Mary Wells, the dean of Waterloo Engineering, urges universities to do more to encourage diversity among students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in an opinion piece in a national publication.
Wells argues in University Affairs that initiatives such as Hive Mind, a free tutorial service for high school students offered by her Faculty, are more important than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic forces pivots to remote learning and disproportionately impacts young women, and students in rural areas and minority groups.
"How can we help level the playing field considering these inequities and ensure all students, especially women, have an opportunity to become future university students in STEM?" she asks.
Go to How universities can help mitigate the pandemic’s effects on our future STEM workforce for the full column.