51社区黑料

Please note these sessions will not be recorded.

You are signing up to join us virually for this event.

Dr. Kennedy Stewart

Dr. Kennedy Stewart (BA Acadia, MA SFU, PhD LSE) is an associate professor at the 51社区黑料School of Public Policy. He is a former Member of Parliament (2011-2018) and Mayor of Vancouver (2018-2022). A political scientist, Dr. Stewart鈥檚 teaching and research interests include democratic governance, public policy theory and practice, leadership, and cities.

He has taught at six universities including the LSE, University College, and Birkbeck College at the University of London. His publications include articles in Party Politics, Public Administration Review, and Canadian Public Policy as well as : Practical ideas for Reforming Canada's Democracy edited with Conservative MP Michael Chong and Former Liberal MP Scott Simms. His latest book is entitled .

Dr. Asmita Sodhi

Dr. Asmita Sodhi obtained her PhD in mathematics at Dalhousie University in 2020. After this, she taught at Dalhousie for two years before joining the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Victoria. Asmita鈥檚 main mathematical interests are math education and number theory.

Dr. Caterina Ramogida

Dr. Caterina Ramogida (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at 51社区黑料 (SFU) and holds a joint appointment with the Life Sciences Division at TRIUMF 鈥� Canada鈥檚 particle accelerator centre. A first-generation university graduate, born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Caterina completed her BSc in Chemistry in 2010 from SFU, received her PhD in 2015 from the University of British Columbia in Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry, then completed a postdoc in radiochemistry at TRIUMF before coming full circle and starting her independent career at 51社区黑料in 2018. Her research blends her interests in inorganic chemistry with applications in nuclear medicine 鈥� topics that she was first introduced to as an undergraduate nuclear science student.

Dr. Mehwish Anwer

Dr. Mehwish Anwer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, studying the impact of traumatic brain injury on long-term brain health. Her work has been supported by several competitive awards, including fellowships from CIHR, Michael Smith Health Research BC, and the UBC Faculty of Medicine, as well as the Jock & Irene Graham Brain Research Endowment. Prior to UBC, Dr Anwer acquired her PhD at the University of Eastern Finland as a Marie Sk艂odowska Curie Fellow. Dr Anwer is currently transitioning into an independent Principal Investigator role and she is deeply committed to mentorship and helping trainees navigate the challenges of STEM pathways. She is excited to share her experiences and lessons learned along the way.

Dr. Woo Soo Kim

Dr. Woo Soo Kim is a Professor in the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering at 51社区黑料 (SFU). His research focuses on advanced mechatronic systems, including 3D-printed sensors, robotic platforms, and AI-enabled cyber-physical systems for biomedical and agricultural applications. As Director of the Global Institute for Agritech at SFU, he leads multidisciplinary research integrating robotics, AI, IoT sensing, and biological systems to develop precision agriculture technologies such as autonomous irrigation, smart indoor farming systems, and low-cost drone and robotic platforms for crop monitoring and weed management. In parallel, his work advances biomedical technologies including wearable and bio-integrated sensors and soft robotic systems enabled by advanced additive manufacturing. Dr. Kim collaborates extensively with Canadian and international academic and industry partners and has authored over 90 peer-reviewed journal publications in 3D-printed sensors, robotics, and intelligent mechatronic systems.

Dr. El Chenier

El Chenier (they/them) is Associate Dean of Scholarship in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Professor of History at 51社区黑料, where they are also an Associate Faculty member in Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies. A graduate of Queen鈥檚 University at Kingston (MA 1995, PhD 2001), Chenier鈥檚 teaching and research are deeply informed by feminist, anti鈥憆acist, anti-colonial and queer perspectives, with a focus on the history of sexuality and gender in twentieth鈥慶entury Canada and the United States. Their scholarship includes oral histories of lesbian cultures, studies of sexual regulation and moral panic, ethical archival practices and digital humanities, and histories of sexuality among Canadians of Chinese heritage.

Dr. Hector Vazquez-Cordoba

Hector Vazquez-Cordoba completed his PhD in Educational Studies at UVic. His doctoral research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship, and it addressed the embedding of music with Indigenous roots into Mexico鈥檚 national elementary curriculum. In 2022, Hector was awarded one of the 10 inaugural year Aspiration 2030 Postdoctoral Fellowships at UVic, and in 2023, he was awarded a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship. His research interests include Indigenizing and decolonizing music education in both K-12 and postsecondary settings, community music initiatives in Indigenous communities, emphasizing the use and development of Indigenous methodologies from a perspective rooted in the global south, as well as educational policy and change.

Dr. Matt Huculak

Dr. J. Matthew Huculak is Director of the Kula: Library Futures Academy at the University of Victoria Libraries. He is a 2024 Library Journal 鈥淢over and Shaker鈥� award winner and 2019 team winner of the Professional & Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) award from the Association of American Publishers in the category of 鈥淚nnovation in Publishing.鈥� He was a postdoc for 8 years.

