Alicia Bjarnason

Alicia Bjarnason
Bjarnason at Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur California in November 2023
Alma mater	University of Calgary University of Saskatchwan
Awards	Stars of Alberta(2019)ASTech Award(2022) Fellowship with Geoscience Canada(2022)Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award (2023)
Scientific career
Thesis	"A Space of their Own? A feminist exploration of gendered spatial relations in Professional Women’s Organizations in Alberta's Resource Sector"(2018)

Alicia Bjarnason is a Canadian woman who studied in the field of geology at the University of Saskatchewan. She would work in the geoscientist field in Alberta and Saskatchewan before finishing her education at the University of Calgary, where she received a master's degree in Human Geography. Upon finishing her education, Bjarnason would shift her field of work to equitable, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) organizations where she would promote the involvement of women in STEM and geology fields. At this point of her career, Bjarnason and her team received various awards due to their work in promoting and advocating women in STEM. Bjarnason would also publish her master's thesis "A Space of their Own? A feminist exploration of gendered spatial relations in Professional Women’s Organizations in Alberta's Resource Sector" in (2018). Bjarnason's master thesis would be the first peer-reviewed and published work in her department to contain "feminist" in the title. Her master's thesis addressed intersectional challenges within the STEM profession.

Career

Alberta Women's Society (AWSN)

Alicia Bjarnason was a president/co-president of the Alberta Women's Science Network. Alicia Bjarnason, along with co-authors; Bita Nikoukar and Heather Barnes, published two books, "On-Ramping Guide for Employers" and "Returning to Work after an Extended Leave." The guides contributed to the team winning the ASTech award in 2022.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA)

Alicia Bjarnason was a part of the advisory board of The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, and was also assigned as a Professional Geoscientist.

Operation Minerva

Alicia Bjarnason was the director and mentor for Operation Minerva which was a program under AWSN that recruited younger women in STEM.

Professional contributions

• "A Space of their Own? A feminist exploration of gendered spatial relations in professional Women's Organizations in Alberta Resource Sector" (2018-05-18)
• Co-author of "2022 Policy Forum Briefing" (2022)
• Lead author of "AWSN Scholarship Program" (2021-09-30)
• Co-author of "CCWEST Gap Analysis Report Gender Inclusion in SETT: Effective Strategies for Systemic Change" (2023)

Awards and Honor

In 2019, Alicia Bjarnason received the "Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award" for contributing to the community's well-being.

In 2022. Alicia Bjarnason had led herself and her team at AWSN, and received the "ASTech Award" for their work promoting gender inclusion.

In 2022, Alicia Bjarnason received the "Fellowship with Geoscience Canada" for her work creating gender inclusivity in the profession of geoscience in Canada.

In 2023, Alicia Bjarnason and her team received the "Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award" for their work with AWSN Equitable Scholarship Program.