Speaker Series - March 14 - 25, 2022
Hear from Ontario Tech experts on current topics and have the opportunity to ask questions. The weekday lunch series will run from March 14 - 25, 2022. All sessions will be held virtually via zoom beginning at noon and will run for approximately 45 minutes.
Thank you to our Speaker Series Sponsor.
Watch the recordings from the 2021 Pi Day of Giving Speaker Series.
2022 Speaker Schedule
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Monday, March 14 - A Brilliant Future: Building a Net Zero World
Jacquie Hoornweg, Executive Director, Brilliant Energy Institute
Ontario Tech University's Brilliant Energy Institute (BEI) was created to help drive the transition to Net Zero. But what exactly does that mean? Find out from BEI's new executive director what needs to happen to solve climate change and to ensure a bright future for all Canadians and people around the world. Learn what we can do as ordinary people to help build a sustainable planet and what we are doing right here at Ontario Tech.
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Tuesday, March 15 - Pathways to Modern Finance
Xinyao (Joseph) Zhou and Dr. Karolina Krystyniak, Faculty of Business and IT
The presentation will discuss how we bring cutting edge technology and resources to teaching finance, preparing our graduates for a demanding and fast-paced job market. We support our student success inside and outside of classroom via access to state of the art finance lab and technology-oriented teaching, CFA affiliation, experiential learning tools and business competitions. We offer courses covering the most current topics such as blockchain and cryptocurrency and we have ambitious plans for the future including the new Masters in Financial Data Analytics and Student Investment Fund.
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Wednesday, March 16 - The Crucial Role and Scope of Ergonomics
Dr. Nick La Delfa, Faculty of Health Sciences
Over the past two years, many of us have had to work and study from home in less-than ideal environments. This experience has likely demonstrated the crucial role ergonomics plays in maintaining productivity and reducing musculoskeletal pain and injury. In this talk, Dr. La Delfa will discuss the importance of good ergonomics, highlight traditional risk factors for injury, and will offer some low-cost strategies to optimize your home workspace. The talk will finish with a look to the future by highlighting how exoskeletons, virtual reality and other emerging technologies can be incorporated as effective ergonomics interventions.
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Thursday, March 17 - Physical and Mental Health in the Digital Age
Dr. Jennifer Laffier, Faculty of Education and Dr. Bobby Stojanoski, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Digital wellness is a 21st century skill we all need right now. In this talk, Dr. Laffier will explain why it’s important for people living in this turbulent and digital age to develop healthy habits and strategies to manage technology use for all ages. Dr. Stojanoski will discuss the merits of online "brain training" by addressing whether it improves cognition, what it does to the brain, the evidence behind brain improvement apps, and how this work pertains to mental and physical health.
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Friday, March 18 - CSI at Ontario Tech: How bloodstains and biomolecules are giving us new insights into forensic analyses
Dr. Theresa Stotesbury, Faculty of Science
Do you ever wonder what types of questions forensic chemists and researchers can answer in relation to crime scene investigation? Do the TV shows actually stack up? In forensic science scenarios, bloodstained evidence is often collected and analyzed only to address the questions of “who” (through source identification by linking DNA to an individual) and “how” (mechanistically by bloodstain pattern analysis). The “when” (time since deposition, TSD) and “what else” (new and improved techniques) is often overlooked and can provide critical medico-legal information for these investigations. In this presentation, Dr. Stotesbury will describe the research in our laboratory that is developing new analytical methods to estimate the TSD of bloodstains. She will also describe how we are creating novel biomaterials that can act like forensic tissue simulants for research and training. If this interests you, come by to see how bloodstains and biomolecules are improving our methods for crime scene investigation at Ontario Tech and around the world!
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Monday, March 21 - Wicked Problems [and worries of the world]
Dr. Dan Hoornweg, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science
Covid, conflict, climate change ... oh dear, what’s next? Has civility left the building? What does flipping a switch to turn on our lights, or driving off in a new car, have to do with Lyme disease, political unrest and soon-to-be-built cities in Africa? This talk tries to weave together a few of the key challenges and opportunities affecting Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world.
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Tuesday, March 22 - Fueling the Talent [Pi]peline
Rachel Sumner, Executive Director, Ontario Tech Talent
A post-pandemic world needs problem solvers & critical thinkers who embrace lifelong learning, foster a growth mindset and are comfortable with uncertainty. To thrive and stay competitive, one needs to proactively engage in updating their skills on an on-going basis.
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Wednesday, March 23 - Activating Innovation: The role of collaboration between Incubators and Angel Investors
Osman Hamid, Director, Creativity & Entrepreneurship & Angel Investor
In this session, we will discuss the various ways that incubators can assist aspiring entrepreneurs with turning their ideas from a concept into a tangible business and how incubators act as a safe space for individuals who are interested in entrepreneurship to learn essential skills in a low-risk environment. Osman will lead a conversation with experienced angel investors to discuss how collaboration between incubators and angel groups provides entrepreneurs with essential validation points that assist with determining whether they should continue on their path or pivot towards an idea with a stronger value proposition.
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Thursday, March 24 - Truth and Reconciliation: Beyond 94 Calls to Action
Alyssa McLeod, Indigenous Community Engagement Coordinator, Ontario Tech University
This session will provide an overview of the principles of Reconciliation as referenced in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and 94 Calls to Action, which was released in 2015. Learn about how you can contribute to reconciliation efforts in your everyday life and how Ontario Tech is responding to Truth and Reconciliation and the 94 Calls to Action.
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Friday, March 25 - Energy Sustainability: A Critical Quest
Dr. Marc Rosen, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
Sustainable development is a critically important goal for human and societal activity. Energy sustainability is of great importance to any plans for overall sustainable development. This is particularly important given the pervasiveness of energy use, its importance in economic development and living standards, and its impacts on the environment. The latter includes climate change.