Watch as alumni tackle the hard questions and share the work they are doing to make their communities and the world a better place.
Data + The Arts
Sept 29, 2022
Discover how artists are using data to create innovative works that influence change. In this event, you'll meet three artists using data to express beauty.
Meet the panelists
Craig Kaplan – Moderator
(BMath ’96)
Craig is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He research focuses on interactions between computer science, mathematics and art. Using ideas from computer graphics, classical and computational geometry, symmetry and tiling theory, and perceptual psychology, he develops tools and algorithms that generate ornamental patterns or that empower artists and designers. Craig is an associate editor and past editor-in-chief of Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, and helps organize the annual Bridges Conference on interdisciplinary math-art connections.
Rob Gorbet
(PhD '97)
Rob Gorbet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Knowledge Integration at the University of Waterloo. He is passionate about making connections between people and ideas in ways that help others think differently about the world and their place within it. This extends throughout his award-winning teaching, his professional development workshops, his parenting, and his artistic practice. He both teaches and practices effective collaboration, and his award-winning collaborative technology-mediated artworks have been exhibited and commissioned around the globe.
Marcel O'Gorman
Marcel O’Gorman, Professor and University Research Chair Faculty of Art, Founding Director of the Critical Medial Lab (CML) where he teaches courses, leads collaborative projects and directs workshops in digital design and the philosophy of technology. The CML is located in side the Communitech Hub in Kitchener, where its role is to disseminate a philosophy of 'tech for good.’ Besides publishing widely about the impact of technology on society, O’Gorman is also a digital artist with an international portfolio of exhibitions and performances. Marcel’s most recent research looks at “Digital Abstinence: the Art, Philosophy and Politics of Unplugging.
Jane Tingley
Jane Tingley is an artist, curator, and Associate Professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her studio work combines traditional studio practice with new media tools - and spans responsive/interactive installation, performative robotics, and telematically connected distributed sculptures/ installations. She has participated in exhibitions and festivals in the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe - including translife - International Triennial of Media Art at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing, Gallerie Le Deco in Tokyo (JP), Elektra Festival in Montréal (CA) and the Künstlerhause in Vienna (AT). She received the Kenneth Finkelstein Prize in Sculpture in Manitoba, the first prize in the iNTERFACES – Interactive Art Competition in Porto, Portugal, and has received support from a number of funding agencies, the arts councils of Canada, Manitoba, Ontario, and Québec, the Canada Council for the arts, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Data + Health
May 17, 2022
How has the history and evolution of meaningful data changed health care — in Canada and across the globe? In this event, we'll explore the things we have — and haven't — learned about collecting health data, and how we might use it to make health a human right around the world.
Meet the panelists
Anita Layton – Moderator
Professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy & Biology University of Waterloo
As the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine and Professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo, Anita leads a diverse and interdisciplinary team of researchers using computational modeling tools to better understand aspects of health ad disease. Using mathematics as a microscope, Anita’s group collaborates with physiologists, biomedical engineers and clinicians to formulate detailed models of cellular and organ function. Using model simulations and predictions, the group answers questions regarding differences in drug responses between sexes and how the timing of medication dosage impacts interactions, effectiveness and the body’s circadian rhythms.
Catherine Burns (BASc '92)
Associate Vice-President, Health Initiatives at the University of Waterloo
Catherine M. Burns, is a Professor in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada where she directs her research lab, the Advanced Interface Design Lab and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Factors and Healthcare Systems.
Catherine is well known for her work in Cognitive Work Analysis, Ecological Interface Design and the development of decision support systems. In this area she has contributed over 250 publications and is the co-author of seven books. She is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Catherine’s recent research projects have been exploring how naval crews work with data fusion systems, how people might work with artificial intelligence systems, interactions with automated vehicles, and support for improved medical decision making.
Cecilia Cotton (MMath ’03)
Associate Professor/Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Statistics and Actuarial Science
Cecilia Cotton MMath ’03 is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies in Statistics & Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo. Cecilia’s research interest is in using longitudinal data to solve problems in public health. Areas of focus include inference for comparing survival rates across multiple dynamic treatment regimens based on observational longitudinal data as well as dosing strategies for hemodialysis for individuals with chronic kidney disease and joint modeling of longitudinal and survival data in the context of causal inference.
Data + Climate
April 26, 2022
How do we use data to understand that our climate IS changing, and that humans are responsible? In this event, we'll be considering the use of different data streams (climate modelling, satellite and aircraft measurement and surface observation) in emerging climate science. We will also explore how data and models are being used to develop solutions.
Meet the panelists
Chris Fletcher – Moderator
Associate Professor Department of Geography and Environmental Management, and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
Chris Fletcher uses computer models of the global climate system to better understand climate variability and change on timescales from seasons to decades to centuries. His research interest is in the role of atmospheric circulation in determining regional patterns of temperature and precipitation in past, present and future climates. Using state-of-the-art computer model simulations and machine learning technologies, Chris’s research group conducts numerical experiments with a hierarchy of climate modelling tools. These models are complex pieces of software, run on the world’s most powerful super computers, and Chris’s group also researches how to make climate models more computationally efficient. Group expertise includes scientific computing, physical climatology and analysis of big data.
