Conference

Career Pathways Conference: Navigating Career Success

Katie Kaufman — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:49:01 +0000

Career Pathways Conference: Navigating Career Success Katie Kaufman Fri, 10/11/2024 - 12:49

Co-hosted by the Department of Economics, U��ݮ��Ƶ Economics Society, and the ��ݮ��Ƶ Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, this half day conference will bring alumni and students together to discuss the range of careers possible with an economics degree.

Alumni already confirmed include alumni working with the Ontario government, EY, and RBC.

Conference Information

The conference will include:

Welcome and agenda overview (9:45 am)
Two morning panels with a break
Networking lunch (12:00 pm to 1 pm)
One afternoon panel and a wrap-up session.

Panel Topics:

10:00 am to 10:50 am: Public Agencies and Government Policy Professions
11:10 am to 12:00 pm: AI and Cybersecurity Opportunities
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Finance and Consulting Careers

Networking lunch will be provided.

Meet the Speakers!

Below are the speakers bios for the event.

Public Agencies and Government Policy Professions

Sarah Fong, MA ’05

Assistant Vice President - Government Relations, Travellers Canada

Sarah Fong recently began her role as Assistant Vice President of Government Relations at Travelers Canada. Prior to this, she spent over five years at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, where she held several key positions, including Assistant Chief Economist & Head of Industry Data, Director of Economics, and Senior Economist. Sarah started her career in consulting at Deloitte, and as a Senior Market Analyst at CMHC.

Throughout her career, Sarah has honed critical skills at the intersection of policy, government, and business. She has successfully built strong relationships with government and regulatory officials, as well as key industry stakeholders. Her expertise in simplifying complex regulatory policies for diverse audiences allows her to effectively communicate the implications of new or revised regulations. She has authored numerous policy papers and delivered countless presentations on complex topics.

Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Canadian Risk Management designation. She also serves as a board member of the Toronto Association for Business and Economics.

Sohaeb Raashid, BA ’10, MPS ’14

Assistant Deputy Minister - Resources and Economic Development Division, Treasury Board Secretariat

Sohaeb Raashid currently holds the position of Assistant Deputy Minister within the Office of the Treasury Board at the Treasury Board Secretariat. Prior to this, Sohaeb held a number of senior leadership and management positions with the Ontario government, including three director positions within various branches at TBS where he led various sectors including Health, Justice, Transportation, Social and Resources sectors. His Ontario Public Service journey began as an Economist at the Ministry of Infrastructure, before progressing to Senior Economic and Executive Assistant and Special Policy Advisor roles. These diverse experience equipped him with a profound understanding of the fiscal planning processes, government decision-making frameworks, policy development, economic analysis and stakeholder management strategies.

Michelle Sandler, BA ’14, MPS ’16

Manager, Treasury Board Secretariat

Michelle Sandler has always had a passion for economics and finance. She graduated from the Arts & Business Program, majoring in Economics, and then obtained a Master’s in Public Service, which laid the foundation for her current role as manager at the Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat. In this position, she is responsible for leading a team of Senior Analysts and managing Ontario's expenses in the Long-Term Care and Seniors sector.

Michelle is dedicated to adding value and making a positive difference through her work, consistently striving to enhance financial management and efficiency.

AI and Cybersecurity Opportunities

Susan Chang, BA ’17

Principal Data Scientist, Elastic

Susan Shu Chang is a Principal Data Scientist at Elastic® (Elasticsearch) on the Security Machine Learning team, with an unconventional yet impressive journey into machine learning. Holding a master's degree in economics, she taught herself programming during her studies, paving the way for a career in tech. Susan gained significant experience in machine learning through her work in fintech at Clearco, a Canadian tech unicorn, and in the social and telecom industries. She is a Python Software Foundation contributing member, recognized for her open-source contributions, and is a frequent speaker at international conferences like PyCon (US and global), Data Science Europe, the Toronto ML Summit, and Ubisoft.

Susan is also the founder of Quill Game Studios, where she develops narrative-focused games. Her debut game sold 10,000 copies within six months of release. In 2021, she received the Faculty of Arts’ Young Alumni Award for her accomplishments. Recently, she became a published author with her book Machine Learning Interviews: Kickstart Your Machine Learning Career.

Hongxiu Li, PhD ’18

Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Block

Hongxiu Li holds the position of Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Block, where she can put into practice her 10+ year’s experience of in-depth machine learning model development and quantitative analysis. As an experienced data scientist, Hongxiu leads project teams to design and implement data science projects.

Having obtained her PhD in Economics from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, Hongxiu has long since implemented her passion about data-driven decision making, economic and statistical analysis to her various experiences.

Tulu Makonnen, BSC ’98, BA ’05, MA ’06

Data Science Consulting, Eunomie Inc

Tulu Makonnen is a triple degree holder from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ with Science and Arts degrees, as well as a Master of Arts in Economics. Tulu has held a variety of data analytics and data science roles in the biopharma and private equity real estate space. Currently he holds the position of Data Science Consulting at Eunomie Inc. Tulu also has strong business development experience helping business development groups implement Machine Learning tools to become more competitive and cost efficient.

