H I – S K U L E E V E N T S

Clubs Fair
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Lobby of Bahen Centre for Information Technology
Description: An event where UofT students can come and learn about what Hi-SkuleTM does in the SkuleTM community.
Mentorship Coffeehouse
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, October 1st, 2022, in the Galbraith Building – Room 202
Mentorship Coffeehouse Overview
Hi-Skule is excited to present the Mentorship Coffeehouse for students in Grades 9-12! The event is an amazing opportunity to learn more about UofT Engineering design teams and SkuleTM spirit. You’ll also hear from professors and current engineering students about their experiences at UofT. Last, but not least, there will be plenty of fun activities to keep things interesting! We are looking forward to having you on October 1st!
Keynote Speakers

Professor Chirag Variawa
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
B.A.Sc in Materials Engineering, University of Toronto
Prof. Chirag Variawa is the Director, First-Year Curriculum at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. He coordinates and teaches APS100: “Orientation to Engineering” for all Core-8 and TrackOne students, engaging in active learning exercises that help build community in the first-year program. He also teaches in the APS111 and APS112 series of courses, “Engineering Strategies and Practice I/II”, wherein students learn about engineering design, teamwork and communication. Prof. Variawa is an avid enthusiast of artificial intelligence systems, engineering education, and electric vehicles.

Jeremy Mainella
MECH 2T3 + PEY
Jeremy Mainella is the Arm Lead for the Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX) Design Team at the University of Toronto. After joining FIRST Robotics in high school, Jeremy was introduced to a variety of STEM activities and discovered his passion for mechanical engineering. As well, he has been heavily involved in SkuleTM spirit activities, such as a Head Frosh Week Leader. He is excited to speak to students about opportunities to get involved in robotics at U of T Engineering, whether you are interested in mechanical, electrical or software engineering!

UofT Concrete Toboggan Team
Lindsay and Nathan are co-captains of The University of Toronto Concrete Toboggan Team. This design team fabricates a fully concrete toboggan that features a superstructure, steering and braking system. Every year, they have the opportunity to compete in the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race, attracting over 20 different universities across North America. In 2020, the team placed first overall with their creative ‘Mailbogg’ toboggan. Lindsay and Nathan are excited to speak to everyone about their innovative design ideas, and how they foster a fun team environment!
Day Schedule
Location
Designapalooza
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 11th, 2023, in the lobby of the Bahen Center for Information Technology
Designapalooza Overview
Hi-Skule is excited to welcome you all to our new and improved engineering workshop event, Designapalooza. This event is traditionally offered to younger students in elementary school. But this year, we are opening our event to high school students from Grades 9 – 12 where they will get the chance to participate in more intricate workshops presented by our outstanding design teams and industry professionals.
Workshops
Workshop 1: Aerospace Engineering
This workshop contains presentations from a designer from the aerospace industry sharing information about how engineering design is used in the aerospace industry. The presentation will be followed by an interactive, hands-on activity for students to apply the concepts from the presentation and design a model.


Workshop 2: Automotive Engineering
Our University of Toronto Formula Racing team will share their experiences working on their fully functional student-designed formula racing cars with revolutionary technology that have competed internationally in competitions in Michigan and Europe. This workshop will also be followed by an interactive hands-on activity related to engineering design using concepts in the automotive industry.
Workshop 3: Civil Engineering
This workshop is presented by our other award-winning design team, the University of Toronto Troitsky team. Held at Concordia University in Montreal every year, Troitsky is a national bridge building competition where students from all over the country compete to build the strongest bridges. This workshop will also have a hands-on activity where students will apply civil engineering concepts to design their own bridges.

Workshop Leaders

Shannon Bosilac
Workshop 1
Safran Landing Systems
Shannon Bosilac is a Designer at Safran Landing Systems and has been a part of the company since 2017. She graduated from the University of Windsor with a degree in Mechanical Engineering under the Aerospace option. At Safran, Shannon is responsible for designing the mechanical components of aircraft landing gear for companies such as Bombardier. She has also been involved in various engineering outreach initiatives, such as Girls Take Flight and Durham College’s Young Women in Stem event.

Daniel LaRosa
Workshop 2
MECH 2T3 + PEY
University of Toronto Formula Racing Team: Chassis Lead
Daniel LaRosa was the Chassis Lead for the University of Toronto Formula Racing (UTFR) Design Team at the University of Toronto over the past academic year. Daniel is passionate about Engineering design and is currently on his PEY Co-op year working as a Junior Design Engineer at Multimatic. He is excited to speak to students about opportunities to get involved in automotive at U of T Engineering, whether you are interested in mechanical, electrical or software engineering!

