In the Community

Celebrating International Women's Day 2026

Recognizing U of A leaders and innovators whose contributions continue to drive meaningful change.

March 05, 2026

International Women's Day 2026 collage of female researchers

From top left clockwise: Grace Ciarniello, Alison Criscitiello, Margie Davenport, Crystal Gail Fraser, Nicolette Little, Marghalara Rashid, Colleen Norris, Stephanie Montesanti, Margaret McNeely, Samantha Louie-Poon

On March 8, the University of Alberta joins the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day. This day serves to recognize the achievements of women and girls, challenge systemic bias and catalyze action toward a more equitable society.

This year’s theme, Give to Gain, highlights the power of collective investment. When institutions invest resources—ranging from research funding to mentorship—to women, they ignite a multiplier effect. This cycle of mutual benefit generates social and economic outcomes that strengthen the entire community.

To illustrate this impact in practice, we are revisiting these stories of U of A leaders and innovators whose contributions continue to drive meaningful change.

Grace Ciarniello

Grace Ciarniello is a distinguished engineering physics researcher and a 2025 recipient of the Order of the White Rose. A top-tier scholar with a perfect 4.0 GPA, her work in nanophotonics and ultrafast computing aims to revolutionize high-speed communications. Beyond the lab, Grace led the Student Team for Alberta Rocketry Research to international victory and serves as a dedicated mentor through programs like fem+ and WISEST. Her leadership and academic excellence continue to break barriers for women and gender-diverse students in engineering across Canada.

Learn more about Grace

Alison Criscitiello

Alison Criscitiello is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab in the Faculty of Science and the first to earn a glaciology PhD from MIT. An ice core scientist and mountaineer, Alison uses ice core chemistry to reconstruct climate histories and she led the 2022 expedition retrieving an ice core from Mount Logan's summit plateau. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society’s College of Fellows, is a Fellow International with The Explorer’s Club and a recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for her significant contributions to Arctic climate research. She also co-founded Girls* on Ice Canada, which champions diversity in STEM.

Learn more about Alison

Margie Davenport

Margie Davenport is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, and holds the Christenson Professorship in Active Healthy Living. She is a leading exercise physiologist and former National Team athlete, Margie directs the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health. Her research focuses on maternal-fetal health, specifically closing the "gender data gap" by developing evidence-based exercise guidelines for pregnant and postpartum individuals. She chaired the 2019 and 2025 Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity and collaborates with global organizations like the IOC and FIFA to promote gender equity in sport.

Learn more about Margie

Crystal Gail Fraser

Crystal Gail Fraser is an Associate Professor, historian and Indigenous studies scholar at the University of Alberta whose work centres on Indigenous histories of colonial schooling, oral history, archives and community-driven research in the Canadian North. She is the author of By Strength, We Are Still Here: Indigenous Peoples and Indian Residential Schooling in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and co-author of the national bestseller Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada. Her scholarship and public engagement were recently recognized with a Governor General’s History Award. She leads Survivor-centred, community-engaged projects that support public education, Indigenous methodologies, and truth-telling grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems.

Learn more about Crystal Gail

Nicolette Little

Nicolette Little is an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the University of Alberta’s Media and Technology Studies, Master of Communications and Technology, and Women’s and Gender Studies programs. An expert in gender-based violence (GBV), her research interests include feminist media interventions in GBV, technology-facilitated violence and mediated cultural memory as it relates to commemorating victims. She advises the Canadian federal government, media, law enforcement and non-profits regarding media and GBV. Her forthcoming book, From Red Dresses to Memory Stones: Multimedia Activism and Gender-Based Violence in Canada, will be out with University of British Columbia Press this June. Currently, her SSHRC-supported research focuses on crowdsourced interventions in dating violence. Beyond academia, Nicolette is a Canadian Communication Association board member and a bestselling children’s author.

Learn more about Nicolette

Samantha Louie-Poon

Samantha Louie-Poon is an Assistant Professor and a dedicated nurse researcher. She focuses on health equity, anti-racism and mental health, specifically within Asian communities. As the Principal Investigator of RAW Narratives, she employs storytelling and narrative approaches to centre the lived experiences of racialized families. With a clinical background in pediatrics and roles in community advocacy, she integrates art-based methods to dismantle systemic barriers and foster inclusive, culturally safe healthcare environments for future generations.

Learn more about Samantha

Margaret McNeely

Margaret McNeely is a Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and a premier expert in cancer rehabilitation. As Director of the Cancer Rehabilitation Clinic, she researches how exercise and physical therapy enhance the quality of life for survivors. She currently leads the Lymphedema Research and Training Program, focusing on early detection and innovative treatments for chronic swelling. Her work bridges the gap between clinical research and community care through diverse clinical trials. She is also spearheading the update of Canada’s clinical practice guidelines for breast cancer-related lymphedema, ensuring evidence-based care is accessible to all.

Learn more about Margaret

Stephanie Montesanti

Stephanie Montesanti is a Professor in the School of Public Health, a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Health System Integration and Director of the CARE Research Lab. She is also the Academic Lead for the Learning Health System (LHS) Team at the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) SUPPORT Unit. A dedicated health policy researcher, she focuses on improving healthcare for vulnerable populations, specifically in the areas of Indigenous health, primary care and family violence. Her research is driven by a concern for health equity, community-driven approaches to integration and partnerships and collaborations for improving health.

Learn more about Stephanie

Colleen Norris

Colleen Norris is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Nursing. A registered nurse, she holds the Cavarzan Chair in Women's Health Research for the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation. She holds adjunct appointments in Cardiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and in the School of Public Health. She is a member of the Women and Children's Health Research Institute, with expertise in women’s cardiovascular health. Additionally, Colleen leads the Women’s Heart Health Research Collaborative, which partners with the CK Hui Heart Centre, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation to improve women’s cardiovascular care.

Learn more about Colleen

Marghalara Rashid

Marghalara Rashid is an Assistant Professor and educational scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. Her research program investigates biases and barriers to equity within health professions education. She focuses on cultural competency and the lived experiences of marginalized groups, including Indigenous communities, visible minorities and individuals with disabilities. Her work is deeply informed by critical theory, intersectionality, decolonizing frameworks and Indigenous epistemologies, which shape her study designs and research trajectory to promote a more inclusive healthcare environment.

Learn more about Marghalara