Speakers

Digital Manufacturing: Industry 5.0 and Advanced Materials

• Jana Abou-Ziki
  Dr. Jana Abou Ziki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Ontario Tech University, Canada. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Rafik Hariri University in Lebanon in 2009. Following that, she obtained her PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2014 from Concordia University, Canada. Dr. Abou Ziki’s research at Ontario Tech focuses on developing non-conventional manufacturing techniques, both additive and subtractive, to make them more suited for rapid prototyping of parts made of different materials. 
• Wayne Berry

  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.

  Armed with a Queen's Executive MBA from one of Canada's premier business schools, Wayne has honed his expertise in leadership, strategy, and organizational effectiveness. His training in Six Sigma and lean methodologies ensures operational efficiency and a relentless focus on continuous improvement.

  With a career spanning industries and continents, Wayne boasts a wealth of international experience across banking, construction, distribution, manufacturing, real estate development, startups, and technology. This diverse background equips him with the insights to navigate complex challenges and seize opportunities in today's ever-evolving global marketplace.

• Sonya Jain

  Sonya Jain is the Senior Vice President at Soneil Electronics and the founder of Soneil Spark. Soneil Electronics specializes in designing and manufacturing OEM battery chargers, while Soneil Spark focuses on innovative EV charging solutions. With over a decade of experience in startups and growth-stage ventures, Sonya brings expertise in product development, engineering, and operations across hardware and software. An Electrical Engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo, she oversees engineering, R&D, marketing, and sales, driving innovation in electrification technologies and advancing sustainable transportation solutions.  

• Julian Knutzen

  Julian Knutzen, a Senior Manager at Magna International’s Corporate Research and Engineering department in Aurora, Canada, brings a wealth of industry experience to the table. His tasks, which include discovering and evaluating new technologies with the goal of commercialization and integrating them into Magna’s product portfolio in cooperation with the respective Magna divisions, are a testament to his practical knowledge. His work on sensor technologies for ADAS systems and their vehicle integration is a reflection of his hands-on experience. Before joining Magna in 2018, Julian worked in the German Automotive Industry for 10 years as a project and development engineer, most recently for AUDI. 

• Ahmad Barari - Moderator
  

  Dr. Ahmad Barari is a professor at the department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, the direction of Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Laboratories (AD2MLabs), and Research Excellence Chair in LIVE Digital Twin. He developed methodologies for various industrial applications in product development, process control, prognostics and health monitoring, and prescriptive and predictive maintenance. His contributions include over 200 publications in highly ranked journals and conference proceedings.

  Dr. Barari has closely collaborated in many industrial projects funded by various national and international programs. Dr. Barari has been the member in international scientific committees for various organizations including American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC). He has been in editorial board of various high prestige journals and proceedings. He organized, chaired, or administrated  over 25 academic national and international events, conference topics, invited sessions, and seminars. Dr. Barari serves currently as the vice-chair academic Technical Committee on Manufacturing Plant Control and the chair of Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Working Group in IFAC.

  AD2M Labs’ research is in three directions of engineering design, manufacturing, and metrology with a common approach of “digitalization”. These branches encompass a variety of research programs, focusing on major streams such as Industry 4.0: Cyber-physical Components, Digital Twin for predictive maintenance, Digital Design Optimization, Digital Manufacturing, and Digital Inspection. The AD2MLabs are dedicated to advancing the future of digitalization in product life cycle and their applications across multiple industries.

  A few significant highlights of the lab’s recent contribution has been their involvement in Project Arrow, Canada’s first domestically developed electric vehicle, developing LIVE digital twins for predictive maintenance of rotary machines, and additive manufacturing -based repair of large and complex parts in power generation industries. These projects exemplify the lab's innovative approaches to digital manufacturing, design, and maintenance reflecting their commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible through digitalization. With a strong focus and commitment to EDI AD2MLabs continuously developing its resources and expertise to drive forward the integration of digital technologies in design, manufacturing, and maintenance, positioning themselves at the forefront of the Industry 4.0 revolution.

Smart Infrastructures: Electrification and Transportation

• Richard Catlow

  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.

  Starting his career as an apprentice electrician with British Railways in 1987, before becoming a licensed engineer in 1993. He has spent periods as a maintenance technician, then progressing to project delivery in the UK and Malaysian railways and in 1995 became licensed in the UK.

