The ‘Ghost in the Machine’ debate considers the future of AI

The Ghost in the Machine panel

Will artificial intelligence soon become more intelligent than its creator? As technology continues to play a bigger role in all aspects of our society, it’s more important now than ever to consider the organizing principles behind how it structures our digital lives.

This is just one of the many questions experts, academics, futurists and business leaders discussed at the Ghost in the Machine Technology and the Future of Society event held Jan. 24 at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library.

More than 500 people attended the free public event, which was the second in the Next 100 series spearheaded by the Lassonde School of Engineering. The debate focused on the ways in which technology will continue transforming society. The one-hour panel convened by the engineering school brought together innovators, educators, futurists, technologists and leaders in business and art to debate these issues in front of the live audience.

The Ghost in the Machine panel, from left: Steve Irvine, the founder and CEO Integrate.AI; Huda Idrees, founder and CEO of Dot Health; Jesse Hirsh, futurist and researcher; University of Ottawa Professor Ian Kerr; and York University Professor Regina Rini

Interim Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering Richard Hornsey introduced the panel, which was moderated by futurist and researcher Jesse Hirsh. Participating in the debate were: Huda Idrees, founder and CEO of Dot Health, a real-time personal health data platform; Steve Irvine, the founder and CEO of Toronto-based company Integrate.AI, which focuses on applied artificial intelligence; University of Ottawa Professor Ian Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law and Technology, and a pioneer in the burgeoning field of AI and robotics law and policy and a global leader in the field of privacy; York University Professor Regina Rini, Canada Research Chair in Social and Moral Cognition, and a researcher specializing in moral psychology, ethical theory and neuroscience.

Lassonde School of Engineering Interim Dean Richard Hornsey introduces the panel members to the audience

The panel explored what it means to be human, the inherent assumptions in how we design technology and what scientists, industries and governments can do to ensure that tech benefits us in the future. The panellists debated the responsibility companies have to make tech more equitable, accessible and sensitive to the diversity of human experience.

The discussion introduced many ideas and questions, including: How do we maintain agency in the face of innovative technologies? What are the things we can do to ensure that we get the future that we desire and not the future that we dread? To survive in the job market in the future, what are the most important skills an individual can have?

“There are two events that I’m pretty sure will happen in the next 20 to 30 years, probably around the same time: the first is that computers will pass the Turing test. You will be able to interact with computers that will seem like you’re interacting with people, and when it happens we won’t care very much,” said Rini.

As the debate continued, the academics and business experts drew on their experiences, research and public policy work, and expressed strong beliefs in the responsibilities companies need to take on to ensure that technology is more equitable, accessible and sensitive to the diversity of human experience.

A capacity crowd attended the event

“We are moving from a world where software that runs the majority of our businesses and the majority of the interactions that we have with government and others is moving from a framework that’s deterministic to probabilistic. So, deterministic means we scripted it and we put rules in, and probabilistic means we don’t need to tell it anything,” said Irvine.

Kerr said that more public-facing events are important to consider the myriad of implications associated with artificial intelligence. “We need more public events like this,” he said. “We need the events to be available after the fact online to anybody who wants to watch them. I think that’s an important thing to be doing.”

In keeping with his observation, the full Next 100: Ghost in the Machine debate can be viewed online.

The third Next 100 event will take place this spring and is titled Electric Dreams. It will explore technology and entertainment. More information is available on the Next 100 website.

Lassonde TA becomes a member of Vector Institute Postgraduate Affiliate Program

Matthew Tesfaldet
Matthew Tesfaldet

Lassonde School of Engineering Teaching Assistant and master’s student Matthew Tesfaldet has been named a member of the inaugural cohort of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence‘s Postgraduate Affiliate Program. Tesfaldet is among a list of 32 members. His research focuses on computer vision and deeper learning.

“York University is delighted to see Matthew Tesfaldet invited to participate in this Vector Institute Postgraduate Affiliate Program. Vector seeks to attract the best global talent focused on research excellence in deep learning and machine learning,” says Vice-President Research and Innovation Robert Haché. “At York University, there is great enthusiasm to develop a formal strategy around AI. The momentum around AI is building.”

Established this year, the Vector Institute Postgraduate Affiliate Program will foster collaboration and contributions among students and researchers with expertise in deep learning as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence more broadly. The program will complement similar programs to be launched for faculty and industry professionals to promote a collaborative environment for sharing ideas and expertise at Vector.