Dave Bailey (BMath '91)
Associate Scientist, Climate & Global Dynamics Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research
As a proud graduate of University of Waterloo co-op program, Dave’s work terms informed his career path and contributed to his interest in sea ice modelling. Dave obtained an MS in Oceanography from UBC and built his specialization of data assimilation. Following his PhD in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Science in 2001 from the University of Colorado, Dave focused on Arctic/North Atlantic exchanges of fresh water and sea ice and the connection to the global ocean overturning circulation. All of this research and experience has led to a leading expertise in computer modelling with very large datasets particularly pertaining to the impact of climate on sea ice.
Dr. Ray Nassar (PhD ’06)
Atmospheric Scientist - Environment & Climate Change Canada
Dr. Ray Nassar (PhD ’06) is a Research Scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Waterloo. His Ph.D. research involved numerous aspects of Canada’s Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) / SCISAT satellite mission including interpretation of these observations to improve our understanding of atmospheric processes related to ozone and climate. His postdoctoral research at Harvard University in the Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling group and at the University of Toronto in the Department of Physics examined CO2 inverse modelling with satellite data. Dr. Nassar has been at ECCC since 2010 and has over 60 publications in atmospheric science, spectroscopy and satellite remote sensing. His current research includes using satellite observations and models to quantify natural and anthropogenic CO2 and CH4 emissions and he is a science team member for NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2), OCO-3 and GeoCarb missions. He is also the principal investigator of a proposed Canadian satellite mission concept to deliver enhanced weather and climate observations over northern regions. He has been a reviewer for multiple Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports and currently serves on Canada’s Atmospheric Science Advisory Committee (ASAC) to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Andrea Scott (BASc ’99, PhD ’08)
Associate Professor and Associate Chair Undergrad Studies, Systems Design Engineering
K. Andrea Scott (BASc ’99, PhD ’08) is an Associate Professor in Systems Design Engineering at UW. Her research focuses on data to improve model predictions, sea ice remote sensing, fluid dynamics and data-drive approaches. More specifically her research considers the assimilation of sea ice thickness and temperatures from visual and infrared sensors and uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to estimate sea ice concentration. Prior to her role as Professor at UW, Professor Scott conducted postdoctoral research at Environment Canada where she was part of a team working on the assimilation of data to improve forecasts of sea ice conditions.
Building Bridges: From Waterloo to the globe
April 29, 2021
In this virtual conversation, our featured speakers will discuss:
- the future of talent development
- creating global connections in research and industry
- the value of Waterloo’s alumni networkâfor students, alumni and real-world impact
- the importance of relationships in a global economy
Meet the panelists
Jackie Lee (BSc ’06) – Moderator
Founder of Recruit My Friends
Co-Founder of Masks for Covid
Jackie Lee graduated from the University of Waterloo Honours Science program in 2006. While an undergraduate, she started her first business Recruit My Friends which is a referral-only recruiting firm for Engineers in North America and the UK. Recruit My Friends has incubated a Careers Platform for engineers to track and manage their careers. Jackie's passion lays in helping engineers meet their potential and in bringing high performing teams together at critical growth times. While studying at the University of Waterloo, Jackie raised $1 million in donations as one of our student callers and she continues to fundraise for Ontario hospitals during the Covid-19 crisis. Jackie is an active angel investor in software start-ups and is dedicated to building the Canadian economy.
Calvin Choi (BA ’01)
Chairman and CEO of AMTD Group
Founder and Chairman of AMTD Foundation
Calvin Choi is the Chairman and CEO of AMTD Group, and the Founder and Chairman of AMTD Foundation. He is a seasoned banker with over 20 years of experience in investment banking, international capital markets, and professional auditing sectors. In 2019, Calvin was named “Asia FinTech Leader” by the Singapore Fintech Association. In 2017, Calvin was selected as a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum. He was also selected by the Institutional Investor magazine as one of the global ''Fintech Finance 35’’ in 2016.
Calvin currently serves as the chairman and CEO of AMTD international (NYSE.HKIB). He also serves as a board director of Bank of Qingdao Co., Ltd. (SEHK: 3866 and SZSE: 002948) and the director of ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN), which was founded by World Bank, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and ASEAN Bankers Association. Calvin is also appointed as the Vice Chairman of Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, Honourable President of Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, and Vice President of Hong Kong Federation of Professions.
Calvin is the Founder and Chairman of “Regional Banks+ Strategic Cooperation Alliance”, an association which was initiated by Calvin, with a number of leading Hong Kong-listed regional banks of China as members, including Bank of Qingdao, Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, Jiangxi Bank and Zhongyuan Bank; and the Founder and Chairman of “Greater Bay Young Entrepreneurs Association”, an organisation comprising a group of leading and innovative enterprises in the Greater Bay Area.
Before joining AMTD Group, Calvin was formerly a Managing Director at the Investment Banking Division and a member of the Global Family Office Committee of UBS Asia. He also served as the China Chief Specialist, Asia Strategic Alliance under the Corporate and Investment Banking Division of Citigroup.
Calvin is currently a certified bank auditor and a certified public accountant in the United States.
