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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP)
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DTSTART:20260101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260109T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260109T153000
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20251127T161355Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T163640Z
UID:43374-1767952800-1767972600@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Launch Your Career Plan for MASc\, PhD\, and PDFs
DESCRIPTION: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.  \nAt this event\, you will:  \n\nLearn about parallel planning for further graduate studies\, academia\, and industry careers \n\n\nUse labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities \n\n\nListen to a panel of alumni who have completed further graduate studies\, are working in industry\, or obtained a professorship \n\n\nCreate a plan to explore your specific career aspirations \n\nThis 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.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTime\n\n\nActivity\n\n\n\n\n\n10:00 – 10:30 AM\nWelcome\n\n\n10:30 – 11:15 AM\nPart I: The Labour Market and You\n\n\n11:15 – 12:00 PM\nPart II: Life Sketches\n\n\n12:00 – 1:00 PM\nLunch\n\n\n1:00 – 1:40 PM\nPart III: Build Your Support Network\n\n\n2:00 – 3:00 PM\nPart IV: Career Pathways Panel\n\n\n3:00 – 3:30 PM\nPart V: After Today\n\n\n\nMeet the Career Pathways Panelists \nConcurrent Panel One  \nCelestine Hong\, Assistant Professor of Teaching\, University of British Columbia\, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering \nCelestine 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.    \nSaeed Shakib\, Planner\, Ontario Ministry of Transportation  \nBio forthcoming  \nEvgueniia (Jenya) Doudareva\, Senior Manager\, AI/Responsible AI\, OnX \nEvgueniia (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.  \nGursans Guven Isin\, Assistant Professor\, University of Manitoba\, Department of Civil Engineering  \nDr. 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.  \nAniss Zaoui\, Lignocellulose Research Scientist\, agapyo  \nDr. 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.  \nModerator – Lisa Romkey\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream and Associate Director\, ISTEP \nLisa 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.   \nLisa 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.   \nThrough 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.  \n\nConcurrent Panel Two  \nLaura Bradbury\, Space Systems Operations Manager\, GHGSAT \nLaura 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.  \nTaylr Cawte\, Senior Data Engineer\, RBC  \nTaylr 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. \nIsaac Li\, Associate Professor\, Canada Research Chair Tier 2\, Michael Smith Scholar\, University of British Columbia\, Department of Chemistry  \nProfessor 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.  \nFakhria M. Razeq\, Senior Regulatory Affairs Officer\, Health Canada  \nFakhria 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.  \nModerator – Deborah Tihanyi\, Associate Professor\, Teaching Stream\, ISTEP \nDeborah 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.  \nProfessional 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.  \n\nMeet the Rest of the Organizing Committee!  \nLydia Wilkinson\, Assistant Professor\, Teaching\, ISTEP \nLydia 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.  \nJoanne Lieu\, Graduate Professional Development Coordinator\, ISTEP \nJoanne 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. 
