Academic Background:
Stream Ecology/Zoology

Employed at:
Ontario Tech University (formerly University of Ontario Institute of Technology – we have a new name now!

Why Science Rendezvous?
Because it is the quintessential science outreach event!

How and when did you get involved?
As a volunteer presenter from 2008 to 2012, and then as organizer when previous organizer moved on to a different university.

What is your favourite demonstration?
I love them all but if I had to choose, I’d say the Biodiversity Gallery, followed by Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream and the Forensic Fun Zone as close seconds.

From Science Rendezvous: Thank you Annette Tavares for being a true Science Rendezvous champion. A 10+ year volunteer, and still as passionate and excited to share your love of STEAM each and every year. Science Rendezvous Durham is so lucky to have you on their team. Keep on STEAMing Big!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I graduated in Physics (BSc) eons ago (1974) and got my high school Teaching diploma the next year (UBC).

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
I volunteer at all Kwantlen Open houses, the Kwantlen Physics Booth at Maker’s Faire, Volunteer for Fraser Valley Science Fair (high school), Kwantlen Science Challenge, Kwantlen booths at the mall, JPEG competitions, various drop in groups to Kwantlen……and of course Science Rendezvous!

Why Science Rendezvous? How and when did you get involved?
Science Rendezvous is my favourite event, its format allows me to do set show with a large audience (I am a bit of a ham). Being part of the Physics Dept. we have all the best “toys” that usually enthrall and educate the public, old and young. I was the lab manager/tech for the Physics Dept. at Kwantlen for 25 years, I retired 3 years ago. While there I built many demonstrations for our students, for outreach projects and was responsible for all our equipment. I was a natural for doing all the demonstrations.

Favourite memory?
I can’t say there was any singular moments but the laughter, ooohs and ahhhs from the public is rewarding. The most rewarding is when you can see the Eureka! moments on their faces.

What is your favourite demonstration?
My favourite demo by far is the Reuben’s tube, aka the Flame Tube. I built it about 9 years ago and it turned out to be a public favourite. It is a demo using propane in a tube reacting to sound sent down the tube. I can make the flames on top make standing waves (see pictures) or make the flames pulsate to the beat of popular tunes. I give a quick lessons on resonance with the standing wave part and entertain the audience with the music part. To further engage the audience I give little prizes for naming the tune.

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
I will definitely be back for the 2020 Rendezvous. Though I have been retired for 3 years being connected to the Physics Dept. at Kwantlen is an important part of my active retirement. I still volunteer for all outreach activities and still perform the Reuben’s Tube show. Rendezvous at Kwantlen has grown each subsequent year and is a fabulous event for reaching and educating the public on all the STEM studies. It also lets the general public see what goes on behind the doors of our educational institutes.

Claire Notman is the Programming & Communications Coordinator at the Museum of Health Care at Kingston.”I facilitate educational programs about health and history in Canada as they relate to developments in science, technology, society, and medicine’s close association with art. I am also responsible for promoting Canada’s healthcare history on social media, radio, tv and at outreach events”, Claire shared.

Events like Science Rendezvous help children and their families engage with STEM in a fun and accessible way. It allows for children to learn about complex scientific concepts in and interactive and safe environment that encourages inquiry and deeper learning.

Claire has been involved with Science Rendezvous since 2014. “I saw Science Rendezvous as the perfect platform to not only educate the public about the brain, but combat the stigma associated epilepsy and seizures. It was the largest education session I had ever done and, hopefully, hit the mark in educating hundreds of families about epilepsy which, in turn, supports those living with the disease”, says Claire.

“As a STEM educator in the heritage sector, Science Rendezvous enables conversations not only about today’s science, but ideas of the past and how they have influenced science and research today. In no other circumstance could a small medical history museum engage with so children and their families in one day. Science Rendezvous promotes wonder, inspiration and learning like no other event in the city, or country”

Favourite Memory?

