Hi Wildcats,
It’s hard to know what a career in STEAM might involve. People might ask you, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” and the answer can be daunting. Your years in high school are a great time to start asking questions and learning from people who are in careers that might interest you. Start asking questions!
SFU Applied Sciences Outreach offers fun, engaging workshops and resources that encourage youths to explore topics in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and design, and Mathematics (STEAM). We aim to not only enhance STEAM literacy among youths in BC, but also foster an appreciation of how science can be used to make sense of the world we live in and improve how we do things.
About STEM Speaker Series
“What should I study in university?”
“What are my career options if I’m interested in STEM?”
“What is university like?”
If you are a Grade 9-12 student and these questions are on your mind, then perhaps this is the right event for you! The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Speaker Series provides secondary school students with the opportunity to meet and interact with university students, faculty members, and/or working professionals in STEM fields.
During this event, our guest speakers will talk about their career path and what made them pursue the field they are in. They will also present and discuss a meaningful project they have worked on or are currently working on. Finally, there will be a Q&A session for students to ask questions and interact with our guest speakers. This speaker series is also open to
the public as we want to encourage parents, guardians, and teachers to join us in supporting youths who are interested in pursuing post-secondary studies in these disciplines.
STEM Speaker Series: Forensic science
Mar 27, 2021 (Saturday), 1:00-2:00 pm
Meet our speaker: Dr. Gail Anderson
Dr. Gail Anderson is a Professor at SFU, Co-Director of the Centre for Forensic Research and holds a Burnaby Mountain Endowed Professorship. Since 1988, she has been a forensic entomology consultant to police, SPCA and Wildlife Enforcement and has testified as an expert witness many times. Anderson was a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the SFU Outstanding Alumni Award, the
CSFS Derome Award for “outstanding contributions to the field of forensic science”, the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence and the AAFS, Path/Bio Award for Achievement in the Life Sciences. TIME magazine listed her as one of the top five global innovators in the world, this century, in the field of Criminal Justice in 2001 and as one of the Leaders for the
21st Century in 1999. She was listed as one of the 100 most Influential Women in BC by the Vancouver Sun in 2010, and one of the six most influential scientists in 2015. She has published numerous papers and two books (both in 2nd editions). Dr. Anderson’s talk will focus on the field of forensic entomology, which is the use of insects in criminal investigations. She will also highlight a case in which a miscarriage of justice was corrected using insects, or rather, in this case, a lack of insects, when they should have
been there.
STEM Speaker Series: Forensic science
Mar 27, 2021 (Saturday), 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Grade: 9-12
Sign up link: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/393262987 **
*The meeting link will be opened 30 minutes before the talk starts for students to test their setup (e.g. is your audio working?).
**Please use the link to sign up by March 21 (Sunday, 11:59 pm). Further details (e.g. Zoom links) will be sent to students by March 22 (Monday) at 5:00 pm. If you’re a parent/guardian or a teacher who is interested in joining this talk, please contact Eva at sacoord@sfu.ca.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Eva (Outreach Programs Coordinator, SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences) at sacoord@sfu.ca .
More info about the Forensic Science Speaker Series HERE.
STEM Speaker Series: Software engineering
Apr 17, 2021 (Saturday), 1:00-2:00 pm
Meet our speaker: Dr. Brian Fraser
Dr. Brian Fraser is a senior lecturer in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (in Surrey). He earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from SFU and worked in industry as a software developer for 10 years. Dr. Brian loves teaching because he can help students learn to create software which makes people’s lives better. One such project his
students have worked on is creating a health care referral system for use in refugee settlements. Dr. Brian enjoys seeing students being excited about learning and his talk will focus on the area of software engineering, which involves the application of computer science and engineering principles to the development of software.
STEM Speaker Series: Software engineering
Apr 17, 2021 (Saturday), 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Grade: 9-12
Sign up link: http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/393834263 **
*The meeting link will be opened 30 minutes before the talk starts for students to test their setup (e.g. is your audio working?).
**Please use the link to sign up by April 11 (Sunday, 11:59 pm). Further details (e.g. Zoom links) will be sent to students by April 12 (Monday) at 5:00 pm. If you’re a parent/guardian or a teacher who is interested in joining this talk, please contact Eva at sacoord@sfu.ca .
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Eva (Outreach Programs Coordinator, SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences) at sacoord@sfu.ca .
More info about the Software Engineer Speaker Series HERE.