Applicants were evaluated and selected according to the strength of their past research contributions and the alignment of their interests with Vector’s vision, mission and research strengths. Postgraduate affiliates will receive an honorarium to support their participation in and contributions towards Vector events and activities.

For more information, visit the Vector Institute website.

Apply soon for Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award

Bergeron Centre
The Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence

The Lassonde School of Engineering at York University is offering paid research positions for undergraduate students for the 2018 summer term as part of the Lassonde Undergraduate Research Awards (LURA) program.

Applications are now open for students from all of York University’s faculties interested in joining Lassonde professors in fascinating summer research projects.

Are you interested in helping design satellites or maybe cure disease with implantable medical devices? What about researching clean energy or improving algorithms for Global Navigation Satellite Systems? These are just some of the ground-breaking research projects that York University students can participate in during the summer months.

Students looking to gain hands-on research experience in a Lassonde research lab will need to identify a professor to who can work with them for 16 weeks. They should then submit an application for adjudication. The deadline is Feb. 27.

All application procedures are outlined at http://www.lassondeundergraduateresearch.com/ and some, but not all the available projects are listed there too.

Started three years ago LURA has quickly grown in size and scope. LURA ends in August with a professional conference complete with talks, keynote presentations and poster competitions. Student researchers will present their work at the conference.

LURA is open to any qualified student and the program has successfully attracted non-Lassonde students from York University and beyond, including those students from countries such as Costa Rica, Poland and France.

Many of the LURA graduates have gone on to participate in research projects as graduate students and they acknowledge the important role that LURA played in their career choices. Some have taken the experience and leveraged it to include co-op positions, which in turn enables them to advance in an industry setting.

The Lassonde Undergraduate Research Awards 2018 competition is now open

Bergeron Centre
Bergeron Centre
The Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence

The Lassonde School of Engineering at York University is offering paid research positions for undergraduate students for the 2018 summer term as part of the Lassonde Undergraduate Research Awards (LURA) program.

Applications are now open for students from all of York University’s faculties interested in joining Lassonde professors in fascinating summer research projects.

Are you interested in helping design satellites or maybe cure disease with implantable medical devices? What about researching clean energy or improving algorithms for Global Navigation Satellite Systems? These are just some of the ground-breaking research projects that York University students can participate in during the summer months.

Students looking to gain hands-on research experience in a Lassonde research lab will need to identify a professor to who can work with them for 16 weeks. They should then submit an application for adjudication. The deadline is Feb. 27.

All application procedures are outlined at http://www.lassondeundergraduateresearch.com/ and some, but not all the available projects are listed there too.

Started three years ago LURA has quickly grown in size and scope. LURA ends in August with a professional conference complete with talks, keynote presentations and poster competitions. Student researchers will present their work at the conference.

LURA is open to any qualified student and the program has successfully attracted non-Lassonde students from York University and beyond, including those students from countries such as Costa Rica, Poland and France.

Many of the LURA graduates have gone on to participate in research projects as graduate students and they acknowledge the important role that LURA played in their career choices. Some have taken the experience and leveraged it to include co-op positions, which in turn enables them to advance in an industry setting.

Virtual classroom a hit with students

Engineers seek more efficient ways of achieving goals, so it should come as no surprise that Professor Spiros Pagiatakis, associate dean of research and graduate studies at the Lassonde School of Engineering, has introduced the virtual classroom to the Geomatics Engineering Program.

“I’m uneasy with the status quo,” Pagiatakis says. “I like to explore different options.”

Impetus for innovation

In 2012, Pagiatakis and his Geomatics Engineering colleagues, in partnership with the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS) were successful in obtaining significant funding from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration of Ontario (Bridge Funding) to create a training program that could be delivered across Ontario to all internationally educated professionals (IEP) who wished to obtain professional licensure from the AOLS. These professionals, immigrants to Canada holding a university degree in geomatics or in related field from their country of origin, would be given a unique opportunity to bridge any knowledge/skills gap and become eligible for professional licensure as Ontario Land Surveyors (OLS).

The main challenge in bridging the gap was that the IEPs were usually place/time bound, often having survival jobs across Ontario; thus, they were unable to attend their university classes in Toronto. As the geomatics engineering professors explored the available technology and established the bridging program in 2015, they realized this approach could also be used in undergraduate engineering courses to reach students who need more flexibility in accessing post-secondary education.