“I can’t pick just one! When I think back on Science Rendezvous, the things that are most meaningful to me are two fold, firstly it would be the wonder you see in a child’s face when they make a connection to something new, or that makes them think in a new way. Secondly, some of my favourite memories are from the orientation nights, when organizations get to gather together to survey the site before the event. It always is so heartening to see how Science Rendezvous has grown to be so inclusive and diverse.”

Favourite Demo?

“As part of an organization, my favourite demonstration was our lung models and ventilator exhibit for this year’s Science Rendezvous. I think we were able to give a good, hands-on demonstration to folks about how lungs work and engage with others about the remarkable technological advances in life saving devices, like ventilators. In terms of other demonstrations, there are so many good ones! I think the robots are pretty great, but just as important are the groups that address things like the environment and ecology.”

Kim Hay has volunteer with Science Rendezvous for over 10 years. Kim first got involved to introduce the subject of Astronomy to the general public and to the young. “Having the young look through a telescope and be amazed, and ask questions!”

There are many great demonstrations that have been seen over the years, but the live comet ice balls from Science Rendezvous 2023 is one of Kim’s favourites!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I am employed at Durham College as a Science Professor and Program Coordinator. I hold a MSc degree in Applied Bioscience.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
I am regularly involved in outreach within the School of Science and Engineering Technology at Durham College.

Why Science Rendezvous?
Science Rendezvous is a wonderful opportunity to open our doors to the community and showcase science to all ages.

How and when did you get involved?
I got involved in Science Rendezvous in 2008 while a graduate student at Ontario Tech University (formerly University of Ontario Institute of Technology). I have been participating ever since, and am proud to have assisted in bringing Science Rendezvous to Durham College.

Favourite memory?
Every year creates favourite memories! It is too hard to choose.

What is your favourite demonstration?
My favourite demonstration is the Dry Ice Rainbow!

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
2019 was a wonderful event and I am very honoured to have been a part of it. I will be back in 2020!

What is your academic background?
Master in Business Administration, Bachelors degree in Broadcast Communication, Provincial Instructors Diploma program (teaching and learning)

Where are you employed?
Simon Fraser University – Faculty of Science, Manager for Outreach and Engagement. Work experience includes post-secondary teaching, curriculum design, work on student-engaged learning, brand management and event planning and coordination

What research (outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
Outreach and Engagement initiatives for the Faculty of Science at SFU

Why Science Rendezvous? How and when did you get involved?
SR is an opportunity to engage the general public in science through creative hands-on activities and demonstrations, inspire their curiosity to learn science and deepen their appreciation for science applications in everyday life. Started organizing SR events for SFU in 2014.

What is your favourite demonstration?
Chemistry Magic Shows!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I have a PhD in organic chemistry from SFU and I now teach full time at KPU as a chemistry instructor.

Why Science Rendezvous? How and when did you get involved?
I have been doing Science rendezvous every year since 2014, and started because I had enjoyed doing outreach in schools and at SFU since grad school.

What is your favourite demonstration?
My favourite demo is probably the flame test that gives many different colours as it is very visually striking and works very well in our dark auditorium setup at KPU.

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
I will definitely be back for 2020. It is great to have kids come after the demonstrations and ask some questions. Many are a lot keener than I was at that age!

Devin Latimer is a faculty member in chemistry at the University of Winnipeg where he teaches Introductory, Environmental Issues and Organic Chemistry courses. His recent projects have been focusing on green organic chemistry and environmental communications. He is also artistic director of Trout Forest Music Festival in northwest Ontario where he books approximately 30 Canadian acts for the 3-stage annual festival. He has recently been combining his interests by building a solar-powered stage and conducting energy and climate change communications at Trout Forest as well as other festivals and events such as Science Rendezvous.

Devin believes that the promotion of science literacy is extremely important, and has supported Science Rendezvous throughout the years. Devin’s favourite demonstration? Corn Starch quicksand! A popular demo with the kids! 

