Save the Date! – 2024 Margaret-Ann Armour Lecture Series

From February 26 – 27, we are pleased to welcome Dr. José Rodríguez Núñez to our department to talk about his experiences as a lecturer and how he incorporates equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practices into the lecture hall. Born in Quito, Ecuador and immigrating to Canada in 2001, José completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Alberta where he met Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour in her role as undergraduate advisor. He experienced first-hand her encouraging and empathetic personality and received knowledgeable advice; qualities which he seeks to emulate in his interactions with students to this day. In 2012, he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia in a tenure-track faculty position where he has taught undergraduate students at all levels. José has demonstrated sustained teaching excellence specializing in analytical and materials chemistry education.

This seminar will be in-person from February 26 – 27 at the University of Alberta, please email wic@ualberta.ca for more information.

A Brief History of the Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour and the MAA Lecture Series

Since our inception in 2017, UAWIC has been an initiative aimed at enhancing the exposure of Chemistry Department members to diverse scientists in various fields to serve as role models for future careers through numerous events.

Our efforts to increase the visibility of diverse speakers in the department evolved into the Margaret-Ann Armour Lecture Series. This student-invited named lecture series was established in 2019 and it aims to highlight diversity in the field by providing a platform for researchers who do outstanding work both in the lab and in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusivity in STEM.

Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Edinburgh and completed her PhD from the University of Alberta in 1970. She rejoined the Department of Chemistry in 1979, and served as the Faculty of Science’s premier Associate Dean of Science (Diversity) from 2005 – 2019. Dr. Armour had been a tireless advocate for representation of women in STEM. Dr. Armour founded Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) at the University of Alberta in 1981 and in 2010, established the WinSETT Centre. As the Associate Dean of Science (Diversity), Dr. Armour developed Project Catalyst, which is aimed at increasing the representation of women in faculty positions in the Faculty of Science.

Bagels & Brew is Back!

What’s the best way to get ready for the upcoming semester? Free breakfast! WIC Bagels & Brew is back on Friday, September 1 from 8 – 11 am. Come pop by the Graduate Chem Lounge (E4-43) to get a quick bite, a fresh cup of coffee/tea, or just to say hello ☺️ We hope to see you all there

Alt Text – A promotional poster for Bagels and Brew, an event hosted by the University of Alberta Working for Inclusivity in Chemistry Group. The event will be on Friday, September 1st from 8 to 11 AM in room E4-43. This event will have free bagels, muffins, coffee, and tea to be enjoyed by incoming and returning Chemistry graduate students.

2023 Margaret-Ann Armour Lecture Series

This year we will be welcoming Dr. Mita Dasog to our department to speak on her research involving refractory plasmonic nanostructures as well as how we can support scholars at risk. Dr. Mita Dasog is an Associate Professor and Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Research Chair in the Department of Chemistry at Dalhousie University, where she established The Dasog Group in 2016. Her research focuses on the preparation of nano- and micro-materials for plasmonics, electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. Dr. Dasog was one of the Top 150 Canadian Women in STEM in 2017 and elected a member of the Global Young Academy in 2020. She actively works to make her research lab an inclusive space along with a focus on the promotion of gender and race equity.

Email wic@ualberta.ca for more information on Dr. Dasog’s seminars, which will take place in person at the University of Alberta on April 11th & 12th.

Diversity in STEMinar Series Welcomes Dr. Stefania Impellizzeri

The Diversity in STEMinar speaker series is part of WIC’s ongoing effort to promote discussions around diversity and inclusivity in STEM. This semester’s invited speaker is Dr. Stefania Impellizzeri from Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Impellizzeri will be discussing her prominent EDI work with respect to science policy in general as well as inclusive mentorship tools for graduate students. She is well known for her work advocating for equity, diversity, inclusion and accommodation in chemistry as well as how we can study inclusive practices for mentorship.

The seminar will take place virtually on Monday December 12th from 12:30 to 1:30 PM MT. Those wishing to attend the seminar must register for the meeting to receive the zoom meeting link.

Photo description: Poster advertising the seminar reads ” UAlberta WIC invites you to join our Diversity in STEMinar Series: EDI in science policy and inclusive mentorship tools Monday, December 12th 12:30-1:30 pm MST Via zoom. Dr. Stefani Impellizzeri Toronto Metropolitan University. Please register for the online seminar using the QR code. PD credit available. For more information, please email wic@ualberta.ca”

UAWIC Welcomes AsapSCIENCE

Our Spring 2022 Diversity in STEMinar series is taking place at 12:00 PM MT on Wednesday, May 11th with our invited speakers AsapSCIENCE! They will be joining us virtually for an hour to discuss the intersections between pop culture, social media, and science communication! We hope to see all of you there!

Greg and Mitch of AsapSCIENCE are YouTube stars, comedians, and queer educators. They began their journey as scientists, and transformed their passion into a force for inspiring their 9+ million YouTube fans. AsapSCIENCE is a colourful intersection of art, science, and pop culture where anyone can learn, participate, and grow. When they’re not creating viral video content, they use their platform to speak on environmental change, queer voices in STEM, and how science can shape cultural movements.

