The STEMpower Teachers Conference is made up of :

1) TheOpeningKeynote,ChrisHadfield2) TheOn-the-PodiumSpeakerSeries,seemoredetailsonthelastpage3) WorkshopsheldinNewHallResidenceandMcGillAthleticsFacilities4) AccesstotheCanada-WideScienceFestivalExhibitBooths5) AccesstotheDiscoveryZone(ExhibitBooths)6) PanelDiscussiononWednesdayEvening:StateofScienceandScienceEducation

The STEMpower conference will be held in two buildings over the course of the event:

New Hall Residence • RegistrationDesk• Workshops

New Hall Residence, McGill University 3625 Ave du Parc, Montreal, Qc., H2X 3P8

McGill Athletics • OpeningKeynote• On-the-PodiumSpeakerSeries*• PanelDiscussionandsomeworkshops

Entrance : Through the Tomlinson Fieldhouse New Hall Residence, McGill University 3625 Ave du Parc, Montreal, Qc., H2X 3P8

• Besuretoattendoneormoreofthe«On-the-PodiumSpeakerSeries»blocks(seethelastpage),youwon’tbedissappointed.YoushouldalsoplantospendatleasttwohoursintheExhibitHallinteractingwiththestudentsandexhibitorsoverthecourseofthePublicViewingHours.

STEMpower Conference Program May 18 – 19 – 20, 2016

WEDNESDAY MAY 18th, 2016 KEYNOTE : 9 :00 – 10 :00, CHRIS HADFIELD

Building Room Presenter Title Description

Currie Gym Gym 3/4 Chris Hadfield Opening Keynote Address

«GoodmorningEarth!»ThatishowColonelChrisHadfield–writingonTwitter–wokeuptheworldeverydaywhilelivingforfivemonthsaboardtheInternationalSpaceStation.Throughhis21yearsasanastronaut,threespaceflights,and2600orbitsofEarth,ColonelHadfieldhasbecomeaworldwidesensation,harnessingthepowerofsocialmediatomakeouterspaceaccessibletomillionsandinfusingasenseofwonderintoourcollectiveconsciousnessnotfeltsincehumanitywalkedontheMoon.Called«themostfamousastronautsinceNeilArmstrong,»ColonelHadfieldcontinuestobringthemarvelsofscienceandspacetraveltoeveryoneheencounters.

WEDNESDAY MAY 18TH, 2016 BLOCK A-1 : 10 :30 – 12 :00

Building Room Presenter Title Description

New Hall Ballroom A Keith Kelley EdTech Project Based STEM

Audience:K–Grade12Inthisworkshop,wewillexplorehowdigitaltoolscansupporteffectiveSTEMlearning.STEMisaboutsolvingrealworldchallengesfromthepersonalleveltotheglobalscale.Whatsetofskillsandunderstandingscouldbemoreimportantforourstudents,tothegenerationofleaders,workers,andcitizenswhoarepreparingforthefutureinourclassrooms?

New Hall Ballroom B Dominic P. Tremblay Youth Science Canada

Introduction à Éducasciences

Audience:K–Grade12L’atelierd'introductionàÉducasciencesinclutdesactivitéspratiquesquipeuventêtreutiliséesdanslesclassesdelamaternelleàla5esecondaire(maternelleàla12eannéeàl’extérieurduQuébec).Cesactivitésencouragentlequestionnementetl'utilisationdes35habiletésduprocessusd’enquêtesansmatérielcoûteux.Éducasciencesestuncadrepourl’enseignementdessciencesquipermetledéveloppementdeshabiletésenrecherche,lacréativitéetl’innovation.Lesélèvesapprennentà«pensercommedesscientifiques».

Building Room Presenter Title Description

New Hall du Parc Chris Webb

Lester B. Pearson School Board

Using Google Apps for Education in the Math

Classroom

Audience:Grade7–Grade12ThisworkshopwillshowhowwecanuseGoogleAppsforEducationintheMathClassroomandhowusingarangeofresourcesworkingtogethercanallowustotakeourMathclasstothenextlevel.Discoverhowtoallowstudentstorespondtoaformusinganequationandmathnotation,atthesametimeasdiscoveringhowwecanintegratethirdpartysitesintoourMathClassusing'SigninwithGoogle'

New Hall des Pins Chris Colley &

Christine Truesdale LEARN

Full STEAM Ahead : Making the Case for

Makerspaces

Audience:Grades5–Grade12CuriousaboutMakerspaces,ArtHives,GeniusHoursandPassionProjects?There'snobetterwaytolearnabouttheMakermovementthanbylivingtheexperienceyourself!ThissessiongivesparticipantstheopportunitytolearnaboutMakercultureandhowitmanifestsinschools.Participantsalsoengageintheprocessofmakingandtinkeringonasmallscale,withaccesstoresources,tools,ideasandcommunity.Learnaboutavailableandaccessiblematerialsandbooks,andmeetlike-mindedpeopleinterestedinthehands-onaspectsofSTEAMeducation.

