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Using a sample of women natural sciences and engineering (NSE) faculty members from 13 Canadian universities, we investigated the impact of women academic leaders on women professors' perceptions of gender bias. Logistic regression analyses indicated that professors who perceived more workplace gender bias were more likely to feel that they needed to work harder to be seen as legitimate scholars than those who perceived less gender bias. However, professors who perceived that women were better represented amongst their faculty/college and university leadership were significantly less likely to feel that they needed to work harder for legitimacy than those who perceived greater gender bias in leadership. These results suggest that addressing gendered university hierarchies may moderate the impact of gender bias on women in NSE units.

A small but growing body of research confirms that people in the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities) community are among those underrepresented in STEM (science, technology engineering, and math). This is concerning because diversity and inclusion improves science for all. In response, Canadian institutions have developed initiatives aimed to address issues in which LGBTQ+ students disproportionately leave STEM fields. LGBTQ+ postdoctoral scholars (postdocs) are of particular interest because they have developed clear professional and LGBTQ+ identities, they are significant contributors to their fields, and they work at the intersection of STEM students and faculty. Studies have highlighted poor job satisfaction and career opportunities for this group. This qualitative study explored the values, beliefs, and experiences of 14 Canadian LGBQ+ postdocs in STEM through semi-structured interviews about coming out, experiences of LGBQ+ mentorship/representation, and their beliefs on staying within science and academia. Interview data was analyzed thematically from a post-structural perspective. Main themes emerged: (1) coming out, (2) representation, and (3) mentorship. This exploratory qualitative study offers insight into how the experiences of this understudied group are helpful in disentangling discourses surrounding coming out, representation, and mentorship for LGBQ+ researchers in STEM.

The attitudes teenagers have towards Math, as well as their knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)--based careers will affect their likelihood of pursing these careers in the future. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes that youth (girls and boys) aged 12-14 hold towards Math, their knowledge of Math, and Science requirements for future careers as well as their likelihood of choosing a STEM-based career. This research also examined the responses of girls who attended a week-long intensive Science summer camp compared with those who did not attend this camp. To do this, students' attitudes and knowledge were explored using a gender-based analysis (GBA) in four sample groups: (1) public school boys, (2) public school girls, (3) public school girls who do well in math, and (4) a specialized sample of girls who had attended a female-only Science summer camp. Our results show that more grade 7 girls in Nova Scotian public schools feel tense doing Math problems compared with similarly aged boys, yet the average self-rating of getting good marks, learning Math quickly, and looking forward to Math were similar for girls and boys. Furthermore, girls had a better knowledge of careers that required Math and/or Science than boys. In relation to the Science camp, significantly more girls attending the Science camp indicated that they would be very likely to pursue a STEM career in the future, compared with girls, with equally good Math grades, in the non-camps group. These findings show that enabling girls to interact with female STEM professionals and to attend an all-girls Science dedicated camp significantly impacts their interest in STEM professions and is a concrete way in to break down stereotypes in male-dominated fields.

We tested four proposed dimensions of a Culture Conducive to Women's Academic Success (CCWAS; i.e., supportive leadership, freedom from gender bias, equal access to opportunities, and support for work-life balance) on a sample of women faculty from Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) departments/units. The results of our serial and parallel mediation analysis confirmed the CCWAS dimensions, and further indicated that a positive NSE department/unit culture supports women's career satisfaction and may reduce their emotional exhaustion. Accordingly, our findings suggest that investing in local gender equity interventions to improve department/unit culture may be an effective way to improve women's experiences and help retain women in academic NSE positions, as a result.

In addition to her contributions to the field of chemistry, Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour was the foremother of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the natural sciences in Canada and was an exemplary mentor to many women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr. Armour emphasized that, to make progress in natural sciences and engineering fields, we also need to make advancements in workplace EDI. Dr. Armour was among the first to recognize the need to fix gender biased systems and not women. Analyses of the 2017-2018 Faculty Workplace Climate Survey, administered to approximately 700 natural sciences and engineering professors from 13 Canadian universities, supports Dr. Armour's position. We present a synthesis of the key findings from the survey, which speak to some of the gendered challenges that women faculty members in Canada still face; and discuss the implications of these findings in light of women's continued lack of access to mentors, with an emphasis on gender bias in mentorship within academic chemistry. Key words: Margaret-Ann Armour, equity, mentorship, gender. En plus d'avoir contribue a l'avancement dans le domaine de la chimie, la Dre MargaretAnn Armour a ete l'avant-garde de l'equite, de la diversite et de l'inclusion (EDI) dans les sciences naturelles au Canada et a ete un modele exemplaire pour de nombreuses femmes en sciences, en technologie, en genie et en mathematiques. La Dre Armour a souligne que, pour faire des progres dans les domaines des sciences naturelles et du genie, nous devons egalement faire des progres en matiere d'EDI dans les milieux de travail. Elle etait parmi les premieres personnes a reconnaitre la necessite de changer non pas les femmes, mais les systemes fondes sur des prejuges de genre. Les analyses du sondage sur le climat de travail dans les facultes (Faculty Workplace Climate Survey) realise en 2017-2018, auquel ont repondu environ 700 professeurs de sciences naturelles et de genie dans 13 universites canadiennes, appuient la position de la Dre Armour. Nous presentons une synthese des principaux resultats de ce sondage, qui porte sur certaines des difficultes liees au genre que doivent surmonter les femmes membres de facultes au Canada encore aujourd'hui, et nous discutons des implications de ces resultats a la lumiere des inegalites constantes que subissent les femmes en ce qui concerne l'accessibilite a des mentors. Nous nous interessons particulierement aux prejuges de genre dans le contexte de mentorat au sein de la communaute universitaire en chimie. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : Margaret-Ann Armour, equite, mentorat, genre., Introduction This manuscript is supplemented by Shining Armour, a video celebration of the life of Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour, produced by Sheryl Peters and Angela Chalmers, in collaboration with the Prairie [...]

