Launch Your Career Plan is an initiative by the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP) to support MASc and PhD students and Postdocs to launch their career planning early in their studies. This event will guide you to critically reflect on career opportunities and equip you with strategies and tools to explore your unique career aspirations. You will leave this event with tailored resources to dive deeper into the specific career pathways that interest you. 

At this event, you will: 

• Learn about parallel planning for further graduate studies, academia, and industry careers 

• Use labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities 

• Listen to a panel of alumni who have completed further graduate studies, are working in industry, or obtained a professorship 

• Create a plan to explore your specific career aspirations 

This event is open to all MASc, PhDs and PDFs. We welcome students who have a clear idea of their career trajectory as well as those who are exploring their next career move. It is highly recommended that all MASc, PhDs, and PDFs students attend this event near the beginning of their studies or postdoc journey. 

Meet the Career Pathways Panelists 

Concurrent Panel One 

Celestine Hong, Assistant Professor of Teaching, University of British Columbia, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Celestine Hong is the Assistant Professor of Teaching at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Shoichet Lab (Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry) and studied the delivery of therapeutics for retinal stem cell regeneration. She completed her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the supervision of Prof. Paula Hammond and Prof. Bradley Olsen, where she developed materials to treat noncompressible hemorrhage and cancer. Her broader research interests span the field of biomaterials, immunotherapy, and polymer synthesis. Outside of the lab, she is especially passionate about teaching and scientific outreach, and has taught polymer synthesis as a graduate instructor at MIT.   

Saeed Shakib, Planner, Ontario Ministry of Transportation 

Bio forthcoming 

Evgueniia (Jenya) Doudareva, Senior Manager, AI/Responsible AI, OnX

Evgueniia (Jenya) is a triple graduate of UofT Engineering, who completed her Doctorate degree from the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in 2022. Professionally, her recurring passions are consulting and technology. Today Jenya uses her background in industrial engineering in Cloud and AI consulting at OnX, where she helps businesses find effective and ethical ways to deploy AI. She is a published poet and science fiction writer. 

Gursans Guven Isin, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba, Department of Civil Engineering 

Dr. Gursans Guven Isin is an Assistant Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Manitoba. Prior to that, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto in the Sustainable Systems Group under the supervision of Prof. Shoshanna Saxe. She received her MSc in Construction Management and PhD in Civil Engineering from the Istanbul Technical University. Dr. Guven Isin’s research interests are in the areas of automation, sensing and IT applications for construction engineering and management, digital twins and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Her current research focuses on the utilization and integration of automation and data capture technologies with BIM for improving processes and operations in construction projects as well as the applications of AI and immersive visualization technologies for supporting the design, construction and operational stages of the built environment. She currently directs the Construction Engineering and Management Group at the University of Manitoba and serves as the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) Manitoba Section Chair as well as the Vice-Chair of the Construction Division. 

Aniss Zaoui, Lignocellulose Research Scientist, agapyo 

Dr. Zaoui is a Research Scientist at Agapyo, where he works on developing sustainable bioplastics from wood waste. He earned his PhD in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto, following an earlier PhD in polymer chemistry completed in Algeria. His academic journey spans chemistry, materials science, and engineering, reflecting a non-linear career path shaped by interdisciplinary research and international experience. He now applies his research background to industry-driven innovation and is passionate about supporting graduate students in navigating diverse career pathways beyond academia. 

Moderator – Lisa Romkey, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream and Associate Director, ISTEP

Lisa Romkey serves as Associate Professor, Teaching and Associate Director of the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice at the University of Toronto (ISTEP).  In her position, Lisa teaches courses for undergraduate and graduate students in engineering & society and engineering education. Her research focuses on engineering teaching and learning, with an emphasis on sociotechnical thinking and life-long learning.  

Lisa also serves as Director of the Collaborative Specialization in Engineering Education, which offers an opportunity for research and study in engineering education through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education or the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.  

Through her career in higher education, Lisa has spearheaded various projects in K-12 outreach, curriculum development, student engagement and teaching support. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph, and Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Education from the University of Toronto. 

Concurrent Panel Two 

Laura Bradbury, Space Systems Operations Manager, GHGSAT

Laura Bradbury is a Space Systems Operations Manager at GHGSat, a global leader in high-resolution satellite measurements of greenhouse gas emissions. She oversees the technical operations and ground station infrastructure of GHGSat’s growing satellite constellation, manages satellite licensing and RF spectrum coordination, and supports the current satellite missions in a systems engineering capacity. Laura spent her early career at the Space Flight Laboratory, where she held roles spanning systems engineering, satellite AIT, and mission management of microsatellite programs for Canadian and international partners. She holds a BASc in Engineering Science and an MASc from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. 

Taylr Cawte, Senior Data Engineer, RBC 

Taylr Cawte earned his MASc at the University of Toronto, conducting research with the Bazylak Group on microfluidic transport in porous media for clean-energy systems such as PEM fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Building on this numerical modelling background, he transitioned into financial technology and now works as a data engineer at a major Canadian bank, developing scalable ETL pipelines, distributed data systems, and resilient data-capture infrastructure. In his spare time, Taylr focuses on Bitcoin; running nodes, mining, and developing Bitcoin-backed financial services including escrow workflows and Lightning-based settlement tools.

Isaac Li, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair Tier 2, Michael Smith Scholar, University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry 

Professor Isaac Li is a Canada Research Chair in Single-Molecule Biophysics & Mechanobiology and a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar. His research explores biophysics at the single-molecule and single-cell levels, focusing on mechanobiology, DNA-based molecular devices, and biosensors. He aims to uncover how cells interact physically with their environment and develop innovative tools for disease diagnosis and treatment. Dr.  Li earned his PhD in Chemistry and MASc in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto, following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He teaches courses in molecular biophysics, instrumentation, and physical chemistry. 

Fakhria M. Razeq, Senior Regulatory Affairs Officer, Health Canada 

Fakhria is a Senior Regulatory Affairs Officer in the Investigational Testing Division (clinical trials for medical devices) at Health Canada.  She has been at Health Canada since 2018 and has worked in policy, regulatory and operational areas responsible for regulating investigational testing of medical devices, veterinary drugs, and assignment of Drug Identification Numbers (DIN). In her current position, she works closely with internal and external stakeholders to support effective decision-making and regulatory compliance. She has MASc in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry from University of Toronto, and currently lives in Ottawa with her family. 

Moderator – Deborah Tihanyi, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, ISTEP

Deborah Tihanyi co-coordinates the integration of transdisciplinary competencies (including communication, teamwork, and life-long learning) in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering undergraduate design curriculum. She also works with graduate students in the Collaborative Program in Engineering Education. 

Professional Activity: Deborah has a number of research interests that tie directly into her teaching practice, including the development of professional identity and the impact of TA training in engineering education. 

Meet the Rest of the Organizing Committee! 

Lydia Wilkinson, Assistant Professor, Teaching, ISTEP

Lydia Wilkinson’s teaching focuses on providing graduate and undergraduate engineering students with the skills required to navigate the communication tasks of their academic as well as future professional careers, as well as enriching engineering education humanities-based thinking, knowledge and pedagogies. Her current research investigates interdisciplinary skills transfer with a specific focus on humanities integration for engineers. 

Joanne Lieu, Graduate Professional Development Coordinator, ISTEP

Joanne Lieu is the Graduate Professional Development Coordinator at the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice, the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. She develops and coordinates professional development events and programs for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Joanne has an HBSc, BEd, MEd, and PhD from the University of Toronto.