  A period as the Electrification Project Engineer for the UK’s Thameslink program, he was followed by seven years as the client’s Professional Head (Chief Engineer) for Mechanical & Electrical Engineering for the delivery of the UK’s only operational high speed line – HS1

  Upon the formation of Network Rail, Richard became the System Design Manager for the Southern Region new trains program and oversaw the development and reinforcement of the world’s largest interconnected DC traction network and its supporting MV distribution system from 2001 to 2005, before then being appointed to manage Network Rail’s electrification testing department.

  After leaving Network Rail in 2008, Richard moved to a British rolling stock consultancy that was subsequently acquired by SNC-Lavalin, where he delivered a wide range of studies, investigations, audits and reports for a large number of clients worldwide. Richard moved to New Zealand in 2012 to manage SNC’s business there.

  Richard was subsequently transferred to Canada in 2016 where he had spells as the REM Rail Systems Engineering Manager (a new metro for Montreal), bid engineering manager for SNC’s OnCorr project bid as well as managing SNC’s rail electrification businesses in Central and Eastern Canada. 

  Richard subsequently joined Alstom in 2024 to become the Head of Electric Traction Design, where Richard manages the team responsible for the design of all rail electrification for the GTHA’s GO Expansion project.

• Amanda Kalhous

  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.

• Sanjida Moury

  Dr. Sanjida Moury is a dedicated academic and professional in the field of Electrical Engineering, currently serving as an Engineer in the Renewable Energy Program of the Innovation and Sustainability Group at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). She plays a key role in advancing E-Bus infrastructure and integrating renewable energy solutions for the TTC.

  Dr. Moury earned her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology in Bangladesh. She then pursued a Master’s degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, graduating in 2009. Her passion for knowledge led her to obtain a Ph.D. from York University, Canada, in 2020.

  From 2020 to 2024, Dr. Moury worked as an Assistant Professor at Lakehead University, where she made significant contributions to academia. Her earlier industrial experience includes working as a Board Designer in the Architecture Platform group at Advanced Micro Devices, Markham, ON, in 2017.

  Her research focuses on developing next-generation power electronics interfaces for green applications, aiming to enhance efficiency and reliability while reducing costs and size in renewable power generation systems and transportation electrification. She has published her work in several prestigious journals and conferences. Her academic research also includes the impact of digital learning tools on education.

  Additionally, Dr. Moury is an active member of multiple IEEE technical committees and conference executive committees, affirming her leadership within the field. She is also a dedicated volunteer with Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and currently serves on the WiRE Board of Directors.

• Mohamed Youssef
  

  Dr. Mohamed Youssef (SMIEEE) completed his Ph.D. in Power Electronics at the ePEARL Lab, Queen’s University, Canada in 2005, where he was later an adjunct Assistant Professor involved in teaching and research. In 2007, he joined Bombardier Transportation where he worked as a Senior Research and Development engineer. In 2012, he joined Alstom Transport as a Research and Development Engineering Manager. His research interests include Electromechanical Systems for the Transportation Industry, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) for the Railways and Power Electronics Applications for the Information Technology. Mohamed was the motor and electronics manager for Armstrong Pumps before coming back to academia. Dr. Youssef is currently an Associate Professor in the ECSE department at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He is the director of power electronics and drives lab (PEDAL) at Ontario Tech and the university’s leader of Space-X team. He has more than 140 papers in the top tier IEEE journals and conferences with 7 US/Canadian patents. He is a fellow of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. He is a senior IEEE member and a professional engineer in the province of Ontario. He served as the co-chair of the IEEE IES Toronto section. He is now the chair of the IEEE power electronics chapter at IEEE Toronto Section. He is an appointed Adjunct Professor at the Royal Military College (RMC) of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Mohamed is a member of the IEEE committee of Transportation standards and a fellow expert of the Canadian government on many future infrastructure directives such as the Hyperloop and Fuel cell/battery hybrid metro cars, funded by Transport Canada. He was recently appointed to the consultancy board of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC); He is also a member of the Egyptian syndicate of Engineering.

• Zeinab El-Sayegh - Moderator
  

  Dr. Zeinab El-Sayegh is an Assistant 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 (TDVS) 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.

Sustainable Energy Systems: Nuclear, Renewables, and Hydrogen

• Muhammad Mahad
  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.
• Jennifer McKellar
  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.
• Marc Rosen
  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.
• Sriram Suryanarayan

  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.

