The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has renewed a prestigious chair at the University of Guelph that is designed to increase participation of girls and women in science and engineering.

The five-year chair position will continue to be held by engineering professor Valerie Davidson, who was named Ontario's NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering in 2003.

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Strong Leadership. Strong Women. Strong World: Equality

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In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on member states to proclaim a day for women's rights and international peace. Following the United Nations' lead, Canada chose March 8 as International Women's Day.

Each year at this time, Canadians celebrate progress toward equality for women and their full participation, reflect on the challenges and barriers that remain, and consider future steps to achieving equality for all women, in all aspects of their lives.

Over time, International Women's Day has grown into a week-long series of commemorative events and activities across the country. International Women's Week 2009 begins on Monday, March 2 and wraps up with International Women's Day celebrations on Sunday, March 8.

We encourage all Canadians - women and men, girls and boys - to promote International Women's Day / International Women's Week. Better yet, why not organize your own IWD/IWW event in your community, organization, workplace or school?

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards.

One of three Professional Engineers Citizenship Awards was awarded to Yogaranee (Ranee) Mahalingam, M.Eng., P.Eng., Senior Water Engineer, Ministry of the Environment. Ranee Mahalingam has proven herself to be dedicated to volunteerism to support environmental and engineering education initiatives. She has contributed to advancing the engineering profession in society by mentoring many international engineering graduates who have immigrated to Canada. Ms. Mahalingham assists in job search techniques and resume writing, either directly or through such organizations as the Scarborough Chapter of the Chinese Professional Association Canada, ACCES Employment Service, Centennial College, East Toronto Neighborhood Link Support Services and the Sri Lankan Community.

Congratulations Ranee!

For the full news release, please visit: http://www.ospe.on.ca/pdf/2008%20OPEA%20Winners%20Press%20Release.pdf

This May, Payette, now 45, will journey to space for a second time. As the flight engineer aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, Payette - who earned a master's of applied science at U of T in 1990, and also received an honorary doctor of science in 2001 - will be busy. During the 15-day mission, she will be operating the robotic arms, including the Canadian robotic superstars Canadarm, Canadarm 2 and Dextre. Along with the commander and pilot, Payette will serve as part of the cockpit crew, responsible for taking the shuttle into space and back to Earth, for docking at the space station and for all manoeuvres and operations involving flying the spacecraft. The seven-member crew will deliver and install the last elements of the Japanese space agency's Kibo lab - which will attach to the outside of the station, allowing for experiments to remain exposed to space.

Click for full story from University of Toronto Magazine

February 23, 2009 - News Release - UofG Awarded Two New Canada Research Chairs

The University of Guelph will receive $2 million over the next five years through two new prestigious Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and the renewal of two others. The announcement was made today in Montreal by Gary Goodyear, minister of state (science and technology).

Profs. Myrna Dawson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and Kathryn Preuss, Department of Chemistry, have both been named new Tier 2 research chairs. As such, they are considered to have the potential to become world leaders in their fields and will receive $100,000 a year for five years.

In addition, Tier 2 chairs currently held by Profs. John Klironomos and Kevin McCann, Department of Integrative Biology, were renewed for another five years.

We are delighted to welcome Profs. Dawson and Preuss to our outstanding cohort of distinguished CRCs, which now stands at 32,' said Prof. Kevin Hall, vice-president (research). Their diverse groundbreaking research is illustrative of the depth and scope of Guelph's expertise. And their research programs are well-aligned with our core focus of changing lives and improving life.'

Dawson will hold the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy in Criminal Justice. She will examine the effectiveness of violence prevention initiatives, specifically those targeted at domestic violence.

In recent decades, there has been a growth in resources and initiatives aimed at helping victims, increased support for community-based systems and changes made to the criminal justice system to make it more responsive, said Dawson, but the overall effect of these initiatives has not been systematically examined. She plans to determine whether the increase in violence prevention resources targeting domestic violence has contributed to the overall decline in this type of violence in Canada.

Being awarded a CRC is an honour, particularly in this field, and an exciting opportunity to make an impact on violence prevention, which affects us all either directly or indirectly,' she said.

Given that the CRC is linked to two U of G departments — Sociology and Anthropology and Political Science — where there is strong scholarship in justice policy issues, it will enable me to build on an already established and growing strength in our college as well as to move forward more intensely with some exciting initiatives that I have already begun with colleagues at other universities in Canada, the United States and overseas.'

Preuss was named the Canada Research Chair in the Chemistry of Molecular Materials, Natural Sciences and Engineering. She is working on the development of novel molecule-based spintronics' materials, which take advantage of the quantum mechanical spin of charge carriers (electrons) in conducting and semi-conducting materials.

Such materials are deemed to be particularly promising candidates for the development of devices that can outstrip existing devices in terms of size and can perform logic functions not possible with current materials. For example, spintronics are expected to provide the first means of developing quantum computing devices capable of human-like artificial intelligence.

Preuss is part of Guelph's Molecules and Materials Synthesis Group, where 10 faculty members are collaborating to create new materials and investigate properties of those substances.

Klironomos and McCann were originally awarded CRCs in 2003. Klironomos used his chair to establish a lab and training centre where scientists are exploring the biology and ecology of soil organisms, as well as the interactions and feedbacks between below-ground and above-ground communities and ecosystems.

McCann developed a research program to uncover the role and function of biodiversity in ecosystems, especially the role of the larger ecological systems and the potential for conserving them.

