https://simplecast.com 1% Inspiration A University of Toronto Engineering based podcast where we talk to students, advisors and alumni about their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) experiences. We talk about how they made the most of their education and community, and demystify how they became technologists, researchers, and builders moving our world forward today. Hosted by Maeesha Biswas and Jennifer Wang. 2023 en Wed, 15 Mar 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Fri, 31 Mar 2023 21:05:27 +0000 https://1-inspiration.com 1% Inspiration https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/0d5c5b1f-0271-496d-8afc-b5dc6166b9a7/a6117311-5035-45f1-bd58-c9b8ca21400c/3000x3000/cover.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://1-inspiration.com episodic A University of Toronto Engineering based podcast where we talk to students, advisors and alumni about their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) experiences. We talk about how they made the most of their education and community, and demystify how they became technologists, researchers, and builders moving our world forward today. Hosted by Maeesha Biswas and Jennifer Wang. Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang no https://feeds.simplecast.com/mtx9me79 career development, uoft, engineering science, u of t engineering, uoftengineering, university of toronto, research, engineering, student, professional development 1% Inspiration Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com e6d4bf3a-7410-4312-b7ea-849a4c79c06d 22. Dana Kokoska - Student Community Steward, Part-Time Artist, and Full-Time Electrical Engineer in Training Introducing Dana Kokoska (ECE 2T0 + PEY)

Dana Kokoska is an Electrical Engineering graduate of the University of Toronto. While at U of T, she held many leadership roles in artistic and community-building/outreach activities, such as Vice-Chair Marketing for F!rosh Week in 2020, Director of Hi-Skule, Resident Advisor at Girls Leadership In Engineering Experience (GLEE), and Graphics Executive on the Frosh Handbook Committee. When she graduated in 2021, she was named a 'Grad to Watch' and received the L.E. (Ted) Jones Award of Distinction from the Engineering Alumni Network.

Read Dana's letter to first-year engineering students during Frosh 2022 here: https://dearfrosh.com/dana.html

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dana

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 15 Mar 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Dana Kokoska, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/dana-1WsdJJ9D Introducing Dana Kokoska (ECE 2T0 + PEY)

Dana Kokoska is an Electrical Engineering graduate of the University of Toronto. While at U of T, she held many leadership roles in artistic and community-building/outreach activities, such as Vice-Chair Marketing for F!rosh Week in 2020, Director of Hi-Skule, Resident Advisor at Girls Leadership In Engineering Experience (GLEE), and Graphics Executive on the Frosh Handbook Committee. When she graduated in 2021, she was named a 'Grad to Watch' and received the L.E. (Ted) Jones Award of Distinction from the Engineering Alumni Network.

Read Dana's letter to first-year engineering students during Frosh 2022 here: https://dearfrosh.com/dana.html

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dana

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 22. Dana Kokoska - Student Community Steward, Part-Time Artist, and Full-Time Electrical Engineer in Training Dana Kokoska, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 01:19:29 Dana is an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto. We talk about what drove her interest in electrical engineering, navigating uncertainty in electrical and computer engineering (ECE), her current work at Honeywell, her online Etsy shop Daydreamy Design and how she integrates creative thinking as an engineer in training. During our lightning round, she shares her top resource recommendations, what makes her hopeful for the future, and her final advice for students. Dana is an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto. We talk about what drove her interest in electrical engineering, navigating uncertainty in electrical and computer engineering (ECE), her current work at Honeywell, her online Etsy shop Daydreamy Design and how she integrates creative thinking as an engineer in training. During our lightning round, she shares her top resource recommendations, what makes her hopeful for the future, and her final advice for students. electrical engineering, ece, honeywell, engineering, computer engineering, daydreamydesignshop, community, skule, pey, university of toronto, u of t engineering no full 11 2 e08463d1-cd27-4873-83f7-551cc4cb2d3c 21. Kathy Zhuang - International Student Experience, Interview Tips, and Machine Intelligence Engineering About Kathy Zhuang (EngSci Machine Intelligence 2T2 + PEY)

Kathy is an undergraduate engineering student completing the Machine Intelligence major within the Engineering Science program and graduating in 2023. She has completed summer research internships at UC Irvine, the University of Toronto Intelligent Sensory Microsystems Laboratory (ISML) and the BMO Lab in Creative Research. She has industry experience at Huawei, where she completed her Professional Experience Year as a Machine Learning Research Engineer, and at Amazon as a Software Development Engineer Intern. She has also contributed to U of T Engineering's design teams as a 3D Object Detection Engineer with aUToronto and an Autonomous Rover Team Electrical Team Lead with the University of Toronto Robotics Association (UTRA).

Notable Quotes

  • “Doing things I want to do instead of doing things I should.” - Kathy Zhuang
  • “Before I know what I want to do, I always look for the one that gives me more opportunities.” - Kathy Zhuang, on decision making

Resources mentioned with Links 

  1. Engineering Science Disciplines
  2. Engineering Communication Program (ECP)
  3. Intelligent Sensory Microsystems Laboratory
  4. ESROP Engineering Science Research Opportunities Program)  - UofT
  5. LeetCode
  6. Cracking the Coding Interview Book & Website
  7. STAR Interview Method
  8. Book: Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure
  9. Distill.pub

How to get in touch with Kathy

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 1 Mar 2023 22:30:21 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Kathy Zhuang, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/kathy-fxPcRfvi About Kathy Zhuang (EngSci Machine Intelligence 2T2 + PEY)

Kathy is an undergraduate engineering student completing the Machine Intelligence major within the Engineering Science program and graduating in 2023. She has completed summer research internships at UC Irvine, the University of Toronto Intelligent Sensory Microsystems Laboratory (ISML) and the BMO Lab in Creative Research. She has industry experience at Huawei, where she completed her Professional Experience Year as a Machine Learning Research Engineer, and at Amazon as a Software Development Engineer Intern. She has also contributed to U of T Engineering's design teams as a 3D Object Detection Engineer with aUToronto and an Autonomous Rover Team Electrical Team Lead with the University of Toronto Robotics Association (UTRA).

Notable Quotes

  • “Doing things I want to do instead of doing things I should.” - Kathy Zhuang
  • “Before I know what I want to do, I always look for the one that gives me more opportunities.” - Kathy Zhuang, on decision making

Resources mentioned with Links 

  1. Engineering Science Disciplines
  2. Engineering Communication Program (ECP)
  3. Intelligent Sensory Microsystems Laboratory
  4. ESROP Engineering Science Research Opportunities Program)  - UofT
  5. LeetCode
  6. Cracking the Coding Interview Book & Website
  7. STAR Interview Method
  8. Book: Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure
  9. Distill.pub

How to get in touch with Kathy

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 21. Kathy Zhuang - International Student Experience, Interview Tips, and Machine Intelligence Engineering Kathy Zhuang, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 01:05:15 Kathy is a final-year undergraduate Engineering Science student at the University of Toronto in the Machine Intelligence major. We discuss her summer research experiences at UC Irvine and U of T, internships at Huawei as a Machine Learning Research Engineer, how to prepare for a software engineering interview, and involvement with technical clubs like U of T's UTRA (University of Toronto Robotics Association). Kathy is a final-year undergraduate Engineering Science student at the University of Toronto in the Machine Intelligence major. We discuss her summer research experiences at UC Irvine and U of T, internships at Huawei as a Machine Learning Research Engineer, how to prepare for a software engineering interview, and involvement with technical clubs like U of T's UTRA (University of Toronto Robotics Association). machine intelligence, u of t, engsci, technical interview, ml, engineering science, ai, university of toronto, u of t engineering no full 10 2 f0325216-d5e0-4f7d-8b0b-6760820803ce 20. Yilin Huang - AI Governance, Effective Altruism, International Education, and Designing a Great Career About Yilin Huang  (MSE 2T0 + PEY, Current MSc. Candidate in Science, Technology & Policy @ ETH Zurich)

Yilin Huang is a graduate of the Materials Science & Engineering undergraduate program at the University of Toronto. While at U of T, she completed an academic exchange at the National University of Singapore, did her PEY in Switzerland, was a violinist with Skule™ Nite's Band, the Lausanne Student Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, and the Hart House Orchestra.

Notable Quotes

  • "if you want to figure stuff out, you want to take the risk at the beginning, if there’s something you want to try, you better try it now.” - Yilin Huang, on finding your path.
  • “Life is equal no matter where we are... one dollar may go a long way in a worse place.” - Yilin Huang, explaining the philosophy of effective altruism.
  • "We don't quit enough things." - Yilin Huang, unconventional advice for undergraduate students.

Read Yilin's letter to first-year engineering students during Frosh 2022 here: https://dearfrosh.com/yilin.html

Resources mentioned with Links

Resources on Effective Altruism: Programs 

Articles about Yilin

How to get in touch with Yilin

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Yilin Huang, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/yilin-jLTGxBfh About Yilin Huang  (MSE 2T0 + PEY, Current MSc. Candidate in Science, Technology & Policy @ ETH Zurich)

Yilin Huang is a graduate of the Materials Science & Engineering undergraduate program at the University of Toronto. While at U of T, she completed an academic exchange at the National University of Singapore, did her PEY in Switzerland, was a violinist with Skule™ Nite's Band, the Lausanne Student Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, and the Hart House Orchestra.

Notable Quotes

  • "if you want to figure stuff out, you want to take the risk at the beginning, if there’s something you want to try, you better try it now.” - Yilin Huang, on finding your path.
  • “Life is equal no matter where we are... one dollar may go a long way in a worse place.” - Yilin Huang, explaining the philosophy of effective altruism.
  • "We don't quit enough things." - Yilin Huang, unconventional advice for undergraduate students.

Read Yilin's letter to first-year engineering students during Frosh 2022 here: https://dearfrosh.com/yilin.html

Resources mentioned with Links

Resources on Effective Altruism: Programs 

Articles about Yilin

How to get in touch with Yilin

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 20. Yilin Huang - AI Governance, Effective Altruism, International Education, and Designing a Great Career Yilin Huang, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 01:16:07 Yilin is an engineering graduate from the University of Toronto's Materials Science Engineering program, currently completing a Master's degree in Science, Technology & Policy and is interested in AI governance and Effective Altruism principles. We discuss the role of engineering in policy, AI governance, effective altruism, self-teaching mechanical engineering to work at a drone company, great resources students can access outside of the U of T ecosystem, and how she built credibility as a young professional. Yilin is an engineering graduate from the University of Toronto's Materials Science Engineering program, currently completing a Master's degree in Science, Technology & Policy and is interested in AI governance and Effective Altruism principles. We discuss the role of engineering in policy, AI governance, effective altruism, self-teaching mechanical engineering to work at a drone company, great resources students can access outside of the U of T ecosystem, and how she built credibility as a young professional. al governance, policy, material science engineering, university of toronto engineering, eth zurich, robotics engineering, effective altruism no full 9 2 ace5d7f9-5f3a-4b0a-a1bc-e6559a83548d 19. Ben Sprenger - Becoming a generalist, Formula Racing Vehicles, Global Engineering, and Making Films About Ben Sprenger  (MechE 2T0 + PEY, Current MSc. Candidate in Robotics, Systems and Control @ ETH Zurich)
Ben Sprenger is an undergraduate mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto, and was named an Engineering Grad to Watch based on his multifaceted work as a filmmaker, fieldwork he conducted in Mongolia with the Munk School of Global Affairs, and his leadership of the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team among others. At the time of publication, he is completing his MSc. in Robotics, Systems, and Control at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Some of Ben's Films

