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Research Day 2026

AI is Changing the World: 

Engineering Innovation for Global Challenges

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

 

Schedule of Events

VIEW - Schedule of Events

Event Information

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Event Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location:  SCI Building - Ontario Tech North Campus

Research Day brings undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, representatives from government and funding agencies, and industry professionals together in an event that showcases the innovative research activities conducted by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. This year's theme is AI is Changing the World: Engineering Innovation for Global Challenges.

Join us for a day of expert panels, a poster session, research Lab Tours, and remarks from our Keynote Speaker, the Ontario Tech University VP of Research, and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. 

Panel Session Topics

  • From Automation to Autonomy: AI and the Future of Intelligent Machines
  • Same Physics, New Tools: What’s Next for Mechanical Engineering?
  • Nuclear Energy and Radioisotope Technology
  • Let's Talk AI: IoT and Smart Mobility

Meet our Keynote Speakers

Mehrnaz Shokrollahi

Smiling woman with long brown hair in a black top, photographed indoors with greenery in the background.Dr. Mehrnaz Shokrollahi is the Director of Data Science & Advanced Analytics at RBC Global Asset Management Data & Analytics Team.

Mehrnaz is responsible for leading the data science and advanced analytics team, developing best-in-class actionable insights and analytics solutions. In her role, she is partnering closely with leaders from across GAM and RBC to deliver on our vision of improving decision-making, driven by data, and powered by technology. She is working closely with key stakeholders from across many of GAM’s businesses to identify, develop, and capitalize on high-value opportunities to deliver data-driven and business-actionable insights at the point of impact. Mehrnaz brings close to 10 years of experience as an innovative, business-oriented, and results-driven data science leader. She has extensive expertise in AI and machine learning, encompassing diverse domains such as biomedical engineering, mobile applications, manufacturing, and wealth and asset management. As a distinguished scholar, Mehrnaz holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University and has earned recognition for her outstanding contributions to the field of AI. In 2022, she was selected as one of the Top 25 Women in AI: Canada Edition, and in 2020, she was recognized among the Top 30 Influential Women Advancing AI. Her commitment to advancing the field extends beyond her professional roles, and she is the current Chair of the IEEE Signal Processing Chapter Toronto Section and the IEEE Women In Signal Processing Industry-Academia Engagement and Education Subcommittee, in addition to being an invited panellist at numerous conferences and events.

Michael Gilbert

Smiling person wearing blue-framed glasses, a blue suit jacket, and a burgundy bow tie in a close-up portrait.

Michael Gilbert, P.Eng., is Senior Manager, Transformation Projects within Ontario Power Generation's IT organization, where he leads transformational initiatives that support OPG's existing nuclear fleet, the deployment of Small Modular Reactors, and future nuclear generation opportunities in Ontario.

A proud Ontario Tech University alumnus, Michael earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Nuclear Engineering before joining OPG in 2013. He began his career in Engineering at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, gaining firsthand experience in the operation and maintenance of one of Canada's largest clean energy assets. He later joined OPG's X-LAB innovation group, helping explore emerging technologies and new approaches to solving complex operational challenges.

Today, Michael leads a portfolio of transformation projects with a strong focus on Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 capabilities, including artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, digital platforms, and intelligent automation. Through his leadership of OPG's IndustryX portfolio, he works with multidisciplinary teams to identify and deliver technologies that improve operational excellence, enhance decision-making, and help prepare OPG's generation assets for the future. Michael is passionate about translating emerging technologies into practical business value that strengthens the safety, reliability, and performance of critical energy infrastructure.

 

Meet the Panellists

From Automation to Autonomy: AI and the Future of Intelligent Machines

  • Meaghan Charest-Finn
    Dr. Meaghan Charest-Finn is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering at Ontario Tech University. She teaches Industrial Automation and Artificial Intelligence, among other courses. Her research focuses on developing advanced automation methods to control complex systems effectively. She has worked on integrating Model Predictive Controls and Machine learning schemes into the modelling and control of real-world systems.
  • Zeinab El-Sayegh
    Zeinab El-Sayegh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering at Ontario Tech University. She currently serves as the Co-Director of the Tire-Terrain Interaction Simulation (TTIS) and Truck Driving & Vehicle Dynamics Simulation (TDVDS) Laboratories. Dr. El-Sayegh earned her Ph.D. and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Mechanical Engineering at Ontario Tech University. Previously, she worked as a Vehicle Analyst at Volvo Group Trucks Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, and as a Combustion Analyst at Siemens Aero-Derivative Gas Turbines in Montreal.
    Her research focuses on transportation, vehicle design for both on-road and off-road applications, and autonomous vehicle simulation. She is actively involved in tire-terrain interaction research in collaboration with Volvo Group Trucks Technology and NSERC.
  • Shawn Sandham
    University of Ontario Institute of Technology Alumni, 1st graduating class of Automotive Engineering. 16+ years of industry experience in automotive manufacturing. Avid DIY enthusiast interested in automotive/motorcycle repair and maintenance as well as home renovations/upgrades. I have experience across multiple manufacturing environments and equipment types. Problem solving non standard situations & complex machinery, implementing continuous improvement projects and mentoring the next generation of technical talent are my professional passions. Interested in bringing innovation and more efficient reliable technologies to industry.

