Canadian Women in STEM

Christy Arseneau is Science Director, Forest Health and Biodiversity, at the Atlantic Forestry Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is originally from Dalhousie, NB, and has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto.

“Always trust your gut and follow your passion. A science degree can take you as far as you want it to! Don’t feel like you have to take something else ‘just because’. And, it’s OK to change your mind - it may seem huge at the time, but for me, it has worked out for the best.”

The Exposure Assessment Section of Health Canada is a multi-disciplinary research team in the field of air pollution science. Their work supports government decision-making, academic advancement, and scientific resolution of questions related to air pollution exposure in Canada. The team includes dedicated scientists with expertise in epidemiology, geography, (bio)statistics, environmental health and modeling, engineering, and toxicology.

• Vanessa Beaulac - Section Head for Exposure Assessment
• Morgan MacNeill - Epidemiologist
• Liu Sun - Scientific Evaluator
• Markey Johnson - Research Scientist
• Jue Yi (Joyce) Zhang - Researcher

Dr. Anne Smith is a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Alberta. She specializes in the use of remote sensing technology applications in agriculture.

"Don’t be scared to try something and to ask questions. If some aspect of science tweaks your interest, search out who to talk to, ask to visit them, or better yet spend a day job-shadowing. Find some aspect of science that interests you and that you enjoy."

Jake Freeman is a resource technician at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Winnipeg. She is currently on assignment with the Indigenous Support and Awareness Office and is also co-chair of AAFC’s Indigenous Network Circle.

"While I studied to be a lab technician, I found that I needed to be more connected to the outdoors. When I started as a soil and water conservation technician with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), my attention to detail, note keeping, and lab protocols came in handy. Not being afraid of getting dirty was also an asset. "

Josée Owen is an Associate Director at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She has also worked as a scientist studying horticultural cropping systems.

"Now that I am the Associate Director of an Agricultural Research and Development Centre, I think people would be surprised that I don’t make decisions all day long. It’s really more about finding ways to enable people to use their own creativity, expertise, and character to make great decisions about how they will move their science forward, and how they will in turn enable their own people to make great decisions."

Jan. Holmes is a Farm Operations Manager at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

"I think my strong suits are organization, planning, and problem-solving. Those things are important in this kind of job because it’s like a moving puzzle. You have to be flexible because equipment can break down, someone can call in sick, or it starts to rain. I probably have three plans in my head at any one time."

Dr. Cezarina Kora is a Senior Strategy Coordinator with the Pesticide Risk Reduction team of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Pest Management Centre in Ottawa. She specializes in integrated pest management and strategic stakeholder engagement to enable sustainable agriculture.

"Follow your aspirations and passions, explore your desire to study natural phenomena, and protect life on earth – this science field is full of interesting surprises and great challenges, and can also lead to rewarding discoveries and exciting innovations!"

Dr. Heather McNairn is a top research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AFFC) Ottawa Research and Development Centre. She specializes in Earth observation research, which involves using satellite data in agriculture.

"Work hard and follow your passion. I tell my kids: just relax. Don’t worry too much about your career, because if you have a passion, and you work hard, the doors will open for you. And sometimes they will open in ways you didn’t expect."

Lisa Fernando works at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree (Hons) in Biology from the University of Winnipeg, and a Master's of Science in Medical Microbiology from the University of Manitoba.

Lisa pursued a career in the Level 4 lab because during her Master's research she was surrounded by a team who did high containment work. Mentors encouraged her to go beyond her comfort zone and gave her opportunities they knew she would excel at, even when she didn't see it. Now, she does the same for women in her program that may need encouragement and support.

Laura Douglas is the Controls System Engineer and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Manager at the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH) in Winnipeg, MB. Her team is responsible for the building systems that keep the lab safe, and secure, while making sure research operations don’t miss a beat.

“Currently less than 13% of practicing engineers are female… it’s really important for young women to see their value in how they can contribute to a better world – starting with the ability to engineer the way we live.”Laura actively promotes the 30 by 30 campaign which is an initiative led by Engineers Canada to increase the percentage of newly female licensed engineers to 30% by 2030.

Jill Rajewicz currently works as a Physical Scientist for the Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa. Passionate about polar research, she sits on the board Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Canada chapter. In her free time, she loves to cross-country ski, mountain bike, and read.

"Being immersed in the world and observing processes and patterns with your own eyes encourages curiosity and spurs you to ask new questions and devise new ways to investigate problems. I have been fortunate to see places in the High Arctic that very few other people will have the chance to visit."

Gabrielle Gascon is a Physical Sciences Specialist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. She bikes to work almost every day. In her spare time, Gabrielle enjoys cooking, hiking, skiing, and taking care of her garden.

"As long as I can remember, I showed interest in weather, from finding shapes in small cumulus clouds to playing outside in a snowstorm. Wanting to know more about the atmosphere, I enrolled in McGill University, with a specialization in meteorology and oceanography."