We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Meet our Team

Ellen (James) Istvan

Women in Engineering & Engineering Outreach Supervisor

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Hello, My name is Ellen Istvan. I am the Women in Engineering and Engineering Outreach Program Supervisor. I graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Western University, where I was involved in many clubs including Women in Engineering, and completed an internship at Union Gas. After graduation, I joined Ferrero, the leading global chocolate and confectionery manufacturer (Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac, and Kinder Chocolate) as a project supervisor, and moved to Alba, Italy. Now back in Canada, I am using my experiences to help inspire and lead the next generation of youth to understand the importance of STEM pathways. I hope through our work, we are able to transform the way youth interact with STEM concepts by simplifying complex thoughts into actionable ideas that society can use. My door is always open!

Contact: ellen.james@ontariotechu.ca

Photo of Mickole Mulano

Mickole Mulano

Engineering Outreach Coordinator

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Hello there! My name is Mickole Mulano. I am one of the Engineering Outreach Coordinators where I oversee our High School, Black Youth, and Indigenous Youth programs. I graduated with a BASc in Engineering Science and an MEng in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. I’ve worked in Engineering Education and Outreach for over four years, previously involved at the University of Toronto in various leadership, support, and instructional roles. My aim in STEM Education is to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences that can enable youth to be confident in the pursuit of a passion in STEM.

Contact: mickole.mulano@ontariotechu.ca

Photo of Madeline Sialtsis

Madeline Sialtsis

Women in Engineering & Engineering Outreach Coordinator

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Hey! My name is Madeline Sialtsis and I’m the Women in Engineering and Engineering Outreach Coordinator! I oversee our Women in Engineering Sub-Society and our Girls Programs. I graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a B.Eng in Aerospace Engineering. During my time at TMU, I held many leadership roles focused on supporting and connecting LGBTQ+ engineering students, including my work as President of EngiQueers Canada. I have a passion for diversity and inclusion in STEM! I’m always looking for new opportunities to share my love of science and engineering design and help youth learn that anyone can be successful in STEM!

Contact: madeline.sialtsis@ontariotechu.ca

Photo of Alex Piliounis

Alex Piliounis

Engineering Outreach Coordinator

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Hi! My name is Alex Piliounis and I am one of the Engineering Outreach Coordinators. I graduated from Queen’s University with a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics. After working in research and being a teaching assistant at Queen’s which showed me my passion for teaching, I switched to pursuing a B.Ed. at Ontario Tech University. While studying, I worked to develop engaging STEM activities using microcontrollers, sensors and coding for numerous classrooms. Now working in Engineering Outreach, I am excited to have the opportunity to support teachers with design thinking in the classroom. One of my many goals is to bring inquiry-based and accessible STEM experiences to a broad range of youth - igniting a passion for STEM and building students' confidence within these STEM topics.

Contact: alex.piliounis@ontariotechu.ca

Sydney Smith

Engineering Outreach Coordinator

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Hi! I’m Sydney and I’m the Special Projects Outreach Coordinator! I just graduated from Software Engineering here at Ontario Tech University and couldn't leave just yet. I previously worked at Outreach as an instructor in 2019, and have been volunteering with Outreach since my first year. During my time at school, I was involved in orientation planning, the ambassador program, Women in Engineering, and EngSoc. I am so excited to keep working with Engineering Outreach and connecting with our community.

Contact: sydney.smith@ontariotechu.ca

Meet Our Instructors!

standin

Black Youth

About Me

Anthonia Chukwuyem is an Engineering Outreach Highschool Program Instructor. She loves learning and attending programs like the c_wonder: Black Youth STEM Club last summer piqued her interest in STEM. Being an Instructor, especially for the Black Youth Programs and witnessing students being introduced to STEM through a hands-on approach is an honour. In her pastime, she loves to read, cook and watch videos about the human body and fun experiments.

cassandracampbell

Library and All Girls

About Me

Hey! I'm Cassi, I'm an incoming electrical engineering student. I will be working with engineering outreach as a program instructor. I love STEM and all things robots, so don't be shy to ask for my stories! Some other fun things about me are: I love animals and I've had pets my whole life. I also love travelling!

Chioma

Black Youth

About Me

Hello, I'm Chioma! I'm heading into my 4th year studying computer science. I love tech and building cool projects to solve problems. I also enjoy cooking and trying out new food!

chris

Academy

About Me

Hey there! My name is Christopher, but you can call me Chris. I’m a baker in my free time, but at school I am a fourth year Nuclear Engineering student. My passion is in the designing and construction of nuclear components like power plants! This summer I worked at Ontario Tech University as a program instructor in Engineering Outreach, leading one of our STEM programs!

daimen

Academy

About Me

Howdy! I'm Daimen, and I'm a 4th year mechatronics Engineering student. I am working as a Junior Program Instructor this year. In my free time, I enjoy listening to podcasts working on CAD modelling. A fun fact about me is that I am a huge fan of Dungeons and Dragons and I have been playing with the same group of players for nearly 6 years!

dorina

Communications

About Me

Hello! My name is Dorina and I am in my final year of Mechanical Engineering at Ontario Tech. This year, I will be working on developing exciting STEM content for a variety of workshops and clubs! In my spare time, I love to play video games, read novels, and relax while gardening. This fall, I am growing my first pumpkins for Halloween!

