Nika Shakiba completed her PhD in our Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2017 and is now an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on stem cells — using systems biology to understand how they work, and synthetic biology to engineer new therapies for regenerative medicine.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠.

Jenna Usprech completed her PhD at U of T's Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2018, specializing in tissue engineering. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She spoke to Dean Yip about student wellness, science communication, and classroom strategies that promote critical thought.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of our Faculty, Dean Yip is joined by two guests who can offer some perspective on the past, present and future of Skule.

Marta Ecsedi (CivMin 7T6) was the first woman president of the U of T Engineering Society, also known as EngSoc. She has gone on to champion a more inclusive engineering profession through a series of leadership roles, including here at the Faculty and at Professional Engineers Ontario.

Aidan Grenville is a fourth-year Engineering Science student majoring in Aerospace Engineering, and is currently the president of EngSoc.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠.

Herman Colquhoun completed his master’s degree in Human Factors at U of T Engineering, and eventually went on to spend more than a decade at IBM, where he is a design principal leading the design of the IBM Quantum Premium Partner Experience. He is also a member of the leadership team for the Racial Equity in Design initiative at the company, the co-chair of the IBM Canada Black Experience, and co-founder of the IBM Inclusive Design Guild.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

Alumnus Marissa Wu's fascinating career lies at the intersection between healthcare, technology and entrepreneurship. She is the founder of two startups, Onyx Motion and Rhythm, and she has acted as mentor to other founders through our Entrepreneurship Hatchery. She joined us from London, UK, where she serves as Manager, Essential Medicines for the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

Over the past few decades, EngSci alumnus Don Scott has made a name for himself in the field of marine technology, designing systems for all kinds of ocean-going vessels. Most recently, he’s been exploring the application of artificial intelligence to unpiloted underwater vehicles, creating marine analogues of the more familiar airborne drones we are starting to see in a variety of applications.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

Materials Science & Engineering graduate Joelle Javier is an Elevating and Amusement Devices Safety Engineer at Technical Standards and Safety Authority. This means she is in charge of making sure that roller coasters deliver a memorable thrill without compromising the safety of their riders. Through this and other activities, she aims to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

After graduating from the Engineering Science program and the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies, Eric Khoury made a career pivot, taking his analytics prowess to the Toronto Raptors organization, where he eventually joined the coaching team.

Earlier this year, he was named the head coach of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors' NBA G League affiliate, the youngest head coach in the team's history. Eric spoke with Dean Yip about the rising field of sports analytics.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

Aerospace engineer and award-winning science fiction author Eric Choi is a graduate of both our Engineering Science program and our University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies.

He uses his expertise to advance space technology, such as the Canadarm 2, but also to tell compelling stories about alternative histories and potential futures.

His first published collection of short stories is called Just Like Being There.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.

Dean Yip sits down with Professor Dionne Aleman from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering for a wide-ranging conversation.

They discuss her work in applying operations research and machine learning to improve medical and healthcare decision-making, including the development of pandemic models.

They also discuss the importance of giving engineering students a broad background, the Engineering Positive Space committee, and Professor Aleman's love of classic American muscle cars.

Podcast transcripts can be downloaded at ⁠⁠uofteng.ca/podcast⁠⁠.