“[Science Rendezvous 2024] was excellent”, says Devin. “Well attended, beautiful weather, great demonstrations, and great people involved.”

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I am an Associate Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Science at Ontario Tech University.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
In addition to Science Rendezvous, I have been involved with Science Expo and the Glenforest STEM conference.

Why Science Rendezvous? How and when did you get involved?
Science Rendezvous is a great way to promote science awareness as well as science culture to young children. I started volunteering for Science Rendezvous in 2012 when I joined the university. I was asked by one of the organizers if I could help design several new workshops and activities that would spark interest in little kids for science. I have been helping out with the with the workshops and activities ever since and in the past three years I have also been one of the organizers for Science Rendezvous at Ontario Tech University.

Favourite memory?
Seeing the expression on kids’ faces when they see for the first time through a microscope what insects and bug look up-close in the biodiversity gallery.

What is your favourite demonstration?
My favourite demonstration is Genes in a Bottle, where kids extract their own DNA from their saliva and at the end of the workshop; they get to put their DNA stands in a necklace and take it home.

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
One of the greatest things that I have seen from helping out at Science Rendezvous is how transformative experiential learning can be. It teaches kids to think critically and challenge themselves, but also welcomes failure. Kids learn that failing the first time does not prevent them from trying again because sometimes it can take several tries before they succeed and with hard work comes success. I am very excited to say that I will be back in 2020 to help organize the event and I am looking forward to another successful participant turnout.

Nominated by Cynthia Henson

We would like to recongnize James Zhou from SFU Department of Chemistry for his outstanding role in spearheading the Chemistry Magic Show and all Chemistry table exhibits each year.

James Zhou is the Lead Workshop Facilitator for the Science in Action outreach program of the Faculty of Science in Simon Fraser University. He designs and teaches interactive science activities for various K-12 groups coming to the university. He completed his Masters degree in Materials and Surface Chemistry from SFU in 2014, and his Bachelors degree in Chemistry from UBC in 2010. James has been with the Science in Action program since 2012, and has been involved with Science Rendezvous activities since then.

Thank you James!

Leanna Smith is a Clinical Research Project Coordinator, focusing on the areas of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hepatic disease in pediatric patients.

As a longstanding supporter of outreach work (and recent immigrant to Canada), Leanna was seeking more opportunities to meet with likeminded individuals and make meaningful contributions to S.T.E.A.M education.

“Hosting Canada’s largest outreach festival, Science Rendezvous is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in STEAM education. Plus, the University of Toronto’s (St George) Chapter is where it all began!”

Leanna first got involved with Science Rendezvous in May 2019, assisting the SciArt Gallery Team in managing the exhibit and ensuring its smooth operation throughout the day. Since then, Leanna has continued to volunteer in executive roles across a wide range of teams and recently joined the Executive Committee as Co-Chair and Executive Director.

Favourite Memory?

“My favourite memory from Science Rendezvous is working alongside such inspirational and dedicated volunteers. Their enthusiasm continues to remind me of the importance and impact of high quality, accessible outreach in engaging the next generation of S.T.E.A.M professionals.”

Favourite Demo?

“Serving as my introduction to Science Rendezvous back in 2019, the SciArt Gallery will always be incredibly special to me. In 2023, the Gallery Team (led by its Head, Alejandro Izquierdo López) drew in new crowds and more engagement through the introduction of a voting system, whereby gallery attendees could indicate their favourite artists who were awarded incredible prizes. In addition, the 2024 SciArt Gallery Team (led by its Head, Kaitlyn Rowsell) showcased over 150 pieces from 42 represented artists – also an incredible achievement.”

Melanie Gregg is a Professor in the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health, The University of Winnipeg.

Melanie became involved with Science Rendezvous in 2019, when the theme was incorporating the Arts into STEM. “We organized a session on dance and it’s relationship to STEAM. Dr. Tabitha Wood reached out and asked if our department would get involved.”