  As the Director of Innovation at Kinectrics Inc., Sriram oversees the company's innovation program, which encompasses a wide range of technical areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced materials and manufacturing, augmented, virtual and mixed reality, novel inspection technologies, fusion, waste management, decommissioning and medical radioisotopes. 

  Sriram has spearheaded the development of a world-class Innovation program and novel training program for next-generation talent at Kinectrics. Kinectrics’ Innovation Champions have won numerous innovation awards, including the 2024 CNS JS. Hewitt Team Achievement for the Medical Isotopes Team’s development of a first-of-a-kind stable isotope enrichment program in the private sector for the production of Yb-176, and the IAEA-ISOP award for its Calandria Relief Duct (CRD) tool in the Robotics and Drone category.

  The training program developed under Sriram’s leadership has proven immensely successful. This success is evidenced by Kinectrics winning the 2024 Best Co-op Employer and Supervisor Award from McMaster University and the University of Waterloo Award for Next-Generation Employment Innovation at the 2024 Canadian HR Awards. 

• Glenn Harvel - Moderator
  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.

Responsible Design: AI, Safety and Security, Sustainability

• Sanaa Alwidian

  Dr. Sanaa Alwidian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering at Ontario Tech. She has worked with the GEODES Software Engineering Research Lab at the Université de Montréal as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Dr. Alwidian's research interests are in the areas of Software Engineering, Goal-oriented Requirements Engineering and Model-based System Engineering. Her work focuses on developing solutions to Software Engineering problems through modelling and analysis. Her research draws from disciplines such as model-based engineering, software specification, model transformation and category theory to create novel techniques that use formal abstractions supported by rigorous automation. Besides major interest in Software Engineering-related research,  other research interests include Mobile Ad hoc Networks, Could Computing, and Natural Language Processing. 
  In 2013, Dr. Alwidian was the recipient of the prestigious Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS), awarded to the best 5 international doctoral students from around the world, with a first-class average and excellent academic record, to study in Ontario universities. She has also received other scholarships and awards including the International Ontario Graduate Scholarship (rewarded for outstanding academic and research achievements), the University of Ottawa Excellence Scholarship, the International Doctoral Scholarship, and the Scientific Research Scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education in Jordan to pursue the Master degree. Her research has also been acknowledged through The ACM SIGSOFT CAPS Award and a best paper award at the E-Technologies: Embracing the Internet of Things Conference, 2017.

• Majid Fekri

  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

  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.  

• Reza Rashidi Far

  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. Rashidi Far has made significant contributions to groundbreaking projects. His research on hyperspectral imaging at the Canadian Space Agency was cited by NASA and filed with Space Technologies Development Program (STDP). He played a pivotal role in integrating the Boeing 787 Flight Surveillance System into simulation mode. He managed LeddarTech contribution on Project Arrow, Canada’s first fully electric vehicle initiative. He has led R&D teams to tackle complex challenges in sensor technologies, including cameras, LIDARs, and radars. 

  Currently, Reza focuses on fostering innovation through strategic collaborations with academia and industry, mentoring talent, and defining R&D road maps. An engaging speaker and passionate educator, Dr. Rashidi Far bridges the gap between concept and commercialisation, inspiring audiences with his forward-thinking vision. He is an avid mentor, lifelong learner, and advocate for exploring new ideas and building the technologies of tomorrow.

• Aaron Yurkewich - Moderator
  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.

Engineering for a Sustainable Future

• Sanaa Alwidian

  Dr. Sanaa Alwidian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering at Ontario Tech. She has worked with the GEODES Software Engineering Research Lab at the Université de Montréal as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Dr. Alwidian's research interests are in the areas of Software Engineering, Goal-oriented Requirements Engineering and Model-based System Engineering. Her work focuses on developing solutions to Software Engineering problems through modelling and analysis. Her research draws from disciplines such as model-based engineering, software specification, model transformation and category theory to create novel techniques that use formal abstractions supported by rigorous automation. Besides major interest in Software Engineering-related research,  other research interests include Mobile Ad hoc Networks, Could Computing, and Natural Language Processing. 
  In 2013, Dr. Alwidian was the recipient of the prestigious Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS), awarded to the best 5 international doctoral students from around the world, with a first-class average and excellent academic record, to study in Ontario universities. She has also received other scholarships and awards including the International Ontario Graduate Scholarship (rewarded for outstanding academic and research achievements), the University of Ottawa Excellence Scholarship, the International Doctoral Scholarship, and the Scientific Research Scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education in Jordan to pursue the Master degree. Her research has also been acknowledged through The ACM SIGSOFT CAPS Award and a best paper award at the E-Technologies: Embracing the Internet of Things Conference, 2017.

