Saturday, September 11, 2021 - 11:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. EDT
French workshop on Sept 27th
About this event
L'événement en français aura lieu le 27 septembre
From EDI committees to EDI action plans, academic and research institutions have been increasing efforts to address inequities and systemic barriers that have marginalized historically excluded groups from pursuing higher education and research-based careers.
What types of EDI initiatives are being implemented by EDI practitioners and how effective are they? How can the next generation of researchers, scientists and students contribute to making their environments more equitable and inclusive?
With the support of NSERC's Dimensions, Simon Fraser University, the Fonds de Recherche du Québec, University of Laval, University of Ottawa, Wilfrid Laurier University and McGill University, join Science & Policy Exchange as we bring you this four-part EDI workshop!
Where: Zoom
When: September 11th, 2021
Cost: Free!
AI-powered English closed-captions will be available. Additional accessibility features can be made available upon request; contact us at [email protected].
You are invited to register for the entire event, or to select individual sessions of your preference. Panellist biographies can be found at the end.
11 AM - 12 PM ET: NSERC Dimensions Presentation
In 2019, Dimensions: equity, diversity and inclusion Canada launched its Charter and pilot program aimed at supporting post-secondary institutions seeking to increase equity, diversity and inclusion in their environments. In this session, Dimensions will present outcomes from their pilot program, and they will discuss the future of the Dimensions Award program.
Meet our panellist: Nathalie Podeszfinski from NSERC's Dimensions
This session will be live-streamed and recorded on our YouTube page.
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM ET: NSERC Dimensions Workshop
What makes a good EDI action plan? What are important key indicators, and how do we monitor their impact? In this workshop led by the Dimensions team, join us to learn how to develop an effective EDI action plan.
Meet our facilitators: Katie Saulnier & Nathalie Podeszfinski from NSERC's Dimensions
This session will NOT be live-streamed or recorded. LIMITED space.
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM ET: EDI Practitioner Panel
How do university faculty and administrators, EDI researchers, and funding agencies contribute to meaningful EDI action in academic institutions? In this panel, five EDI practitioners will discuss best practices in EDI initiatives, current obstacles to their successful implementation, and future priorities and directions.
Meet our panellists: Jocelyn Baker (Brock University), Karine Morin (NSERC), Nancy Hansen (University of Manitoba), Andrzej Tereszkowski (McGill University), Jessica Vandenberghe (University of Alberta).
This session will be live-streamed and recorded on our YouTube page.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET: Student Panel
How can students initiate EDI action in their own organizations? In this panel, five students will discuss their experiences advocating for and implementing EDI initiatives, shedding light on practical tips and resources, as well as current barriers and future opportunities.
Meet our panellists: Karine Coen-Sanchez (University of Ottawa), Taylor Morriseau (University of Manitoba), Karen Tang (Dalhousie University), Carolyn Tinglin (Simon Fraser University), Hannah Wakeling (McGill University).
This session will be live-streamed and recorded on our YouTube page.
Questions for panellists can be pre-submitted into a form that will be posted here in the upcoming days.
Questions in both English and French are welcome! We note that a French version of this workshop will take place afterwards.
The link for the event will be sent the day before.
Science & Policy Exchange is a Montreal-based student-led charity aimed at bridging the gap between science and society by highlighting the impact of science policy.
For more information, visit: sp-exchange.ca
Meet our Panellists!
Dimensions Panellist and Workshop Facilitators
Nathalie Podeszfinski is the Project Manager for the implementation of Dimensions: equity, diversity and inclusion Canada at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She was the Project Manager of the Gender Summit 2017 North America. Previously, Ms. Podeszfinski worked for 13 years in federal politics in different ministerial offices. She has extensive experience in providing strategic advice to senior officials, the development of policies, and writing communications strategies. Ms. Podeszfinski also has experience in the development and implementation of numerous complex projects, such as the Quebec 400th Celebrations in 2008, many Francophonie Summits, and the place of French during the Vancouver Olympic Games in 2010. Ms. Podeszfinski has an MA in project management as well as a BA in business administration from the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
Mx. Katie Saulnier graduated from Mount Allison University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and English, and from the McGill Faculty of Law in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.). In June 2020, they completed an M.A. in Philosophy with a specialization in bioethics from McGill University, focusing on using a disability theory lens to examine the ways in which discourse around epigenetic research is changing conceptions of normative values assigned to bodies. They are a member of the Bar of the Law Society of Ontario. As a research assistant and academic associate at the Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University from 2014-2020, Katie was involved in research into the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding epigenetics, data privacy, and biobanking, as well as research on improving the quality of healthcare communication for intersex Canadians. Their other research interests include the ethical implications of depictions of reproduction and reproductive technologies in speculative fiction, issues with conceptions of autonomy in laws affecting women and Indigenous communities, and gender, queer theory, neurodiversity and disability theory as they relate to the fields of health and health research. They have recently begun a position as policy analyst with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Policy and Interagency Affairs team working on equity, diversity and inclusion. Katie is neurodivergent and non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns.
EDI Practitioners
Jocelyn Baker, MS, PMP, recently completed a Masters in Sustainability Science at Brock University (as a returning student). She is a researcher at Brock University supporting the work of Liette Vasseur, the UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global and is a sessional instructor at Niagara College, School of the Environment. She has been working in natural resource management for the past 30 years. Early career focus was water quality improvement through the implementation of stewardship best management practices, evolving into Great Lakes remediation and restoration project management. She is a Project Management Professional and an environmental consultant. She is the Canadian Co-Chair of the Niagara River Binational Ramsar Designation Steering Committee, working with community partners to secure a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site) designation for the Niagara River. Her UNESCO research buildson her work as a practitioner (including recent student) and looks at the implementation of EDI best practices in the laboratory and beyond including field work environments.
