UBC Hosts Inspiring Conference for Women and Gender Minorities in Physics
From January 30th to February 1st, the University of British Columbia (UBC) proudly hosted the 13th annual Canadian Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CCUW*iP). The event welcomed students from universities across Canada, fostering a vital space for connection and recognition within the field.
A Space for Honoring Underrepresented Voices
For Airene Ahuja, a third-year student in combined honours physics and computer science and co-chair of the conference, the core value of CCUW*iP lay in creating an environment where “women and gender minorities, who have historically been excluded from physics,” could be celebrated and acknowledged. Inspired by her attendance at last year’s conference, Ahuja emphasized the importance of highlighting the team’s accomplishments rather than solely focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) conversations, though these remain crucial.
Bringing the Conference to the West Coast
The organizing team, led by Ahuja and co-chair Jenny Zhu, began preparations almost immediately after the 2025 conference. A significant achievement was bringing CCUW*iP to the West Coast, a departure from its traditional locations in Ontario, Quebec, or Calgary. This broadened accessibility and offered a new perspective for attendees.
Workshops, Tours, and Cutting-Edge Research
The conference featured a diverse range of workshops, including sessions on quantum computing led by Fiona Thompson from the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing, and panels discussing postgraduate pathways and effective scientific communication. Attendees had the unique opportunity to tour the TRIUMF building, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, and the Quantum Matter Institute (QMI), gaining insights into groundbreaking research on superconductivity and quantum materials.
Visits to UBC’s CHIME, LIGO, and ATLAS lab groups showcased the university’s contributions to large-scale international experiments and discoveries. Notably, UBC CHIME researchers made history in 2020 by identifying the first fast radio burst within the Milky Way.
Inspiring Speakers and Keynote Addresses
The conference commenced with opening remarks from Francine Ford, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Physicists, who emphasized that the event was for “all under-represented groups within physics and related majors,” recognizing them as “the future of physics.”
Ashley Nicole Warner, an experimental physicist from Burnaby-based D-Wave, captivated attendees with her journey from a theatre major to a physics degree, introducing the principles of quantum annealing. Her story underscored the conference’s commitment to amplifying diverse experiences in the field.
Keynote speakers Dr. Stephanie Simmons and Dr. Nancy Forde further enriched the program, discussing scalable quantum computing technologies and biophysics, respectively.
Affordability and Community Building
Recognizing the financial barriers to conference attendance, the organizing team prioritized affordability. CCUW*iP 2026 cost only $60 for in-person attendees and provided accommodations for 90 out of 107 delegates, including meals and lodging at Walter Gage Student Residence. This accessibility was a key differentiator, contrasting with the $150 cost of similar conferences like CUPC.
Kaylee Bains, vice-chair of external relations, highlighted the conference’s impact on community building, particularly for students who had previously felt isolated within the physics program. Attending CCUW*iP helped her find a sense of belonging and realize she wasn’t alone.
Exploring the Universe and Beyond
The conference’s final day featured lectures on geophysics, medical physics, and pulsars, demonstrating the broad applications of physics. An interactive session on impostor syndrome and EDI, led by Dr. Ingrid Stairs and Adele Ruosi, challenged conventional thinking about “resiliency,” advocating for “persistence” as a more empowering approach. Ruosi pointed out that praising minorities for their “resilience” can inadvertently normalize unwelcoming environments.
In closing remarks, the co-chairs encouraged delegates to consider hosting the next CCUW*iP at their own universities, hoping to continue the dialogue around EDI and build inclusive communities within physics across Canada.
