The Research Rundown

Welcome to Season 4, episode 2 of "The Research Rundown"! Join host Nikolina Geneski, a first year masters in nuclear engineering student at Ontario Tech University, in a dynamic conversation with Professor Jennifer Mckellar, an Associate Professor and the Acting Chair of the Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering. With 11 years of teaching at Ontario Tech University, Dr. Mckellar delves into her pioneering work on Small Modular Reactors' life cycle assessment. Gain insights into the environmental impact of nuclear energy and its role in sustainability. Don't miss this episode unpacking Dr. Mckellar's journey and vision for the future of the nuclear industry.

Interviewee: Dr. Jennifer McKellar, Associate Professor, Chair Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering

Interviewer: Nikolina Geneski, 1st year Masters in Nuclear Engineering Student

Welcome to the Season 4 premiere of "The Research Rundown"! Your host, Urooj Fatima Khan, a first-year mechanical engineering student, sits down with none other than Dr. Ibrahim Dincer, a distinguished professor and world-renowned expert in clean energy systems, with a specific focus on hydrogen. As one of the founding members of the faculty, he joins the conversation to celebrate 20 years of engineering excellence at Ontario Tech. Tune in as Urooj and Dr. Dincer explore the intricacies of clean energy and hydrogen, delving into the applications of his research and the critical importance of clean energy solutions. Discover the story behind Dr. Dincer's journey and gain insights into his vision for a sustainable future.

Interviewee: Dr. Ibrahim Dincer, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Manufaturing Engineering

Interviewer: Urooj Fatima Khan, 1st year Mechanical Engineering Student

In this latest episode of the Research Rundown, get to know one of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science's newest professors, Dr. Meaghan Charest-Finn! In this conversation, Dr. Charest-Finn sits down with Mechatronics Engineering student Nicholas Varas to discuss her ongoing research in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and model predictive controls. They also talk about her journey going from a small Maritime town to postgraduate education, the differences between AI vs. Machine Learning, and her future plans for her new research lab at Ontario Tech. If you are interested in AI and its role in our daily lives, or are debating pursuing postgraduate education, you will not want to miss this episode.

Interviewee: Dr. Meghan Charest-Finn, Assistant Professor, Department of Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering

Interviewer: Nicholas Varas, 4th year Mechatronics Engineering Student

The Research Rundown is back for Season 3, and in this inaugural episode, host Valery Senka sits down with Dr. Markus Piro to discuss his career path and current research in the nuclear power sector. Together, Valery and Dr. Piro discuss the different types of nuclear power generation, the emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and how students will play an important role in their development and maintenance. Dr. Piro also discusses the exciting and continuously growing nuclear power landscape across Canada.

Interviewee: Dr. Markus Piro, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Nuclear Fuels and Materials, Department Chair Energy and Nuclear Engineering

Interviewer: Valery Senka, 4th year Nuclear Engineering Student

In this episode with Dr. Marc Rosen, the founding Dean of The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, we will explore the future of sustainable energy. Brendan Varmazis, a Mechanical Engineering student studying the Energy Option and Dr. Rosen discuss Rosen’s current research on the subjects of: sustainable energy systems and processes, polygeneration and thermal energy storage. Dr. Rossa also gives insight into how sustainable energy can make an impact on climate change, and reflects on his time as the founding Dean of the faculty.

Interviewee: Dr. Marc Rosen, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Interviewer: Brendan Varmazis, 5th-year Mechanical Engineering, Energy Option Student.

In this special National Engineering Month episode, Ontario Tech Engineering Outreach Coordinator Vanessa Ironside takes us on a journey exploring her research and some of the critical topics surrounding the STEM education pipeline in Ontario. She will take a look at how gender, socioeconomic status, and race play into the number of youth choosing STEM as an education and career path, and the steps that are being taken to make it more accessible and inclusive.

Interviewee: Vanessa Ironside, Engineering Outreach Coordinator

Interviewer: Carlee Rogers, 4th year Mechatronics Student

In our final episode of 2020, host Fiona Man, a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student is joined by Ontario Tech Alumni and Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Zeinab El-Sayegh, who discusses her innovative research understanding off-road vehicle performance, taking an in-depth look at Tire-Terrain Interaction, Advanced Multi-Objective Crash Analysis Optimization and the Vehicle Dynamics and Crash Analysis Lab in which she works. Dr. El-Sayegh also gives insight into what it’s like to be a Postdoctoral Fellow, and shares words of advice with Fiona about the Ontario Tech Racing Team.

Interviewee: Dr. Zeinab El-Sayegh, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering

Interviewer: Fiona Man, 3rd year Mechanical Engineering Student

What is the future of electric transportation? How can we improve the environmental impact of vehicles on the road? How will we charge autonomous vehicles? In this episode, host Pranav is joined by Dr. Sheldon Williamson, where he discusses the exciting world of Transportation Electrification. Learn more about the electrification of mass transit systems, discover how you can wirelessly charge autonomous vehicles, and find out how we can make battery storage systems last longer.

In this episode, host Daniel Nucci is back with Dr. Shahryar Rahnamayan, to examine the complex issues surrounding large-scale software optimization. Danny and Dr. Rahnamayan discuss the effectiveness of optimization and then look at his current research on the binary tagging of medical images through radon barcodes, and how important software engineers are to the medical industry. They talk about his newest research project, designing an advanced search engine for large pathology archives.

Interviewee: Dr. Shahryar Rahnamayan, Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering

Interviewer: Daniel Nucci, 4th year Software Engineering Student.

In this episode, Dr. Ali Hosseini discusses his research in machining difficult-to-cut materials. The interview begins with a look at Dr. Hosseini's career path, including his time as a PhD student at Ontario Tech University, and then dives deep into his current research and how it ties into his teaching. We will then take a look at his most recent project, working on the Code Life Ventilator Challenge.

Dr. Sayyed Ali Hosseini, BSc, MSc, PhD, PEng
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Sandra Mai, 4th year Mechanical Engineering Student