Profiles

Dr. Aiping Yu is a professor of Chemical Engineering, received her PhD from University of California-Riverside. Her research is highly multidisciplinary which focuses on 2D and carbon nanomaterials for energy storage and polymer composites aiming for physical (mechanical, thermal, and EMI/electrical) properties and anti-corrosion reinforcement. She is a recipient of NSERC Steacie Memorial Fellowship and RSC Rutherford Memorial Award.

Dr. Alexander Wong in a Canada Research Chair with a focus on operational artificial intelligence, particular in the areas of scalable machine learning, explainable machine learning, and responsible artificial intelligence.  Dr. Wong has worked with numerous companies across industries to bring artificial intelligence from theory to practical reality.  He has published over 600 refereed journal and conference papers, as well as patents, has given over 80 invited talks, and recognized with over 30 research and industrial awards and over 300 media coverage around the world. 

Professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering, receiving his PhD from the University of Toronto in 2000. He has expertise in numerical simulation of composite structures and fabrication processes. Participated and coordinated numerous academic and industrial RD&I projects involving aerospace companies, e.g. Embraer, SAAB and Akaer.

Ali Elkamel is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and BSc in Mathematics from Colorado School of Mines, MSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. His specific research interests are in computer-aided modeling, optimization, and simulation with applications to energy planning, sustainable operations, and product design.

Allyson Kukel leads Airline Engagement for the Halldale Group which specializes in aviation training. She is the product owner of a collaborative effort between the Halldale Group and the ATPG, a sub-group of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is currently striving towards their Big Data MVP.

As Head of Transformation and Post Merger Integration, Amaryllis oversees Airbus Canada's multi-functional Sustainability team. This project team brings together all the skills and business areas of the A220 program to lead the way and implement Airbus' approach to Sustainability: respecting the planet, valuing people and enabling prosperity.

Dr. ElAlfy is a leading scholar in sustainability disclosure and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues, with a particular focus on non-financial reporting practices. His research explores the significance of sustainability risks and opportunities through a double materiality lens, connecting financial and non-financial metrics to aid decision-makers in promoting sustainable growth and responsible investment strategies. He serves as the Associate Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), where he focuses on enhancing ESG performance within the aeronautics sector.

Anna was appointed as Professor and Head of the Centre for Air Transport Management at Cranfield University in October 2023 and has responsibility for developing Cranfield’s internationally renowned MSc programme in Air Transport Management and Airport Planning & Management, and associated research activities. She also holds a leadership role in developing industry-led research activities within DARTeC, the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre, focusing on digital transformation for safe, seamless and sustainable air travel. She has over 20 years of aviation management experience across a number of operational, fleet, risk and safety and project management roles.

Armaghan Salehian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Professor Salehian’s research interests and expertise include structural dynamics and vibrations and applications of smart materials for energy harvesting, sensing, and actuation.

Baris Fidan is a Professor in Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, with cross appointment in System Design Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Dr. Bessma Momani is Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo. She is also a Senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI), and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C. She was a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at both the Brookings Institution and Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, and formerly a visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Mortara Center.

Bruce is a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Environment. He is an Urban Planner and Geographer, and teaches in the International Development program. His research interests fall within the broad ambit of sustainable cities, and encompass the three related areas of human migration, urbanization and food security.

Dr. Tan’s research is focused on thermochemical processes for green energy production & air emission control. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from Tsinghua University, Beijing in the 1990s, and PhD degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA in 2004. Dr. Tan’s contribution to scholarship has been recognized by international peers, as evidenced by the popularity of his technical books in his fields of research.

Charles Clarke is a Professor of Computer Science and the Associate Dean for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on data intensive tasks and efficiency, including search, ranking, question answering, and other problems involving human language data. He has supervised to completion over 30 graduate students and published over 200 refereed contributions on a wide range of topics, including search, metrics, user interfaces, filesystem search, natural language processing, machine learning, and databases.

Charles H. Cho, PhD, CPA is Professor of Sustainability Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University. His research interests include Social and Environmental Accounting; Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); and Accounting and the Public Interest. His work was published in leading academic journals such as Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Business & Society, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, European Accounting Review, and the Journal of Business Ethics. He currently serves as an Editor of Accounting Forum; the Accounting and Business Ethics Section Co-Editor of the Journal of Business Ethics; and Associate Editor of Business & Society.

Chris works with leadership organizations to help them better understand and respond to shifting stakeholder expectations, build trust with key constituencies and exert greater influence in shaping the future. Chris has two decades of experience in providing evidence-based counsel in the areas of reputation, purpose and sustainability. He is passionate about building trusted and recognized leadership for GlobeScan’s clients.

Referred to as “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong,” Colonel Chris Hadfield became a household name as the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station.  A heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, Hadfield’s many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.  Hadfield is also a bestselling author of four books, an acclaimed musician, and the host of two internationally acclaimed television series, including National Geographic’s One Strange Rock.   

Dr. Chris Houser is the Dean of Science and Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo. His research examines the response and recovery of coastal barriers to extreme storms and changes in wave activity with a changing climate. He also conducts research on beach safety at the interface of the social sciences and psychology to reduce the number of rescues and drownings.

My research program is primarily focused on issues related to freight transportation and logistics although I have a broad interest in transportation at all levels and geographies. I’m really intrigued by the flows of people and goods that underpin social and economic interactions and the complex impacts of those flows.

Dr. Conrard G. Tetsassi Feugmo, an assistant professor in the Chemistry department at the University of Waterloo, employs various computational techniques, including Density Functional Theory (DFT), Molecular Dynamics (MD), and Phase Field Crystal (PFC), along with machine learning (ML) to design materials for energy storage and conversion technologies, such as hydrogen technology and High Entropy Alloys for aerospace applications.

Dr. Costa Kapsis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Costa’s research lies at the interface between science, engineering and architectural design with an emphasis on energy in buildings and communities. His research is focused on questions of energy efficiency, solar energy generation and energy transaction in the built environment.

Craig has over 19 years of experience as a public service professional and has worked in a variety of roles with FedDev Ontario since its creation in 2009.  His experience includes work on several funding programs that supported municipal infrastructure improvements, collaborative industry/academia research, innovation cluster development, and Business Growth.  Craig has also managed FedDev’s Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Relations unit and, since 2016, he has been supporting Canada’s aerospace and defence industries as the aerospace, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity lead on FedDev Ontario’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Unit. 

Dan Chaudhry is the co-founder of Sky Sight Inc. and a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Bachelor’s of Geography and Aviation program. Dan has a passion for aviation and during his time as a student he founded the University of Waterloo Aviation Society - a student association focused fostering a foster a community for those interested in aviation. Dan completed his flight training at the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre and holds a CPL, Group 1 Instrument Rating, and Class 4 Flight Instructor Rating.

University research chair in Global Change and Tourism, Dr. Daniel Scott is a professor in and the director of the Master of Climate Change program. Scott received his doctorate in 1998 and has served in a variety of directorships and chair roles at the University of Waterloo since 2003, including executive director of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo. Scott has worked extensively in the area of climate change and the global tourism sector, including the transition to a low carbon tourism economy and adaptation to the complex impacts of a changing climate, having published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles on these topics.

Dr. Daniel Smilek received his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2002 and then completed a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of British Columbia before joining the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo as a faculty member. Smilek has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles on various topics in the area of human cognitive neuroscience. His work has been published in some of the top journals in his field including Nature, Psychological Science, and Trends in Cognitive Sciences. He is a co-author of an undergraduate textbook on human cognition. Smilek is frequently involved in knowledge mobilization to the transportation industry with the aim of helping frontline workers reduce attention-related errors in safety critical settings. 

