Panellist 1
Nimrat Obhi, Beyond Benign
Bio: Nimrat is from Ottawa, Ontario and obtained her HBSc at the University of Ottawa in 2014. They completed their PhD in chemistry at the University of Toronto in 2020, where their research focused on the synthesis and investigation of carbon-based semiconducting polymers with complex architectures for electronic applications. During this time, Nimrat also completed a teaching fellowship to design and implement a Green Chemistry course module into an upper-year chemistry course at the University of Toronto. She is committed to equity and diversity work and has worked with local and national teams for seven years on advocacy and policy initiatives, including co-chairing the first LOGIC Retreat in Toronto in 2017. Throughout their PhD they have been the recipient of numerous awards, including being named as an element (hassium) in the IUPAC Periodic Table of Young Chemists in 2019. Nimrat joined Beyond Benign as a Program Manager in early 2021 and aims to bring her combined passion for chemistry, science education, social justice advocacy, and sustainability to her work. Outside of work Nimrat is an avid skiier, cook, swimmer, and bookbinder.
Panellist 2
Susan Egbert, University of Manitoba
Bio: Just because someone might be half-Asian does not always that they do not experience similar things to POCs who are of the full race. I have an interesting experience of not necessarily fitting into my Caucasian side or Asian side. I definitely think that there are a growing number of individuals who are half-Asian that is still rather confused about their identity. A little about me is that I received a PharmD from University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy in 2019. I’m in my third year of PhD currently researching on lichen natural products.
Panellist 3
Alex Veinot, Queen’s University
Bio: Alex Veinot is a PhD student and Vanier Scholar at Queen’s University under the supervision of Professor Cathleen Crudden. His research focuses on developing new organic-on-metal technologies, specifically N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on copper. Originally from Nova Scotia, Alex is a member of the Mi’kmaq community Glooscap First Nation and has actively promoted Indigenous academics and representation in science throughout his PhD. Alex has shared his experiences as an Indigenous chemist through invited conference (102nd CCCE, 2019; 70th CCEC, 2020) and seminar (Saint Mary’s University, 2020) presentations, and as a member of the CSC committee Working for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE).
Panellist 4
Molly Sung, PhD, Acuitas Therapeutics
Bio: A Formulations Scientist at Acuitas Therapeutics, Molly Sung has a background in inorganic chemistry. She is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of Toronto, where she researched ways to use renewable feedstocks to provide green fuels. At Acuitas, Molly is a part of the team that worked on the organization’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle technology, which is a key element of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine that has been administered to millions of people around the world. Molly is interested in the relationship between science, society, and government serves on the Youth Council of the Office of the Chief Science Advisor where they hope to shape the future of Canadian science.