risk and resilience.

  Lincoln suffered around $1 million in damage as a result of back-to-back spring storms in 2017 that caused massive flooding from Lake Ontario. The storms led to the Town’s first-ever voluntary evacuation notice for residents living near the Lake Ontario shoreline, and caused significant damage to Charles Daley Park and sewer systems in Jordan Station and Campden.

  Vasseur said climate change scenarios over the next decade are projecting continuous sea level rise and increases in extreme weather events. This will amplify the severity and frequency of flooding in coastal communities like Lincoln, which is continually growing with more people living near the Lake Ontario waterfront.

  “People were always talking about 100-year events. Now it’s more like one every five years,” she said. “It shows that we need to be more prepared. When we’re planning things like residential developments, we need to plan in a way that we’re going to survive with these types of events.”

  For the Town of Lincoln, the research will provide crucial information about current and future risks.

  “In 2017, Lincoln experienced the real and harsh effects of severe weather on critical infrastructure in our community,” said Lincoln CAO Mike Kirkopoulos. “As another benefit of the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab, this research is grassroots to our community, helping us better understand the conditions for collective ownership of adapting to climate change as an organization and community.”

  Vasseur said the research team will include a postdoctoral fellow and a master’s student, who will collect data in Lincoln, and share information and ideas with other researchers and communities along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

  “It will be a very good learning experience for the students, while helping the communities at the same time,” she said. “We’re hoping that by the end, the data we’re going to get can be used by communities all along the coastline.”

  Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton said municipalities like hers are learning that more frequent smaller floods — not just rare major flooding events — can have a big impact on resources.

  “Climate change and the impact on municipal infrastructure is top of mind for our council,” Easton said. “With the growing municipal infrastructure funding gap, municipalities have a responsibility for long-term planning and mitigation of the effects of climate change. This research is critical for council to understand how we can better identify actions toward climate change adaptation.”

  Written by: Dan Dakin
  Read about it in the Brock News here.

   

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Non-Linear Paths of Women in STEM: The Barriers in the Current System of Professional Training

  Monday, May 07, 2018 | By Brock University

  

  Mature women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and trades are increasingly present but face many challenges.

  This reflection paper originates from discussions and questioning at the Gender Summit 11 in Montréal, in November 2017. It first briefly describes the current situation of women who are not taking the usual linear path from high school to university and professional life. It examines how the current system may overlook their capabilities and highlights the potential that they have to significantly contribute to the Canadian job market and economy. It summarizes the challenges they face and proposes potential avenues for solutions and strategies that may help improve their chances of contributing to Canadian innovation.

  The data show that mature students are becoming a large part of Canadian higher education institutions and in general have a better graduation rate than students coming directly from high school, or cégep, in Québec. Barriers can be numerous for mature women who are interested in returning to higher education, and include entry requirements and admission criteria, lack or limited support (e.g. financial, childcare, etc.), and marginalisation and negative perceptions. Establishment of networks or support groups for mature women in STEM and trades, as well as changing institutional culture, are among some of the strategies that were put forward in the three round tables that were organized to discuss the issue.

  It is expected that this reflection/policy paper will help funding agencies, governments and institutions such as colleges and universities to develop solutions for the better inclusion of people (especially women) not following the usual path from high school, or cégep, and universities to careers in STEM.

  Download and read the full reflection paper here.

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• Congratulations to the 2018 winners of the sustainability poetry contest

  Wednesday, April 25, 2018 | By Brock University

  On March 21, the UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, and the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre hosted the annual UNESCO World Poetry Day Celebration in St. Catharines. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us at Mahtay Café!

  The theme for this year was “The Future We Want.”

  We would like to thank to everyone who submitted poems to the annual sustainability poetry contest and congratulate the 2018 winners:

  * Hannah Johnston, Elementary Student (Poem: “Now”)

  * Emily Lizbet Fulton, High School Student (Poem: “Do we have to die before dessert”)

  * Danielle Izzard, College/University Student (Poem: “My feet are damp”)

  * Liz Bonisteel, General Public (Poem: “Two worlds”)

  * Victoria Vieira, College/University Student, French (Poem: “Les cris d’univers”)

  We would also like to say a big thanks to the contest judges: Gregory Betts, Adam Dickinson, Neta Gordon, Nigel Lezama, and Catherine Parayre.

  Visit the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre website to learn more about the work that they do at Brock and in the Niagara community.

  View their blog post about the event here.

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• NEW VIDEO: My Chair in 3 Minutes: UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global

  Monday, February 12, 2018 | By Brock University

   

  

   

  The Canadian Commission for UNESCO has just released a video presenting the UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global at Brock University !

  View the video on YouTube:
  My Chair in 3 Minutes: UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global

   

  Categories: Updates of the Chair

• UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global January Newsletter Available

  Monday, February 12, 2018 | By Brock University

  The most recent edition of the UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: From Local to Global newsletter is available now! Click on the image below to read the full edition and learn about what the UNESCO chair has been up to.

  

   

  Categories: Updates of the Chair