Spiros Pagiatakis, associate dean of research and graduate studies at the Lassonde School of Engineering, is shown in an image captured from one of his videos recorded in the virtual classroom

With further assistance from a York University Academic Innovation Fund grant in 2016, Pagiatakis and his colleagues have turned a Lassonde classroom in the Petrie Science and Engineering building into a virtual classroom, outfitted with a video wall display and a built-in video-conferencing system that allows faculty to broadcast lectures live so that students can interactively participate from anywhere there is an internet connection.

“We were able to kill two birds with one stone,” he says. “We were able to satisfy the needs of the IEP to receive their OLS licences and began to connect with our students in a new way. In fact, students and instructors alike from anywhere in the world can tune in to the lectures, enabling a virtual classroom environment with unparalleled flexibility.”

Benefits

The classroom’s video wall display provides Pagiatakis and his geomatics engineering colleagues with the flexibility to vary their presentations in real time and broadcast live the class activities to all remote participants across Ontario and beyond. They can have Power Point presentations, import video clips, turn a section of the wall display into a touch board for writing equations, edit text in real time, highlighting, annotating, and bringing in guest speakers from around the world. Students can also participate remotely asking and answering questions, participating in group projects via audio and video links. The entire class session is recorded and made available to the students for further study and review.

Professor Spiros Pagiatakis, associate dean of research and graduate studies at the Lassonde School of Engineering, uses the virtual classroom to the Geomatics Engineering Program
Pagiatakis using the virtual classroom to the Geomatics Engineering Program

“Students today almost exclusively use electronic means to communicate,” Pagiatakis says. “But, at the beginning, it was a big cultural change in learning. The students were shy about using the audio and video and would type in their questions in the chat room, which is also integral to the system.

“Last year, we advanced to the use of audio communication. They always walk around with cellphones and earbuds, so they couldn’t tell me that they didn’t have or understand the technology. Then, we moved on to encouraging them to use video; they use Skype to talk to their families and friends, so it shouldn’t be a real stretch.”

He has seen improvement in student comfort levels, although he still teases the youth by noting that the older instructors have adapted to the new technology faster than the students.

Aaron Boda, a 2017 geomatics engineering graduate, is now pursuing his master’s degree in the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering. Six of his undergraduate courses took place in the virtual classroom setting and he had no problem acclimating himself to the technology.

“It is a very simple system to use,” Boda says. “There is not much of a learning curve. It is as simple as using any chat service like Skype.”

Branching out

Initially, Pagiatakis and his colleagues introduced the virtual classroom into three or four courses; today, 10 courses take advantage of the technology with five instructors involved. Its use is limited only by scheduling and the fact that only one physical classroom has a video wall display and the relevant peripherals. At present, courses geared toward third- and fourth-year students are the ones that use the classroom, but Pagiatakis would like to offer the option to first- and second-year students too, as they become accustomed to the new technology.

Student feedback about the virtual classroom has been very positive. “I was surprised,” Pagiatakis says, “but they mostly come to class. However, having the flexibility makes them less stressed.”

Boda found the model very useful.

“It provides an opportunity to attend the lecture from home in case you are ill and cannot make it to campus, or if you have only the one class to attend for the day and it is pointless to waste time commuting,” he says. “The fact that you are able to interrupt the class and ask a question (when viewing live) makes it as if you are attending the lecture in person.

“The other thing is that you are able to review the lectures at your own time. It could be a case that you are not able to clearly understand some part of the lecture and it helps in listening to that part again. Also, it can be very useful while studying for the exam.”

Gulad Sheikh, a fellow geomatics engineering graduate and master’s candidate, also enjoyed his virtual classroom experiences.

“It is very convenient and useful learning tool,” he says. “You could attend it from anywhere if you were not at school, and even if you missed the class, you could watch it at a later time convenient to you. It is very helpful in studying for the exams, since you can reply the videos any time you want.”

In his own teaching, Pagiatakis also uses the video wall display for flipped classroom experiences. He videotapes a short lecture about a key concept and makes it available to the students a couple of weeks in advance. At class time, he answers questions about the concept before dividing students into groups to solve a real problem involving that concept. Remote groups are also possible to participate fully, thanks to built-in video conferencing system.

After giving the groups time to solve the problem, he asks them to come to the board and show their solutions. The class discusses what works and what doesn’t and why in a fully interactive mode.

“Not all lectures can be done in flip mode,” says Pagiatakis, “but you can select four or five key theories to study this way.”