Notable Quotes

  • “I didn't have anything to act in, so I decided to make my own film.” - Ben Sprenger, on how he was drawn to filmmaking
  • "There is no better way to learn than just jumping right in." - Ben Sprenger, on exploring new opportunities
  • "There is literally nothing I cannot learn, if you give me the time and put in the effort." - Ben Sprenger, on his favourite quality about himself

Resources mentioned with Links

Articles about Ben

How to get in touch with Ben

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Ben Sprenger, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/sprenger-F1BnaRNk About Ben Sprenger  (MechE 2T0 + PEY, Current MSc. Candidate in Robotics, Systems and Control @ ETH Zurich)
Ben Sprenger is an undergraduate mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto, and was named an Engineering Grad to Watch based on his multifaceted work as a filmmaker, fieldwork he conducted in Mongolia with the Munk School of Global Affairs, and his leadership of the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team among others. At the time of publication, he is completing his MSc. in Robotics, Systems, and Control at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Some of Ben's Films

Notable Quotes

  • “I didn't have anything to act in, so I decided to make my own film.” - Ben Sprenger, on how he was drawn to filmmaking
  • "There is no better way to learn than just jumping right in." - Ben Sprenger, on exploring new opportunities
  • "There is literally nothing I cannot learn, if you give me the time and put in the effort." - Ben Sprenger, on his favourite quality about himself

Resources mentioned with Links

Articles about Ben

How to get in touch with Ben

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 19. Ben Sprenger - Becoming a generalist, Formula Racing Vehicles, Global Engineering, and Making Films Ben Sprenger, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 01:00:18 Ben Sprenger is currently pursuing an MSc at ETH Zurich in Robotics, Systems and Control, and is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto (U of T). We talk about his multiple global professional and research experiences through PEY, the Munk School, filmmaking, and U of T's Formula Racing Team. We discuss his technical interests that led to his leadership within the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team, his artistic mindset as a filmmaker, and developing the ability to learn anything. Ben Sprenger is currently pursuing an MSc at ETH Zurich in Robotics, Systems and Control, and is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Toronto (U of T). We talk about his multiple global professional and research experiences through PEY, the Munk School, filmmaking, and U of T's Formula Racing Team. We discuss his technical interests that led to his leadership within the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team, his artistic mindset as a filmmaker, and developing the ability to learn anything. filmmaking, research, reach alliance, engineering design team, generalists, mechanical engineering, global engineering, formula sae, u of t engineering no full 8 2 0ef64c1b-adfa-4fae-b7ff-fc1883328414 18. Prof. Elham Marzi - Engineering Business, Organizational Behaviour, and Einstein's Teaching Formula About Professor Elham Marzi (BA, BIS, Masters, PhD - Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto)

Professor Elham Marzi graduated from the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto as a PhD with a specialization in human resources and organizational behaviour. Elham is now director of Engineering Business and the International Virtual Engineering Student Team (InVEST) program at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto. She also teaches the courses JRE 420 People Management and Organizational Behavior and APS 500 Negotiation in an Engineering Context. 

Notable Quotes

  • "My teaching philosophy is Einstein's Formula E = mc^2 : Engagement = motivate, connection and communication." - Elham Marzi
  • "There is so much left to go....the world is bigger than I thought." - Elham Marzi

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Prof. Elham Marzi

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 8 Feb 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Elham Marzi, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/elham-Rfu4nazM About Professor Elham Marzi (BA, BIS, Masters, PhD - Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto)

Professor Elham Marzi graduated from the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto as a PhD with a specialization in human resources and organizational behaviour. Elham is now director of Engineering Business and the International Virtual Engineering Student Team (InVEST) program at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto. She also teaches the courses JRE 420 People Management and Organizational Behavior and APS 500 Negotiation in an Engineering Context. 

Notable Quotes

  • "My teaching philosophy is Einstein's Formula E = mc^2 : Engagement = motivate, connection and communication." - Elham Marzi
  • "There is so much left to go....the world is bigger than I thought." - Elham Marzi

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Prof. Elham Marzi

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 18. Prof. Elham Marzi - Engineering Business, Organizational Behaviour, and Einstein's Teaching Formula Elham Marzi, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 01:11:25 We talked to Professor Elham Marzi from the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice. Elham has a strong passion for teaching and is bringing her specialization in organizational behaviour and human resource management to engineering education at the University of Toronto. Elham explains organizational behaviour (OB) in engineering and the value of integrating business with engineering. We discussed examples of OB in the context of educational institutions and resources for learning more about OB described below. Further in the conversation, Elham shared her insights on her expanded work of creating a global classroom and the impact of remote learning on higher education. We also talk about why libraries are underrated, resources every student should take advantage of, and her rewarding experiences as a professor. We talked to Professor Elham Marzi from the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice. Elham has a strong passion for teaching and is bringing her specialization in organizational behaviour and human resource management to engineering education at the University of Toronto. Elham explains organizational behaviour (OB) in engineering and the value of integrating business with engineering. We discussed examples of OB in the context of educational institutions and resources for learning more about OB described below. Further in the conversation, Elham shared her insights on her expanded work of creating a global classroom and the impact of remote learning on higher education. We also talk about why libraries are underrated, resources every student should take advantage of, and her rewarding experiences as a professor. industrial relations, organizational behaviour, u of t, leadership, fase, engineering business, human resources, faculty of applied science and engineering, u of t engineering no full 7 2 e2f06f5e-1764-416c-a302-4c310fcaed7a 17. Dr. Cori Hanson - Supporting Student Leaders, First Year Student Experience, and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Cori Hanson has served at the university for over a decade, first as a residence coordinator at New College, holding other roles such as Assistant Registrar. She is familiar to many students as a former advisor in the first-year office, staff liaison of the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD), and currently leading efforts in EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) as the founder of the Engineering Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Group at U of T Engineering.

Notable Quotes

  • "Learning is not one size fits all, and so goes for the university experience. More flexible and accessible experiences will be the way forward at every university and every program."  - Cori Hanson, on undergraduate learning.
  • "The community is changing, and how do we make sure it's an inclusive space for everyone?" - Cori Hanson, on building an inclusive community.
  • "(I) bring student leaders into a space and see what they do with it." Cori Hanson, on her most rewarding experience of working with FASE.

Resources mentioned with Links

Task Force and Action Groups and Initiatives

First-Year and Upper-Year Resources

Research Resources

How to get in touch with  Cori

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 1 Feb 2023 21:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas, Cori Hanson) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/cori-Wwl7j_Qq Cori Hanson has served at the university for over a decade, first as a residence coordinator at New College, holding other roles such as Assistant Registrar. She is familiar to many students as a former advisor in the first-year office, staff liaison of the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD), and currently leading efforts in EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) as the founder of the Engineering Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Group at U of T Engineering.

Notable Quotes

  • "Learning is not one size fits all, and so goes for the university experience. More flexible and accessible experiences will be the way forward at every university and every program."  - Cori Hanson, on undergraduate learning.
  • "The community is changing, and how do we make sure it's an inclusive space for everyone?" - Cori Hanson, on building an inclusive community.
  • "(I) bring student leaders into a space and see what they do with it." Cori Hanson, on her most rewarding experience of working with FASE.

Resources mentioned with Links

Task Force and Action Groups and Initiatives

First-Year and Upper-Year Resources

Research Resources

How to get in touch with  Cori

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great guest idea or request!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 17. Dr. Cori Hanson - Supporting Student Leaders, First Year Student Experience, and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas, Cori Hanson 01:48:42 Cori is the Associate Faculty Registrar & Director, Student Affairs at the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto. We talk about her experience leading student experience initiatives at U of T Engineering, how she suggests students navigate undergraduate research at U of T, exploring mental health supports available at the university, her PhD work, and what an equitable engineering profession could look like. Cori is the Associate Faculty Registrar & Director, Student Affairs at the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto. We talk about her experience leading student experience initiatives at U of T Engineering, how she suggests students navigate undergraduate research at U of T, exploring mental health supports available at the university, her PhD work, and what an equitable engineering profession could look like. student experience, u of t, research opportunities, university of toronto engineering, fase, faculty of applied science and engineering, u of t engineering no full 6 2 b43ea872-0b6e-4b84-9089-787dc5db0b4c 16. Dean Chris Yip - Leading Remotely During COVID-19 and How to Maximize your Engineering Education About Dean Chris Yip (Current Dean of Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Dean Chris Yip began his term as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering in July 2019. Before this, he served two years as Associate Vice-President in the University's International Partnerships Office. Dean Yip received his B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1988 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1996.

[Source for Description]

Notable Quotes

  • “Ask questions...Don't just be a passive receiver of information... be an active participant in your learning."  - Dean Chris Yip, on his advice to undergraduate students.
  • "I'm persistent in ensuring success." - Dean Chris Yip, on his favourite quality about himself.
  • "You're going to be successful."   - Dean Chris Yip, responding to What is one thing you'd reassure younger students about?

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dean Chris Yip

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Sun, 2 Oct 2022 13:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Chris Yip, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/chris-3ydR8yjC About Dean Chris Yip (Current Dean of Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Dean Chris Yip began his term as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering in July 2019. Before this, he served two years as Associate Vice-President in the University's International Partnerships Office. Dean Yip received his B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1988 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1996.

[Source for Description]

Notable Quotes

  • “Ask questions...Don't just be a passive receiver of information... be an active participant in your learning."  - Dean Chris Yip, on his advice to undergraduate students.
  • "I'm persistent in ensuring success." - Dean Chris Yip, on his favourite quality about himself.
  • "You're going to be successful."   - Dean Chris Yip, responding to What is one thing you'd reassure younger students about?

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dean Chris Yip

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 16. Dean Chris Yip - Leading Remotely During COVID-19 and How to Maximize your Engineering Education Chris Yip, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 00:54:16 Dr Chris Yip is the current Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) at U of T. We talk to him about his path to becoming the Dean of FASE, his experience leading during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflect on what he sees as the next steps for FASE. He shares how his current work helps address a gap in student experience with academic leadership, how he makes decisions, leading during the COVID-19 pandemic, why he loves to run, and what he believes are the most important takeaways of engineering education at U of T. In our lightning round, Dean Yip shares the top resource students should take advantage of, his favourite trait about himself, and reassures students striving for success. Dr Chris Yip is the current Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) at U of T. We talk to him about his path to becoming the Dean of FASE, his experience leading during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflect on what he sees as the next steps for FASE. He shares how his current work helps address a gap in student experience with academic leadership, how he makes decisions, leading during the COVID-19 pandemic, why he loves to run, and what he believes are the most important takeaways of engineering education at U of T. In our lightning round, Dean Yip shares the top resource students should take advantage of, his favourite trait about himself, and reassures students striving for success. uoftengineering, dean chris yip, community, skule, faculty of applied science and engineering, engineering education, university of toronto no full 5 2 72d41f3b-83ee-4997-9425-e07d674d4766 15. Minha Ha - Engineering Ethics, Education, and Finding Career Sponsorship Introducing Professor Minha Ha (Current PhD Candidate, Lassonde School of Engineering @ York University)

Minha Ha is a PhD Candidate at IDEA-Lab at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University. She is also a session instructor at the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering at the University of Toronto. She currently teaches TEP447, The Art of Ethical & Equitable Decision Making in Engineering. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Calgary and an undergraduate degree in molecular biology from McMaster University. 

