STEM Speaker Series
“What should I study in university?”
“What are my career options if I’m interested in STEM?”
“What is university like?”
If you are a Grade 8-12 student and these questions are on your mind, then perhaps this is the right event for you! The STEM Speaker Series provides high school students with the opportunity to learn about STEM topics and careers through the expertise and perspectives of university students, faculty members, and working professionals in STEM fields. During this event, our guest speakers will present and discuss STEM topics that are relevant to their field, their area of research, or the work they do in their profession. They will also talk about their career path and what made them pursue the field they are in. Finally, there will be a Q&A session for students to ask questions and interact with our guest speakers.
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Sep 2024: Nanotechnology in Electronics
Date: Sep 21, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 1-2 pm
Grade: 8-12
Location: Virtual over Zoom
Cost: Free
About the Speaker
Dr. Michael Adachi is an Associate Professor of the School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, where he leads a team making new sensors for the detection of fluid and vapor biomarkers as well as optoelectronics devices using 2D materials. He received his doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2012 and was a postdoctoral researcher in the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto from 2012-2015. He joined GlobalFoundries in 2015 where he was involved in the development of 7 nm and 14 nm CMOS technologies and joined SFU in 2016. He serves as the Chair of the IEEE Electron Device Society, Vancouver Chapter where he organizes technical seminars by visiting speakers and teaches courses about microelectronics and sensors.
About the Talk
Electronic devices like smartphones and tablets are built using tiny electronic components that control the flow of electric current, and convert energy from one form to another. To make them work faster and consume less power, these components have been scaled down to smaller and smaller sizes over time, reaching a size of ~10 nanometers today or about 10000 times smaller than a strand of human hair. At these small sizes, materials begin to show interesting new behavior not observed at larger scales, like emission of bright light, converting invisible light to electricity, and vanishing electrical resistance. This talk will introduce nanomaterials, describe what they are, and discuss how their unique behavior can lead to new devices in a variety of applications such as healthcare, environmental monitoring, and clean energy generation.
Oct 2024: Forensic DNA Analysis: Behind the Laboratory Door
Date: Oct 5, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 1-2 pm
Grade: 8-12
Location: Virtual over Zoom
Cost: Free
About the Speaker
Jason Moore is a faculty member at BCIT who works in the accredited BCIT Forensic DNA Laboratory. In this role Jason has been extensively involved in forensic DNA testing, quality assurance, research, and curriculum development. Jason also teaches forensics DNA courses at BCIT and is the Program Coordinator for the joint UBC-BCIT Combined Honours in Biochemistry and Forensic Science. Jason completed his BSc in Biochemistry from UBC, an Advanced Certificate in Forensic Science at BCIT, and Master's degree from SFU while conducting his thesis in the field of ancient DNA.
About the Talk
In this presentation, Jason will discuss his journey from university to the field of forensic science and his various roles at BCIT. He will also discuss some of the key concepts in forensic science and forensic DNA. Finally, he will cover some interesting case studies he worked on in the BCIT Forensic DNA laboratory.
Nov 2024: Curiosity, Rotting Sheep Heads and a Career in Forensic Firearms Examination
Date: Nov 23, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 1-2 pm
Grade: 8-12
Location: Virtual over Zoom
Cost: Free
About the Speaker
Daisy Wong is the Laboratory Manager for the BC Provincial Forensic Firearms Laboratory, which opened operations in January 2021. Before undertaking her current role, she spent 17 years as a Forensic Firearms Specialist for the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory and has conducted unpublished and published research in her chosen discipline. Daisy also chairs a national Firearms Analyst working group and provides oversight for a newly created BC Firearms Analyst program.
About the Talk
As the Lab Manager of a newly established BC Provincial Forensic Firearms laboratory (BCPFFL), I will be detailing my journey from SFU undergraduate to my current role. As part of this, I will cover my time working as an Excavation Technician at the ‘Pickton Pig Farm’ serial murder investigation and a Forensic Firearms and Toolmark Examiner with the RCMP. I will also speak about the mandate and vision of the BCPFFL, roles and duties of employees working at this lab, research undertaken and what students will need to know if interested in pursuing a career in the forensic firearms field.
Nov 2024: Discovering the unseen Universe with gravitational waves
This talk has been rescheduled to Nov 30 from Dec 7.
Date: Nov 30, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 1-2 pm
Grade: 8-12
Location: Virtual over Zoom
Cost: Free
About the Speaker
Dr. Jess McIver is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia and a Canada Research Chair in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics. She leads the UBC gravitational-wave astrophysics group, the UBC LIGO group, and the UBC-TRIUMF LISA group. Jess currently serves as the Deputy Spokesperson of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.
About the Talk
Gravitational waves, tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime, allow us to observe distant objects we can't usually see with telescopes, including black hole collisions and the interior of nearby exploding stars. These waves pass through the Earth day or night, through heavy cloud cover, and across billions of light years of galaxies and dust, allowing us to make measurements anytime our detectors are operational. In this talk, we'll explore where gravitational waves come from, how we can measure them, and what they can teach us about the Universe that we can't learn with light alone.
Contact
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Applied Sciences Youth Committee at saadmin6@sfu.ca.