Are you curious about how AI is changing work across multiple fields and how you, as a graduate student, can prepare for these changes in the workplace? Join us on April 11 for a career panel and networking event to learn from panelists on how AI is being used in their industry and in their day-to-day work. The first hour will be a Q&A discussion, with an opportunity to network with the panelists (and your peers!) in the second hour. Bring your own snacks and a reusable water bottle - there is a water station just down the hall.
Submit questions ahead of time via the registration form. These questions will be used during the audience Q&A portion of the panel. If you wish to submit questions for the panelists, please submit your registration by April 11th.
Please note: this event is for graduate students (Masters, PhD and Post Doc).
See the bios for our panelists below:
Dr. Roxy Merkand is a Research Science Specialist at the McKinsey Health Institute of McKinsey & Company. The McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) is an enduring, non-profit generating entity within McKinsey & Company - founded on the conviction that, over the next decade, humanity could add as much as 45 billion extra years of higher-quality life (roughly six years per person on average - and substantially more in some countries and populations). MHI's mission is to catalyze the actions needed across continents, sectors and communities to realize this possibility. Roxy's team provides data, insights and tools to enable employers and other stakeholders to be a positive force in improving health and well-being in a way that drives change at scale and is good for employees, for business, and for broader communities.
Roxy earned her PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Waterloo (UW) in 2022 - focusing her research on the disclosure of invisible disabilities during job search and at work. Roxy worked for UW's Centre for Career Action throughout her graduate studies, where she learned first-hand about the vital role career development practitioners can play for students. Roxy is passionate about weightlifting, sustainable food sourcing, trying new recipes, and snuggling with her two dogs - Frankie and Myra.
Elise Vist
Dr. Vist is the Workshops and Integrated Programs Coordinator at the University of Waterloo's Writing and Communication Centre. In this role, they develop online and in-person workshops on writing and communication for UW students and instructors across all six faculties.
In their previous life as a PhD candidate, they developed the First Person Podcast for the Games Institute's First Person Scholar website.
Elise holds a bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in English Language and Literature from Carleton University, and recently completed their Ph.D in English at the University of Waterloo.
Ehsan Amjadian
Dr. Amjadian is the Head of AI Acceleration & Innovation at the Royal Bank of Canada, where he has led numerous advanced AI products from ideation to production, including, search, various financial forecasting applications, annuity, and various other customer-facing and internal facing applications.
He has filed multiple patents in the areas of Data Protection, Finance & Climate, and Computer Vision applications to Satellite Images. He also leads the data & AI strategy for innovation in cards and payments.
Ehsan has over 15 years of experience in the field of AI and is an adjunct professor of computer science at the University of Waterloo. He is published in a broad range of AI topics including recommender systems, information retrieval and extraction (search), privacy, cybersecurity, malware detection, data and model compression, computer vision, and human-computer interaction.