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Women for STEM Summit: A Continued Success

More than 200 attendees convened on the Ontario Tech University campus on October 12, 2022, for the fourth-annual Women for STEM Summit, a day-long event created to address the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and to encourage women students, employees and entrepreneurs in STEM-based fields to fulfil their potential.

“The Summit brings together students, faculty and industry personnel for a forum where we’re able to share experiences and opportunities for change,” says Lisa McBride, Chair of the Women for STEM Council and Vice-President and Country Leader GE Hitachi SMR Canada. “As women, we find ourselves under a lot of pressure to deliver in STEM fields where we are underrepresented.”

The theme of the 2022 Summit, Journey to Sustainable Equity, explored what the next steps need to be to achieve sustainable equity, and how women in STEM careers are helping to shape that future. The event featured two powerful keynote speakers and two panels.

Judy R. Goldring gave the opening keynote address. Judy is President and Head of Global Distribution at AGF Management Limited and a renowned leader in the asset management industry. As someone who has climbed the corporate ladder, she is well aware of the challenges women face in male-dominated fields, and as the person responsible for overseeing AGF Management’s human resources function, she is well‑versed in the importance of equity and access.

The closing keynote speaker was equally accomplished. Dr. Marie Claire Bourque, a psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, recently served as a member of the Working Group on Mental Health, Royal Society of Canada Task Force on COVID-19. She was well‑positioned to share insights on how to move forward in a post-pandemic world. In between, the attendees absorbed the words of panels of experts in STEM and entrepreneurship; equity, diversity and inclusion; and the changing workforce.

As always, the Women for STEM Summit received valuable support from many dedicated sponsors:

  • Elexicon Energy, Presenting Sponsor
  • Amazon, Platinum Sponsor
  • Johnson Insurance, Laurentian Bank and Meta, Gold Sponsors; an
  • 360insights, Alithya, Invest Durham, Nuclear Waste Management Organization, OLG and SNC-Lavalin, Silver Sponsors.