Stempower Conference Program May 18 – 19 – 20, 2016

STEMpower Conference Program May 18 – 19 – 20, 2016

The STEMpower Teachers Conference is made up of : 1) The Opening Keynote, Chris Hadfield 2) The On-the-Podium Speaker Series, see more details on the last page 3) Workshops held in New Hall Residence and McGill Athletics Facilities 4) Access to the Canada-Wide Science Festival Exhibit Booths 5) Access to the Discovery Zone (Exhibit Booths) 6) Panel Discussion on Wednesday Evening : State of Science and Science Education

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

New Hall Residence McGill Athletics • Registration Desk • Opening Keynote • Workshops • On-the-Podium Speaker Series* New Hall Residence, McGill University • Panel Discussion and some workshops 3625 Ave du Parc, Montreal, Qc., H2X 3P8 Entrance : Through the Tomlinson Fieldhouse New Hall Residence, McGill University 3625 Ave du Parc, Montreal, Qc., H2X 3P8

• Be sure to attend one or more of the « On-the-Podium Speaker Series » blocks (see the last page), you won’t be dissappointed. You should also plan to spend at least two hours in the Exhibit Hall interacting with the students and exhibitors over the course of the Public Viewing Hours.

WEDNESDAY MAY 18th, 2016 KEYNOTE : 9 :00 – 10 :00, CHRIS HADFIELD Building Room Presenter Title Description

«Good morning Earth ! » That is how Colonel Chris Hadfield – writing on Twitter – woke up the world every day while living for five months aboard the International Space Station. Through his 21 years as an astronaut, three spaceflights, and 2600 orbits of Earth, Colonel Currie Gym Gym 3/4 Chris Hadfield Opening Keynote Address Hadfield has become a worldwide sensation, harnessing the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions and infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity walked on the Moon. Called « the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong, » Colonel Hadfield continues to bring the marvels of science and space travel to everyone he encounters.

WEDNESDAY MAY 18TH, 2016 BLOCK A-1 : 10 :30 – 12 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description

Audience: K – Grade 12 In this workshop, we will explore how digital tools can support effective STEM learning. STEM is about solving real world challenges from the personal level to the global scale. What New Hall Ballroom A Keith Kelley Project Based STEM EdTech set of skills and understandings could be more important for our students, to the generation of leaders, workers, and citizens who are preparing for the future in our classrooms?

Audience : K – Grade 12 L’atelier d'introduction à Éducasciences inclut des activités pratiques qui peuvent être utilisées dans les classes de la maternelle à la 5e secondaire (maternelle à la 12e année à Introduction à l’extérieur du Québec). Ces activités encouragent le questionnement et l'utilisation des 35 New Hall Ballroom B Dominic P. Tremblay Éducasciences habiletés du processus d’enquête sans matériel coûteux. Youth Science Canada Éducasciences est un cadre pour l’enseignement des sciences qui permet le développement des habiletés en recherche, la créativité et l’innovation. Les élèves apprennent à « penser comme des scientifiques ».

Building Room Presenter Title Description Audience: Grade 7 – Grade 12 Using Google Apps for This workshop will show how we can use Google Apps for Education in the Math Classroom Chris Webb and how using a range of resources working together can allow us to take our Math class to New Hall du Parc Lester B. Pearson School Education in the Math the next level. Discover how to allow students to respond to a form using an equation and Board Classroom math notation, at the same time as discovering how we can integrate third party sites into our Math Class using 'Sign in with Google' Audience: Grades 5 – Grade 12 Curious about Makerspaces, ArtHives, Genius Hours and Passion Projects? There's no better Chris Colley & Full STEAM Ahead : way to learn about the Maker movement than by living the experience yourself! This session New Hall des Pins Making the Case for gives participants the opportunity to learn about Maker culture and how it manifests in Christine Truesdale schools. Participants also engage in the process of making and tinkering on a small scale, LEARN Makerspaces with access to resources, tools, ideas and community. Learn about available and accessible materials and books, and meet like-minded people interested in the hands-on aspects of STEAM education. Audience: Grade 7 – Grade 12 By its nature, science fairs require students to engage in the process of inquiry learning. Students choose a topic based on their interest. The role of the teacher is to guide the Heather McPherson Science Fair : Preparing student, ensuring that students’ questions are relevant, and that the evaluation of results is Currie Gym 152 Sir Wilfrid Laurier valid. Teachers have a role in editing student’s work, and providing feedback and possible School Board Students for Success novel ideas for the student to develop and research. The focus of the workshop is to examine how teachers can help students acheive success with their projects. Previous IISEF winners would be co-presenters. Depending on time constraints, participants could walk through the fair to look at what makes projects successful.

