‘Still a long way to go’: Scientist, chemist, biologist to celebrate women in STEM

Alison Criscitiello, director of the University of Alberta's Canadian Ice Core Lab, a centre studying climate records and environmental chemistry in Canadian High Arctic and alpine regions,standing on top of Mount Logan in 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Zac Robinson

Ice core scientist Alison Criscitiello has guided expeditions to the tips of the tallest peaks in the world, but some of the biggest challenges she’s faced have been on the ground.

She says one of those was when she was a young mountain guide waiting to meet American clients to help them summit Aconcagua in South America.

“When they saw me, they’re like, ‘Are you the ranger or are you just picking us up?’ Just instantly sizing me up,” said Criscitiello, now the director of the University of Alberta’s Canadian Ice Core Lab, which studies climate records and environmental chemistry in Canadian High Arctic and alpine regions.

“Their reaction was just bad.”

During the expedition, she said the men who questioned her guiding skills couldn’t handle the altitude, failed to summit and decided to stay at their camp the next day to nap.

“I left them there and ran to the top myself,” she said. “It was a good day.”

Criscitiello, a queer woman now working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, said she still has to be the “strongest and fastest” just to be considered an equal to her male colleagues.

That’s why she’ll be marking the International Day of Women in Science on Tuesday at the Telus World of Science in Edmonton -- to remind young women it’s important for them to keep going.

“An American colleague did research on general demographics on the field, and we do know there’s still a long way to go. The spaces that I work at are still quite male dominated,” she said.

“So it’s always at the forefront of my mind how important it is that we diversify the hard sciences in general by trying to be more visible as a woman, as a queer person and all the things that I am.”

She said she realized late in her career she was hiding her who she is.

“I felt for a long time that it was a pro to be private about who I am personally, like it somehow detracted from my science to let the more human side come out,” she said.

“But over the years and I just got more and more defiant and determined to stay where I was, keep doing what I was doing.”

Representation is important, said Jessica Haines, an assistant professor of biological science at MacEwan University in Edmonton, who will also be marking the day by presenting research on Alberta squirrels at the science centre.

“One thing that is important about gender diversity or other aspects of diversity is that everyone comes into their job with their own unique perspective, their own unique background and their own ideas of how they could problem solve,” said Haines.

“That helps us move our field forward.”

She said she wants women to see they can do anything.

“When I was young, I didn’t really know that studying squirrels was an option. I lived somewhere that was a bit more traditional in their views of what men and women could do,” said Haines, who is originally from the East Coast.

“I came from a family where there were very few people who had gone to university.”

She said Alberta’s squirrels have taught her how to overcome these barriers.

“Squirrels are a species that are really good at making do and thriving, regardless of what kind of environment they encounter.”

Some of them live in trees, some on the ground, some sleep through winter, while others are active all year, she said.

“They show being adaptable is really key to success.”

Divya Kaur, one of two female chemistry professors out of 12 at Ontario’s Brock University, said a strong female role model encouraged her to pursue a career in science.

“When I started my career as an international student, my role model played an important role in my life,” said Kaur, who is from India.

“She showed me what the possibilities are ... because most of the time students don’t know or they’re not provided enough counselling,” she said.

Kaur said she’ll be thinking about the important women in her life on Tuesday.

“Women can be mothers and still pursue their career. They can be everything.”

--Fakiha Baig

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2025.