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Black, Indigenous and People Of Colour, and other minority groups, must navigate many barriers in order to access and thrive in institutions.
This long history of exclusion and limited retention is also seen in science communication. In this panel, three science communicators - Dr. Sara Mazrouei, Anthony Morgan, and Dr. Parshati Patel - will share their personal paths in science communication, before diving into a discussion, moderated by Farah Qaiser, to illuminate the challenges and barriers faced by Black and People of Colour science communicators in Canada. This panel hopes to create a space for dialogue to work towards dismantling these challenges.
This session is the third in an on-going series that focuses on the experiences of science communicators who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color.
Panelists
Dr. Sara Mazrouei is a planetary scientist, an educational developer, and a science communicator with a passion for sharing the wonders of the universe with the public. Her PhD research focused on the recent bombardment history of the Moon and links to future sample-return missions. Her work has been featured in many media such as the New York Times and National Geographic. Currently, Sara works as an Educational Developer at Ryerson University's Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Sara is also passionate about increasing the status of women in STEM as well as equity, diversity and meaningful inclusion. Sara uses storytelling, examples including the Story Collider and TEDx Downsview Women, as a method for sharing her authentic experiences and making science more accessible.
Anthony Morgan is a science communicator, experience designer, PhD researcher and former segment host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet. He's spent over 15 years working across multiple disciplines in science communication including live engagement at the Ontario Science Center, web series production for Asap SCIENCE and radio hosting CBC's Quirks & Quarks. For this work and his work with Science Everywhere, he was recognized as one of Canada’s top 10 millennial changemakers by the CBC. His PhD research focuses on critical thinking, wisdom, science and society.
Dr. Parshati Patel is an Astrophysicist, Science Communicator, and STEM Education Researcher based in London, Ontario, Canada. She is the Educational Outreach and Communications Specialist at Western University’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. She is currently on leave from this position for a secondment. She is also Adjunct Research Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University. Parshati has a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Planetary Science & Exploration from Western University. Parshati has been communicating her passion for space science and technology with students and the public for 9+ years through various outreach initiatives. Parshati is passionate about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as well as uplifting women in STEM.
Moderator
Farah Qaiser is a genomics researcher and science communicator, who works at the intersection of science, policy and society to help build an engaging and inclusive science culture. In 2020, Farah completed a Master of Science degree at the University of Toronto, where she carried out DNA sequencing to better understand neurological disorders. She has written about science for various media outlets, led Wikipedia Edit-A-Thons, and co-founded the Toronto Science Policy Network. Farah currently serves on the Canada Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council, ComSciConCAN’s advisory board, and the 500 Women Scientists’ leadership team. Learn more at farahqaiser.com