• Richard Catlow

  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.

  Starting his career as an apprentice electrician with British Railways in 1987, before becoming a licensed engineer in 1993. He has spent periods as a maintenance technician, then progressing to project delivery in the UK and Malaysian railways and in 1995 became licensed in the UK.

  A period as the Electrification Project Engineer for the UK’s Thameslink program, he was followed by seven years as the client’s Professional Head (Chief Engineer) for Mechanical & Electrical Engineering for the delivery of the UK’s only operational high speed line – HS1

  Upon the formation of Network Rail, Richard became the System Design Manager for the Southern Region new trains program and oversaw the development and reinforcement of the world’s largest interconnected DC traction network and its supporting MV distribution system from 2001 to 2005, before then being appointed to manage Network Rail’s electrification testing department.

  After leaving Network Rail in 2008, Richard moved to a British rolling stock consultancy that was subsequently acquired by SNC-Lavalin, where he delivered a wide range of studies, investigations, audits and reports for a large number of clients worldwide. Richard moved to New Zealand in 2012 to manage SNC’s business there.

  Richard was subsequently transferred to Canada in 2016 where he had spells as the REM Rail Systems Engineering Manager (a new metro for Montreal), bid engineering manager for SNC’s OnCorr project bid as well as managing SNC’s rail electrification businesses in Central and Eastern Canada. 

  Richard subsequently joined Alstom in 2024 to become the Head of Electric Traction Design, where Richard manages the team responsible for the design of all rail electrification for the GTHA’s GO Expansion project.

• Amanda Kalhous
  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.
• Julian Knutzen
  Julian Knutzen, a Senior Manager at Magna International’s Corporate Research and Engineering department in Aurora, Canada, brings a wealth of industry experience to the table. His tasks, which include discovering and evaluating new technologies with the goal of commercialization and integrating them into Magna’s product portfolio in cooperation with the respective Magna divisions, are a testament to his practical knowledge. His work on sensor technologies for ADAS systems and their vehicle integration is a reflection of his hands-on experience. Before joining Magna in 2018, Julian worked in the German Automotive Industry for 10 years as a project and development engineer, most recently for AUDI. 
• Jennifer McKellar
  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.
• Sriram Suryanarayan

  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.

  As the Director of Innovation at Kinectrics Inc., Sriram oversees the company's innovation program, which encompasses a wide range of technical areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced materials and manufacturing, augmented, virtual and mixed reality, novel inspection technologies, fusion, waste management, decommissioning and medical radioisotopes. 

  Sriram has spearheaded the development of a world-class Innovation program and novel training program for next-generation talent at Kinectrics. Kinectrics’ Innovation Champions have won numerous innovation awards, including the 2024 CNS JS. Hewitt Team Achievement for the Medical Isotopes Team’s development of a first-of-a-kind stable isotope enrichment program in the private sector for the production of Yb-176, and the IAEA-ISOP award for its Calandria Relief Duct (CRD) tool in the Robotics and Drone category.

  The training program developed under Sriram’s leadership has proven immensely successful. This success is evidenced by Kinectrics winning the 2024 Best Co-op Employer and Supervisor Award from McMaster University and the University of Waterloo Award for Next-Generation Employment Innovation at the 2024 Canadian HR Awards. 

• Min Dong - Moderator
  

  Dr. Min Dong received a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 2004 and a B.Eng. degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 1998. From 2004 to 2008, she was with Corporate Research & Development at Qualcomm Research, Qualcomm Inc., San Diego, CA. Since 2008, she has been with the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University, where she is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering. She served as the Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science from January 2017 to June 2017 (interim) and during 2021 and 2022. She also holds a status-only Professor appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. 

  Prof. Dong is an IEEE Fellow. She received the Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation in 2012, the Best Paper Award at IEEE ICCC 2012, and the 2004 Best Paper Award from the IEEE Signal Processing Society (Transactions).  She is also a co-author of The Best Student Paper at IEEE SPAWC 2021 and the Best Student Paper of Signal Processing for Communications and Networks at IEEE ICASSP 2016. She is a recipient of the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement (DAS award) in 2019.

• Daniel Hoornweg - Moderator
  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).