“We are in the midst of a cultural change, a different learning experience” he adds. “The teaching methods of the past must change to interactive and participative learning. In this approach, instructors and students learn together by doing. They learn with each other and from each other and thus, they are all responsible for being prepared for the class. Technology is the enabler for this change, but we must be cognizant of the additional student time required.”

Pagiatakis and his colleagues are eager to share their live broadcast experiences with other faculty, although he notes that technology-enabled learning in a virtual classroom environment requires significant investment from the university; however, Pagiatakis believes it is the wave we must ride.

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer to Innovatus

Space engineers test for good vibrations

Having knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results of a test on space materials in crucial to obtaining a space-related job or career in the future. Pictured above is the International Space Station, a living laboratory of space engineering, hardware and materials. Photo: NASA
Having knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results of a test on space materials in crucial to obtaining a space-related job or career in the future. Pictured above is the International Space Station, a living laboratory of space engineering, hardware and materials. Photo: NASA

Space engineering graduates from York University should have a leg up on other job candidates, given the practical experience they are getting in their Materials for Space Applications and Space Hardware courses.

Hugh Chesser

Lecturer Hugh Chesser and fellow members of the program’s curriculum committee have been able to “inject more experiential work into the curriculum, work that the students would experience during their careers,” thanks to testing equipment purchased with the help of an Academic Innovation Fund grant.

Their initial focus has been on the testing done to ensure a spacecraft is ready for its mission. The third-year materials students conduct a vibration test similar to those required in industry for a spacecraft or one of its components. The hardware students use the same equipment to explore sensor data acquisition.

The materials students first predict the vibration dynamics for a printed circuit board prior to running the actual test. They conduct the test in the Lassonde School of Engineering’s shaker facility and use industry standards to analyze the results and determine if the component will function properly after launch. See Chesser’s blog for more information.

“The students appreciate it,” Chesser says. “It’s a realistic simulation of what they might be doing on the job, and in their portfolios, they can show pictures of the test and screen shots of the data analysis.

“The experience also shows them that all the equations we scrawl across the blackboards reflect reality and mean something. Initially, these formulas can seem abstract to them, but you see in their reports that the equations now make sense.”

The testing sequence is part of the students’ tutorial sessions, allowing them to discuss the activity in smaller groups. A week or two before the test is conducted the students are introduced to the problem and are able to work with the software they’ll be using for testing and analysis. Once the test is conducted, the students have a week or two for reflection and analysis.

The fourth-year hardware students use the same equipment to learn about typical sensor data acquisition.

“It’s a nice change of pace to teach them something concrete,” said Chesser, who recently incorporated the test into his course for the third time. “It’s also an experience that gives the students a leg up on some of the competition in the field.”

Keith Menezes, a fourth-year space engineering student who is president of York’s Canadian Satellite Design Challenge Team, took the space materials course the first time the testing component was included.

Having knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results of a test on space materials in crucial to obtaining a space-related job or career in the future. Pictured above is the International Space Station, a living laboratory of space engineering, hardware and materials. Photo: NASA

“Having the knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results is very crucial to obtaining a space-related job/career in the future,” Menezes says. “It is difficult to find such relevant classroom experience for other courses. I’m really grateful that [Mr.] Chesser incorporated this into the curriculum and I’m excited to see other Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science lab facilities being used in future courses.”

Tetiana Situigina, a fourth-year space engineering student who took the course this past semester, says, “Vibration testing is a big part of quality assurance and validation stage in every spacecraft design, and therefore, no matter what space mission we are working on in the future, the acquired skills would be applicable and very valuable.”

Chesser hopes that experiential opportunities of this nature will entice first-year engineering students to choose space engineering as their specialty.

“It shows that they won’t be limited to theoretical work,” he says. “I hope it catches their interest.”

Given the positive reception received for the experiential component to course, Chesser has applied for another AIF grant that will allow him to incorporate testing into his third-year Thermal Transfer course.

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer to Innovatus

Lassonde School of Engineering hosts ceremony to remember L’Ecole Polytechnique victims

On Friday, Dec. 1, the Lassonde School of Engineering hosted a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women ceremony to commemorate the lives of the 14 female victims of the Dec 6, 1989 massacre at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.

York University President and Vice Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton shared the University’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity both on and off-campus. To read her remarks, click here.

Interim Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering Richard Hornsey was unable to attend the ceremony, but shared his support and commitment towards ending gendered violence. Click here to see the video.