Currie Gym 152 Heather McPherson

Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board

Science Fair : Preparing Students for Success

Audience:Grade7–Grade12Byitsnature,sciencefairsrequirestudentstoengageintheprocessofinquirylearning.Studentschooseatopicbasedontheirinterest.Theroleoftheteacheristoguidethestudent,ensuringthatstudents’questionsarerelevant,andthattheevaluationofresultsisvalid.Teachershavearoleineditingstudent’swork,andprovidingfeedbackandpossiblenovelideasforthestudenttodevelopandresearch.Thefocusoftheworkshopistoexaminehowteacherscanhelpstudentsacheivesuccesswiththeirprojects.PreviousIISEFwinnerswouldbeco-presenters.Dependingontimeconstraints,participantscouldwalkthroughthefairtolookatwhatmakesprojectssuccessful.

BLOCK A-2 : 13 :30 – 15 :00Building Room Presenter Title Description

New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley EdTech

Makerspace & Robotics

Audience:Grade5–Grade12Thesessionswillbeintendedforanaudienceofeducatorswithdiversetechnologyskills.Thecontentwillfocusontheapplication,integrationandphilosophyofaMakerSpaceenvironmentfork-12instruction,including3DPrinting,RoboticsandotherMakerSpacematerials.

New Hall Ballroom B Dr. Ben Newling

University of New Brunswick

Demonstrations in the Science Classroom (Best Practice &

Disappointments)

Audience:Grade7–Grade12Classroomdemonstrationscanbeoneofthemostexcitingaspectsofscienceteaching.However,researchontheuseofclassroomdemonstrationsshowsthattheirimpactcanbelessthanexciting.Inthisworkshop,wewilldiscusssomeofthatresearch,someofthepitfallstoavoidinclassroomdemonstrationsandwewilltryoutsomeofthepracticalsuggestionsthatarisefromthatresearch.

New Hall du Parc Chris Webb

Lester B. Pearson School Board

Teaching Programming Through the Hour of Code and

Google CS First

Audience:Grade5-Grade10Discoverhowwecanempoweryoungpeoplethroughlearningtocodeandhowwecanfosterlogicalandcreativethinkingskills.ThroughthisworkshopyouwilldiscoverhowtodeliveranhourofcodeandusetheGoogleCSFirstprogramtogetstudentsinterestedincoding.Learnhowtointegratethisintoarangeofsubjectareasandhowarangeofdifferenttoolsallowustoadaptthistoarangeofagegroups.ThisworkshopwillbemainlyGrade6to8related,butcouldeasilybeadapted.

New Hall des Pins Janice Williams Mining Matters

Earth Mining and Gaming: Getting

mORE out of minecraft

Audience:Grade5–Grade8ThegameofMinecraftissomethingthatmostelementaryCycle3andsecondaryCycle1studentsarefamiliarwithinthattheyaretaskedtoinnovateandusetechnologythroughoutthegametosolveproblems.Thepopularityofthisgamingplatformprovideaperfectopportunitytoengageandeducatestudentsaboutthecorrectnessofthesciencepresentedinthegame.

McGill Athletics 152

Mr. Simon Marcoux CRC Robotics

- Robotique CRC

Technological Autonomuy through Hands-On Projects

Audience:Grade7–Grade12Alotofpeoplebelievethatusageoftechnologyisreservedtohigh-techcorporationsandhighlytrainedscientists,engineersortechnicians.But,whyshoulditbe?Slowlybutsurely,thisauraoffascinationandapprehensionisgettingweakerandweaker.Inthepastdecade,powerfultechnologiesbecamemoreandmoreaccessibletothegeneralpublicthankstoahandfulofnon-profits,companiesandgroups.Nowadays,studentscandiveintothisfascinatingworldanduselowcosttechnologiestolettheirimaginationrunloose:websites,robots,t-shirtswithlightsthatflash,weatherstation...Byusingtechnologyontheirownturf,studentsarefosteringasenseofautonomyandconfidencethatempowerthemforthefuturethatliesaheadorsimplyfortheirownenjoyment.Whatwasonceadreadedbehemothisnowagatewaytotheirnextcreativeendeavor.Thisworkshopwillgiveyouthelowdownonhowaccessibletechnologiesevolvedandhowcanitbeintroducedtopeopleofallages.withafocusonhighschoolandcollegeextra-curricularactivities.

BLOCK A-3 : 15 :30 – 17 :00Building Room Presenter Title Description

New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley EdTech

Increasing student agency through STEM

Audience:K–Grade12WehearsomuchaboutSTEMthesedays,butsolittleaboutkids.Thissessionwillhelpyoufigureouthowtoempowerchildrentotakethereignsoftheirownlearningbyharnessingavarietyoftools.HaveyouheardaboutArduino?Let’stalkabouthowtoeasilybringitintotheclassroom.Havea3Dprinter?We’lltalkthroughitsusebystudents.Thesetopics,andmuchmoreawaityouinthisstudentagencysession.

New Hall Ballroom B MichaelBowenNSTADistrictXVIII

What the National Science Teachers Association

(NSTA) Offers Canadian Teachers of Science

Audience:K–Grade12TheNationalScienceTeachersAssociationisanAmericanorganizationthatalsohasthousandsofCanadianmembers.Thisworkshopprovidesanoverviewofthevariousbooks,magazines,webinars,webandwrittenresources,PDandworkshopsavailabletoteachers(anumberalowornocost)tohelpthemteachscienceandSTEMissues.TheworkshopwillincludeadrawforNSTAbooksandresourcesandareducedmembershipofferavailabletoparticipants.AlthoughmostresourcesareinEnglish,someNSTAPressofferingshavealsobeenpublishedinFrench.

