On June 7, female researchers in STEM gathered in Victoria Park in Kitchener at booths from 12-3 p.m. to showcase their research to the public.
Female academics from various institutions and disciplines gathered close to the water park and playground to speak about their research, with topics ranging from ultraprocessed food to galaxy formation. Every hour, a new set of three to four speakers swapped with the previous one to present their work.
UW science outreach manager Heather Neufeld says the idea for the event came from a conversation in 2017 with a graduate student, who had participated in a similar event in Europe. “It’s basically very little cost to us, and just a great, very organic way for our researchers to get out into the community and talk about their research,” Neufeld said.
One of the speakers, Dr. Adebola Adeleye, a master of public health student at UW and internationally trained physician, shared her research on antibiotic resistance. “When you send [patients in] for tests, they are resistant to almost every bacteria [and] almost every antibiotic they are tested on,” said Adeleye. Antibiotic resistance, Adeleye says, “is an interconnected issue that occurs as a result of policies, behaviours, of people and how they use the antibiotics.”
Interactive booths were also present to make complex science topics accessible to the public, especially younger audiences. Speakers manned the booths to offer demonstrations and discussion, as well as props and models for children to make and take home.
Neha Saini, postdoctoral research scholar in biochemistry at UW, discussed her research on enzymes and how they can convert carbon dioxide into useful substances to combat climate change. “It is very important to understand what’s been happening in science … and what can you do to prevent … the things that have been happening around us,” Saini emphasized. She also stressed the importance of understanding “what the main cause of [these problems] is, and we can help our society, to protect our own future, to be honest [and to] protect our kids.”
Aside from connecting the public to current STEM research, both speakers and attendees feel the event will hopefully inspire future generations of women to pursue STEM research. Meghna and her six-year-old daughter, Anisha, came to the event after hearing about it from a mailing list. She touched on the importance of these events from a mother’s perspective: “It’s really important, because somewhere in the culture, it’s like maths is not for girls… and so I don’t want to discourage that, and [I want to] have encouraged girls in science. So we are here.”
Molly, another parent attending the event, shared her sentiments on how other parents can support their young daughters interested in STEM. “I think it’s just feeding the curiosity [and letting] them lead,” she said. Molly added that her daughter, in grade 7, has “sort of indicated that … STEM might be something of interest… if she’s interested, and there are accessible opportunities for us to get out there, and [we can] weave it into a day out … it’s a great opportunity.”
Subha Kalyaanamoorthy, assistant professor in chemistry, presented her research on engineering proteins that can break down plastic. She highlighted the role of AI in advancing the design of these enzymes in helping identify the correct combinations of amino acids to make these proteins.
She also touched on the importance of female representation in STEM. “[W]e see a large representation now in science and engineering, but we are still not there.… If you look at Canada’s statistics, women are still l[ess] represented. They are not making [it into] graduate studies, or they are not making [it into] higher studies in the STEM field. So it’s important that women should actually explore more and be involved in the STEM [field].”
Civil engineering PhD candidate Savannah Bindas presented her research on environmental and health-related impact of policy decisions on air quality and climate change. To young women interested in pursuing STEM, Bindas gives this advice: “Look out for women, powerful women in your field. Find them … read their articles, see if they have an opening, ’cause being able to see a woman or someone in your … demographic working in the area that you’re interested in working in, makes you feel like you can do it, too.”
