Research Day 2025
Responsible & Sustainable Systems
Engineering for the future
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Poster Session
VIEW POSTERS - Poster SessionLivestream
WATCH - LivestreamEvent Information
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Event Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: UA 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 Responsible & Sustainable Systems: Engineering for the Future.
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.
Keynote Speaker
Stephanie Smith
Chief Nuclear Officer/Chief Technical Officer Nuclear, AtkinsRealis
Stephanie Smith joined AtkinsRéalis Canadian nuclear business unit (Candu Energy Inc.) in 2022 as SVP of Engineering and currently is the Chief Nuclear officer/Chief Technical Officer, with responsibility for Quality Assurance and Risk Management for the nuclear organization. Overseeing design authority for all engineering, she is responsible for driving AtkinsRéalis’ Canadian nuclear business toward its strategic objectives across profitability, technical excellence, and innovation, with a focused approach to performance management.
Stephanie’s broader oversight of the Engineering group spans the design and delivery of CANDU® reactor technology (of which AtkinsRéalis is the steward and original equipment manufacturer), technical support for the existing fleet of 31 CANDU reactors around the world, the development of advanced fuel technologies for implementation in international markets, and support for the development and commercialization of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the global marketplace.
Stephanie was previously President and CEO at CANDU Owners Group— an organization of utilities worldwide operating the CANDU reactors found on four continents. She also has extensive experience at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) – operator of the Darlington and Pickering Nuclear Generating Stations in Ontario, Canada. Beginning at OPG as an entry-level systems engineer, she was promoted to progressively more senior roles across operations, maintenance and engineering. Most recently at OPG, she was Deputy Site Vice-President of Darlington station, and completed a secondment to the World Association of Nuclear Operations. In 2020, she was awarded the 2020 Leader of the Year by Electricity Human Resources Canada.
Stephanie has also made history as a female nuclear engineer. At the Pickering Nuclear Station, she became the first female licensed shift manager on Pickering 058, and later the first female nuclear plant manager in Canada. She is also on the board at the non-profit organization Women in Nuclear (WiN) Canada, an organization AtkinsRéalis proudly supports.
Stephanie graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering and holds the Professional Engineer designation.
Special Remarks
Laura Yu
Regional Director, Mitacs
Laura Yu started her career as a R&D Engineer at a medical device company after completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. She led the development of medical devices from concept to commercialization, including working with key opinion leaders to drive product development, design for manufacturing, regulatory and IP considerations. She was also an Engineering Project Manager with a manufacturer in the smart building sector, where she managed the R&D and commercialization processes for new products.
In the past 13 years, Laura has developed an extensive network in the innovation ecosystem working with technology companies from startups to multinationals to provide strategic advice on technology development and commercialization, access to funding programs to advance their product roadmaps, build talent pipeline, as well as access global markets outside of North America. She is currently a Regional Director at Mitacs and leads a team of Business Development Advisors in Ontario. Laura was a past member of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education.
Wayne Berry is a dynamic leader and the current President of QED Battery Corp, where he blends innovation and strategic vision to drive growth and excellence. A proud family man, Wayne's dedication to his loved ones mirrors his commitment to fostering strong relationships in business.
Sonya Jain
Julian Knutzen
Richard Catlow is a career railway electrification specialist with 37 years of experience in the design, operation and maintenance of railway electrification projects around the globe.
Amanda Kalhous has over 30 years of transportation industry experience from Military to Aerospace to Linehaul trucking including 20 years in the Automotive Industry across multiple domains. Amanda is passionate about encouraging innovation – in people, processes, and products across domains. A leading innovator herself, Amanda has 30 patents across features such as interactions between vehicles and smartphones. Amanda was a founding member of the BrightDrop team joining in December 2019. In December 2022 she transitioned to lead a Software Engineering team in Data & Analytics and since April 2024 has been Head of Product for Enterprise Innovation, leading the development of new digital products. Amanda is a graduate of Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, ON (B. Eng Elec) and Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS (M.Eng Elec). A registered Professional Engineer, Amanda also volunteers as the Engineer in Residence for Ontario Tech University’s Department of Automotive & Mechatronics Engineering. Since September 2020, Amanda also hosts a podcast for women in leadership – Women’s Mentoring Network Canada.
Dr. Sanjida Moury is a dedicated academic and professional in the field of Electrical Engineering, currently serving as an 
Muhammad Mahad, P.Eng, is currently Section Manager, New Nuclear Growth at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). Muhammad has been with OPG for over 8 years, working in various strategic roles, including evaluating new sites and technologies for OPG's new nuclear buildout. A graduate of Ontario Tech University with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Nuclear Engineering, Muhammad enjoys being a part of climate change initiatives. Muhammad also manages OPG's fusion strategy and Advanced Reactor R&D program. Muhammad is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario and is committed to upholding the highest standards of excellence in his work.