New Hall du Parc Ms. Tamara Sealy Nutrients for Life

An Introduction the Nutrients for Life

Foundation Canada and School Learning

Gardens

Audience:Grade5-10Haveyoueverwonderedhowthefoodgetstoyourdinnerplateeveryday?Doesyourschoolhavealearninggarden?ThegoalofNutrientsforLifeFoundationistoeducateyouthaboutsoilscience,agriculturalawareness,sustainabilityandhowplantnutrientsareneededtogrowhealthynutritiousfoodweallenjoy.ComeandlearnaboutourfreeresourcesforCanadianteacherstohelpimplementsoilscienceandhowschoollearninggardensgivestudentshandsonactivitiestolearnaboutfoodproduction.

New Hall des Pins Ms. Saarah Broadbent ExploreLearning

Enhancing the STEM Curriculum with Virtual Gizmo Simulations From

ExploreLearning

Audience:Grade5–Grade12GizmosareaperfectsolutionforschoolslookingforwaystoenhanceSTEMcurriculumandbuild21stcenturyskillsforstudents.ExploreLearningGizmoshelpteacherstakeadvantageofresearch-proveninstructionalstrategiesandletstudentsofallabilitylevelsdevelopdeepconceptualunderstandingthroughinquirylearning.Teacherscansupplementandenhanceinquiryinstructionwithpowerfulinteractivevisualizationsofscienceandmathematicsconcepts.Studentscanmanipulatekeyvariables,generateandtesthypotheses,andengageinextensive“what-if”experimentation

McGill Athletics 152 Mr. Giacinto Spina

Robotics and Cross-Curricular Learning

Audience:Grade5–Grade10Althoughteachersaregenerallyenthusiasticandcreative,manyarestillreticentwhendealingwithroboticsandcoding.Thepurposeofthisworkshopistoremovethatfearandunderstandthat:

• robotsdoexactlywhatweteachthem,andstudentsbecomeempoweredbytheirabilitytoTEACH-robots;

• robotsarepatientandforgivinglearners,challengingustocorrectstructuralshortcomings,clarifycodinginstructions,andevensearchingformoreelegantwaysofdoingthingsonceamissionisaccomplished;

• newroboticsenthusiastsmustnotbeafraidtomakemistakes,buttojointheirstudentandlearnfromthosevaluablemissteps;

• inadditiontofacilitatingtheunderstandingofSTEM-relatedlearning,roboticsalsoofferspossibilitiestostimulateartisticcreativitybychoreographingon-stagerobotperformances;

State of Science and Science Education Panel : 19 :30 – 21 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description McGill

Athletics Currie Gyms

3/4 Various Panel Discussion The panelists will discuss the State of Science and Science Educatio.

THURSDAY MAY 19TH, 2016 Keynote : 9 :00 – 10 :00

Building Room Presenter Title Description New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley

EdTechTeam Keynote Title: Why STEM?

WhySTEM?WhymakeApplicationofKnowledgethroughEffortthefocus?Whyfailinggracefullyisgoingtochangehoweducationisimplemented?Studentswillhaveaccesstotoolslike3Dprintersthatwillallowthemtoredesigntheworld.Theywillbeabletocreateobjectsandmanufactureobjectsthatcanonlyexistthroughnewdesigntechniques.Letstakethevirtualtorealandtherealtosurreal.Whynot?AMaineeducatorfor23yearsheiscurrentlyteachingIntegratedTechnologyforRSU19.HavingtaughtLanguageArts,SocialStudiesandservingastheSchoolLibrarian,thisishisfirstexperienceteachingIT.StudentsmakeSkateboards,Robots,ComputerGames,and3dPrintedProjectsinthisprogram.

BLOCK B-1 : 10 :30 – 12 :00

NewHall BallroomA Mr. Keith Kelley EdTechTeam

IncreasingstudentagencythroughSTEM

WehearsomuchaboutSTEMthesedays,butsolittleaboutkids.Thissessionwillhelpyoufigureouthowtoempowerchildrentotakethereignsoftheirownlearningbyharnessingavarietyoftools.HaveyouheardaboutArduino?Let’stalkabouthowtoeasilybringitintotheclassroom.Havea3Dprinter?We’lltalkthroughitsusebystudents.Thesetopics,andmuchmoreawaityouinthisstudentagencysession.

NewHall BallroomB Ms.RomaMedwidTheLearningPartnership

Investigate!Invent!Innovate!

Investigate!Invent!Innovate!,orI3,isacurriculum-alignedprogramforGrade7&8studentsthatintegratesscience,technology,engineeringandmath(STEM)skillsand21stCenturycompetenciessuchascriticalthinking,creativity,collaborationandcommunication.Theseskillshelpstudentsdeveloptheabilitiesneededtosucceedinagloballycompetitiveworkplace.Studentsidentifyaproblemoropportunityintheirdailylivesandtheninventaproductorprocessestosolvetheproblems,basedonconceptstheylearninclass.TheprogramculminateswithannualInventionConventionsinvariouscitiesacrossCanada.

