Past Speakers 2018-2019

Past Speakers (2018-2019):

Date & Time	Speaker & Organization	Topic & Biography
Mon February 4, 2019 (Blk 3)	TV Producer: Laurie Case	TV’S BORDER SECURITY PRODUCER- LAURIE CASE  “The World of TV & Film” Monday February 4th from 1:00pm-2:00pm (Block 3) Room 311 Join Border Security’s Producer Laurie Case for a presentation on what it is like working in the TV and film industry in Canada. She will share her journey, her projects including Border Security: Canada’s Front Line, Eat St, and Forgotten Huts. She will also give her own insight on what it takes to make it in this industry, courses and skills that are required, and then will open it up to a Q&A for students.
Wed January 16, 2019 (Blk 2)	The ODD SQUAD	THE ODD SQUAD GANG PRESENTATION  10:45am- Noon (Block 2) Room 218 The Truth About Gangs presentations provided by Odd Squad police officers are multi-media and reality-based, drawing on years of experience the officers have in dealing with Gang issues while working in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area. Recently Odd Squad has incorporated presentations on “Girls in Gangs” dealing with females who may be drawn into this lifestyle. Odd Squad also works with recovered gang members who can assist in reaching out and better connecting with at-risk youth. Officers are available for a detailed question and answer period following the educational presentation. Q & A session at the end of presentation.
Tues January 22, 2019 (Blk 3)	Dr. Patricia Gabriel	“Realities of Being a Doctor & Her Book- Oh the Not So Great…”Tuesday January 22nd from 12:25pm-1:35pm (Block 3) Room 218 Join Dr. Gabriel as she talks about her journey to becoming a family doctor, including university, medical school, her work and research, and the realities of working as a doctor. She is also a recently published author writing Oh Not So Great: Poems from the Depression Project. Having first-hand experience with how short appointment times reduce a physician’s ability to listen to, and empathize with their patients – particularly those with mental illness –Dr. Gabriel came up with an entirely new approach to help physicians. Reading stories about patients can improve a physician’s ability to empathize, but it is often time-consuming. Gabriel came up with an idea for condensing patient stories while still retaining their transformative properties: poems. And she knew just the poet to help her. Through exploring a wide range of interests, both Gabriel and Taylor were able to focus in on what their true passions were, for Taylor it was poetry, and for Gabriel it was health care. This integration of art and science has resulted in a book that has surpassed its original conception to act solely as a tool for enhancing empathy in physicians. The poems produced were so powerful that publishing house Leaf Press encouraged Gabriel and Taylor to publish the entire collection in a book.
Fri February 1, 2019 (Blk 5)	Mr. John Goheen: Veteran’s Affairs Canada	“Canada and the Last 100 Days of WWI” Friday February 1st  from 8:45am-10am (Block 5) Room 218 Join Mr. Goheen for a lecture on the Canadian Corps. and the last 100 Days of WWI. Mr. Goheen is a principal in the Coquitlam School District. As a strong advocate for military history and remembrance, he ensures that students learn about the sacrifices made by Canadian Veterans. Since 1996, Mr. Goheen has been the tour guide for The Royal Canadian Legion’s National Pilgrimage of Remembrance. Mr. Goheen researches the backgrounds of fallen Canadian soldiers and recounts these individual stories at their gravesites. He selects specific cemeteries on the tour that have a direct link to some aspect of the historical itinerary. He is a strong advocate of Veterans’ Week, and he has been actively involved in the celebration of Veterans’ accomplishments and in the commemoration of their sacrifices. He has been an associate member of The Royal Canadian Legion since 1991.
November 2019	UBC Chemistry Professor Dr. Mark MacLachlan	Dr. Mark MacLachlan completed his BSc degree in Honours Chemistry at the University of British Columbia and his PhD in Materials Chemistry at the University of Toronto.  Following a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, Dr. MacLachlan returned to UBC as a faculty member.  He is now a Professor of Chemistry and also the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Science at UBC.  Dr. MacLachlan supervises a group of 20 students that are exploring ways to make new functional materials from a biological approach.  In his research, he has been using cellulose nanocrystals obtained from paper as a building block for new materials with unexpected properties. He also makes new materials from waste crab and shrimp shells.  Dr. MacLachlan will present some of his research group’s efforts to create new materials that mimic the optical properties of butterfly wings and beetle shells.
Wed October 24, 2019 (Blk 7)	SFU Biology Professor: Dr. David Shiffman	Dr. David Shiffman is an interdisciplinary marine conservation biologist, and his research focuses on the ecology and conservation of chondrichthyan fishes. His research uses cutting-edge interdisciplinary methods to answer policy-relevant questions about threatened species of public concern, while providing many opportunities for collaboration, student research, and public outreach. He is also known as “The Shark Guy”.

