Women of Scientista

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, Kiana and Claire wrap up their exploration of STEMM identity and career paths in the finale of the Progression of Profession series. Today's guest is  Dr. Harriet Feilotter - professor in the department of pathology and molecular medicine at Queen's University and Director of the Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network. They discuss the unexpected twists and turns of finding your career,  taking opportunities and risks, incorporating passions into your job, and how all the small pieces of your path eventually come together to build your career!

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, Kiana and Chloe keep exploring STEMM identity and careers in the Progression of Profession series! They discuss the path to finding what you love, achieving balance, and loads of relevant career advice with Dr. Naomi Cahill, a Queen's Alumni, registered dietician, and PhD of Epidemiology!

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, Kiana and Claire, and returning guest host Chloe, continue to delve into career and identity in the Progression of Profession series! They discuss finding a career path, expectations, and identity with Dr. Brigitte Simmatis, a Queen's Alumni and PhD of Biology! 

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, Kiana and Claire, as well as a special guest host Chloe, kick of the Progression of Profession series! They discuss career path and identity with the Queen's Scientista Grad Reps, Kassandra and Trinity, who share some insights and thoughts on being at the beginning of STEMM careers!

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, get to know the new 2021-2022 podcast hosts. Claire and Kiana discuss their journey in STEMM, aspirations, and share a little more about themselves!

In today's episode of “Women of Scientista” Sarah and Danielle sit down with Dr. Philpott to discuss her experiences as a woman in STEMM. Dr. Jane Philpott is a family physician and former Minister of Health, Minister of Indigenous Services and President of the Treasury Board. She is currently the Dean of Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences. Her work experiences include, but is not limited to, medical education in Africa, HIV/AIDS fundraising, refugee advocacy, and addressing the social determinants of health.

Dr. Carpenter is a physician who also has an active role in teaching. She designed and is actively involved in the Undergraduate Medicine Population and Global Health course. She is also the Advocate Lead for the UG curriculum. She is involved in the Mentorship Program and has taught Clinical Skills, Interview Skills, and the Physician Wellness curriculum in the past. At the International Level, she spent time in the Ivory Coast volunteering and completing research on HIV Education as a medical student and is now actively involved in the Pamoja Tunaweza Women's Center and Clinic, in Moshi, Tanzania, where she is the Medical Director and the volunteer and educational coordinator.

Dr. Ploeg is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and has been recently appointed as the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science's Chair for Women in Engineering. She is a world-class researcher and directs the Queen's Bone Joint Biomechanics lab. She is also a highly accomplished teacher and engineer. Her background includes advocacy, curriculum development, outreach, and in providing research opportunities for students in under-represented groups in Mechanical Engineering. In today's episode, Sarah and Danielle chat with Dr. Ploeg about her transition from industry to academia, her role as the Chair for Women in Engineering at Queen's, the leaky pipeline, and more!

Sandy Vuong is a Canadian Certified Physician Assistant. She completed her physician assistant training at McMaster University. She is currently working in Gynecologic Oncology where she works closely with her supervising physicians to treat and manage patients with gynecologic cancer, both in out-patient clinics and assisting in the operating room. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her cat and houseplants.

In today's episode, Sarah and Danielle chat with Queen's Scientista's Co-Directors, Alexa Fiorante and Brittany Zurkan. The girls reminisce on their past four years at Queen's, discussing the highs and the lows. Alexa and Brittany reveal what Scientista means to them and provide advice on navigating academics, leadership opportunities, and developing confidence throughout your undergrad.

In today's episode, we sit down with Trinda Penniston, a Master's student in Social-Personality Psychology working with Dr. Meredith Chivers in the Sexuality and Gender Lab (SageLab). Her research interests include examining psychological and physiological sexual responses and the stimulus cues that trigger sexual arousal and desire, with a focus on understanding the sociocultural factors that affect sexual response and sexual functioning in queer, trans, Black, Indigenous and other people of colour (QTBIPOC). She is also keenly interested in researching sex- and gender-based violence and sexual violence trauma. For her thesis, she is examining racialized sexual attractions and sexual responses when viewing race congruent and incongruent sexual stimuli (i.e., sexual images and videos depicting people of the same- or a difference race from the viewer). Outside of academia, she enjoys playing video games, D&D (Dungeons and Dragons), reading comic books and manga, watching anime (and too many shows on Netflix). She also loves listening to music and watching films in theatres (before COVID, of course). Once the outside opens again, you'll catch her at different music, food, and cultural festivals and events!

In today's episode, Sarah and Danielle interview Brandon Nagy and Else Høeg Sundfør regarding their experiences as engineers in the Oil and Gas industry. Brandon is a Chemical Engineer who graduated from the University of Toronto in 2018. He is currently working as a Drilling and Measurements (D&M) Field Engineer for Schlumberger in Qatar. Else did a Bachelor of Science in Process and Gas Engineering at the Arctic University of Norway. In 2017, she graduated from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology with a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in Fluid Dynamics and Renewables. Through their unique perspectives, they discuss gender differences in STEMM by comparing and contrasting their journeys in the field of engineering.

Queen's Scientista's very own Grad Reps, Victoria Sa and Kassandra Coyle, answer your questions surrounding graduate school and research. They cover topics ranging from advice on applications to how to know whether grad school is right for you. Be sure to check out the podcast recording on Facebook Watch and IGTV!

Shwetha is a 4th year Computer Engineering and Certificate in Business Student at Queen's University. She is extremely passionate about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) along with advocating for diversity and inclusivity within the space. Through her passion, she started a non-profit organization, TOHacks, in collaboration with a recent Queen's Grad to provide opportunities for high school and post-secondary students to get exposure to the field of STEAM while building their professional network. She has interned at IBM for 28 months as a Developer Advocate and Program Manager and most recently in Summer 2020 at Microsoft as a Partner Technology Strategist.