NewHall duParc Ms.VeronicaSandersFutureGoals

HockeyintheClassroom?BestPracticesforUsing

DigitalResources

JoinustolearnmoreaboutFutureGoals–HockeyScholar™,anocostdigitalresourceforgrade4-8studentsthatleverageshighlyinteractivegameplayandthesportofhockeytoteachimportantScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathconcepts.You'lllearnhowtoseamlesslyintegratethisresourceintoyourclassroombylearningbestpracticesfromafellowteacherandourlocalimplementationspecialists.Thecourseutilizesanexploratorylearningapproach,exposingstudentstofoundationalSTEMconceptssuchasscientificthinkinganddataanalysisthroughreal-lifeapplications.ItisalignedtoCanadianProvincialMath&ScienceStandardsinordertoeasilyintegrateintoyourlessonplans.Thishands-onworkshopwillgiveyouallthetoolsnecessarytoutilizethisprogram.Bytheendofthesession,participantswillhaveaccesstoateacheraccountwiththeFutureGoals-HockeyScholarresourceandwillbeabletouseitintheirclassroomsthenextday!

NewHall desPins

JaredGayTechSherpa

NokomisRegionalHigh

ChandlerCossarTechSherpa

NookomisRegionalHigh

WhichAppShouldIUse?

JaredGayisasenioratNokomisRegionalHighinNewport,Maine.Heplaysvarsitysoccerandiscaptainoftheteam.JaredisalsoaparttimeDJandplaysseveraleventssuchasfundraisersandproms.HeiscurrentlyenrolledattheUniversityofMaineinOronoandwillbemajoringinhistory.HehaspresentedatvarioustecheventsacrosstheUnitedStates.BeingaseniorofNokomisRegionalHighinNewport,Maine,Chandlerjugglessportssuchasvarsitysoccerandtrack,workingasaCreditUnionTeller,andbeinganAPstudent,hehashadmanyopportunitiesandsuccessesinhisyounglife.HeisattendingThomasCollegeintheFallof2016topursueadegreeinpoliticalsciencemajorandpre-lawwhereheplanstobecomeaPrivateFunds/HedgeFundsAttorney.

BLOCK B-2 : 13 :30 – 15 :00

New Hall Ballroom A Janice Williams Mining Matters

Earth Mining and Gaming: Getting mORE out of

minecraft

Audience:Grade5–Grade8ThegameofMinecraftissomethingthatmostelementaryCycle3andsecondaryCycle1studentsarefamiliarwithinthattheyaretaskedtoinnovateandusetechnologythroughoutthegametosolveproblems.Thepopularityofthisgamingplatformprovideaperfectopportunitytoengageandeducatestudentsaboutthecorrectnessofthesciencepresentedinthegame.

New Hall Ballroom B Ms.SaarahBroadbentExploreLearning

DrivingInstructionUsingGizmos

Join ExploreLearning as they showcase how to use science simulations (Gizmos) to deepen students conceptual knowledge of STEM/STEAM concepts. Discover how to use Gizmos as a vehicle through which to teach these concepts while incorporating science and engineering practices and cross curricular English Language Arts progressions. Experience the versatility of Gizmos as classroom applications are addressed - whole classroom instruction, flipped classrooms, computer labs, or BYOD. During this session, EL trainers will share best practices while showcasing practical teacher and student examples, including but not limited to inquiry, technology integration, claim-evidence reasoning, and incorporation of new STEM standards.

New Hall Du Parc MichaelBowenNSTADistrictXVIII

What the National Science Teachers Association

(NSTA) Offers Canadian Teachers of Science

Audience:K–Grade12TheNationalScienceTeachersAssociationisanAmericanorganizationthatalsohasthousandsofCanadianmembers.Thisworkshopprovidesanoverviewofthevariousbooks,magazines,webinars,webandwrittenresources,PDandworkshopsavailabletoteachers(anumberalowornocost)tohelpthemteachscienceandSTEMissues.TheworkshopwillincludeadrawforNSTAbooksandresourcesandareducedmembershipofferavailabletoparticipants.AlthoughmostresourcesareinEnglish,someNSTAPressofferingshavealsobeenpublishedinFrench.

FRIDAY MAY 20TH, 2016 Keynote : 9 :00 – 10 :00

Building Room Presenter Title Description

New Hall Ballroom A Ms. Sandra Chow EdTechTeam See you in Solla Sollew

Sometimes as educators, we can feel like we’re on our own island. We have big thinks that can really disrupt education, and nobody seems to hear us. It’s like we are the one small voice in the universe. But what we don’t realize is that there are others out there in the world just like us. We can build our PLNs globally through social media and other technology. And before long, we realize we have other friends who we can meet in Solla Sollew. Weaved around the lyrics of One Small Voice in the Universe from the Seussical, this message will surely inspire educators to continue to think BIG thinks.

BLOCK C-1 : 10 :30 – 12 :00

New Hall Ballroom A Chris Colley &

Christine Truesdale LEARN

Full STEAM Ahead : Making the Case for

Makerspaces

Audience:Grades5–Grade12CuriousaboutMakerspaces,ArtHives,GeniusHoursandPassionProjects?There'snobetterwaytolearnabouttheMakermovementthanbylivingtheexperienceyourself!ThissessiongivesparticipantstheopportunitytolearnaboutMakercultureandhowitmanifestsinschools.Participantsalsoengageintheprocessofmakingandtinkeringonasmallscale,withaccesstoresources,tools,ideasandcommunity.Learnaboutavailableandaccessiblematerialsandbooks,andmeetlike-mindedpeopleinterestedinthehands-onaspectsofSTEAMeducation.