AsapSCIENCE have a New York Times best selling book, presented at the UN and are a Forbes 30 under 30. They’ve created videos with NASA, BBC, National Geographic, Bill Nye, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, The Gates Foundation, and the Sochi Winter Olympics. Their video partnership with Emma Thompson on seismic blasting in the arctic helped change legislation in favour of indigenous communities. Their ability to inspire through humor and creativity continues to catalyze positive change.

UAlberta WIC invites you to our Diversity in STEMinar series with AsapSCIENCE! As prominent voices in the scientific community, AsapSCIENCE will focus on the intersection of science communication and pop culture.

**Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 12:00 PM MST**
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82367551291?pwd=ckJPRDlHaDZlTmR2Nk9ITkx3bGRXZz09 (Passcode: **UAWIC**)

*PD Credits will be available by Department*

Margaret-Ann Armour Lecture Series Welcomes Dr. Nola Etkin!

UAWIC’s annual Margaret-Ann Armour Lecture Series welcomes Dr. Nola Etkin as our student-nominated speaker for 2022! Dr. Etkin is the Dean of Science and Professor of Chemistry at the University of PEI, where they work on the exploration of catalysis and organometallic polymer synthesis. This year’s lecture series will take place over April 13^th and 14^th, details of both the research and EDI talks can be found below. We welcome all to attend the talks, UAlberta students keep an eye on your emails for further details if you would like to have a meet & greet opportunity with Dr. Etkin!

Links for the Talks

There is Still a Great Future in Plastics

Wednesday, April 13th, 10:00 AM MST (via Zoom, Password MAA2022)

From Student Leader and Equity Activist to Dean of Science: My Journey as an Out Lesbian in the Academy

Thursday, April 14th, 10:00 AM MST (via Zoom, Password MAA2022)

Diversity in STEMinar: Combating Challenges Faced by Black Grads in STEM

WIC welcomes you to join our 2021 Diversity in STEMinar Series, a discussion with Dr. Evelyn Asiedu, Dr. Anna Ampaw, and Michael Ocheje about their fascinating research and how they combat the challenges faced by Black Grads in STEM. The seminar will be online on Monday, December 6th at 1:00 PM MST, the link to join can be found below!

Managing Stress Workshop

Do you feel overworked, burnout, and overwhelmed? The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on our mental health, in addition to its impact on our physical well-being.

UAWIC is inviting you to attend the Managing Stress Workshop presented by Rachel Greenly – nurse, graduate student, and Mental Health Consultant. The workshop will run from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (MST) on Thursday, March 4th via Zoom (link: https://zoom.us/j/96266833891?pwd=cEU4RFlRdVNGUzRKZnZ0SExnclk1UT09 , passcode: contact us at wic@ualberta.ca). The workshop will focus on understanding stress and the impacts on your health, recognize common stressors, learning coping strategies, and identifying where to get help. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with us!

IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast 2021

This year we hosted a virtual IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast! IUPAC aims through these events to provide a platform for women chemists to expand their network of contacts, both locally and internationally. The #GlobalBreakfast celebrates women at different stages of their careers and encourages discussions about equity, diversity and inclusion in the STEM field. Engaging discussions were had about: identifying barriers along the chemistry career path, characteristics of a strong mentor/leader, and work-life balance and stress management tips during a global pandemic. Lastly, three lucky winners were chosen for a $20 gift card to our local restaurant, Sugarbowl!

Margaret Ann-Armour Lecture Series 2021: Dr. Jen Heemstra

The University of Alberta’s Working for Inclusivity in Chemistry (WIC) group is excited to announce our third student-invited speaker, Dr. Jen Heemstra. The lecture series, named after Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour, aims to celebrate diversity in Chemistry by providing a platform for chemists who do outstanding work both in the lab and in promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM. Dr. Heemstra gave two seminars and took the time to meet with numerous students and faculty both from the Chemistry Department and the University community. It was a wonderful opportunity to have Dr. Heemstra discuss her research on nucleic acid molecular recognition and assembly as well as providing wonderful insight through her Imposter Syndrome Workshop.

The events were held virtually over a span of two days:

January 20, 2021: Interrogating enzymatic reactions using nucleic acid molecular recognition and assembly

Nucleic acids are exquisitely adept at molecular recognition and assembly, enabling them to direct nearly all of the processes that make life possible. These capabilities have been fine-tuned by billions of years of evolution, and more recently, have been harnessed in the laboratory to enable the use of DNA and RNA for applications that are completely unrelated to their canonical biological roles. In our lab, we seek to use DNA and RNA for applications in biosensing and biomolecular imaging. Specifically, we utilize DNA aptamers as recognition elements for the development of new assays for small-molecule detection and enantiopurity measurement. This has enabled applications including high-throughput monitoring of small-molecule enantiopurity for reaction optimization. We have also harnessed the specificity of protein-nucleic acid recognition for selective enrichment of inosine-containing RNAs using EndoV, enabling the identification of new sites of A-to-I editing in cells.

January 21, 2021: Imposter Syndrome Workshop

Join Dr. Heemstra for a one-hour interactive session on handling Imposter Syndrome in the workplace. Dr. Heemstra is an advocate for mental health in Academia (see Twitter and her advice column on Chemistry & Engineering News). All students, staff, and Faculty are welcome to attend to learn about managing their own imposter syndrome, as well as tools to create a more supportive environment for the minimization of imposter syndrome for colleagues and mentees.

Thank you Dr. Heemstra for a wonderful, engaging and thought-provoking lecture series!