Increases funding for Engineering’s research enterprise through large-scale, strategic initiatives in partnership with industry and government funding agencies; Promotes Engineering’s research capacity and expertise to external parties, and supports Engineering researchers’ applications to government programs.

Dr David Correa's research looks at biological structures and processes as a source of insight for the development of new fabrication processes and advanced materials. The research aims at implementing state of the art digital fabrication tools (robotic manipulators, 3D printers and CNC milling) to develop innovative and high-performance design solutions for industrial and architectural applications. 

David Del Rey Fernández is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, Department of Applied Mathematics. Before joining the University of Waterloo, he was first a postdoctoral researcher and then a research scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and the National Institute of Aerospace. His research interest is in developing efficient and robust numerical algorithms for the solution of partial differential equations based on novel numerical methods with provable properties, applicable to high-performance computing systems. David’s research is focused on developing the mathematics and algorithms for the efficient solution of a broad class of time-dependent partial differential equations in the context of mathematically rigorous numerical frameworks. In particular, the emphasis is on:1) robust numerical methods, 2) mesh adaptation, 3) approaches for dealing with geometric complexity and moving meshes, and 4) machine-learning algorithms for automation and increased efficiency. 

David Ostler is currently the Chief Academic Officer at the International Test Pilots School in London, Ontario. He has been flying for more than 30 years and has over 20 years of flight test experience in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the civil industry.
David served 7 years as a fixed wing pilot in the Australian Army flying Pilatus Porter and Nomad before transferring to the RAN to fly helicopters. David is a graduate of the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) and, in addition to his engineering degree, holds a Master of Science in Flight Dynamics from Cranfield University and a PhD in Mathematics from Swinburne University.

Derek is a Research Officer in multi-material additive manufacturing at the NRC’s new Advanced Materials Research Facility in Mississauga, ON. Here, his research deploys advanced manufacturing tools to achieve tailorable material properties in clean energy devices, combining functional chemistry with topology design and optimisation. Previously, Derek was a researcher with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Advanced Concepts Team, studying in-space manufacturing and functional materials for future space infrastructure. Derek holds a M.A.Sc. degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Toronto and earned his B.Eng. in materials engineering from McGill University.

To advance science in these areas of interests, Derek is currently using remotely piloted aircraft to remotely sense agriculture and urban areas using thermal, multi-spectral, and LiDAR sensors. Collected data are used for a variety of purposes that include: quantifying natural processes (e.g., erosion, carbon storage) at the scale of individual property parcels or agricultural fields; calibrate and validate models of natural processes; and among other interests, generate 3D immersive environments for visualization and knowledge transfer.

Diana Facchini is the Acting Director of Research and Development at the National Research Council Canada's (NRC) Advanced Materials Research Facility in Mississauga, where she oversees its operations and R&D portfolio. Ms. Facchini's early career included roles as an industrial researcher and program lead in structural nanomaterials, as well as fostering industry-academic partnerships in clean technology and manufacturing. She holds a MASc in Materials Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Don holds an MBA from Vancouver Island University, an honours degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is an accredited airport executive with IAAE Canada.  Prior to joining the senior management team at the Nanaimo Airport, he was an Airport Manager in the Kootenay’s, Production Manager at an approved maintenance organization in Muskoka, and earned his commercial pilot licence in London.  Don is pursuing his passion for innovation and sustainability in the aviation industry and leads the development and implementation of policies and programs that support environmental management, decarbonization, and advanced air mobility.  He currently serves on several local, provincial, national, and international airport operations and environment committees.
 

Dr. Ben Thompson is a professor in the Department of Optometry and Vision Science, working out of the Human Visual Neuroscience Laboratory. Thompson’s research is concerned with human visual cortex development and plasticity. With regard to aviation, he is interested in techniques that can enhance performance on new visual tasks such as those encountered during training programs for pilots and air traffic controllers. 

In January 2018, Dr. Yimer was appointed as Director General of the NRC's Aerospace Research Centre. Following a successful career in applied reserach in the field of gas turbine combustion and fuels, Dr. Yimer has held positions of increasing responsibility at the NRC, including Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory for 10 years.

He is well recognized in the Aerospace science and technology community where he currently serves as Vice-Chair of the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) and a Director on the board of AeroMontreal, WestCARD, International Society of Air Breathing Engines (ISABE), and International Congress of Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS).

Dr. Yimer holds and MSc and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Dr (Capt) Joelle Thorgrimson is an Indigenous military flight surgeon posted to Cold Lake, AB but originally from Kenora, ON.  After completing a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics at Queen’s University, a master’s degree in quantum computing at McGill University and her private pilot licence, she attended medical school and completed a family medicine residency at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) in Thunder Bay, ON. She is presently an Assistant Professor at NOSM who locums in Northern Ontario and is an advocate for women in aviation, STEM and the military. 

Dr. Logan Jones works on operational analytics for NAVBLUE, to improve efficiency and planning in airline flight operations and innovate to provide airlines with solutions for sustainability. Previously with Airbus, he worked on the development and certification of Airbus’ Runway Overrun Prevention System and Braking Action Computation Function. He served on EUROCAE and ASTM standardization committees for runway safety technologies and spoke on runway safety at IATA, ICAO and Flight Safety conferences.

Dr. Martin (Marty) Smith completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and since completing his Ph.D. in Psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal 28 years ago he has developed numerous decision-making software solutions that target and mitigate the psychological drivers for operational non-compliance.  Airlines, Air Navigation, and Airport Authorities around the world have deployed his solutions. Marty is a noted conference speaker and consultant to IATA, ICAO, TSB, NTSB, Eurocontrol, and Flight Safety Foundation.  Most importantly Marty remains an active pilot, having accumulated numerous endorsements and licenses over his 43 years of flying.

Sunjoo Advani graduated from the University of Waterloo in Mechanical Engineering in 1985. After completing his M.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Toronto, he was offered a position as Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. There, he created the SIMONA institute and its unique flight simulator, conducted research in simulation and Human Factors, and completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering. His company IDT provides specialised knowledge to airlines, aviation authorities, airframe manufacturers and research institutes.  

Professor Cronin has established a unique in Canada and globally recognized program in computational injury biomechanics, supported by advanced material characterization and experimental testing. Recognized by a Premier’s Research Excellence Award, Dr. Cronin is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Trauma Biomechanics and Injury Prevention (tBip) and leads the Neck Model (NM) Centre of Expertise (COE) for the Global Human Body Models Consortium, developing one of the most detailed and biofidelic Human Body Models (HBM) used globally by industry and academics to predict injury at the tissue level.

Dr. Elizabeth Irving is a clinician/scientist with internationally recognized expertise in vision science including eye tracking and binocular vision. Good vision is widely being advocated as an important factor learning. Irving has led a variety of different types of studies; evaluating ocular parameters, validating novel testing procedures, investigating the need for stereopsis (depth perception) in military helicopter pilots, studying the effects of space flight on the eye, studying eye tracking in concussion and investigating new ways of educating the public on eye disease and eye care.

