Projects
Current Projects
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STEM With Disabilities is a visibility and advocacy project for scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians.
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I am thrilled to be leading this project to amplify the voices and lived experiences of disabled students through a one-day, virtual Summit and post-Summit report. This project is run through STEM With Disabilities. The 2024 Summit was funded by University of Waterloo, McMaster University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and University of Windsor.
In the News
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In the Spring 2024 Waterloo Magazine, produced by the University of Waterloo, I was honoured to be featured alongside Emma Collington as a Waterloo changemaker building community and forging progressive solutions.
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Presentations
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The Amplify Podcast is a dedicated platform for University of Waterloo students to openly discuss the challenges they face in navigating academia while holding marginalized identities.
In Season 2, Episode 1, I share my experiences accessing accommodations, advocating for inclusive practices, and fostering community-based disability pride.
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In this honest and vulnerable dive into my mental health history, I told the story of Lies I Told My Parents at Confabulation Montreal’s March 2024 event (to a sold-out crowd of 250 people).
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In this 2024 presentation to the Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, I introduced the power of qualitative research and storytelling to amplify voices and challenge dominant narratives.
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Presented by Michelle Liu at the “Governance of Social Listening in the context of Serious Health Threats” at the Hong Kong University Centre for Medical Ethics & Law conference (2023), this presentation explored our collaborative, ongoing work discussing engineers’ ethical, professional, and human rights obligations as technology creators in the health infodemic.
This work applies my Master’s research in vaccination hesitancy social listening as a case study of the consequences of not meeting engineer’s obligations.
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At the 2023 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada conference, I represented TGC to develop and lead the presentation Blending Numbers, Stories, and Art: A Case Study in Supporting Canada’s Immigrant Women in STEM. This presentation introduced the concept of arts-based knowledge translation and explored feminist methodologies for inclusive science communication.
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As a guest on The Science Pawdcast, I talked about my science communication research in vaccination hesitancy, the power of knowing your audience and navigating life with a new puppy.
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These two conference presentations featured my Master’s research.
Fowler, S. (2021). Vaccine Hesitancy Communication during a Global Pandemic: A Case Study of Vaccination Hesitant Facebook Pages during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Conference: Public Communication of Science and Technology 2020 +1, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Fowler, S. (2021). Vaccine Hesitancy Communication during a Global Pandemic. Conference: Future of Science Communication, Berlin, Germany.
Science Communication Projects in the Wild
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![Samantha speaks emotionally in a bar event.]()
An emotional story on disability and identity shared at Confabulation Montreal's 2023 nightlife event
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![Samantha enthusiastically presents at the "Power of the Pitch" conference by Falling Walls Engage Hub Canada.]()
A (winning!) science outreach pitch at the 2023 Falling Walls Engage Hub Canada conference
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2019 Valedictorian address at University of Waterloo Faculty of Science
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![Samantha Fowler and Emma Collington, the project leads for STEM With Disabilities, smile with Emma's service dog, a black lab named Marlowe.]()
Headshots for a feature article on the STEM With Disabilities project
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![A series of three 3D printed people with various defects, including melted and missing heads, all with removable hearts]()
Evolution of designs to teach students about how surgeons can use 3D printing to model organs
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![Bulletin board with messy and beautiful camper's artwork from different projects, including Ozobot Blackberry Life Cycle Maps and Exploding Seedpod Artwork]()
Western Engineering Outreach x Aamjiwnaang First Nation Summer Camp
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![A group of avid, new student summer job hires building a truss bridge that can be crawled through]()
Managing new staff hires and teaching how to build the student-sized truss bridge
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![Paper mache covered lanterns with student designed LED circuits and pipe cleaner handles]()
Northern Lights lanterns with student designed electronics
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A mental health visibility project to encourage sharing of stories at University of Waterloo
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Engaging students with mental health trivia and information as a Peer Health Education Coordinator
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Particle Twister with TRIUMF - right hand on Tesla the Tau!
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Photographing the ATLAS Masterclass event where high school students analyzed live particle accelerator data
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![Samantha describes particle accelerators to avidly listening high school students while using enthusiastic hand gestures.]()
Excited as ever to discuss particle accelerators with TRIUMF
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![Sam, smiling proudly, in front of a mock exhibit with rows of light up lights and three buttons allowing science centre visitors to see disease spread in different populations with varied vaccination rates]()
Model exhibit for the Science North science centre to address vaccination hesitancy
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![A group of volunteers wearing blue Science shirts show off different hands-on experiments for kids at the University of Waterloo Science Open House]()
Excited volunteers at the University of Waterloo Science Open House
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![Samantha smiles at the camera in a professional headshot, with the overlayed text reading "Amplify featuring Samantha".]()
Promotion for the AMPLIFY podcast episode Unlocking Potential: Navigating Academia Through Disability Advocacy
