Past Events

Friday, February 18, 2022 at 1 p.m. EST Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/arma-student-chapters-online-talk-dr-laura-j-pyrak-nolte-tickets-263573594717 The American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) UToronto Student Chapter Lecture series University of Toronto American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) Student Chapter and NSERC-Energi Simulation Industrial Research Chair program in fundamental rock physics and rock mechanics at the University of Toronto are pleased to announce: Title : Fracture Geometry:  The Influence of Mineralogy By Prof. Dr. Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte The Lecturer Dr. Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte is a Distinguished Professor of Physics &…

Join a sustainability-themed hackathon hosted by the Sustainable Engineers Association (SEA) on Feb. 19-20, 2022, and work with a team to create an innovative and environmentally conscious solution to an everyday problem. You will be given 24 hours to come up with a design after a problem statement outlining the details and deliverables is presented to your team! Register online to attend.

As part of the Faculty’s commitment to improving Indigenous inclusion, all U of T Engineering faculty, staff and students are called upon to start or continue their personal journeys towards understanding and acknowledging Indigenous peoples’ history, truths and culture. Launched in summer 2021, the Indigenous Cultural Competency Toolkit has been created by and with Indigenous leaders to help guide your journey. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a participatory exploration of both the chronological and experiential histories of Indigenous peoples across Canada. This session will be offered virtually and will move in-person during…

Platform: Zoom Webinar Register here: https://mscac-talks-daniel-wigdor.eventbrite.ca/ About this MScAC talk: MScAC talks hosts its first fireside chat with Daniel Wigdor. Daniel is a professor of computer science, working primarily in Human-Computer Interaction. He is the founder of multiple start-up companies, including Tactual Labs and Chatham Labs. Join us for a chat with Daniel, as he offers his perspective on the topics of research and entrepreneurship. We will explore where the inspiration comes from for his research and the companies that have resulted, and…

The OPTIONS Program The OPTIONS Program is an initiative to support all engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in exploring diverse career options. Learn more here: http://uoft.me/optionsprogram Program Details Date: Wednesday February 23, 2021 Time: 11:00 – 4:00 pm ET (This is NOT a full day session.) Location: Online What do I want to do with my life after graduate school? How do I navigate an uncertain job market affected by a global pandemic? The world is rapidly changing, and…

About this program The world is rapidly changing, and the economy is evolving to address society’s challenges. The Design Your Life experience will equip you with the tools and self-knowledge to find direction in this uncertainty. Design Your Life uses design thinking to address the “wicked problem” of cultivating a meaningful life and career at and beyond U of T. It was developed by two Stanford engineering professors and is now taught at the Stanford Life Design Lab. In this session, you will develop awareness of what is…

2022 Minds Redefined, the Faculty of Arts & Science’s virtual mental health and wellness conference, is taking place during Reading Week on the afternoons of February 22nd and 23rd. Each day of the conference will feature concurrent sessions, a wellness resources showcase, and a mental health keynote talk from a celebrated Canadian. We are excited to be joined by best-selling author, hip-hop artist and influencer, Humble The Poet, and iconic musician and Barenaked Ladies co-founder, Steven Page, who will both…

Culture is expressed in the worldviews of peoples from different backgrounds, lived experiences and histories. It is fostered through ones’ unique identification with ones’ values, beliefs, languages, and traditions. For Indigenous peoples this also includes a spiritual, social, physical, and emotional connection with the land.  We all hold truths to help us make sense of the world around us, shaped by the values, traditions and belief systems we acquire from family and societal influences. However, few Canadians take the time…

Join ARCDO as we explore stories, strategies and resources to address anti-Black racism as it intersects with forms of gender-based discrimination. This event will feature a keynote presentation from Professor Moya Bailey, followed by a screening of the film HERStory in Black. Thursday, February 24th, 2022 • 10:00am- 12:30pm EST Platform: Virtual – Zoom. Format: Keynote presentation and Q & A, followed by a film screening and open discussion. Audience: This event is free to attend and open to students, staff, faculty, and external…

