Representation in science matters!

Thank Hedy Lamarr for Wi-Fi, Evelyn Boyd Granville for successful space missions, Barbara McClintock for discovering genetic transposition and Ruby Hirose for vaccines against polio. Those are a few examples of fearless women in science who changed the world with science! Science needs more women and gender-diverse people to find inspiration in STEAM careers.

Operation Minerva is a one-day virtual conference for grade 8 students, who identify as girls or gender diverse, to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics from actual STEAM professionals.

Students get to:

• Meet STEAM professionals who identify as women or gender diverse.  
• Engage in conversations with mentors from many STEAM professions.   
• Celebrate diverse voices in science.  
• Challenge themselves to find inspiration in a STEAM career.  
  

Contact

403.817.6800 or [email protected]

Operation Minerva is a live conference happening outside of school hours with minimal teacher supervision. Chats will be monitored and managed by Spark staff, however, parent or guardian supervision is highly encouraged to ensure a safe, fun, and open environment for all students.

How it works

Originally stewarded by the Alberta Women’s Science Network (AWSN), Operation Minerva is a mentorship event that has been running for over 30 years in the Calgary area.The virtual platform for 2022 allows students to connect with STEAM mentors all across Canada. Groups of students will be randomly placed in virtual breakout rooms throughout the day to engage in conversations with STEAM mentors and get a glimpse of a variety of science professions. Come prepared with questions and be curious! Access to a desired session cannot be guaranteed but students will meet a number of mentors from different fields throughout the day.

Operation Minerva is open to all girls and students who identify as female or gender diverse in grades 8.

Operation Minerva 2022 Mentors:

Alberta Community Bat Program

• Susan Holroyd - Calgary Regional Coordinator
• Erin Low - Edmonton Regional Coordinator 

Architecture49 Inc.

• Moumee Habib - Architect

BGC Engineering

• Shelby DeMars - Hydrogeological/Geological Engineer
• Kristin White - Geological Engineer
• Allison Finer - Geological Engineer-in-training
• Kim Rockwell - Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Blackline Safety

• Valrida Chhom - Mechanical Design Engineer (E.I.T.)
• Lara Swift - Senior Director, Product Development 

Calgary Emergency Management Agency

• Kerrie Green - Business Continuity & Disaster Risk Reduction, focused in the Built Environment & Critical Infrastructure 

Enbridge

• Angelica Lovera - Senior Engineer
• Aster Aytenfisu - Senior Engineer
• Amy Deng - Rotational Engineer-in-training
• Amber Huskich - Statistics, Indigenous Engagement in Supply Chain
• Margot Lin - Rotational Engineer in Training  

Enerplus

• Cheyanne Regulski - Environmental Tech
• Sasha Harris - Operations Engineer
• Jaspreet Pandher - Team Lead, Financial Reporting
• Tanya Van Maarion - Development Engineer 

ENMAX

• Emily Huynh - Team Lead, Project Management 
• Sarah Lee - Manager, Regulatory Applications 
• Crick Nelson - Director, Digital Enablement 

Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum

• Dr. Emily Bamforth - Museum Curator and Palaeontologist

Salesforce

• Cristina Nastasa - Engineering Manager

SNOLAB

• Dr. Erica Caden - Research Scientist, Astroparticle Physics

TC Energy

• Cheryl Ung - Facilities Engineer (Electrical and Controls)

The Chemical Institute of Canada

• Josephine Tsang - Executive Director 

Université de Montréal

• Nathalie Nguyen-Quoc Ouellette - Astrophysicist

University of Alberta

• Anya Batycky - Environmental Scientist pursuing a Masters Degree

Urban Systems

• Jenna Majkut - Project Engineer, Stormwater Practitioner

W21C Research and Innovation Centre

• Courtney MacDonald - Human Factors Research Associate

Students in grade 8 are the most vulnerable in their decision-making when planning for high school and post-secondary educational pathways. Operation Minerva's mission is simple – to inspire young girls to pursue STEAM careers and foster network-building among youth to encourage a positive environment supporting achievement in science and technology.