Let’s Talk Science connects Volunteers with STEM Professionals
Let’s Talk Science Outreach will be hosting a livestream career panel to connect our volunteers with STEM professionals. This year, all panelists are former Let’s Talk Science volunteers who will share how the skills and experiences gained as a volunteer helped them in their early careers and are applicable to a range of careers. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 31st from 4:00 to 5:00 pm EST.
Our panel will include Bernadette Ardelli,& Professor and Dean of Science at Brandon University, Eric Loo, Director, Business Development at Mitacs and Rachel Ward-Maxwell, Researcher/Programmer in Astronomy & Space Sciences at the Ontario Science Centre.
Bernadette is a Professor and the Dean of Science at Brandon University and the current Site Supervisor for the Brandon University Let’s Talk Science Outreach site. Her research is focused on determining why if a drug is used too much and too often, resistance develops and the drugs stop working to fight the disease it was prescribed for. You can read more about her research and career path on CurioCity.
Our second panelist, Eric Loo, was a Site Coordinator at the University of Alberta Let’s Talk Science Outreach site and is now the Director of Business Development for Mitacs. He has a Bachelor’s of Science and a PhD from the University of Alberta. Through his business development work with Mitacs, a non-profit research organization that builds partnerships between academics looking to do research, and industry in Canada, Eric uses his science background to be able to speak and understand scientific language. Read more about the work he does, and how his education background helps him accomplish it on CurioCity.
Rachel Ward-Maxwell, our third panelist, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Astronomy from York University and a Master’s and doctoral degree in Astrophysics from McMaster University. Rachel was the Site Coordinator at McMaster University and now works at the Ontario Science Centre developing, updating, and maintaining public programs in the fields of astronomy and space sciences. She is also a media spokesperson for astronomy and space-related inquires to the Ontario Science Centre. To read more about her motivations and the career path that lead to an “incredibly fulfilling career”, read her career profile on CurioCity.
You can watch the live career panel to hear about their volunteering experience with Let’s Talk Science, their career paths and how STEM has influenced their lives. The recorded livestream can be watched here.