Dr. Jennifer McKellar is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. Dr. McKellar is taking a big-picture view of energy supply and use to understand the associated costs and environmental impacts. The results can be used by government, industry, technology developers and individuals to inform decisions and policies on energy. The ultimate goal is to help society develop and implement sustainable energy systems.
Dr. Marc Rosen is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. With over 70 research grants and contracts and 900 technical publications, including numerous books, Dr. Rosen is an active teacher and researcher in sustainable energy, sustainability, and environmental impact. Much of his research has been carried out for industry.
Dr. Sriram Suryanarayan, Ph.D., PMP, is a seasoned nuclear industry leader and innovator with over 28 years of professional experience. His expertise spans technical areas such as nuclear waste management and decommissioning; nuclear power plant chemistry; process development relevant to various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle; chemical cleaning and decontamination; development of Tritium abatement technologies and project management. Sriram’s technical contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the “Young Scientist Award” from the Indian Council of Chemists and the "Innovative Achievement Award" from the Canadian Nuclear Society.
Dr. Glenn Harvel is a Professor in the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering at Ontario Tech and has research interests in Diagnostic Techniques, Energy Systems, and Nuclear Design. He has been working with neutron radiography, ultrasonics, and capacitance based techniques for the measurement of two-phase flow parameters such as void fraction and interfacial area and for non-destructive measurement of materials. As well, he has been employing ElectroHydroDyanmics (EHD) techniques to improve energy systems for pollution control and heat transport optimization. In the area of Nuclear Design, Dr. Harvel is concentrating on Small Reactor Technology and improvements in system design to address issues generated by Plant Ageing Phenomena.
Dr. Sanaa Alwidian
Dr. Majid Fekri is a passionate data science leader and entrepreneur with a PhD in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and a proven track record of transforming data into impactful solutions. His journey began at The Weather Channel (Pelmorex Media), where he initiated the creation of a multi-million dollar data startup serving adtech. He then contributed his expertise to the successful growth of Prodigy, a gaming startup, and Rogers, a telecommunications giant, where he boosted service delivery productivity by 30% through data-driven initiatives. Most recently, Dr. Fekri led a team of data scientists at SOTI, a global IoT and mobile device management software company, working closely with the CEO and founder to upgrade their product offerings. With four published papers and patents under review, Dr. Fekri is a true innovator, dedicated to investing in ideas that deliver cutting-edge technological solutions to customers.
Dan Mepham, P.Eng., is an Engineering Group Manager at General Motors Canada Company’s Canadian Technical Centre. In his current role, Dan supports a global team of Software Developers who produce software for GM’s Exterior and Interior Lighting applications for GM vehicles sold globally. Dan has worked at General Motors Canada Company for over 20 years, beginning as a manufacturing co-op student, and has held roles in Engineering, Cabin Thermal Software, Virtual Design, Development & Validation, led Product Planning during the Canadian introduction of the 2012 Chevolet Volt, and Vehicle Sales & Marketing. Dan holds a B.A.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from NYIT. 
Dr. Reza Rashidi Far is a visionary leader with over 20 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and public sectors. As a Principal AI Scientist at LeddarTech, he drives innovations in autonomous driving and ADAS, focusing on LLMs, multi-modal sensing, synthetic data, federated learning, quantum computing, and intelligent cockpit.
Dr. Aaron Yurkewich is an Assistant Professor in Mechatronics Engineering with a focus on assistive and rehabilitation technology development and evaluation. Dr. Yurkewich has 10 years of experience developing and evaluating stroke rehabilitation technology, such as a lower limb robot for foot drop exercise and gait training (University of Western Ontario), a hand exoskeleton for hand and upper limb motion assistance and home and clinic rehabilitation (University of Toronto, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute), and a hybrid electrical stimulation and exoskeleton system for accelerated strengthening and motor learning (Imperial College London). He has conducted clinical rehabilitation trials in clinic and home settings in Canada and globally utilizing exoskeletons and soft robots and human robot interaction, haptics, neuroscience and neurorehabilitation principles. Dr. Yurkewich works with international partners in transdisciplinary teams to create accessible and affordable evidence-based rehabilitation solutions for in-clinic and at-home settings.
Dr. Daniel Hoornweg's primary research focus is urban systems, the energy they use and waste they produce, as well as community sustainability and progress toward local and global objectives. Dr. Hoornweg's prior work experience includes almost 20 years as World Bank Lead Advisor on cities and climate change and several years as Chief Safety and Risk Officer for the Ontario Technical Safety Standards Association (TSSA).