Feridun Hamdullahpur
President & Vice-Chancellor at University of Waterloo
As President of the University of Waterloo, Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur has devoted his tenure to fostering excellence in academics and research with a dedication to developing an innovative culture committed to experiential education. Through President Hamdullahpur's stewardship, the University of Waterloo has remained Canada's most innovative university of 27 consecutive years.
Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his more than 35 year career in research and higher education. Dr. Hamdullahpur has served as the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010.
Building Bridges: From co-op to community
April 16, 2021
In this virtual conversation, our featured speakers will discuss:
- creating a sense of belonging for employees and students
- the future of work and talent development
- co-op’s economic impact on companies and their communities
- nurturing Waterloo’s alumni network
Meet the panelists
Lisa Dusseault (BASc ’96) - Moderator
CTO and Co-Founder of Compaas
Leadership Advisor for the UWaterloo San Francisco and Bay area Alumni Chapter
Lisa has an abundant background in software engineering and design. Her work and leadership has touched a variety of organizations and fields from healthcare to sporting events and currently human resources. Her startup Compaas is an industry-leading compensation intelligence platform focused on supporting business in their quest to recognize, motivate and compensate employees in an easy and effective way.
In her spare time Lisa has joined the San Francisco and Bay area Alumni Chapter as a leadership advisor and is passionate about sharing her expertise, opening doors and creating opportunities for UWaterloo alumni to connect.
Jesse Chor (BCS ’04)
VP of Engineering - Platform Experiences at Splunk
Jesse Chor is VP of Engineering - Platform Experiences at Splunk, where he founded and now leads the Mobile Engineering team. Jesse is responsible for developing and launching Splunk Connected Experiences, a suite of apps that makes information accessible to non-technical users, helping bring the power of data to more elements of the workplace.
Jesse has recruited, hired and kick-started the entire mobile strategy from scratch, creating a culture focused on customer obsession and engineering excellence. He is also the founder of Splunk’s co-op recruiting program, using it to build out Splunk’s new Toronto engineering office.
Feridun Hamdullahpur
President Vice-Chancellor at University of Waterloo
As President of the University of Waterloo, Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur has devoted his tenure to fostering excellence in academics and research with a dedication to developing an innovative culture committed to experiential education. Through President Hamdullahpur's stewardship, the University of Waterloo has remained Canada's most innovative university of 27 consecutive years.
Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his more than 35 year career in research and higher education. Dr. Hamdullahpur has served as the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010.
Humans and ... Climate
March 25, 2021
The aim of this series is to build provocative and informative discussions that put the spotlight directly on the human at the centre of one of today’s most complex challenge – sour climate crises. Discussion will examine how cultural factors are playing a role in our fossil fuel dependence. How is this humanitarian crisis affecting our individual experiences and what can we do?
Meet the panelists
Imre Szeman - Moderator
Imre Szeman is University Research Chair and Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo, where he has worked since 2017. He previously held positions at McMaster University (1999-2009) and the University of Alberta (2009-2016). Szeman is the co-founder of the Petrocultures Research Group and one of the founders of the energy humanities, a new area of research crucial to addressing climate change.
Szeman is the recipient of the John Polanyi Prize in Literature (2000), the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award (2003), the Scotiabank-AUCC Award for Excellence in Internationalization (2004), an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (2005-7), the President's Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision at McMaster (2008), and a Killam Research Professorship (2013). In 2015, he was awarded the J. Gordin Kaplan Award for Excellence in Research, the U of Alberta’s most prestigious award recognizing research excellence in humanities, social sciences, law, education and fine arts. In 2020, he was the Leverhulme Visiting Professor in Critical Studies at the University of Glasgow.
Professor Jatin Nathwani
Professor Nathwani is the founding Executive Director, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) and held the prestigious Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy (2007-2020)).
As the inaugural Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy (2007-2020), he led research initiatives on accelerating energy transitions for a zero-carbon economy through systems assessments of technology, financing strategies, risk management and public policy.
Professor Nathwani is a Fellow and currently leads the Research Cluster 'STEM for Global Resilience’ at the Balsillie School for International Affairs, (BSIA).
Professor Nathwani, co-Directs with Prof Joachim Knebel (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany) the Global Change Initiative - Affordable Energy for Humanity (AE4H). The consortium comprises 150+ leading STEM and social science researchers, energy access thought leaders and practitioners from 50 institutions in 30 countries committed to eradicating energy poverty by 2030.
Prior to his appointment at the University in 2007, Professor Nathwani worked in a leadership capacity in the Canadian energy sector over a 30-year period. He brings a unique combination of academic perspectives with extensive experience in the business sector that includes corporate planning and strategy, energy sector policy developments, integration of environmental sustainability within power system planning, regulatory affairs and research program management.
Professor Nathwani serves on several Boards at the provincial and national levels, has appeared frequently in the media (print, TV, radio), and has over 100 publications related to energy policy, environment and risk management, including seven books. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (PEO) in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Eryn Stewart (BES ’15)
Eryn acknowledges, with gratitude, the territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas (Hamilton, Ontario) where she grew up. She is also thankful to the Anishinaabe people whose unceded, unsurrendered territory she lives and works in.