Notable Quotes

  • Q: What's the most significant area of growth you've experienced in your journey?
    • "Starting to find my voice." - Professor Minha Ha
  • Q: What has been your most rewarding experience as an educator?
    • "Seeing my students find their voice." - Professor Minha Ha
  • "If it's got value, it's got to fit." - Professor Minha Ha, on value creation in engineering.
  • "I need to know where I end and where you begin." - Professor Minha Ha, on the importance of boundaries.

Resources mentioned with Links

Articles on Minha Ha 

How to get in touch with Minha Ha

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2022 23:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Minha Ha, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/minha-mABU0k8T Introducing Professor Minha Ha (Current PhD Candidate, Lassonde School of Engineering @ York University)

Minha Ha is a PhD Candidate at IDEA-Lab at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University. She is also a session instructor at the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering at the University of Toronto. She currently teaches TEP447, The Art of Ethical & Equitable Decision Making in Engineering. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Calgary and an undergraduate degree in molecular biology from McMaster University. 

Notable Quotes

  • Q: What's the most significant area of growth you've experienced in your journey?
    • "Starting to find my voice." - Professor Minha Ha
  • Q: What has been your most rewarding experience as an educator?
    • "Seeing my students find their voice." - Professor Minha Ha
  • "If it's got value, it's got to fit." - Professor Minha Ha, on value creation in engineering.
  • "I need to know where I end and where you begin." - Professor Minha Ha, on the importance of boundaries.

Resources mentioned with Links

Articles on Minha Ha 

How to get in touch with Minha Ha

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 15. Minha Ha - Engineering Ethics, Education, and Finding Career Sponsorship Minha Ha, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 01:09:21 We talked to Minha Ha, a PhD candidate at IDEA-Lab at York University and instructor of the course TEP447, "The Art of Ethical & Equitable Decision Making in Engineering", at the University of Toronto's Troost ILead Institute (Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering). Minha has dedicated her career to improving higher education and particularly engineering education. In this episode, Minha shared stories of essential mentors, advocates, and sponsors who contributed to her work in engineering education. We also discussed the insights from Minha's research on the value creation process, engineering ethics, and what a holistic education looks like in engineering. We talked to Minha Ha, a PhD candidate at IDEA-Lab at York University and instructor of the course TEP447, "The Art of Ethical & Equitable Decision Making in Engineering", at the University of Toronto's Troost ILead Institute (Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering). Minha has dedicated her career to improving higher education and particularly engineering education. In this episode, Minha shared stories of essential mentors, advocates, and sponsors who contributed to her work in engineering education. We also discussed the insights from Minha's research on the value creation process, engineering ethics, and what a holistic education looks like in engineering. 1% inspiration, university of toronto engineering, minha ha, ilead, ethics, engineering education, education research, university of toronto, yorku no full 4 2 d7bf71be-63cd-4bce-bf11-43878742ed97 Dear Frosh Letter Writing Prompt SUBMIT HERE

Step 1: Learn about Dear Frosh

Read the Dear Frosh Intro and Guide HERE. 

Step 2: Reflect

We've prepared this audio writing prompt to guide you through the letter-writing process. Read the prompts on our Instagram page ->  1percentinspiration.mp3. The prompts are split into three parts below:

Part 1

Write down as many memories as you can from your undergrad. How did these memories from undergrad make you feel?

Part 2

In this next part, we have some questions for you:

  • Before your first year coming to U of T. What was on your mind?
  • As a frosh, what were you most nervous about?
  • During your undergraduate studies, what did you change your mind about?
  • As a senior student/graduate/alum, what are you hopeful for?
  • Imagine the youth of today med the freshman version of yourself.What are the top three things you've learned that you'd want to teach or tell your past self? How did you come to learn those things?

Part 3

  1. What do you wish you knew as a first-year undergraduate student? What memories, advice, and feelings do you want to share?
  2. How have you evolved since you were a freshman? What surprises you about who you are now? What experiences made you who you are today?
  3. What does U of T Engineering mean to you in memories, experiences, feelings, or whatever else you can think of? How has being at U of T Engineering changed you and your outlook?

Additional Resources

Need more inspiration? You can find our curated letter inspiration HERE. 

Step 3: Write

Use the letter writing templates HERE to prepare for submission.

Step 4: Submit

When you are ready, submit your letter through the form HERE. The submission deadlines are August 16, 2022 (to be shared during F!rosh Week in print) and September 2, 2022 (for the website launch). 

Have questions?

Email: whatisyour1percent@gmail.com

Jennifer and Maeesha (with 💜)

Music from Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/lBXdWtMaA6/

]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2022 03:39:19 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/dear-frosh-UErADfhv SUBMIT HERE

Step 1: Learn about Dear Frosh

Read the Dear Frosh Intro and Guide HERE. 

Step 2: Reflect

We've prepared this audio writing prompt to guide you through the letter-writing process. Read the prompts on our Instagram page ->  1percentinspiration.mp3. The prompts are split into three parts below:

Part 1

Write down as many memories as you can from your undergrad. How did these memories from undergrad make you feel?

Part 2

In this next part, we have some questions for you:

  • Before your first year coming to U of T. What was on your mind?
  • As a frosh, what were you most nervous about?
  • During your undergraduate studies, what did you change your mind about?
  • As a senior student/graduate/alum, what are you hopeful for?
  • Imagine the youth of today med the freshman version of yourself.What are the top three things you've learned that you'd want to teach or tell your past self? How did you come to learn those things?

Part 3

  1. What do you wish you knew as a first-year undergraduate student? What memories, advice, and feelings do you want to share?
  2. How have you evolved since you were a freshman? What surprises you about who you are now? What experiences made you who you are today?
  3. What does U of T Engineering mean to you in memories, experiences, feelings, or whatever else you can think of? How has being at U of T Engineering changed you and your outlook?

Additional Resources

Need more inspiration? You can find our curated letter inspiration HERE. 

Step 3: Write

Use the letter writing templates HERE to prepare for submission.

Step 4: Submit

When you are ready, submit your letter through the form HERE. The submission deadlines are August 16, 2022 (to be shared during F!rosh Week in print) and September 2, 2022 (for the website launch). 

Have questions?

Email: whatisyour1percent@gmail.com

Jennifer and Maeesha (with 💜)

Music from Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/lBXdWtMaA6/

]]> Dear Frosh Letter Writing Prompt Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer wang 00:03:51 Dear Frosh is an advice letter-writing campaign involving senior students and alumni from the University of Toronto engineering community writing letters to their first-year selves. 1% Inspiration will share these letters in print and digitally with incoming first-year students (or Frosh) in September 2022 during F!rosh Week. Dear Frosh is an advice letter-writing campaign involving senior students and alumni from the University of Toronto engineering community writing letters to their first-year selves. 1% Inspiration will share these letters in print and digitally with incoming first-year students (or Frosh) in September 2022 during F!rosh Week. dear penn freshmen, frosh, undergraduate engineering, dear frosh, e, university of toronto, u of t engineering, engineering school no bonus 2 58abf3bc-406b-4cb0-973b-53840c348209 14. Dr. Phil De Luna - Being a Research Capitalist and How Engineers can Tackle Climate Change Introducing Dr. Phil De Luna (Materials Science & Engineering PhD 2019, Expert at McKinsey & Company | Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto | Forbes 30 Under 30)

Dr. Phil De Luna is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Materials Science & Engineering Department at the University of Toronto and a mentor at the Creative Destruction Lab. After the episode recording in late June 2022, Phil started his role as an expert in sustainability at McKinsey & Company. His previous experiences include being the youngest-ever Director at the National Research Council (NRC) for Materials for Clean Fuels and serving as a candidate for Federal Member of Parliament Candidate for the Green Party in the riding of Toronto-St. Paul's. He is also a carbon tech cofounder Carbon XPRIZE finalist (1 of 10 globally). Phil graduated with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2019 and was named a Forbes Top 30 Under 30. 

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:00:54 Phil introduces himself
  • 00:05:49 Phil talks about how his career in climate change evolved from working in a lab to industry to policy (technology readiness, career maturity levels)
  • 00:14:00 Phil talks about his experience running for office
  • 00:19:58 Phil talks about his 5 point plan to address climate change and hidden opportunities in climate change for young professionals
  • 00:27:07 How to transform ideas into his campaign
  • 00:35:48 Phil shares his criteria for accessing opportunities and experiences on how rejection hasn't stopped him from going after what he wants
  • 00:44:47 Advice for young professionals who want to work on climate change issues and resources for students

Notable Quotes

  • "I enter every conversation I have with empathy." - Dr. Phil De Luna
  • "Recognize an opportunity and capitalize the opportunity." - Dr. Phil De Luna

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dr. Phil De Luna

Corrections Notice

When this episode was first published on Monday, July 11, 2022, the About and Episode Summary sections mentioned Dr. Phil De Luna was the Director of NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and ran for the Ontario provincial election. He ran for the Federal election as a Federal Member of Parliament Candidate, not the Ontario provincial election. He was also the Director of the National Research Council (NRC), not NSERC.

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2022 22:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Phil De Luna, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/phil-OrLIVx4p Introducing Dr. Phil De Luna (Materials Science & Engineering PhD 2019, Expert at McKinsey & Company | Adjunct Professor at University of Toronto | Forbes 30 Under 30)

Dr. Phil De Luna is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Materials Science & Engineering Department at the University of Toronto and a mentor at the Creative Destruction Lab. After the episode recording in late June 2022, Phil started his role as an expert in sustainability at McKinsey & Company. His previous experiences include being the youngest-ever Director at the National Research Council (NRC) for Materials for Clean Fuels and serving as a candidate for Federal Member of Parliament Candidate for the Green Party in the riding of Toronto-St. Paul's. He is also a carbon tech cofounder Carbon XPRIZE finalist (1 of 10 globally). Phil graduated with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2019 and was named a Forbes Top 30 Under 30. 

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:00:54 Phil introduces himself
  • 00:05:49 Phil talks about how his career in climate change evolved from working in a lab to industry to policy (technology readiness, career maturity levels)
  • 00:14:00 Phil talks about his experience running for office
  • 00:19:58 Phil talks about his 5 point plan to address climate change and hidden opportunities in climate change for young professionals
  • 00:27:07 How to transform ideas into his campaign
  • 00:35:48 Phil shares his criteria for accessing opportunities and experiences on how rejection hasn't stopped him from going after what he wants
  • 00:44:47 Advice for young professionals who want to work on climate change issues and resources for students

Notable Quotes

  • "I enter every conversation I have with empathy." - Dr. Phil De Luna
  • "Recognize an opportunity and capitalize the opportunity." - Dr. Phil De Luna

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Dr. Phil De Luna

Corrections Notice

When this episode was first published on Monday, July 11, 2022, the About and Episode Summary sections mentioned Dr. Phil De Luna was the Director of NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and ran for the Ontario provincial election. He ran for the Federal election as a Federal Member of Parliament Candidate, not the Ontario provincial election. He was also the Director of the National Research Council (NRC), not NSERC.