Emily Nield is a sustainability practitioner focused on reporting and the transition to zero carbon futures in the built environment. Previously, she was a planetary geologist at NASA, where she studied Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, along with Mars. Her research focused on how the atmospheric conditions on planetary bodies shaped the surface of these bodies. She primarily worked in the Planetary Aeolian Laboratory, where she recreated planetary atmospheres in wind tunnels.  She doubled majored in Physics and Geography at Trent University, received her Masters in Geology at the University of Tennessee, and obtained her MBA from the Schulich School of Business

Dr. Eric Croiset is a Chemical Engineering professor and former department chair. Croiset was awarded his doctorate from Universite d'Orleans in 1996 and has research interests in alternative energy, reaction engineering and sustainable energy management. He also researches the optimization of carbon dioxides capture processes, having collaborated with CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada.

As an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Dr. Esmaeil Sadeghi focuses on sustainable materials manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing (AM). Since obtaining his doctorate in 2018 from University West, Sweden, he has been teaching and supervising graduate and undergraduate students. His research objective is to develop innovative, sustainable, and clean manufacturing technologies for durable and eco-friendly material systems.

Dr. Eugene Yee is a Defence Scientist at Defence R&D Canada. In this capacity, he conducted pure and applied research including experimental investigations and stochastic modelling of turbulence and turbulent diffusion phenomena in the atmosphere, experimental and computational modelling/methods related to urban flow and dispersion, and application of Bayesian inference for sensor/model data fusion in the context of source reconstruction.

Dr. Evan Risko is currently an associate professor and a Canada Research Chair in Embodied and Embedded Cognition in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. Since receiving his PhD at the University of Waterloo, he has been pursuing his research interests in issues related to the embodied and embedded nature of cognition and the utilization of cognitive psychology to help improve practices in education and training. He has published over 100 papers, received research funding from numerous agencies (i.e., NSERC, SSHRC, CFI), worked with numerous industry partners and received various accolades for his research including Early Career awards from the Psychonomic Society, the Province of Ontario, and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science.

Dr. Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo completed her graduate work at the University of Toronto and joined the University of Waterloo in 2012. Her research program is grounded in systems neuroscience and focuses on discovering the fundamental mechanisms involved in the central nervous system control of eye and hand movements across the lifespan. She has expertise in the field of visuomotor neuroscience, including gaze behaviour, hand-eye coordination, motor skill development and learning. 

Fatma Gzara is an Associate Professor with the Department of Management Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests lie in the areas of optimization, network models, supply chain management, transportation risk and logistics. Currently, she uses bi-level mathematical modelling to determine the routes that trucks carrying hazardous materials will be most likely to take. Professor Gzara gathers real data and uses it to keep residential and industrial areas safe. In the last few years, she has written articles for journals such as Operations Research Letters, Telecommunication Systems, and the European Journal of Operational Research. 

Professor Flora T. T. Ng obtained her B.Sc. at the University of Hong Kong , M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She joined the University of  Waterloo, Canada in 1987, appointed University Research Chair in 2006 and holds the prestigious title of University Professor since 2008. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Professor Ng has expertise in catalysis, bitumen oilsands upgrading, green chemistry and engineering and a world leading expert on catalytic distillation, a green reactor technology.

Prof. Lien has 30 years of experience developing and systematically applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to a wide range of fluid mechanics and multi-physics problems, such as wind energy, urban flow and dispersion modeling, aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and aero-elasticity. His current research interests in wind energy include wind turbine wakes, wake-induced fatigue analysis, wind turbine pitch control, wind turbine noise prediction/reduction, micro-siting of a wind farm and AI-based wind power forecasting.

Dr. Gennaro Notomista's main research interests lie at the intersection of design and control of robotic systems for long-duration autonomy with applications to environmental monitoring. Prior to joining University of Waterloo, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the CNRS/Inria/IRISA, Rennes, France.

Geoff leads the Mechanical and Structural design teams at Kepler Communications. He comes from a mixed industry background with a heavy focus on space systems design and some time spent on electric vehicles and product design. At his core he is a designer with a passion for challenging the paradigm and working with his team to leverage advanced manufacturing in order to rapidly iterate through problems. Geoff has leveraged both additive and advanced manufacturing across a number of satellites at various sizes.

Prof. George Shaker is an adjunct associate professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Waterloo. He also oversees wireless activities in the sensors and devices lab at the UW-Schlegel Research Institute for Aging. Previously, he was with Research in Motion (BlackBerry). He was also with Georgia Institute of Technology. He has been the Principal Scientist and Head of Research at Spark Technology Labs (STL), since its founding in 2011.

Grant is a senior executive with KF Aerospace, one of Canada’s leading aviation companies.  An HR professional by trade for over 30 years, Grant has successfully led KF through significant workforce challenges in the MRO, airline, and flight training sectors.  Grant has been recognized with an Honorary Fellow from Okanagan College and a Distinguished Fellowship from Mohawk College and is a strong proponent of training and development, partnering with colleges, universities, industry associations, and recently opened a daycare for staff. 

Gulnaz joined Geography and Environmental Management (GEM) in 2023, having spent 2 years as an assistant professor at the Eskisehir Technical University, Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Her research focuses on Operations Research in aviation, especially on optimization problems related to air transportation planning and scheduling, where she develops models and solution methods for large-scale optimization problems. She also collaborates in different fields of Aviation Management, concerning different aspects of sustainability in aviation, where quantitative data analyses are required.

Hamid Jahed is a Professor in the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department. He is the Director of the Fatigue and Stress Analysis Laboratory (FATSLab) at the University of Waterloo. Professor Jahed’s research interests lie in the mutiscale characterization, modelling, and life enhancement of lightweight materials under cyclic loading, and the development of solid-state additive manufacturing using cold spray technology. Jahed has received several awards including Faculty of Engineering and Sandford Fleming Foundation Teaching Excellence Award, and Engineering Research Excellence Award. 

Houssam Alaouie is the Global Head of Collaboration and Government Programs, and Academic Partnerships at CAE. Over his 26-year career, Houssam gained extensive experience in R&D, product development, and innovation management in the aerospace sector. During his 23 years at CAE, he held key positions in project and product management, driving strategic technology development initiatives. Notably, he managed the development of new-generation technology platforms for flight simulators and major R&D collaboration programs.  He is also a director and founding member of the Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology of Canada (INSAT), working towards a green industrial transformation in the aerospace industry.  Furthermore, Houssam is a co-founder and vice president of the Canadian Mobility and Aerospace Institute (CMAI), which fosters workplace learning activities for current and emerging workers in the Canadian mobility industries.

As a fighter pilot and experimental test pilot on high-performance fighter aircraft in Canada, the UK, and the US, Jameel has penned some pretty unique journal entries, including most recently when he became the tenth Canadian professional astronaut and the first one to pilot a winged rocket ship. As a commercial spaceline pilot in Virgin Galactic’s spaceship Unity, Jameel flew as part of a crew that reached an altitude of 287,011 feet (54.4 miles) and a maximum speed of Mach 2.96. Looking back on this planet was profound and Jameel loves to share his experience with others.

Dr. Shafiee is an AI researcher; his research interest is mainly on machine learning models especially deep learning and graphical models with different applications in computer vision. He has extensive industrial research experience in leading many large-scale industrial and academic projects collaborating with companies like Microsoft and Intel. He has several best papers award on designing efficient, operational, and robust machine learning models.

As Purolator’s Director, Air Network Operations, Jay Kirkpatrick pilots Operational aspects of the company’s air operations, serving the Canadian domestic and international courier and transportation markets.

