Chairholders

Profile

Shohini Ghose

Physics and Computer Science
Wilfrid Laurier University

Chair title

NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (Ontario)

Chair program

Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering Program

Role

Chairholder since 2020

Summary

Shohini Ghose is a professor of physics and computer science at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a theoretical physicist who examines how the laws of quantum physics can be harnessed to transform computation and communication. She and her colleagues first demonstrated a connection between chaos theory and quantum entanglement. She is the founding Director of Laurier’s Centre for Women in Science (WinS), which has become known as a leader on research-based EDI initiatives. Dr. Ghose helped establish Canada’s Dimensions EDI charter and program and is building an inclusive physics community in Canada as President of the Canadian Association of Physicists. She is the first Canadian member of the Working Group on Women in Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Dr. Ghose is the recipient of several awards including a TED Senior Fellowship in 2018. She is a popular speaker and her public talks have received millions of views online. In 2017, she was named to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The goal of Dr. Ghose’s program is to promote excellence in science through equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This will be achieved through a comprehensive program of action, research and communication (the ARC program). The action plan builds on her successful approach of developing research and evidence-backed EDI initiatives through collaborations with social scientists and experts on gender issues. The program will focus on:

• increasing the participation of women in science and engineering at all levels through a research-based program of assessment, action and communication;
• building and maintaining an inclusive environment where all individuals and communities in science and engineering are supported and celebrated;
• identifying and addressing systemic barriers and biases faced by underrepresented groups in science and engineering;
• creating and normalizing a culture of inclusion in which all people, and not just a few, work together to maintain a community free of harassment and discrimination;
• connecting women and underrepresented groups in science and engineering, provincially and nationally.

Dr. Ghose will expand on her existing collaborations with partner institutions to engage high school students, teachers and parents. The goals are to develop a suite of actions for all school levels that will address stereotypes about scientists and engineers, deliver activities to educate both boys and girls about being inclusive, and engage parents, teachers and career counsellors.

At the postsecondary level, Dr. Ghose’s team will develop a manual of best practices and deliver workshops and presentations to address systemic barriers and biases in recruitment, hiring, classroom education, work environment, and intersectional issues. Longer-term actions include supporting EDI research, building EDI policies, providing career advice and resources, establishing a network of women and allies in science and engineering, and organizing an annual conference. Dr. Ghose will also develop a monthly speaker series, create awards for young women, and build a database of speakers and experts as part of her communication and networking plan. Many of the challenges and proposed actions are applicable to underrepresented groups of all genders and backgrounds in science and engineering. Hence the program will be more broadly inclusive and intersectional in its implementation in order to support a truly diverse scientific community.

The program partners from academia and industry place Dr. Ghose in a unique position to build a comprehensive program and connect to all sections of the community including schools, colleges, universities, companies and the government. This synergy of institutional strengths and resources will greatly enhance the scope, quality and impact of her activities while providing the program partners with tools and resources to build inclusive workplace communities, and hence improve research productivity and workplace excellence.

Partners

• Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
• Communitech Corporation
• NXM Technologies Inc.
• Conestoga College

Contact information

Physics and Computer Science
Wilfrid Laurier University

Email: sghose@wlu.ca

Website:
http://wlu.ca/wins