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 14. Dr. Phil De Luna - Being a Research Capitalist and How Engineers can Tackle Climate Change Phil De Luna, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 00:56:55 In this conversation, we talked to Dr. Phil De Luna about his continuous journey working on climate change issues as a PhD student, Federal Member of Parliament Candidate, Director of the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, mentor at the University of Toronto Creative Destruction Lab, and Adjunct Professor at U of T. We explored perspectives on addressing climate change issues, including technology readiness, Phil's 5 Point Plan on addressing climate change, and scaling climate solutions with three levers (tech, policy, and finance). Dr. Phil De Luna advises young professionals who want to work in climate change space today: "Find out what piece of the climate pie you are most interested in and apply your skills." Phil shares the career maturity level framework for young professionals to follow and his experience running for office as the Green Party Federal Member of Parliament Candidate for Toronto-St. Paul's. In this conversation, we talked to Dr. Phil De Luna about his continuous journey working on climate change issues as a PhD student, Federal Member of Parliament Candidate, Director of the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, mentor at the University of Toronto Creative Destruction Lab, and Adjunct Professor at U of T. We explored perspectives on addressing climate change issues, including technology readiness, Phil's 5 Point Plan on addressing climate change, and scaling climate solutions with three levers (tech, policy, and finance). Dr. Phil De Luna advises young professionals who want to work in climate change space today: "Find out what piece of the climate pie you are most interested in and apply your skills." Phil shares the career maturity level framework for young professionals to follow and his experience running for office as the Green Party Federal Member of Parliament Candidate for Toronto-St. Paul's. phil de luna, climate engineering, climate change, mckinsey, climate science, engineering, research capitalist, clean tech, climate policy, carbon capture, university of toronto, career capital, climate technology no full 3 2 5fea4632-24c3-4b3b-9358-2c5377cb48f8 13. Peter Serles - Science Communication, Printing the CNano Tower, and Academic Mentorship Introducing Peter Serles (Current PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Peter Serles is a Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering specializing in the Nanomechanics of Materials supervised by Dr. Tobin Filleter at the Nano-Mechanics and Materials Lab. He is a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar (2020-2023) researching the nanomechanics of nanoscale-additive manufactured (nano-3D printed) components for nano-structural, robotics, and machine applications. He earned his M.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and Bachelor of Engineering Science from The University of Western Ontario.

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:00:48 Peter's story leading up to pursuing Ph.D. in Nano-mechanics at UofT
  • 00:06:04 Nano-mechanics research: it's application and challenges
  • 00:11:19 Choosing research as pathway comparing to consulting and design
  • 00:29:11 Covid research re-start committee and science communication
  • 00:33:06 System thinking as a researcher
  • 00:45:18 Lightning Round
  • 00:59:41 Continuing to grow : collaborating outside the field and closing the gap of communication between fields
  • 01:05:37 Final advice for student and talked about importance of letting yourself struggle

Notable Quotes

  • "Research is a rabbit hole with no bottom to it...If you go niche enough you will become the expert of your area."  - Peter Serles, on pursuing a Ph.D. Degree.
  • “Science without communication is a nerd in the lab."  - Peter Serles, on system thinking as a researcher.
  • "Your growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone."   - Peter Serles, advice for undergraduate students.

Resources mentioned with Links

Resources for Managing Research

Articles about Peter

How to get in touch Peter

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 07:41:38 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Peter Serles, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/peter-ucLI_TC1 Introducing Peter Serles (Current PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Peter Serles is a Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering specializing in the Nanomechanics of Materials supervised by Dr. Tobin Filleter at the Nano-Mechanics and Materials Lab. He is a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar (2020-2023) researching the nanomechanics of nanoscale-additive manufactured (nano-3D printed) components for nano-structural, robotics, and machine applications. He earned his M.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and Bachelor of Engineering Science from The University of Western Ontario.

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:00:48 Peter's story leading up to pursuing Ph.D. in Nano-mechanics at UofT
  • 00:06:04 Nano-mechanics research: it's application and challenges
  • 00:11:19 Choosing research as pathway comparing to consulting and design
  • 00:29:11 Covid research re-start committee and science communication
  • 00:33:06 System thinking as a researcher
  • 00:45:18 Lightning Round
  • 00:59:41 Continuing to grow : collaborating outside the field and closing the gap of communication between fields
  • 01:05:37 Final advice for student and talked about importance of letting yourself struggle

Notable Quotes

  • "Research is a rabbit hole with no bottom to it...If you go niche enough you will become the expert of your area."  - Peter Serles, on pursuing a Ph.D. Degree.
  • “Science without communication is a nerd in the lab."  - Peter Serles, on system thinking as a researcher.
  • "Your growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone."   - Peter Serles, advice for undergraduate students.

Resources mentioned with Links

Resources for Managing Research

Articles about Peter

How to get in touch Peter

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network, all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 13. Peter Serles - Science Communication, Printing the CNano Tower, and Academic Mentorship Peter Serles, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 01:12:51 We met Peter Serles, a PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, when he 3D printed the CNano Tower, Canada’s Smallest Freestanding Structure and shared a photo of it with the University of Toronto's Research Revealed gallery. During this episode, we talk about translating scientific ideas into useful applications or policy, the importance of a growth mindset, the tech stack of a researcher, the strange quantum behaviour of nanoscale materials, the similarities between varsity sports and the scientific profession, and why working in university governance makes life easier as a student. We met Peter Serles, a PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, when he 3D printed the CNano Tower, Canada’s Smallest Freestanding Structure and shared a photo of it with the University of Toronto's Research Revealed gallery. During this episode, we talk about translating scientific ideas into useful applications or policy, the importance of a growth mindset, the tech stack of a researcher, the strange quantum behaviour of nanoscale materials, the similarities between varsity sports and the scientific profession, and why working in university governance makes life easier as a student. phd research, u of t, university of toronto engineering, nano mechanics, mechanical engineering, peter serles, science communication, 3d printing, nanomaterial, undergraduate, university of toronto, grad school no full 2 2 be15d179-fe93-44bf-8da5-df8d87b07fda 12. Mickael Dang - Transitions: Medicine to Engineering, France to Canada, and Research to Entrepreneurship About Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Mickael is a second year Chemical Engineering PhD student from the University of Toronto. He holds U of T’s Connaught International Scholarship and also received the Cecil Yip Award for work pursuing interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the Donnelly Centre. He has a master’s degree in applied physics from École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:01:37: Mickael's Story leading up to pursuing Ph.D. at U of T
  • 00:16:18: Pursuing multiple degrees, meeting professor Jeff Karp and professor Molly Shoichet
  • 00:19:18: Lessons learned on how to be a scientist beyond the science 
  • 00:24:41: Navigating moving to Canada during COVID and cultural differences between Canada and France
  • 00:35:36: Experience with co-founding start-up SMS nanotech 
  • 00:55:19: Lightning Round
  • 01:00:59: Trade-off between pursuing passion over financial security and social/family expectations
  • 01:09:49: Definition of success and happiness
  • 01:12:52: Advice for undergraduate students

Notable Quotes

  • "There is no right answer, it's your answer." - Mickael Dang
  • "I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I tried everything." - Mickael Dang
  • "For me, doing a Ph.D is being an entrepreneur." - Mickael Dang

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch Mickael

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2022 04:07:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Mickael Dang, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/mickael-dang-YtwoCyN2 About Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Mickael is a second year Chemical Engineering PhD student from the University of Toronto. He holds U of T’s Connaught International Scholarship and also received the Cecil Yip Award for work pursuing interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the Donnelly Centre. He has a master’s degree in applied physics from École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Episode Breakdown

  • 00:01:37: Mickael's Story leading up to pursuing Ph.D. at U of T
  • 00:16:18: Pursuing multiple degrees, meeting professor Jeff Karp and professor Molly Shoichet
  • 00:19:18: Lessons learned on how to be a scientist beyond the science 
  • 00:24:41: Navigating moving to Canada during COVID and cultural differences between Canada and France
  • 00:35:36: Experience with co-founding start-up SMS nanotech 
  • 00:55:19: Lightning Round
  • 01:00:59: Trade-off between pursuing passion over financial security and social/family expectations
  • 01:09:49: Definition of success and happiness
  • 01:12:52: Advice for undergraduate students

Notable Quotes

  • "There is no right answer, it's your answer." - Mickael Dang
  • "I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I tried everything." - Mickael Dang
  • "For me, doing a Ph.D is being an entrepreneur." - Mickael Dang

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch Mickael

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> 12. Mickael Dang - Transitions: Medicine to Engineering, France to Canada, and Research to Entrepreneurship Mickael Dang, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 01:19:48 Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto) set an expansive tone for the conversation when he told us "I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I tried everything." We talk about his transition from medical school to research and biomedical sciences, trying out law school, eventually stumbling upon biomedical and bioengineering at Harvard Medical School with Prof. Jeff Karp, which led him to completing his PhD here in Toronto under Prof. Molly Shoichet, and building his own PCR testing startup. We also talk about the challenges of being an international student (also, some cultural differences/shocks), why completing a PhD is a lot like being an entrepreneur, work-life balance, and how he has explored making difficult tradeoffs between personal interests and job/financial security at pivotal points of his career. Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto) set an expansive tone for the conversation when he told us "I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I tried everything." We talk about his transition from medical school to research and biomedical sciences, trying out law school, eventually stumbling upon biomedical and bioengineering at Harvard Medical School with Prof. Jeff Karp, which led him to completing his PhD here in Toronto under Prof. Molly Shoichet, and building his own PCR testing startup. We also talk about the challenges of being an international student (also, some cultural differences/shocks), why completing a PhD is a lot like being an entrepreneur, work-life balance, and how he has explored making difficult tradeoffs between personal interests and job/financial security at pivotal points of his career. research, bioengineering, graduate school, entrepeneurship, chemical engineering, international student, phd no full 1 2 6b069aa6-2bac-45a9-b869-5c547e49ee9e Season 2 Trailer : 1% Inspiration Featured in this trailer

  • "A general insight that COVID has really exemplified is that learning is not one size fits all, and the university experience is not one size fits all.” - Dr. Cori Hanson*
  • “My teaching philosophy is based on Einstein's formula." - Prof. Elham Marzi*
  • “Seeing my students find their voice has been the most rewarding thing in my teaching.” - Prof. Minha Ha*
  • “The one thing I reassure students about all the time is that: You’re going to be successful.” - Dean Chris Yip*
  • “I can print 'Hello World' and I am okay.” - Dana Kokoska*
  • “Sometimes, people think there is a type of answer that you need to give during interviews, but you don't really have a 'type' of answer, it's just your answer.” - Mickael Dang (Ep 12)
  • “We don’t quit enough things.”- Yilin Huang*

*episode coming soon

How to get in touch with us

Resources

  • We consolidated resources from each episode. Access it here! (Coming Soon)
  • We also collected a bunch of student-specific and student-targeted discounts for various Academic, Software, Personal Organization, and University of Toronto Specific tools. Access it here!

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:16:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Dana Kokoska, Maeesha Biswas, Mickael Dang, Yilin Huang, Jennifer Wang, Minha Ha, Elham Marzi, Cori Hanson, Christopher Yip) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/trailer-s2-WDtFEuwe Featured in this trailer

  • "A general insight that COVID has really exemplified is that learning is not one size fits all, and the university experience is not one size fits all.” - Dr. Cori Hanson*
  • “My teaching philosophy is based on Einstein's formula." - Prof. Elham Marzi*
  • “Seeing my students find their voice has been the most rewarding thing in my teaching.” - Prof. Minha Ha*
  • “The one thing I reassure students about all the time is that: You’re going to be successful.” - Dean Chris Yip*
  • “I can print 'Hello World' and I am okay.” - Dana Kokoska*
  • “Sometimes, people think there is a type of answer that you need to give during interviews, but you don't really have a 'type' of answer, it's just your answer.” - Mickael Dang (Ep 12)
  • “We don’t quit enough things.”- Yilin Huang*

*episode coming soon

How to get in touch with us

Resources

  • We consolidated resources from each episode. Access it here! (Coming Soon)
  • We also collected a bunch of student-specific and student-targeted discounts for various Academic, Software, Personal Organization, and University of Toronto Specific tools. Access it here!

