Schulich Connects - Expanding Perspectives on Engineering
Engineers are changemakers. In order to make the most impactful, positive change for the most people, we need to include a variety of experiences and backgrounds in the conversations about what we are developing. In engineering, diversity is essential for collaboration and innovation. Whether it’s encouraging women and other underrepresented groups to get into STEM-related fields, welcoming dialogue with Indigenous communities, supporting the LGBTQ2S+ community, or incorporating universal design in collaboration with persons who have disabilities, engineers have an important role to play in providing opportunities for everyone to feel like they belong. Join us on April 25 for our final Schulich Connects of the 2023-2024 season, Expanding Perspectives on Engineering, for a candid conversation about creating a better tomorrow for everyone.
Event details:
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Breakfast: 7:30 - 8 a.m.
MT
Program: 8 - 9 a.m.
MT
Format: In-person (CNRL Complex Atrium) or Zoom
Dress code: business casual
Meet our moderator:
Dr.
Laleh Behjat
Professor, Schulich School of Engineering
Dr.
Laleh Behjat is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary.
She holds the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering - Prairies.
Her research focuses on developing mathematical techniques and software tools for automating the design of digital integrated circuits.
Dr.
Behjat acted as an academic advisor for Google Technical Development Guide and was a member of Google’s Council on Computer Science Education.
She is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on CAD, and ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems.
Dr.
Behjat is passionate about increasing the status of women in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) and removing systemic barriers.
She has won numerous prestigious awards and is currently leading a change leadership program called WISE Planet, with the mission to envision and build a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive society.
Meet our panelists:
Dr.
Emily Marasco
Associate Dean – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA), Schulich School of Engineering
Dr. Emily Marasco is an Assistant Professor (Teaching) of software engineering and the Associate Dean – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA).
She is the founder of the ADAPT Lab: Advancements in Digital Applications and Pedagogical Transformation.
Her current research and teaching interests are in the area of learning engineering, including the use of gamification, blended learning, and interactive digital learning tools as methods for enhancing creativity within software and computer engineering.
Dr.
Marasco’s pedagogical initiatives for digital transformation in education include digital and AI literacy, integration of cognitive diversity, and accessibility best practices.
Dr.
Marasco is active as a science communicator and outreach speaker in the local education community.
She has been recognized as the 2018 ASTech Outstanding Leader of Tomorrow and received the 2016 Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Graduate Award for women in engineering.
She was most recently recognized as one of Calgary’s 2019 Top 40 Under 40 recipients.
Nannette Ho-Covernton
Sustainability Leader, Spartan Controls
Nannette Ho-Covernton is an alumnus of the Schulich School of Engineering.
She joined Spartan Controls after spending eight years in the Engineering community.
Nannette’s current role as Spartan’s Sustainability Leader includes being Spartan’s liaison to industry, education, innovation, and environmental communities.
Her recent focus has been centered on advancing innovation in the clean energy technology ecosystem and having conversations on policy and sustainable supply chain.
Her commitment to giving back to her community is evident through her extensive volunteer work.
She dedicates and contributes her time, resources and expertise to various not-for-profit groups and academic institutions, particularly in promoting and advancing youth and women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.
Currently, Nannette serves as an advisor to the Schulich School of Engineering and the MacPhail School of Energy.
She is also the co-lead of the Digital Oil & Gas Theme of the Clean Resource Innovation Network, and Board Member of the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada.
Nannette has participated in numerous innovation initiatives, hackathons, and entrepreneurial events, where she has shared her expertise and contributed to the development of innovative solutions.