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December 2019 NEWSLETTER
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Society of Canadian Women in Science and Technology

EMPOWER. INCLUDE. INSPIRE. CONNECT. SUSTAIN.
SPOTLIGHT

Quantum Leaps:
How STEM & Feminism are Catalysts for the Future

Maia Poon (left) with the Organizing Team of Quantum Leaps Burnaby STEM Conference for Girls
Listening to Founder Hilda Ching speak about the progress made in inclusivity and opportunity for women in STEM since SCWIST was founded in 1981 resonated strongly with me. I feel so fortunate to live in a time in Canada where I can enter any field with very little judgement and prejudice based on my gender. As well, hearing about (and benefitting from) the extensive network that Maria has developed, in part through SCWIST, was very touching, with Maria calling Hilda her “SCWIST mother.” Generations of women in STEM helping one another grow and learn is exactly the community I hope to continue to be a part of throughout my career. It surprised and honoured me when the women in the room concurred that the younger generation’s work was equally inspiring, as an insight to the continuing progress towards diversity in STEM. Read more here.
NEWS

SCWIST Leaders at Gender Equality Network Canada (GENC) Meeting in Montreal

Clockwise from left: (1) SCWIST GENC Leaders- Anja Lanz, Christin Wiedemann & Fariba Pacheleh. (2) GENC STEM Leaders Working Group. (3) Christin and Fariba present SCWIST recommendations. (4)Blessing from Sedalia Kawenno:ta of the Mohawk First Nation on the final day of the conference. 

GENC Leaders from SCWIST were in Montreal Nov 12–14, 2019 for the final meeting of the Gender Equality Network Canada (GENC), a three-year initiative to create a national gender equality network and develop a national action plan to advance gender equality.

The project is funded by the Federal Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) and leverages the experiences, expertise, and aspirations of 150 women leaders from across Canada. SCWIST is represented by Dr. Christin Wiedemann, Anja Lanz and Fariba Pacheleh, who have participated in five national meetings, and continuously collaborated with other GENC leaders in working groups, focusing on removing barriers for women in leadership roles, women in trades, and women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Dr. Christin Wiedemann, Past President of SCWIST states, “These three years have been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for this opportunity to learn from such a diverse group of women and organizations. The work does not end here though. Through SCWIST, we will continue working for the implementation of the national action plan, and a more equitable society.”

Each of the three SCWIST GENC leaders presented recommendations at the Montreal meeting on how to advance diversity in leadership, STEM and trades. 


Future of STEM: Irving K. Barber Scholarships

For student Haley Waldhaus, enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria, it was a role model who helped steer her toward her future. 

“I found it difficult to imagine what a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) would look like when I was growing up —no one said... ‘you should go into engineering’,” says Waldhaus. “It took a female science and mathematics teacher, to plant the engineering seed.” 

Haley is one of 10 recipients of this year’s Women in Technology and Indigenous Women in Technology Scholarships awarded by the Irving K Barber BC Scholarship Society. They all have similar stories to share and hope they can plant the seeds for future women interested in the study of computer/data science, engineering and mathematics. 

SCWIST is proud to support the promotion of young women in STEM with two members, Dalie and Anja assisting in the adjudication process. The recipients receive more than just a $10,000 Scholarship, they are the architects of a community of women in engineering, computer/data sciences and mathematics to inspire and support each other as they advance their careers and pay it forward. 

The programs of the Irving K Barber BC Scholarship Society are administered by the Victoria Foundation. The Society delivers a series of scholarship and award programs that support B.C. post-secondary students to achieve their educational goals. Since its inception, the Society has awarded more than $20 million to over 6,000 students in B.C.
VOICES FROM THE SCWIST COMMUNITY
Are Women "Made" to Create Robots?
by Kassandra Burd, M.Sc. Cognitive Neuropsychology, University of Kent

With remarkable advancements in technology and robotics in past decades, there is no doubt that technology is the future. Whether it’s the latest iPhone or sentient robots performing human duties, it is evident that avast majority of men dominate these fields as they are supposedly the masterminds behind the evolution of machine. While it is true that women also work behind many of these technological advances, there is a severe lack of women who join these fields. Read more.

30 YEARS LATER:
MOVE FORWARD, BUILD STRENGTH, INSPIRE CHANGE
 
What can we learn from this tragic event December 6, 1989 in Montreal - 30 years later?