BLOCK A-2 : 13 :30 – 15 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 12 Makerspace & New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley The sessions will be intended for an audience of educators with diverse technology skills. The EdTech Robotics content will focus on the application, integration and philosophy of a MakerSpace environment for k-12 instruction, including 3D Printing, Robotics and other MakerSpace materials. Audience: Grade 7 – Grade 12 Dr. Ben Newling Demonstrations in the Classroom demonstrations can be one of the most exciting aspects of science teaching. However, University of New Science Classroom research on the use of classroom demonstrations shows that their impact can be less than New Hall Ballroom B Brunswick (Best Practice & exciting. In this workshop, we will discuss some of that research, some of the pitfalls to avoid in Disappointments) classroom demonstrations and we will try out some of the practical suggestions that arise from that research. Audience : Grade 5 - Grade 10 Teaching Discover how we can empower young people through learning to code and how we can foster Chris Webb Programming Through logical and creative thinking skills. Through this workshop you will discover how to deliver an hour New Hall du Parc Lester B. Pearson of code and use the Google CS First program to get students interested in coding. Learn how to School Board the Hour of Code and integrate this into a range of subject areas and how a range of different tools allow us to adapt Google CS First this to a range of age groups. This workshop will be mainly Grade 6 to 8 related, but could easily be adapted. Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 8 Earth Mining and The game of Minecraft is something that most elementary Cycle 3 and secondary Cycle 1 students Janice Williams New Hall des Pins Gaming: Getting are familiar with in that they are tasked to innovate and use technology throughout the game to Mining Matters mORE out of minecraft solve problems. The popularity of this gaming platform provide a perfect opportunity to engage and educate students about the correctness of the science presented in the game. Audience: Grade 7 – Grade 12 A lot of people believe that usage of technology is reserved to high-tech corporations and highly trained scientists, engineers or technicians. But, why should it be? Slowly but surely, this aura of fascination and apprehension is getting weaker and weaker. In the past decade, powerful Mr. Simon Marcoux technologies became more and more accessible to the general public thanks to a handful of non- Technological McGill CRC Robotics profits, companies and groups. Nowadays, students can dive into this fascinating world and use 152 - Autonomuy through low cost technologies to let their imagination run loose: websites, robots, t-shirts with lights that Athletics Robotique CRC Hands-On Projects flash, weather station... By using technology on their own turf, students are fostering a sense of autonomy and confidence that empower them for the future that lies ahead or simply for their own enjoyment. What was once a dreaded behemoth is now a gateway to their next creative endeavor. This workshop will give you the low down on how accessible technologies evolved and how can it be introduced to people of all ages. with a focus on high school and college extra- curricular activities. BLOCK A-3 : 15 :30 – 17 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description Audience: K – Grade 12 Increasing student agency We hear so much about STEM these days, but so little about kids. This session will help you New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley through STEM figure out how to empower children to take the reigns of their own learning by harnessing a EdTech variety of tools. Have you heard about Arduino? Let’s talk about how to easily bring it into the classroom. Have a 3D printer? We’ll talk through its use by students. These topics, and much more await you in this student agency session. Audience: K – Grade 12 The National Science Teachers Association is an American organization that also has What the National Science thousands of Canadian members. This workshop provides an overview of the various books, Teachers Association New Hall Ballroom B Michael Bowen magazines, webinars, web and written resources, PD and workshops available to teachers (a NSTA District XVIII (NSTA) Offers Canadian number a low or no cost) to help them teach science and STEM issues. The workshop will Teachers of Science include a draw for NSTA books and resources and a reduced membership offer available to participants. Although most resources are in English, some NSTA Press offerings have also been published in French. Audience: Grade 5 - 10 An Introduction the Have you ever wondered how the food gets to your dinner plate everyday? Does your school Nutrients for Life have a learning garden? The goal of Nutrients for Life Foundation is to educate youth about Ms. Tamara Sealy New Hall du Parc Foundation Canada soil science, agricultural awareness, sustainability and how plant nutrients are needed to Nutrients for Life and School Learning grow healthy nutritious food we all enjoy. Come and learn about our free resources for Gardens Canadian teachers to help implement soil science and how school learning gardens give students hands on activities to learn about food production. Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 12 Gizmos are a perfect solution for schools looking for ways to enhance STEM curriculum and Enhancing the STEM build 21st century skills for students. ExploreLearning Gizmos help teachers take advantage Curriculum with Virtual New Hall des Pins Ms. Saarah Broadbent of research-proven instructional strategies and let students of all ability levels develop deep ExploreLearning Gizmo Simulations From conceptual understanding through inquiry learning. Teachers can supplement and enhance ExploreLearning inquiry instruction with powerful interactive visualizations of science and mathematics concepts. Students can manipulate key variables, generate and test hypotheses, and engage in extensive “what-if” experimentation

Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 10 Although teachers are generally enthusiastic and creative, many are still reticent when dealing with robotics and coding. The purpose of this workshop is to remove that fear and understand that: • robots do exactly what we teach them, and students become empowered by their ability to TEACH - robots; McGill Mr. Giacinto Spina Robotics and Cross- • robots are patient and forgiving learners, challenging us to correct structural 152 Athletics Curricular Learning shortcomings, clarify coding instructions, and even searching for more elegant ways of doing things once a mission is accomplished; • new robotics enthusiasts must not be afraid to make mistakes, but to join their student and learn from those valuable missteps; • in addition to facilitating the understanding of STEM-related learning, robotics also offers possibilities to stimulate artistic creativity by choreographing on-stage robot performances; State of Science and Science Education Panel : 19 :30 – 21 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description McGill Currie Gyms Various Panel Discussion The panelists will discuss the State of Science and Science Educatio. Athletics 3/4

THURSDAY MAY 19TH, 2016 Keynote : 9 :00 – 10 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description New Hall Ballroom A Mr. Keith Kelley Keynote Title: Why STEM? Why STEM? Why make Application of Knowledge through Effort the focus? EdTechTeam Why failing gracefully is going to change how education is implemented? Students will have access to tools like 3D printers that will allow them to redesign the world. They will be able to create objects and manufacture objects that can only exist through new design techniques. Lets take the virtual to real and the real to surreal. Why not?

A Maine educator for 23 years he is currently teaching Integrated Technology for RSU19. Having taught Language Arts, Social Studies and serving as the School Librarian, this is his first experience teaching IT. Students make Skateboards, Robots, Computer Games, and 3d Printed Projects in this program. BLOCK B-1 : 10 :30 – 12 :00 We hear so much about STEM these days, but so little about kids. This session will help you figure out how to empower children to take the reigns of their own learning by harnessing a variety of tools. Have Mr. Keith Kelley Increasing student agency New Hall Ballroom A you heard about Arduino? Let’s talk about how to easily bring it into the classroom. Have a 3D printer? EdTechTeam through STEM We’ll talk through its use by students. These topics, and much more await you in this student agency session. Investigate! Invent! Innovate!, or I3, is a curriculum-aligned program for Grade 7 & 8 students that integrates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills and 21st Century competencies such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. These skills help students develop the Ms. Roma Medwid Investigate! Invent! New Hall Ballroom B abilities needed to succeed in a globally competitive workplace. Students identify a problem or The Learning Partnership Innovate! opportunity in their daily lives and then invent a product or processes to solve the problems, based on concepts they learn in class. The program culminates with annual Invention Conventions in various cities across Canada. Join us to learn more about Future Goals – Hockey Scholar™, a no cost digital resource for grade 4-8 students that leverages highly interactive gameplay and the sport of hockey to teach important Science, Technology, Engineering and Math concepts. You'll learn how to seamlessly integrate this resource into your classroom by learning best practices from a fellow teacher and our local Hockey in the Classroom? implementation specialists. The course utilizes an exploratory learning approach, exposing students to New Hall du Parc Ms. Veronica Sanders Best Practices for Using foundational STEM concepts such as scientific thinking and data analysis through real-life applications. Future Goals Digital Resources It is aligned to Canadian Provincial Math & Science Standards in order to easily integrate into your lesson plans. This hands-on workshop will give you all the tools necessary to utilize this program. By the end of the session, participants will have access to a teacher account with the Future Goals - Hockey Scholar resource and will be able to use it in their classrooms the next day!

