Over the last year, volunteers with the Faculty of Mathematics generously contributed nearly 5,800 hours of their time—supporting committees, mentoring students, speaking at events, helping launch initiatives and marking math contests!
In celebration of (April 27–May 3) and this year’s theme, “Volunteers Make Waves,†we’re kicking things off with a special series of volunteer profiles. Throughout the week, we’ll introduce you to some of the incredible individuals who are making a meaningful impact—both on campus and around the world.Ìý
We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to our fantastic Math alumni volunteers with this below!
Your time, passion and dedication make a lasting impact on both our student and alumni community—and we’re so grateful for everything you do. #CheersToVolunteers #MathAlumni #NVW2025
If you are interested in volunteering with the Faculty of Mathematics contact the Alumni Engagement Program Specialist at mathalumni@uwaterloo.ca.
Keeley Isinghood - Sunday, April 27, 2025
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Keeley Isinghood
Math Undergraduate Student - Biostatistics and Pure Mathematics
About Keeley:
Keeley just finished her last semester of herÌýBMathÌýdegree, majoring in Biostatistics and minoring in Pure Mathematics and will be starting a Master of Math in Biostatistics at UW in September. She loves to be involved on campus in many ways, including serving as an undergraduate representative on the Women in Mathematics Committee (WiM), being a part of recruitment events with the Math Ambassadors team and volunteering at various math faculty initiatives.ÌýÌý
2024-2025 Volunteer Roles:ÌýUndergraduate Representative, Women in Mathematics Committee (WiM), Student Ambassador, Math 4 Groundbreaking Ceremony
"I love volunteering with the faculty because of the opportunity to connect with UÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Math in different ways. I have met so many wonderful students, staff, and faculty members through volunteering and this has made me feel like I’m a part of a larger community. This faculty is filled with incredible people, and I love being able to talk with them about their journeys."
CEMC Contest Marker Volunteers - Monday, April 28, 2025
Farhan Thawar - Tuesday, April 29, 2025
April 29, 2025
Farhan Thawar, BMath'98Ìý
Vice-President, Engineering, ShopifyÌýÌýÌý
Volunteer Role: Entrepreneurship and Impact Series SpeakerÌý
About Farhan:
Farhan Thawar is currently the Vice-President, Engineering at Shopify via the acquisition of Helpful.com where he was co-founder and CTO. Previously he was the CTO, Mobile at Pivotal and VP, Engineering at Pivotal Labs via the acquisition of Xtreme Labs.
He is an avid writer and speaker and was named one of Toronto's 25 most powerful people. Prior to Xtreme, Farhan held senior technical positions at Achievers, Microsoft, Celestica, and Trilogy.
Farhan completed his MBA in Financial Engineering at Rotman and Computer Science/EE at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ. Farhan is also an advisor at Y Combinator and holds a board seat at Optiva.
I left uÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ 27 (!) years ago, but remain connected to the uÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ community through events, hiring coops, and of course the amazing Alumni. It's inspiring to see where the next generation of leaders will take us!
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 - Jiayuan Huang, ±Ê³ó’D ‘07
Senior Director of AI and Product Innovation at MicrosoftÌý
Volunteer role: Keynote Speaker, Navigating Your Career conferenceÌý
About Jiayuan:
Jiayuan HuangÌýis a Senior Director of AI and Product Innovation at Microsoft, where she leads cutting-edge initiatives that bridge research and real-world business impact. With a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ (Class of 2007), Jiayuan is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of STEMÌýleaders—especially women and underrepresented voices in tech. She is dedicated to advancing real-world business challenges with scientific rigor and a deep commitment to societal impact.Ìý
Jiayuan Huang, ±Ê³ó’D ‘07
I volunteer to help students—especially women in math—recognize that deep, academically rooted critical thinking paired with problem-oriented passion, is a superpower in the real world. My own journey from graduate research to a career in tech began at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, where I learned to think with rigor and lead with curiosity. Sharing that mindset, and helping others bridge the gap between theory and impact, is one of the most meaningful ways I can give back.
Thursday, May 1, 2025 - Melanie Poulin-Costello, BMath’90
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Melanie Poulin-Costello,ÌýBMath’90ÌýÌý
Volunteer role: Panelist and Resume Reviewer, Navigating Your Career conferenceÌý
About Melanie:
Melanie Poulin-Costello serves as a Director of Biostatistics at Hoffman La Roche in Mississauga, Ontario, where she supports drug development for lung cancer clinical trials. Prior to her role at Roche, Melanie worked as a statistician at Amgen and Bayer. She isÌýan alumnaÌýof UW (BMathÌý1990) and holds an MSc in statistics from the University of Victoria. Outside of her professional life, Melanie enjoys spending time in nature through hiking or canoeing and expresses these experiences through painting and drawing.Ìý
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Volunteering offers me a meaningful way to dedicate my time and effort to contribute to the betterment and strength of our communities.