Alfred Ng: Understanding Lunar Gateway Orbi
Bio. Alfred Ng obtained his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in 1992. He joined the Canadian Space Agency as a Research Scientist the same year and he is currently Deputy Director in the Engineering & Capability Demonstration Directorate. He served for 6 years as the Chair of the International Astronautical Federation Astrodynamics Committee. He is also a member of the International Academy of Astronautics. He previously managed the CSA/CNES Joint Collaboration on Stratospheric Balloon program and he was also the Technical Lead on the Canadian CubeSat Project. He was recently assigned as the Acting Head, Academic Development. He has authored and co-authored 14 journal publications and over 45 conference papers.
Abstract. The Lunar Gateway will be placed in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). This presentation will explain to the audience why this is a fascinating choice. The presenter will walk through the audience first in the basics of Keplerian orbits. He will introduce concepts of halo orbit, Lagrangian points, delta-V and station keeping.
Heather Swan and Michael Fox: The Importance of Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives in Environmental Decision Making
Bio. Heather Swan is settler of Irish, German and English descent. She is a highly trusted and compassionate professional with over 20 years of experience, who is dedicated to being an ally and accomplice to Indigenous Peoples. She is the VP of Reconciliation at ICE. Her unique dual training and experience in planning and engineering enables an appreciation of varied viewpoints and consensus building, working tactfully and effectively with multiple and diverse individuals and organizations. Heather has worked on projects across Canada from coast to coast to coast working with and for Indigenous Nations and communities, Federal and Provincial governments, regulators, municipalities, developers, mining companies, and energy generation companies.
Bio. Michael is from Weenusk First Nation and is the President/CEO of Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE) – one of Canada’s leading national Indigenous firms specializing in community consultation, facilitation/negotiations, capacity building & social research. ICE's mission is to deliver socio-economic change through reconciliation efforts. Michael brings a wealth of experience in structuring projects and financing for both industry and Indigenous clients. He obtained an honours degree in Political Science with a focus on Aboriginal Law & Resource Development and has an MBA with a specialization in Social Enterprise.
Abstract. Speakers will touch on a number of topics based on their lived experience in this realm. They will touch on key principles to consider, and trends that are leading beyond collaborative decision making and into Indigenous-led processes.
Andrea Ngo: Intellectual property (IP) rights and the value of a strong IP strategy
Bio. Andrea is an intellectual property lawyer and registered patent agent at Bereskin & Parr LLP. She specializes in the preparation, drafting and prosecution of patent applications, helping individuals and companies obtain legal protection for their technologies. She assists businesses operating primarily in high-tech industries, including in the software, AI,telecommunication, medical devices, robotics and electronics spaces. She also works closely with startups to develop IP strategic plans. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Andrea studied electrical engineering.
Abstract. This presentation will explore the basics of the different types of intellectual property (IP) rights and the value of a strong IP strategy, with a particular emphasis on patents. The presentation will cover aspects such as the business and commercial value of patents, when to start thinking about patents, what makes a technology patentable and strategies for preserving IP rights. The presentation will also touch upon frequently asked questions and common misconceptions about patents.
Parnian Majd: Smart Textile --- The Future of Healthcare, Fashion, and Wearables but more importantly, women's health, (i.e Fibra inc.)!
Bios. Parnian Majd is the Founder and CEO at Fibra inc. and she is a distinguished biomedical engineer with a Bachelor's degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master's from the University of Toronto. Recognized for her exceptional contributions to the technology sector, Parnian received the EY 2022 Women in Tech award, and was nominated for the 2023 DMZ Women of the Year award, and CBC reached out to her for an interview. Holding an Entrepreneurship Certificate from Harvard Business School, she seamlessly integrates technical prowess with strategic acumen. Parnian is a passionate advocate for women's health, reproductive health, and innovation in wearables and smart textiles, evident in her impactful speaking engagements at various conferences. Parnian's career reflects a commitment to technology, entrepreneurship, and fostering diversity in the industry.