electra

InSTEM

About Me

Hello! My name is Electra, I am a third-year university student pursuing a degree in early childhood studies. In my free time, I enjoy reading, volunteering, and spending time with my friends and family.

elias

Teachers

About Me

Hello! My name is Elias and I am going into grade 11 at G.L Roberts C.V.I. I love to play FIFA and soccer which is actually FOOTBALL. No one can beat me at both!

fiona

All Girls

About Me

Heyy! I'm Fiona Kirby, a second-year Mechanical engineering student and Engineering Outreach All Girls Instructor. I'm very excited for what fun this year will bring! One thing you should know about me is that I love racecars and the physics behind them. Don't be afraid to have a chat with me about it and remember, life is a highway!

george

Libraries

About Me

Hey! My name is George and I'm a 3rd-year Mechatronics Engineering student. I love to binge-watch Netflix and play with my 3D printer. Also pizza, pizza is the answer to all my problems.

hunter

InSTEM

About Me

Hello! I am Hunter, and I am a third-year Health Sciences student. I work with our Indigenous programs that provide Indigenous students with land-based learning opportunities that intertwine with STEM! I also work with non-Indigenous students, with the goal of achieving Indigenous cultural competence perspectives in STEM-related fields. In my free time, I love to bike, read, and hang out in nature when I can.

jessica

InSTEM

About Me

Hi! I’m Jessica, and I’m a high school student, currently in the eleventh grade. I love music and will drop anything to hear some good tunes!

maegan

Libraries

About Me

Hey there! I’m Maegan, and I’m a second-year mechatronics engineering student. I work with our library programs, mobile design lab, and off-campus events like Ribfest and school workshops. All of this is within the community-aged students. In my free time, I love reading, solving puzzles and brain-twisters - as I like to call them! One thing about me is that I am a crime junkie, I love listening to, reading and watching crime shows!

manal

Teachers

About Me

Hello! My name is Manal and I'm a 1st-year computer science student. In my free time, you can find me painting, spending time with my family, or volunteering!

Teachers

About Me

Hey there. I'm Marianna, I also go by Pic, and I'm a 3rd-year mechatronics engineering student. I have a passion for educating people about various topics that are important to me. In my free time, I love to colour, write songs, play the guitar, be a geek, and look up pictures of cute animals saying "I'll have you someday." One thing you should understand about me is I like what I like and I am who I am, and you're just wasting both our time trying to change that.

nick

Academy

About Me

Hello! I'm Nick, and I'm a 4th-year Mechatronics Engineering student and Senior Engineering Outreach Program Instructor at Ontario Tech University! In my free time, I like to build robots, write music and do graphic design!

ododo

Black Youth

About Me

Hi! I'm Ododo or Doesy, and I'm a 3rd year nursing student at Ontario Tech. You'll mostly find me either randomly humming or belting out a song. And when I'm not doing either, you'll probably find me bopping my head and moving my feet to imaginary music. I really enjoy spending time with people and getting to know them, so don't be scared to start a conversation with me- would really love to talk. Also, I really don't like fries, so I hope that's not a crime.

onosen

Black Youth

About Me

Hey! I'm Onosen, currently going into my 3rd year of Software Engineering and also doing a Minor in Business Entrepreneurship. I am a leading face of the school's society of black engineers. I love listening to music, attending conferences, reading and baking.

pranav

Academy

About Me

Hey there! I'm Pranav and I am one of the Engineering Outreach Program Instructors. I am entering my final year of Mechatronics Engineering here at Ontario Tech, and I have just completed a 16-month internship at Honda of Canada Mfg. This is my first year with outreach, but I have been involved in various ways around campus such as: working as a Resident Advisor (RA), being the President of the First Year Engineering Council, one of the leaders of the Robot in 3 Days team (RI3D) and much more. My goal with this role is to encourage and empower students to choose a future in STEM.

rushda

All Girls

About Me

Hey all :) I'm Rushda and I'm a first-year software engineering student. This year, I'm working with the All-Girls programs and STEM clubs for youth. I love reading fantasy novels and webcomics, writing poetry and solving mysteries. A fun fact about me is that I love baking but I'm not very good at it -- that doesn't stop my sweet tooth though!

tolu

Black Youth

About Me

Hello you! My name is Tolu and I’m in my 4th-year of Software Engineering working as an Engineering Program Outreach Instructor for our Black Youths Programs. I enjoy coding various things like web apps, mobile apps, systems; but outside of my academic life, I really enjoy reading, sports, and writing—music, books and scripts. If you see me around, I’m totally down to converse about any of these things, especially if it entails geeking out over Emily Bear haha. Looking forward to meeting you all!

cal

All Girls

About Me

Hi! I'm Valery and I'm a 4th-year Nuclear Engineering student. I'm working as a Program Instructor this year for Engineering Outreach. I love learning new things (especially about science) and have owned multiple businesses. I am also interested in just about EVERYTHING, so please talk to me all about your favourite topic!

yara

All Girls

About Me

Hey! My name is Yara and I’m in my first year of software engineering. This year I'll be working with the All Girls programs. I love doing anything creative, whether that be painting, drawing, baking, or I even recently attempted to learn how to crochet (with varying degrees of success😅!). I also really enjoy being outside and going on walks! :)

zubeda

All Girls

About Me

Hi! My name is Zubeda, and I am in my final year of Mechanical Engineering in the Energy specialization. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I am also a huge homebody, so you'll usually find me in my room watching a movie or a k-drama.