Special guest Kate Allen, Science and Technology journalist at the Toronto Star, was invited to speak to the York University community at the ceremony about the history of the National Day of Remembrance, and Canada’s current state of affairs on gender equity in science and technology. Allen’s speech can be found here.

The national campaign associated with the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is #MYActionsMatter. The Government of Canada is encouraging everyone to take action and commit to end gender-based violence, now and throughout the year. The Lassonde Media Group partnered with York University students to create a moving video to encourage students, faculty and staff at York University to take action.

To conclude the ceremony, Marisa Sterling, assistant dean of inclusivity and diversity at the Lassonde School of Engineering, shared a special announcement for York University students. The engineering school has developed a new project that takes actions to end violence and aggressions toward women and marginalized people. It is called the #MYActionsMatter Project. The project will address two challenges: What is micro-aggressive behaviour and what can you do to stop it? And, how can all people be allies to marginalized, racialized and underrepresented people including women in STEM?

Students will be given a chance to sign-up to design and facilitate a workshop on each challenge in a way to build knowledge on the topics.

More details can be found here.

The University community remembers the young women who lost their lives on Dec. 6, 1989. They are:

  • Geneviève Bergeron
  • Hélène Colgan
  • Nathalie Croteau
  • Barbara Daigneault
  • Anne-Marie Edward
  • Maud Haviernick
  • Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz
  • Maryse Laganière
  • Maryse Leclair
  • Anne-Marie Lemay
  • Sonia Pelletier
  • Michèle Richard
  • Annie St-Arneault
  • Annie Turcotte

 

BRAIN Alliance emerges as model for research and innovation success that leads to impact

Big Data
Nick Cercone

Back in 2015, computer science Professor Nick Cercone, of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, had a brilliant idea to connect the best Ontario academic researchers with private and public sector organizations to collaboratively narrow the research and innovation gap. Building on this idea with others, he created the Big Data Research, Analytics and Information Network (BRAIN) Alliance, an Ontario network of universities, and public and private institutions working together to conduct state-of-the-art translational research on large-scale data sets.

The network was made possible by investments from participating universities and public/private partners, as well as an Ontario Research Fund (ORF) – Research Excellence Grant. Total funding, which added up to $10 million, came from three sources: the ORF grant ($3.5 million), private sector partners ($3.5 million) and universities ($3.5 million).

Aijun An

After Cercone’s untimely death in December 2015, his colleague and Co-Principal Investigator of BRAIN, York Professor Aijun An, took the reins. Together with Project Manager Laura Zeno, the BRAIN Executive Committee and more than 20 co-investigators, An maintains the high standards established by Cercone.

Exponential growth, research outputs abound

Infographic shows the details of the BRAIN Alliance research outputs

Today, in autumn 2017, 21 collaborative research projects operate under the BRAIN umbrella, led by researchers from York, OCAD University, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. This work is undertaken in collaboration with many partners, including the Globe and Mail, Dapasoft, IBM, Empress Software, iNAGO, Manifold Data Mining Inc., St. Michael’s Hospital and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Each unique collaboration works to address at least one of the four challenges in big data analytics and visualization:

  • discovering useful and actionable patterns from dynamic data;
  • data-driven optimization and recommendation;
  • cloud computing for large-scale data analysis; and
  • visualization of interactive data and pattern analysis.

Research outputs of the BRAIN Alliance include 93 highly qualified personnel, 19 prototypes developed, four patents in progress, 15 inventions disclosed, 95 papers written and 43 presentations at conferences, symposia and workshops, as illustrated in the infographic.

Impact case study 1: the Globe and Mail

Due to this rigour over the past two-and-a-half years, BRAIN researchers have made significant progress in big data research and development. For example, with the Globe and Mail, which operates in a highly competitive industry where online media and data analytics are key factors in generating revenue, BRAIN researchers at York and OCAD have developed an innovative recommendation engine. (A recommendation engine, also known as a recommender system, is software that analyzes available data to make suggestions for something that a website user might be interested in, such as a book, a video or a piece of news, among other possibilities.) This engine successfully solved the “cold start” problem  ̶  a common problem. Due to this success, it is currently used as a component in the Globe and Mail’s online news recommender system.

The BRAIN researchers also developed the Sophi Heads-up Display (HUD) for the editors at the Globe and Mail. This is an analytics tool that overlays relevant data about articles’ performances onto the Globe and Mail website. The HUD has been integrated into a larger suite of analytics tools and is currently in use by editorial staff to better understand user engagement. The Globe and Mail has initiated plans to commercialize this product and is currently discussing implementation with other North American news media outlets.