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network all at the University of Toronto.

Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH

]]> Season 2 Trailer : 1% Inspiration Dana Kokoska, Maeesha Biswas, Mickael Dang, Yilin Huang, Jennifer Wang, Minha Ha, Elham Marzi, Cori Hanson, Christopher Yip 00:02:17 Welcome to 1% Inspiration, a University of Toronto Engineering based podcast about how to make the most of your STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and learning community right from the source. Come join conversations uncovering the stories behind the milestones and successes of our guests - students, professors, and community members of U of T and beyond to demystify how they became technologists, researchers, advocates and builders moving our world forward today. We share these stories of excellence so you can explore how you might follow in their footsteps, and humanize what success looks like for you. Under the show notes of each episode, you can find resources that we talk about that have helped our guests make the most of their learning community Grab your favourite warm drink, and let's share an honest conversation. Subscribe now for updates. Welcome to 1% Inspiration, a University of Toronto Engineering based podcast about how to make the most of your STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and learning community right from the source. Come join conversations uncovering the stories behind the milestones and successes of our guests - students, professors, and community members of U of T and beyond to demystify how they became technologists, researchers, advocates and builders moving our world forward today. We share these stories of excellence so you can explore how you might follow in their footsteps, and humanize what success looks like for you. Under the show notes of each episode, you can find resources that we talk about that have helped our guests make the most of their learning community Grab your favourite warm drink, and let's share an honest conversation. Subscribe now for updates. uoftengineering, 1% inspiration, career development, stem, uoft, skule, university of toronto no trailer 2 4c4c8175-1083-45b8-91ed-363966b5644d 11. David Boroto - Global Development, Engineers Without Borders, and Reflecting on Failure Introducing David Boroto /Duh-veed/ (EngSci Infrastructure 2018 + PEY)

David started his global development journey as the president of University of Toronto Chapter president of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) during his undergrad. Upon graduation, David worked as a data analyst for Viamo and an infrastructure and project management analyst for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Currently, he is serving as the Vice Chair Board of Directors for EWB Canada and completing his Master of Philosophy in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.

Notable Quotes

  • “Never forget where you came from.” - David Boroto
  • “You can take a day.”.... “Listening to your body and mind.” - David Boroto
  • “Being better tomorrow than I was today….. Little by little to improve.”  - David Boroto, on his definition of success and "Engineering for Good"

Resources mentioned with Links

David's Writing: 

  1. David’s Medium
  2. "I Failed to Admit Failure" by David Boroto via Engineers Without Borders Failure Report

Global Engineering Courses and EWB

  1. Centre for Global Engineering
  2. Global Engineering Certificate
  3. Engineering Science - Infrastructure Engineering
  4. Engineers Without Borders (EWB), University of Toronto Chapter

Other Resources 

  1. Gapminder Project
  2. David Damberger: What happens when an NGO admits failure (TED Talk)
  3. Hans Rosling: The best stats you've ever seen (TED Talk)
  4. 80,000 Hours for Career Planning
  5. Effective Altruism
  6. William MacAskill (Co-Founder of Effective Altruism)
  7. World Economic Forum
  8. Our World in Data
  9. Don’t Look up (Movie)
  10. Jeffrey Sachs | University Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development
  11. Jeffrey Sachs | Columbia SIPA

How to get in touch with David

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Tue, 15 Feb 2022 14:29:50 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (David Boroto, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/david-boroto-TIYagX77 Introducing David Boroto /Duh-veed/ (EngSci Infrastructure 2018 + PEY)

David started his global development journey as the president of University of Toronto Chapter president of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) during his undergrad. Upon graduation, David worked as a data analyst for Viamo and an infrastructure and project management analyst for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Currently, he is serving as the Vice Chair Board of Directors for EWB Canada and completing his Master of Philosophy in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.

Notable Quotes

  • “Never forget where you came from.” - David Boroto
  • “You can take a day.”.... “Listening to your body and mind.” - David Boroto
  • “Being better tomorrow than I was today….. Little by little to improve.”  - David Boroto, on his definition of success and "Engineering for Good"

Resources mentioned with Links

David's Writing: 

  1. David’s Medium
  2. "I Failed to Admit Failure" by David Boroto via Engineers Without Borders Failure Report

Global Engineering Courses and EWB

  1. Centre for Global Engineering
  2. Global Engineering Certificate
  3. Engineering Science - Infrastructure Engineering
  4. Engineers Without Borders (EWB), University of Toronto Chapter

Other Resources 

  1. Gapminder Project
  2. David Damberger: What happens when an NGO admits failure (TED Talk)
  3. Hans Rosling: The best stats you've ever seen (TED Talk)
  4. 80,000 Hours for Career Planning
  5. Effective Altruism
  6. William MacAskill (Co-Founder of Effective Altruism)
  7. World Economic Forum
  8. Our World in Data
  9. Don’t Look up (Movie)
  10. Jeffrey Sachs | University Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development
  11. Jeffrey Sachs | Columbia SIPA

How to get in touch with David

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 11. David Boroto - Global Development, Engineers Without Borders, and Reflecting on Failure David Boroto, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 01:23:24 Today’s guest is David (Duh-veed) Boroto an Engineering Science Infrastructure 2018 + PEY graduate from the University of Toronto. As he describes himself on his Medium blog, (in the show notes), he's an infrastructure nerd, global development nut and social impact practitioner. In our conversation, we talked about challenges with global development, reflecting on personal failure, and shared resources on how to get involved with global development in undergraduate and after. Today’s guest is David (Duh-veed) Boroto an Engineering Science Infrastructure 2018 + PEY graduate from the University of Toronto. As he describes himself on his Medium blog, (in the show notes), he's an infrastructure nerd, global development nut and social impact practitioner. In our conversation, we talked about challenges with global development, reflecting on personal failure, and shared resources on how to get involved with global development in undergraduate and after. engineers without borders, global engineering, global development, engineering science, university of toronto no full 11 1 5d75d3be-f2ad-42e0-9c98-ff473b3ff4e3 10. Bella Zhang - Designing Health Care, Human Factors, and Product Management Introducing Bella Zhang (IndE 1T9 + PEY, M.A.Sc in Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, 2021)

Bella Zhang is an IndE 1T9 +  PEY graduate from the University of Toronto who recently earned her Master’s of Applied Science (M.A.Sc) in Industrial Engineering also at U of T. For the past few years, Bella’s research interests have been in quality improvement and user experience in healthcare, and product management. 

She completed her PEY at the Healthcare Human Factors Group at the University Health Network - evaluating medical devices and mobile health applications. 

She was also a Research Assistant & UX Lead- at the Interactive Media Lab (IML) led by Dr. Mark Chignell of the mechanical and industrial engineering department at U of T. Partway through her time at IML, Bella led over 20 undergraduate and graduate students in building, and iterating technologies for aging populations as the manager of Centivizer, which is the spinoff company from the Interactive Media Lab. Shortly after the recording, Bella started her new role as a project manager in patient care at the Women’s College Hospital.

Notable Quotes

  • "Work is composed of 2 things - the work you do and the people you work with."- Bella Zhang
  • “My philosophy of managing is caring.” - Bella Zhang
  • “GPA is not everything - become an interesting person." - Bella Zhang
  • “You are living your life, you’re not living your title” - Bella Zhang

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Bella 

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Mon, 24 Jan 2022 05:17:43 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Bella Zhang, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/bella-zhang-4NwDKnnp Introducing Bella Zhang (IndE 1T9 + PEY, M.A.Sc in Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, 2021)

Bella Zhang is an IndE 1T9 +  PEY graduate from the University of Toronto who recently earned her Master’s of Applied Science (M.A.Sc) in Industrial Engineering also at U of T. For the past few years, Bella’s research interests have been in quality improvement and user experience in healthcare, and product management. 

She completed her PEY at the Healthcare Human Factors Group at the University Health Network - evaluating medical devices and mobile health applications. 

She was also a Research Assistant & UX Lead- at the Interactive Media Lab (IML) led by Dr. Mark Chignell of the mechanical and industrial engineering department at U of T. Partway through her time at IML, Bella led over 20 undergraduate and graduate students in building, and iterating technologies for aging populations as the manager of Centivizer, which is the spinoff company from the Interactive Media Lab. Shortly after the recording, Bella started her new role as a project manager in patient care at the Women’s College Hospital.

Notable Quotes

  • "Work is composed of 2 things - the work you do and the people you work with."- Bella Zhang
  • “My philosophy of managing is caring.” - Bella Zhang
  • “GPA is not everything - become an interesting person." - Bella Zhang
  • “You are living your life, you’re not living your title” - Bella Zhang

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Bella 

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 10. Bella Zhang - Designing Health Care, Human Factors, and Product Management Bella Zhang, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 00:53:10 As a graduate student in Industrial Engineering, Bella’s conducted research at the Interactive Media Lab at University of Toronto, building skills in quality improvement, user experience in healthcare, and product management. In this episode, Bella talks about her philosophy of work, managing a team, and product design. By viewing her life as a continuous process and always being open to growth (and giving us constant book and podcast recommendations), Bella showed us what a true life long learner is. As a graduate student in Industrial Engineering, Bella’s conducted research at the Interactive Media Lab at University of Toronto, building skills in quality improvement, user experience in healthcare, and product management. In this episode, Bella talks about her philosophy of work, managing a team, and product design. By viewing her life as a continuous process and always being open to growth (and giving us constant book and podcast recommendations), Bella showed us what a true life long learner is. human factors, healthcare, product management, industrial engineering, project management, u of t engineering no full 10 1 e28db1bb-cdb9-4ead-a365-63ef087b831c 9. Hamza Arshad - Energy System Design and Collaborative CAD research Introducing Hamza Arshad (Mech 2T1 + PEY)

Hamza Arshad is a current PEY student at Hanon Systems - an automotive thermal management system and automotive parts manufacturing company. He is returning to his 4th year in mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto in Fall 2021.

In undergrad, he contributed as a member of the Space System team at UTAT (University of Toronto Aerospace Team) on the Huron Mach (MOCK) 2 Project. He’s also the chief mechanical engineer at the UofT Hyperloop Team in designing the mechanical system for the hyperloop pod. He was also a (Summer) Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Ready Lab with Prof. Alison Olechowski where he investigated collaborative CAD (computer aided design) work and its effect on the quality of CAD models.

Notable Quotes

  • “Research is more customizable.” - Hamza Arshad
  • “Being able to see how each sub team or how each person comes together and makes  a product work in our design team - I define that to be pretty successful.” - Hamza Arshad

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Hamza

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

 

]]> Fri, 7 Jan 2022 22:45:14 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Hamza Arshad, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/hamza-arshad-lp8AxcKM Introducing Hamza Arshad (Mech 2T1 + PEY)

Hamza Arshad is a current PEY student at Hanon Systems - an automotive thermal management system and automotive parts manufacturing company. He is returning to his 4th year in mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto in Fall 2021.

In undergrad, he contributed as a member of the Space System team at UTAT (University of Toronto Aerospace Team) on the Huron Mach (MOCK) 2 Project. He’s also the chief mechanical engineer at the UofT Hyperloop Team in designing the mechanical system for the hyperloop pod. He was also a (Summer) Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Ready Lab with Prof. Alison Olechowski where he investigated collaborative CAD (computer aided design) work and its effect on the quality of CAD models.

