In this very special bonus episode, our hosts Milan, Thilina and Anna sit down with their Chemistry Department Head, Dr Jennifer Love, and one of her PhD grad students, Juan Rueda, for a candid and insightful conversation about grad studies, mental health and EDI.

Throughout the interview, we find out and discuss about some very relatable struggles each encountered during their Grad studies: Jen gets surprisingly honest about the sexism she experienced as a young grad student and how it shaped her career, and Juan opens up about his own encounters with depression, and how he was able to overcome them. We explore the importance of good communication, support and especially empathy as a student, and as someone in a leadership role, be it in a lab, a department or a whole field. We also hear about the importance of incorporating EDI work and ideologies into our everyday lives, from a very reliable source!

The documentary “Picture a Scientist” is mentioned several times during the interview – for more information about it, please visit: https://www.pictureascientist.com/

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

For our tenth episode, co-hosts Anna, Milan, Thilina and Laura will take you on a ride made up of thelessons they learned through theirinspiring discussions with their guests this season.

The conversation begins with the hosts sharing their perspectives and the key messages that they took away from the season’sinterviews, discussions and exchanges on diverse, and sometimes surprising topics. Several important aspects of Grad and Post-Grad life are re-visited, such as mentorship, learning the art of facing personal fears, and keeping an open mind, at all times. Finally, the hosts reflect on the changes that took place this year in their own journeys through life and what they hope to accomplish during the next year, and the upcoming season of the podcast.

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

Join us this week for a discussion every Grad student should hear! Co-hosts Milan & Anna interview Brittany Lindsay,  a Ph.D. candidate in Experimental Social Psychology at UCalgary. Her research primarily focuses on mental illness and suicide stigma reduction, and she is very active in promoting mental health in the postsecondary setting.

Our conversation with Brittany gives us an important perspective of grad studies from the point of view of someone living through the experience while researching mental health. We discuss ways in which grad students can improve self-care, and what kind of self-destructive behaviors to watch out for, while forming habits that are sustainable over the entire length of our degrees. Brittany also tells us about the importance of taking weekends off, making a work schedule that works for us, and most importantly, allowing ourselves to enjoy this period in our lives, especially nice sunny summertime days.

At some point in the conversation, Brittany mentions a talk given by Ian Campeau, from the musical group formerly known as "A Tribe Called Red" (now called "The Halluci Nation")- please find more information about this past event here: https://ucalgary.ca/news/explore-identity-and-mental-health-two-canadian-artists. 

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

Our co-hosts Thilina and Anna sit down with Dr Belinda Heyne, the Associate Head of EDI in the Department of Chemistry, a Professor and a Principal Investigator specializing in Physical Chemistry at UCalgary.

We begin by discussing Dr Heyne's goals and achievements in promoting EDI in our department and in the Faculty of Science at the University, then get a little more personal when she shares her own experience as a student and how it led her to her EDI work. Our great conversation continues with an overview of Academia in Europe, the importance of representation within faculty members and invited speakers in Universities, and gives us some deep insights and advice around being a woman in STEM. Finally, we dive into the topic of impostor syndrome, and how it is exacerbated for teachers and public figures, especially ones with an accent and that are female-presenting.  

To reach out to Dr Belinda Heyne with your EDI concerns at UCalgary, which she highly encourages, you can email her at: [email protected].

In the interview, we mention the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CCCE) several times, which took place in Calgary in 2022 - https://www.cheminst.ca/conference/canadian-chemistry-conference-and-exhibition/. 

We also talk about the important film by Sharon Shattuck & Ian Cheney "Picture a Scientist" - check it out if you haven't already: https://www.pictureascientist.com/. 

Anna also mentions a book she read about bias in society - it is called "Invisible Women: Date Bias in a World Designed for Men" by Caroline Criado Perez. Anna recommends the read very strongly to everyone.

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

We interview Dr Lina Kattan, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at UCalgary, as well as director for the Alberat Motor Association (AMA) Active Traffic and Demand Management Laboratory, and director of Integrated Infrastructure NSERC-CREATE.  

Our conversation begins with her decision to pursue the field of engineering in Lebanon and her journey that cumulated with her professorship at UCalgary in Canada. Throughout the episode, we touch upon several EDI concepts, including the cross-pollination of ideas that comes from choosing a different field of work from what one studied and to work in a workplace with varied backgrounds, plus the importance of mentorship, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field. We cover the importance of family, the possibility of prioritizing raising children when working in academia, and of course, finding a workplace that is supportive, flexible and strives to elevate all of its employees.

Dr Kattan mentions Dr Laleh Behjat and the workshops she offers - find her upcoming ones here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/dr-laleh-behjat-4030313079.

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

Our four co-hosts get together to interview Dr Susana Kimura Hara, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Calgary, and Thilina's research supervisor. 

Join us for this insightful discussion about her career pathway from engineering to chemistry and her experience with EDI in academia, past and present. We also talk about impostor syndrome, and explore tips on how to overcome it, and finally get Dr Kimura-Hara's take on work-life balance as a brand new mother in the midst of a demanding career.

We mention the Winsett Center during the interview - here is a link for more information about it: https://winsett.ca/.

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

We are back for part two of our first season after a much-needed summer (and fall) break! 

For this episode, hosts Laura and Anna are joined by their friends Debby and Lillian for a great discussion on feminism, and how it works with being a woman aspiring to have a career in STEM.

We mention a TED Talk by Roxanne Gay in this episode, which can be found at the following address: https://www.ted.com/talks/roxane_gay_confessions_of_a_bad_feminist?language=en

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

In this episode, our co-hosts discuss an article that was published in the Atlantic entitled "Why Do Women Bully Each Other At Work" by Olga Khazan. The phenomenon of mean female coworkers and supervisors is unfortunately experienced by many, and we find out that there are some very important reasons behind it, ones that are crucial for all of us working in STEM to be aware of and understand.

If you would like to read or hear the article, please follow this link: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-queen-bee-in-the-corner-office/534213/

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

Join us for this special episode spotlighting Black History Month 2022. Our co-host Anna sits down with Nnenna and Ifeoma Achebe, daughter and mother, the first a Master's student of Chemistry at UCalgary and aspiring medical doctor, the latter established in her career, as the Chief Medical Officer for AHS Central Zone. The amazing conversation meanders through many different aspects and challenges unique to black women entering and working in the medical field in Alberta.

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].

This week is EDI Week 2022 at UCalgary! 

To commemorate the occasion, we reflect on what it's like to be a non-native English speaker navigating graduate school and the job market in Calgary. Thilina, Milan and Laura share their unique and insightful perspectives with Anna as international students in our community. 

For more information about CIDE and what we do, please visit http://www.ucalgarycide.org/. 

You can also find out more about EDI Week at the University of Calgary by visiting https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion/news-events/ediweek2022.

If you would like to reach us with your questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at [email protected].