At the beginning of 2020, no one anticipated how the next two years would unfold. Challenges were faced across all sectors and industries—including in education—with groups rallying together to address these changes and build community. The Waterloo Women’s Impact Network (WWIN) was launched on May 12, 2020—International Women in Mathematics Day—with the goal of creating a supportive network of women and allies committed to encouraging the next generation of leaders in mathematics and computer science.
Over the past year, this network has grown to include alumni of all ages, Waterloo staff members as well as current students. With the help of our WWIN members, we received $38,603 which was split amongst our campus partners: the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), Women in Computer Science (WiCS) and Women in Mathematics (WiM). These funds support outreach activities aimed at attracting the interest of young women in mathematics and computer science as well as tailored programming for current students.
Where We Are Now
The number of women-identifying students in the Faculty of Mathematics has remained steady over the past two years. As of Fall 2021, women represented 34.7% of the undergraduate population in the Faculty of Mathematics and 25.5% in the School of Computer Science. At the graduate level, these numbers sit at 31.1% and 20.0% respectively. The role of WWIN continues to be integral as we shine a light on diversity of all kinds in the faculty. While there is more work to be done, the featured talk at this year’s alumni weekend highlighted some of the initiatives that are being undertaken to prepare students to care about responsible technology.
Hear directly from our Dean, Mark Giesbrecht about why working towards gender equity is an important priority in the Faculty of Mathematics.
Our Impact
We invite you to meet our partners below and learn more about their programs and “WWINs” from the past year.
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
The CEMC provides resources and activities to students, teachers, schools and families in Canada and across the globe to inspire a love, passion and interest in mathematics. They are the largest mathematics outreach organization in Canada and are committed to providing access to their programs for as many as possible.
Key initiatives:
- School visits
- Free online curriculum resources
- Global mathematics and computing contests
- Think About Math!, CS Escape and the Seeing Possibilities and Rewards in Computer Science (SPARCS) programs for young women and under-represented genders in Grades 8, 9, 10 and 11
- Math teacher education through a Master’s degree and conferences
Women in Computer Science
WiCS is focused on improving gender equity in computing and the working environments of women and underrepresented genders who hold technical positions within the industry.
Key initiatives:
- Sending students to external conferences such as Grace Hopper and CAN-CWIC
- Engaging students through orientation events before they begin computer science at Waterloo
- Hosting an internal conference, WiCS Con, for current students and high school students
- Organizing mock interviews, résumé critiques, workshops and more with industry sponsors
- Facilitating speed mentoring and networking events with alumni and industry partners to help students build their networks
- Building community between first-year and upper-year students in WiCS Bubbles and Little WiCS’ Big CSters programs
- Technovation and the Girls Mean Business program which provide outreach to girls through Grade 6 to 12
Women in Math
Like WiCS, WiM aims to create a community for all students, faculty and staff while advocating for women across mathematical disciplines. Through their leadership, the Faculty of Mathematics has become the first Sponsoring Institutional Member of the Association for Women in Mathematics.
Key initiatives:
- Hosting welcome events for both students and new faculty
- Organizing lean-in circles
- Bringing top female researchers to Waterloo to share more about their expertise and areas of focus
- Offering career panels on a variety of different topics as well as Q&A sessions for students
- Sending students and faculty to external conferences
- Hosting celebrations for International Women in Mathematics Day
- Leading the WiM Directed Reading program, where undergraduate students are invited to work with a graduate student on a mathematical project
Thank You
To our WWIN leaders, first-time and repeat donors, volunteers, and community members, we would like to thank you for your investment and belief in this group. As we plan programming for the 2022-2023 year, we look forward to offering more opportunities for you to connect with other alumni, friends, and build your network, all while supporting young women following in your footsteps.
If WWIN is new to you and you are interested in learning more about our network, we invite you to send us an e-mail at mathwwin@uwaterloo.ca. Thank you for making this a ‘WWIN’ing” year for Waterloo Mathematics.