“I love that we can show people how STEM is related to things in our everyday lives and goes beyond labs and test tubes. Having practical activities that adults and kids can try brings the science to life. People get to try things they would not normally be exposed to.”

Favourite Memory?

“Involving student volunteers and seeing them interact with kids is my favourite part, both the kids and the volunteers benefit from the experience.”

Favourite Demo?

“My favourite was the demonstration we did with point shoes in clay, so you can see how much more pressure/force occurs when on pointe compared to dispersing the pressure with flat feet.”

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I have a BSc and MSc in Biology, and a Bachelor of Education. I am an Experiential Learning Specialist for the School of the Environment and Faculty of Science at UWindsor.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
My educational background is biology – for my Masters I studied population genetics and population ecology in songbirds. I am no longer doing scientific research though in my current role I still get to engage in research projects related to teaching and learning. I teach experiential learning courses for undergraduate science students, and I coordinate several outreach programs and events in the Faculty of Science, including Science Rendezvous of course!

Why Science Rendezvous?
Science Rendezvous is so exciting and important because it brings together a wide variety of groups and individuals in our community who want to celebrate STEM! At the UWindsor event, we have research labs and student groups participate, as well as community groups from off-campus. We all come together to share our love for science with the youth and families who visit throughout the day. An event like Science Rendezvous highlights how collaborative the scientific community is, which is important for young people to see.

How and when did you get involved?
I began volunteering for Science Rendezvous Windsor in 2012. I was introduced to Dr. Chitra Rangan, who organized the first Science Rendezvous Windsor in 2010 and had continued to serve as the Faculty Advisor. I was a volunteer that year, and loved being a part of it. I was lucky enough to get hired by the University of Windsor the following year and it became part of my job to help organize the event. It was a big jump from volunteer to organizer but I learned a lot from Dr. Rangan.

Favourite memory?
I have a lot of good memories from various Science Rendezvous events over the years, I’m having a hard time picking just one! When I think back on some of those memories the reason they stand out is the people that are in them. I have had the pleasure of working with fantastic students, staff, faculty, volunteers, and fellow science outreach professionals from the community because of Science Rendezvous and I am grateful for that.

What is your favourite demonstration?
Fire tornado! Dr. Steve Rehse, who is now head of the UWindsor Physics Department, debuted this around the time that I began getting involved with Science Rendezvous in 2012. I never get tired of seeing it. It’s exciting to watch and demonstrates the conservation of angular momentum in a very clear way. It’s always the highlight of the “Phunky Physics” show at Science Rendezvous Windsor!

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
I will definitely be back! We will be forming our 2020 student organizing committee very soon.

What is your academic background?
I am a new graduate with an Honours BSc in Biological Science. I plan to further my education beginning this coming fall and transition into a more healthcare-related field of study.

Where are you employed?
I currently work at OntarioTech University throughout the school year, as well as at a local hospital, where I intend to work in future years once I complete my studies.

Why Science Rendezvous?
I started out as a volunteer for Science Rendezvous 5 years ago during my first year at the university. I was amazed by how interested kids were in what I had to say and how much of a positive influence I can have on them. Their experiences at Science Rendezvous can help to shape their passions and future education and career choices!

What is your favourite demonstration?
I really can’t pick just one! As a biology student, I always loved the Biodiversity Gallery, but Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream and Levitating Orbs are definitely up there on the list.

Final thoughts for 2019, and into 2020?
This was our biggest event to date! I’m so happy to have been a part of it and able to share my expertise and knowledge with others.

Russell Mammei is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Winnipeg. 