Zehua Pan, PhD ’22

Senior Manager - Fraud Research and Analytics, RBC

Zehua Pan is currently serving as a Senior Manager of Fraud Research and Analytics at RBC. He obtained his PhD, Applied Economics from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and has continued to grow in his roles in the economics sector.

Zehua describes himself as a passionate economist and credit card fraud analyzer, who specializes in diagnosing risks in systems through data-driven methods, i.e. regression models and neural networks. Previous projects include prioritizing drinking water risk due to environmental externalities and green infrastructure losses in Ontario.

Finance and Consulting Careers

Rosemary Horwood, BA ’12

Relationship Manager, Richardson Wealth

Rosemary Horwood is committed to partnering with families and entrepreneurs to achieve their financial goals. She takes a strategic approach to wealth management and has a passion for delivering highly personalized experiences and customized advice. Rosemary is known for her business standards and quality of service.

As a co-op student at ��ݮ��Ƶ, she completed six corporate placements and received three nominations for Co-op Student of the Year, following outstanding performance reviews by leading companies. Rosemary has also earned the Certified Investment Manager designation.

Rosemary is deeply devoted to philanthropy and volunteerism and has served as the boards of three non-profit organizations. Rosemary enjoys spending time at her agricultural property, Livingstone Farm 1860, and is a published author of Practicing Hospitality: The Art and Science of Hosting in Your Home.

Azeem Hussain-Aamir, BA ’10

Strategy & Business Transformation, Aviso

Azeem Hussain-Aamir graduated from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He currently works as a Director in Corporate Strategy at Aviso, a diversified asset and wealth management firm with over $130BB AUM. Prior to joining Aviso, Azeem spent six and a half years with BMO, where he held progressively senior positions, heading the Digital Strategy and Insights team. As a management consultant with Deloitte, Azeem advised clients across a range of industries, from manufacturing and automotive to health sciences, hospitality, tourism, and more.

Tulu Makonnen, BSC ’98, BA ’05, MA ’06

Data Science Consulting, Eunomie Inc

Mauricio Zelaya, PhD ’14

Partner & National Economics Leader, EY

Grounding business strategy in rich economic understanding can transform any organization’s potential. As leader of EY Canada’s Economics practice, Mauricio fuels our Strategy and Consulting practice with extensive experience in econometrics and statistical modelling, honed at the heart of the public and private sector.

Focused on the economics of innovation and industrial organization, Mauricio works closely with clients to apply economic theory to real business issues. He’s worked across a number of industries, including oil and gas, mining, finance, advanced manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. His work involves performing economic impact assessments, economic outlook and market competitiveness studies, and more generally, using the principles of economics to help clients make better informed data-driven decisions.

Mauricio holds a PhD from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, a Master’s of International Economics and Finance from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto. He is also a faculty member at the Schulich School of Business at York University, lecturing undergraduate and graduate students on economics and international business.

Event is SOLD OUT

Please email advcoop1@uwaterloo.ca to join the waitlist.

An Evening of BLEND

Elizabeth Rogers — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:53:03 +0000

An Evening of BLEND Elizabeth Rogers Tue, 09/10/2024 - 11:53

An evening of BLEND brings the creative people, meaningful connections, and insightful ideas of the BLEND Design Conference in a shorter, more intimate format for those who can’t wait until March to (re)connect in Stratford at BLEND.

This exclusive evening will feature three dynamic speakers and the opportunity to connect with other U��ݮ��Ƶ alumni and like-minded professionals.

You’ll leave this evening with inspiration, new perspectives, and community.

Speakers and talks

The Art of Problem Solving: Creativity in Action

Dashawn Stephens (BA ’20, Speech Communications) is a sports media entrepreneur and industry professional. After a 5-year varsity football career at UW, Stephens founded PRSVRE Media Group in 2020. The company reimagines the Canadian college sports fan experience through extensive sports coverage and storytelling, sitting at the intersection of sports, culture, and innovation. Reaching 2 million sports fans monthly, PRSVRE Media Group is Canada's largest college sports media company and one of the fastest-growing sports production media entities. Stephens also appears as a colour commentator for CBC Sports during college football broadcasts.

Diversity: Making Differences a Superpower

Dr. Amara Pope (BA ’15, English) is a TEDx speaker, Ph.D. graduate in Media Studies, seasoned marketer, and fine artist. With over a decade of experience, she excels as a Marketing Communications Manager in construction tech, freelance consultant in marketing and brand management, and professional artist. Her Ph.D. research, featured in Billboard, VICE, NBC, CBC, CTV and more, examines the rise and diversity of Canadian R&B music. And as a second-generation Canadian Trinidadian, Dr. Pope explores how Caribbean culture influences the genre's evolution through digital marketing and branding of artists like Drake and Justin Bieber. Dr. Pope’s diverse roles highlight how blending varied interests can become career superpowers.

