
Listen to my discussion with Bob McDonald about women in STEM on CBC Quirks and Quarks
InclusiveSTEM is a literature-based and data-driven solutions-focused framework for improving the participation and lived experiences of individuals from marginalized groups (women, racialized people, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+) in STEM. It is comprised of presentations and workshops that provide faculty, staff and trainees with the current statistics for Canadian STEM fields as well as the scientific literature on the benefits of working in diverse groups, the manifestations of bias (both unconscious and intentional), and best practices for improving.
InclusiveSTEM is different from other EDI programs because it uses data to identify issues, challenges and opportunities with regards to marginalization in STEM, and is designed to be accessible to everyone from those just starting to engage with EDI practices to seasoned experts.
If you would like more information or to have me speak in your workplace, please contact me.

Read our new paper: Twelve Principles Trainees, PIs, Departments, and Faculties Can Use to Reduce Bias and Discrimination in STEM
We have two new seminars/workshops! Allyship – How Do We Create Meaningful Change and EDI for EDI Committees
Top 10 Strategies to Fix the Problem of Bias and Discrimination in STEM – There is an overwhelming amount of evidence demonstrating that people from marginalized groups, including women, racialized and Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals, continue to face substantial discrimination in STEM, manifested as both overt bias and unconscious bias. These biases result in discrimination against individuals in marginalized groups, and independent biases collectively contribute to a culture that systematically discriminates against people from marginalized groups. Representation from marginalized groups in postsecondary degrees in natural science and engineering has not substantially improved in over a decade. A set of 10 concrete principles are presented that trainees, principle investigators, departments, and faculties can use to enhance the participation and lived experiences of people in marginalized groups in STEM.
Writing Effective EDI Statements – EDI statements are now required for funding and job applications but most scientists do not know what goes into one. Additionally, scientists who are used to working with facts and figures cannot adequately write these statements without knowing what the literature says about EDI in STEM. This seminar will provide researchers with the knowledge of how to write outstanding EDI statements, all based on the scientific literature. It includes information about the productivity benefits of diverse scientific teams, the current numbers for diversity in STEM, and the controlled studies demonstrating bias in STEM. We will also discuss mechanisms for integrating good EDI principles with the daily lab environment and how to incorporate this information into effective EDI statements.
Seminars – These seminars are 50 min + time for questions and can be tailored for a general or specific audience.
Workshops – 1.5 – 3h workshops expand on the information provided in the seminars and involve interactive discussions and active learning activities to identify challenges and opportunities in your specific environment. These workshops can be done virtually (during COVID) or in person.
Past and future talks:
- March 5, 2022 – Youreka Edmonton Workshop Day, Virtual
- March 4, 2022 – Lakehead University Graduate Student Symposium, Virtual
- February 8, 2022 – AFNS, University of Alberta, Virtual
- February 4, 2022 – CyberSTEAM TeamUp, Virtual
- January 25, 2022 – Entomological Society of Canada, Virtual
- December 14, 2021 – NMHI, University of Alberta, Virtual
- November 18, 2021 – CAPS AGM, Virtual
- November 15, 2021 – TMM2021, StemCell Network, Virtual
- October 26, 2021 – CCEC2021, Virtual
- September 23, 2021 – CAPS, Virtual
- August 25, 2021 – Canadian Association of Neuroscience, Virtual
- August 24, 2021 – University of Windsor, Virtual
- July 23, 2021 – Alberta Innovates HYRS Student Summer Research Program, Universities of Alberta and Calgary, Virtual
- May 21, 2021 – Men’s Shed, Edmonton Chapter, Virtual
- April 26, 2021 – American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virtual
- April 15, 2021 – UBC Respiratory Division, Virtual
- March 26, 2021 – Biology Graduate Students’ Association, University of Calgary, Virtual
- February 25-26, 2021 – Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Virtual
- January 21, 2021 – Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Virtual
- December 10, 2020 – Win4Science, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Virtual
- December 10, 2020 – Department of Math and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Virtual
- November 24, 2020 – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Virtual
- November 13, 2020 – Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta, Virtual
- November 13, 2020 – Canadian Blood Services, Virtual
- November 9, 2020 – WISDOM, University of Manitoba, Virtual
- September 23, 2020 – Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Virtual
- September 15, 2020 – University of Windsor, Virtual
- July 16, 2020 – Alberta Innovates HYRS Student Summer Research Program, Universities of Alberta and Calgary, Virtual
- June 25, 2020 – Transforming Autism Care Consortium, Virtual
- May 23-24, 2020 – LOGIC 2020, Virtual
- May 5, 2020 – Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association, University of Alberta, Virtual
- April 17, 2020 – Academic Women’s Association, University of Alberta, Virtual
- February 21, 2020 – Open Doors in STEAM Keynote, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC
- February 19, 2020 – Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- January 29, 2020 – Alberta Transplant Institute, Edmonton, AB
- January 13, 2020 – Building the Equity Bridge, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
- November 29, 2019 – Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
- November 28, 2019 – UVic Women in Science STEM Symposium, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
- November 26, 2019 – UAlberta Working for Inclusivity in Chemistry, (UAWIC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- November 21, 2019 – Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
- November 12, 2019 – Dean’s lecture, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- October 23, 2019 – Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON
- October 8-9, 2019 – Michael Smith Labs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- September 25, 2019 – Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
- September 24, 2019 – Grant Assist Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- September 10, 2019 – Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- July 31, 2019 – Alberta Innovates HYRS Student Summer Research Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- July 17, 2019 – Glyco supergroup meeting, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- June 21, 2019 – Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
- April 26, 2019 – Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
- February 22, 2019 – HeForShe lecture, Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
- February 19, 2019 – Faculty of Science, York University, Toronto, ON
- February 15, 2019 – Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
- February 11, 2019 – Faculty of Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON
- January 16, 2019 – Antonescu/Botelho lab meeting, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON
- November 21, 2018 – Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON
- November 7, 2018 – Nitz/Woolley/Zamble lab meeting, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON