McMaster’s Chancellor sat down for a wide-ranging discussion with a diverse group of women in Engineering Tuesday.

The group, which included faculty and staff as well as Dean Ishwar Puri, met with Chancellor Suzanne Labarge to discuss the issues faced by women in the field of engineering, how best to attract women to the fields of science, technology, engineering and math and the work McMaster is doing to foster interest in these areas amongst young people.

“The Chancellor asked some very important questions about the culture in Engineering, and how it is changing for the better,” said Kim Jones, associate professor of chemical engineering. “She asked female faculty members to share their paths and how they learned resilience, and wondered how we could teach similar strength to our female students. As female engineering professors, I think we all appreciated the support from such an important figurehead in the university, and her perspectives on overcoming adversity as a woman in a man’s world.”

“This was a great opportunity for learning and discussion for everyone involved,” said Puri. “It was also a chance for us to take a step back and see if there might be more and better ways to reach out to female students and researchers.”

The Faculty of Engineering and its alumni office work with groups like the Women in Engineering Society, Venturing Engineering and Science Camp and the LEAP Program to reach young women in elementary schools and high schools, through a variety of outreach initiatives.

The lunch was organized by the Women in Engineering committee, which hosts a number of events throughout the year aimed at engaging women of all ages in the field of engineering.

Puri was pleased to extend an invitation to the Chancellor after a meeting between Labarge, President Patrick Deane and representatives from the Faculty of Engineering at Spring Convocation.