As Director of Programs at Indigenous Clean Energy, Eryn developed and leads ICE’s keystone initiative: 20/20 Catalysts Program, Canada’s first and highly successful Indigenous clean energy capacity-building program that, in five years, has supported over 100 Indigenous clean energy champions on their energy journeys. In her current role, much of Eryn’s work focuses on clean energy in northern communities supporting community energy planning and energy education initiatives.
In 2017, Eryn was one of twenty emerging leaders selected by the Arctic Council to take part in the Arctic Remote Energy Network Academy. In 2018, she was honoured with distinction as a 30 under 30 in Sustainability and was also awarded the University of Waterloo’s Young Alumni Inspiration Award in 2020. Eryn recently authored a book titled the 'Arctic Community Energy Planning and Implementation Toolkit’ in partnership with Gwich’in Council International for communities across the circumpolar Arctic.
One of Eryn’s passion is women’s leadership in the clean energy sector. She specifically strives for the advancement of Indigenous women in the sector.
Laura Zizzo (BES ’04)
Laura is a trained lawyer, communicator, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience leading organizations towards a low-carbon and climate-adapted future. Laura is a respected advisor to leading North American financial institutions as well as local and international governments.
A published author, Laura frequently writes for both academic and business media. As a respected speaker on the move to the low-carbon economy and implications for investors, she has addressed audiences representing over $1 trillion in assets under management (AUM).
In 2015 co-founded and became CEO of Mantle314, now Manifest Climate, advising large private and public sector clients globally. Laura is also co-founder of the Climate Change Lawyers Network, a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) committee on Environmental Law, a member of the University of Toronto’s Environmental Finance Advisory Committee and sits on the boards of the Clean Air Partnership and Shift Action.
Humans and ... Work
January 21, 2021
The conversation has started ... improving equity, diversity, accessibility and representation in the workplace isn’t just a dream. It is achievable. Messy, but achievable. Enjoy the second in a series of provocative, informative and enlightening discussions that put the spotlight directly on the human at the centre of one of today’s most complex challenges – the evolving work environment. How is this exciting conversation impacting our individual experiences?
Meet the panelists
Liane Davey (MASc ’95, PhD ’99) - MODERATOR
Liane Davey is a New York Times Bestselling author of three books, including The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Your Organization Back on Track and You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done. Known as the Water Cooler Psychologist, she is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and frequently called on by media outlets for her experience on leadership, team effectiveness, and productivity. As the co-founder of 3COze Inc., she advises on strategy and executive team effectiveness at companies such as Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, Google, 3M, and SONY. Liane has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology.
Tanya (Toni) De Mello (BA ’02)
With a background comprising finance, management consulting, and law, Tanya (who we call "Toni") De Mello has spent much of her career focusing on, and researching, unconscious bias. She is a human rights lawyer and a certified coach and mediator. She teaches at Ryerson University and was the Director of Human Rights there for four years.
Barb Sweazey (BES '94)
Barb is Partner at Stratos, a management consultancy for governments, businesses and civil society organizations seeking sophisticated counsel to help them navigate complex environmental, socio-economic and governance issues in a rapidly changing world.
In her capacity as the Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Stratos, Barb also recruits and builds a world-class team of consultants for this values-based corporation. She specializes in finding expert, impassioned talent that seeks to join a sophisticated, entrepreneurial and well-rewarded team. Barb’s HR work developing the capacity and careers of the Stratos team, forms the foundation for Stratos’ influence on the governments, industry, and communities of Canada’s future.
An experienced facilitator, motivational team leader, creative problem-solver and seasoned sustainability consultant with over 20 years’ experience, Barb has lead multi-interest sessions for international and domestic government meetings, cross-Canada multi-stakeholder dialogues on challenging themes, strategic and work planning sessions, large workshops and conferences, as well as corporate retreats. She works closely with organizations to better understand their internal cultural and organizational challenges, leaning on her problem-solving skills to co-create and implement effective solutions for these teams. She has also designed and instructed courses on an eclectic range of topics, including: team building, conflict resolution, human rights and security, auditing and verification, as well as environmental liabilities.
Barb is a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) with the International Association of Facilitators. She is also certified with Langevin Learning Services as an Instructional Designer/Developer.
Mikal Skuterud
Mikal Skuterud is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Waterloo and is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF) and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). He received his Master's degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia and his Ph.D. in Economics from McMaster University. His research interests include: the labour market integration of immigrants, labour market policies that influence hours of work, and the economics of trade unions. His work has appeared in the American Economic Review, the Journal of Labor Economics, and the Canadian Journal of Economics and has received national media coverage in the New York Times and the Globe and Mail.
Education, Beer and Dressing From The Waist Up: COVID Industry Insights
November 25, 2020
The pandemic has thrown all plans into disarray, whether they were personal or professional, and some of the hardest-hit people in our region are those powering small businesses and non-profit organizations. Do you have a startup, small business or side hustle of your own? Are you curious about the decisions that are keeping these businesses sustainable during the pandemic?
Meet the panelists
Don Tu (BASc ’17) - MODERATOR
Don Tu (BASc ’17) is a Chapter Executive Member and a Chemical EIT on the Pyrometallurgy Team at Hatch. He is passionate about connecting people across disciplines and helping to build a network of Waterloo alumni in Toronto.
