Diversity in STEM
How Kyne Santos Became a Popular Drag Queen and STEM Educator
Mediaplanet chatted with Kyne Santos, a world-class drag queen known simply as “Kyne” and best known for competing on Canada’s Drag Race — also a mathematics communicator who’s popular on TikTok, making waves as both a drag queen and a math queen.
How did you get into drag?
I spent all my high school years playing with makeup on my YouTube channel and playing with clothes from the girls’ section, but the very first time I went on stage as a drag queen was in university in 2017. It was a Halloween show and I dressed up as a pop art zombie and lip-synced to “Turn Me On” by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.
How McMaster’s BOSS Program Is Engineering a Brighter Future for Black Students
students are underrepresented in Canadian engineering programs, but a new McMaster University initiative is empowering them to envision a future as an engineer.
Despite progress in recent years, diversity in engineering remains a significant challenge. Black students are still underrepresented in many engineering programs across the country due to barriers like limited representation in media, financial challenges, and other systemic inequities.
That’s why McMaster Engineering introduced its Black Outreach STEM Series (BOSS) in April 2023. By offering culturally relevant programming for Black youth, BOSS helps foster a diverse engineering community. “We make STEM accessible and fun by showing high school students how it’s connected to their everyday lives,” says Jodi-Anne Buckley, Black Recruitment Officer and Career Advisor/ EDI Strategist.
Underrepresentation sparks research and change McMaster’s Engineering Student Recruitment and Community Outreach team conducted extensive research, consulting with Black students, staff and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to understand the issue in depth.
"We started to brainstorm and understood that maybe there’s a lack of cultural relevancy," says Sarah Alizerig, Manager, Community Outreach and Engagement. This insight led to the creation of engaging workshops that integrate Black culture into STEM, making it more accessible and exciting for students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Bridging gaps through hands-on learning
BOSS brings topics like natural hair care and music production into STEM workshops led in part by Black McMaster students to emphasize how engineering can be both relatable and empowering. These connections help Black youth see themselves as future engineers, breaking down barriers. Since its inception, BOSS has connected with more than 5,400 Black youth and been recognized with a national Actua Experience Award.
"The goal is for Black students to see that engineering is relevant to their lives as Black Canadians and to understand how they can make meaningful change in their community and the world at large through engineering," says Buckley.
At McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering, inclusivity isn’t just a goal— it’s a reality. With outreach programs designed to engage students from preschool through high school, the Faculty is leading the charge in creating barrier-free access to STEM education.
In today’s innovation-driven world, diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not just a moral imperative but a business necessity. Embracing diversity in STEM leads to a broader range of perspectives, which fosters creativity and innovation, ultimately driving technological and scientific advancement.
The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) has long recognized the critical role of diversity in STEM and has developed a Diversity Dashboard to help companies measure and improve their diversity efforts. The Diversity Dashboard is a great tool that provides organizations with insights into their workforce composition by analyzing data on gender, ethnicity, age and other demographic factors.
Using the Diversity Dashboard, companies can identify areas where they excel with respect to 50-30 representation as well as areas needing improvement, and then set measurable goals and
What lesson do you want to share with youth who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Growing up, I used to think I was too gay or too effeminate to be respected as a scientist or mathematician. It’s important to me now to show people that STEM is for everyone. All you need is an enthusiasm for learning.
How IBET Is Supporting Black and Indigenous STEM PhDs
and community support.
The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) PhD Project provides funding, mentorship, and community support to Black and Indigenous PhD students in Canada, who are typically underrepresented in STEM fields. With IBET Momentum fellowships, selected candidates receive $30,000 annually for four years. These fellowships are available to self-identifying Indigenous or Black Canadian PhD students studying at one of 18 partner universities. Fellows also gain access to mentors from both industry and academia, providing invaluable guidance and connections.
Mentorship is essential in inspiring future generations of underrepresented groups to pursue academic careers.
IBET collaborates with Mitacs, a national not-for-profit, to offer additional funding and research opportunities through a three-to-one industry funding match. The initiative also includes the IBET Connect Award, a $9,000 grant that enables fellows to study with researchers at other institutions.
Tizazu Mekonnen, Director of the IBET PhD Project, explains that the initiative arose from discussions about improving diversity in engineering. “By training more Indigenous and Black students to the PhD level, IBET aims to address the underrepresentation in STEM fields across Canada,” he says.
“Mentorship is essential in inspiring future generations of underrepresented groups to pursue academic careers,” adds Christopher Dixon, Senior Advisor of Strategic Partnerships at Mitacs.
track their progress over time. This datadriven approach allows for the use of targeted strategies to address diversity gaps and foster a more inclusive workplace. For example, if the dashboard reveals a lack of women in leadership positions, companies can implement mentorship programs, leadership training, and targeted recruitment efforts to address this disparity.
Increased diversity in STEM leads to more innovation, an expanded talent pool, and the ability to meet the needs of global markets. The SCWIST Diversity Dashboard can help companies measure, understand, and improve their efforts to foster more inclusive and successful organizations.
Embracing diversity is not just the right thing to do; it is a strategic imperative for companies aiming to thrive in the modern world.
