Education City panel marks International Day for Women and Girls in Science

● CMU-Q’s virtual event brings together women in science to share career journeys

To recognise the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, hosted a panel of experts to share their career journeys with students, faculty and staff from across Education City.

Annette Vincent, associate dean for diversity and climate and an associate teaching professor of biological sciences at CMU-Q, organised the panel as an inspiration to young scientists: “Many women in science have been trailblazers, pursuing careers that were not traditionally open to them when they started. These stories of resilience and perseverance are important for all prospective scientists as they follow their passion for knowledge.”

The panel included CMUQ’s Selma Limam Mansar, senior associate dean for education, and Angela Ng, programme director of student engagement. Rounding out the panel was Maya Abi Akl, physics lab co-ordinator from Texas A&M University at Qatar, Borbala Mifsud, assistant professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Health and Life Sciences, and Adviti Naik Jana, postdoctoral researcher from Qatar Biomedical Research Institute.

The panel was moderated by Cecile Le Roux, assistant teaching professor of organisation and behaviour at CMU-Q.

After the event, Vincent reflected on the discussion. “Of all the topics that were discussed, the importance of mentorship seemed to resonate with the audience. Science is fundamentally a collaborative field, and as students embark on their careers, established scientists can really help to inspire and guide them.”

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in order to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.