Announcements
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Bridging Generations: IEEE Canada Mentorship Forum Empowers Future Leaders
On May 26, 2025, IEEE Canada Student Activities Committee (SAC) proudly hosted the IEEE Canada Mentorship Forum, a hybrid event designed to connect students, graduate researchers, and young professionals with experienced IEEE mentors from across disciplines. Held during the IEEE Canada Board of Directors Meeting at CCECE 2025, the event created a space for intergenerational learning, career exploration, and professional connection.
The forum welcomed over 70 participants from 38 universities across 8 countries, offering meaningful engagement for undergraduates, graduate students, and early-career professionals. The event began with opening remarks from IEEE Canada President Dr. Tom Murad, followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Chayanika Awasthi, featuring four distinguished mentors: Dr. Rabab Ward, Dr. Tom Murad, Simay Akar Koehler and Murray MacDonald — representing academia, industry, entrepreneurship and consulting respectively.
Panelists shared their professional journeys, lessons learned, and how IEEE has shaped their careers. Attendees then heard from a group of extended mentors, who offered introductions and stayed for an open networking session where students could ask questions and build connections in an informal setting.
Participants praised the event as inspiring and insightful, with many expressing interest in staying engaged with IEEE through local student branches and future events. The success of the forum highlighted the importance of mentorship in empowering the next generation of leaders in engineering and technology.
Photos Below:
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IEEE Potentials Editorial Board Meeting in Montreal
Editorial Board Meeting of the IEEE Potentials —the flagship publication for IEEE student members worldwide—was held in Montreal on May 17–18. Representing IEEE Canada, Student Activities Chair Usman Munawar and Montreal Section Student Representative Thomas Micallef shared a dynamic overview of student-led initiatives from the region. Their presentation was warmly received by editorial board members attending from across the globe.
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IEEE Concordia Lab Tour
IEEE Concordia recently hosted a live lab tour, organized in collaboration with Concordia’s 4th Space. This Lab—established over 30 years ago with support from the IEEE Canada Foundation—has served as a pivotal hub for generations of IEEE student volunteers. The tour offered a comprehensive view of the lab’s ongoing impact and legacy. Watch the full recording here.
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CCECE 2026 – Coming to Montreal
Following the tremendous success of CCECE 2025 in Vancouver, preparations are now underway for CCECE 2026, to be held in Montreal. We invite all members of our community to stay tuned for announcements and opportunities to get involved in the coming weeks!
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Half-Year Spotlights of 2025
Here are some of the key events and meetings from the first half of 2025:
- Jan. 7, 21, 28 & Feb. 4: Vtools / Educational Training (Cosme Loi and Azfar Adib)
- Jan. 7: BoD Special Meeting
- Feb. 4: SteerCom & EXCOM meeting
- Feb. 7-9: Operations Committee Meeting Series (All four committees with their chairs, members and ExCom in Toronto)
- Feb. 8: SteerCom Meeting
- Mar. 4: SteerCom & EXCOM Meeting
- Mar. 19: Winter BoD Meeting (Virtual)
- Apr. 1: EXCOM & SteerCom Meeting
- May. 6: EXCOM & SteerCom Meeting
- May 24-26: Spring BoD Meeting (In-Person), Vancouver, BC @ UBC
- May 26-29: CCECE2025 in Vancouver, BC
- Jun. 8-12: ICC 2025, Montreal, QC
- Jun. 10-12: Global Energy Show, Calgary, AB
Scholarships, Awards, and Prizes
Scholarships/Grants offered by IEEE Canadian Foundation (Submissions due August 15, 2025)
- Undergraduate students:
- IEEE Canadian Foundation Scholarships (2x$5,000/university or $2,500/college)
- Alden Scholarship (1x$1500)
- Gargantini-Strybosch Scholarship (1x$5,000)
- Students, and others:
- Special Grants (for new and innovative projects within Canada, including those with humanitarian focus)
- All Student Levels:
- VT Travel Grants
Information and online submission forms are here:
English: https://www.ieeecanadianfoundation.org/EN/applications.php
French: https://www.ieeecanadianfoundation.org/FR/sup_f.php
IEEE Canadian Foundation
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Giving at Dues Renewal
Your gifts at IEEE dues renewal pass fully to the IEEE Canadian Foundation, in support of our programs in Canada, with Canadian charitable tax receipt to follow early in the new year. Every gift has impact. This year, the Foundation celebrates thirty years of charitable support to IEEE fields of interest in Canada. Thanks to all who make a difference.
