When the Laurier Centre for Women in Science (WinS) held its official launch event in February 2012, Eden Hennessey was a master’s student at Wilfrid Laurier University. She fondly recalls running directly from an exam to the event and leaping up on stage to emcee. Ten years later, Hennessey is the centre’s research and programs director.
“My life has been forever changed by WinS,” she says.
Hennessey’s sentiments are echoed by dozens of other women at Laurier who have been part of the WinS community. As the centre celebrates its 10th anniversary, its founders and members are reflecting on their achievements and ongoing efforts to make the sciences more inclusive for all.
At its core, WinS is a research centre. It facilitates research by women scientists and about women scientists in order to develop and implement evidence-based strategies.
“What makes us incredibly unique is the leveraging of social sciences and natural sciences together,” says Hennessey, Laurier's equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data specialist. “There is a whole group of us who study people in the sciences and their experiences.”
The centre’s current research priorities include the first-ever survey of physicists across Canada to assess their demographics and experiences, and an analysis of prominent academic journals to investigate gender bias in publication processes.
Images from "#TurningTables" by Hilary Gauld
A key milestone for WinS was the selection of its founder, Professor Shohini Ghose, as the Ontario Chair for Women in Science and Engineering by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in 2020. The five-year chair appointment provides Ghose with significant research funding and a network of collaborators across Canada as she works to develop and implement a communication and networking strategy to dismantle systemic barriers and enhance opportunities for women in science and engineering.
“WinS also occupies an intersection of art and science by using arts-based methods to communicate scientific findings,” says Hennessey. “We are the only research centre of our kind.”
Hennessey has curated three successful photo-research exhibits highlighting the gender imbalance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, including 2019’s “#TurningTablesinSTEM.” Her work has been shared at conferences, as well as in workplaces and schools around the world. Next is a collaboration with Conestoga College showcasing women in the trades.
Along with “explore” and “engage,” “connect” is one of WinS’ defining principles. The centre seeks to build strong networks and partnerships within academia, industry and government.
WinS leaders are regularly invited to speak at international conferences and have welcomed colleagues from across the globe to Laurier. In 2014, WinS hosted the International Conference on Women in Physics, which brought together delegates from more than 50 nations. The Waterloo Charter on EDI, developed at that conference, was officially adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and all of its member countries.
In 2021, WinS hosted the first national panel featuring Indigenous physics students and researchers from across Canada. Two years earlier, the centre helped craft Canada’s Dimensions Charter on EDI and was selected by the federal minister of science to host its official launch event at Laurier. The university is one of 17 Canadian institutions participating in the federal Dimensions Pilot Program, which seeks to foster transformative change within the research ecosystem by addressing systemic barriers and inequities.
WinS is also fostering an online community through its WinSights webpage, a collection of resources for inclusive science.
2014 International Conference of Women in Physics
Launch event for Canada's Dimensions Charter in 2019
WinS has become a supportive hub for Laurier students of all demographics, welcoming them for biweekly meet-ups to discuss how to get into grad school, tips for writing a CV and shared personal challenges. The centre also recognizes student achievements through its annual Hypatia Awards and offers research and travel grants for conferences, workshops and equipment.
“It’s a community-building space where people get to hang out and eat and talk about their science,” says Hennessey. “We have created an informal, relaxed environment for students who often feel overwhelmed by the constant evaluation of university. This is a learning space that has no grade attached to it. It’s a safer place to explore who you want to be.”
Hennessey sees this as a retention tool, citing research which found that contact with in-group members who are similar to you can buffer the threat that you don’t belong. This is critical at a time when women remain underrepresented in STEM fields.
“The numbers of women and minorities in STEM are slowly rising, but not fast enough,” says Ghose. “There is now more awareness and acknowledgement of the issue and the fact that representation is not enough; we also need to make the science environment more inclusive for all. People are paying more attention to building more inclusive classrooms, equitable hiring practices and support for researchers, as well as developing processes to address and prevent harassment.”
Ghose believes student mentoring cannot address structural and systemic inequities, but is “an important support measure until we break down these systemic barriers and get to true inclusion." It has proven to be a rewarding experience for WinS members. Hennessey remembers watching a particular student walk across the convocation stage as “one of the proudest moments of my life.”
“When you get to see the students you’ve mentored or worked with on their very first research project get into medical school, the joy and satisfaction just blows you away,” she says. “Or the emails you receive that say, ‘I wouldn’t have made it that far if I didn’t have WinS.’”
Looking ahead to WinS’ next 10 years, Ghose has a clear vision for the centre: its obsolescence.
“Our ultimate goal has always been to shut ourselves down. We should not need to exist,” says Ghose. “We are not quite there yet, so over the next decade, we plan to work toward systemic change through research, action and communication. We will be focusing on research projects to assess the environment for women in STEM, working with our many partner organizations to create policies and actions for change, and creating a network of collaboration across Canada. We invite everyone to join us!"
Ghose, Laurier President Deborah MacLatchy, Hennessey (Photo by Hilary Gauld)