Jean Andrey is a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo with an expertise in climate change adaptation, planning, sustainable transportation, hazard and risk assessment, and weather-transport interactions. She is experienced working with federal, provincial, and municipal governments as well as industry, community, professional and not-for-profit organizations on adaptation priorities. Jean's research is concerned with the implications of climate change for transportation infrastructure and operations and is highly regarded as a teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students alike. 

Jean Thomassin was appointed Senior Director, New Product and Service Introduction (NPSI) at Pratt & Whitney Canada in 2020. In his role, Jean oversees the company’s efforts to develop enterprise level requirements for future sustainable propulsion systems, technologies and business models.

Jean-Pierre Hickey is an assistant professor in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. He is also involved in the Multi-Physics Interaction Lab at the University of Waterloo. His research interests include Fluid dynamics, Combustion, Supercritical Thermodynamics, and Aeroacoustics.  

Dr. Jennifer Lynes is an associate professor. She is Chair of the non-profit organization Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP Green Solutions) and co-founder of the North American Sustainable Concerts Working Group. With an educational background in both marketing and environmental studies, her expertise intersects business and the environment, where she focuses on investigating the marketing of sustainability. Her key research interests include social and community-based green marketing, residential energy conservation behaviour and engaging youth in environmental issues. 

Jeremy Wang is co-founder and COO of Ribbit, a venture-backed startup creating the world's first airline to use fully autonomous aircraft. Since founding in 2020, Ribbit completed the first hands-free gate-to-gate flight in Canada, received approvals for remotely piloted test flights in Alberta, signed on multiple online retailers and wholesalers, and has been awarded a federal contract to resupply remote northern communities. Prior Ribbit, Jeremy was CTO of one of Canada's top drone operators and named as one of AIAA's 20 Twenties in 2018. He holds a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Jian Zhao is an Assistant Professor in the Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, where he directs the WatVis (Waterloo Visualization) research group. His research lies in the intersection of information visualization, human-computer interaction, and data science. He is dedicated to developing interactive visualizations that optimize the analytical workflow of solving complex real-world data problems. Dr. Zhao received his Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto. He is the recipient of many best paper or honorable mention paper awards at top-tier venues (e.g., IEEE VIS, ACM CHI, and MobileHCI). More information can be found on his website: www.jeffjianzhao.com.

Dr. Jochen Konemann is a professor and chair in the department of combinatorics and optimization. Earning his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, Konemann went on to teach at the University of Waterloo. His research interests include approximation algorithms, algorithmic game theory and combinatorial optimization. Konemann recently organized a Hausdorff Summer School and Workshop on combinatorial optimization and organized a Hausdorff Trimester on combinatorial optimization as well. He was also involved in the writing of the undergraduate textbook on optimization. 

John is President of The Barnes Global Advisors and the CEO/Founder of Metal Powder Works. John has a 30+ year career in product development and aerospace with Honeywell, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works™, Australia's CSIRO and Arconic. He's been involved in metal additive manufacturing throughout this career, beginning in the late 1990s when he was part of the Sandia National Labs LENS™ CRADA.

Captain John Craig is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and the Aviation program at Seneca College and is currently the Director of Training for a major airline in Canada, responsible for all pilot training programs. He currently flies the Boeing 777 and has over 30 years of experience in flight training in various roles from ab-initio to turboprop and large jet transport aircraft.

Professor Honek received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from McGill University and undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT (USA). His research focuses on the application of chemistry to biological systems and includes investigations on advanced bionanomaterials. He was the recipient of the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s 2014 Bernard Belleau Award presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of medicinal chemistry through research involving biochemical or organic chemical mechanisms. 

John Montesano is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo and the Director of the Composites Research Group (CRG). His research interests lie in the field of mechanics of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures. One of the main pillars of Prof. Montesano’s research is to investigate the influence of manufacturing processes on the integrity composite structures.

John Thompson is a retired professor in the department of biology. His research interests included biochemistry and molecular biology of programmed cell death: the molecular basis of membrane deterioration in senescing and aging tissues; comparative aspects of senescence and stress including the role of hormones and the involvement of free radicals; functional genomics of senescence and apoptosis. 

John Z. Wen is a Professor with the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and is cross appointed to the Chemical Engineering department at the University of Waterloo. He is also the Director of the Laboratory for Emerging Energy Research at the university and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering (CSME). 

CAAM is a Federal Not For Profit organization that acts as the catalyst for the new Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry in Canada. AAM is defined as unlocking Zero-Emission (Electric & Hydrogen) Aircraft to operate in Canada both as flying vehicles and larger commercial airplanes. AAM operations focus on moving people, goods and services in both piloted and remotely piloted aircraft on intra-urban and inter-regional routes.

Juan Moreno-Cruz is an Associate Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development at the University of Waterloo.  He is also a CESifo Research Affiliate. Prior to his current position, Moreno-Cruz was an Associate Professor in the School of Economics at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2011-2017). Professor Moreno-Cruz's research focuses on the interaction of energy systems, technological change, and climate policy. His most influential work examines how solar and carbon geoengineering technologies affect climate policy. His most recent work provides novel insights into the process of energy transitions by demonstrating how energy access shapes the organization of the economy in cities and how energy consumption in cities in turn pollutes the local and global environment. 
 

Juliana joined the aviation industry soon after her undergraduate studies at McGill University. Mrs. Lisi has almost 20 years of environmental compliance experience for aviation fuel consortia in Canada. Within the last few years, Juliana’s focus has shifted to sustainability and more recently, to sustainable aviation fuels. Her latest role has her aiming to decarbonize aviation through the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF).

With over 23 years of extensive experience spanning the eLearning, marketing communications, and creative services industries, Charu is a PMP certified project manager and a Green Belt in Six Sigma. She has been working on WISA's eLearning courses and the LMS platform. Her responsibilities include eLearning course development, managing the Learning Management System (LMS), user management and data analytics, customer experience and administration of payment gateways including Shopify store of WISA.

Prior to her current role, Charu served as a Senior Project Manager in the e-Learning and Marcom division and as Associate Director of Creative Services at renowned firms such as KPMG, Genpact, and GE. She also served as a part-time Professor of Project Management at Conestoga College for more than 3 years, bringing her industry experience into academia. Throughout her career, Charu has been able to work on delivering impactful creative solutions across diverse industries.

Katherine White, PhD joined the Psychology Department at the University of Waterloo in 2010, after completing her PhD in Cognitive Science at Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island, USA) and postdoctoral research in the department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York, USA). She studies the earliest stages of language development in infants and toddlers. 

Keith Johnson is an architect and associate with Figurr Architects Collective. Since joining the firm in 2005, he has developed his technical and managerial skills to bring innovative approaches to aviation training centre design worldwide. He brings deep knowledge and expertise in technical design solutions to Figurr and his clients.

Kevin Graham is the Director - Applied AI, Global Innovation and Incubation at CAE. During his extensive career working for large Global Systems Integrators, ISVs and Consumer Electronics companies, he designed and implemented  enterprise solutions for clients in multiple industries.

Over the last 10 years, he has led numerous Advanced Analytics and AI engagements ranging from developing data-driven cloud-based applications, optimizing business processes, Buy/Sell side M&A analysis and Training Analytics.

Kirsten Müller is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Müller's research focuses on speciation, taxonomy, ecology, and evolution of algae included harmful algal blooms. Dr. Müller is the recipient of several awards including; an Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo (2016, 2019); Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA), Faculty of Science; University of Waterloo (2016); Luigi Provasoli Award in recognition for authoring an outstanding paper published in the Journal of Phycology, Phycological Society of America (2011).  Dr. Müller is also the Past President of the Phycological Society of America (2018-2020) and Managing Editor of the Journal of Phycology (2022-2027).