Background: A sample of 1448 students in grades 7 and 9 was drawn from public schools in Atlantic Canada to explore students' knowledge of science and mathematics requirements for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Also explored were their mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), their future career interests, their preferences for particular career activities, and their likelihood to pursue a STEM career. Results: Analysis revealed that while older students had more knowledge about mathematics/science requirements for STEM careers, this knowledge was lacking overall. Also, students with higher MSE were more knowledgeable about STEM career requirements. Furthermore, students with higher MSE and STEM career knowledge were more likely to choose a STEM career. Students with greater interest in technical and scientific skills were also more likely to consider a STEM career than those who preferred career activities that involved practical, productive, and concrete activities. Conclusions: The results of this study show that students in middle school have a limited STEM career knowledge with respect to subject requirements and with respect to what sort of activities these careers involve. Furthermore, students with low MSE have a declining interest in STEM careers. Our data thus support the need to improve access to knowledge to facilitate students' understanding of STEM careers and the nature of STEM work. Exposure of students to STEM careers can enhance their interest in pursuing careers involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

To enhance understanding of factors that might improve STEM career participation, we assessed students' self-perceptions of competency and interest in science/math, engagement in STEM activities outside of school, and knowledge of STEM career requirements. We show that the primary positive influencer directing students to a STEM career is high engagement in STEM activities. Our data also indicate that Grade 7 students do not grasp the importance of science/math requirements for future STEM careers. Further research is required to more fully explore the correlations between education and community influencers on the likelihood of choosing a STEM career identified in this study.

The ocular skeleton is composed of the scleral cartilage and the scleral ossicles. Teleost scleral cartilage is composed of a single layer of chondrocytes embedded in the sclera of the eye. The teleost scleral cartilage ring can vary in depth across teleost families and species, from a narrow ring a few cells wide to a deeper ring that resembles a cup and surrounds the entire sclera. However, very little research has been conducted on the development and morphology of teleost scleral cartilage. Thus, this study aims to characterize the development of the scleral cartilage in the zebrafish and Mexican tetra, with respect to the timing of emergence, depth throughout development, and positioning within the eye. We hypothesized that the scleral cartilage would first emerge in the scleral tissue closely abutting the ora serrata, and that growth would proceed in an anterior‐to‐posterior direction, resulting in differences in scleral cartilage depth between different fish species. We found that the scleral cartilage ring does not develop uniformly along its circumference, and that its relationship to the ora serrata varies between the rostral and caudal regions. Furthermore, distinct differences in the growth trajectory of the scleral cartilage indicate that the deep scleral cartilage of the Pachón cavefish is the result of both decreased eye size and prolonged cartilage growth. A significant difference in the size of the scleral chondrocytes was also noted. Overall, this study provides the first characterization of early scleral cartilage development in teleost fish and indicates that some aspects of scleral cartilage development and morphology are highly conserved while others are not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has been conducted exploring students' motives for choosing certain career pathways, aspirations and goals in Atlantic Canada. This study examines data from a province-wide survey of students in grades 7, 9 and 12 to better understand gender and grade differences as students start to develop ideas career goals and their futures. Our results indicate that female students are more likely influenced by family members and teachers, and are typically more interested in the medical profession, whereas male students are more likely to be influenced by their friends and the internet, and are typically more interested in STEM fields (such as skilled trades), and law enforcement. Furthermore, the results indicate that as grade levels increase, students are more likely to view visiting post-secondary campuses as an important step in exploring post-high school goals. In summary, we found significant grade and gender differences amongst students when it comes to their career explorations, career drivers, and career goals. These results greatly expand our understanding of how students make decisions about what they want to do after high school and should be used by key influencers as they guide and support students during this transitory, and often stressful, time in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity and inclusion in science improves the field for all, but cisheteronormative cultures can make academic science departments difficult for LGBTQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 2-Spirit1, and other identities) individuals to navigate. Evidence suggests that this cisheteronormativity can contribute to a "leaking" science pipeline, where such individuals are more likely to seek out paths outside of science and academia. Studies also show that postdoctoral scholars have low life satisfaction and trouble finding academic jobs, which could worsen this "leak". However, there is little Canadian data on this topic, and no data on LGBTQ2S+ postdocs. This qualitative study explored the values, beliefs, and experiences of 14 Canadian LGBTQ2S+ postdocs in science. Semi-structured interviews were conducted about coming out as LGBTQ2S+ in science, experiences of mentorship, and their beliefs on staying within science and academia. Interview data was analyzed thematically from a poststructural perspective. The main themes that emerged were: 1) feeling supported and accepted, 2) experiencing cisheteronormativity and discrimination, and 3) the leaking academic pipeline. While some participants experienced their science departments as supportive, many also discussed heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and sexism, which was consistent with previous literature. Many participants considered leaving academia due to lack of job security, competitive job market, and work-life balance issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]