Same Physics, New Tools: What's Next for Mechanical Engineering

  • Jana Abou-Ziki
    Dr. Jana Abou Ziki is Associate Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Ontario Tech University. She is a Professional Engineer in Ontario and holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and a Certificate in University Teaching from Concordia University. Her research focuses on smart, digitally enabled manufacturing for affordable batch-size-1 production of precision glass and metal parts. She develops AI-based real-time monitoring and on-the-fly control for Spark-Assisted Chemical Engraving (SACE), in-process surface functionalization, and generative-design tools for electroforming in 3D-printed molds. Applications include optics, microchips, sensors, and patient-specific biomedical devices. Dr. Abou Ziki’s high-quality research is evident through the awards she got including the FEAS Research Award from Ontario Tech, the CSME golden medal, and the multiple NSERC government grants she got with industry engagement. She has authored numerous journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and a patent on SACE machinery, through which she helped transfer this technology to industry. Notable works include co-authoring the second edition of *Micromachining Using Electrochemical Discharge Phenomenon: Fundamentals and Application of Spark Assisted Chemical Engraving* (2014). Her research has received more than 1,000 citations, reflecting its global impact. Dr. Abou Ziki has held several leadership roles, including at the department level, as a mentor for women in STEM, and as an executive member of the Women in Research Council at Ontario Tech.
  • Solomon Asonye
    Solomon Asonye, P.Eng., PMP, is a Chief Engineer with Transport Canada, where he leads the evaluation and regulatory integration of new technologies, from hydrogen locomotives to AI supported oversight. His work focuses on how regulators can keep pace with innovation, replacing manual inspection with sensor data and analytics while the underlying engineering stays the same. A mechanical engineer who has worked across the automotive, nuclear, and logistics sectors, he now leads and mentors engineers whose work combines traditional engineering judgment with data science. He is an alumnus of Ontario Tech University’s Mechanical Engineering program.
  • Ali Hosseini
    Dr. Hosseini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, at Ontario Tech University. His research focuses on advanced manufacturing processes, metal additive manufacturing, machining of difficult-to-cut materials, design and optimization, material behavior, and surface integrity. A registered Professional Engineer in Ontario (PEng), he is a member of CSME, ASME, and SME. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the CSME Manufacturing Technical Committee and Editor-in-Chief of the CSME Bulletin.
  • Fahim Javid
    Fahim Javid is Director, Software Engineering at General Motors, leading Virtualization and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Integration with General Motors of Canada, where he builds and coaches global engineering teams advancing virtual ECU and CoSimulation capabilities. Since joining GM in 2012 as a Controls Specialist in the Chassis Controls domain, Fahim has progressed through roles in controls development, active safety diagnostics, SIL/xIL simulation, and engineering group management, driving growth in virtualization capability, capacity, and adoption across the global engineering organization. He holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and a MASc in Mechanical Engineering from Ontario Tech University, and is a recipient of Canada’s Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal. Outside of work, he enjoys sports, gardening, and time with his family, including twin boys.

