“We, as individuals or institutions, should be focused on creating cultures of care that achieve inclusive excellence.” – Dr. Imogen Coe

Our second event in the ACE EDI series will feature guest speaker Dr. Imogen Coe. Her presentation, Uncomfortable Truths and Inclusive Excellence in Academic Science: Building the Toolkit for Change, will address the white privilege, racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia that exist in academic science in Canada today and describe why we must have uncomfortable and sometimes difficult conversations in order to get us to the real work of identifying and removing barriers that limit access and engagement for all. Coe will discuss how we live within a myth of meritocracy in academia and are failing to achieve our full potential as a sector. Her talk will provide ideas about tips, tools and strategies that can help build the toolkit for change, and suggest actions that everyone can take within the academic environment.

About the Speaker

Dr. Imogen R. Coe was the founding dean of the Faculty of Science at Ryerson University from 2012 to 2018. She is currently a professor of Chemistry and Biology at Ryerson University and an affiliate scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, where her research group studies drug transport proteins. She is also the President of the Canadian Molecular Biosciences Society and sits on various boards including the Michael Garron Hospital and Science Rendezvous. In addition to her work as a research scientist, Dr. Coe is an award-winning advocate and activist in Canada with respect to the integration of principles of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) particularly into research cultures in academic science and medicine. She acts as a consultant to various research intensive organizations and also advises academia, government and industry on the best practices towards creating cultures of care and inclusive excellence. She has contributed to national dialogue about these issues through various platforms and is much in demand as a speaker and panelist.