Niagara College is ready to celebrate women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – and stir up interest in exploring these career paths – with a Women in STEM – Sip, Savour, and Science Food Lab event.

Staff from the College’s trailblazing Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC) are joining forces with STEM by Steph to host the event on November 28 (6-8:30 p.m.).

The sold-out ticketed event – open to the college community and the public – will offer guests a unique opportunity to sip, savour and explore the world of food science. It will feature hands-on experiments, food tastings, and inspiring discussions with leading female experts in STEM fields.

Guests can take in a series of edible experiments that illustrate the principles and share the importance of food science, and explore a variety of products on the market that were developed by the College’s award-winning Research and Innovation division.

“We are excited to bring this STEM by Steph event to NC and look forward to welcoming students and the public to our Food and Beverage Innovation Centre,” said Ana Cristina Vega-Lugo, PhD, Scientific Manager of the FBIC, who will be participating in the event. “Through this opportunity to demonstrate what we do and what food science is all about, we hope more girls and women will be inspired to pursue this exciting pathway in their education and career journeys.”

The event will feature Stephanie Thompson, founder STEM by Steph – a Niagara-based social enterprise that connects women to STEM experiences – as well as NC’s Research and Innovation staff and research assistants who will showcase products they developed for various industry partners.

STEM By Steph aims to build and enhance strong networks and communities that support women in Niagara to discover STEM education and career paths.

Thompson met Vega-Lugo through this group, and they strategized a project that allows them to share their passion and talents with others. Once a year, they celebrate a particular organization or tour a locale that is relevant to their conversations.

“I love working with community partners to highlight and support the women in their organizations who are leading in STEM fields,” said Thompson. “Meeting women like Dr. Ana Vega-Lugo and her team of scientists allows us to continue to shine a light on the important work women are doing in STEM in our communities and, through the workshops, celebrate and bring attention to the hard work they accomplish.”

The event will be held at the Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake).

Proceeds will be donated to the YWCA Niagara. To help support women in the community, donations will also be collected for Project SHARE.

For more info regarding STEM By Steph visit STEMbySteph.com.

Part of NC’s award-winning Research and Innovation division, the Food and Beverage Innovation Centre offers a full suite of services to support industry innovation and commercialization of new products and processes. From beverage analysis testing to new recipe and concept development to shelf-life testing, prototyping, and small batch processing, the FBIC pairs industry partners with our highly qualified staff, faculty, recent graduates and students withthe right expertise and equipment to meet their needs.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 100 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is ranked Canada’s No.1 research college. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.

Photo: Ana Cristina Vega-Lugo, PhD (right), Scientific Manager of NC’s Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC), and Stephanie Thompson (left), founder STEM by Steph, are ready to host Women in STEM – Sip, Savour, and Science Food Lab event on November 28 at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. They stand with a variety of products on display, which were developed at NC’s FBIC.