Nancy Hansen, Ph.D. is a Professor and Director of the Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Disability Studies at the University of Manitoba. Nancy obtained a PhD (Human Geography) from the University of Glasgow. and her research interests in disability studies are varied ranging including; disability in spaces of culture education, literacy social policy, employment healthcare MAiD, COVID-19, access and experiences of disabled and LGBTQ communities in post-conflict areas. She is co-editor of the Routledge History of Disability and Untold Stories: A Canadian Disability History Reader. In addition, Nancy has written numerous book chapters and contributed to various international academic journals.
In early 2019, Karine Morin joined NSERC as Director, Policy and Interagency Affairs where she is responsible for the implementation of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiative. She recently returned to Ottawa after being an Executive Director at Alberta Innovates, overseeing a number of initiatives related to clinical research and ethics. Previously, she has served as Genome Canada’s Director of the “GE3LS” program, overseeing activities related to the ethical, environmental, economic, legal and social aspects of genomics research. Earlier, she was a Senior Ethics Policy Advisor at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She also conducted research on ethical, legal and social issues related to genomics at the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Science, Society and Policy. Karine is a graduate of McGill University School of Law; she also completed a Masters in Law at the University of Pennsylvania, and worked in the US for more than 10 years. She has broad expertise in science policy, has published widely in bioethics and law, and has taught as an adjunct at several universities in the US and Canada.
Dr. Tereszkowski serves as Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives’ Program Officer for EDI and Training, helping to ensure that HBHL employs EDI best practices and serves as a role model helping to facilitate change at the institutional level within McGill neuroscience. They have spent several years as a Learning and Development Professional and Equity Advisor working for Health, Higher Education, and Arts organizations. They hold a PhD from Western University in Music Composition, and from 2016–2019 served as Artistic Director of the Waterloo Region Contemporary Music Sessions, developing the program with a strong focus on under-represented voices in contemporary concert music.
Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng., M.Sc. is born of the Dene Thá First Nation and raised in a very inclusive German family in northern Alberta. She has had an exceptional career based on her two engineering degrees from the University of Alberta. She has worked in the oil sands, mining, regulatory, infrastructure, consulting industries and now academia. She is an Indigenous Professional Engineer, Industrial Professor, and the Assistant Dean, Engineering Community and Culture at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. She also contributes to Truth and Reconciliation, acting as a bridge to Indigenous communities, talks to Calls to Action implementation, and works on TRC awareness through her consulting company Guiding Star Consulting. She is a mother of two and is passionate about equity, diversity and inclusion. She sits on many boards and Councils, walks in many governance worlds, and does her best to contribute to the development of well-rounded and ethically minded engineering students who will ultimately build strong and vibrant communities within Canada.
Student Panellists
Karine Coen-Sanchez is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Ottawa. Her research examines systematic racism embedded in educational institutions and how this manifests in the experiences of racialized students and workers. She is particularly interested in deconstructing the concept of race and exploring how the term 'racialization' draws attention to how 'racial' identities are constructed and contested within relations of power. Her research interests emerged from her own experiences as a Black student where she observed a profound disconnect between the make-up of the student body and what was being taught in her graduate program’s curriculum. Karine recently won the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences 2021 Congress Graduate Merit Award and has been featured by the Canadian Sociology Association on their website for her incredible research and community involvement.
Taylor Morriseau is an Indigenous scholar and PhD candidate at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Her CIHR Vanier research examines early-onset type 2 diabetes among Indigenous youth in Manitoba. She is proud to represent her own community, Peguis First Nation in her commitment to broader scientific and societal challenges as an inaugural member on the Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council.
Karen Tang (she/her) completed her BA (Hons.) at the University of Calgary and is currently a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program at Dalhousie University in Canada. Her research examines addictive disorders (e.g., video gaming, gambling), mental health, and the interplay of sociocultural factors (e.g., stigma, culture). Karen is also a vocal advocate for mental health and diversity (including those who are disabled) in higher education, including the #GREExit movement—as such, she is very honored to sit on the Science & Policy Exchange EDI Student Panel. When she is not busy being a graduate student, she enjoys painting, hiking, and Twitter-ing (@KarenTang_).
Carolyn Tinglin is a PhD student at Simon Fraser University in the Educational Theory and Practice (eTAP): Curriculum and Pedagogy Stream. Carolyn's doctoral research examines how youth navigate their world of designated social categories. She studies how these categories interact and intersect, as well as how these interactions impact individuals, society, and the school system. She holds a Master's degree in Special Education as well as a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Science. Carolyn sits on the SFU EDI Advisory Council, is an SFU Community Education Impact Graduate Award recipient, and is working as a research assistant with CELS.
Hannah Wakeling is a 5th year physics Ph.D. student at the Belle II particle detector, Japan. Since joining McGill, Hannah has been active in EDI groups including Women in Physics McGill, McGill Physics Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Belle II diversity and inclusion. Amongst other things, Hannah has taken educational EDI workshops out to CEGEPS, helped coordinate the Women in Physics Conference Canada 2019, organized many social events including a scavenger hunt, presented Belle II's first ever public talk on our diversity and inclusion efforts, and contributed to the process of adopting the new McGill Physics Values Statement.