In Part 2 we examine how the past attitudes, policies and legislation has impacted the current situation of Indigenous peoples and how the current trajectory can be remedied. Indigenous peoples have displayed their resilience as will be shown by the many Indigenous success stories.  A message from the facilitator, John Crouch: "The feedback from these sessions have been remarkably positive with participants telling me they hunger for more. This has led me to begin work on a training session on…

EXACT TIMING – TBD LOCATION – TBD The Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series Presents Professor Nora El-Gohary University of Illinois  

Title: Atomic Structure of Thin films in the Cesium-Lead-Bromine System Presenter: Shivani Varshney (PhD candidate, 2nd seminar) Supervisor: Prof.  J. Nogami Abstract: Cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite nanocrystals have a promising future in the field of optoelectronics. Their potential applications are primarily in improving the efficiency of solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). The growing interest in perovskites motivated us to study the growth of the two binary constituents, Cesium bromide (CsBr) and Lead bromide (PbBr2) on a metallic substrate, as well as the…

CARTE Industry Speaker Seminar Series: Oil and Water or Vinaigrette? The Forklift Industry and Data Science Speaker:Jeff Schmidt, Data Scientist – Advanced Research and Development Services@The Raymond CorporationModerator:Professor Ningyuan Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, University of Toronto Mississauga, cross-appointed at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Date: March 10, 2022Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pmRegister through this link.Abstract: Social media and high tech companies have attracted the majority of the data science talent pushing innovation and research by leveraging their data rich…

Title: Computational Design of New Materials for use in Solid State Batteries Presenter: Jacob Rempel (MASc candidate) Supervisor: Prof.  C. V. Singh Abstract: Solid state electrolyte batteries provide a noticeable advantage over conventional liquid batteries due to their improved safety. In particular, lithium ion solid state batteries have shown exceptional strides in recent years as their cycling performance and electrical capacities have started to approach those of conventional counterparts. In the discovery of these new compounds, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics…

Seminar Information:  Title: Sustainable Plastics vs Sustainable Systems Presented by: Prof. Michael Shaver When: Friday, March 11th, at 12pm EST on Zoom   Description: This talk will explore the complex nature of our plastic environment, the interdependency of plastics on our goals for lowering our carbon footprint and increasing our expected lifespan, while also showcasing our own work on how polymer chemistry has the opportunity to shape a new sustainable future by developing interdisciplinary solutions that work for all actors.  …

*ONLINE*  March 11, 2022 Interested members of the U of T community who would like to attend the online seminars can email Kendra Hunter at hunter@mie.utoronto.ca for the Zoom link. Professor Philomena Bluyssen – Delft University of Technology The Need for Understanding the Indoor Environment and its Occupants Abstract While most people are aware of the importance of the outdoor environment, especially in relation to climate change but also to problems more directly related to our health, the effects of indoor environmental…

Professor W.C. Chew, Purdue University March 17, 2022 4:00 p.m. RSVP for Prof. Chew’s lecture. Title: Classical and Quantum Electromagnetics: What is the Difference? Abstract: Electromagnetics has influenced electrical engineering pervasively since the advent of Maxwell’s equations in 1865 .  Classical electromagnetics has impacted electrical engineering technologies all the way from statics to optics.   It has influenced technologies from nanometer length scales to planetary length scales.  What was unbeknownst to Maxwell was that the equations he put together are also valid in…

Facilitated by Shari Golberg, Ph.D., Team Lead, Apprenticeship Branch, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The following workshop will explore the roots of anti-Semitism, its relationship with other interlocking forms of oppression, and how to identify and address it in postsecondary contexts. Learning Objectives: Provide an overview of what anti-Semitism is and its many manifestations, both historical and current; Increase understanding of how anti-Semitism relates to other forms of oppression; and Share strategies and resources to help identify and…

Prof. Jay Pratt, PhD, MSc, BA Department of Psychology University of Toronto Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Time: 12:05pm-1:30pm Location: Zoom - registration information to be provided Details to be confirmed at a later date.

