Join Dr. Bonnie Schmidt (President, Let’s Talk Science) and Dr. Chad Gaffield (President, Royal Society of Canada), in a multidisciplinary conversation moderated by Dr. Joanna Quinn (President, RSC College) about science, scholarship, and democracy. Drs. Schmidt, Gaffield, and Quinn will explore the increasing disconnect between socio-political discourse and trust in science, and emerging techniques and approaches to communicating evidence to the public.
Bonnie Schmidt, the founder of “Let’s Talk Science”, is a pioneer in science education for Canadian school children and teachers. Due to Bonnie’s drive and exceptional dedication, the initiative she started as a graduate student over 25 years ago is now a multi-dimensional national program. Since inception Let’s Talk science has impacted over 7.5 million children in all regions of Canada, developing their skills in problem solving and critical thinking.
Chad Gaffield, President of the Royal Society of Canada and Distinguished University Professor at uOttawa, has advanced our understanding of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Canada through his innovative research enabled by digital technologies. A strong proponent of regional, national, and international collaboration, he has championed research on human thinking and behaviour as essential in making a better future.
Joanna Quinn, President of the RSC College, is a political Scientist at Western University who studies transitional justice and post-conflict reconstruction focusing specifically on the politics of acknowledgement. She has studied how countries deal with large scale human rights abuse, and her work is helping to shape policy by encouraging countries to use culturally appropriate mechanisms to facilitate post-conflict reconciliation on the national and international stages.