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/launch-your-career-plan-for-masc-phd-and-pdfs/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260115
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260116
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20251113T212527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T220252Z
UID:43339-1768435200-1768521599@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:The OPTIONS Program: MEng Application Due
DESCRIPTION:The OPTIONS Program is an initiative to support all engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to explore diverse career options.  \nPurpose & Content  \nTake a deep dive into career management and join a supportive community of like-minded MEng students exploring career possibilities. The Cohort Program is an eight week\, non-credit program facilitated by faculty and professional development experts. The program provides:  \n\nEight\, two-hour\, live sessions \n\n\nA short instructional video on resumes and cover letters for viewing on your own time \n\n\nTwo career management tools to develop an individualized\, career exploration plan \n\n\nA one-on-one\, 30 min meeting with a career coach (optional) \n\n\nPersonalized feedback on your resume and cover letter \n\n\nA mock interview\, personalized feedback on your interview skills\, and access to an interview preparation toolkit \n\n\nAn informational interview with an alumni and a database of informational interview questions \n\n\nA Peer Success Team to support your career exploration \n\nSchedule  \nReview the MEng OPTIONS Winter 2026 schedule before submitting an application to ensure you can attend all eight sessions. All sessions are in-person with the exception of the week of February 16.  \nIf you will experience a visa delay and might not be able to attend the first session on Thursday\, January 22\, in-person\, please contact Joanne at grad.experience@engineering.utoronto.ca.  \nBenefits  \nIn addition to the programming\, resources\, and one-on-one meeting listed above\, participants who complete the program (attend six of eight sessions) receive a digital certificate of completion approved by the Vice-Dean\, Graduate Studies and the OPTIONS’ Faculty Convenor.  \nSelection Criteria  \n\nU of T Engineering MEng student \n\n\nStrong interest in developing personal and professional skills beyond technical knowledge \n\n\nCurious about career exploration \n\n\nEager to participate in group discussions \n\n\nWillingness to be part of a team and support your peers’ career preparation \n\nProgram Delivery                    \nThis is an interactive program (not a traditional lecture). You will participate in interactive activities and small group conversations. For online sessions\, you will need to use your audio to communicate with peers and (if possible) video.  \nAll eight sessions occur live in-person from Thursday\, January 22 until Thursday\, March 19 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM (exclusive of the week of  February 19).   \nApplicant Commitment\n  \nBy applying to The OPTIONS Program\, I commit to attend all eight sessions. Why?  \n\nThis program is designed as an integrated sequence of sessions\, and you will benefit most by attending all eight sessions. We recognize some session titles or descriptions might not resonate with you. We ask that you bring curiosity\, patience\, and an open-mind. Since 2017\, we have delivered eleven OPTIONS cohorts to over 200 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The MOST common feedback we receive from participants is that the individual sessions build on each other to form a comprehensive\, structured career management experience. \n\n\nYou are joining a cohort of 80 participants\, and within this cohort you are placed in a Peer Success Team of four to five participants. Over eight sessions\, you will work with the cohort and your team to complete program activities and discussions. By applying to this program\, you are committing to the cohort and your Peer Success Team that you will attend all sessions. \n\n\nYou commit to participate and engage in conversations with your peers. In particular\, for online sessions you will need a quiet space and access to your audio to participate in small discussions (and\, if possible\, your video). During an online session\, you should not be completing work outside the program\, commuting\, etc. \n\n\nThe Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice invest a significant amount of resources and time in developing and delivering this one of a kind program to you FREE OF CHARGE. We ask that you commit to attend all eight sessions AND\, although not required\, take advantage of the one-on-one meeting\, videos\, and toolkits to make this experience work for YOU! \n\n\nWe receive more applications than the program can accommodate. By committing to this program\, you are taking a spot from another student. \n\nMost importantly\, this program is here for YOU to develop your personal effectiveness\, clarify your career aspirations\, and have a meaningful learning experience with a supportive community of peers and instructors. There is no homework\, only optional activities to accelerate your career exploration\, and no grades. We recognize life happens and there might be unexpected situations that might mean you have to miss a session. That is okay! Remember\, you must attend at least six of the eight sessions to receive your certificate.  \nApplications Due  \nSubmit your application by Thursday\, January 15 at 9:00AM EDT. 
