International Day of Women & Girls in Science

Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister on International Day of Women and Girls in Science: be the difference

Alumna Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister provides words of inspiration and reflects on her own journey as a woman in science, to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Dr. Arundhati Dasgupta

Theoretical physics professor Dr. Arundhati Dasgupta explores the wonders of the universe, driven by her fascination with both the vast unknown of galaxies and the mysteries of quantum theory.

Shining Student Courtlynd Cherpin

Courtlynd Cherpin chose the University of Lethbridge for its exceptional education program and cutting-edge facilities like the Science Commons. Her dedication to understanding science is evident in her summer research experiences, particularly her work in the University Herbarium.

Cayley Fleischman

"I've always been curious, and science is a great way to foster and encourage that!"

Dr. Laura Keffer-Wilkes (MSc ’12, PhD ’16)

"I always loved science growing up and often gave my family impromptu lectures about all the cool things I learned in class that day."

2023 International Day of Women & Girls in Science

As we continue to make space for more women and girls in science, let us always remember: “you can’t compete with me; I want you to win, too!” - Dena McMartin, VP Research

Dr. Apooyak'ii, Tiffany Prete

“Do not let stereotypes and low expectations be the deciding factor in your life. Choose a career that will challenge you, that you may never be bored, a career that excites you, that you look forward each day to completing your work.”

Dr. Habiba Kadiri

“Women have historically played important roles in initiating societal transformations, so I hope new generations of women will engage more with mathematical careers to have a meaningful impact in our society.”

Steph Elder

“I love the impact I can have on my community by sharing my passion while still fiddling and tinkering with things, just now sharing the journey with the younger generation.”

Dr. Laura Chasmer

“By working together in a group, we are better equipped to solve the World's biggest problems than by trying to solve them on our own.”

Shannon Healy Knibb (BSc Co-op '20)

"Each opportunity led to the next, and I was able to get involved in research in the fields of neuroscience, agriculture, microbiology and cell biology." - Shannon Healy Knibb (BSc Co-op '20)

Nicola Schatz

“Scientific research at uLethbridge is genuinely collaborative. Within a single lab and across multiple labs, you can help on various projects by sharing equipment, ideas and expertise in different protocols.”

Dr. Stacey Wetmore

“I am most excited to work with talented students every day. It is also exciting when the computer modelling they do provides the missing explanations that help us understand the traditional ‘wet’ experimental data collected in our collaborators’ labs.”

Marcela Rada (BMus '17)

“I hope to encourage my students to be innovators. I want to inspire them to use technology to help build communities and create content never seen before.”

Dr. Fern Leavens (BSc '13)

"Science helps us to continue exploring and better understand the world we live in. It also contributes to advances and innovations in virtually every area of our world."

Araba Sagoe-Wagner (BSc '17, MSc '20)

“Doing independent studies/research and having a place to showcase results like Luke Stebbins Symposium and Meeting of the Minds helped me work on other skills relevant to work, like compiling data and presenting information to others.”

International Day of Women & Girls in Science

This year, we are celebrating the diversity of knowledge and academic backgrounds that women and girls are involved with across Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

Dr. Shelley Hoover

"I am very fortunate that I have been able to make a career doing what I love, and to not have had to ‘grow up'."

Valentina Ibarra Galvis

"Our fearlessness, determination, analytical minds, and our ability to look beyond ourselves to improve our understanding of the world around us will propel us into a new era of science."

Dr. Dena McMartin

"The world needs to hear and make space for a diversity of opinions and ways of seeing problems to improve our environment, health, and technologies for today and the future."

Mandi Parker (BSc '99)

"Be inquisitive about the world around you, ask lots of questions, and wonder 'Why' about everything."

Valerie Archibald

"I want young people to feel the excitement of STEM and build a longing in them to continue learning."

Dr. Michelle M. Hogue (MEd '04)

"Science is foundational to the Indigenous paradigm and Indigenous people have been doing science since time immemorial." Dr. Michelle Hogue began her ULethbridge career nearly 30 years ago. Today, she's an Associate Professor and the Indigenous Student Success Cohort Program Coordinator.

Dr. Stephanie King

"The more diverse population we have in science, the more diversity of ideas we will have to advance our scientific knowledge to places we never thought possible!"

Dr. Claudia Gonzalez (MSc '00, PhD '04)

"Science is not a matter of opinion nor of personal choice. Science is universal, it is the human attempt to understand and explain nature."