Idea to MVP: How to Validate and Launch Without Perfection

Ashna Mankotia (BGBDA ’17) is the founder of Saffron, a content creator, and a senior product manager. She has over 101k followers on TikTok, where she shares content on a range of topics including personal finance, her career, fashion, and beauty, and her life in Toronto. her career in ed-tech, she has launched learning experiences in design, marketing, and leadership for thousands of professionals. Launched in 2023, Saffron, a global membership community for women now has over 230 members from more than 45 cities.

Join us

Tickets are available for purchase online: $15 general admission, $10 student admission.

If you require assistance, please contact Phoebe Wong

From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding

Elizabeth Rogers — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:52:16 +0000

From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding Elizabeth Rogers Wed, 04/10/2024 - 10:52

The Faculty of Arts and Office of Research are convening this international, interdisciplinary conference to explore and underline how we engage in cooperative and valuable academic conversations, share tools or approaches that are working well, and cultivate critical thinking, openness, and freedom of expression. Conference participants will discuss ways in which we can foster productive debate with those who defend opposing views. Within and alongside these common themes, attention will be given to the issue of trust and the role it plays in higher education, in government, and in other associated spheres.

The conference and the speaker series held in fall and winter 2023-24 are part of the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s commitment and actions for a campus culture that values both freedom of expression and the safety and wellbeing of our community members.

Featuring keynote addresses by

Dr. Kalwant Bhopal
Professor, Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

and

Dr. Richard Moon
Distinguished University Professor, Law Professor, University of Windsor, Canada

Conference panel themes include

From Antagonism in Academic, Social and Digital Environments to Fostering Constructive Discourses and Communities of Care
Fostering Critical Pedagogies during Times of Disinformation, Anti-Science Rhetoric, and Global Conflict
Promoting Safety, Inclusivity, and Resilience: Creating Cultures of Trust and Spaces of Dialogue
Setting the Stage for Brave, Co-creative, and Effective Dialogues
From Hate Speech and Human Rights Violations to Free Speech and Academic Freedom

The Weaponization of Disinformation in Canada — two-day workshop

Wendy Philpott — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:38:23 +0000

The Weaponization of Disinformation in Canada — two-day workshop Wendy Philpott Mon, 04/10/2023 - 14:38

Global events like Brexit, electoral interference, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have made the abstract threat of digital disinformation into a distinct reality. The shifting global balance of power, characterized by growing multipolarity, is unfolding alongside the expansion of tools, strategies, and spaces for adversarial states and non-state actors to expand their influence, disrupt multilateral diplomacy, threaten liberal democratic norms and values, and de-legitimize a rules-based global order.

Adversarial states and non-state actors are increasingly adept, agile, and strategic in digital spaces, using information and communication technologies to advance geopolitical, ideological, and strategic objectives. Digital disinformation poses a growing geopolitical, foreign policy, and national security challenge for democracies like Canada and the need to identify risks and threats is increasing in importance.

Presented by ��ݮ��Ƶ's Cybersecurity and Privacy Institue, this two-day workshop focuses on the weaponization of digital disinformation including discussions on the problem of digital disinformation from a theoretical perspective, empirical and evidence-based examples of how disinformation is weaponized, the rapidly changing threat landscape for liberal democracies, as well as mitigation strategies, policy responses, and best practices of dealing with the growing threat of digital disinformation. The workshop will feature panels of academics with expertise on digital disinformation in Canada and more generally, tech industry and civil society stakeholders working in the space of digital disinformation and mitigation, journalists and independent researchers, and senior government officials from heritage, national defense, and national security.

2023 Desmarais Family Summit

Eric Norris — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:39:58 +0000

2023 Desmarais Family Summit Eric Norris Tue, 03/14/2023 - 10:39

We invite you to join us on Wednesday April 5, 2023 for our annual Desmarais Family Summit.

The Summit is an interactive exhibition that gives our Global Engagement students the unique opportunity to share their research projects on this year’s theme, “Energy at a Crossroads.” You can view footage from last year's Summit here.

Starting at 7:00 pm at United College’s Ceremonial Firegrounds, we’ll proceed to Alumni Hall shortly after to hear from keynote speaker Catherine Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of Destination Zero, and interact with the student projects. Refreshments will be served!

This is a public event featuring projects by our Global Engagement Seminar students and contributions from our six distinguished 2023 Jarislowsky Fellows. 

Black History Month Student Research Panel

Elizabeth Rogers — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 20:01:50 +0000

Black History Month Student Research Panel Elizabeth Rogers Wed, 02/08/2023 - 15:01

Join us on Tuesday, February 14 at 1:00 PM for for the Black History Month Student Research Panel, featuring history students from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and the University of Toronto. Panelists include Tolulope Akande (University of ��ݮ��Ƶ), Arshad Desai (University of Toronto), and Abigail Opoku (University of ��ݮ��Ƶ). The event will be hybrid, held in the MacKirdy Reading Room (HH 117) and on Zoom.

The Black History Month Student Research Panel is a collaborative event held by the History Anti-Racism Taskforce (HART) (part of the Department of History at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ) and the Tri-University Graduate Student Association (TUGSA). This panel brings attention to the crucial and innovative research in Black history being carried out by graduate students.

Light refreshments will be provided for those attending in person. A Zoom link will be sent out the day before the event. We hope to see you there!