Gordon Edall, director of Globe Labs, the Globe and Mail, explains the impact of this new tool: “Our ongoing collaboration with York and OCAD is enabling us to break new ground in terms of the things we can do to help our readers find the stories that most interest them. We’re looking forward to what we will do next with the help of BRAIN and its researchers.”

Impact case study 2: Dapasoft

A second example of BRAIN’s success comes to the fore: Dapasoft is a Toronto-based IT software group with with a strong health-care focus. Innovative research and development is key to their success. BRAIN researchers at York successfully applied their expertise in machine learning  ̶  a method of data analysis that allows computers to find hidden insights without being explicitly programmed where to look  ̶  to Dapasoft’s health-care integration product suite. They continue to develop artificial intelligence (AI) components on social media platforms to enrich Dapasoft’s peer support product offering.

Working with the BRAIN Alliance has provided invaluable insights and publication on the Dapasoft Surgical Checklist initiative.

Stephen Chan, CEO, Dapasoft, describes the benefits of partnering with the BRAIN researchers: “It is a very exciting time for technology companies as we are all facing new innovation and ideas on a daily basis. Partnering with BRAIN provides Dapasoft with a pool of smart and creative talents. We are looking forward to continuing the partnership with BRAIN in the future.”

Impact case study 3: IBM

Great progress has also been achieved with IBM Spectrum Computing, a division of IBM that develops distributed high-performance computing solutions. Multiple collaborations with BRAIN and IBM focus on developing faster big data solutions and innovative applications to help IBM maintain a competitive role in this sector. For example, as a result of the research accomplished in the project “3D Scalable Video Cloud Transcoder for Wireless Multicasts,” a patent application has been filed by IBM.

Impact case study 4: Training, networking, career-based mentoring

BRAIN also provides training, networking and career opportunities for students and highly qualified personnel (HQP). Many BRAIN members have accomplished milestones in their careers as a result of working on BRAIN research. For example, Morteza Zihayat  ̶  a BRAIN Alliance member since the beginning, first as a PhD student at York and then as a postdoctoral researcher  ̶  recently became an assistant professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University.

Zihayat discusses the impact that BRAIN has made to his career: “Working as a research fellow in the BRAIN community was a great experience and opportunity to engage and initiate in multiple research topics and collaborations. A community of highly qualified experts and well-known companies always encouraged me to explore new fields, to get a broader perspective and to bring together new ideas and methods in order to solve real-life problems in my field. BRAIN gave me the freedom and creativity to think outside the box on research problems and helped to prepare me for my new position. In my experience, it is rare to find such a unique combination of industry and academia. This combination helped me to build a professional network both in academia and industry.”

More information on BRAIN projects can be found on the website. Additional mentoring success stories can be found on the website’s Success Stories page.

Speaker series unravels the mysteries of the universe

York University scientists will share secrets of the universe, a vast and mysterious place that pushes the boundaries of imagination, at the Faculty of Science and Toronto Public Library speaker series titled, Chronicles of a Peculiar Universe.

These public talks, which are free and open to the public, will run from Oct. 11 to Nov. 14. The presenters, who are some of Canada’s most accomplished experienced and new space researchers, will cover just about everything related to the mysteries of the universe, from quasars and dark matter to the possibility of life on another planet.

  • Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright: Oct. 11, from 6:30 to 7:30pm, at the Danforth/Coxwell Branch, Faculty of Science Professor Patrick Hall will explore Quasars. The brightest objects in the universe, quasars contain rotating disks as big as the solar system that is home to Earth, and are hotter than the Sun. He will explain how quasars are formed and explore how these mysterious entities tap into the strong gravity of black holes.
  • How to Get to Mars: Oct.12, from 6:30 to 7:30pm, at the Lillian H. Smith Branch. For decades, NASA has been sending unmanned orbiters, landers and rovers to Mars and other planets within the solar system for research and exploration. Each of these robotic probes provides a window into these strange new worlds. In this talk, Lassonde School of Engineering Professor John Moores will provide an overview of the past, present and future of planetary exploration missions.
  • The Social Habits of Galaxies: Oct. 17, from 7 to 8pm, at the S. Walter Stewart Branch and Nov. 16, from 7 to 8pm, at the Don Mills Branch. Most galaxies enjoy the company of other galaxies and organize into various shapes known as the “cosmic web.” Many of them also like to spin and this creates beautiful discs of stars and gas. York PhD student George Conidis of the Faculty of Science, will examine copies our own galaxy, including The Milky Way and its friends, to better understand the social habits of disk galaxies and how they spin.
  • The Secrets of Our Dark Universe: Nov. 11, from 2 to 3pm, at the Brentwood Branch. Most of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy, but so far scientists have had a hard time detecting or explaining these celestial phenomena. York PhD student Alexandra Terrana of the Faculty of Science will explore some of the big open questions in cosmology, what dark matter and energy are, and how an alternative theory of gravity might solve these mysteries.
  • Is Anyone Home?: Nov. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30pm, at the Barbara Frum Branch. Since 1995, thousands of planets have been detected orbiting other stars. Many of these worlds could possibly contain liquid water and even life. In this talk, Professor Paul Delaney of the Faculty of Science will describe our current understanding of exoplanets and will offer an overview of the ongoing search for new planets and the implications associated with the for the search for life.

