About the NSERC CWSE BC and Yukon Region Chair
Dr. Elizabeth Croft was named the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the BC and Yukon Region on September 1, 2010. The Chair has a five year term. The Chair is supported by the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia, and by a number of industrial and individual sponsors.
Lead Sponsors: UBC Faculty of Applied Science, BC Hydro, Dr. Ken Spencer, WorleyParsons Canada Ltd., Teck Resources Limited, Stantec Consulting, and Henry F. Man.
Contributing Sponsors: Ms. Catherine Roome, Mr. Stanley Cowdell, Division for the Advancement of Women in Engineering and Geoscience, Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd., and Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers.
Supporters: Karen Savage, P.Eng and Golder Associates Ltd.
Our Mission:
The mission of the Chair is to advance engineering and science as welcoming careers that serve our world through holistic understanding and creative, appropriate and sustainable solutions.
Our Goals:
The primary focus of the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (BC/Yukon) is to promote Science and Engineering as an excellent career choice for women and other under-represented groups, and to identify and eliminate barriers that result in attrition from these career paths. To address the challenges described above, three strategic thrusts for this Chair, aligned with the overarching NSERC goals for this program, are identified:
- Awareness and Outreach. The Chair supports and builds on the excellent K-12 science and engineering awareness and outreach activities ongoing in BC/Yukon by establishing and supporting a sustainable WWEST (Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology) network resource, and by providing funding and training to groups through the WWEST Partners program.
- Recruitment. The Chair focuses on recruitment and retention activities in the areas of Science and Engineering that currently are under-represented by women. We are developing Community Service Learning (CSL) opportunities as a tool for recruitment and retention into academic programs, to publicly promote the many opportunities within engineering and science careers to work collaboratively to create positive changes in local and global communities.
- Retention and Industry Support. Working with groups in industry and academe, the Chair supports career development workshops and disseminates case study examples and compiled “best practices” guidelines for retaining women in SET careers and facilitating career transitions around family responsibilities. Partnering with social science researchers, our research focuses on practices that reap the benefits of diversity and create a respectful, supportive, productive and healthy workplace for women and men.
About the NSERC CWSE Program
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Chair for Women in Science and Engineering Program (CWSE) was launched in 1996. The goal of the program is to increase the participation of women in science and engineering and to provide role models for women active in, and considering, careers in these fields.
The Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE) program is regional, with one Chair for each of the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie and British Columbia regions. The goal of this Chair program is to increase the participation of women in science and engineering and to provide role models for women considering careers in these fields.
The other four regional NSERC Chairs on Women in Science and Engineering are:
- Atlantic: Tamara Franz-Odendaal, Mount Saint Vincent University
- Quebec: Nadia Ghazzali, Laval University
- Ontario: Catherine Mavriplis, University of Ottawa
- Prairie: Annemieke Farenhorst, University of Manitoba
Read more: NSERC- Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering Program
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