Ottawa established the CRC program in 2000 as a way of enabling Canadian universities to attract and retain excellent faculty. The program is governed by a steering committee made up of the presidents of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, as well as the deputy minister of Industry Canada.

Contact: Prof. Myrna Dawson 519 824-4120, Ext. 56028 mdawson@uoguelph.ca

We are pleased to announce that CWSE-ON has awarded the first round of WiSE Connect Funding to two projects which will, no doubt, contribute to the goals of the program.

The Women in Engineering Advisory Committee (WEAC), of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers has been awarded funds in support of their Spring Panel Session - Engineers Giving Back to the Community.' The session will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at the North York Centre Library from 5:30 to 8:00pm. Both professionals and students are invited to attend.

Funding has also been awarded in support of CISters' Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing 2009. CISters primary mandate is to encourage women to pursue careers in computing and information sciences. The organization also strives to provide a supportive environment and positive female role models.

Additional WiSE Connect Funds are available. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis. As funds are limited, we encourage those interested to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Congratulations to WEAC and CISters!

"For the boys with high math ability, it's "this is my strength' ... "For the high-math girls it's "this is one of my strengths" - Stephen Ceci, professor of developmental psychology at Cornell.

View the Toronto Star Article Here

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Women researching topics ranging from malaria to nanotechnology have picked up prizes in the annual 'For Women in Science' awards.

Read Science and Development Article Here

The AWSN is offering a $3000 scholarship for women studying science and engineering in Alberta.

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Micha Wallace of Chatham, ON, a candidate for a Master's of Science in Engineering at the University of Guelph has been named the winner of the 2009 Vale Inco Masters Engineering Scholarship by CEMF.

Congratulations Micha! Click here for full story

A University of Guelph student has been named among the top five undergraduate engineering students in Canada by the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF). Madavine Tom, a third-year environmental engineering student, was awarded a 2009 CEMF undergraduate engineering scholarship in recognition of her accomplishments.

Congratulations Madavine! Click here for the full story.

Fortune magazine has named Canadian technology icon Research in Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, the world's fastest-growing company. Full Story

RIM, NSERC and CWSE-ON will celebrate their partnership on March 8th at the University of Guelph. Guest speakers at the presentation ceremony and dinner will be Dr. Alastair Summerlee, University of Guelph President; Dr. Suzanne Fortier, NSERC President, Mr. Robert Crow, Vice President for Industry, Government and University Relations, RIM; and Dr. Valerie Davidson, Chair for Women in Science and Engineering.

The event will feature research and images documenting the progress that has been made towards encouraging girls and young women to consider post-secondary education and careers in science, engineering and technology fields.

Over the past year, more than 8,000 people have taken part in events and initiatives supported by the Chair. Our goal is to educate and innovate,' Davidson said. We're opening young minds to the possibilities of what a science education can bring and finding sustainable ways to support and increase opportunities for women pursuing science-related careers.'

This partnership is a perfect fit for all involved,' Summerlee said. U of G has a reputation for innovation in engineering and science and for making a difference by tackling difficult issues. RIM and NSERC are committed to reaching out to students to get them interested in these important fields.'

First created by NSERC in 2003, the Chair for Women in Science and Engineering was renewed in 2008 for another three years with RIM coming on as the industry partner. It is sustained by a $70,000 annual allocation from NSERC, which is matched by the University. RIM supports the chair through annual cash contributions and in-kind support.

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A national survey is being conducted through the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) to collect information on important aspects of professional engineers' work experience. Among the topics covered in the survey are: starting an engineering career, the role of professional mentors, factors affecting career satisfaction, equity and fairness, and the importance to you of different types of leave. Your confidentiality is assured. Individual responses cannot be identified. Please invest a few minutes of your time to complete this survey:

English: http://www.prismeconomics.com/surveys/careersurveyeng.HTM French: http://www.prismeconomics.com/surveys/careersurveyfr.HTM If you have any questions about the survey, please contact:

Julia Melnikova 416.223.9961 or 866.763.1654 x225

Guiding Mosaic, a 10 day camp for Girl Guides and Pathfinders held in celebration of Girl Guides 100^th anniversary in Canada, brought more than 2,300 girls and young women to Guelph Lake from July 8^th to 17^th. Girls travelling from all of Canada's provinces and territories, and 15 different countries - as far away as Australia, Bangladesh, Jamaica, and Japan - pitched their tents and participated in workshops both on the Guelph Lake property and throughout the surrounding region.

CWSE-ON organized and hosted two workshops on campus to introduce the Guides to science, engineering, and technology. In Cosmetic Chemistry - The Science behind Makeup, participants worked in an undergraduate chemistry lab to learn about all types of interesting ingredients that find their way into makeup. The girls worked in pairs to make lip balm from sustainable ingredients, exploded bath fizzies and learned how to make their own, and created art with cabbage juice pH paper. At four workshops, more than 125 Girl Guides had the chance to connect with and be inspired by undergraduate and graduate females studying in the fields of science and engineering.

At So You Think Your Robot Can Dance workshops, girls learned all about robots and their capabilities, through videos of robots interacting in the real world and hands-on demonstrations revealing how sensors work on Lego Mindstorms robots. In small teams, participants worked together to design and program their Mindstorms robots to dance, or to perform a simulated marine rescue operation. After much teamwork and troubleshooting, demonstrations of the marine rescue operation allowed the girls to share their experiences, and the dancing robots performed for the audience. To conclude the workshops, the facilitators shared their experiences with their individual courses of study, giving the girls insight into the areas of chemistry, mechanical engineering, and computer science.