New Hall Ballroom B Dominic P. Tremblay Youth Science Canada

Introduction to Smarter Science

Audience: K – Grade 12 This introductory workshop in Smarter Science includes practical activities which can be used in classes from Kindergarten to Secondary 5 (or 12th grade outside of Quebec). These activities encourage questioning and the use of 35 investigative process skills without costly equipment. Smarter Science is a framework for teaching science which provides the opportunity to develop research skills, creativity, and innovation. Students must learn to “think like scientists.”

New Hall du Parc Ms. Sandra Chow EdTechTeam Google Expeditions

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience first hand how you can take your students on virtual trips with Google Cardboard and Google Expeditions. We will visit places such as The Great Barrier Reef, The Moon, the Seven Wonders of the World, a rainforest in the Congo, and more! This will be a hands-on session where you will learn how to navigate the app on the teacher tablet, directing your “students” where to go. At the end of the session, we will brainstorm together how we can use this resource in different subject areas. Prepared to be amazed! Google Cardboards and Android devices will be provided. Places are limited to the first 30 people.

BLOCK C-2 : 13 :30 – 15 :00

New Hall Ballroom A Ms. Sandra Chow EdTechTeam

Pop Themes: Engaging Math and Science Students through Dynamic Learning

Audience:AlllevelsStudentsspendalmost8hoursadayengagedinpopculture,includingTV,music,videogames,andapps.Thissessionwilllookatengagingstudentsbycreatingdynamiclearningenvironmentsthroughpopculturethemes(AmazingRaceCanada,EscapetheRoom,ExtremeMakeover).Studentsbuildcollaboration,problemsolvingandcriticalthinkingskillsallthewhileintegratingcurriculuminawaythatisnotonlyfunforstudentsbutfortheteachersaswell.

New Hall des Pins Ms. Saarah Broadbent ExploreLearning

Enhancing the STEM Curriculum with Virtual Gizmo Simulations From

ExploreLearning

Audience:Grade5–Grade12GizmosareaperfectsolutionforschoolslookingforwaystoenhanceSTEMcurriculumandbuild21stcenturyskillsforstudents.ExploreLearningGizmoshelpteacherstakeadvantageofresearch-proveninstructionalstrategiesandletstudentsofallabilitylevelsdevelopdeepconceptualunderstandingthroughinquirylearning.Teacherscansupplementandenhanceinquiryinstructionwithpowerfulinteractivevisualizationsofscienceandmathematicsconcepts.Studentscanmanipulatekeyvariables,generateandtesthypotheses,andengageinextensive“what-if”experimentation

On the Podium Speaker Series 2016 Currie Gymnasium, McGill Athletics Complex

Wednesday May 18

10:50 Robert Zatorre: From Perception to Pleasure: The Brain Basis of Music

11:30 Natalya Gomez: The Physics of Ice Sheets, Sea Level and the Solid Earth

12:20 Lyle White: The Search for little green bugs on Mars and other really, really cold worlds!

13:00 Hans Larsson: Forces of Evolution: Exploring Behavioural and Physical Forces of Evolutionary Change

13:40 Megan Eva: The 'sickness' in our genes

14:20 Frank Wolf: A Rowboat's View of Climate Change in the Arctic

15:00 Brigitte Vachon: Big Science: a personal perspective

15:40 John Bergeron: Some Canadian Heros in Science

16:20 Isabelle Gagnon: Concussion in Kids and Teens: How Research Changes the Landscape

17:00 Raymond Wang: Science Fairs - Innovation & You

Thursday May 19

9:00 Frank Wolf: A Rowboat's View of Climate Change in the Arctic

9:50 Kumudu Jinadasa: A Life in Space

10:40 Feiona Jaffer: Biologic Medicines: The Pros and Cons of Being Big!

11:30 David Thomas: How to Discover New Medicines

Friday May 20

8:00 In Conversation: Featuring the Platinum Award Winners of the Canada Wide Science Fair 2016

9:00 Jaymie Matthews: Can Godzilla Play Hockey?

9:50 Joe Schwarcz: Have you Ever Wondered...

10:40 Jaymie Matthews: Exploring Planets Far, Far Away

11:30 Jon Sakata: What Songbirds can tell us about Human Communications

On the Podium Speaker Series 2016 Program All talks will take place in the Currie Gymnasium within the McGill Athletics Complex.

From Perception to Pleasure: The Brain Basis of Music

Robert Zatorre Wednesday, May 18: 10:50 AM

In this lecture, Dr. Zatorre will present evidence from cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging relevant

to music. The unique architecture of human cortical circuits is responsible for our ability to perceive

musical patterns. Phylogenetically more ancient subcortical dopamine mechanisms respond to musical

pleasure. The interaction between these two systems is believed to be responsible for our ability to

derive pleasure from complex sound patterns such as music.