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/the-options-program-meng-application-due/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260116T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260116T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20251127T162453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251209T181050Z
UID:43379-1768557600-1768575600@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Launch Your Career Plan for MEng
DESCRIPTION:Launch Your Career Plan is an initiative by the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP) to support MEng 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.  \nAt this event\, you will:  \n\nLearn about parallel planning for further graduate studies\, academia\, and industry careers \n\n\nUse labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities \n\n\nCreate a plan to explore your specific career aspirations \n\nThis event is open to all MEng. 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 MEng students attend this event near the beginning of their studies.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTime\n\n\nActivity\n\n\n\n\n\n10:00 – 10:25 AM\nWelcome\n\n\n10:25 – 11:10 AM\nPart I: Design Your Life\n\n\n11:10 – 12:00 PM\nPart II: Labour Market Information\n\n\n12:00 – 1:00 PM\nLunch\n\n\n1:00 – 2:00 PM\nPart III: Skills Development\n\n\n2:00 – 2:50 PM\nPart IV: Build Your Support Network\n\n\n2:50 – 3:00 PM\nPart V: After Today\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/launch-your-career-plan-for-meng/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260121T133000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260121T143000
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20260105T212826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T212826Z
UID:43406-1769002200-1769005800@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Winter Welcome: Postdoc Coffee Hour
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, January 21 I 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM I 8th Floor Myhal Terrace   \n\nCelebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week!    \n\n\nMeet fellow PDF peers and learn more about how the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice supports you!   \n\nCome to the 8th Floor Myhal Terrace. We’ll have coffee\, tea\, and treats available for you to enjoy while meeting fellow PDF peers. This is a drop-in-style event\, so feel free to come when you’re free and stay as long as you’d like.   
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/winter-welcome-postdoc-coffee-hour/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260121T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260121T193000
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20251215T142259Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T142259Z
UID:43390-1769016600-1769023800@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Engineering Business Futures Presents: A Fireside Chat
DESCRIPTION:Are you interested in learning about real-world applications of engineering in the business and finance sectors? Want to discover career pathways for engineers in investment banking and capital markets? \nCome join our conversation on Wednesday\, January 21 where we will discuss emerging trends in technology and finance! \nSpeaker:\nMario Di Pietro brings over 20 years of experience in advisory and capital raising within the technology sector. His career spans leadership roles at BMO Capital Markets and CIBC World Markets\, where he specialized in Technology\, Media\, and Telecom Investment Banking. Mario holds both an MBA (Rotman School of Management\, Class of 2000) and a BSc in Engineering (MechE 9T5) from the University of Toronto\, making him uniquely positioned to speak to students navigating both technical and business domains. \nWho: Students interested in learning more about the intersections between business\, entrepreneurship\, finance\, and engineering. All are welcome to attend.\nWhen: January 21\, 5:30 – 7:30 PM\nRegister: Complete this form
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/engineering-business-futures-presents-a-fireside-chat/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260129T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260129T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T233846
CREATED:20260119T153207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T153207Z
UID:43427-1769688000-1769691600@istep.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:E2R2: Understanding Engagement in Engineering Student Project Teams
DESCRIPTION:The ISTEP Engineering Education Research Roundtable (E2R2) is a monthly venue for ISTEP faculty\, staff\, and graduate students\, and colleagues and students from other FASE departments\, to exchange ideas about engineering education research. E2R2 aims to build a community for engineering education research within ISTEP and FASE\, and to inspire ideas and advance scholarship and practices in engineering education. These E2R2 meetings have been co-hosted by Professor Deb Tihanyi and Dr. Qin Liu. \nSpeaker: Dr. Victoria Kerr \nDate/Time: January 29 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM \nRoom: MY 763 \nTitle: Understanding Engagement in Engineering Student Project Teams \nDespite extensive research on improving the effectiveness of student project-teams\, low engagement from one or more team members is a common and persistent issue. While previous research has largely focused on individual behaviours and accountability\, this work presents a holistic view of student engagement and focuses on the impacts of the team environment on student engagement within the first-year engineering design-team context. Through longitudinal mixed-methods and qualitative studies\, it was found that there are significant positive relationships between team dynamics and student engagement\, and some of these relationships differ by gender. To facilitate the development of team dynamics and student engagement\, six categories of team norms were identified\, which can be utilized by instructors to facilitate engagement within their student project-teams. This research contributes to a broader understanding of student engagement in first-year project teams and the importance of team norms and team dynamics within this context. \nAll are welcome to attend this drop-in session\, no registration needed. If you are interested but cannot attend it in person\, you are welcome to join us via Zoom: \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://utoronto.zoom.us/j/4733423257?omn=83369817089\nMeeting ID: 473 342 3257\nPasscode: 12332
URL:https://istep.utoronto.ca/event/e2r2-understanding-engagement-in-engineering-student-project-teams/
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