Best of the WWEST

In this episode, Jessica Vandenberghe talks to us about her experiences as an Indigenous engineer at the forefront of addressing reconciliation in the STEM field. From working in the oil and mining industries to becoming the Assistant Dean at the University of Alberta's faculty of engineering, Vandenberghe talks about the importance of truth & reconciliation to build stronger communities with well...

In this episode, Damineh Akhavan takes us through her life as an aerospace engineer and a human rights activist protesting weekly for women's rights in Iran. From the streets of Iran to the heart of Downtown Vancouver, activists like Akhavan are standing up to bring awareness to the cause and change to their home country. Protests in Iran and around the world follow the death of 23 year old Mahsa...

In this episode, Dr. Naheda Sahtout and Dr. Nicole Brown sit with us to discuss the experiences of individuals with disabilities in STEM and academia, and how we can make STEM more accessible for disabled individuals in the workplace, lab, and classroom! Dr. Naheda Sahtout (Ph. D) is an award-winning academic, researcher, scientist, and leader. Naheda completed her B.Sc. (Honours) in Biology from...

In this episode, Anja Lanz, FEC, P.Eng., and Global Women In STEM Inc. Founder/CEO will share her experience as an EDI champion, and discuss workplace inclusivity! Listen to the Best of the WWEST on Spotify , Apple , Google , Amazon , iHeart , Gaana , and Castbox Visit wwest-cwse.ca to learn more about WWEST and to listen to other available episodes.

In this episode, Eli Haynes talks to us about the importance of science literacy and outreach from a neuroscience perspective. Eli graduated with a degree in Human Kinetics from UBC Okanagan in 2018 and is currently a graduate student in Health and Exercise Sciences at the school. He is passionate about providing opportunities for people from underrepresented groups to engage with, and learn about...

In this episode, Melanie Mitchell shares her experience as an Indigenous woman in computer science, and discusses the role of technology in empowering indigenous communities. Melanie is a member of the Shuswap Nation and is currently a principal consultant for a global custom software development company. Listen to the Best of the WWEST on Spotify , Apple , Google , Amazon , iHeart , Gaana , and C...

In this episode, Olivia Ireland and Joshua Rojas discuss the importance of gender equality and equity, and how individuals can support and encourage opportunities for diversity and inclusion. Olivia Ireland is a UBCO biochemistry student, and co-organizer of the Sciversify UBCO student conference. Joshua Rojas is a Texas high school student who is actively supporting opportunities for women and ra...

In this episode, we discuss Women in STEM and the Canadian Armed Forces and how to empower oneself in a male environment with Lieutenant-Commander Kayla Bouchard! Listen to the Best of the WWEST on Spotify , Apple , Google , Amazon , iHeart , Gaana , and Castbox Visit wwest-cwse.ca to learn more about WWEST and to listen to other available episodes.

This episode explores the career progression of women in STEM from university, to industry, and leadership. Dr. Michelle Kunimoto is a Post-Doctoral Scholar at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. During her undergraduate degree, Michelle discovered 4 new exoplanets and she has carried that interest forward to now improving techniques for finding exoplanets. Michelle is als...

Welcome to the first episode of WWEST UBCO's continuation of the Best of the WWEST Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Jakobi will outline the goals of the WWEST program and highlight the exciting projects to come.  Jennifer (Jenn) Jakobi, is a Professor in Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She was the Associate Chair Westcoast Women in Engineering Science and...

Marg Latham P.Eng has been around the scene for a long time. She's a pioneer for women and intersectionality in STEM, she's a leader, and she loves to build things! Listen to this episode for some real gems of wisdom and advice and an all-around fun conversation between Marg and WWEST podcast producer and host Vanessa. (Please excuse any audio hiccups in this remotely recorded interview.) Marg Lat...

Janet Phan is busy, but she's also working on changing the landscape for girls and women in STEM. In this episode, she tells us all about moving across an ocean to another country for a job, finding internal peace with past challenges, and how technology drives everything we do. Plus, she gives the inside scoop into her new book, "Boldly You!" (Please excuse any audio hiccups in this remotely reco...