Engineering Deans Canada showcased 30 engineers across Canada - whose careers, volunteer work and dedication exemplify the incredible value that women bring to the engineering profession and to society.  #30YearsLater30Engineers include: 
Lianna Mah, Engineers and Geoscientists BC President, VP, Associated Engineering, one of SCWIST's test partners in our Making DIVERSITY Possible Project Catherine Roome, CEO, Technical Safety BC and host of WinSETT Leadership Series. Read all of the inspiring profiles here. 

Part of #OurActionsMatter Campaign - 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

MAKE DIVERSITY POSSIBLE
SCWIST Diversity by Design Workshops engage men and women to examine the business case for diversity, understand unconscious bias, explore best practices and work together to develop solutions to advance diversity and inclusion. 

Sharing skills and diverse perspectives
SCWIST works with each organization to create a Roadmap to Success that attracts and promotes diverse talent, and creates an inclusive culture with flexible workplace policies to support diversity. The SCWIST team had the opportunity to share Make DIVERSITY Possible project results with Honourable Minister Monsef from WAGE during a visit in August to showcase SCWIST programs, engage community leaders, and learn from the experiences of industry partners.

Creating diverse and inclusive connections
SCWIST Project Manager, Cheryl Kristiansen, P. Eng., emphasizes the importance of women and men working together to advance gender equality, and explains that there is a strong business case for gender equality since “Diversity drives innovation, collaboration, creative solutions and economic growth. Diversity is a competitive advantage for individuals and organizations.”

Developing solutions to advance diversity
If your organization is interested in hosting a SCWIST Diversity by Design Workshop, please contact: ckristiansen@scwist.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS

Writing Compelling Commentary to Extend Your Influence
Wed, 12 February 2029 | 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM PDT
Atrium Rm 825, BCIT Downtown Campus

This highly interactive workshop for STEM professionals and gender equality advocates builds leadership capacity, enhances credibility and extends influence. It provides participants with the confidence and tools to contribute their expertise and vision to the public discourse through compelling, short-form written commentary - for newspaper op-ed pages, blogs, newsletters and online sites. Register here. 


YWCA Tech Connect information and intake sessions
Jan18, 2019 (and multiple dates)
@YWCA Cause We Care, 200-720 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

YWCA Tech Connect is a free program funded by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for immigrant women with education and/or work experience in information technology. It consists of a 3-week full-time workshop series where you will learn how to navigate the Canadian job market and receive coaching and mentoring from industry professionals. SCWIST is a community partner of Tech Connect. Register for information sessions here.   


JOB BOARD
Professor of Software and Information Technology Engineering
Department of Software and Information Technology Engineering

 
 
Closing Date  -   February 17, 2020
École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is one of the largest engineering schools in Canada, with a student body numbering over 11,000, including 2,600 students at the graduate and postgraduate levels. It offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate programs designed with an applied engineering focus. It cultivates close ties with industry through a dynamic co-operative education program, and boasts an outstanding degree of partnership-based research and innovation. 

The Department of Software and Information Technology Engineering (Montreal, Canada) is seeking professors of software and information technology engineering. The candidates’ research activities will be coupled with existing programs, and will be carried out in the context of software engineering, multimedia, medical applications and telecommunications. Areas of expertise sought: cybersecurity, intelligent data science, network engineering, and software engineering. Note that candidates with research skills in computer engineering/science other than those mentioned are also encouraged to apply. More information here

Advertise on our Job Board!

EXTERNAL EVENTS
Building buy-in at work
Women in Male Dominated Industries
January 9. 2020

Vancouver Women in Tech Regatta 2020
Women in Tech
January 28 & 29, 2020

Career talk and networking event in construction & engineering
ISS of BC
February 13, 2020

Women in SETT Leadership workshop series
WinSETT Centre
January 30 - June 11, 2020

Adopt a gender lens: focus on equality forum
Soroptimist Western Canada
February 29, 2020

2020 STEMCELL Science Fair Fun Run
Science Fair Foundation BC
24 May 2020
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Emma Talbott
Interim Director, Events and Communications

Kassandra Burd, Ontario
Contributor

Khristine Cariño, DMD, PhD
Advisor
 
Accepting article, photo and event submissions.
Deadline: 25th of the month. 
Email: director-communications@scwist.ca
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