Trishala Pillai (BA '16)
Trishala Pillai (BA '16) is an Advisor for Greenhouse (a nationally recognized social innovation discovery lab and incubator at the University of Waterloo) and the Director of Strategy at Rumie. Rumie is an award-winning ed-tech non-profit. They have built a micro-learning library centered on career and life skills, for anyone, anywhere, to learn in minutes. She is a speaker/moderator of high-stake, public discussions on humane technology, AI commercialization & the new kind of business that combines profit & purpose, having contributed to 42+ leading forums across North America.
Callum Hay (BSE ’08)
Callum Hay (BSE ’08) is the co-owner and head brewer of Halo Brewery, a small craft brewery located in the west end of Toronto. As an alumnus himself, Callum left his job as a former freelance software programmer to start Halo in 2016 where he now applies the engineering mindset to the design, creation, and revision of Halo's products as well as the overall infrastructure of the company.
Mila Banerjee
Mila Banerjee has worked in corporate positions spanning: Consulting, Pharmaceutical Sales, Training, Head Office Merger projects, Management, Market Research, and Automation & Analytics. Mila has 7+ years of board experience from 4 different Board of Director roles. She also has a passion for coaching and is a startup Business Advisor – Deeptech/AI with University of Waterloo’s Velocity Incubator. She holds a Bachelors of Science, with an English minor from the University of Alberta and an MBA from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Manoj Gandhi (BMath '08)
Manoj Gandhi (BMath '08) is currently the Product and Business Development Director at Manulife Financial, and has over 10 years of experience within the Life Insurance industry. He began his career in the US Life Insurance department. Over the years, he diversified his areas of expertise as a Director in the Group Financial Risk, Affinity Markets Pricing, and Individual Health & Dental Product teams. Manoj is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Humans and... Health
November 19, 2020
You’re invited to join your fellow UWaterloo alumni across North America as we bring together our community experts for a panel discussion that will focus on the Human at the centre of Health in Canada. What we have learned, what we know, and what we need.
Meet the panelists
Stacey Daub (MA ’99) - MODERATOR
A trusted, visionary, values-based Ontario health care leader, Stacey Daub is currently the Vice President, Strategy, Integration and Digital Health at North York General Hospital, an urban hospital known for its exceptional quality, research and teaching. Prior to this, Stacey was the President and CEO of Headwaters Health Care Centre, where she helped to co-design the Hills of Headwaters collaborative, a first-generation Ontario Health Team. Prior to that, Stacey was the CEO of the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre, recognized for its groundbreaking work in home and community care.
Stacey has an MA from University of Waterloo, an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and has garnered provincial and national recognition including: Top 100 Women of Canada, 20 Faces of Change, National Award for Organizational Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion, and Ministers Medal for Quality Improvement.
Stacey has served on several Boards and advisory committees including the Ontario Hospital Association, the Change Foundation, Rotman School of Management: Health and Life Sciences and the Creative Destructive Lab.
Born and raised in the Kitchener Waterloo area, Stacey lives with her husband and two children in Toronto.
Emmanuelle Piérard
Emmanuelle Piérard is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Waterloo, a fellow of the Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, an associate of the Canadian Centre for Health Economics and Associate Chair Undergraduate Studies Department of Economic. Her research areas are in health economics and in applied econometrics. Specifically, she is interested in how business cycles and the health care system, both health care inputs and wait times, affect the health of individuals and their use of health care. She obtained her MA and PhD in economics from McMaster University and her BSc Sciences Économiques from Université du Québec à Montréal.
Heather MacDougall
Heather teaches at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Canadian history and the history of medicine, public health and health policy. Since publishing Activists & Advocates: Toronto's Health Department, 1883-1983 (Toronto, 1990), she has continued to research the history of Canadian efforts to control the 1918 flu pandemic and to compare that event with SARS and avian flu. The former director of the MA program in Public History, she has also served at the acting chair of the History Department (1996, 2013, 2016-17) and twice as Associate Dean of Arts for Graduate Studies and Research (1992-1994, 2000-2005). A longstanding member of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine, she served as its Vice-President (2001-2003), President (2003-2005), and Past President (2005-2007).
Nel Wieman (MSc ’91)
Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Wieman works for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) as the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer and as an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Nel was also recently appointed as a new member on the Pacific Blue Cross Board of Directors.
Nel is Canada’s first female Indigenous psychiatrist (Anishnawbe – Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Manitoba). She completed her medical degree and psychiatry specialty training at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
She has over 20+ years of clinical experience, working with Indigenous people in both rural/on-reserve and urban settings. Her previous research activities include co-directing an Indigenous health research program in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and the National Network for Indigenous Mental Health Research, being the Deputy Chair of Health Canada’s Research Ethics Board and serving on CIHR’s Governing Council. She has also worked and taught in many academic settings, has chaired national advisory groups within FNIHB-Health Canada and has served on many boards and committees, including the Indspire Foundation’s Board of Directors. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University.
She was recently re-elected to a second 3-year term as President of the Indigenous Physicians Association in Canada (IPAC).
Nel’s clinical, academic and advocacy work has always been focused on improving the health and mental health status of Indigenous peoples, especially Indigenous youth, across Canada.