Notable Quotes

  • “Research is more customizable.” - Hamza Arshad
  • “Being able to see how each sub team or how each person comes together and makes  a product work in our design team - I define that to be pretty successful.” - Hamza Arshad

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Hamza

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

 

]]> 9. Hamza Arshad - Energy System Design and Collaborative CAD research Hamza Arshad, Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 01:08:47 During our talk, Hamza said “research is one of his favorite things to talk about.” He shared his interest in energy system design and optimism for sustainable technology in the future. We took a deep dive in Hamza’s experience through summer research at the Ready Lab at the University of Toronto, leading engineering design teams, and his Professional Experience Year Co-op (PEY) at Hanon Systems to learn more about Hamza’s journey. During our talk, Hamza said “research is one of his favorite things to talk about.” He shared his interest in energy system design and optimism for sustainable technology in the future. We took a deep dive in Hamza’s experience through summer research at the Ready Lab at the University of Toronto, leading engineering design teams, and his Professional Experience Year Co-op (PEY) at Hanon Systems to learn more about Hamza’s journey. university of toronto aerospace, mechanical engineering, university of toronto hyperloop team, first year engineering, u of t engineering no full 9 1 a53731dc-8de2-4930-9410-c5f6b49a4350 8. Benjamin Levy - From Science and Philosophy to Data Scientist About Benjamin Levy (Bachelor of Science 2019 at University of Toronto, MS in Data Science at Harvard University)

Benjamin Levy or Ben Levy graduated from University of Toronto in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Global Health, and Statistics, while minoring in philosophy. He recently completed his Master of Science in Data Science at Harvard University in Boston, worked at Facebook in Data Science and is currently a Data Science Fellow at QuantumBlack, which is a part of McKinsey and Company.

Ben has contributed significantly to the U of T and Toronto community. He’s conducted research at SickKids Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Department of Political Science at U of T. He’s an avid debater, former president of the Hart House Debating Club, and coached the University of Toronto Schools Debate Team. He also organized TedxUofT for a couple of years.

Notable Quotes

  • "Don't be afraid of taking a very unorthodox path to get to where you want to go.”- Ben Levy
  • “If you have the opportunity to create a learning occasion that is tailored to you, you should totally go for it.” - Ben Levy
  • “Being on a path that allow you to continue to learn … but at no point if i will be or have been successful aside from being on such a path.” - Ben Levy

Resources

TED(UofT) Talks Ben Worked on

Favourite TED Talks

How to get in touch with Ben

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Tue, 28 Sep 2021 01:09:02 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Benjamin Levy, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/ben-levy-vp3lBG8G About Benjamin Levy (Bachelor of Science 2019 at University of Toronto, MS in Data Science at Harvard University)

Benjamin Levy or Ben Levy graduated from University of Toronto in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Global Health, and Statistics, while minoring in philosophy. He recently completed his Master of Science in Data Science at Harvard University in Boston, worked at Facebook in Data Science and is currently a Data Science Fellow at QuantumBlack, which is a part of McKinsey and Company.

Ben has contributed significantly to the U of T and Toronto community. He’s conducted research at SickKids Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Department of Political Science at U of T. He’s an avid debater, former president of the Hart House Debating Club, and coached the University of Toronto Schools Debate Team. He also organized TedxUofT for a couple of years.

Notable Quotes

  • "Don't be afraid of taking a very unorthodox path to get to where you want to go.”- Ben Levy
  • “If you have the opportunity to create a learning occasion that is tailored to you, you should totally go for it.” - Ben Levy
  • “Being on a path that allow you to continue to learn … but at no point if i will be or have been successful aside from being on such a path.” - Ben Levy

Resources

TED(UofT) Talks Ben Worked on

Favourite TED Talks

How to get in touch with Ben

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 8. Benjamin Levy - From Science and Philosophy to Data Scientist Jennifer Wang, Benjamin Levy, Maeesha Biswas 01:10:39 Ben's biggest rule for education has been to “hack your degree” - taking the time to think thoughtfully and systematically about how he spent his years of undergraduate education. This began from when he chose his undergraduate program in life sciences at Victoria College, to his consistent involvement with the Hart House Debate Team, which he connects deeply to data science as both mediums of persuasion. TEDxUofT is a big part of our talk - and he had many TED talk recommendations for us. When Ben experienced a turning point learning data science and statistics through computational application at Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, he positioned himself for a career in data science while using his existing humanities, social sciences, and sciences background as a strength. We speak about his continued self-initiating tendencies while at Harvard, publishing articles, and engaging in scientific communication independently. Ben's biggest rule for education has been to “hack your degree” - taking the time to think thoughtfully and systematically about how he spent his years of undergraduate education. This began from when he chose his undergraduate program in life sciences at Victoria College, to his consistent involvement with the Hart House Debate Team, which he connects deeply to data science as both mediums of persuasion. TEDxUofT is a big part of our talk - and he had many TED talk recommendations for us. When Ben experienced a turning point learning data science and statistics through computational application at Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, he positioned himself for a career in data science while using his existing humanities, social sciences, and sciences background as a strength. We speak about his continued self-initiating tendencies while at Harvard, publishing articles, and engaging in scientific communication independently. data science, global health, statistics, university of toronto no full 8 1 15133b90-df48-4a12-8793-f1f739402e00 7. Netra Unni Rajesh - Finding Cancer Therapies while Thinking Artfully Introducing Netra Unni Rajesh (EngSci 1T9 + PEY, Current PhD Candidate in Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering @ Stanford 2020 - 2025)

Netra Unni Rajesh graduated from Engineering Science in 2020 from the Biomedical Systems option and completed her PEY at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Research Assistant. 

She has conducted research at the University of Toronto, at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the National University of Singapore (NUS). She found her passion for research at 15 while conducting cancer research at Sunnybrook.

Currently, she is a Bioengineering PhD Student at Stanford researching the development of biomaterials for medical applications including vaccines and cancer therapy at Dr. Joseph DeSimone’s lab. She was awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, a graduate-level scholarship program which prepares students for global leadership. While at U of T, she was named 1 of 10 3M National Student Fellows for her outstanding leadership and remarkable innovation both within and beyond higher education.

Notable Quotes

  • “There's just an ocean of knowledge out there, and there's so much that you could tackle.” - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “I am hoping someday all this work that I am doing now will help people and ultimately also potentially be a source of optimism for someone else.”  - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “ Things didn't work out exactly, but they worked out pretty close.”  - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “I would say for me right now I would define being successful as creating technology that can help the most people in the fastest way."  - Netra Unni Rajesh

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Netra

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Sun, 8 Aug 2021 00:20:55 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas, Netra Rajesh) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/netra-rajesh-JvA3FRf_ Introducing Netra Unni Rajesh (EngSci 1T9 + PEY, Current PhD Candidate in Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering @ Stanford 2020 - 2025)

Netra Unni Rajesh graduated from Engineering Science in 2020 from the Biomedical Systems option and completed her PEY at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Research Assistant. 

She has conducted research at the University of Toronto, at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the National University of Singapore (NUS). She found her passion for research at 15 while conducting cancer research at Sunnybrook.

Currently, she is a Bioengineering PhD Student at Stanford researching the development of biomaterials for medical applications including vaccines and cancer therapy at Dr. Joseph DeSimone’s lab. She was awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, a graduate-level scholarship program which prepares students for global leadership. While at U of T, she was named 1 of 10 3M National Student Fellows for her outstanding leadership and remarkable innovation both within and beyond higher education.

Notable Quotes

  • “There's just an ocean of knowledge out there, and there's so much that you could tackle.” - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “I am hoping someday all this work that I am doing now will help people and ultimately also potentially be a source of optimism for someone else.”  - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “ Things didn't work out exactly, but they worked out pretty close.”  - Netra Unni Rajesh
  • “I would say for me right now I would define being successful as creating technology that can help the most people in the fastest way."  - Netra Unni Rajesh

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Netra

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 7. Netra Unni Rajesh - Finding Cancer Therapies while Thinking Artfully Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas, Netra Rajesh 01:22:06 At 15, when she won a youth science competition Netra said “It's my life-long goal to be a cancer researcher.” Our conversation helped uncover a bit of what led to this self-empowerment in her career and life. We began with her experience conducting genomics research in high school, leading her to the Engineering Science program at U of T, leading the enormous growth of the Club for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (CUBE) and conducting research across borders. Knowing her enabling goal was always to be on the pathway of earning a PhD, we also realize the importance of asking insightful questions (and how this is often half the job) in graduate school, and how differences in agency have changed her perspective of graduate school versus undergrad. Newly introduced in this episode is a lightning ground of questions where we explore Netra’s alternate profession, her biggest mistake, what drives her, and the small pleasures in life she appreciates. At 15, when she won a youth science competition Netra said “It's my life-long goal to be a cancer researcher.” Our conversation helped uncover a bit of what led to this self-empowerment in her career and life. We began with her experience conducting genomics research in high school, leading her to the Engineering Science program at U of T, leading the enormous growth of the Club for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (CUBE) and conducting research across borders. Knowing her enabling goal was always to be on the pathway of earning a PhD, we also realize the importance of asking insightful questions (and how this is often half the job) in graduate school, and how differences in agency have changed her perspective of graduate school versus undergrad. Newly introduced in this episode is a lightning ground of questions where we explore Netra’s alternate profession, her biggest mistake, what drives her, and the small pleasures in life she appreciates. standford engineering, cancer research, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, engineering science, u of t engineering yes full 7 1 f3e9d4cc-babb-4c6b-b086-ca4d34841f6e 6. Laura Berneaga - Leadership and Learning (Non)human Languages Introducing Laura Berneaga (Mech 1T9 + PEY, Current MASc. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Laura earned her Undergraduate mechanical engineering degree, specializing in Mechatronics and Bioengineering with a minor in the latter and was a former U of T Engineering Society President. She’s currently a Master’s Student in Mechanical Engineering conducting research with ventilators borne from COVID-19.

Laura has a tendency to master everything she puts her mind to. She was the matriculation sub committee chair during Frosh Week 1T8. She has conducted research abroad at the University of Stuttgart in Germany and she did her PEY Co-op at Conavi Medical, which is a medical device company focused on providing image guidance technologies for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.

She is now co-chairing BioTEC, a conference which connects students with opportunities in Biotechnology and Bioengineering.

Notable Quotes

  • “Success is to be okay with failing… they are actually learning opportunities that you can take away much more from.” - Laura Berneaga
  • “Trying to plan for the future is very difficult and not worth it sometimes.” - Laura Berneaga
  • “How I define success is failure.” - Laura Berneaga
  • "I love having a purpose to the work that I do. I love doing engineering with a purpose." - Laura Berneaga

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Laura

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Fri, 25 Jun 2021 22:31:46 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Maeesha Biswas, Laura Berneaga, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/laura-berneaga-ivvvHTke Introducing Laura Berneaga (Mech 1T9 + PEY, Current MASc. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering @ University of Toronto)

Laura earned her Undergraduate mechanical engineering degree, specializing in Mechatronics and Bioengineering with a minor in the latter and was a former U of T Engineering Society President. She’s currently a Master’s Student in Mechanical Engineering conducting research with ventilators borne from COVID-19.

Laura has a tendency to master everything she puts her mind to. She was the matriculation sub committee chair during Frosh Week 1T8. She has conducted research abroad at the University of Stuttgart in Germany and she did her PEY Co-op at Conavi Medical, which is a medical device company focused on providing image guidance technologies for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.

She is now co-chairing BioTEC, a conference which connects students with opportunities in Biotechnology and Bioengineering.

