Keynote Address from Kirsty Duncan

THE EXCLUSION EFFECT: HOW THE SCIENCES DISCOURAGE GIRLS & WOMEN & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

As a newly minted PhD in medical geography, Kirsty Duncan led an international expedition to remote Svalbard, Norway to search for the cause of the deadly 1918 influenza. What should have been a rewarding intellectual adventure turned out to be an unwanted baptism into the unbridled sexism and privilege of the scientific community. Ever since, she has devoted herself to the support of girls and women in scientific endeavours.

While women have come a long way in science, there is still far to go. They remain under-represented, under-paid, under-published, and under the shadows of male scientists who are assumed, without evidence, to have innate capacities that women lack. Duncan identifies systemic biases in the assessment of girls’ abilities and the teaching of science in the home, the classroom, our communities, and professional life. She makes a powerful argument for cultural and institutional change to ensure girls and women their rightful place in the scientific community.

Registration

Registration deadline is November 4^th, 2025. ^{This will not be extended!}

• Faculty and staff associated with a Canadian Faculty of Engineering; Non-profit and charity representatives: Thursday and Friday morning Summit events and Thursday gala: $300
• Industry representatives: Thursday gala and Friday afternoon: $850
• Student: Full Summit, gala and Friday afternoon: $75
• Student: Friday afternoon only: $20

Awards

To celebrate ONWiE’s 20^th anniversary, we will be offering awards! Application deadline: September 21, 2025: ONWiE Award Nominations

You can nominate yourself or others for awards in the following categories:

• Student Impact Award: Awarded to a student-led initiative that has demonstrated outstanding impact in promoting diversity and inclusion within engineering.
• Outreach Innovation Award: Awarded to a single outreach workshop or activity that exemplifies excellence in engaging youth introduced a fresh, creative, or unconventional approach to STEM engagement.
• Research Impact Award: Awarded to a Canadian research paper or presentation within the last five years that significantly contributes to knowledge and practices in EDI or engineering outreach.
• Inclusive Engineering Employer Award: Awarded to an engineering employer demonstrating exceptional commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Allyship in Action Award: Awarded to an individual who has actively and consistently championed equity and inclusion within engineering, especially by supporting underrepresented communities.

Venue

The Summit will be hosted on McMaster University Campus, in the Loft space at The Hub.

McMaster Parking Lot "C" provides the closest visitor parking.

Accommodations

Hamilton has lots of hotels ranging from economy to luxury.  Listed hotels are closest to the ONWiE Summit location of McMaster’s Main Campus (1280 Main St W, Hamilton).

• Visitors Inn: Visitors Inn Hotel Hamilton Ontario
• Staybridge Suites: ihg.com
• The Laundry Rooms: thelaundryrooms.ca/location/hamilton
• The Admiral Inn: admiralinn.com/hamilton
• The Barracks Inn: thebarracksinn.com

If you are a student interested in billeting with a McMaster Women in Engineering Student please email the Women in Engineering Club at wes@mcmaster.ca with the email subject of “ONWiE Summit Accommodations”.

Program

Sponsorship/Industry Participation

Participants from industry will have an afternoon specifically to learn about best practices in inclusive hiring and retention, with plenty of opportunities to network with current women engineering students. Your participation gives you access to the resumes of students who attend the Summit and exposure for your employer.

By sponsoring ONWiE’s 20th Anniversary Summit, you demonstrate your active commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion—both within your organization and in the broader community.

Join us in celebrating two decades of progress and help shape the future of engineering by empowering the next generation of diverse leaders.

We offer a range of sponsorship levels to suit your goals and budget. Let’s work together to create meaningful impact.