Crisis, motivation, and coming out the other side
September 25, 2020
The year 2020 has been a trial for people across the globe. For many, this year’s crises have also inspired growth and motivation. In this virtual panel, the co-founders of Masks for Covid share how a global pandemic can influence motivation and spur innovation.
Meet the panelists
Jackie Lee (BSc '06)
Jackie Lee graduated from the University of Waterloo Honours Science program in 2006. During her undergraduate she started her first business Recruit My Friends which is a referral-only recruiting firm for Engineers in North America and the UK. Recruit My Friends has incubated a Careers Platform for engineers to track and manage their careers. Jackie's passion lays in helping engineers meet their potential and in bringing high performing teams together at critical growth times. While studying at the University of Waterloo, Jackie raised $1 million in donations and she continues to fundraise for Ontario hospitals during the Covid-19 crisis. Jackie is an active angel investor in software start-ups and is dedicated to building the Canadian economy.
Dr. Brian Li (BASc '09)
Dr. Brian Li completed his undergraduate degree in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He went on to complete his MD, residency, and fellowship at the University of Toronto. As an interventional cardiology fellow at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Dr. Brian Li co-founded and led the team at Masks for Covid to address the crisis of N95 mask shortages by developing a novel, reusable mask. Currently, Dr. Li is completing an advanced Interventional Cardiology fellowship at Stanford University. He is extensively involved in the development of novel medical devices and is a co-founder of Conavi Medical Inc.
Alan Soong (BASc '08)
Alan Soong completed his undergraduate degree in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. As his 4th year design project he worked together with Dr. Brian Li, under Dr. Brian Courtney, to develop a novel intracardiac catheter at Conavi Medical Inc. He has since continued to grow with Conavi Medical and is now the Catheter Development Manager. Alongside Jackie Lee, Alan and Dr. Brian Li have joined forces again to help lead the engineering team at Masks for Covid to develop a potentially reusable full face mask with integrated ventilator filter.
Pablo Eder (BSc '16) - Moderator
Pablo Eder is an entrepreneur who currently works as chief revenue officer at Makeship, a crowdfunding platform for content creators. Pablo currently works with Concept helping entrepreneurs with their new startup ideas. He is an alumnus of the Faculty of Science and graduated in 2016.
Health Innovation Series - Genetics
March 11, 2020
You’re invited to discover amazing innovations in the exciting fields of genetics, gene sequencing, epigenetics and aging. Learn how the University of Waterloo and its alumni improve our lives at the final event in our Health Innovations series.
Meet the panelists
Dr. Lili Liu (Moderator)
Lili Liu (PhD, McGill 1993) is a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. She is an occupational therapist and her research focuses on user acceptance of technologies for health assessments and interventions, smart homes, and ways technologies can help older adults and family caregivers. She is an investigator with Age-Well Network of Centres of Excellence. Currently, her research examines the risks of going missing among persons living with dementia and the application of strategies, including technologies, to mitigate these risks.
Dr. Stephen Scherer (BSc '87)
Discover innovations in the exciting field of genetics with celebrated alumnus Dr. Stephen Scherer (BSc ’87) Director, Centre for Applied Genomics at the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto. Dr. Scherer studies genetic variation in human disease, and founded Canada’s first human genome centre – the Centre for Applied Genomics at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. His recent work characterizes structural variation in the human genome, and examines the role genetics has in autism.
Dr. Paul Boutros (BSc '04)
Dr. Paul Boutros (BSc ’04) is from the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Boutros’ research focuses on the development of clinically useful biomarkers using genomic and data science techniques like next-generation sequencing, clinical and cellular imaging, machine-learning, crowd-sourcing and cloud-computing.
Dr. Diane Williams
Dr. Diane Williams (PhD, MIT, 2003) is a Teaching Professor and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies from Waterloo’s School of Public Health and Health Systems. She specializes in biological determinants of health, human development and aging, developmental biology, embryology, cellular and molecular biology, and anatomy & physiology. Diane also teaches a fourth year seminar on Epigenetics and Health.
Navigating Transition: A Key to Success
February 27, 2020
We all go through transitions. Some are pursued and celebrated, while others disrupt and devastate our lives. Whatever the nature of these changes, they always bring opportunity â if navigated effectively.
Meet the panelists
Michael and Dana Hanna have been married for over 19 years, with 3 children. They co-founded Hanna Strategy Group to develop a global community of inspired leaders that are transforming society through business. Through their unique "Business for Life" program, they have trained over 50 entrepreneurs and hosted over 100 senior business leaders to explore how to fulfill both purpose and profit through business.
Michael and Dana have served on several boards of directors in the community. Their volunteer experience with youth and adults includes poverty alleviation, education, entrepreneurship, music and unifying diverse groups within the community.
Dana Hanna
Dana is an education expert and speaker, dedicated to equipping leaders with actionable strategies to drive change. Her experience in classroom education, curriculum development, leadership development, event-planning and hospitality have formed her relationship-focused approach to driving transformation.
Michael Hanna (BMath '01)
Michael currently leads the Revenue Operations and Technology teams at Shopify Plus, focused on infrastructure and insights to scale their go-to-market hyper-growth. His history also includes motivational speaking, musical performance and stand-up comedy.
