The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE) is expanding to address issues faced by a broader array of underrepresented groups. The inaugural NSERC Chairs for Inclusion in Science and Engineering (CISE) pilot program in Atlantic Canada welcomes chairholders Dr. Svetlana Barkanova, a physicist at Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Kevin Hewitt, a physicist at Dalhousie University; and Dr. Stephanie MacQuarrie, an organic chemist at Cape Breton University. They will build upon the outstanding work of Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal during a transition period this fall. The three chairholders will work as a team to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in the natural sciences and engineering ecosystem across the Atlantic region. Stay tuned here for an announcement of the launch of their initiatives, several of which build upon successful WISE Atlantic programs such as the Catalyze and Facilitate Partnerships program..
Visit https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsDetail-DetailNouvelles_eng.asp?ID=1415 for more information on their plans.
The NSERC Women in Science and Engineering Program for the Atlantic Region, WISEatlantic, was launched in October 2011 and will conclude in December 2023. It’s overarching goal is to support women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology. Our primary goal is to give girls access to role models through mentorship, workshops, camps and videos. Girls in junior high and high school are exposed to fun, hands-on science in our Girls Get WISE Science Retreats and Summer Camps. WISEatlantic also supports and connects Atlantic Canadian female professionals in science and engineering fields through networking events and professional development workshops. The WISEatlantic program is chaired by Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal, Professor of Biology and the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for Atlantic Canada, at Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia.
The current goals of the WISEatlantic program are:
The NSERC Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering is a national initiative. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada is the national agency that funds all science and engineering research in Canada.
The five current NSERC CWSE chairs are:
Find out more about each chair by clicking here.