“Science Rendezvous has been a family affair for me ever since I came to Canada”, he shares. “I first participated through helping my wife, Dr. Juliette Mammei, at the event in 2013 or 2014 at the University of Manitoba, before I became a professor at Univ. of Winnipeg. A sign in the physics department at Univ. of Manitoba got us thinking about participating. My wife, Dr. Juliette Mammei developed and ran an activity about how the eye sees and the brain interrupts colors which included participants being trapped inside a giant bubble. I helped put on the event at the Univ. of Manitoba while my wife and I traded off taking care of our 5-year-old son. I then discovered the Cloud Bubbles activity, described below, while playing with some dry ice after running a Build a Particle Detector activity for a high school physics class sometime in 2015. From then on I have been doing the Cloud Bubbles activity for daycare to middle school kids—even high school kids like it. My wife and I now have three kids and they have all helped at our activities on the Science Rendezvous Saturday event every year since that first time.”

Science Rendezvous is such a great event. It provides an avenue for all kinds of science, mathematics and engineering to get together and showcase the fun and excitement of their fields. It helps break barriers that these fields are too hard or scary and it is a step toward improving science literacy in Canada!

Favourite Memory?

“I have several favorite memories and they have all occurred during the Science Rendezvous Discovery Days which are during the week before the Saturday public event. Here schools bring whole classrooms to the event for scheduled activities. This is great because sometime kids do not have the resources to come to the event on the weekend. One time during the Cloud Bubble activity a 5th grade student yelled out “This is so awesome! I wanna go to university to be a scientist”. Another time a bunch of kids collected all their soapy water bowls together with dry ice and they blew on them at the same time as they gathered around the bowls in a circle. A giant mushroom cloud of water vapor went up into the air all around them and the whole room got excited! Another time a 3rd grader draped a wet paper towel across her bowl and then poked a hole in it with a pencil. Water vapour came spewing out like a volcano. Then all the kids tried to do this with their bowls. I am always impressed by the creativity of the students trying things I had never thought of.”

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
My personal academic background is a professional engineer (P.Eng), qualified high school Chemistry/Math teacher, and PhD candidate. All of the full-time staff who work for connections are also qualified educators. Connections also employs engineering undergraduate students to round out the team from May – August.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
Areas of research include STEAM education outreach, students’ perceptions of engineering, and diversity in engineering

Why Science Rendezvous?
It is a great opportunity to celebrate all facets of STEAM education and outreach. It is pretty amazing to see all of the STEAM focused groups all come to one event and engage the community with fascinating STEM topics. It is also amazing to see the excitement and energy from the youth who love STEAM areas.

How and when did you get involved?
Connections has been involved in SR for at least the past 5 years (maybe even longer). I started the role as the engineering outreach coordinator 6 years ago and at the time, I was doing my masters degree and met Lynda Colgan. Lynda and I started to share out passion for STEM education and this is when I was informed about SR. To this day, the passion for STEAM education continues to grow and I (on behalf of Connections) are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the outreach office at the Faculty of Education.

Favourite memory?
Two years ago Connections finally finished designing and building our Tech ‘n’ Tinker (TNT) Trailer mobile classroom and it was only a few days before SR. My favourite memory to date is the positive response from the community to see this mobile classroom in action and that it could travel to schools to run STEAM workshops. This event helped the Connections team celebrate the public launch of a new project for us and is why we continue to bring the TNT trailer every year as we showcase new workshop ideas.

What is your favourite demonstration?
People are always fascinated to learn about 3D printing. More recently, we have also enjoyed some of the augmented and virtual reality demonstrations as it helps showcase some of the ways that emerging educational technologies can be used in STEAM.

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
We wouldn’t miss it. It is always a great opportunity for the new Connections summer staff to engage with the community and remember the feeling of being a young child and fascinated by STEAM area. We look forward to planning our demonstration for 2020.

