Profiles

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.

Jay Madume is a Social Media and Web Associate at the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA). Jay supports various communications projects focused on sustainable aviation and aerospace. He is responsible for assisting with website management, as well as content production, audience engagement and strategy for social media communications.

Jay is a second-year co-op student in the Honours Kinesiology program at the University of Waterloo. He provides a creative approach to tasks and plans on growing his communication and business mindset during his term with WISA. 

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.

Michael McPhee is an Aeronautics Research Assistant at the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA). As an active member of the team, Michael plays a role in supporting research projects focused on sustainable aviation and aerospace. He is responsible for operating WISA's flight simulator, collecting and analyzing data, and ensuring the smooth execution of test protocols. 

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.

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.

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.