Amy Bagrin
Workshop 3
CIV 2T4 + PEY
Troitsky Bridge Building: Finance Director
Amy Bagrin is a third-year Civil Engineering student at the University of Toronto. In 2022, Amy served as a captain on the U of T Troitsky design team, leading her team to victory at the national Troitsky Bridge Building Competition. Currently, she is the Finance director for the team. She also served as the Vice Chair Finance, aiming to deliver equitable and accessible F!rosh Week programming to the incoming first-year engineering students. Upon graduating, Amy hopes to continue her work in drinking water treatment through the water resources management stream or further explore business in the construction management industry.
Day Schedule
Location
Women in STEM
10:30 AM – 3:30 PM on Saturday, March 11th, 2023, in Room 202 of the Galbraith Building
Women in STEM Overview
If you’re a woman in high school with aspirations in STEM, this event is for you! This event is led by female UofT engineering students with the goal of empowering and educating the next generation of Women in STEM. You can look forward to keynote addresses, hands-on activities and workshops, and conversations that focus on the past, present, and future of women in STEM fields. Lunch will be provided.
Workshops
Workshop 1: Circuit design
Led by our own student design club, SPARK, this is a workshop related to electrical engineering. Students will first learn to harvest useful parts from old computers, printers, and other e-waste. Members of the Spark Design Club will then guide students in using these parts to construct new devices. The workshop is also a chance for students to learn about SPARK and experience one of their interactive displays.


Workshop 2: Troost ILead
Troost ILead is the home of engineering leadership research and training at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Hosted by Prof. Emily Moore, this interactive workshop aims to help young students learn leadership and interpersonal skills that they can integrate into their university studies and future careers.
Keynote Speakers

Dr. Deepa Kundur
PhD, MASc, BASc – University of Toronto
Professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto
Professor Deepa Kundur is a Professor & the Chair of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. She received her BASc, MASc, and PhD degrees all in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1993, 1995, and 1999, respectively, from the University of Toronto. Her research interests focus on the intersection of cybersecurity, signal processing, and complex dynamical networks, and she has authored over 200 journal and conference papers. She has also held various leadership roles in conference executive organizations and has received numerous best paper recognitions for her research. Professor Kundur has been recognized for her teaching and is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and a Senior Fellow of Massey College.

Prof. Morgan Hooper
Phd, MASc – Caltech
BASc – University of Toronto (EngSci 1T5 + PEY)
Assistant Professor at UTIAS and in the Division of Engineering Science at the University of Toronto
Morgan Hooper recently joined the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) as an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, cross-appointed to the Division of Engineering Science (EngSci). She is currently teaching engineering design in the EngSci Praxis III course. Hooper (EngSci 1T5 + PEY) graduated from U of T Engineering with a major in aerospace engineering and received her MS and PhD in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). Her research focused on experimental unsteady aerodynamics and fluid-structure interactions with views toward sustainable energy harvesting.
Workshop Leaders & Panelists

Spark Design Club
Website: https://spark.skule.ca
Spark Design Club is all about the intersection of art and engineering. They specialize in creating big, bright, and interactive displays that draw inspiration from a variety of sources including arcade games, vintage toys, museum exhibits, music, and more. Each year, the team comes together to brainstorm, design, and build at least two unique displays, providing a platform for enthusiastic students to tinker and explore the world of creative mechanical and electrical design. In addition to interactive display design, the club hosts various contests and workshops to challenge students and expand their skill sets. Spark is eager to share their exciting projects and empower club members, as well as the larger student community, through teaching and developing creative and technical skills.

Dr. Emily Moore
PhD – Oxford University
BASc, Queen’s University
Professor and Academic Director of Troost ILead
Professor Emily Moore is currently the Director of Troost ILead. Starting her career at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, Prof Moore learned a great deal about leading teams and developing new products, becoming a manager and Principal Engineer. At her next company, Hatch, she led international teams to develop new product and service offerings and to deliver major projects, first as the Director of Technology Development and then as Managing Director, Water. Prof Moore holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University and completed a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2016 Prof. Moore was recognized as one of 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining and received the SCI Canada Kalev Pugi Award.
Panelists

Maryam Ebrahimiazar
PhD Candidate – University of Toronto
Maryam Ebrahimiazar is a postdoctoral fellow in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Toronto. During her PhD program, she focused on developing a new generation of asthma inhalers using ultrasound waves. Maryam has also been actively involved in various outreach initiatives, including the Blueprint program, where she designed, developed, and delivered a course on Engineering and Human Health for high-school students at the University of Toronto. She is excited to share her knowledge and experience with students and help them discover the opportunities available in STEM.

Dana Kokoska
BASc – University of Toronto (ECE 2T0 + PEY)
Dana graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering. She now works as an EMC Electrical Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace and creates simulation models to test against aerospace design standards. Previously, she was an Electrical Engineering Intern at the Toronto Transit Commission, and worked on the systems of the subway trains. In university, Dana was involved in the Engineering Society as the Hi-Skule Director and created engineering outreach activities and events. She advocates and encourages young women to study engineering and loves to inspire the future generation of engineers. Outside of engineering, she enjoys creating art and doing photography.
Day Schedule
Location
Hi-SkuleTM