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FEBRUARY 28, 2019 NEWSLETTER
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Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology
EMPOWER. INCLUDE. INSPIRE. CONNECT. SUSTAIN.
SAVE THE DATE: MARCH 23 and 30!
Want a new website for SCWIST?
Join the hackathon (er, more of a work session really). 
Share your expertise! Open to members and guests.
Apply for a spot here.


Kids welcome to tag along with moms!

 
SCWIST SPOTLIGHT
Making a safe place for women in business: Humaira Ahmed on Locelle
by Alison Knill, UBC Graduate School of Journalism 

Starting a company and starting a family both take adjustments to your life and your network. Humaira Ahmed experienced both with raising her family and also later creating her own company, Locelle.

Locelle, pronounced ‘Lok-elle’, is a networking application targeted towards women in business. Humaira was inspired to start the app after she had her second daughter. Her friendships were changing from different interests and she was feeling challenged with meeting like-minded women in business.

“We go to so many networking events, but how often do you actually leave a networking event with a meaningful connection?” said Humaira. “It’s hard to meet people, so I just wanted to do something about it.”

And she did. Humaira was able to find a way to help herself and other women to feel less isolated using her educational background in Software Engineering and Communication. Read more.

 
Our Communications Team is expanding across Canada!
Feature writers wanted!
Interested in connecting with STEM women role models and writing about them? Send us an email.
My Journey in STEM: Lessons for an International Graduate Student
by Pargol Hashemi, PhD Candidate- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Molecular Epigenetics, UBC

"The worst part was the confidence I’d gained during my undergraduate degree from being among the top three students in the department and from being someone who was good at talking and presenting all crashed within the first few days. When I talked to other students, they all seemed very well equipped with lab techniques and knowledgeable about various assays that made me feel like an idiot trapped between a bunch of geniuses.

Now, as part of the PhD studies, that I was supposed to train undergrads, I truly understand why they initially looked unreasonably sharp to me: Nothing like doing directed studies or co-op in a lab, where undergrads learn techniques while working on actual scientific projects worth thousands of dollars, in addition to the insane number of science-related volunteering opportunities outside of schools, even existed in Iran. Nothing was even close. So please don’t laugh or judge, but honestly, I was able to only do two things in the lab: running PCR and extracting DNA from blood.

The only thing I vividly remember I was trying to do those days was not lose my smile and pretend that everything was fine while I was scared to death on the inside."


Read more.
 
5 Ways to Increase Women in Gaming and Digital Media
By Lee Brighton, CSO of Virtro Entertainment

Gendered language still runs rife across employment marketplaces. In a survey carried out by Indeed.com usage of “ninja” increased nearly 400% between January 2012 and October 2016 (in the same year the word “dominant” rose by 65%). Although the former may sound ‘current’ to a millennial audience, it also carries strong masculine connotations and may dissuade a female from applying for a role. We must make a conscious effort to de-bias the application process as much as possible in order to rewrite this systemized narrative.

Don’t: Include gender bias in your job application process
Do: Re-write your advertisements to attract all peoples


Read more.
SCWIST EVENTS

When: March 3, 2019 (8:30-11:00 am)
Where: Microsoft Store, Metropolis at Metrotown

Think about the magic of bringing women together in one space to discuss our accomplishments, challenges, and dreams, as well as empower the youth of tomorrow to embrace today’s opportunities and overcome obstacles. Join us for a panel discussion on what it has meant to be a women in the STEM industries, networking, and a STEM workshop.

Panel speakers:

  •  Shay Kingsbury: Development Manager at EA
  •  Megan Chambers: Structural Design Technologist at ISL Engineering and Land Services
  •  Dr. Chen Wan: Sector Manager, Health at Genome British Columbia
  •  Colette Cheung: Client Executive at IBM
  •  Dr. Khristine Carino: Director of Communications at SCWIST
  •  Selyn Chen: IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Vancouver Chair & IEEE WIE West Canada Chair

RSVP with Kayla at kayla.grabia@microsoft.com

When: March 6, 2019 (5:15-9:00 pm)
Where: Science World

Join us for a lively evening of networking, food, and fun. Make new friends and find a mentor! 

Entrance includes:
•Light dinner
•A chance to learn from more than 30 local wonder women with careers in STEM
•Printed biographies and email addresses of the Wonder Women
•Networking with Wonder Women as well as other participants
•An OMNIMAX® Film - Great Bear Rainforest
•Door Prizes 

Few tickets left! $10 for members, $15 for guests. Register here.

Girl Guides Career Fair
Saturday, March 9, 2019| 1:00-5:30pm
SFU Segal Building - Beedie School of Business, 500 Granville St, Vancouver

Want to volunteer? Come and join the SCWIST booth! Share your passion in STEM with 500+ Girl Guides from across metro Vancouver! Apply here.

When: Tue, 12 March 2019 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: The Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver

Come meet new people and find out what SCWIST is all about if you're not already a member. Bring an idea of something people can help you achieve or an opportunity you're looking for in 2019. We're always ready with advice, resources, or connections to support our community.

