Women in Engineering

Monday January 23, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Bita Banihashemi, PhD Candidate in Computer Science at York University, will be presenting “Abstraction in Situation Calculus Action Theories”. Speaker: Bita Banihashemi PhD Candidate, Computer Science York University Day & Time: Monday, January 23, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Location: Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University Contact: Maryam Davoudpour Organizer: WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics Abstract: We develop a general framework for agent abstraction based on the situation calculus and the ConGolog agent programming language. We assume that we have a high-level specification and a low-level specification of the agent, both represented as basic action theories. A refinement mapping specifies how each high-level action is implemented by a low-level ConGolog program and how each high-level fluent can be translated into a low-level formula. We define a notion of sound abstraction between such action theories in terms of the existence of a suitable bisimulation between their respective models. Sound abstractions have many useful properties that ensure that we can reason about the agent’s actions (e.g., executability, projection, and planning) at the abstract level, and refine and concretely execute them at the low level. We also characterize the notion of complete abstraction where all actions (including exogenous ones) that the high level thinks can happen can in fact occur at the low level. Biography: Bita Banihashemi is currently a PhD candidate in Computer Science at York University. Her research is primarily focused on agent supervision, which is a form of control/customization of an agent’s behavior. Her research interests include Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems, and AI and the Web.

Monday February 13, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Diller, Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, will be presenting “Micro-Scale Robots: Magnetic Actuation for Wireless Manipulation”. Speaker: Dr. Diller Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto Day & Time: Monday, February 13th, 2017 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Location: Room TRS2164, 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West) Ryerson University (TRS2164 is on the 8th floor of the building) Organizer: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Abstract: Micro-scale mobile robots can physically access small spaces in a versatile and non-invasive manner. Such microrobots under 1 mm in size have potential unique applications for object manipulation, local sensing and cargo delivery in healthcare, microfluidics and advanced materials fabrication. These devices are powered and controlled remotely using externally-applied magnetic fields for motion in 2D and 3D. This talk will introduce our experimental work in micro-manipulation using single and teams of these devices. Biography: Dr. Diller is an Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, and Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University in 2013. His current work focuses on fabrication and control relating to remote actuation of micro-scale devices using magnetic fields, medical robotics, smart materials, and swimming at small size scales.

Monday February 27, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Karim Keshavjee will be presenting “Health Apps by Design: A Reference Architecture for Mobile Apps for Health”. Day & Time: Monday, February 27th, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Karim Keshavjee Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building) 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Biography: Karim is a Family Physician with over 25 years of experience designing, developing and implementing Electronic Health Records/Electronic Medical Records and helping clinicians use them effectively. Currently working on architecting a scalable and sustainable technology system that will help us prevent diabetes cost-effectively. Diabetes prevention is feasible, but is not cost-effective. I believe an engineered solution could change things dramatically.

Monday March 6, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Ann Cavoukian will be presenting “Big Data”. Day & Time: Monday, March 6th, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Ann Cavoukian Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building) 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Biography: Dr. Ann Cavoukian is recognized as one of the world’s leading privacy experts. She is presently the Executive Director of Ryerson University’s Privacy and Big Data Institute. Dr. Cavoukian served an unprecedented three terms as the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. There she created Privacy by Design, a framework that seeks to proactively embed privacy into design, thereby achieving the strongest protection possible. In 2010, International Privacy Regulators unanimously passed a Resolution recognizing Privacy by Design as an international standard. Since then, PbD has been translated into 39 languages. Dr. Cavoukian has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership in privacy, most recently as of the Top 100 Leaders in Identity (January, 2017).

Monday March 13, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Dr. Ilia Nika, Software Engineering Technology Professor and Coordinator of Software Programs at ICET Department of Centennial College, will be presenting “Emerging Trends in Software, Computing, & Application Development”. Day & Time: Monday, March 13th, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Ilia Nika Software Engineering Technology Professor and Coordinator of Software Programs ICET Department, Centennial College Location: Room TRS2164 (8th Floor of the Building) 575 Bay Street (Entrance at 55 Dundas Street West), Ryerson University Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour Organizers: WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics, Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Abstract: Software is taking the planet by storm. Whether is engineering, manufacturing, medicine, business, arts, or education, the use of software is changing the way we live and is helping to improve people’s lives. In this talk we will present several emerging trends in software, computing, and application development, as well as show some of the recent applications in various areas. Most importantly, we will relate the recent changes to ongoing curriculum updates to computing program across the education system. Biography: Ilia has a Ph.D. in Applied mathematics, and more than 30 years of experience in mathematical modeling, software development, teaching, applied research, and curriculum development. His main areas of expertise include mathematical modeling, Java and .NET programming, and mobile application development. Ilia has developed several automated systems for signal processing of geophysical data including the solution of inverse resistivity problem in resistivity logging. He is very interested in applications of machine learning in both engineering and education and has developed an application for predicting student retention in community colleges using institutional data and ensemble learning. Ilia has developed and taught courses in Software Systems Design and Computer Communications & Networking degree programs, as well as courses in Software Engineering Technology programs. Ilia has been principal investigator and/or co-investigator in several ARIC projects. He is also an Information Technology Management and Continuing Education part-time instructor, at Ryerson University (2007 – Present). Currently he is teaching Emerging Technologies course for Software Engineering Technology students, Centennial College.