Notable Quotes

  • “Success is to be okay with failing… they are actually learning opportunities that you can take away much more from.” - Laura Berneaga
  • “Trying to plan for the future is very difficult and not worth it sometimes.” - Laura Berneaga
  • “How I define success is failure.” - Laura Berneaga
  • "I love having a purpose to the work that I do. I love doing engineering with a purpose." - Laura Berneaga

Resources mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Laura

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 6. Laura Berneaga - Leadership and Learning (Non)human Languages Maeesha Biswas, Laura Berneaga, Jennifer Wang 02:12:11 We have a great conversation about Laura Berneaga’s entry to Engineering from a high school co-op experience at St. Michael’s Hospital, her biomedical engineering research origin story, and how her role as President of EngSoc came to be. We reminisce over her numerous leadership experiences (notably the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day), and talk about her time re-teaching herself how to code in grad school - and why life is a lot like debugging code. We have a great conversation about Laura Berneaga’s entry to Engineering from a high school co-op experience at St. Michael’s Hospital, her biomedical engineering research origin story, and how her role as President of EngSoc came to be. We reminisce over her numerous leadership experiences (notably the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day), and talk about her time re-teaching herself how to code in grad school - and why life is a lot like debugging code. biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, u of t engineering society, u of t engineering no full 6 1 88b95ecb-cd8d-4b29-b747-87c5f83300ce 5. Dr. Mikhail Burke - Bettering Biomaterials and Breaking Barriers Introducing Dr. Mikhail Burke (MSE 1T2, IBBME PhD 1T8 @ University of Toronto)

Dr. Burke (or Mikhail as we’ll refer to him) he began his undergraduate journey at the University of Toronto as a Materials Science engineering student, and led the U of T Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as their president. Later, he co-founded ENGage - a collaborative initiative between NSBE and U of T Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) targeting primarily African-Canadian youth to nurture their interest in STEM.

Mikhail continued his own STEM journey in the PhD program at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering in biomaterials on cancerous impact on bone quality.

Currently, he integrates social justice with his background as the Dean's Advisor on Black Inclusivity at the UofT FASE and is the co-instructor of TEP324 or Engineering & Social Justice, which is all about considering how different positionalities can be affected by our roles as engineers. Many of our listeners might know him from APS100 as the guest lecturer, or ESP (Engineering Strategies & Practice) as the engineering manager or his other involvement within the UofT community.

Notable Quotes

  • “Success is finding out what it is, what you actually want and then aspiring towards it - not what you think you want or what you feel socialized to gain.” - Dr. Mikhail Burke
  • “We have been conditioned to view learning by grades - not by outcome.” - Dr. Mikhail Burke
  • “Undergrad is a process of self discovery...take the time when the stakes are lower and take the time to discover yourself” - Dr. Mikhail Burke

Resources Mentioned Links

How to Get in Touch with Dr. Mikhail Burke

  • Email: mikhail.burke@mail.utoronto.ca

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Sun, 13 Jun 2021 22:41:02 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Mikhail Burke, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/mikhail-burke-AanJXfRq Introducing Dr. Mikhail Burke (MSE 1T2, IBBME PhD 1T8 @ University of Toronto)

Dr. Burke (or Mikhail as we’ll refer to him) he began his undergraduate journey at the University of Toronto as a Materials Science engineering student, and led the U of T Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as their president. Later, he co-founded ENGage - a collaborative initiative between NSBE and U of T Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) targeting primarily African-Canadian youth to nurture their interest in STEM.

Mikhail continued his own STEM journey in the PhD program at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering in biomaterials on cancerous impact on bone quality.

Currently, he integrates social justice with his background as the Dean's Advisor on Black Inclusivity at the UofT FASE and is the co-instructor of TEP324 or Engineering & Social Justice, which is all about considering how different positionalities can be affected by our roles as engineers. Many of our listeners might know him from APS100 as the guest lecturer, or ESP (Engineering Strategies & Practice) as the engineering manager or his other involvement within the UofT community.

Notable Quotes

  • “Success is finding out what it is, what you actually want and then aspiring towards it - not what you think you want or what you feel socialized to gain.” - Dr. Mikhail Burke
  • “We have been conditioned to view learning by grades - not by outcome.” - Dr. Mikhail Burke
  • “Undergrad is a process of self discovery...take the time when the stakes are lower and take the time to discover yourself” - Dr. Mikhail Burke

Resources Mentioned Links

How to Get in Touch with Dr. Mikhail Burke

  • Email: mikhail.burke@mail.utoronto.ca

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 5. Dr. Mikhail Burke - Bettering Biomaterials and Breaking Barriers Mikhail Burke, Jennifer Wang, Maeesha Biswas 02:52:13 In this epic 3 hour long conversation, Dr. Burke (or Mikhail) talks about his entire school and professional life from high school graduation to where he is now , the co-instructor of the Engineering & Social Justice Course and Dean’s Advisor on Black Inclusivity Initiatives at U of T FASE. We talk about his familial roots at U of T, feeling out of place at Skule before forging a community - NSBE, importance of the lab culture in a research experience, how he chose grad school, and his PhD experience of working at a satellite U of T hospital. Through this conversion, we discussed the idea of privilege and how it can affect one's pathways, the importance of building a learning experience focusing on objectives not grades, and how we can make research more accessible to the underrepresented communities. A theme we loved during this conversation was Mikhail’s propensity to question the status quo - beyond research. After earning a PhD at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at U of T, he combined his academic training with his long-term interests of empowering learning and creating pathways by continuing in his current work in inclusive pedagogy and higher education. In this epic 3 hour long conversation, Dr. Burke (or Mikhail) talks about his entire school and professional life from high school graduation to where he is now , the co-instructor of the Engineering & Social Justice Course and Dean’s Advisor on Black Inclusivity Initiatives at U of T FASE. We talk about his familial roots at U of T, feeling out of place at Skule before forging a community - NSBE, importance of the lab culture in a research experience, how he chose grad school, and his PhD experience of working at a satellite U of T hospital. Through this conversion, we discussed the idea of privilege and how it can affect one's pathways, the importance of building a learning experience focusing on objectives not grades, and how we can make research more accessible to the underrepresented communities. A theme we loved during this conversation was Mikhail’s propensity to question the status quo - beyond research. After earning a PhD at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at U of T, he combined his academic training with his long-term interests of empowering learning and creating pathways by continuing in his current work in inclusive pedagogy and higher education. materials science, biomedical engineering, first year engineering, u of t engineering no full 5 1 fcc6f37d-fc25-4749-b83e-355faffa78c4 4. Hanna Zhang - The Power of the Uncomfort Zone Introducing Hanna Zhang (EngSci Robotics 2T0 + PEY,  Current MSc. Computer Science @ University of Toronto)

Hanna is a fourth year Engineering Science student who just completed her last year of the Robotics Option, and minor in bioengineering. She’s a prominent face in the Skule community, as the Vice Chair Operations of F!rosh Week 2T0, leading the transition to an online experience for over 1000 new Skuligans. She was also the Student Clubs Liaison at Troost ILead.

Hanna started conducting research in high school, through to university, both at the National University of Singapore and at the multiple Toronto hospitals in soft and flexible robotics. Starting September 2021, she’ll be starting her Masters of Science in Computer Science at U of T.

Notable Quotes

  • “Every step of my life has been building up confidence, breaking it down and then rebuilding it.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “I change everyday with every new thing I experience.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “I think my biggest cheerleader now is myself.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “You only see a snapshot of these people in high places - you know, industry leaders, [people at] Google, but you don’t really see them throughout their career, and the story leading up.” - Hanna Zhang

Resources Mentioned Links

How to Get in Touch with Hanna

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> Wed, 26 May 2021 16:30:53 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang, Hanna Zhang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/hanna-zhang-AtgNTwK0 Introducing Hanna Zhang (EngSci Robotics 2T0 + PEY,  Current MSc. Computer Science @ University of Toronto)

Hanna is a fourth year Engineering Science student who just completed her last year of the Robotics Option, and minor in bioengineering. She’s a prominent face in the Skule community, as the Vice Chair Operations of F!rosh Week 2T0, leading the transition to an online experience for over 1000 new Skuligans. She was also the Student Clubs Liaison at Troost ILead.

Hanna started conducting research in high school, through to university, both at the National University of Singapore and at the multiple Toronto hospitals in soft and flexible robotics. Starting September 2021, she’ll be starting her Masters of Science in Computer Science at U of T.

Notable Quotes

  • “Every step of my life has been building up confidence, breaking it down and then rebuilding it.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “I change everyday with every new thing I experience.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “I think my biggest cheerleader now is myself.” - Hanna Zhang
  • “You only see a snapshot of these people in high places - you know, industry leaders, [people at] Google, but you don’t really see them throughout their career, and the story leading up.” - Hanna Zhang

Resources Mentioned Links

How to Get in Touch with Hanna

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen Man

]]> 4. Hanna Zhang - The Power of the Uncomfort Zone Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang, Hanna Zhang 01:24:30 As people who know Hanna personally, we’ve always known her to take chances even in uncertainty. She has always been a person to make the first move and chase after opportunities - even intimidating ones. During our chat, we talked about how this has helped her find and stumble through research before beginning university at Sunnybrook Hospital, and how every experience is an exercise of “rebuilding shattered confidence.” This talk is all about the hidden aspects of working and research - the nervousness, pits in your stomach, executing on visions without a solid plan, and handling interpersonal differences. As people who know Hanna personally, we’ve always known her to take chances even in uncertainty. She has always been a person to make the first move and chase after opportunities - even intimidating ones. During our chat, we talked about how this has helped her find and stumble through research before beginning university at Sunnybrook Hospital, and how every experience is an exercise of “rebuilding shattered confidence.” This talk is all about the hidden aspects of working and research - the nervousness, pits in your stomach, executing on visions without a solid plan, and handling interpersonal differences. frosh, graduate school, soft robot, engineering science no full 4 1 8404d66b-e9f8-46e6-a332-df984689e66e 3. Subaita Rahman - Create Serendipity for Opportunity Introducing Subaita Rahman (Current Bachelor of Science @ University of Toronto Life Sciences)

Subaita Rahman earned her spot as the top researcher at the conference for her work on the Validation of an image analysis algorithm for 3D hydrogel-culture platform or GLAnCE. Subaita Rahman is a second year life sciences student at the University of Toronto, majoring in human biology with a focus on Fundamental Genetics and its Applications, double minoring in bioethics and immunology. She’s also co-founder of bioDojo, a community she’s building as the Training Ground for Next-Gen Biotechnology Innovators.

Notable Quotes

  • “I like to create intentional luck rather than just random luck.” - Subaita Rahman
  • “Putting yourself out there is how you build serendipity for yourself in terms of getting opportunities...But what do you do after that? How do you make the most out of the environment you get put in?...Learning how to maximize more opportunities you get from that one opportunity is something that's really underlooked." - Subaita Rahman

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to Get in Touch with Subaita

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Subaita Rahman, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/subaita-rahman-EERGuYRn Introducing Subaita Rahman (Current Bachelor of Science @ University of Toronto Life Sciences)

Subaita Rahman earned her spot as the top researcher at the conference for her work on the Validation of an image analysis algorithm for 3D hydrogel-culture platform or GLAnCE. Subaita Rahman is a second year life sciences student at the University of Toronto, majoring in human biology with a focus on Fundamental Genetics and its Applications, double minoring in bioethics and immunology. She’s also co-founder of bioDojo, a community she’s building as the Training Ground for Next-Gen Biotechnology Innovators.