We will gather in the Games Room at The Railway Club, so it will be a quieter space to chat (AKA not your typical noisy pub night.) You are welcome to buy food and drink but there is no requirement to do so. This event is open to all who wish to join. Please note: This event is accessible by stairs only at the entrance and there are stairs down into the Games Room as well. Register here

When: April 9, 2019 (7:00 pm)
Where: The Pint Public House, 455 Abbott St, Vancouver

The regular Pub Night has been upgraded for one night only! 

Let's raise glasses and funds for SCWIST! When you buy a ticket to this event, $15 will be donated to our fund. Feel good about giving as our local artist guides you and your friends through two hours of painting, drinking, and laughing ‘til your cheeks hurt. The best part? You don’t have to be an artist to have an amazing time. And!  The Pint have kindly offered us 20% off any food ordered on the night! Register  here.

EVENTS ACROSS CANADA
Toronto
Sunday, March 24th | 12:45 - 4:00pm | Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave., Toronto)

UP4 The Challenge invites youth in grades 7-10 to celebrate National Engineering Month at Evergreen Brick Works. The Sustainable Cities Design Challenge is a FREE half-day workshop that will introduce participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable cities, lead them through a hands-on user-centred design process, and will include a specially-developed STEM integration activity to empower an appreciation of how STEM supports social outcomes from design. Register here!

Saskatchewan
Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 3:00 PM-7:00 PM and Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 9:00 AM-9:30 PM EDT
Pavillon Alphonse-Marie-Parent,  2255, rue de l'Université,  Université Laval, Québec (Québec) G1V 0A7

The Women in Chemistry group at the University of Saskatchewan is excited to announce the event, Leaders Overcoming Gender Inequality in Chemistry (LOGIC). LOGIC will include plenary lectures, workshops, and a panel discussion, all with the aim of providing professional development and networking opportunities to women in the chemical sciences across Canada while conversing on issues about gender equity. Register here.

Manitoba

WISDOM: Women in Science Development, Outreach and Mentoring
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Panel Discussion & Networking Reception
Friday, March 8, 2019 | 3:;0-6:30 PM
Ambassador Room A, Canad Inns Destination Centre, Health Sciences Centre, 720 Willia Ave. 

A panel discussion with clinical and basic biomedical scientists and health professionals. With an open-mic format, this event promises to be an engaging and invigorating opportunity for audience members to engage with mentor panelists and one another. A networking reception will follow to facilitate interaction between mentors and trainees. All are welcome to attend. 

For more information, please email: WISDOMMB@umanitoba.ca


Vancouver

Leadership Workshop Series starts April 10th in Vancouver: 
Women in SETT Leadership Workshop Series 
April 10- June 13, 2019


Invest in your professional development!  Come network and learn with other women in STEM in a 6 workshop series to develop skills in leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, negotiation, navigating workplace politics and developing network, mentors and sponsors. Register here.


Developers for Diversity: A Discussion and Screening with Dialpad & WWEST
Wed, 20 March 2019 | 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

A screening of the documentary "CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap" followed by a discussion about diversity in the tech sector. Doors open at 5:30pm. Film Screening starts at 6:40pm. Panel Discussion starts at 8:00pm. Register here.


Mon, Mar 11, 2019 | 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Vancouver Convention Centre (West)

Women Who Tech: Leaders Shaping the Future of Innovation, presented by Innovate BC and Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, will celebrate female leaders through speaker sessions that showcase the positive impact women have in the tech sector and highlight how women are driving the advancement of new technologies and business innovation. Register here.


Sat, March 30, 2019 | 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM PDT
Mobify | 725 Granville Street | #420

Hack YVR is a 1 day pop-up hackathon jam where you will have the opportunity to work together with hackers, designers, coders, experts, and/or marketers to develop a solution to the social, environmental and economic challenges in Vancouver. Mentors this year will be from Red Academy School. Register here.

Challenge - Present your City Challenge (a problem and what you want to achieve) that you care about at the event and we will form teams to help solve during the day

Develop - People will be able to present their project ideas and join a project team who will develop their idea over the day.

Pitch - The teams will pitch their project to an expert panel. The winning teams will have the opportunity to make their project a reality.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN EVENT!

There are now over 1000 MakePossible members!  

We are growing across Canada and internationally.  Women AND men with diverse expertise, STEM skills, business experience and leadership capabilities are joining our mentoring network: 

  • Undergrad students, grad students, post docs and faculty
  • Engineers, scientists, software experts and technologists
  • STEM outreach providers, business leaders and retired professionals


Join and browse our members.  Connect with someone NEW today.  Please keep sharing MakePossible in your network:  360 degree mentoring and skills exchange helps reduce bias, advance diversity and create inclusive cultures.  Let's work together to Make DIVERSITY Possible!

BE A SCWIST MEMBER!

SCWIST’s membership rate has dropped for the remainder of the fiscal year! (memberships reset on May 1, 2019)

 

Membership gets you reduced rates into all SCWIST events including $10 off the ticket-price to our pub night events, Wonder Women Networking Events, FREE entry to our AGM in June and more!  

Sign up now!
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SCWIST NEWSLETTER EDITORS
Olga Zamudio Prieto, PhD
Khristine Carino, DMD, PhD

 
Accepting article, photo and event submissions.
Deadline: 12th and 25th of the month. 
Email: director-communications@scwist.ca
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Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)
#311 - 525 Seymour St
VancouverBritish Columbia V6B 3H7
Canada

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