Michael has devoted his last 16 years to helping B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology companies grow sustainable revenue by double-to-triple-digits. Such companies have included Oracle Marketing Cloud, Teranet, Intuit and Shopify. Michael's thought leadership content has been featured on Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics, OpenView Venture Partners, Sales Management Association and various other platforms.
Chirag Sheth (BSc '17)
Chirag has been working with Microsoft for just over a year and currently works as a Business and Sales Manager with the Consumer and Device Sales team, where he focuses primarily on the Xbox side of the business. Prior to coming to Microsoft, Chirag worked as a Marketing Specialist at Newcomp Analytics and as a Community Coordinator with the Housing Residences Department at the University of Waterloo.
Chirag graduated from UWaterloo in 2017 from the Science and Business program and absolutely loved his time at Waterloo as it gave him the opportunity to find out who he was and what he wants. In 2019, Chirag started volunteering with the MLSE Foundation and currently sits on their Game Changers Executive Committee. Outside of work, you’ll find him watching a Raptors game, recording his podcast, rock climbing or continuing his search for the best taco spot.
Stronger Together: Building a community
November 12, 2019
In a panel called “Stronger Together,” our speakers will explore the importance of building community, touching on Waterloo’s unique ecosystem and the meaningful impact we make on each other’s lives long after university.
Meet the panelists
Kurtis McBride (BASc ’04, MASc ’08)
Kurtis McBride is CEO and co-founder of Miovision, a technology company that provides cities with the data and tools they need to reduce traffic congestion, make better urban planning decisions, and improve safety on their roads. Under Kurtis’ leadership, Miovision has provided the data and insights to improve traffic flow in over 13,000 municipalities worldwide. Kurtis holds two degrees in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
Wendi Campbell (BA ’93)
Wendi Campbell is the Chief Executive Officer at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Her organization distributes over five million pounds of food annually to community programs in Waterloo Region and Southwestern Ontario, making it one of Canada’s largest food banks.
Wendi’s passion for collaborative partnerships has resulted in significant community impact. She holds an undergraduate degree in Speech Communication from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Laura Flatt (BES '08)
Laura Flatt runs the community program at Vidyard, building and implementing the company’s social impact programming. She is one of the founding organizers behind Plugin, a local non-profit that connects the tech community to charitable organizations. She also volunteers with a variety of student mentorship programs in the region. Laura was the recipient of the Leading Women, Leading Girls award in 2018. She enjoys spending time with her six-year-old daughter Binny – exploring, rock climbing or doing science experiments together at home.
Health Innovation Series - Window to the Brain
November 7, 2019
Delve into questions about the human brain at a special panel with some of Waterloo's most exciting researchers. Gain a deeper understanding of how our brains are wired, and what can be done when this critical organ fails us.
Meet the panelists
Ben Thompson (moderator) – Professor and Associate Director Research, Optometry and Vision Science
Ben is a Professor and the Associate Director of Research within the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Waterloo. Ben holds a BSc and DPhil in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex. He completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychology, UCLA, and the Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University. Ben became a faculty member within the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland in 2008, where he retains a research position. He moved to the University of Waterloo in 2014. Ben’s research involves the use of psychophysics, non-invasive brain stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging to investigate development and plasticity of the human visual system.
Melanie Campbell (MSc ’77) – Professor, Physics & Astronomy
Melanie Campbell earned a BSc in Chemical Physics, Victoria College, University of Toronto; an MSc in Physics, University of Waterloo; and, from the Australian National University, a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Physiology. Following a CSIRO Fellowship at the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics in Canberra, Campbell returned to Canada with an NSERC University Research Fellowship.
Prof. Campbell collaborated in the first real-time images of cone photoreceptors, using adaptive optics, and she uses polarization imaging to make invisible structures visible. Imaging applications include a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, using the retina as a window on the brain. She undertakes research on the optical quality of the eye and improved imaging of its structures. She studies eye development, eye disease and linear and nonlinear optics of the eye. Campbell is known for her work on the gradient index optics of the crystalline lens, its changes with ageing and effects of visual experience on its refractive index distribution. Recently she has discovered putative optical signals to guide eye growth which follow a circadian rhythm.
Campbell is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and a former member of OSA’s Board of Directors, and is a former President of the Canadian Association of Physicists. Campbell was a co-founder of Biomedical Photometrics Inc, now Huron Technologies, and co-founded LumeNeuro. Campbell shared the 2004 Rank Prize in Optoelectronics for her work cited as "an initial idea (that) has been carried through to practical applications that have, or will, demonstrably benefit mankind." In 2014, she was awarded the CAP INO Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Applied Photonics in recognition of her contributions to the field of visual optics and improved imaging of structures within the eye. In 2015, she was awarded the OCUFA Status of Women Award of Distinction for her work to improve the position of academic women through organizational, policy and educational leadership.