Abstract. The advent of wearable technology has revolutionized the landscape of personal health monitoring, offering unprecedented insights into various physiological parameters. Fibra ("Feebra") is the future of women’s health! It is a data-driven women's health platform, (patentpending smart underwear+ an app) to give women personalized/accurate reproductive health data (starting with fertility) in the most automated, non-invasive and hassle-free manner. Fibra has filled four patent applications for their novel technology. This is just the beginning! With their proprietary textile-based sensors and the amount of data we are getting from women's bodies, we will go from fertility (today) to pregnancy detection as soon as possible, to pregnancy monitoring to contraceptives tomenopause, to even alerting them if they have been exposed to any reproductive system diseases.This research introduces a novel application of smart textile technology in the form of smart underwear tailored specifically for women's reproductive health monitoring. The proposed smart underwear integrates fabric-based sensors capable of measuring key biophysical and biochemical parameters. The utilization of fabric-based sensors offers several advantages over traditional wearable sensors, including enhanced comfort, flexibility, and seamless integration into everyday attire. The collected data can be wirelessly transmitted to a companion mobile application, allowing users to track trends, receive personalized insights, and share information with healthcare providers. This research highlights the potential of smart textile technology in empowering women to take proactive control of their reproductive health through continuous, non-invasive monitoring. The smart underwear represents a promising tool for early detection of reproductive health issues, promoting timely interventions, and ultimately improving overall reproductive well-being.
Ebrahim Bagheri: Grounding socioeconomic aspects of AI in their context
Bios. Ebrahim Bagheri is an interdisciplinary researcher with focus on Efficient and Responsible Information Retrieval methods who has impacted industry, government and civil society through community engagement and knowledge translation. He currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Social Information Retrieval and an NSERC Industrial Research Chair on Social Media Analytics. His NSERC CREATE on Responsible AI initiative is unique in that it highlights the need to balance economic development with social good. More recently, he is the Scientific Co-Director of the Bridging Divides program, a CFREF funded program that examines the intersection of advanced digital technologies and the future of immigration and migrant integration. He is the Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering and ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology. In 2019, Ebrahim received the prestigious Government of Canada NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation for his outstanding industry-academia collaborations.
Abstract. The speaker will address the complex interplay between artificial intelligence (AI) and socioeconomic dynamics, drawing parallels from historical technological advancements. Through a series of examples, I will point to both the promise and peril of AI, examining how past innovations have shaped societies, economies, and individual lives. From the transformative power of industrialization to the ethical dilemmas of technology, I hope to explore lessons learned and insights gained, offering a nuanced perspective on navigating the evolving landscape of AI's impact on our world.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Bios. Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a philosopher of science, with a practice in inclusive innovation at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship and big ideas. He is currently Research Associate at the Centre for Disease Modeling (CDM) at the Department of Mathematics at York University. A member of the 2023 Task Force on the Future of Pedagogy at York University, Jean-Jacques recently completed three years as Special Advisor on Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) in the Office of the Dean at the Schulich School of Business, where he remains as Instructor and Academic Director of the Schulich Business Excellence Academy (SBEA), a virtual summer program that introduces business education to senior Ontario high school students. He is Adjunct Faculty Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and Fellow at the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC).After 10 years in the Ontario Public Service and years of work as a consultant, he was recruited for the role of Inaugural Technical Advisor in Innovation, Science and Competitiveness to the President of the Republic of Haïti (2017 - 2019). In 2020, he returned to Canada and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Explainability & Trust in AI Systems at the Lassonde School of Engineering (2020 - 2022).Jean-Jacques holds a B.A. in Law and Philosophy from Carleton University, MBA from the Schulich School of Business, and PhD in Philosophy of Science from the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science & Technology at the University of Toronto.
Moren Lévesque: Are You Ready for an Entrepreneurial Journey?
