The Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) serves as an umbrella organization that brings together various scientific communities. Recently, the CIC sat down with Dr. Tricia Carmichael, Chair of the Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC) Working for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (WIDE) committee, to discuss the committee’s goals, structure, and the pathways available for new members interested in joining the division.

About WIDE

The WIDE committee is dedicated to building a barrier-free chemistry community—one that not only understands and values equity, diversity, and inclusion, but actively upholds these principles in every aspect of its work. Among the resources it offers are guidelines for making science laboratories more accessible and an accommodations checklist to support students with disabilities.

To bring these initiatives to life, WIDE works closely with passionate advocates and experts in the field—such as Dr. Carmichael—whose work continues to inspire change and foster inclusion across the chemistry community.

Dr. Carmichael’s Involvement with WIDE

Long before joining the WIDE committee, Dr. Carmichael was deeply connected to the Canadian chemistry community. “I’ve known about the CIC. I went to my first conference when I was a new grad student,” she recalled.

Today, Dr. Carmichael is a full-time materials chemistry professor at the University of Windsor in Ontario. With two decades of teaching experience, she thrives on linking classroom lessons to real-world applications—whether it’s exploring the physical properties of diamonds and what makes them sparkle or examining how semiconductor chips are made and how they power the technology students use every day.

Connections to her chemistry community are exactly what propelled Dr. Carmichael to join the WIDE Committee. In 2019, Dr. Carmichael agreed to serve as an interim associate dean in the Faculty of Science at the University of Windsor. As an interim dean, she became very interested in the topic of EDI.

Building on this work, Dr. Carmichael began speaking openly about mental health in academia, drawing from her own experiences. “I became interested in WIDE as I started to become more involved in talking about mental health and academia as part of my own journey,” she said. Her story, shared in Voices of Academia, resonated with others and reinforced her desire to join a community of like-minded advocates.

“Being interested in WIDE, you have a group of people who have the same kinds of values and the same kinds of priorities. That’s how I got involved,” she explained.

CSC WIDE Committee at the annual CSC conference

Her work with the committee quickly expanded beyond advocacy into shaping tangible changes at CSC events. One key area of improvement has been enhancing accessibility and inclusivity at the annual Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) conference.

As part of the registration process for the annual CSC, attendees are asked to complete a self-identification questionnaire. While optional responses are available—such as “prefer not to answer”—the questionnaire is mandatory, and the committee emphasizes its importance.

“One of the main pieces of information, that we got from those questionnaires, was the need for childcare,” Dr. Carmichael explained.

According to Dr. Carmichael, having childcare resources onsite at the annual conferences is one of WIDE’s biggest achievements.

“Last year, we got an accessibility policy approved by the board. Now, this is a mandatory thing, so that the conferences are accessible for everyone,” Dr. Carmichael said.

This year’s CSC 2025 conference in Ottawa marked a major success for CSC WIDE. The committee organized a range of impactful programming, including EDI symposia, Pride Symposia, an Indigenous Relationships and Chemistry session, and a symposium focused on inclusive design.

“This was the first time that we’ve seen so much interest. The room was packed—to the point I was sitting on the floor,” Dr. Carmichael joked.

With this surge in engagement, many attendees were eager to learn how they could get involved with the committee and contribute to its growing efforts.

“I’ve received a couple of emails asking about participating, being a member of WIDE. I’ve gotten back to those individuals, and as a committee, we must update our terms of reference so we can figure out how big of a group we should be,” Dr. Carmichael said.

Looking Ahead: The Future of the CSC WIDE Committee

At the concurrent x2026 conference in Toronto, there will be EDI content presented by the WIDE committee. While the full lineup of symposia is still being finalized, attendees can expect meaningful and impactful sessions.

Dr. Carmichael emphasized her ongoing commitment to embedding EDI principles into the structural foundation of the CSC.  “We are working with the accreditation committee of the CSC to have EDI expectations in Universities that want to have CSC accreditations,” she added.

Community outreach and communication will always be at the heart of WIDE’s mission. To get connected with the CSC WIDE Committee, visit their webpage today.