Februrary 11th marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the annual event promotes full and equal access and participation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Let's celebrate some of the outstanding women in Waterloo Science.
Dr. Melanie Campbell
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Leading by example, Campbell was the first woman graduate student in Applied Mathematics at Australian National University. She was also the first person to take maternity leaves as a CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellow and as an NSERC University Research Fellow. Having broken new ground, Campbell turned around to support and promote the next generation of female academics.
“Each time I see a hurdle or experience a difficulty … I try to do something so other people won’t face the same situation. I think everyone should keep working toward an inclusive environment with more gender balance.”
At Waterloo, Campbell pushed for the availability of day care facilities for infants and reserved space for newly arrived faculty members. While working at NSERC, her advocacy for maternity and parental leave for NSERC-funded students and fellows resulted in a policy that supported women’s success in academia. She helped to increase the number of female faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the percentage of female doctoral students in her lab is 17 per cent higher than the national average.
Fiona Thompson
MSc Student, Department of Chemistry and Institute for Quantum Computing
A rich and interdisciplinary research environment with world-class facilities was one of the main factors that drew Thompson to IQC to pursue her master’s degree in chemistry with a specialization in quantum information. Here, she dedicates much of her time to performing hands-on research in Dr. Jonathan Baugh’s lab with superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures for use in topological quantum computing.
“I think my best piece of advice for women and girls interested in science is to take up more space! Apply for that job, even if you don't have every qualification listed; go to your favourite professor's office hours, even if you think you might be wasting their time; and advocate for yourself and your peers, even if society very much tells women to do the opposite. Speaking up always pays off!”
Since joining our community, Thompson has volunteered her time with the many outreach programs, introducing and educating audiences from children to teachers about the fascinating world of quantum information. Thompson’s ultimate career goal is to do science communication professionally, and she feels that IQC is the perfect environment for her to accomplish this goal.
Dr. Crystal Senko
Canada
Research
Chair in
Trapped
Ion
Quantum
Computing
Professor,
Department
of
Physics
and
Astronomy
and Institute
for
Quantum
Computing
Named as a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in trapped ion quantum computing in 2020, Senko has been recognized by the Government of Canada for her innovation, excellence, and pursuit of knowledge. This funding supports both her individual research goals and the transfer of her knowledge to the next generation of highly skilled quantum experts through her supervision, training, and collaboration efforts.
“I enjoy being exposed to the large variety of skills that are needed for quantum computing research. Our work involves everything from understanding quantum theory to troubleshooting lasers and designing radio frequency circuits. And, in my lab, we can see and manipulate individual atoms – how cool is that?”
Senko was awarded funding through the Government of Ontario's Early Researcher Awards program in 2022 which helps new researchers, working at publicly funded Ontario research institutions, build a research team. Her group is currently focused on quantum computation with trapped ions and the dynamics of interacting spin systems in the interest of developing novel techniques to protect sensitive quantum information while other information is being read.
Kimia Mohammadi
PhD Student, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Quantum Computing
Having been fascinated by space and astronomy growing up, Mohammadi was drawn to Dr. Thomas Jennewein’s research group where she investigates free-space quantum communications using quantum optics. Currently, her team is working on the QEYSSat mission (Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite), supported by the Canadian Space Agency. Once the satellite is launched, it will perform free-space quantum key distribution using encoded photons to communicate with optical ground stations. Mohammadi designed and built the customized telescope that will be the ground transmitter and receiver for the University of Waterloo as her master’s thesis, for which she was awarded the 2022 Dean of Science Award.
After graduating with her master’s degree, Mohammadi continued working with the research group as a research associate and is now pursuing her PhD at IQC. She has also joined a flight school with the ambition of becoming a licensed pilot!
“Glass ceilings are meant to be shattered, do not hesitate to give them a fearless punch if needed! So, dream big, be confident, be vocal.”
Participating in science outreach has been in important part of Mohammadi’s life since starting university. She has offered her time to organize programs for undergraduate students, work at a children’s science museum, and volunteer for many online and in-person outreach events like FemPhys Mentoring Night at the University of Waterloo. Learning from senior mentors and engaging with the enthusiastic student community allows Mohammadi to work toward her personal goal of influencing at least one person to fall in love with science and pursue it passionately in the future.