Friday March 31, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Farzad Rayegani, Associate Dean, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology, will be presenting “Engineering Skills Gaps: ‘Jobs without people’ and ‘people without jobs'”. Day & Time: Friday, March 31st, 2017 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Speaker: Farzad Rayegani, Ph.D., P.Eng., FEC. Associate Dean, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology Location: Room ENG 288 George Vari Centre for Computing and Engineering, Ryerson University 245 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour Organizers: IEEE Toronto WIE, Magnetics, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics and Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Biography: Farzad Rayegani is credited with developing an applied research program involving students, graduates and faculty mentors to address technological and educational needs of the Halton and Peel regions. Over the past 10 years, he has been simultaneously partnering with SME enterprises on product and process innovation projects while developing an applied research program involving students, graduates and faculty mentors to examine issues of product development / refinement, process automation, systems integration and manufacturing management. In the past year, this work has been bolstered by a range of successful, high-profile, federally funded projects with companies in both regions. Under his leadership, through the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT), Sheridan has been reaching out to a significant number of manufacturers in Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville, particularly small and medium enterprises, to support adoption and integration of efficient manufacturing practices and product innovation performance and improvements. CAMDT now supports over a dozen local and regional SMEs who are struggling with limited availability of technological, human, financial, and management resources. Under his leadership, Sheridan College recently become a member of the CDIO Initiative – a worldwide movement to restore the balance between teaching practice skills and the fundamentals of math and science to engineering students. What started as a partnership between MIT and a few Swedish universities in 2001 has gained significant international momentum, with 103 institutions adopting the model. Sheridan is the fifth Canadian institution and the first college in the world to be accepted. As a CDIO collaborator, Farzad is seeking to develop a new curriculum structure based on a new philosophy for engineering education. The framework educates students to Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate complex, value-added engineering products, processes and systems in a modern, team-based, global environment. He aims to develop a curriculum rich in project-based, hands-on learning, producing engineers who are “ready to engineer” when they graduate. Farzad is ASME chair on additive manufacturing. As the committee chair, he will be leading the launch of ASME’s inaugural additive manufacturing challenge designed to give mechanical and multi-disciplinary undergraduate students around the world an opportunity to re-engineer existing products or create new designs that minimize energy consumption and/or improve energy efficiency. As chair, he will also be collaborating with ME department heads to develop educational material on behalf of ASME to benefit the educators and students. Farzad was recently designated an Engineers Canada Fellow by Engineers Canada. This prestigious award is presented in recognition of exceptional contributions to the engineering profession in Canada. Farzad has been a full-time professor in Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Science and Technology since 2004. Currently, he is the associate dean of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering & Technology and director of the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT).

Friday May 12, 2017 the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science and the Centennial Energy Institute invite you to our 2017 E3 Symposium: The Future is Smart: The Transformation of Canadian Manufacturing. This event will bring together advanced manufacturing innovators from across a number of sectors in the economy. The event will feature industry titans sharing best practices. Day & Time: Friday May 12, 2017 8:00 am to 8:45 am – Registration and Breakfast. 9:00 am to 4:00 pm – Speakers & Sessions. Location: Centennial College: Progress Campus Library Building Auditorium 941 Progress Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Event Page: http://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/schools/school-of-engineering-technology-and-applied-science/e3-symposium/ Contact: Maryam Davoudpour

Friday May 26, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Sergio A. A. Freitas, Associate Professor in the Gama Engineering College (FGA) and Director of the Distance Education Center at the University of Brasilia (UnB), Brazil, will be presenting “Designing a Gamification Course for an Higher Education Audience”. Day & Time: Friday May 26, 2017 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m Speaker: Dr. Sergio A. A. Freitas Associate Professor in the Gama Engineering College (FGA) Director of the Distance Education Center University of Brasilia (UnB), Brazil Location: Ryerson University George Vari Centre for Computing and Engineering Room: ENG 288 245 Church Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3 Contact: Dr. Maryam Davoudpour Organizers: IEEE Toronto (WIE, Measurement/Instrumentation-Robotics, Magnetics chapters), Computer Science Department of Ryerson University Abstract: The gamification of activities in classrooms has become of great interest in higher education. Today’s students have a lot of experience in virtual environments and games, and researchers who have tested/used gamification in their classrooms have reported an increase in student engagement and retention. This course presents a four step process to create a gamified course: Identifying the students’ profile (step 1) and the gamification object (step 2), creating the gamification project (step 3), and finally, implementing the gamification project (step 4). At the end of the workshop it is expected that the participant will be able to design a basic gamified course. Biography: Dr. Sergio A. A. Freitas is currently an Associate Professor in the Gama Engineering College (FGA) and Director of the Distance Education Center at the University of Brasilia (UnB), Brazil. He is also the coordinator of research in the FGA Software Factory Laboratory. His current research projects focus on interdisciplinary studies and applications of learning methodologies on engineering undergraduate courses, and software engineering methodologies. Prof. Freitas areas of expertise include gamification, PBL, virtual learning environments in education and training, and software engineering methodologies. Dr. Freitas has coauthored journal publications, conference articles and book chapters in the aforementioned topics, and has coordinated and participated on many projects from various funding agencies CNPq, FAP-ES, FAP-DF, Cebraspe, and Brazilian Federal Ministries.