Bios. Moren Lévesque is Professor and the CPA Ontario Chair in International Entrepreneurship as well as the Co-Director of Entrepreneurial Studies at York University Schulich School of Business. She is also Honorary Professor at the University of Queens land’s Business School. Moren holds a Ph.D. in Management Science from the University of British Columbia and M.Sc., B.Sc. in Mathematics from Université Laval. She has been on the faculty at Université Laval, Carnegie Mellon University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Humboldt Universität, Case Western Reserve university, and the University of Waterloo as a Canada Research Chair in Innovation & Technical Entrepreneurship. Her research applies the methodologies of analytical and quantitative disciplines to the study of decision making in new business formation. She is interested in market entry decisions, funding decisions, and firm growth decisions, and the impact of time on these entrepreneurial decisions. Her work appears in Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, European Journal of Operational Research, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Operations Management, Long Range Planning, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Organization Science, Production and Operations Management, Research Policy, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal and Strategic Management Journal, among other research outlets. She has served the Academy of Management’s Entrepreneurship Division as a member of its Research Committee and its Midwest Regional Liaison, as well as Chair of its Membership Committee. She has also served for a 5-year term as an officer for the Institute for Operations Research & Management Science (INFORMS) Technology, Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship Section (TIMES), and as a TIMES Honorary Chair. Moren currently also serves as Editor for Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and she served from 2010 to 2020 as Senior Editor for Production and Operations Management, and from 2013 to 2017 as Department Editor for IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. In 2021, she was awarded the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division’s Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award for innovative and impactful contributions to entrepreneurship scholarship.
Gilberto Vinícius de Melo Pereira: Demystifying Fermentation in the Production of Specialty Coffees
Bios. Dr. Gilberto Vinícius de Melo Pereira is a professor at the Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology of the Federal University of Paraná. Under his leadership, a group of dedicated researchers is delving into diverse projects centered around fermentation processes across multiple domains, such as cocoa, coffee, kefir, alcoholic beverages, functional beverages, vinegar, and indigenous beverages. His research portfolio encompasses a wide array of topics, including microbiome construction and simulation, advanced techniques for analyzing microbial diversity, microorganism selection for biotechnological applications, probiotics, and fermentation process engineering. Dr. Pereira is a permanent professor in the Postgraduate Programs in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology at UFPR and Biotechnology at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR). He also coordinates the undergraduate course in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology at UFPR and is recognized as a distinguished Productivity Researcher by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology. His significant contributions to the field are evident through numerous citations in academic databases and his recognition as a leading global researcher by Elsevier in 2023.
Abstract. Coffee stands as a vital commodity in the global market, serving as a significant export product for numerous developing countries and driving a complex, multi-billion dollar industry. The journey of coffee, from bean to cup, involves intricate processing methods that play a crucial role in shaping its flavor, aroma, and overall quality. The fermentation stage in post-harvest coffee processing holds paramount importance as it significantly influences the final quality and flavor profile of the coffee beans. This crucial step involves the breakdown of sugars and mucilage surrounding the coffee beans, leading to the development of unique aromatic compounds and flavors. Building on the success of traditional fermented foods, the coffee industry has experienced a surge in research on the use of yeast and lactic acid bacteria in coffee bean fermentation. In this lecture, we delve into the intricate process of fermentation in the production of specialty coffees. The consequential impact of selected starter culture on coffee quality is evident through the accumulation of aroma-enhancing compounds, such as esters, higher alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones. In addition, recent protocols involving coinoculation between distinct yeast groups and lactic acid bacteria have emerged. They exhibit metabolic synergism characteristics, producing coffees with heightened body perception, as well as improved aroma and acidity. From traditional wet and dry processing to emerging technologies such as carbonic maceration and induced fermentation, the use of starter cultures has been pivotal in shaping the trajectory of coffee processing for the foreseeable future.