Jared Gay is a senior at Nokomis Regional High in Newport, Maine. He plays varsity soccer and is Jared Gay captain of the team. Jared is also a part time DJ and plays several events such as fundraisers and proms. Tech Sherpa He is currently enrolled at the University of Maine in Orono and will be majoring in history. He has presented at various tech events across the United States. Nokomis Regional High

New Hall des Pins Which App Should I Use? Being a senior of Nokomis Regional High in Newport, Maine, Chandler juggles sports such as varsity Chandler Cossar soccer and track, working as a Credit Union Teller, and being an AP student, he has had many Tech Sherpa opportunities and successes in his young life. He is attending Thomas College in the Fall of 2016 to Nookomis Regional High pursue a degree in political science major and pre-law where he plans to become a Private Funds/Hedge Funds Attorney.

BLOCK B-2 : 13 :30 – 15 :00 Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 8 Earth Mining and Gaming: The game of Minecraft is something that most elementary Cycle 3 and secondary Cycle 1 New Hall Ballroom A Janice Williams Getting mORE out of students are familiar with in that they are tasked to innovate and use technology throughout Mining Matters the game to solve problems. The popularity of this gaming platform provide a perfect minecraft opportunity to engage and educate students about the correctness of the science presented in the game. 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 Driving Instruction Using curricular English Language Arts progressions. Experience the versatility of New Hall Ballroom B Ms. Saarah Broadbent ExploreLearning Gizmos 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. Audience: K – Grade 12 The National Science Teachers Association is an American organization that also has What the National Science thousands of Canadian members. This workshop provides an overview of the various books, Teachers Association New Hall Du Parc Michael Bowen magazines, webinars, web and written resources, PD and workshops available to teachers (a NSTA District XVIII (NSTA) Offers Canadian number a low or no cost) to help them teach science and STEM issues. The workshop will Teachers of Science include a draw for NSTA books and resources and a reduced membership offer available to participants. Although most resources are in English, some NSTA Press offerings have also been published in French.

FRIDAY MAY 20TH, 2016 Keynote : 9 :00 – 10 :00 Building Room Presenter Title Description 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 Ms. Sandra Chow New Hall Ballroom A See you in Solla Sollew the world just like us. We can build our PLNs globally through social media and other EdTechTeam 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 Audience: Grades 5 – Grade 12 Curious about Makerspaces, ArtHives, Genius Hours and Passion Projects? There's no better way to learn Chris Colley & Full STEAM Ahead : about the Maker movement than by living the experience yourself! This session gives participants the New Hall Ballroom A Christine Truesdale Making the Case for opportunity to learn about Maker culture and how it manifests in schools. Participants also engage in the LEARN Makerspaces process of making and tinkering on a small scale, with access to resources, tools, ideas and community. Learn about available and accessible materials and books, and meet like-minded people interested in the hands-on aspects of STEAM education. 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 Dominic P. Tremblay Introduction to New Hall Ballroom B without costly equipment. Youth Science Canada Smarter Science

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.” 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 New Hall du Parc Ms. Sandra Chow Google Expeditions EdTechTeam 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 Audience: All levels Students spend almost 8 hours a day engaged in pop culture, including TV, music, video games, and apps. Pop Themes: Engaging This session will look at engaging students by creating dynamic learning environments through pop New Hall Ballroom A Ms. Sandra Chow Math and Science Students EdTechTeam culture themes (Amazing Race Canada, Escape the Room, Extreme Makeover). Students build through Dynamic Learning collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking skills all the while integrating curriculum in a way that is not only fun for students but for the teachers as well. Audience: Grade 5 – Grade 12 Enhancing the STEM Gizmos are a perfect solution for schools looking for ways to enhance STEM curriculum and build 21st century skills for students. ExploreLearning Gizmos help teachers take advantage of research-proven Ms. Saarah Broadbent Curriculum with Virtual New Hall des Pins instructional strategies and let students of all ability levels develop deep conceptual understanding ExploreLearning Gizmo Simulations From through inquiry learning. Teachers can supplement and enhance inquiry instruction with powerful ExploreLearning interactive visualizations of science and mathematics concepts. Students can manipulate key variables, generate and test hypotheses, and engage in extensive “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.

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.