A Canada Research Chair at McGill University, Robert Zatorre explores the operation of what he calls

molecular machines, the physically and functionally interacting components of cells. The cells of any

organism are regularly passing on information in the form of biochemical signals, which usually direct

the cell to make internal physiological responses to changes in the surrounding environment. Such

signals are also associated with the development of many different types of inflammatory and

degenerative diseases, such as cancer and viral or bacterial infections. Researchers have become

interested in identifying the nature and function of these signaling mechanisms, which could reveal new

avenues for treating these diseases at the molecular level.

The Physics of Ice Sheets, Sea Level and the Solid Earth

Natalya Gomez Wednesday, May 18: 11:30 AM

Did you know that Montreal used to be covered by a layer of ice more than 3 kilometers thick? That

that ice moved the land beneath our feet? And that if ice in Antarctica were to melt in the future, sea

level would fall in Antarctica, but water levels in North America would rise more than you might think?

Melting of the polar ice sheets is expected to raise water levels and displace communities around the

world in the coming centuries. An important task of climate change research is to understand the

response of these ice sheets to climate warming and estimate their contribution to future sea-level rise.

Natalya Gomez discusses the surprising physics of melting ice sheets and rising seas in response to

climate change, what we can learn about the fate of the polar ice sheets from looking to the past, and

the adventures of doing research in some of the most remote and hard-to-get-to parts of the world.

Natalya Gomez is a new professor in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at McGill

University and a Canada Research Chair in the Geodynamics of Ice Sheet - Sea Level Interactions.

Natalya spent her summers growing up camping and hiking her way around the awe-inspiring

landscapes in Canada and United States with her family, and she loved physics and math in high school,

but it wasn’t until she took a life-changing course called “Physics of the Earth” in her third year of an

undergraduate degree in Physics at the University of Toronto that discovered the field that captured her

curiosity and put all her interests together. She went on to do a PhD in Geophysics at Harvard University

with the professor of that class, then moved to New York City to do research on monitoring ice sheets

before starting at McGill in 2015. She loves to obsess over complex numerical modeling problems on

powerful computer clusters, but at the same time thinks climate science communication and education

for people at all levels is both extremely important and extremely cool.

The search for little green bugs on Mars and other really, really cold

worlds!

Lyle White Wednesday, May 18: 12:20 PM

This presentation will summarize current and future planetary exploration missions with the primary

objectives of searching for microbial life within in our solar system especially on Mars, Europa and and

Enceladus, all of which are frozen worlds. Humanity has initiated a new and exciting wave of planetary

exploration over the next 10-20 years that have the potential to answer one of the key questions of our

times: Are we alone in this universe? The possibility of life on such solar system bodies will be put in

context with our research of microbial life existing in extreme cryoenvironments on earth.

Dr. Whyte is a Professor at McGill University in Montreal, a founding member of the newly launched

McGill Space Institute (MSI) and former Canada Research Chair (CRC). He received his PhD from the U. of

Waterloo and led the NSERC CREATE Canadian Astrobiology Training Program. He is currently a member

of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars 2018 Landing Site Selection Working Group which will

determine where the ExoMars rover will land. Prof. Whyte’s research focuses on examining microbial

biodiversity and ecology in polar environments with the primary goals of determining the low

temperature limits of microbial life on earth, how this effects global biogeochemical cycles, and lately

exploring potential biotechnology applications of cold adapted microorganisms. His research also has

significant astrobiology implications and the search for microbial life on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus.

Forces of evolution: exploring behavioural and physical forces of

evolutionary change

Hans Larsson Wednesday, May 18: 1:00 PM

Evolution was once considered a slow and steady process that, when spanning millions of years, led to

the great biodiversity we have today. The fossil record tells a different story, with large stretches of time

preserving relatively little change and short periods of rapid change. In this talk, Hans Larsson will show

how novel environments and physical forces may shape large-scale evolutionary change.

Hans Larsson is a Canada Research Chair in Vertebrate Palaeontology at McGill University. He focuses on

large-scale questions of biological evolution spanning palaeontology to embryology. His goal is to

connect the dynamics of ecology and developmental biology to evolutionary patterns and processes. He

does this by finding and collecting new fossils, pouring over museum collections, developing methods to

explore anatomical change, generating models of evolutionary relationships and ecological diversity, and

examining developmental mechanisms in living embryos.

The 'sickness' in our genes

Megan Eva Wednesday, May 18: 1:40 PM

Every year infectious diseases are responsible for 25% of all deaths, and even among those that survive,

they are responsible for significant illness. The type of infection, the pathogen that causes it, the

environment, and even your genetic makeup determine whether or not you become sick, and how sick

you become. Megan Eva will show that by studying the genes important to fight infection we can better

understand not only how and why we become sick, but also why a cough for some is a severe illness for

others.

Megan Eva is a PhD candidate in the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University. She is a

member of the Complex Traits Group at McGill and works under the supervision of Dr. Danielle Malo. Her

research focuses on identifying and studying the functions of genes critical in the fight against typhoid

fever.

A Rowboat's View of Climate Change in the Arctic

Frank Wolf Wednesday, May 18: 2:20 PM

Thursday, May 19: 9:00 AM

Frank Wolf presents a unique look at climate change from the perspective of a rowing expedition

through the Northwest Passage. In 2013 he and three others attempted the feat not only to see if it

could be done- but to intimately investigate the ramifications of a warming Arctic. Combining his

expedition experience, interviews with indigenous residents, and NASA climate change data, Frank gives

an informative and entertaining talk about an issue affecting the entire planet.

