Student AffairsWe’re bringing you an exclusive Masterclasses lineup featuring experts shaping their fields' future.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with our Masterclass Series! Join us as we spotlight trailblazing women in arts, science, computing, mathematics, and engineering. Hear their stories, gain insights, and be inspired to shape the future of STEM and beyond. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from their experiences and expertise.
Sign up for a Masterclass today!
Mathematical Modeling in Public Health
Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool for understanding and predicting complex systems, playing a crucial role in shaping public health strategies. Recent applications have demonstrated its impact, particularly in designing responses to global pandemics. In this session, we will explore the historical evolution of mathematical modeling in public health, highlight key successes, and discuss pressing open research questions that continue to shape the field. Join us to uncover how mathematics can help us prepare for the health challenges of tomorrow.
Speaker: Dr. Felicia Magpantay, Department of Mathematics and Statistics ,
Faculty: Arts and Science
Morning Session: March 4th, 9-10 AM Register Here
Evening Session: March 4th 7-8 PM Register Here
The role of communities in building sustainable food systems
Food is one of our most intimate connections to the environment and culture. This masterclass will introduce students to key concepts integral to understanding our relationships with food. These include a food system, food security, and sustainability. Dr. Lowitt then asks, why should we study food systems, and what role can communities play in making food systems more sustainable? To address these questions, she shares examples and lessons learned from her research program with civil society, Indigenous, and food movement partners in Canada.
Speaker: Dr. Kristen Lowitt, School of Environmental Studies,
Faculty: Arts and Science
Morning Session: March 5th, 9-10 AM Register Here
Evening Session: March 5th, 7-8 PM Register Here
Cosmic Stellar Nurseries
In this masterclass, Dr. Sarah Sadavoy will introduce how stars and their planets are born inside cosmic stellar nurseries and how astronomers use telescopes to observe their formation. Stellar nurseries are giant clouds of gas and dust particles that slowly collect under gravity over millions of years to make new stars and planets. Students will learn about different telescopes that are used to study star-forming regions and the open questions that we are trying to solve with these observations.
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Sadavoy, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy,
Faculty: Arts and Science
Morning Session: March 6th, 8-9 AM Register Here
Machine learning applications in mining operations
In this masterclass, Dr. Asli Sari will talk about her journey from computer science to mining engineering. She's going to talk about the applications of data science and machine learning in mine operations and how they are transforming the industry. From predicting mine stability to optimizing mineral extraction, students will discover the exciting challenges in mining and how machine learning can be used to help solve them.
Speaker: Dr. Asli Sari, Department of Mining Engineering
Faculty: Engineering
Evening Session: March 6th, 7-8 PM Register Here
What is Permafrost? The Frozen Foundation of the North
Did you know that beneath the Arctic lies a hidden, frozen world that has been around for thousands of years? This is permafrost—ground that stays at or below zero degrees year-round and plays a crucial role in our climate and environment. In this Masterclass, we’ll uncover what permafrost is, why it matters, and how it’s changing due to our changing climate. From ancient ice to thawing landscapes, join us to explore the science behind this icy mystery and its impact on our future!
Speaker: Dr. Élise Devoie, Department of Civil Engineering,
Faculty: Smith Engineering
Morning Session: March 7th, 9-10 AM Register Here
Behind the Code: The Human Side of Software Development
Software development isn’t just about writing code—it’s about people, collaboration, and problem-solving. In this Masterclass, we’ll explore the fascinating world of empirical software engineering, uncovering how developers actually build software in real-world settings. From teamwork and decision-making to the tools and challenges they face, we’ll dive into the socio-technical aspects that shape modern software engineering. Whether you’re curious about coding, teamwork, or technology’s impact on society, this session will give you a new perspective on what it really means to be a software engineer.
Speaker: Dr. Mariam Guizani, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Faculty: Smith Engineering
Morning Session: March 10th, 9-10 AM Register Here
Decoding Data: Unraveling the Magic of Data Science
Join us for an exciting deep dive into the world of data science! In this masterclass, we’ll demystify the core principles of statistical inference, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Using real-world datasets from diverse fields—ranging from healthcare to social media—we’ll bring these concepts to life through hands-on exploration. From uncovering hidden patterns to making smart predictions, we’ll approach data science from three foundational perspectives, showing how numbers can tell powerful stories.
Speaker: Dr. Devon Lin, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Faculty: Arts and Science
Evening Session: March 11th, 8-9 PM Register Here
Morning Session: March 12th, 8-9 AM Register Here
Why the environment needs a low-salt diet
Road salt keeps our streets safe in winter, but at what cost? As it melts ice, it also seeps into lakes and rivers, threatening freshwater ecosystems. Join us for an eye-opening session where we’ll explore the hidden impacts of road salt, the latest research on its effects, and innovative strategies to balance winter safety with environmental sustainability. Join this session to learn, discuss, and rethink the way we approach winter road maintenance!
Speaker: Dr. Shelley Arnott, Department of Biology
Faculty: Arts and Science
Morning Session: March 12 9-10 AM Register Here
Evening Session: March 12 7-8 PM Register Here
What do you do when a chocolate company says HELP: Understanding cold tolerance and disease resistance in hazelnut
In this lecture, I will take you along a research adventure, that started with the chocolate company Ferrero asking for help in establishing hazelnut farming in Canada, and led to two challenging and exciting questions: How can we protect hazelnut flowers from the cold winters? And how can we prevent the Eastern Filbert Blight from ruining the trees? I will discuss the super interesting history of hazelnuts in Turkey, and how developing a market in other parts of the world would support the second-largest chocolate company in the world. And we'll walk through the strategies and some exciting discoveries when we try to answer these questions. You might get hungry during my lecture, but you'll also gain a new appreciation of the importance of biology in so many things...including chocolates!
Speaker: Dr. Sharon Regan, Department of Biology
Faculty: Arts and Science
Morning Session: March 13th, 8-9 AM Register Here
Evening Session: March 13th, 7-8 PM Register Here
Humans as Robots and Robots as Humans
In this masterclass, Dr. Amy Wu will discuss how we can apply engineering tools to understand humans and how our understanding of human behavior can influence the development of legged robots. In particular, we will discuss how to bridge biological principles and engineering with respect to locomotion and what it means for human-robot interaction.
Speaker: Dr. Amy Wu, Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering
Faculty: Smith Engineering
Morning Session: March 14th, 9-10 AM Register Here
Metals, Energy, and the Future: How Science is Shaping a Greener World
Have you ever wondered how our world is transitioning to greener energy and what it takes to make that happen? From electric vehicles to solar panels and wind turbines, the technologies driving the future all depend on one thing: metals! In this talk, we will explore how metals like lithium, copper, and rare earth elements are essential for the clean energy revolution and why they are called "critical metals." But mining and metal production also come with environmental challenges. Scientists and engineers are working on cutting-edge technologies to make metal extraction cleaner, reduce pollution, and recover valuable metals from waste materials instead of digging new mines. Join me to discover how research in sustainable mining and metallurgy is paving the way for a greener future and how you, as future scientists and engineers, can be part of this exciting journey!
Speaker: Dr. Farzaneh Sadri, Department of Mining Engineering
Faculty: Smith Engineering
Morning Session: March 14th, 8-9 PM Register Here