For more information on these public talks, visit the Chronicles of a Peculiar Universe website.

Four deserving grads named Bryden Award recipients

From left: Colleen Johnston, Abdullah Merei, Rudy Buttignol, J. Mark Lievonen

Now in its 17th year, the Bryden Alumni Awards celebrate outstanding York University alumni who have achieved the extraordinary and made remarkable contributions in their fields, communities and to the University. The four leaders who will be honoured Nov. 23 at a celebration at the Royal Ontario Museum are:

  • Colleen Johnston (BBA ’82), group head, Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Corporate & Public Affairs, TD Bank Group;
  • Rudy Buttignol, C.M. (BFA ’82), president & CEO, Knowledge Network;
  • Abdullah Merei (BA Sc ’09, MBA ’15), director, Compression Systems, Evertz Microsystems Ltd.;
  • J. Mark Lievonen, C.M. (BBA ’79, MBA ’87, LLD [Hon.] ’15), former president, Sanofi Pasteur Limited.

“This year’s Bryden Alumni Award recipients illustrate the endless possibilities for achievement that are available with a York University degree,” said Jeff O’Hagan, vice-president Advancement. “Our 2017 honourees embody York’s innovative way of thinking and join a distinguished list of over 70 Bryden recipients before them who continue to inspire us with not only their remarkable achievements and thoughtful leadership, but also their dedication and passion to making a lasting impact. Their exemplary contributions to society – both locally and globally – continue to inspire everyone here at York.”

This year, there are four categories of Bryden Alumni Awards, each category honours a distinct set of achievements and contributions.

Outstanding Achievement: An alumnus or alumna who has achieved distinction in their field and whose integrity and ability inspire alumni, faculty, staff and students.

Colleen Johnston

Colleen Johnston
Colleen Johnston

Johnston (BBA ’82) is currently the group head of Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Corporate & Public Affairs at TD Bank Group.

Johnston joined the TD Bank Group in March 2004 as Executive Vice President, Finance Operations, after spending 15 years with Scotiabank in various senior positions. She began her career in 1982 with Price Waterhouse.

She received her chartered accountant designation in 1984 and in 2006 was elected a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA). The recipient of numerous top industry honours as a senior finance executive,  she was recognized by Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women three years in a row and inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2007. She was named “Best Chief Financial Officer” in October 2009 by Canadian Business magazine, and in 2011, for the third year in a row, was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker. In 2012, Johnston was recognized as Canada’s CFO of the Year, an award that is presented annually by Financial Executives International Canada, PwC and Robert Half International. In 2013, she received the Catalyst Canada Honour in the Business Leader Category.

She is a board member of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and sits on the advisory board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business at York University, a member of the Canadian Board Diversity Council, a member of the board of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and a board member of the Shaw Festival. At TD, she is actively promotes diversity in the workplace including the bank’s Women in Leadership Committee.

Tentanda Via: An alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated innovative, unconventional and daring leadership and success, reflecting the University’s motto – “The Way Must Be Tried”.

Rudy Buttignol, C.M.

Rudy Buttignol
Rudy Buttignol

Buttignol, C.M. (BFA ’82) is the president and CEO of British Columbia’s Knowledge Network Corporation, and president of the BBC Kids channel, a joint venture with BBC Worldwide. Since his appointment in 2007, Buttignol has led the transformation of the public broadcaster from a single television station to a mulit-channel digital media network.