Co-hosted with the Institute for Water Innovation (IWI) Benny Freeman, University of Texas at Austin Host: Prof. Jay Werber   Charged polymer membranes are widely used for water purification applications involving control of water and ion transport, such as reverse osmosis and electrodialysis.  Efforts are also underway worldwide to harness separation properties of such materials for energy generation in related applications such as reverse electrodialysis and pressure retarded osmosis.  Additional applications, such as energy recovery ventilation and capacitive deionization, rely on polymer…

Facilitated by Gilary Massa, Founder and Lead Consultant of Inclusive Leaders. Through this workshop participants will gain the skills and knowledge to better support the needs of Muslim students and colleagues on campus. Learning Objectives: Unpack personal understandings of Muslim identity; Learn about intersectionality and the Muslim identity; Develop skills for identifying and intervening on incidents of Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism. Register online to attend.

March 24 at 11:30 a.m. – IAQ PANDEMIC PROTECTION STRATEGY WITH VENTILATION AND FILTRATION Website info: https://www.cmpxshow.com/education HRAI is pleased to be hosting another IAQ event with Dr Jeffrey Siegel, Ph.D.,Professor, University of Toronto. In early 2021, Dr. Siegel presented a webinar on Demystifying claims about mitigating COVID transmission. He was also a participated on an HRAI IAQ Committee that addressed issues surrounding the Risk of Virus Transmission via HVAC Systems. Dr. Siegel’s will address the following questions in another…

 Ursula Franklin MSE GRADUATE SEMINAR ​​​​​​​ — Every week on Thu, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) — Title: Electrical Transport in Mixed-dimensional Semiconductor van der Waals Heterostructures Presenter: Sarry Al-Turk (PhD candidate, 2nd seminar) Supervisor: Prof.  H. Ruda Abstract:  The isolation of graphene in 2004 inspired efforts to identify and isolate other 2D materials. Over the past decade, many of these materials have begun to see their integration into van de Waals (vdW) heterostructures, as any passivated surface free of dangling bonds will interact…

Professor Kunle Olutokun, Stanford University March 24, 2022 4:00 p.m. EST RSVP to Prof. Olukotun’s lecture. Title: Let the Data Flow! Abstract: As the benefits from Moore’s Law diminish, future computing performance improvements will rely on specialized application accelerators. To justify the expense of designing an accelerator it should accelerate an important set of application areas. In my talk, I will explain how Reconfigurable Dataflow Accelerators (RDAs) can be used to accelerate a broad set of data intensive applications. RDAs can accelerate…

Register through this link. Speakers: Gary Bogdani, Head, Collective Intelligence at Unilever,  Jing Guo, Forecasting Data Science Product Manager at Unilever and  Dr. John Armitage at Larus Technologies. Moderator: Professor Chi-Guhn Lee, Professor of Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto. Abstract:  In this talk, we will be sharing about Unilever’s AI-driven decision support systems (DSSs) for trade investment optimization — Lumos ML. Trade investment optimization is crucial for driving profitability across Unilever’s vast portfolio with more than 1500+ products selling across major ecommerce and retail chains. Lumos ML turns vast…

*ONLINE*  Interested members of the U of T community who would like to attend the online seminars can email Kendra Hunter at hunter@mie.utoronto.ca for the Zoom link. Aydin Nabovati, Principal Thermal Engineer at Tesla Thermal Management of Self Driving Systems: From Silicon to Vehicle to Supercomputers Abstract We will be discussing thermal management of Advanced Self Driving Systems in Tesla vehicles. The thermal management of such systems starts at silicon level years before their deployment on the field, and extends multiple orders…

 Ursula Franklin MSE GRADUATE SEMINAR ​​​​​​​ — Every week on Thu, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) — Title: Treatment of Ultramafic Nickel Tailings Presenter: Zhirong Chen (MASc candidate) Supervisor: Prof.  E. Bobicki Abstract:  Low-grade ultramafic nickel ores contain a high percentage of serpentine which, while having deleterious effects on processing, makes these ores a desirable feedstock for mineral carbonation. By conducting microwave pre-treatment, serpentine is shown to be converted to olivine, which increases the carbon uptake when compared to directly carbonating the untreated…

