Of all agricultural faculty across North America, only five per cent are female.
This statistic won’t stay that way, though, if one group at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture has anything to do with it.
Female Leaders in Academia (FLIA) is a group on the Agricultural Campus open to female graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, female faculty and any undergraduate students interested in mentorship and leadership in academia. It meets monthly to discuss a variety of topics, hear from prominent female voices and practice skills to help further their careers.
The group was founded in September by Sarah Stewart-Clark, assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences. Noticing the low number of female faculty in the field, Dr. Stewart-Clark felt there was a need for female mentorship on campus.
“I went through my entire PhD program without having any female scientists on any of my supervisory, comprehensive or examination committees, nor did any female faculty teach the courses that I took,” Dr. Stewart-Clark explains. “It started to feel like an academic career in science was not possible for women, as I was not meeting them.”
Dr. Stewart-Clark explains that although women make up a significant proportion of students at universities in North America, female faculty are still not well represented in the science and engineering programs at the university level. She wanted to ensure female graduate students had a different experience than she had, with female leaders to act as mentors.
“The chances of female students continuing to higher education are much higher if they have a female mentor to show them that it is possible,” Dr. Stewart-Clark explains. “FLIA was formed to do that for female graduate students in the Faculty of Agriculture.”
A supportive network, community outreach
FLIA allows students to meet female mentors and join a supportive network of women on campus. They meet on the first Thursday of every month and discuss a variety of topics such as balancing work, family and life, and learning how to improve their communication and leadership skills. They also take part in book club discussions about academia, leadership, motherhood and many other subjects. The FLIA also participates in activities that promote science to younger students in the community.
For the first time, FLIA is hosting an event specifically for junior high girls. Girls Get Wise is an interactive workshop introducing science to girl’s from grades 7-9 in a hands-on way. Taking place March 7 — just prior to International Women’s Day — the workshop will allow girls to gain hands-on experience and confidence in science related fields. Covering a variety of topics, the girls will have the chance to ask questions and break down any perceptions they might have about any of these areas of research.
"As a graduate student, it's exciting to be able to interact with girls in grades 7-9, learn about their career goals and dreams, and then show them that their goals are achievable,” says Robyn McCallum, a graduate student and FLIA member. “These grade levels are such a critical time to have positive influences and mentors to look up to.
“As a graduate student, I am still able to put myself in their shoes and imagine what it's like to be in school at that age. I think this will help to connect with the students, and share with them some of the ways they can continue to set academic goals and achieve them."
As for the future, Dr. Stewart-Clark hopes that the group can turn some of its events into annual events. On March 19, FLIA will host Megan Leslie, Halifax member of parliament, to share her experiences being a female leader in politics. In April, FLIA also plans to have training sessions on negotiations and communications in academia, a topic that can be a barrier for the vertical advancement of women in science. Dr. Stewart-Clark says she hopes that others will follow the lead of the Agricultural Campus.
“I want female mentors to be visible and available to female students because otherwise they might not meet any during their graduate and post-graduate training,” she explains. “As far as I know it has been the first program like this at Dalhousie University. We would love for every faculty at Dalhousie to have a FLIA group if they feel it would be a benefit in their discipline.”
Want to learn more about FLIA? Email Dr. Stewart-Clark at sarah.stewart-clark@dal.ca