Frank Wolf is Canada’s most diverse adventurer. In the past 20 years, he’s done an impressive single-

season canoe expedition across Canada, whitewater kayaked in Cambodia and Laos, cycled from the

Yukon to Nome, Alaska in the dead of winter, sea kayaked around British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii, hiked,

packrafted and sea kayaked the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and supertanker route from

Alberta’s tar sands to the Pacific Ocean, and last summer he was part of a four-person team to row the

Northwest Passage. The common thread between all of Wolf’s expeditions is a mind-boggling degree of

difficulty, revealed through creative (some might say impossible) route selection and personal suffering

along the way. Even more impressive is Wolf’s ability to film insightful and humorous documentaries

along the way.

Big Science: a personal perspective

Brigitte Vachon Wednesday, May 18: 3:00 PM

In many research areas, pushing the frontier of scientific inquiries requires the development and

construction of major large scale research infrastructures. This is made possible by international

collaborations of researchers sharing a common scientific goal and pooling resources together. As a

contributing member of the ATLAS international collaboration exploiting data from the Large Hadron

Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory, Dr. Vachon will provide an insider's perspective of what it is like to

be part of a "Big Science" project.

Dr. Brigitte Vachon is an associate professor and recipient of a Canada Research Chair in particle physics

at McGill University. Her research consists in the study of the elementary constituents of nature and

their interactions using the most powerful man-made particle colliders in the world. She is a member of

the ATLAS international collaboration of physicists who discovered the long-sought Higgs boson particle

in July 2012.

Some Canadian Heroes in Science

John Bergeron Wednesday, May 18: 3:40 PM

Canada has a heritage in medical discoveries beginning with Frederick Banting’s discovery of insulin

recognized as Canada’s one and only Nobel Prize in Medicine. However, Canada’s, Felix D’Herelle,

Sylvain Moineau, Michael Smith (Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Lap-Chee Tsui have made astonishing

discoveries in molecular medicine as have Canada’s Tony Pawson, Nahum Sonenberg, along with the

discoverers of stem cells, Canada’s Charles Leblond, James Till and Ernest McCulloch, a pioneer in

embryogenesis, Janet Rossant and the discoverer of brain networks for memory and cognition, Brenda

Milner. Their stories are in short videos that demonstrate their impact on Canada and the world.

John Bergeron is emeritus Robert Reford Professor, Professor of Medicine and past Chair of Anatomy and

Cell Biology at McGill University. He has had a privileged career as a discovery scientist in molecular cell

biology, past President of the Human Proteome Organisation, past co-founder and CSO of the biotech

company Caprion, cofounder of the McGill Innovation Centre and fortunate to have been singled out by

peers for several national and international awards for discovery research. Happily married, with two

wonderful children and three grandchildren, every day is a wondrous occasion to celebrate scholarship

and life. John Bergeron is a past First Prize Winner of the Canada Science Fair.

Concussion in kids and teens: how research changes the landscape

Isabelle Gagnon Wednesday, May 18: 4:20 PM

Concussions are getting lots of media attention largely due to the fact that they happen to professional

athletes. Children and teens also sustain concussions and there is still much we don’t know about how

to best care for them after the injury. Fortunately, research is helping to improve our understanding of

recovery and of how to best return kids to activities they want and love to do.

Dr. Isabelle Gagnon is a physiotherapist and researcher at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. She

completed a PhD in biomedical sciences at Université de Montréal and now leads a well-funded research

program focusing mostly on the investigation of the functioning of children after traumatic brain injury

as well as on how rehabilitation interventions and health care service organization can contribute to

achieving optimal outcomes in this population. Specifically, she uses clinical and instrumented measures

to quantify balance, motor function, and psychosocial domains in an effort to return kids to activities

they want and love to do. She is on Faculty at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill

University and maintains clinical activities in the Physiotherapy Department of the MCH.

Science Fairs - Innovation & You

Raymond Wang Wednesday, May 18: 5:00 PM

How can science fair affect you? In this talk, Raymond Wang will discuss his science fair experience, and

talk about how you can make the most of it!

Raymond Wang is a 18 year old Youth Innovator from Vancouver, British Columbia who is one of

Canada’s Top 20 Under 20. He is a YSC alumnus, having attended and medalled at CWSF 2011, 2012, and

2014. At the recent 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest pre-college

research competition in the world, Raymond, representing Team Canada, was honored as the recipient

the prestigious Gordon E. Moore award for Best in Fair, competing with 1700+ finalists nationally

selected from 75+ countries. Raymond has been tackling issues with the modern world since he was 12

years old, founding his own company and engineering solutions in fields that include renewable energy,

biomechanics, and environmental management. Most recently, Raymond invented a way to curb disease

transmission in aircraft cabins, to help stop the next disease epidemic.

A Life in Space

Kumudu Jinadasa: Thursday, May 19: 9:50 AM

Kumudu Jinadasa is an engineer with the Canadian Space Agency. A former science fair participant

herself, she will explain how this experience helped her prepare for her career, and share her journey

and some of the cool projects going on at the space agency.