Dr. Sagar Naik’s research interests focus on: (i) monitoring of physical systems to ensure their safe operations using wireless sensor networks; (ii) monitoring of wireless devices in cyber-physical systems to detect their anomalous behavior; (iii) designing secure and efficient communication protocols for vehicular networks; (iv) designing energy harvesting sensor modules for sustainable communication in harsh communication environments; and (v) software testing and quality assurance. 

Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam is a Professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research interests include design optimization under uncertainty with emphasis on developing operations research techniques as well as stochastic modelling. He is an expert applying AI techniques to many problems in resource management and his current interests include using regenerative economics and triple bottom analysis to design systems with attention to sustainability, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Dr. Liu's research examines ways technologies can help older adults and family caregivers. As an investigator with Age-Well NCE, she has three funded projects to develop:

(1) an app using predicted risk levels to recommend personalized strategies for people with dementia at risk of going missing, (2) a scale to measure the usability of technologies to locate missing persons with dementia, and (3) a national coordinated strategy for collecting data on persons with dementia who go missing.

She also collaborates with researchers at Ryerson University to develop and evaluate algorithms for drones that find cognitively impaired people who are lost.

Professor and Chair of Systems Design Engineering (SYDE), Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall received her PhD in Civil Engineering from McMaster University in 1996. Prior to Waterloo, Aultman-Hall served as a faculty member at three American universities, and was the founding director of the Vermont Transportation Research Centre (TRC). Her research focuses on intercity long distance travel behavior, network resiliency, non-motorized transportation, streetscape design and transportation systems. 

Luc Pouliot cumulates 30 years of experience in surface engineering (thin film deposition, thermal/cold spray processes, laser-matter interaction) as well as in the development of online, non-destructive sensing techniques for related industrial process control.  In the last 5 years, apart from his CEO role at Polycontrols, he has focused on the industrialization of cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM), including the development of sustainable, industry 4.0 repair solutions for the aerospace, surface transportation and energy sectors. In parallel, Luc has been and still is very much involved with the materials community; he is a Fellow of the ASM International, and a Past President of the Thermal Spray Society.

Dr Alfano is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Waterloo. His research focuses on the mechanics of solid bodies and layered lightweight structures. The interplay between manufacturing and structural performance is a highlight of Marco’s recent research work, which enjoys an even balance between analytical, computational and experimental methods in fracture mechanics.

I received my PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2001 (Applied Mathematics).  I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto from 2001-2004, and returned to UW in 2004.  My research focus is on environmental fluid mechanics, especially from a computational point of view.  Along with my group I both develop and apply high order numerical methods to problems in boundary layer dynamics, hydrodynamic instability theory, and internal wave dynamics.

Mark is the manager of Venture Projects at Transport Canada’s Innovation Centre. Mark can be found working on a range of projects related to 21s century policy areas including modernization, innovation and digital government, and much of Mark's work involves emerging technologies.

Meet Marvin Pelletier, a proud member of Fort William First Nation and co-founder of Maawandoon Inc. and Carbonix Inc. Marvin's expertise in Indigenous community engagement has made Maawandoon a leading national firm. By drawing on their deep understanding of local governance, community protocols, regulatory frameworks, and legislation affecting Indigenous communities, Marvin and his team guide projects to completion. Their approach is rooted in fostering collaboration and honouring the values and aspirations of the communities they serve.

Mary Wells is Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo (July 1, 2020 - ), the ninth dean since the Faculty was founded in 1957. From 2017-2020, she was Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Guelph.

Prior to her time in Guelph, Wells was a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo for 10 years. She received awards for graduate supervision from both the Faculty and the University in 2017.

Maryam works with Waterloo faculty and industry partners to bridge strategic partnerships in support of advancing aviation research, education, and innovation.

A seasoned writer and strategist, Claire develops integrated communications plans to advance WISA's sustainability initiatives. Her portfolio includes content planning for the WISA website and newsletters, promotions for the institute's events and a suite of print and digital publications. Claire also supervises the team's co-op student to develop content for WISA's social media channels.

Prior to joining WISA, Claire held several roles in the University of Waterloo's Office of Advancement. She created proposals and reports for generous donors, oversaw the content calendar for the alumni news website and served as a contributing editor of Waterloo Magazine.

Dr. Mehrdad Kazerani is an expert in power electronics, with a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. His research areas include topology development, modeling and control of converters for renewable energy sources integration, electrified powertrains, hybrid energy storage systems, smart battery chargers with V2G capability, energy access and microgrids.

Dr. Mehrdad Pirnia, a PhD Waterloo alumnus in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is a faculty member and Graduate Attributes lecturer in the Department of Management Sciences. His main research focus is enhancing the operation and planning of energy and transportation systems through artificial intelligence, optimization and stochastic techniques. He has previously held positions with California ISO, ALSTOM Grid, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Mélissa Després is Program Director of the Advanced Manufacturing program since 2022. She is responsible for providing the vision, direction and the leadership in the delivery, adoption and impact of the research. She is also responsible for leading world-class resources and actively managing key relationships and alliances with partners, government and industry to ensure optimal positioning, organizational alignment and delivery in the national interest.

Michael Barnett-Cowan is an Associate Professor in Kinesiology and Health Studies.  Michael is also the Director of the Multisensory Brain and Cognition Lab at the University of Waterloo, which seeks to determine how the brain integrates multisensory information. The lab has a specific interest in the vestibular (balance) system and determining how information about head movement and orientation is combined with the other senses to enable optimal object recognition, decision-making, and coordinated movement in the normal, injured, diseased, and aging brain. 

Prof. Beazely received his PhD in molecular pharmacology in 2004 after completing his pharmacy degree in 2000. His clinical research includes the evaluation of undergraduate pharmacy education with respect to substance use and ongoing educational tool development for practicing health professionals.

Dr. Michael Waite is an Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Mathematics. He received his PhD from McGill University in 2005. His research interests are in geophysical fluid dynamics, with a particular focus on numerical modelling of turbulence in the atmosphere.  

Michael Worswick is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering of the University of Waterloo and is Executive Director of the Waterloo Node of the Advanced Manufacturing Consortium. He held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in “Light Weight Materials Under Extreme Deformation: Forming and Impact” (2004-2018) and currently holds a University Research Chair under the same title.

Dr. Vlasea is an Assistant Professor and the Research Co-Director of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab. Her research focuses on innovative design, process optimization and adoption of new materials for powder bed fusion and binder jetting additive manufacturing processes. Dr. Vlasea collaborates closely with industry partners in the additive manufacturing supply chain and applications, including aerospace. In recognition of her scholarly work, student mentorship, and industry outreach, she was recognised as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) 20 Most Influential Academics 2021 and as the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer 2020.

Mr. Cheung’s is currently President & CEO of Defence Construction Canada.  He has a multi-modal transportation background and his experience includes executive and senior leadership positions in a variety of transportation related organizations: air (infrastructure, fixed- and rotor-wing); rail (infrastructure, heavy, commuter and automated light rail); marine (infrastructure, passenger, commercial, defence); and public infrastructure and transportation (roads, bridges, bus, para-transit, cycling). 

Drew has been involved in aviation for more than 35 years.  As a partner of Found Aircraft Canada Inc., a board member of VeriTX, board member of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, board member of the Canadian International Air Show, a Upper Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, along with his work at Trinity Atlantic Capital.  His knowledge of aviation ranges from small bush planes to corporate jets. Drew holds a commercial pilot’s license.

