At the end of this semester, I will have completed half of my neuroscience undergraduate degree at McGill, and the number of women professors in my science courses so far is slightly alarming. Out of the 22 professors that I have had spanning disciplines like neuroscience, biology, mathematics, physiology, and[Read More…]
Tag: STEM
On justice and mathematics
There is a passage in Plato’s //Meno// that goes something like this: The well-born Meno asks for proof of Socrates’ claim that no one is ever taught anything, and instead they recollect things they already know. Socrates calls over one of Meno’s enslaved attendants and asks the boy, who has[Read More…]
Black History Month keynote highlights Black voices in STEM
McGill held its virtual opening ceremony for Black History Month on Feb. 1, featuring keynote speaker James Jones. Jones is a distinguished professor emeritus of psychology and Black American studies at the University of Delaware, as well as the director of its Center for the Study of Diversity. The event,[Read More…]
Storming the ivory tower: Students securing research opportunities in STEM
For many undergraduates, it can be challenging to find opportunities to learn the applied skills of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in a classroom setting. Being trapped memorizing facts only to regurgitate them during midterms and finals can quickly stifle the enthusiasm that students would have otherwise brought[Read More…]
Science education cannot exist in a vacuum
Picture this: In the middle of an auditorium filled with students, a professor describes the process of chromosomal segregation. This professor teaches the students about the stages of cell division, the proteins involved, and what happens when chromosomes do not separate properly; a person can have either XX or XY[Read More…]
The McGill Scientific Writing Initiative introduces students to science writing
There exists a common stereotype that people in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) departments do not like to write. Even though students in STEM fields conduct groundbreaking research, many have no idea how to present their findings in a clear and concise manner, let alone an interesting one. The[Read More…]
Women role models hope to inspire students in STEM
The McGill Students Chapter for Scientista and McGill Women in Leadership Students’ Association hosted their third annual Women in STEM Panel and Roundtable event on March 12, welcoming a set of eight accomplished scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The panellists proved as adept at inviting discussion as they are at conducting[Read More…]
A future vision of STEM education
Nanotechnology is revolutionizing healthcare systems. Self-driving cars are changing how we navigate our roads. The world has entered an unprecedented era of technological innovation, and scientists are making novel discoveries that will extend and improve the quality of our everyday lives. Ainissa Ramirez, a world-renowned materials scientist and science evangelist,[Read More…]
Women in STEM and men in the arts: Gender roles in academia
The regrettable lack of women studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in post-secondary education is well-documented. Efforts to minimize this gender imbalance are widespread, and include initiatives such as Girls Who Code and a UNESCO publication investigating its root causes. However, similarly concerning, yet often overlooked, are rising gender[Read More…]
It’s 2018, and STEM is still an uneven playing-field for women of colour
Concordia’s new Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science is the first engineering faculty in Canada to bear a woman’s name. The faculty’s renaming stems from Cody’s $15 million donation, the largest individual donation given in Concordia’s history. While it’s refreshing to see a woman of colour earn such[Read More…]