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I hold a BSc in Environmental Biology from McGill, an Associate Arts Diploma in Glass and Sculpture from the Ontario College of Art and Design, and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. I am also completing an interdisciplinary MSc between Aesthetics and Engineering from the U of Regina. I am the STEAM co-ordinator and outreach programmer for the Faculty of Science at the U of Manitoba. I also teach drawing classes for the medical school wellness program and serve as the VP for the Manitoba Craft Council, and in addition have an active practise as a curator and artist. Melding art and science is my thing and connecting people to ways in which to communicate their passions has turned out to be a delight and privilege.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
My primary areas of research centre around 1. craft as a political action, 2. the relationships between design and the success of sustainability projects, and 3. Phenomenology and how people are acted upon by their environments. This connects to explorations into digital interface and understanding how design provides opportunities to make that interface part of the content rather than an addition.

Why Science Rendezvous?
Science Rendezvous provides a unique opportunity to marry my interests through public outreach and student engagement. Seeing the sciences through the lens of the arts makes them accessible in a way which centres around experience rather than book knowledge. The arts excel in the area of communication, and SR is an chance to bring this much needed quality to science outreach. The students learn so much by stretching their knowledge of the arts, not only are they stronger thinkers and communicators as a result, they also develop an appreciation for the arts the process of thinking in this way. Most important is the process of taking risks – and this is a particular hallmark of the arts that the students need and from which they draw benefit.

How and when did you get involved?
I became the SR coordinator by accident. The professor who had been managing the event was very busy and could no longer take on this task. Fortunately the Faculty of Science was very trusting and let me run with all of my ideas. This transformed the event from a  day public event aimed at elementary kids to a 3-4 day event with school programming, public programming, and adult events.

Favourite memory?
The delivery of 800 pounds of cornstarch.

What is your favourite demonstration?
I have three favourites: 1. Balloons being pulled out of a bucket of liquid nitrogen during the Physics Show, 2. The musical staircase where the staircase is transformed into a piano scale and kids run up and down the stairs playing notes, 3. Binary Magic – this is a series of 6 cards that allows someone to guess/calculate the viewer’s chosen number using binary code. The simple ones are often the best.

Final thoughts for 2019, and will you be back in 2020?
I am in awe of the students who run this event. It has grown from 30 volunteers to 800, and from 300 visitors to 7000. It is the students who make this magic happen. I’ll be back in 2020!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?

My academic background is in botany with a focus on bacterial diseases. I then did a 180 and am now entering the third year of my Medical Degree where I hope to pursue psychiatry or family medicine.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?

I volunteer with Let’s Talk Science where I teach elementary school kids about different areas of STEM! I was also the Team Lead for the medical student volunteers this past year at the University of Ottawa where I trained volunteers and advocated on their behalf.

I am also part of the advisory committee of ArtSci Salon, which is a group of scientists and artists that aim to bridge the gap between Art and Science. My role is to provide ideas and help put together events for the public to increase awareness of the intersection of Science and Art.

Why Science Rendezvous?

I love Science Rendezvous and what they stand for! I think STEM research is incredibly hard to understand if you’re not active in that specific field. SR’s aim of bringing scientists and youth together makes it worthwhile for everyone. Scientists learn how to communicate their research/passion in a more understandable manner and also get to be creative in making interactive and engaging booths. Meanwhile, youth and the public get to perform and see some fascinating experiments, learn about different areas of STEM and meet the people that are doing the research.

How and when did you get involved?

I got involved in 2013 at the University of Toronto when my friend Jennifer Duan asked if I wanted to volunteer for Science Rendezvous. She had volunteered for many years before and told me about her awesome experiences, so I thought I would finally give it a try!

I loved it so much that I continued as a volunteer before deciding to apply and become a volunteer coordinator in 2016. I had an amazing time working with the volunteers and making sure they were having a great experience. I really wanted everyone to love SR as much as I had!

Then in 2017, I applied to become a Co-Chair for SR2018 and I had a wonderful Co-Chair, Meghan Lysko, and amazing team. It was quite a step up from volunteer coordinator and I am so thankful to everyone on the team that helped bring together an amazing festival. I’m still so proud we got to start the SciArt Gallery and listen to feedback and bring in food trucks to make the festival experience even better!