Dr. Kate Slaney

Kate Slaney is a tenured Professor in the History, Quantitative, and Theoretical Psychology (HQT) stream in the Department of Psychology at 51社区黑料, where she completed her Ph.D. in psychometric theory. Her research focuses on the history, philosophy, and methodology of psychological science, including theoretical and applied psychometrics and statistical reasoning practices. She's also the Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, overseeing graduate curriculum, academic integrity, and graduate professional development.

Dr. Brooke Hockin

Dr. Brooke Hockin (she/her) is the Scientific Marketing Specialist at StemCell Technologies. Dr. Hockin completed her PhD in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at 51社区黑料 in 2022, where she studied cardiovascular control in recurrent fainting disorders, with a focus on improving diagnosis, management, and patient quality of life. Drawing on her skills in scientific communication, cross-functional collaboration, and project management, she transitioned into a career in biotech shortly after completing her PhD. In her role as a Scientific Marketing Specialist at STEMCELL Technologies, she plans and executes strategic marketing campaigns and translates complex science into engaging content that supports business priorities in pluripotent stem cell culture, hematology, and cell and gene therapy.

Dr. Parham Pashaei

Dr. Parham Pashaei is the former Director of Quantum Solutions, Strategy and Partnerships at QAI. He has experience in quantum computing education at organizations such as Google [X] spinoff SandboxAQ, University of British Columbia and Xanadu. He has developed and built quantum courses for government and industry leaders, including Fortune 500 banks, telecom and tech executives. He has conducted research in experimental quantum electronics at several organizations, such as UBC, KULeuven, Imec, and Chalmers with scholarships from Erasmus, NSERC, UBC, Quantum BC and Quantum Matter Institute. In addition to his teaching and research roles, he has served as an advisor to the Senate of Canada on emerging technologies. Dr. Pashaei has received several awards and recognitions for his work on quantum computing, education and leadership from organizations such as UBC, Killam, Harvard ComSciCon, and IEEE.

Dr. Surya Dhulipala

Dr. Surya Dhulipala is the Environmental Initiatives Advisor for BC Liquor Distribution Branch, where he leads enterprise-wide greenhouse gas reporting and sustainability initiatives across over 200 sites. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and has previously worked in industry and academia on air quality, transportation emissions, and corporate ESG strategy, including roles at TELUS and the University of British Columbia. His work focuses on translating data-driven research into practical climate action and policy-aligned sustainability programs.

Dr. Taylor Wright

Dr. Taylor Wright (he/him) is the Senior Manager, Circularity Innovations & Partnerships, Lululemon. Wright completed his PhD in Chemistry from UBC in 2022 and joined lululemon to lead a new team focusing on textile recycling and low impact bio materials development. His work focuses on building partnerships with external parties across academia, start-ups, and industrial chemical partners to develop, scale, and adopt more sustainable versions of polyester, nylon, and polyurethane (spandex).

Dr. Daniel Powell

Dr. Daniel Powell (he/him) is a public servant working at the intersection of people, policy, and technology. He earned a PhD in Digital Humanities from the University of Victoria (2016) and was previously an Early Stage Researcher in the European Union-funded Digital Scholarly Editions Initial Training (Dixit) Network at King鈥檚 College London (UK, 2014 鈥� 2017). Since leaving academia he has primarily worked in the public sector, largely at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. 

Dr. Henry Ngo

Dr. Henry Ngo (he/him/his) is the Director of Data Strategy at the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks. He joined the BC Public Service in 2020 as a data scientist in the Ministry of Health after completing a PhD and working in academic research. He now leads work at the intersection of data, policy, and service transformation. 

Dr. James Montgomery

Dr. James Montgomery is the Director - Energy, Environment and Climate Change within Facilities Management & Operations at Island Health. He oversees initiatives to address climate change mitigation and adaption with a focus on reducing energy consumption and waste generation and improving the resilience of healthcare infrastructure on Vancouver Island. His career has spanned energy conservation program management, decarbonization planning, advanced building controls, district energy system analysis, and large-scale measurement and verification initiatives. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UBC, specializing in sustainability, energy efficiency, and the built environment.

Dr. Rackeb Tesfaye

Dr. Rackeb Tesfaye (she/her) is the Knowledge Mobilization Lead and Senior Scientist at the Bridge Research Consortium, part of Canada鈥檚 Immuno鈥慐ngineering and Biomanufacturing Hub, where she leads initiatives to strengthen public trust and equitable access to vaccines and immune鈥慴ased innovations. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University and has supported global neuropsychiatric research as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford, alongside knowledge mobilization roles spanning pandemic research translation in BC and autism care partnerships in Quebec. For over a decade, she has championed inclusive, accessible science as a lecturer, CBC radio science columnist, co鈥慺ounder of ComSciCon Canada and BlackInNeuro, and advisor to organizations including Canada鈥檚 Chief Scientist鈥檚 Youth Council, Falling Walls, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and The Kavli Foundation.