Rod Regier, Commissioner of Planning, Development and Legislative Services (PDLS) with the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, received an Honours Bachelor degree in Geography at the University of Winnipeg, and a Masters in Regional Planning at the University of Waterloo. After graduating from Waterloo, Rod worked briefly with the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth in planning policy; then for 16 years with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in various capacities: municipal planning, regional economic development and provincial economic policy with a special focus on dialogue between business, labour and government on provincial competitiveness in global markets. 

Simon's career in aviation spans a wide range of roles across most aspects of the operating side of the industry including many years at Board level. A BSc (Hons) graduate in Aeronautical Engineering / Electronic Engineering (Avionics) from Queen Mary College, University of London, he initially worked in technical/engineering/flying roles and developed up to Senior Board level. 

In December 2019 he established four organisations that make up the ENGAP UK Consortium: Project ENGAP, ENGAP UK, Aviation 360 and IASTI – all committed to engaging and training the next generation of aviation professionals. 

Thomas Lagaillarde had been developing new businesses for Thales and Airbus for more than 12 years before his appointment as Vice President On-Ground Solutions at NAVBLUE and now Vice President Product Portfolio & Programmes.  He founded an internet start-up while still a student, and has since led projects around integrated Electronic Flight Bag operations, pilot training and runway safety systems with that same entrepreneurial spirit. At NAVBLUE he is now leading the transition to an integrated agile lean portfolio management to enhance the customer value creation and boost competitiveness. 

Wendy Bailey is the Chief of Environmental Protection and Standards at Transport Canada, responsible for the implementation of national environmental standards, and the Civil Aviation environmental program. She is the CAEP Member for Canada on ICAO’s Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). Wendy is on the Advisory Board of the AVIATOR Consortium, an EU-funded multi-national study. She is a contributing author to Air Quality Management: Canadian Perspectives on a Global Issue, published in 2014. Wendy holds a Bachelor degree in Applied Science (Engineering Chemistry) from Queen’s University and a Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety from McGill. 

Naila's research explores how gaze behaviour can provide an objective measure of information processing, decision-making and complex skill performance. She is currently working to apply these questions to aviation education with the broader goal of enhancing our understanding of the complex human factors involved in piloting an aircraft and guiding the development of novel training paradigms and industry practices.  

Dr. Azad’s primary research interests lie in: (i) intelligent controls and automation with applications to automotive systems as well as autonomous systems like automated vehicles and drones, and (ii) innovative applications of AI methods to solve complex modeling, optimization, control, and automation problems. He has over 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals and received an Early Researcher Award in 2015 from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

Ms Natesa MacRae is the Clean Fuel Technologies lead for CNRC’s Low Emission Aviation Program and a senior researcher in aircraft electrification and green engineering.

Dr. Neil Randall is an associate professor with the Department of English Language and literature with a doctorate from York University. He is the chair of the Council for Responsible Innovation and Technology and the executive director of The Games Institute, whose research focuses on games studies, interactive immersive media and technology, rhetoric and semiotics of human-computer interaction and the practice and analysis of professional writing. Randall was the principal investigator for the SSHRC Partnership Grant that funded the games research network IMMERSe (The Interactive and Multi-Modal Research Syndicate) and is a distinguished computer book and magazine writer. 

Dr. Maftoon is an assistant professor in the department of Systems Design Engineering. Dr. Maftoon received his PhD training in biomedical engineering at McGill University performing research in physiological acoustics and auditory mechanics followed by a postdoctoral training in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology at the Harvard Medical School. One research focus of Dr. Maftoon at the University of Waterloo is noise and vibration leveraging his industrial experience in vehicle research and development.  

Olaf Weber was a Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. In addition, he held the position as the University of Waterloos Research Chair in Sustainable Finance and is Senior Fellow of CIGI. His research and teaching interests address the connection between financial sector players, such as banks and sustainable development and the link between sustainability and financial performance of enterprises.

• Engineering 

Dr. Paria Karimi is a research assistant professor in the department of mechanical engineering. Her research focuses on eliminating environmental effect and reducing energy consumption in aerospace applications through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. Her main passion is to use new AM technologies to create a healthy environment devoid of pollutants and requiring less energy, with the lack of universal guidelines on new design approaches, the classification of manufacturing materials, and processes serving as her primary motivation.

Dr. Parsin Haji Reza is an award-winning teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, published novelist, and inventor of photoacoustic remote sensing (PARS^®) microscopy. His research explores designing and developing novel hardware and software methods for clinical and pre-clinical biomedical applications. These new technologies aim to provide clinicians and researchers with novel capabilities and information that is presently difficult to obtain with existing techniques. He invented and pioneered several new technologies/concepts including, Photoacoustic Remote Sensing (PARS^®) microscopy, a novel absorption-based, non-contact, non-invasive, label-free imaging technique. He also is the co-founder of illumiSonics Inc., where he holds position of CTO and Chairman of the Board.

As the Director of Strategic Research, Patty leads a talented team of professionals to engage researchers and industries to strategically grow WISA’s research portfolio to bring new sustainable initiatives to commercialization. Responsible for managing WISA’s industry and government funded collaborative research portfolio, Patty is accountable to identify, develop, implement and sustain WISA’s research mission.

Paul is a sustainability researcher with a passion for low carbon aviation and a love of teaching. He brings social science expertise to a diverse set of energy and development research projects, often with engineer colleagues. He has 175 publications and over 230 presentations on a broad range of projects: zero-carbon buildings, energy retrofits, smart grid technologies, renewables in remote communities, sustainable economic development and community energy planning. Electric and low carbon aviation is the next challenge.                                      

Peter J. Crank joined the Department in 2023 as an Assistant Professor. As an urban geographer and climatologist who received his PhD in Geography from Arizona State University (ASU), he studies urban climate and impacts of neighborhood scale urban design on microclimates and human health.

His work has centered in hot cities, including Singapore and Phoenix as well as mid-sized cities of the US Southern Plains.  Peter has a B.S. degree in broadcast meteorology (television) from Mississippi State University (MSU) before pursuing degrees in applied climate and geography at MSU (M.S.) and Ph.D. (ASU).

Peter’s research seeks to address questions of modelling urban spaces to understand the impact urban climate mitigation strategies have on the thermal environment as well as on all facets of human health (from physical heat stress to psychological disorders). His work has spanned across several U.S. cities in the Sunbelt, including Jackson (MS), Houston (TX), Phoenix (AZ), and Los Angeles (CA) in addition to work in Singapore.

Dr. Quinn Lewis is a physical geographer and geomorphologist who studies the landscape – how flow processes like rivers and wind, together with human-induced processes, move energy and landscape material and ultimately form and alter earth’s surface. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois Department of Geography and GIS in 2018 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana University, supported by the Environmental Resilience Institute. His research combines intensive field work with remote sensing and Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) to improve our understanding of dynamic and interrelated physical processes and landforms. 

As the Aeronautical Research Coordinator and eLearning Course Coordinator at WISA, Rafael is responsible for the day-to-day operations of WISA’s AL250 flight simulator while supporting the development of eLearning courses. With his experience in aviation, Rafael provides insightful feedback to graduate students and faculty to enhance their research focused on sustainable aeronautics.

Rafael is a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Science and Aviation program with a Bachelor of Science, Commercial Pilot Licence, and Group 1 Instrument Rating. In addition to supporting WISA’s outreach initiatives, Rafael applies his aviation knowledge to advance the Institute’s mission of being the world’s leading hub for sustainable aeronautical research, technology, and education.