When renewing membership or confirming your Life Member status, look for the Payment/Donations tab, click view donation options, select IEEE Canadian Foundation.
Events
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NUCLEAR PRESENTATION SERIES - "Radioactive Waste Disposal in Canada and around the Globe" (July 2nd)
The ninth presentation in the series will feature Dr. IurII Shybetskyi, Principal Scientist, Radioenvironmental Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Dr. Iurii Shybetskyi has served as Principal Scientist at the state institution "Radioenvironmental Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" (REC NASU) since 2004. He is a member of the National Commission for Radiation Protection of Ukraine.
The presentation covers the issues of radioactive waste management that arise at various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in the production of electricity, and in the use of nuclear energy in industry, science and medicine. The main attention is paid to the final solution to the problem of radioactive waste management - their safe disposal.
The current state, prospects, and potential challenges of radioactive waste management in Canada are considered.
A brief overview of international best practices in waste disposal is provided.
For more information, and registration, please visit the Vtools event page: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/486366
Date: Wed. July 2nd, 2025
Time: 09:00 PDT 12:00 EDT 16:00 UTC
Location: Online (Zoom)
Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/486366Admission is free. Registration is required. All registrants will receive an email (IEEE Enotice), shortly before the presentation, containing the Zoom URL for this presentation.
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NUCLEAR PRESENTATION SERIES - "Technical Review on Common Myths About Nuclear Energy" (July 16th)
The tenth presentation in the series will feature Prof. Robert Hayes. Robert Hayes is an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University where he oversees the university’s Health Physics graduate certificate and minor. He currently holds a joint faculty appointment with the Savannah River National Laboratory and is an associate editor of the journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry. He is also a licensed professional engineer in Nuclear Engineering, a Certified Health Physicist through the American Board of Health Physics and a Fellow of both the Health Physics Society and the American Physical Society.
Prof Hayes will examine the various common myths and the antinuclear claims that appeal to fears of extreme radiological risk.
The presentation will start with a review of radiation risk and sources of radiation.
The social myths will include false narratives associated with Nuclear Waste, Three Mile Island, Fukushima, and Chernobyl, along with the potential for terrorist threats and environmental impacts.
Also included will be the linear, no-threshold hypothesis, and nonproliferation.
For more information, and registration, please visit the Vtools event page: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/487207
Date: Wed. July 16th, 2025
Time: 09:00 PDT 12:00 EDT 16:00 UTC
Location: Online (Zoom)
Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/487207Admission is free. Registration is required. All registrants will receive an email (IEEE Enotice), shortly before the presentation, containing the Zoom URL for this presentation.
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NUCLEAR PRESENTATION SERIES - "Integration of SMRs in Renewable Energy Microgrids" (July 30th)
The eleventh presentation in the series will feature Dr. Dennis Michaelson, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) have been promoted as carbon-free solutions for remote community power systems and off-grid industrial facilities. In some of these applications, a small SMR or micro-modular reactor would be combined with renewable power sources, energy storage, and loads to form a microgrid.
In this talk, we will explore potential configurations and operating scenarios for such systems, and discuss the considerations and trade-offs involved in their design. We will also explore the role of emerging digital twin technologies in the development and operation of SMR/renewable microgrids.
These technologies have the potential to provide a comprehensive virtual exploration environment that can allow designers and users to better understand the physical and functional impacts of a proposed deployment, and enable its ongoing operation and maintenance.
For more information, and registration, please visit the Vtools event page: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/488978
Date: Wed. July 30th, 2025
Time: 09:00 PDT 12:00 EDT 16:00 UTC
Location: Online (Zoom)
Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/488978Admission is free. Registration is required. All registrants will receive an email (IEEE Enotice), shortly before the presentation, containing the Zoom URL for this presentation.
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NUCLEAR PRESENTATION SERIES WEB SITE
The web site for the IEEE Presentation Series on Nuclear Energy contains the list of upcoming and past presentations, along with links to the detailed information / registration page(s) for each presentation.
Please visit the series web site to see the current schedule of presentations, to register for any presentation, and to join the e-mail list for the series.
or, in short form: https://bit.ly/SMR-series
The IEEE Presentation Series on Nuclear Energy is organized by the IEEE Vancouver Section and IEEE Future Directions, SusTech Initiative
The IEEE Presentation Series on Nuclear Energy is also supported by the IEEE Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society and the IEEE Standards Association.