Nuclear Energy and Radioisotope Technology

  • Kirk Atkinson
    Dr. Atkinson is Director of the Centre for Small Modular Reactors and recent UNENE-NSERC Associate Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Health Physics and Environmental Safety at Ontario Tech University. A radiation and reactor physicist, he has broad experience in criticality safety, reactor design, reactor physics, radiation transport and shielding, safeguards, health physics and radiation science, detector physics, radiation imaging, post-irradiation examination, environmental impact assessment and computational multiphysics methods. For over a decade, until 2018, Dr. Atkinson worked in the UK Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) as the Technical Lead for Reactor Physics and High-Performance Computing (HPC), and later for Radiation Physics and Criticality, and was a Senior Lecturer in the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom where he led a strategic project developing tools for high throughput spatially resolved assessment of burn up in spent nuclear fuel assemblies. He was the module leader for Nuclear Criticality Safety at the University of Manchester, working closely with colleagues from the UK nuclear industry.
  • Erica Dao
    Erica Dao is a radiation physicist turned business leader who combines her strong research background with a passion for improving patient outcomes. She holds a PhD in Medical Physics from McMaster University and has worked at research reactors and particle accelerator facilities across Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Erica has collaborated with researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to advance innovation in medical imaging, radiotherapy, and radioisotope development. A dedicated science communicator, she taught in McMaster University's Faculty of Science for six years and spent more than a decade leading public outreach initiatives through the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. As Manager of Strategy & Business Development at Laurentis Energy Partners, Erica works to expand access to critical radioisotopes and advance life-saving nuclear medicine technologies worldwide.
  • Nicole Go
    Nicole Go is a Chemical Engineer by education and has worked in the nuclear industry for over 15 years. She has worked in diverse roles in engineering and supply chain, with her current role as the Section Manager of OPG's Nuclear Medicine and Radioisotopes section being the best yet. In this role, Nicole provides oversight across the team leading development and commercialization of OPG's Cobalt-60, Tritium, Carbon-14 and heavy water related portfolios. Outside of work, Nicole is a busy mom of two young boys, newly navigating the world of organized sports.
  • Lauren Krieger
    Lauren Krieger is a Chemical Engineer with a Master’s in Engineering and Public Policy. She has been working in the nuclear industry for over 20 years and has worked with the nuclear utilities in Canada and the US during that time. Lauren has previously worked in Engineering, Project Management, Reactor Maintenance, Regulatory program development and Environmental Assessment, and her current role is as the Senior Manager of Darlington Isotope Operations at OPG. In this role, she supports the execution and oversight of Isotope Operations and new Isotope Projects at Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
  • Paul Yielder
    Dr. Yielder's primary research interests are sourced from his background in diagnostic medical imaging, radiation biology- nuclear medicine and combined isotope imaging modalities applications in clinical practice and specifically neuroscience. He is a clinical specialist in modality imaging, including computed tomography/ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, dual detector CT and combined isotope imaging aligned with diagnostic and advanced treatment imaging modalities.

    His primary interests are in the design application and contribution of advanced imaging techniques to neuroscience – neuropsychiatry and clinical medicine with a complimentary interest in human laterality and asymmetry research. He also has a parallel interest in developmental neurobiology and neuropsychology applied to therapeutic relationships in clinical practice and clinical supervision.

Let's Talk AI: IoT and Smart Mobility

  • Baher Abdulhai
    Dr. Baher Abdulhai is a professor of civil and mineral engineering at the University of Toronto and a leading global expert in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He is the director of the Toronto ITS Centre and Testbed and co-directs the Centre for Automated and Transformative Transportation Systems (CATTS). His groundbreaking research focuses on using artificial intelligence to optimize urban transit, famously leading to the invention of MARLIN, a patented deep reinforcement learning software that dynamically synchronizes traffic lights to reduce city congestion and intersection delays.
  • Mehrnoosh Askarpour
    Mehrnoosh is a Senior Technical Program Manager for Autonomous Vehicle Platform Safety within General Motors' AI/AV Platform and Architecture organization. She leads software safety programs for automated driving platforms, from system architecture through deployment. Her background spans software safety engineering, formal verification, automotive software architecture, and applied automated-driving research, complemented by prior academic roles at McMaster University and Politecnico di Milano. Mehrnoosh is passionate about turning rigorous engineering research into safe, scalable automated driving technology, and building collaborative, high-performing teams. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and an M.Sc. in Computing Systems Engineering, both from Politecnico di Milano, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Tehran
  • Jumana Fathima
    Jumana Fathima is the co-founder and Chief AI Officer of Kiwi Charge, where she leads the full software stack: from on-board software, robot perception, data infrastructure and customer-facing apps. Previously, she worked in Data/ML roles at deep-tech startups, and has experience scaling technical teams in a variety of fields. Jumana studied engineering at the University of Washington.
  • Hani Sami
    Dr. Hani Sami is an Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at Ontario Tech University. He holds a Ph.D. from Concordia University and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at École de technologie supérieure in Montréal. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, and large language models, with applications in intelligent edge systems. He also brings several years of industry experience as a full stack developer and project manager.

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