Platform: Zoom Webinar Register here: https://mscac.utoronto.ca/talks About this MScAC talk: Cohere is a fast-growing AI startup based in Toronto, that aspires to make the most powerful NLP models accessible to developers and businesses. Large transformer-based language models have taken over NLP in the past few years because of their elegant architectures, ability to understand texts and memorize knowledge, but more importantly, because their performance scales incredibly well with model size. However, it’s prohibitive for any individual or most organizations to attempt to…

  AMD Tech Resume Workshop (Thursday, March 31 @6-7:15pm) Join the AMD Tech Resume Workshop to learn how to write a resume that lands interviews! Having a well written resume can make the difference between landing your dream job and getting filtered out by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS). At this workshop Christy Cook will discuss resume review processes, formatting to beat the filters, thoughts on cover letters and share sample qualified resumes that have landed interviews! This workshop is…

*ONLINE*  April 1, 2022 Interested members of the U of T community who would like to attend the online seminars can email Kendra Hunter at hunter@mie.utoronto.ca for the Zoom link. Professor Ashok Goel - Georgia Institute of Technology (Intelligence Laboratory, School of Interactive Computing) Biologically Inspired Design: Information-Processing Models and Computational Methods  Abstract Biologically inspired design is a promising paradigm for creative design as well as sustainable design. Nevertheless, transforming the paradigm into a repeatable and scalable design methodology remains a challenge. I…

MIE Distinguished Seminar Series and PsychEng Seminar Prof. Ashok Goel, PhD School of Interactive Computing Georgia Institute of Technology Date: Friday, April 1, 2022 Time: 2:05pm-3pm Location: Zoom - registration information to be provided Details to be confirmed at a later date.

External members are required to register to receive the link and passcode. Registration closes at 9am on April 4: tinyurl.com/apr6LLE Anne Meyer, Technical University of Denmark Host: Prof. Emma Master   From discovery of new enzymes for seaweed processing, over kinetic studies of plastic degrading enzymes, to engineering of glycoside hydrolases for synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides: The key point is always to understand how enzymes function in order to employ them in new processes. In this presentation I will give three…

Title: Hybrid Models for Steelmaking and Casting Applications Presenter: Ruibin Wang  (PhD candidate, 2nd seminar) Supervisor: Prof.  K. Chattopadhyay Abstract: Steel production involves a series of processes that convert iron and steel scrap into end products for industrial application. Over the past decade, steelmaking industry has faced continuous economic and environmental challenges. As a result, for fulfilling the steel product quality requirement and ensuring maximized process efficiency, strict monitoring for the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) and continuous casting processes is needed. Exist control models…

There is a special student session taking place at the 2022 Good Roads Conference – the Emerging Municipal Leaders Forum Good Roads, founded in 1894, is Ontario’s oldest municipal association. This year, our Emerging Municipal Leaders Forum is examining the wave of retirements hitting Ontario’s municipalities. This is expected to last for the next decade. During this time, over 50% of municipal employees will be eligible for retirement. Municipal responsibilities drive quality of life in Ontario. Change demands qualified and…

Location: Virtual – this event will be held on Zoom. Register online: https://mscac.utoronto.ca/talks   Title: Entrepreneurship and innovation at the intersection of AI and climate Speakers:  Max Evans, Co-Founder and CTO ClimateAI and Parasvil Patel, Partner, Radical Ventures   About this MScAC talk: Join Max Evans (cofounder of ClimateAi) and Parasvil Patel (Partner at Radical Ventures) in a discussion covering how AI is used for weather and climate modeling as well as the latest research and opportunities in the field. Max will also share his…

External members are required to register to receive the link and passcode. Registration closes at 9am on April 11: tinyurl.com/LLEapr13 Co-hosted with the Institute for Water Innovation (IWI) Nathalie Tufenkji, McGill Host: Prof. Jay Werber The degradation of bulk plastics in the environment leads to the release of microplastics that can contaminate water supplies, agricultural fields, and foods we consume. Weathering of a single microplastic particle can yield up to billions of nanoplastics and nanoplastic pollution is expected to be ubiquitous in the…