Raouf Boutaba received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from Sorbonne University in 1990 and 1994, respectively. He is currently a University Chair Professor and the Director of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer science at the University of Waterloo (Canada). His research interests fall in the areas of computer networking and distributed systems.

Dr. Rebecca Saari has interdisciplinary training and professional experience in sustainable engineering. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, she worked as an air quality engineering consultant and atmospheric scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. She completed her PhD in Engineering Systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Richard Hughson is Schlegel Research Chair in Vascular Aging and Brain Health at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging. His research focuses on how increased arterial stiffness affects brain blood flow and how older persons experience dizziness and increased risk of falling. He has studied astronauts to understand how and why arteries have “aging-like” changes (increased carotid artery stiffness) after 6-months in space. He is Principal Investigator on 6 projects on the International Space Station including Vascular Calcium that is part of the CIPHER study of astronauts spending one-year in space. His research in the science of human health developed from his own participation in competitive distance running and the belief that physical activity contributes to long and healthy lives. Richard Hughson is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Faculty of Health and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. 

Richard Kelly’s interests are in characterizing terrestrial cryospheric processes for advancing our understanding of climate change and water resource management. His research group focuses on the development and application of novel approaches to estimate and map snow accumulation and water storage on the Earth using satellite, airborne and ground-based microwave and visible-infrared remote sensing systems. 

Richard Rubin is a Founding Partner of Figurr Architects Collective and has been a lead designer for many of the firm’s most complex commercial, corporate, residential and aviation-related projects over the past three decades. He has been designing and managing the construction of aviation training centre facilities for more than 20 years.

Dr Guglielmi is an applied mathematician focused on control and optimization of dynamical systems, with a focus on designing controllers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), optimizing power energy networks, agent-based and compartmental models in agriculture and life sciences.

Rodrigo Costa is an assistant professor of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Costa received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining Waterloo, Dr. Costa was an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University. His research on societal and environmental systems examines how communities' physical, economic, and social systems interact to exacerbate disaster risk and further socioeconomic and racial inequalities. Rodrigo works at the interface between engineering and social sciences. Dr. Costa’s goal is to inform targeted interventions to reduce disaster impacts, accelerate recovery, and ensure that all of society participates in the benefits.  

Russell is an expert in sustainable propulsion at Pratt & Whitney Canada, having worked in sustainable aviation for more than 15 years. Russell currently works in advanced engineering and future product development. Prior roles include leading P&WC’s product sustainability program and advanced design of environmentally friendly aircraft at Bombardier Aerospace. Russell completed his Master’s in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT in 2010 with research focused on the life cycle climate impacts and energy demands of sustainable alternative jet fuel. Russell completed his Bachelor’s in Engineering Physics at Queen’s University in 2008.

Dr. Saeed Ghadimi is an assistant professor in the Department of Management Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Before joining UWaterloo, he was an associate research scholar at Princeton University. He also received his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from University of Florida.

Dr. Saeed Maleksaeedi is a material scientist with a focus on additive manufacturing technologies, received her PhD from Shiraz University in 2009. His research explores application of additive manufacturing in various industry sectors including aerospace, biomedical and tooling.

Sander Rhebergen is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, Department of Applied Mathematics. Before joining the University of Waterloo, he was a postdoctoral researcher, first at the University of Minnesota and then at the University of Oxford. His research interests are in scientific computing and numerical analysis, hybridisable and embedded discontinuous Galerkin methods and finite element methods for partial differential equations on time-dependent domains.

Dr. Fischmeister is a Professor at the University of Waterloo, leads the Real-time Embedded Software Group, and is NSERC/Magna Industrial Research Chair for Automotive Software. Dr. Fischmeister performs systems research at the intersection of software technology, distributed systems, and formal methods. His preferred application area is safety-critical embedded real-time systems. Jointly with industry and researchers, he built the APMA Connected Vehicle Technology Demonstrator as well as several CES demos, including the Renesas Autonomous Vehicle as well as the DENSO Driving AI demonstrator.

Dr. Serhiy Yarusevych received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2006. Since 2006, he has been directing the Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research is focused on aerodynamics and its multidisciplinary applications in engineering, including operation of lifting and control surfaces, flows over bluff bodies, turbulence, flow induced vibrations and noise, and flow control. Additional details on the laboratory and ongoing research work can be found at www.fmrl.uwaterloo.ca.

Dr. Sherilyn Houle is a pharmacist and pharmacy practice researcher, receiving her pharmacy degree from the University of Saskatchewan and PhD from the University of Alberta. With research and clinical expertise in travel medicine, she has an interest in air travel-related health issues, travel trends, and health and medication use among aviation professionals.

Shi Cao (“SHER TSAO”) studies human factors engineering. His research projects include human performance and workload modeling, human-machine system reliability, the applications of virtual and augmented reality, and new aviation training technologies. Cao has developed computational cognitive models and human performance prediction systems (Google Scholar list). He is also the director of Human Optimization Modelling Lab (HOMLab) and the Committee Chair of the Collaborative Aeronautics Program.

Shirley Tang is a professor and associate dean of science at the University of Waterloo. She carries out research in nanotechnology. Central to her effort is the creation of materials and devices based on graphene, carbon nanotubes, and their chemical derivatives, primarily for biomedical applications. Her research interests encompass nanomaterials and nanodevices for biology and medicine, biomolecule assisted nanomaterial self-assembly, and the health and environmental effects of engineered nanomaterials. Her lab is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments tailored for nanocarbon-based synthesis and characterization and a biosafety II cell culture lab dedicated to the investigation of nanocarbon-biosystem interactions. 

Dr. Sirisha Rambhatla is an Assistant Professor in the Management Sciences Department, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Her research focusses on reliable artificial intelligence (AI) models for real-world decision making for critical applications in healthcare, intelligent automation, and climate change, using deep learning, time- series and spatiotemporal data analysis, explainable AI, and provable algorithms. Her inter disciplinary work spanning both theory and practice of machine learning (ML), has been published at top ML venues such as NeurIPS, ICLR, KDD, IJCAI, AAAI, and clinical venues such as AMIA, Urology Clinics North America, and Surgery.

Associate professor with the Department of Management Sciences, Dr. Stan Dimitrov's research primarily focuses on the interface of operations research and information systems. Dimitrov graduated from the University of Michigan with a doctorate in Industrial and Operations Engineering in 2010. Dimitrov's work pays special attention to business data analytics, mechanism design, game theory and telecommunications, and he is interested in creating solutions to industry problems related to pricing, process, and customer relationship management. 

Stephen L. Smith is a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering where he directs the Autonomous Systems Lab and is a Canada Research Chair in Autonomous Systems.  He received his BSc degree from Queen’s University, his MASc degree from the University of Toronto, and his PhD degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Professor Steven Young is a resource sustainability expert supporting the transition to a low-carbon, responsible and “circular” economy. After his PhD from Toronto, he worked in industry for 15-years in life cycle assessment and environmental strategy. As an academic he engages internationally in industry and civil activities on responsible sourcing, sustainability standards and supply-chains. Dr Young is widely published in management, resource policy and sustainability journals. 

Dr. Su-Yin Tan is a Continuing Lecturer in the Geomatics Program, Teaching Fellow of the Faculty of Environment, and Director of the Applied Geomatics Research Laboratory at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She previously served as the Associate Director of the UW Aviation program and supported program review/accreditation and curriculum design. She is also a faculty member of the International Space University (ISU) based in Strasbourg, France, where she has served in the roles of Core Chair and Space Applications Department Chair for the Space Studies Program (SSP) and lectures at the Masters of Space Studies (MSS) program and Executive Space Courses at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. 