I am Ampai (pronounced Um-Pie). In my time at Queen's University studying Kinesiology, I founded or co-founded three businesses, Step Above Stigma, The Glass Slipper Organization, and Lifted (profit and non-profit) that now thrive across Canada, won the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award, the highest award that can be given to a student for service at Queen's, and was named one of the Top 22 Under 22 Most Inspirational College Women by Her Campus.

You asked and we answered! Sarah and Danielle answer questions submitted by the class of 2024, discussing everything from their favourite classes, their study strategies and note-taking techniques, to the best spots on campus to grab a bite. The girls chat about their experiences in their undergrad and provide guidance on what you should know before entering Queen's.

Emily Wilkerson is in her 4th year of Medicine at Queen's University. She is originally from Vancouver, BC and holds her undergraduate degree in Music, with a major in Opera Performance from UBC. Following her music degree, she decided to study Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC, which then led her to pursue a career in medicine. Her interests lie in the humanities in medicine, palliative care and chronic pain, disability advocacy, and Family Medicine.

In today's episode of Women of Scientista, get to know the new 2020-2021 podcast hosts. Sarah and Danielle discuss their journey in STEMM, aspirations, and why they decided to join Scientista.

Thandiwe Tembo is a Project Engineer and Community Engagement Director for Vero Power Grid Zambia. She is also the co-founder of The Maydma Foundation Zambia, in which she addresses the challenges faced by rural communities in educating children and empowering women. Thandiwe is interested in promoting clean energy access for people in rural areas of Zambia and engaging with organizations that actively empower women in the workforce. In this episode, she discusses topics ranging from the importance of female mentors in STEMM to her new experiences in Canada.

The Family Planning in Medicine event was hosted by Dawn Armstrong and Eva Bruketa to address the needs of many students, clerks and residents who are unaware of how to coordinate family and career planning. This event includes a panel of parents with experience in family planning while in medicine, through all ranges of school/careers. Members of the panel are from a variety of different stages of family planning and career development. The panel answers preselected questions, pass along pearls of wisdom, tips and tricks on time management, and participate in an open Q&A at the end. Topics to discuss are time management, family balance, maternity/parental leave, taking time off, supports, different specialties' challenges, and the highlighting of stories and general advice. This event seeks to provide benefits to medical professionals at all stages of their careers, as it answers questions about the challenges and benefits of family and career balancing.

Dawn Armstrong is a medical student at Queen's University and a mother of four. She sat down with us to discuss her non-traditional path to medical school, and the realities of balancing family life with a career in STEMM.

Dr. Virginia Walker is a professor of Molecular Genetics at Queen's University. In this episode, Dr. Walker chats with us about the importance of curiosity in STEMM and discusses her journey in this field.

Dr. Susan Boehnke is an assistant professor at Queen's University specializing in Neurophysiology. In this episode she offers her perspective on juggling a career in STEMM with the responsibilities of motherhood.

Arlene is a Queen's University ‘Gael' in and out, tentatively completing her first two degrees here in Kingston. She completed her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences with a specialization in biomedical research, and is now working towards her Master's in Anatomical Sciences. While completing her undergrad, she worked part time as a student pharmacy assistant, giving her a foundational understanding of healthcare in a pharmacy setting. She is currently a graduate teaching assistant for Anatomy courses in the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences department, while also working as an Instructional Design Assistant for the Queen's Bachelor of Health Sciences program. She holds a passion for healthcare in practical, research, and academic settings, and plans to continually broaden her experiences in the many health-related sciences disciplines before eventually specializing in medicine.

Kathryn Hong to discuss her experiences as a woman in STEMM. Kathryn is 23 and the Founder of the Girls SySTEM Mentorship Program - a unique mentorship platform connecting girls in grades 7-12 with professional mentors in their desired STEM fields. The goal of the program is to increase women's representation in these fields by providing young girls with early, first-hand insight into the STEM workforce through workplace shadowing, diverse learning opportunities, and mentorship. The Girls SySTEM Program is rooted in her own experiences as a researcher and the role that mentorship has played in shaping her academic career. After completing her Master's in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's University, she decided to pursue her research at the Schulich Heart Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences in Toronto. She hopes her research in atrial fibrillation management and lifestyle medicine will contribute to the field of arrhythmia management and inspire other young girls to follow their passions!

Leda is a professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, formerly Microbiology and Immunology. She did her undergraduate degree in Greece at the Agricultural University of Athens which her grandfather founded back in 1919. In 1973, Leda came to Canada to do a Master's at McGill, then a PhD at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. In 1981, she received a "Centennial Fellowship" from the Medical research Council of Canada to be a postdoctoral fellow in Princeton and then at Harvard. Leda came to Queen's as an assistant professor in July of 1986. She has received several other research and teaching awards over the years and has published over 100 peer reviewed papers, reviews and book chapters. Enjoy Part 2!

Caroline is an Accredited Practising Dietitian from Melbourne, Australia. In 2017 Caroline moved to Kingston as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit at Queen's University with Professor Stephen Vanner. Caroline's research focuses on use of dietary modifications for gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to her research, Caroline has been working as a Dietitian since 2009 specializing in gastrointestinal disease and food intolerance.

Jenna is currently pursuing her Master's of Science in Biology. She studies plant ecology in the lab of Dr. Lonnie Aarssen whom she did her undergraduate thesis with and was subsequently offered to stay for a masters. Currently her research is looking at meristem allocation in angiosperms (wildflowers) - specifically in native or naturalized populations - which is pertinent in studying climate change and gathering more data on some invasive species.