We're talking STEAM in this episode - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math - with Sadé Akinbami. She joins host and producer Vanessa to talk about how music and STEM intertwine, how to survive university, and how we have come a long way when it comes to equity among all people in STEM, but we still have a long way to go. (Please excuse any audio hiccups in this remotely recorded interv...

Jasmine Shaw, P.Eng is joining us to talk about mentoring, coaching, engineering, and...drones? Yes, drones! Hear about the cool work she's doing in the Aerospace realm with Amazon and their Prime Air  program. Plus, Jasmine talks about the other cool project she's worked on: the Ontario Sick Day Relief Project, which raised over $60,000 in paid sick days for Ontario's essential workers through th...

Dr. Ben Britton joins host and producer Vanessa just in time for LGBT STEM Day. The conversation about 2SLGBTQ+ people's participation in STEM is ramping up more and more, and we're talking about what employers and those in academia can do to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We also cover what kinds of unique circumstances this community experiences, with some h...

Deyanira Mendoza Dominguez, a self-described non-boring engineer, has been to 16 countries, which she visited with her husband on their motorcycles to conduct research! You'll hear all about it in this episode. She also lets us in on what kind of challenges are presented to someone immigrating to Canada who is also a woman in STEM, and how those challenges helped her stand on her own two feet and...

In this episode, Major Jessica Ross gives us a glimpse into the Canadian Armed Forces and her life therein - how she joined, how it was to train to get to where she is today, and where she's going. She tells us all about her experience at the Royal Military College of Canada, how the work she did during her master's studies in applied science is bettering the world and Canada, and how Dungeons & D...

Dr. Britt Drögemöller moved halfway across the world to pursue a new life in Canada as the Canada Research Chair of Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine - during a pandemic. If that doesn't say "strong, independent woman in STEM," we don't know what does! In this interview with Best of the WWEST producer and host Vanessa, you'll hear about that journey, as well as many other things, including (...

This week, the conversation is a candid one about breaking out of the mould shaped by a professional program into an interdisciplinary community. Aadita Chaudhury, doctoral student, tells her story of her journey to realizing that technology can be a tool for liberation, and how she's using the tools and skills she learned in industry to break down prescriptive ways of knowing and critically exami...

In this episode, Captain(N) Seana Routledge is telling us all about her work in the Canadian Armed Forces! How does diversity and inclusion play a role in the organization? What was it like going to the Royal Canadian Military College to study engineering, compared to other post-secondary education? And just what does the Forces do to support the citizens of Canada? You'll learn all about that and...

Have you ever held an exploded star in your hand? How about a 3D printed one? Doing precisely that launched Dr. Kimberly Arcand down her windy "Candyland" path to where she is today as a data visualizer and science communicator at NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. In this episode, you'll also hear about her passion for creating materials that are accessible for all, how important coding is for stu...

Maggie MacPhee is passionate about math - not just learning and teaching it, but also examining it through a social justice lens and changing the narrative around its history. She joins Best of the WWEST producer Vanessa to get nerdy about math and board games, but also to talk about how she as a busy math teacher early in her career deals with stress, what books she's reading, and what her favour...

Cassy Weber and MindFuel, the organization she runs as CEO, are very busy - from studying when girls are losing interest in STEM in their schooling journey, to figuring out how to deliver quality programming to communities with limited technology, to consulting on curriculum development initiatives and more. Cassy tells us all about these projects in this episode, and lets us in on some of her per...

In this time of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, the discussion of Indigenous participation in STEM is extremely important. Desiree Marshall-Peer, a Cree-Ojibway educator at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, joins Best of the WWEST producer Vanessa to explore decolonizing STEM and education. We cover how Indigenous ways of knowing are being incorporated in and changing mainstream sch...

June here in Canada is National Indigenous History Month, and the team here at Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology would like to honour the fabulous Indigenous guests we have had on the podcast over the years. In this episode, we highlight some of the main points from their individual episodes, to celebrate their words of wisdom, to thank them for telling us about their struggle...