Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Science

by Prof. Gwen Grinyer (Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, SK)

Wednesday 19 Nov 2025, 16:00 → 18:00 Europe/Rome

1/1-1 - Aula "A. Rostagni" (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia - Edificio Marzolo)

Science is a social endeavor. We learn, innovate, and discover in a team environment in which our individual lived experiences and our unique perspectives are a definite asset. Science is also political. Access to equal rights and support systems combined with privilege determines who gets to be a scientist, who gets to make decisions, and who gets to feel safe at work. Science is steeped in bias with systemic barriers that ensure some of us can never become scientists while preventing others from achieving their full potential. In this presentation, I will share some of my experiences navigating a career in nuclear physics as a woman, a mom, and an out and visible member of the LGBTQ+ community. I will describe some of my EDI work, why visibility matters, and how I use my voice, my identity, and my privilege to uplift others and make science better.

 

📚 Program:
16:00 – 18:00: seminar and discussion
18:00 – 19:00: aperitif

 

Short Biography

Dr. Gwen Grinyer is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Regina who researches a wide variety of topics in experimental nuclear physics including the structure of short-lived radioactive nuclei, rare modes of radioactivity, and nuclear astrophysics. She is the President of the Canadian Institute of Nuclear Physics (CINP) and the only international member currently appointed to the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) in the United States. In addition to her physics research, she is a prominent advocate for women and LGBTQ+ people in STEM and has done numerous outreach activities across Canada that have focused on visibility and inclusion of underrepresented identities in physics. She has received several awards for her work, including a lifetime Fellowship from the Canadian Association of Physicists (2024), the President’s Award for Service Excellence for advancing EDI at the University of Regina (2024), and a Women of Distinction Award for “Women Breaking Barriers” from YWCA Regina (2025).