Prior to joining the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 2009, Kumudu worked at Pratt and Whitney Canada

and CAE Inc. In her first role as a Robotic Instructor at the CSA, she trained astronauts from around the

world on how to operate Canadarm2 and Dextre, Canada’s robots on the International Space Station

(ISS). She then became a Mission Controller and supported robotics operations on the ISS, and now works

as a Project Engineer for the Earth observation RADARSAT Constellation Mission. Kumudu’s educational

background includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University.

Biologic Medicines: The Pros and Cons of Being Big!

Feiona Jaffer Thursday, May 19: 10:40 AM

Learn all about the world of biologics. What are they? Who are the biologics pioneers? What are they

made of? How are they made? And why are they so big????

Feiona Jaffer completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Toronto, followed by a

hospital pharmacy residency at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. In addition to pharmacy experience

in the community setting, she also gained hospital experience at the University Health Network. Feiona

joined AstraZeneca's medical department in 2003.

How to Discover New Medicines

David Thomas Thursday, May 19: 11:30 AM

In this talk, David Thomas will cover the need to discover new medicines for the maladies that afflict us.

Discussing the impact of powerful new technologies such as genomics and proteomics, Dr. Thomas will

show the role that university research is playing in this process.

David Thomas is a Professor at McGill University and he is the CEO of Traffick

Therapeutics/thérapeutiques Inc. He holds a tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Genetics, He was

trained as a geneticist and has worked in Africa, London UK, Munich Germany, Seattle (USA), Ottawa

and Montreal. He has made fundamental discoveries in the areas of mitochondrial function, signal

transduction and protein folding. He has advised and collaborated with large and small pharmaceutical

companies on the development of therapies. His present research is on developing therapies for protein

trafficking diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

In Conversation

Featuring the Platinum Award Winners of the Canada Wide Science Fair 2016 Friday, May 20: 8:00 AM

The Platinum Awards are the pinnacle of achievement at the Canada Wide Science Fair. We sit down

with this year’s Platinum Award Winners to find out what inspired their projects and what their

experience means to them. The floor will also be open to questions from you.

Can Godzilla Play Hockey?

Jaymie Matthews Friday, May 20: 9:00 AM

Using basic scientific principles and scaling laws, Jaymie Matthews will answer three questions about

one of the most famous monsters of all time.

Does Godzilla purr like a kitten? Can Godzilla play hockey? And could Godzilla exist?

Dr. Matthews is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University

of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). He leads the MOST mission as part of a broad research

programme. Prof. Matthews is an expert in the fields of stellar seismology (literally using the surface

vibrations of vibrating stars to probe their hidden interiors and histories), exoplanetary science, and

astronomical instrumentation and time series analysis. Born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, he obtained

his B.Sc. degree at the University of Toronto, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of

Western Ontario. Dr. Matthews held Isaac Walton Killam and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships at UBC,

and an Attaché de Recherche position at the Université de Montreal, before joining faculty at UBC in

1992.

Have You Ever Wondered…

Joe Schwarcz Friday, May 20: 9:50 AM

Why for years and years there were no red M&M's or how do they get that maraschino cherry to float in

the syrup inside a Cherry Blossom? What is the link between the bombardier beetle at the V-2 rocket?

How do genies pop out of a bottle in a puff of smoke? Can chocolate really make you fall in love? After

this presentation you’ll wonder no more!

Dr. Joe Schwarcz is Director of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” which is dedicated to

demystifying science and separating sense from nonsense. He is well known for his informative and

entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of love to the science of aging.

Professor Schwarcz has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science

for the public. He is the only non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious

Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry. He hosts "The Dr. Joe Show" on Montreal radio, has

appeared hundreds of times on television and is the author of 14 best sellers. Also an amateur conjurer,

Dr. Joe often spices up his presentations with a little magic.

Exploring Planets Far, Far Away

Jaymie Matthews Friday, May 20: 10:40 AM

We live in a revolutionary time, where our sample of known planets in the Universe has gone from a

handful to thousands. Jaymie Matthews will give you a brief glimpse of what we've found and how

science has been overtaking science fiction.

Dr. Matthews is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University

of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). He leads the MOST mission as part of a broad research

programme. Prof. Matthews is an expert in the fields of stellar seismology (literally using the surface

vibrations of vibrating stars to probe their hidden interiors and histories), exoplanetary science, and

astronomical instrumentation and time series analysis. Born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, he obtained

his B.Sc. degree at the University of Toronto, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of

Western Ontario. Dr. Matthews held Isaac Walton Killam and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships at UBC,

and an Attaché de Recherche position at the Université de Montreal, before joining faculty at UBC in

1992.

What Songbirds can tell us about Human Communications

Jon Sakata Friday, May 20: 11:30 AM

Few people think of our feathered friends as important for biomedical research. However, songbirds

offer a unique and powerful opportunity to reveal fascinating aspects about the human brain and

human social behavior. In his talk, Dr. Sakata will demonstrate how songbirds can be used to solve the

mysteries of speech and language.

After completing his, bachelor's degree in economics, Jon Sakata received my PhD in Neuroscience

studying hormonal and brain processes influencing the expression of social behaviors in mammals and

reptiles. Dr. Sakata started studying songbirds for my post-doctoral work and continue to study

songbirds to this day as a professor at McGill.