Sushanta Mitra’s research interests are in the fundamental understanding of fluid flow in narrow confinements applicable to energy, environment and bio-systems. Before joining Waterloo, he had several administrative roles in Canadian higher education, including Department Chair (Lassonde School of Engineering), Associate Vice-President Research (York University) and Assistant Vice-President Research (University of Alberta).

Dr. Suzanne Kearns is an aviation academic with a focus on education and optimizing pilot performance, receiving her PhD from Capella University in 2007. Her research explores how to optimize the next generation of aviation professionals (NGAP) by analyzing processes to attract people to the field of aviation, optimizing and innovating the traditional education pathway, and improving the retention of professionals within the field. She is a former airplane and helicopter pilot and is internationally recognized within the aviation industry.

Becoming a pilot was transformational, truly giving this Métis woman wings. Teara is the Founder of Iskwew Air, the bridge between traditional air service and the sustainable technology of the future. She has recently launched an aero tech company – elibird aero. She believes that together in this innovative space we will reimagine, rematriate, and rebuild our air transportation system - centering equity and sustainability. Teara holds a Master of Arts in Leadership degree from Royal Roads University and the journey of learning now takes her back to Royal Roads as Adjunct Professor. Teara serves as a Board Director for Aerial Evolution.

Dr. Tong Leung is a chemical physicist working with emerging materials and their applications. His research explores the fundamental chemistry and physics occurring on the surfaces of novel materials, including low-dimensional nanostructural materials, as well as potential applications of these materials.

When Mr. Nguyen was a third-year undergraduate in chemical engineering at Berkeley, he had to take two half courses of introductory economics as a breadth degree requirement. It was an eye-opening experience as he found that economics was not very much different from engineering in terms of the required discipline and problem-solving skills. Mr. Nguyen got hooked in economics and started taking extra economics credits along with his engineering courses. Went on to do well in engineering but after graduation, went to Simon Fraser for a qualifying term before getting into the MA Economics program. He learned that modern economics requires analytical skills as much as mathematics, and again started taking extra math credits along the MA program. After graduation, Mr. Nguyen went to Western for graduate study in mathematics for two years before switching back to economics for good (enough running around). 

Vanessa's fundamental training was in Physics, and she holds minors in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Speech Communication. She also holds a master’s in Environmental Studies and a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy. She blends these interdisciplinary interests through her work on scenarios, which are common tools for collective decision-making. In a variety of contexts, collective decision-making includes many processes such as articulating aspirations and values, exercising foresight, confronting uncertainties and risks, and negotiating trade-offs. Vanessa's teaching includes coursework on design and problem-solving. Her research focuses on the problem of cross-disciplinary knowledge integration and the design of scenarios for the human dimensions of large-scale environmental change. She also has ongoing projects around problems in long-term decision-making such as forecasting and discontinuities (that is, developments that could be considered "game-changing" compared to the status quo). Her recent work has included the influence of occupational, interpersonal, and cultural conflicts on climate change attitudes. 

Dr. Vijay Ganesh is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and the Co-Director of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute. Prior to joining Waterloo in 2012, he was a research scientist at MIT (2007-2012) and completed his PhD in computer science from Stanford in 2007.

Dr. Vivek Maheshwari is an active researcher and educator, with a PhD from Virginia Tech in 2007. His research focuses on photovoltaics and energy harvesting technology, development of electrocatalysts and composites and material design. Applying the materials for use in sensors and devices is also a key area of his research, including developing flexible devices and scale up manufacturing. He was awarded the Early Researcher Award in 2015.   

Vlad works with professors and companies to match interests for the purpose of collaborative research and commercialization projects with a focus on social sciences, applied health science, and environment. Some of the areas under Vlad’s portfolio include education technology, medical technology, e-health, human-computer interaction, gamification and digital media, smart cities, geo informatics, digital economy, fintech, and transportation.

Mr. Di Bartolomeo has worked with the founding partners of INSAT (the Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology™ of Canada) to stand up a joint industry-government technology eco-system that will support the growth of one of Canada's most innovative and export-driven sectors – Aerospace. Mr. Di Bartolomeo currently serves as the Chairman of the Interim Board of Directors of INSAT.

Xianguo is a Professor in the Deparment of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His main research interests and activities are in the area of thermal fluid/science, including energy systems and energy storage, various energy conversion devices, propulsion and power generation systems, aerosol generation and applications, and transportation fuel cell and battery systems. 

A focus on sustainable energy conversion and chemical production processes! XiaoYu Wu is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. He obtained his PhD and was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)He also obtained his MS and BS degrees in Zhejiang University. He is enthusiastic about sustainability, especially how clean technologies can impact sustainability and how developing countries can incorporate sustainability in development. He has published papers in journals such as Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, AIChE Journal and ChemSusChem. He serves as the Guest Associate Editor in an open-access journal Frontiers in Energy Research for a theme collection of “Sustainable Hydrogen for Energy, Fuel and Commodity Applications.” 

Dr. Pant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where he leads the Control, Learning and Logic (CL2) group. His research focuses on decision-making for multi-agent and autonomous systems, drawing on elements of Control Theory, Machine Learning, Formal Methods, and Optimization.

Dr Yilan Liu Yilan got her MASc at Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she earned Master of Natural Science. She pursued her PhD in Biochemical Engineering at Chinese Academy of Sciences.  She conducted post-doctoral training at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at University of Toronto. In Liu’s lab for synthetic biology and sustainable development (LSS), we harness synthetic biology for sustainable development. Her research explores how to engineer bacteria to convert mixed solid waste into biofuels. 

Yimin Wu is an assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology (WIN), Director of Materials Interfaces Foundry, at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Wu received his DPhil degree in Materials from the University of Oxford on 2D electronics in 2013. Then, he worked as a SinBeRise Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Zhao Pan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo and the Principal Investigator of the Interdisciplinary Fluid Physics Lab - Pan Lab. Prior to joining Waterloo, he worked at Utah State University and Florida Center for Advanced Aero-propulsion (FCAAP, FSU) as a postdoctoral fellow. His research interests span from fundamental fluid physics (e.g., jets, bubbles, droplets, and cavitation), micro/bio-fluids, to advanced fluid flow diagnostics. Most of his studies are driven by curiosity and serve both academia and the community with creative ideas and broader social impact. Working with scientists and engineers from different fields, his multi-disciplinary fluid dynamics studies have been published in journals such as PNAS, Nature Plants, J. Fluid Mech, Phys. Rev. Fluids, Phys. Fluids, and Soft Matter, etc. His work has also been featured on journal covers (Nature, Plants, Soft Matter), editor’s picks, and in 40+ leading media outlets (e.g., Science, Nature, The Washington Post, EurekAlert!, etc.). 

Today, Zoey is a First Officer on a Boeing 777. She is a Professor of Practice, serving as the inaugural Pilot-in-Residence at the University of Waterloo as a lecturer, supporting research, and collaborating with various departments, including the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics, among many other responsibilities. She is an avid volunteer, having served on multiple non-profit boards, a keynote speaker, and a versatile musician who has performed twice with an orchestra. For her contributions to the aviation industry, she has been recognized by various organizations, including her selection as the 2023 Top 20 under 40 by Wings Magazine.