 

Past Speakers (2017-2018):

Date & Time	Speaker & Organization	Topic & Biography
Feb 13 – Block 4	Julia Taffe: Choreographer & Artistic Director of Aeriosa – Vertical Dance Company	Choreographer Julia Taffe combines art, environment and adventure, making dances for buildings, mountains, neighbourhoods, theatres and trees, finding new movement perspectives in the realm of suspension. Julia is the artistic director of Aeriosa, a Vancouver-based vertical dance company. She has choreographed over 25 works on location including: Stawamus Chief Mountain in Squamish BC, Taipei City Hall, Cirque du Soleil Headquarters, Vancouver Library Square, Banff Centre, Scotiabank Dance Centre and Toronto’s 58-storey L Tower. Prior to founding Aeriosa, Julia performed across Canada with Ruth Cansfield, and around the world with Bandaloop. Julia attained ACMG Rock Guide certification in 1997. She has worked as a co-producer, choreographer, cast member, stunt performer, mountain safety rigger and creative movement consultant on various film and television productions in Canada and abroad. Trees are Portals is a very special collaboration bringing together Aeriosa aerial dancers and Spakwus Slulem Sea Going Canoe Family members in Stanley Park. The oldest trees in the park were witnesses to centuries of celebration and ceremony in the ancient Coast Salish village of X̱wáýx̱way. They are connectors, living portals who will hold the memories of our songs and dances when we too are gone.
Feb 2 – Block 3	Lindsey Williamson Christy: Project Director Capcom Game Studio Vancouver	Lindsey will be talking about the video game industry. In particular, game development & production, testing, and design. Throughout Lindsey’s career, she has worked on films such as The Amazing Spider-Man, Wrath of the Titans and Iron Man 3. She has worked on many video games as well, such as The Hulk, Prototype and Dead Rising 4.
Nov 28	Amy Fox: Creator of The Switch	Creator Amy Fox and others from the production will be talking about completing film projects, self-promotion, general film-making, completing projects about/with underrepresented groups and LGBTQ+ representation.
Nov 27	Markus Fahrner: Port Moody Heritage Museum	Markus, the Museum’s Coordinator, will be coming in to talk to Ms. Lehtonen’s SS 10 Art Enriched class about immigration and local stories. He is hoping to have students help do an Immigration Exhibit telling local stories by going through artifacts, archives, and personal museum pieces.
Nov 3	Daniel Rotman: Recycling Alternative	This is the story of what happens after you put your waste in the bin. We will explore the supply chain from the point of collection to the point of “end fate,” or where the material is ready to be used in manufacturing again. We’ll cover the general process for garbage and recycling. With Recycling Alternative, Daniel oversees customer engagement and education programs, waste analysis, audits and reports. He employs his background in Cognitive Science and Conflict Resolution to include social psychology and community based social marketing (CBSM) in customer training and information sessions, recycling programs, systems assessment and change management. Daniel is also co-facilitator and co-creator of the Master Recycler Vancouver program where he teaches adults about waste prevention and reduction. Prior to joining Recycling Alternative Daniel managed the LightRecycle stewardship program for Product Care Association of Canada.

 

Past Speakers (2016-2017):

Date & Time	Speaker & Organization	Topic & Biography
May 17, 2017	Paula Brown: BCIT Health Sciences	Paula will discuss BCIT’s Natural Health and Food Products Research Group (NRG), which addresses issues of product quality, process improvement and human health using basic and applied science along with state of the art technology.
May 15, 2017	James Albright: BCIT Applied Research	Applied Research at BCIT allows people to work on creating new technologies in a number of different markets. Technology Transfer is the process of realizing the value of intellectual property, often by licensing the new technology to an existing company or by creating a company dedicated to taking research to market. Commercialization revenues (if they exist) are shared between BCIT, inventors and clients.
April 18, 2017	Joey Dabell: BCIT Applied Research	Joey will explain BCIT’s Smart Microgrid Research. This is the story of how BCIT is investing and experimenting in alternative energy sources, such as their Smart Microgrid, which powers electric cars, security phones and surrounding buildings.
April 6, 2017	Kim Dotto: BCIT Computing & IT	Applied Research (Computing) – Kim will host North students on a tour of BCIT Applied Research, which shows how innovation and experimentation happens in a real-life “think tank” environment.
Mar 30, 2017	Staff from North Burnaby Neighbourhood House	Spoke to students about the importance of community and the possibilities and opportunities available in our community.
Nov 7, 2016	General Fusion	Students toured the General Fusion workplace and explored the possibilities for clean, safe, abundant and on-demand alternatives for power generation.
Sept 26, 2016	Bassem Tawfik: Architect with KMBR & Parent of a BNSS student	Modern Learning Spaces – Bassem spoke to students about design considerations for modern learning spaces and the implications on schools. Bassem used the current project designs for a proposed redevelopment of the Burnaby North site.