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Ever wonder about time travel, ever go off in search of the first light of the universe (hint you can actually find it), well then you will enjoy listening to University of Toronto, Science Communicator Spencer Ki regale you with tales of the heavens! Spencer also talks to us about how his curiousity took him through studies in AI, statistics, physics, mathematics and Shakespeare during an epic undergrad degree of his own design. Here's introducing polymath and my former student, Spencer Ki.

Japanese Alternative Fashion. Taking up Space. Helping Young Entrepreneurs across Canada. This episode is all about repurposing a teaching degree to create new career directions. "Life happens", says Melissa Backhouse as she takes us on a journey from teachers' college to working with Futurpreneurs Canada, helping hundreds of new businesses get off the ground. But we also learn about her passion for Japanese Lolita fashion, designing clothes that connect her with a whole community of people with similar interests. And of course wouldn't we discover Melissa is launching a small business of her own: making and selling jewelry!

After Josh's graduation from high school, he studied in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) Program at McMaster University specializing in Child Health. While at McMaster, he took an introductory course in immunology that would change the trajectory of his life. To him, the cells of the immune system were small superheroes that protect the body from villainous infections. He did his undergraduate thesis with Dr. Manel Jordana studying the pathogenesis of food allergies, a foundational experience that inspired him to enroll in a Master's degree in Medical Sciences with Dr. Jordana in 2015. A year later, he transferred into the PhD program, where he still is today. Early in his graduate degree, Josh engaged extensively in education as a teaching assistant in the Child Health Specialization and in immunology courses. Inspired by his experiences in alternative education in the BHSc program, he designed a summer immunology course which the Bachelor of Health Sciences program allowed him to teach as an instructor. From there, he has expanded his role as an instructor- teaching multiple immunology and child health courses a year and providing guest lectures in multiple other courses across multiple universities. Since defending his PhD in May, Josh continues to engage in both research and education at McMaster.

Eternity Martis' debut memoir, "They Said This Would Be Fun", was a “Best Book of the Year” pick by Globe and Mail, Apple, Audible and Chapters/Indigo. A conversation with Eternity, fellow alumna, Serena Habib and me, her high school teacher. 

Campus racism, intimate partner violence and a personal journey to understand identity. 

CBC called the book one of “20 moving Canadian memoirs to read right now” and PopSugar named it one of “5 Books About Race on College Campuses Every Student Should Read.” In 2020, Eternity was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by Women’s Executive Network.

Ever wonder how decisions get made to build superhighways or new transit lines? The big transportation decisions take a lot of advance planning, a lot of money - and you might think a crystal ball to predict. But no - it’s not magic! It’s a lot of math and hard work. My former student Balthazar Crane is busy doing infrastructure planning for 2041. Before that he studied at the University of Toronto in Engineering Science - that's reputedly the most difficult university program in North America. 

An inside look at a hard-knock, high stress and very successful life in Toronto kitchens. In eleven short years, Michael has opened seven restaurants and risen from sous chef at renowned Toronto restaurants to his current position as Executive Chef at Marked, a bustling downtown restaurant which is getting rave reviews. This episode has something for everyone: if you are an amateur cook and want some tips and hacks, you are in the right place; if you think you might like to become a chef yourself - we’ve got you sorted A to Z.  

Alexandra is a feminist researcher working on a project of engaged scholarship, exploring the theme of migrant justice. Learn with me about the place of emotionality in academic research  - and all about the concepts of positionality and reflexivity. You will also be fascinated to hear about her Masters research which took her to a refugee camp in Greece to study the digital practices of women.

Wonder what it would be like to be an investor? Jacob will fill you in! Hear his thoughts on sustainable investment, geo-politics and consensus building. He is an investment manager focused on identifying funding gaps and providing impactful credit solutions to mid-sized companies across Asia Pacific.

Have you ever wondered about what’s involved in working in the field of mental health? Sylvia is training to become a psychotherapist who can talk to people about the big spiritual questions in an interreligious way. Her road to an innovative program at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto started in her undergrad at the renowned Health Sciences program at McMaster University.

Jad is an extensively published researcher/scientist and a doctor in what he considers the most exciting and innovative field in medicine. He talks to us about the long road from the village he comes from in Lebanon to medical school and beyond. Learn about how young doctors learn to manage the stresses of patient care. And hear about Jad's fascinating research into new ways of training surgeons.