I then switched over to the University of Ottawa and I’ve been trying to spearhead SR there ever since. With SR2021, I created an online scavenger hunt that incorporated local features to engage youth!

Favourite memory?

The first was my first time volunteering at the liquid nitrogen booth. I had so much fun teaching kids about water through liquid nitrogen. I would tell the youth that water was in all living organisms including the flowers in front of us. However, it wasn’t until they froze the petals and crushed it like ice, that I could see them make the connection. Seeing that moment of connection on their faces always brings a smile to me.

The second is when Ravitej Rekhi and I created the first SciArt Gallery for SR. We had to come up with everything from scratch and I am so thankful for Ravitej for helping put it together and really leading it on event day. It was quite a challenge coordinating all the artists and ensuring they had the space and equipment they needed for their exhibits. Ravitej and I learned so much about planning an art gallery and from the artists themselves. We got such great feedback about the SciArt Gallery and I’m so proud it has continued on since!

What is your favourite demonstration?

My favourite demo is probably one about the microbiome and learning about how bacteria and our digestive system work together. It was a really cute demo with small toy toilets and kids could create their own poop. I didn’t get to do it, but I saw all the kids and parents really engaged about learning about the microbiome in this very non-academic manner!

Final thoughts for 2021, and will you be back in 2022?

I loved seeing all the different event sites and what they did virtually; It was a truly impressive effort all across Canada and I hope people enjoyed it!

I hope to be involved with SR in some capacity! It will probably not be the lead of an event site as I will be starting rotations in the hospital this coming Fall, though I hope to help as much as I can!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?

I am a fellow UofT Alumnus (HBSc, 2018) and majored in Genome Biology and Health & Disease during my years as an undergrad. Currently, I am working as a Program Manager at the Creative Destruction Lab – Toronto (CDL-Toronto) at the Rotman School of Management, where big ideas become even bigger actions. CDL-Toronto is a non-profit organization that provides science- and technology-centric companies with business expertise from our mentors in an objectives-based program that enables them to massively scale their ventures.

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?

During my undergrad, I was very fortunate to spend the majority of my years as a research student in the Desveaux Lab under the Department of Cell & Systems Biology (very notable mentions as well to the Guttman Lab and Provart Lab) and I am especially fond of all of my graduate student mentors (some of which are now my very dear friends) and supervisors for all of the support they gave me.

I’ve always had a passion for sharing knowledge to younger students which began when I was a camp counsellor for the Boys & Girls Club of Canada. After that chapter, I became an avid volunteer in health care for 7 years and eventually led and trained student volunteers at the Michael Garron Hospital. But when I found Science Rendezvous at UofT, that became my next passion project – an opportunity to be involved in STEM outreach for youth while also navigating my budding love for complex project management and large-scale event planning. My time at Science Rendezvous is what enabled me to flourish in my current role as Program Manager at CDL-Toronto and since I will always have a passion for STEM outreach, I am very happy to be involved with the CDL Apprentice Program that’s geared for young women 14-18 years of age with a keen interest in how science and technology has been revolutionizing the world around them and the opportunities available to them as future leaders.

Why Science Rendezvous?

As I’ve been involved with Science Rendezvous for the past 5 years, I find it hard to remember exactly what went through my mind when I initially heard of SR but the idea of being involved in something big while enriching students with STEM was one of the reasons I chose SR over just any club. What I gravitated towards eventually brought me to where I am today and I am positive that it was a mixture of feeling ambitious to try something new, a wanting to befriend other students at such an overwhelmingly large campus and the hope that pushing my comfort zone will enable me to be less afraid of the unknown.

How and when did you get involved?

