Celebrating Women in Science: Voices from IUCr

Cristy Nonato

Louise Dawe

In the year following my PhD, I sat next to a woman I had never met before at an American Crystallographic Association (ACA) workshop on PLATON. As we worked through problems together, she introduced me to other women crystallographers at the meeting, and I immediately felt welcomed into the community. Since that first encounter in 2009, I have benefited from an extraordinary network of women mentors and colleagues who encouraged me to ask questions, participate in scientific and leadership activities, and engage in service to the community. That support helped build confidence and ultimately led me to roles in journal editing, teaching at ACA summer courses, and organizing workshops, including the Canadian Chemical Crystallography Workshop. I am deeply grateful for the sense of belonging that came from this mentorship, and I strive to pay it forward through my work with students and by encouraging others to engage in professional and service opportunities within our field.