February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day dedicated to celebrating the contributions of females in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), disciplines that continue to experience gender inequality all over the world.
Below, meet just a few of the outstanding Niagara College staff, faculty and alumnae who are experts in their respective fields, and who serve as shining examples for women and girls with dreams of pursuing exciting careers in STEM.
School of Nursing and PSW Lab Technologist team
A dedicated group of trained Registered Nurses, NC’s all-female lab technologist team in the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of healthcare providers.
The team, made up of Lab Technologists Carmel Andrews, Shannon Gervais, Brittany Schell and Richele Martinello (pictured above), supports students from the Practical Nursing, Personal Support Worker and Gerontology programs who are learning critical clinical skills for their future careers.
Sharing their expertise, the group provides leadership and hands-on training to students in the state-of-the-art Nursing and PSW lab, located within NC’s Applied Health Institute at the Welland Campus.
“The team is a constant for the students, supporting everyone who comes through the lab each term,” said Courtney Evers, Interim Associate Dean, School of Nursing and PSW Studies, who noted that 445 students are training across the programs during the 2023 Winter term.
“They implement the simulation technology involved in training nurses and PSWs and show leadership and mentorship not only to current students, but also to prospective students, including young women considering a career in the sciences,” added Evers.
Simulation technology includes high-fidelity mannequins, programmed by the Lab Technologists to train fourth term students. The team is also involved in training demonstrations, observing students to ensure they can safely carryout their skills, including how to safely transfer patients, take vital signs, and administer medications through IV and other formats. Wound care techniques and infection control measures, such as proper hand hygiene and PPE, are also taught in the lab.
“The way the team collaborates, working with the professors to support students and helping each other in the lab, means so much to our school as a whole and contributes to our positive culture,” said Evers.
“The lab component is the heart of our programs and it’s where the students are learning and applying all of their skills. To have the lab be a positive space for learning, creates a ripple across our school – the lab technologists have a lot to do with that.”
Jan Bradley – Electrical Engineering Professor and Program Coordinator, School of Technology
Jan Bradley has always been curious about how things work. From an early age, she listened and asked questions as her father – an engineer by trade – and older brothers – who followed in his footsteps – discussed the inner working of things.
As a professor and year one coordinator of various computer, electrical, and electronics engineering technology programs at NC, Bradley is inspiring the next generation of tradespeople – including her own daughter, an electrician, and granddaughter.
Bradley is an NC alumna (Electronics Engineering Technology, 1997) who, embarking on a second career, enrolled as a mature student with two young children. Through an aptitude test, Bradley was inspired to apply her math skills to the field of electrical engineering to explore the things that power our everyday lives. Bradley specialized in electronic semi-conductors and was hired from her NC co-op doing quality assurance at a Burlington-based manufacturer. Over nearly a decade, Bradley excelled in various departments while teaching at NC part-time before making the transition to full-time teaching.
In her role at NC, Bradley is mentoring aspiring electrical engineering technicians, including the NC student branch of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). She supports inter-disciplinary learning in NC’s STEM Hub in V113, a space for students in the School of Technology, to experiment and work collaboratively with others from outside their discipline.
As a grandmother, Bradley is nurturing the potential of her granddaughter who is showing promising math skills. More importantly, Bradley stresses that she’s showing an interest in applying basic principles of math and science to the world around her. Early exposure to not only STEM careers but encouragement from teachers in math and science – as early as primary school – is vital for young people to consider the skilled trades.
“Many young girls today are a lot more financially driven than any other generations. They want that independence. The field of trades, technology and science have good paying jobs,” said Bradley, who added that the work environments can range from being out in the field to industrial or corporate settings.
Bradley was recognized in 2008, winning the IEEE M.B. Broughton Canada Central Canada Merit Award.
Story by Jessica Torok, Communications Consultant, Corporate Communications
Laurie Zuber – Horticulture Technologist, Commercial Cannabis Production program, part-time faculty, School of Environment and Horticulture
The “average” day simply doesn’t exist for Laurie Zuber, and that’s exactly how she likes it.
One day she can be grading assignments and sending emails to connect with industry leaders, or the next day she can be in the Cannabunker taking clones and harvesting cannabis plants.
Zuber is the Horticulture Technologist for NC’s Commercial Cannabis Production (CCP) program and a part-time faculty member in the School of Environment and Horticulture. She thrives in fast-paced environment and loves working on industry cutting-edge projects alongside her colleagues and the students at NC.
In her role as Horticulture Technologist, Zuber works behind the scenes of the Cannabunker. She manages all the internal documents, ensures everyone is following Health Canada guidelines, and supports with building out the yearly crop schedule and purchasing of materials to ensure everyone from academics to research have what they need to complete projects.
Zuber has a special connection to the students in the CCP program, as she is an alumna of the program herself, graduating with the inaugural class in 2019.
“When I was in the program, I basically decided I’m all in! I’m here to be involved in all things cannabis, ready to help and get the most out of my time at NC. So, in my first semester, I worked part-time and learned so much from the professors who were very welcoming and knowledgeable,” she said.
After various part-time roles with the CCP program, Zuber applied for the Horticulture Technologist role when the opportunity came up. She got the job and hasn’t looked back since.
As part-time faculty, Zuber also enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with NC students. “I love when you’re teaching a student something and you just kind of see that a-ha moment happen,” she said.
She has a similar passion for research and enjoys working with the Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre. “Working with the research team is fantastic because I get to see the best of both worlds, stay up-to-date on the cannabis research and know what products might be coming to the market,” she noted.
Read Laurie’s full profile on NC Research and Innovation’s website.
Story by Shelby VanderEnde, Communications Lead, Research and Innovation
Thao Nguyen
Thao Nguyen is a 2021 alumna NC’s Culinary Innovation and Food Technology program. Her work as a research assistant with the Food & Beverage Innovation Centre (formerly known as the Canadian Food & Wine Institute Innovation Centre) helped inform her career choices after finishing her studies.
Today, Nguyen works as a Quality Assurance analyst with Mérieux NutriSciences, a company well known for offering testing, consulting, auditing work and solutions to meet the needs of manufacturers, food processors, caterers and retailers.
In her role, Nguyen says that she is in charge of conducting physical tests on a variety of samples including ready-to-eat, raw products to pet food, and non-food products. Regular daily tasks include monitoring temperature and the working condition of equipment, conducting water activity, pH, Brix and other tests regarding physical attributes of samples. She also participates in the sensory panel to evaluate organoleptic aspects of products over time.
When asked about what led her to NC, Nguyen noted, “It was the chance of getting hands-on food technology experience that attracted me the most, including course scopes, class activity, the co-op program and working at Research & Innovation.”
“The Culinary Innovation and Food Technology program also exposed students to different aspects of Food Science that really broaden their career path. A graduate from the program can confidently work in a kitchen, a food manufacturer, a retailer, or a laboratory, from product development to quality assurance or even start their own business,” she added.
A savoury tea project was among Nguyen’s favourite NC projects. “This was also when I gained the experience of how such a small change in the amount of ingredients could entirely affect the whole product,” she said. “My sensory ability was also improved after that, which helped me in my recent job.”
During her time at the College, Nguyen noted that there were many faculty members who had a great impact on her, including Amy Proulx, Professor and Program Coordinator of the Culinary Innovation and Food Technology program.
“Professor Amy Proulx influenced me the most with her passion about the food industry,” she said. “Talking to her or watching her videos, you can always see that she is looking to orientate the food industry to a sustainable industry that provides safe and quality products. She is also trying to inspire the young (about) why they should consider a career in food and beverage processing industry.”
Read Thao’s full profile from NC Research and Innovation.