Notable Quotes

  • “I like to create intentional luck rather than just random luck.” - Subaita Rahman
  • “Putting yourself out there is how you build serendipity for yourself in terms of getting opportunities...But what do you do after that? How do you make the most out of the environment you get put in?...Learning how to maximize more opportunities you get from that one opportunity is something that's really underlooked." - Subaita Rahman

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to Get in Touch with Subaita

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> 3. Subaita Rahman - Create Serendipity for Opportunity Jennifer Wang, Subaita Rahman, Maeesha Biswas 00:52:17 Subaita’s fascination with research began in high school, which is where we began. It led her to the University of Toronto’s Life Sciences Program, where she carved out a space for herself as a community builder and entrepreneur, pursuing Ryerson University’s DMZ Youth Basecamp Program within her first year. Here, she learned to “condition herself to failure,” a skill that came in useful later as she emailed over a dozen scientists at U of T to conduct research at their labs a summer later. Her persistence led her to Dr. Alison McGuigan’s lab at U of T, learning how to code with no prior experience, eventually making so much of a change that she was awarded top researcher at the U of T Undergraduate Engineering Research Day. But it wasn’t easy. In between these successes, Subaita talks about the difficulty of finding scholarships to fund your dreams, and lack accessibility of opportunities. We also talk about how hard it is to find a community in a large program of study, how she overcame that. *Subaita mentions that the PEY co-op program wasn't available at the time she was looking for internships. Arts & Science recently launched the ASIP (Arts & Science Internship Program) program* Subaita’s fascination with research began in high school, which is where we began. It led her to the University of Toronto’s Life Sciences Program, where she carved out a space for herself as a community builder and entrepreneur, pursuing Ryerson University’s DMZ Youth Basecamp Program within her first year. Here, she learned to “condition herself to failure,” a skill that came in useful later as she emailed over a dozen scientists at U of T to conduct research at their labs a summer later. Her persistence led her to Dr. Alison McGuigan’s lab at U of T, learning how to code with no prior experience, eventually making so much of a change that she was awarded top researcher at the U of T Undergraduate Engineering Research Day. But it wasn’t easy. In between these successes, Subaita talks about the difficulty of finding scholarships to fund your dreams, and lack accessibility of opportunities. We also talk about how hard it is to find a community in a large program of study, how she overcame that. *Subaita mentions that the PEY co-op program wasn't available at the time she was looking for internships. Arts & Science recently launched the ASIP (Arts & Science Internship Program) program* life sciences, biodojo, digital media zone, university of toronto no full 3 1 7fb72227-495e-4493-88f9-1d2ed115cb31 2. Madeline Zhang - Catching Up on Time while Making Planes Quieter Introducing Maddy Zhang (EngSci Aero 2T0, Current MSc. in Aerospace Engineering @TU Delft)

Many of you may have heard of our next guest from this UToronto News Headline: Meet U of T’s youngest student: she's setting her sights on the stars

and now, as a graduate: At age 18, U of T's youngest grad has accomplished more than most – and she's just getting started

Maddy Zhang is an Engineering Science Aerospace 2020 Graduate at the University of Toronto. Maddy is currently a master’s student at the Delft University of Technology (or TUDelft) studying and researching on a full scholarship in the Netherlands.

While at U of T, she was the Chief Engineer of the University of Toronto Aerospace Team (or UTAT), and pursued her passion for leadership through the completion of a Certificate in Engineering Leadership with Troost ILead.

She did all this before turning 19. We sat down with her (figuratively) to ask about the story behind these successes.

Notable Quotes

  • “By accelerating through my education, I realize I may have missed out on time itself.” - Maddy Zhang
  • “I really want to focus on my personal development - not just making sure I have a good grasp of knowledge and of math, that I can be a good engineer but also that also making sure that I can be a good human [when I graduate].” - Maddy Zhang

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Maddy

Email: maddyxx.zhang@alum.utoronto.ca

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 03:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Madeline Zhang, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/madeline-zhang-g4YNnmMq Introducing Maddy Zhang (EngSci Aero 2T0, Current MSc. in Aerospace Engineering @TU Delft)

Many of you may have heard of our next guest from this UToronto News Headline: Meet U of T’s youngest student: she's setting her sights on the stars

and now, as a graduate: At age 18, U of T's youngest grad has accomplished more than most – and she's just getting started

Maddy Zhang is an Engineering Science Aerospace 2020 Graduate at the University of Toronto. Maddy is currently a master’s student at the Delft University of Technology (or TUDelft) studying and researching on a full scholarship in the Netherlands.

While at U of T, she was the Chief Engineer of the University of Toronto Aerospace Team (or UTAT), and pursued her passion for leadership through the completion of a Certificate in Engineering Leadership with Troost ILead.

She did all this before turning 19. We sat down with her (figuratively) to ask about the story behind these successes.

Notable Quotes

  • “By accelerating through my education, I realize I may have missed out on time itself.” - Maddy Zhang
  • “I really want to focus on my personal development - not just making sure I have a good grasp of knowledge and of math, that I can be a good engineer but also that also making sure that I can be a good human [when I graduate].” - Maddy Zhang

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to get in touch with Maddy

Email: maddyxx.zhang@alum.utoronto.ca

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> 2. Madeline Zhang - Catching Up on Time while Making Planes Quieter Jennifer Wang, Madeline Zhang, Maeesha Biswas 00:37:51 We spoke about Madeline, or Maddy’s fascination with tinkering, and how that interest led to admission to the Engineering Science program. She sees education as eternal and as more than mathematical or scientific; it’s about “becoming a better human.” Her definition of research is unexpected- Maddy suggests that we’ve all been researchers since we were babies. After all, “curiosity is something everyone is born with,” and something that is satiated gradually as we learn (which leads to more questions). She also helpfully breaks down the main categories and types of research engineers typically engage in, and we discuss her research journey; from UTAT, Norway, and now the Netherlands! We also talked about what gets her through her through the hard times in research (and life); remembering that curiosity, friends, reading, the Richard Feynman poster on her wall, and focusing on what makes us human first. We spoke about Madeline, or Maddy’s fascination with tinkering, and how that interest led to admission to the Engineering Science program. She sees education as eternal and as more than mathematical or scientific; it’s about “becoming a better human.” Her definition of research is unexpected- Maddy suggests that we’ve all been researchers since we were babies. After all, “curiosity is something everyone is born with,” and something that is satiated gradually as we learn (which leads to more questions). She also helpfully breaks down the main categories and types of research engineers typically engage in, and we discuss her research journey; from UTAT, Norway, and now the Netherlands! We also talked about what gets her through her through the hard times in research (and life); remembering that curiosity, friends, reading, the Richard Feynman poster on her wall, and focusing on what makes us human first. no full 2 1 671b4e95-b959-47db-9171-1028264612c1 1. Robert Adragna - “Fundamentally, We are not Engineers” Introducing Robert Adragna (EngSci Machine Intelligence 2T0, Current Masters Candidate @ University of Toronto Department of Philosophy)

Robert graduated from the Engineering Science Program in the Machine Intelligence Option with a minor in Philosophy in 2020. During his undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, he was the Director of Marketing, Outreach and Social Responsibility and a software developer at auToronto, U of T’s autonomous vehicle design team. He has also conducted research at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto and internationally at TU Darmstadt in Germany.

Currently, he is a Master’s Student in Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at U of T.

Notable Quotes

  • “Fundamentally we are not engineers, we are human beings.”- Robert Adragna, on why the humanities is critical to Engineering Education
  • “When you want go explore stuff, you don’t end up getting hitched into exploring what you think you’re going to explore; you end up getting exposed to the world as a whole”- Robert Adragna
  • “As engineers, we study how to build things, but ultimately, we have to build things for people.”- Robert Adragna

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to Get in Touch with Robert

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Jennifer Wang, Robert Adragna, Maeesha Biswas) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/robert-adragna-_GbGNuf8 Introducing Robert Adragna (EngSci Machine Intelligence 2T0, Current Masters Candidate @ University of Toronto Department of Philosophy)

Robert graduated from the Engineering Science Program in the Machine Intelligence Option with a minor in Philosophy in 2020. During his undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, he was the Director of Marketing, Outreach and Social Responsibility and a software developer at auToronto, U of T’s autonomous vehicle design team. He has also conducted research at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto and internationally at TU Darmstadt in Germany.

Currently, he is a Master’s Student in Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at U of T.

Notable Quotes

  • “Fundamentally we are not engineers, we are human beings.”- Robert Adragna, on why the humanities is critical to Engineering Education
  • “When you want go explore stuff, you don’t end up getting hitched into exploring what you think you’re going to explore; you end up getting exposed to the world as a whole”- Robert Adragna
  • “As engineers, we study how to build things, but ultimately, we have to build things for people.”- Robert Adragna

Resources Mentioned with Links

How to Get in Touch with Robert

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> 1. Robert Adragna - “Fundamentally, We are not Engineers” Jennifer Wang, Robert Adragna, Maeesha Biswas 00:57:52 During this conversation, we explored Robert’s fascination with and deconstruction of knowledge, beyond the profession of engineering in philosophy, the importance of developing philosophically informed technical systems. He retold stories about his multiple research experiences and the lessons he learned, both humorous and humbling, about conducting research in Toronto and abroad, as well across the disciplines of engineering and philosophy. Robert suggests we develop an orientation of success rather than a definition, and an observational one, at that. What if instead of constantly thinking of legacy making in our pursuit of growth, we took a step back to just marvel at how cool existing can be? During this conversation, we explored Robert’s fascination with and deconstruction of knowledge, beyond the profession of engineering in philosophy, the importance of developing philosophically informed technical systems. He retold stories about his multiple research experiences and the lessons he learned, both humorous and humbling, about conducting research in Toronto and abroad, as well across the disciplines of engineering and philosophy. Robert suggests we develop an orientation of success rather than a definition, and an observational one, at that. What if instead of constantly thinking of legacy making in our pursuit of growth, we took a step back to just marvel at how cool existing can be? graduate school, engineering science, philosophy no full 1 1 3114a846-2153-4a74-8eb2-163ab23db3fe Introducing : 1% Inspiration We've collected a bunch of student-specific and student-targeted discounts for various Academic, Software, Personal Organization, and U of T Specific tools. Access it here!

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by theHart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> Tue, 16 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Whatisyour1percent@gmail.com (Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang) https://1-inspiration.com/episodes/introducing-1-inspiration-mhHdKpNA We've collected a bunch of student-specific and student-targeted discounts for various Academic, Software, Personal Organization, and U of T Specific tools. Access it here!

Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!

This podcast is generously supported by theHart House Good Ideas Fund.

Music By : Zen_Man

]]> Introducing : 1% Inspiration Maeesha Biswas, Jennifer Wang 00:01:12 Welcome to 1% Inspiration, a University of Toronto based podcast designed for future researchers where we transform traditional coffee chats with our guests by exploring a question beyond scientific; what are the untold and overlooked stories behind your success? We spotlight underrepresented pathways in research and diverse fields & backgrounds. Grab your favourite warm drink, and let's share an honest conversation. Talk soon! Welcome to 1% Inspiration, a University of Toronto based podcast designed for future researchers where we transform traditional coffee chats with our guests by exploring a question beyond scientific; what are the untold and overlooked stories behind your success? We spotlight underrepresented pathways in research and diverse fields & backgrounds. Grab your favourite warm drink, and let's share an honest conversation. Talk soon! 1% inspiration, undergraduate research, university of toronto no trailer 1