Find your community of role models and mentors and then help it grow – inspirational advice from four exceptional academic leaders on the eve of International Women’s Day

The Faculty of Science has four associate deans. All four of these senior leadership roles in McMaster’s largest Faculty are held by women – Dr. Laura Parker, Dr. Gillian Goward, Dr. Kalaichelvi Saravanamuttu and Dr. Rosa da Silva.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I had the opportunity to interview these remarkable women. They talked about what it’s like being a woman in STEM, a leader in academia and what advice they’d give to young women who are set to launch their careers with leadership aspirations beyond McMaster.

Despite their incredibly busy schedules, Dr. Parker and Dr. Goward went above and beyond. They didn’t just talk about how women can support and mentor other women – they generously demonstrated it.

After emailing their answers to my questions, they each offered to meet. What followed were hour-long, candid and inspiring conversations about career paths and what’s in store when I become a graduate student in September with McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences. They offered invaluable advice and encouragement.

Here are my five key takeaways from the interviews and conversations I had with these four incredible STEM leaders on the eve of International Women’s Day.

Community is everything

Surround yourself with people who will uplift, support and push you to be the best version of yourself. We are nothing without our communities. “My work is based on the gratitude and debt I owe my parents, husband and mentors who supported me, removed obstacles and propelled me forward through challenge,” said Dr. Saravanamuttu. “I am also keenly aware that not everyone has this privilege.” Dr. da Silva also stressed the importance of community, having people who believe in your potential before even you know it’s there yourself and then repaying that support later in your career by helping other women. “I’m deeply grateful for the amazing mentors that I have had in my life,” she said. “This includes the inspiring women who modelled integrity, compassion and strength, and the advocates who believed in my leadership potential even before I fully saw it myself.  Their guidance is a gift I carry forward, and the greatest way to honour it is to pay it forward”

Representation in academia is crucial

While 65 per cent of undergrads in the Faculty of Science are women, it’s a lower percentage as you move to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty and out into industry. Not so long ago, there were only a handful of women faculty in university science departments and schools – and in some cases, only one woman. This made it difficult for women to see themselves in those roles and find mentors, advocates and champions.  “I looked up to senior women researchers in my field of astronomy, not only for their scientific excellence but also for how they navigated leadership and their careers more broadly,” said Dr. Parker.

Increasing representation is slow going

“It can sometimes feel like representation at the faculty level is playing catch up with societal shifts that have already happened beyond the university,” said Dr. Goward. Dr. Saravanamuttu added that these slow changes “are promising signs of systematic change, opening pathways and removing barriers faced by members of all equity deserving groups.”

Advocacy is showing up for people who don’t have a voice

Pay attention to those who aren’t being heard. Dr. Saravanamuttu often finds that “the quietest people often have the best stories”. As women, we are susceptible to imposter syndrome. Dr. Parker says the best way to help women colleagues overcome that psychological experience is to “recommend, nominate, and support women for opportunities they might not have put themselves up for.” Speak up for women when they’re not in the room.

Having more women around the table changes conversations (for the better)

Dr. Goward made reference to critical mass theory. Individuals will only feel comfortable speaking up and voicing their opinions in meetings when at least 30 per cent of their group is represented at the table. A minority group needs to reach this critical mass to move from being treated like tokens to challenging and changing norms and the culture of a research group, department, Faculty or university.  “Issues like mentorship, equity, and work-life balance are more likely to be seen as institutional priorities rather than individual concerns,” says Dr. Parker.