Buttignol moderates annual documentary financing forums in Amsterdam and Leipzig; and is a tutor at the Berlin-based Documentary Campus Masterschool. He serves as a director on the boards of the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Britannia Mine Museum, and the Knowledge-West Communications Corporation; and is vice-chair of the Canadian Association of Public Educational Media. In 2011 he was appointed to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board. He is a member of the Order of Canada and has received of nine Canadian Academy Awards.

From 2000 to 2006, Buttignol served as TVO’s creative head of Network Programming. Concurrently, he was the executive producer of Saturday Night at the Movies, the international documentary series Human Edge, and the HBO special Before Their Time. Buttignol also founded the award-winning documentary series The View From Here, an international award-winning documentary series than ran for 14 seasons.

His commissions include documentaries such as The Corporation; Manufactured Landscapes; Allan King’s Dying at Grace; The Bodybuilder and I; McLuhan’s Wake; Bret the Hitman Hart; The Champagne Safari; Emmy winner Let it Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles; and Oscar-nominated Hardwood. Commissioned series include Diamond Road; Black Coffee; Empire of the Word; Michael Ignatieff’s Blood and Belonging; Korea, the Unfinished War; The War of 1812; and Emmy and Grammy-winner Yo-Yo Ma: Inspired by Bach.

Buttignol’s community volunteer time has been focused on board governance.

One to Watch: An alumnus or alumna who has made a significant impact in their field and/or community within 15 years of a bachelor’s degree or 10 years of a professional/ graduate degree.

Abdullah Merei

Abdullah Merei
Abdullah Merei

Currently the director in the R&D department at Evertz Microsystems, Merei (BA Sc ’09, MBA ’15) leads the design, development, marketing and full deployment products and solutions for major broadcasting/media networks around the world.

His passion for technology was cemented when he moved to Canada in 2004 to attend York University where he earned his degree in Computer Engineering in 2009. He graduated first in his class with distinction and then went on to earn an MBA from  the Schulich School of Business in 2015. While at York University, Merei volunteered on numerous student groups and served as the president of the Engineering Society for the 2007-08 academic year. He received the Allen Berg Award in 2007 and 2008 and a gold medal from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. In 2015, Merei was the inaugural recipient of the Alumnus of the Year award from the Lassonde School of Engineering.

He created the Merei Family Scholarship, which makes an annual award to six students in engineering and computer science. Most recently, Merei provided seed funding to establish the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology (BEST) early stage venture program. He has also connected Evertz with the Lassonde Co-Op Program to give undergraduates the chance to gain experiential education experiences through work placements.

In his spare time, Merei is a mentor and role model to a number of Lassonde undergraduate students. He is also leading the startup of the Lassonde Alumni Network. Merei volunteers by mentoring startups in the technology industry.

Outstanding Contribution: An alumnus or alumna who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of York and its students through exceptional service, commitment and/or philanthropic contributions.

Mark Lievonen, C.M.

Mark Lievonen
J. Mark Lievonen

Lievonen, C.M. (BBA ’79, MBA ’87, LLD [Hon.] ’15) is the former president of Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the Canadian vaccine division of Sanofi, which he joined in 1983. Under his leadership, Sanofi Pasteur became a billion-dollar enterprise in Canada, manufacturing more than 50 million doses of vaccines for both domestic and international markets.

Lievonen began his career in finance and rose through Sanofi Pasteur’s ranks, guiding the company through a number of significant milestones and initiatives. He spearheaded a cancer vaccine program in 1997 and supported the launch of a five-component pertussis vaccine.

Lievonen is a director of Oncolytics Biotech Inc., Quest PharmaTech Inc., the Gairdner Foundation, the Public Policy Forum and the York University Development Corporation. He is the past chair of Innovative Medicines Canada (formerly Rx&D), BIOTECanada, Ontario Genomics Institute and the Centre for the Advancement of Health Innovations. He was the vice-chair of Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and is a founding member and former vice-chair of YORKbiotec.

He is the former chair of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation, an ex-officio member on the Markham Stouffville Hospital Board and has chaired the Healthcare Division of the United Way of Greater Toronto Cabinet. Lievonen is the founder of the Sanofi BioGenius Canada, a program that has given 5,500 students a chance to pursue projects in the field of biotechnology.

Lievonen holds a BBA and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. In 2015, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University. Lievonen is a chartered accountant was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 2007.

For more information about the Bryden Awards or to learn more about this year’s recipients, visit http://alumniandfriends.yorku.ca/bryden2017info.