When the call for applications came in fall of 2016, I was excited to try something new but equally nervous that it would be a bit outside of my comfort zone since I had never heard of Science Rendezvous prior to that. I still remember going into my interview and feeling a huge amount of anxiety. Even when I didn’t get my first pick, although a bit disappointed, I was very thrilled to be a part of the Science Chase team as an executive and eventually I loved it so much that I took on the Science Chase Head Exec role the following year and from there onwards I served as Co-Chair for the next 3 years.

Favourite memory?

Having been involved for 5 years gives you an album of memories worth cherishing for a lifetime – so finding a favourite is near impossible! I will say that one of the most fondest memories I have involve my SR executive team and Co-Chair, Surath, where we were all prepping the night before SR and had gathered inside the McLennan Physical building. It was getting quite late into the night and our passion project then became making customized staff ensemble with our names graffitied on the back of bold, red SR t-shirts using black spray paint. Not only did we make a huge mess (which took a lot of muscle power to clean up), it was the first time we had official team attire for our execs. Amidst the stained hands frantically scrubbing away at the floors and the contagious laughter, these were the moments that kept our team together and it was what made SR so special to me. Notable mentions of course include: all of the pizza boxes we must have collected from our team meetings, humorous quips between Co-Chairs, team socials involving copious amounts of board games or bubble tea and sitting around our storage room (exhausted) at the end of SR 2019 comparing how many steps we each took that day with triumph. Every memory I have is indeed a magical one and I owe it to the folks that make up our executive team throughout these years.

What is your favourite demonstration?

When I first joined SR on the Science Chase team, I was determined to bring a new activity that allowed young participants to be more hands-on – cue the unveiling of the edible water bottle experiment; both a gastronomical delight in the culinary world and an innovative way to keep runners hydrated during marathons by having small, edible gel pouches contained with water. By pouring a small amount of a sodium alginate solution into a solution of calcium lactate, a spherification reaction will occur when the calcium ions react with the alginate to form a gel membrane encasing the sodium alginate into a clear, almost-fully transparent water bubble that can be held with your hands.

Final thoughts for 2021, and will you be back in 2022?

SR 2021 was one of the most difficult years for us but amidst the uncertainty we all faced both in our personal and daily lives, along with the many hurdles posed by COVID, our UofT SR team rose to challenge with exceptional leadership, grace and skill. My Co-Chair, Surath, and I owe it to our team for their time, dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to planning and executing our program operations in a fully virtual space. We measure success through the engagement and impact our events have on the youth and their families in our communities so the amount of positive feedback we received was indicative of this. All of our events were phenomenal this year and our team was even ambitious enough to unveil new initiatives such as the interview-based video series, “I Am A Scientist”, which follows successful scientists in their daily lives and laboratory environments such as immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, astrophysicist Dr. Renée Hložekand, and political candidate Dr. Phil De Luna. We also launched an entirely new program called “SR Hacks”; a first-ever youth coding and engineering hackathon where students find unique solutions to real-world problems. Throughout 28 days, SRHacks showcased a series of workshops and speaker sessions to provide over 860 attendees with interactive STEAM learning and we received 260+ hackathon registrants, with 80+ project submissions and provided $1220 in prizes. SR 2021 will be my final year as Co-Chair but it will not be my last SR; I will be taking on an advisory role to provide insight to our next year successors and I look forward to being involved for the years to come where we will be able to bring science from our labs back out onto the streets so science and people can finally meet again, in-person!

What is your academic background, and where are you employed or continuing your education?
I have a master degree in Applied BioScience and another MSc in Agricultural biotechnology. I am a full time employee of Ontario Tech University and part time professor at Durham College

What research (or other STEM outreach/promotion/communication) do you do?
I am setting up the undergrad labs for Biology students. Teaching Biology and Microbiology Courses.

Why Science Rendezvous? How and when did you get involved?
Lots of kids with curious faces and hands on experiments! Since 2013, and continuing! Used to run the LAVA LAMP section and recently became one of the coordinators.

What is your favourite demonstration?
Lava Lamp

Will you be back in 2020?
Yes, I will be back in 2020!