American Concrete Institute (ACI) – University of Toronto Chapter
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Students’ Association (MSEGSA)
MSEGSA is the official graduate student association in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. Our mission is to provide graduate students at the MSE department with opportunities to learn, network, and connect with peers, members of the faculty, alumni, and the industry, with the objective of improving the overall graduate student experience. As representatives of the graduate students, we listen to their voices and needs to advocate for initiatives on their behalf.
To create a sense of community for all graduate students, we host game nights and holiday events. Some of the major events we host include our annual summer BBQ, ping-pong tournament, and faculty-student mixer dinner.
Key Accomplishments for 2025-2026
The MSEGSA hosted a major social gathering in the middle of the fall semester designed to create valuable networking opportunities for both incoming and current graduate students. Last fall's event, the MSE Student-Faculty Mixer, attracted approximately 60 attendees who enjoyed casual dining and participated in team-building activities. The timing of this mixer coincided with convocation, allowing us to welcome recent MSE graduates to join the celebration of their academic achievements. Feedback from first-year students was overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting that the event significantly helped them establish connections within the broader MSE graduate community.
To mark the conclusion of the fall semester and embrace the holiday season, we hosted a festive holiday mixer. The intimate gathering brought together approximately 50 attendees, a diverse mix of students and professors representing various cultural backgrounds. Over coffee and holiday cookies, attendees had the opportunity to mingle, share stories, and connect with colleagues outside the lab. This relaxed celebration perfectly captured the holiday spirit and offered a welcome respite from academic pressures. We also hosted a game night in the middle of March, bringing graduate students together with board games and pizza.
MSEGSA is proud to have hosted the 7th UT^2-Mac Workshop, an international collaborative event held in May 2026, which aimed to foster academic exchange and networking among the Materials Science & Engineering departments across the University of Toronto, the University of Tokyo, and McMaster University. Around 90 students and researchers attended. Gift exchanges at the opening ceremony, casual and banquet dinners, and a Blue Jays baseball game brought people from different nations together. Participants shared that the event was highly valuable for building cross-institutional connections, and many attendees expressed strong interest in future joint symposia.
CPSIF Funding Impact
The generous CPSIF financial support enabled us to host a diverse range of community-building activities that proved essential for MSE graduate students seeking to expand their professional networks, enhance their learning experiences, and establish meaningful connections with departmental colleagues, faculty members, and former students now working in the field.
Hikaru (president, left hand side in black hoodie) and Guanqi (Treasurer, left hand side in white T-shirt) at the reception desk of the MSE Fall Student-faculty Mixer event, providing name tags and drink tickets at GSU Pub. Photographer Jack Yu.
Left to right: Professor Ben Hatton, Professor Tom Coyle, and a student mingling at the MSE Fall Student-faculty Mixer at GSU Pub. Photographer Jack Yu.
Group photo of UT^2-Mac Workshop participants outside University College, University of Toronto. Photographer Jack Yu.
UT^2-Mac Workshop attendees gathering at a networking banquet (Pearl Harbourfront restaurant). Photographer Jack Yu.
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