James Danckert – Professor and Head of Cognitive Neuroscience Research, Psychology
James Danckert trained as a Clinical Neuropsychologist at LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia, before completing his PhD there in 2000. He came to Canada to do a Postdoctoral Fellowship under Professor Mel Goodale at Western before taking up a Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo in 2002. James has studied a broad swathe of questions from how the brain controls attention to the neural correlates of consciousness. His work has included patients with Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and a variety of neurological syndromes including the neglect syndrome in which patients behave as though one half of the world has simply ceased to exist. He makes use of behavioural studies and a range of neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
More recently, James has turned his research focus to the study of boredom! What are the behavioural consequences of being bored, how does brain injury influence boredom and what are the healthy brain states - visualized through the use of fMRI - associated with this ubiquitous human experience? Boredom is elevated after traumatic brain injury and is higher in people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Understanding boredom then, has consequences for how we successfully engage with the world.
Richard Staines – Professor, Associate Dean of Research, Kinesiology
Professor Staines’ research interests focus on understanding: 1) how the brain interprets, adapts to and integrates sensory inputs to guide motor behaviour, and 2) how these processes are affected by and can contribute to recovery from brain injury. The long-term objective is to use this knowledge to formulate strategies targeted at enhancing neural adaptations to improve motor behaviour and lessen disability following stroke.
Professor Staines’ research program focuses on understanding how the central nervous system integrates sensory information from multiple input sources and transforms this sensory information to appropriate motor commands.
Understanding of recovery processes following brain injury from stroke is still relatively underdeveloped and there is a pressing need for new innovative approaches to improve rehabilitation in order to promote recovery and lessen disability. This research integrates state-of-the-art neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques in healthy and brain-injured populations to understand the physiological substrates of recovery from brain injury due to stroke.
Specifically, studies in the lab investigate mechanisms in the human central nervous system that are responsible for controlling movement and for adaptations due to learning and injury.
The Modern Athlete
September 29, 2019
Better, faster, stronger. Are athletes born or made? Join us in an exploratory discussion on the advances in health technology, and how they affect sport, and the development of athletes.
Meet the panelists
Gary Abbott (BASc '10)
Moderator: Gary is a Solutions Architect at D2L. A dynamic presenter with a keen sense for his audience, Gary can distill technical concepts for a variety of applications, from product demonstrations to written proposals. When he is not communicating the value of D2L education software, Gary is performing in community theatre productions and playing sports. For the past six years, he has been one of the panelists for Golf Digest Magazine’s annual equipment preview, The Hot List.
Tristan Lehari (BASc '11)
Tristan is the Co-Founder & CEO of TritonWear, an advanced sports wearables company helping coaches and athletes around the world unlock their hidden potential. Tristan works closely with National Federations around the world to help them integrate big data into nationwide programs, helping countries get the most out of their elite athletes, as well as funneling as many athletes as possible from grassroots programs to the international stage.
Sarah Remedios (BSc '18)
Sarah Remedios is currently a Candidate of Masters of Science in Biomechanics within the Department of Kinesiology. Sarah was a 3x Academic All Canadian. Sarah was also a 5-year member of the women’s varsity volleyball program, serving as captain for the last 3 seasons. Her final year was the most successful in program history reaching a highest ranking of 3rd in the country and winning the OUA bronze medal.
Andrew Hopf (MSc '09)
Andrew founded Next Level Performance Training Inc with his wife Michelle Miguel and established himself as one of the region’s premier strength and conditioning coaches of young athletes and professional hockey players. Andrew is currently the Interuniversity Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Waterloo, and the Development Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Stanley Cup winning St. Louis Blues of the NHL.
Imagining Canada's Future Cities - Ottawa
March 5, 2019
We bring together our Ottawa-area alumni to discuss the future of Canadian cities and Canada’s commitment to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a way of tackling the urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges facing communities and cities across the country.
Meet the panelists
Jean Andrey
Moderating each discussion, Jean Andrey, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Chair of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada will provide insights into Canada’s commitment to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Frank Cairo (BES '05)
Co-founder of Caivan Development Corporation - “Caivan Communities”. Area of expertise: Incorporating AI/technology into thoughtful community development.
Christopher Henderson
President, Lumos Clean Energy Advisors. Executive Director, Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) Social Enterprise. Lead Mentor, Indigenous 20/20 Catalysts Program. Area of expertise: Strengthening First Peoples clean energy leadership
Joël Blit (MASC ’99)
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics
Imagining Canada's Future Cities - Toronto
January 24, 2019
We bring together our Toronto alumni to discuss the future of Canadian cities and Canada’s commitment to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a way of tackling the urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges facing communities and cities across the country.
Meet the panelists
Jean Andrey
Moderating each discussion, Jean Andrey, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Chair of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada will provide insights into Canada’s commitment to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Geoff Cape
Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen
Kevin Tuer (BASc’89; MASc ’91; PhD ’94)
Managing Director, Canada’s Open Data Exchange (ODX), Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Communitech
Sarah Burch
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Management
Where UWaterloo Meets Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
October 4, 2018
This event features a panel of experts sharing their knowledge and understanding in the field of blockchain and cryptocurrency, followed by a QA discussion with the audience.
Meet the panelists
Ayman Antoun (BASc ’98)
President of IBM Canada Ltd.
Jean-Paul Lam
Associate Professor, Economics, University of Waterloo
Thomas Lo (BMath ’95)
Founder, Smash.bi Financialogix Group
Henry Chan (BASc ’14)
ConsenSys
Curtis Miles
Canadian IBM Blockchain Technical Leader