Events

Join us November 15, 2023 at 2 p.m. in DC 1302 for the Data Science Industry Panel Event: Industry and Academic Perspectives

Register to attend

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Expert Talks:

Hear from Yannick Lallement, VP, Global Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning at Scotiabank and Tamer Özsu, Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, as they explore data science from an industry and academic perspective.

Panel Discussion:

Our distinguished panel of experts will answer questions and further discuss perspectives of Data Science.

• Tamer Özsu, Professor | David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science  
• Yannick Lallement, VP, Global Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning | Scotiabank 
• Jeff Hatcher, Director, Advanced Analytic | Canadian Institute for Health Information 

Networking Opportunities: 

The talk and panel event will be followed by an opportunity to network with our experts, special guests and fellow classmates in DC 1301. Refreshments will be served. 

EVENT TALKS

Scotiabank's approach to Large Language Models (LLM) 
Yannick Lallement | VP, Global Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Scotiabank 

A presentation on Scotiabank's risk-based approach to LLM enablement. Including the usage of ChatGPT, the major use cases identified so far and their road to production, and an update on various LLM pilots the bank is running. 

 A Systematic View of Data Science 
Tamer Özsu | Professor, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science 

​There is a data-driven revolution underway in science and society, disrupting every form of enterprise. We are collecting and storing data more rapidly than ever before. There is an increasing recognition that data science can assist in leveraging this data and the insights obtained from it into products, systems, and policies. This has resulted in the formation within academia of data science research centres, institutes and even academic units and the establishment of major initiatives within every major industrial organization. However, our understanding of data science is vague and highly varied and, in many cases, are squeezed to fit the available openings within an institution. There is a need to approach this field systematically to define its scope and its boundaries. The objective of this talk is to provide such a consistent and systematic study of the scoping of data science.   

Register online today!

An undergraduate and graduate data analysis competition

Scotiabank and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science are pleased to announce the second Data Science Discovery Days competition!

This event will feature exclusive opportunities to engage with one of Canada’s top businesses, Scotiabank. Immerse yourself in valuable experiences, including networking sessions with Scotiabank experts, an insightful data session led by industry professionals, and a thrilling data hackathon utilizing real-world data. Don't miss out on this unique chance to connect, learn, and innovate with leaders of the financial industry!

Event Overview

The data topic for this year's competition will be centered around 'Using AI to derive business insights from customer feedback'. 

The competition will require high-pressure data analysis, critical thinking, and presentation design, each team is required to submit a presentation slide deck, along with a brief write-up explaining their findings. The teams with the strongest submissions will be invited to present their findings in front of a panel of judges. To be eligible for prizes, all teams must be available to present on Sunday, February 4, 2024.

This competition will include $8000 in prizes for participating teams. The competition allows opportunities to win monetary values for 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place.

Who may participate?

The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Waterloo. Students are encouraged to form teams of 3-4 individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills from different disciplines.

Each individual in a team must submit a separate registration and include the team name on the registration form. If you are registering as an individual, please indicate this on the form and we will place you on a team closer to the event date.

Are you a 3rd or 4th-year undergrad, Master’s, PhD, or Postdoc student at the University of Waterloo with a focus in AI or Data Science?

Join us for this exclusive in-person hiring and networking event, connecting top employers with emerging AI talent.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
Location: Davis Centre (DC), University of Waterloo
Admission: FREE – Register by Friday, May 16 at 12:00 PM

Join Us for the First-Ever MDSAI Co-op Experience Showcase!

Ever wondered what your classmates have been up to during their co-op terms? The MDSAI Co-op Experience Showcase is a space for students to reflect on and share the impact of their work-integrated learning experiences.

• Attend to hear about exciting roles, cool projects, and lessons learned.
• Present to inspire others with your experience!

Women in Data & AI (WiDA) at Waterloo 

Episode 1 — Canadian Women Shaping AI | Noreen Syed, IBM Consulting Canada 

Kicking off Canadian Women Shaping AI with Noureen Syed, Partner at IBM Consulting Canada and proud UWaterloo alum. We dive into her journey from engineering at UWaterloo to leading AI transformations across Canada - and how empathy, curiosity, and strategy define impactful leadership in tech.

In this episode of Canadian Women Shaping AI, we sit down with Alina Rivilis — CEO & Co-Founder of AI Future Leaders and Director of Data Science & AI at Home Trust Company — to explore how data, ethics, and innovation come together to shape the future of AI.

With over 25 years of experience in Enterprise Technology, AI strategy, and Data Science Leadership, Alina has built a career at the intersection of innovation and integrity. Through AI Future Leaders, she is helping schools, organizations, and individuals adopt AI responsibly while fostering critical thinking and creativity.

In our conversation, we discuss what it means to build trust in data-driven systems, how ethical education can fuel innovation, and why preparing people — not just technology — is at the heart of a sustainable AI future.