  Praxis III has gone global! This year’s Praxis III students worked closely with business peers from the United States on projects based in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Bangladesh. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends are invited to see what our Praxis III students have been up to. In-person Praxis III Showcase Monday, April 18, 2022 | 9 AM to 5 PM EDT | on campus PLEASE NOTE: Vaccine and mask mandates are in effect on campus. You will receive instructions and COVID guidelines after…

Location: Virtual – join us on Zoom for this event. Building a Technology Ecosystem for Student Success Abstract: The University of Toronto is developing a suite of physical classroom space, data systems, educational technology and process facilitation software that supports student academic success.  This academic technology ecosystem is being developed through deep collaboration with students, instructors, and staff (e.g. data analysts, educational technologists, librarians, student advisors, and so on).  In this talk I will discuss the systems and tools that have been…

Title: Automatic Generation of Reflections for Use in Motivational-Interviewing Style Talk Therapy Using the GPT-2 and GPT-3 Transformer-Based Neural Networks  Speaker: Prof. Jonathan Rose, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Time: 12:05pm-1:30pm Location: Zoom – meeting information provided after registration using the below link Click here to register Abstract If automated conversational agents (chatbots) can take on a therapeutic role, they may provide a scalable way to help many more people suffering from mental health conditions,…

Culture is expressed in the worldviews of peoples from different backgrounds, lived experiences and histories. It is fostered through ones’ unique identification with ones’ values, beliefs, languages, and traditions. For Indigenous peoples this also includes a spiritual, social, physical, and emotional connection with the land.  We all hold truths to help us make sense of the world around us, shaped by the values, traditions and belief systems we acquire from family and societal influences. However, few Canadians take the time…

2022 Reach Symposium April 21-22, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET An online event    Register to attend the 2022 Reach Symposium online event ‘Resilient Together: Pathways for Sustainable Development’ on April 21 and 22, 2022 from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM ET.   To overcome current social and economic shocks, exhibit vigilance in the face of future disruption, and ensure the hardest-to-reach are not left behind, we must be resilient. The 2022 Reach Symposium will centre on resilience and navigating global shocks to…

Presenter: Guan Ying (Jane) Wang, MASc. Candidate Supervisor: Prof. Keryn Lian, Dr. Ta-Ya Chu (NRC)   Abstract: Electrolyte-gated field effect transistors (EGFETs) have gathered much attention in the last few decades due to their key role in enabling potential printed, low-cost, low-power, portable, and flexible electronics in applications such as wearable sensors, flexible solar cells, and e-textiles. To further the portability and commercial viability of EGFET-based printed electronics, this study explores the applications of polymer electrolytes in EGFET and their compatibility with…

In Part 2 we examine how the past attitudes, policies and legislation has impacted the current situation of Indigenous peoples and how the current trajectory can be remedied. Indigenous peoples have displayed their resilience as will be shown by the many Indigenous success stories.  A message from the facilitator, John Crouch: "The feedback from these sessions have been remarkably positive with participants telling me they hunger for more. This has led me to begin work on a training session on…

Location: Virtual Symposium via Zoom. Zoom Link will be provided at later date.   Topic: Advanced Technology for Energy Harvesting in Biomedical (EHB) Device Applications. Technologies presented in this Symposium are ranging from wearable/implantable energy harvesters for biomedical applications, nano-generators, nano-sensors and other sustainable biomedical energy generation, storage solutions and methods. Agenda: Detailed Agenda will be provided at later date. Note: Please register here with your U of T or your organizational email address to be approved for attendance.

The OPTIONS Program The OPTIONS Program is an initiative to support all engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in exploring diverse career options. Learn more here: http://uoft.me/optionsprogram Program Details Date: Thurs May 12 Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET Location: Online Are you ready to network to explore career opportunities? Are you going to be networking at a conference? Join us to learn the fundamentals of networking as well as strategies for networking online. You will be introduced to the…