Mistakes, Missteps, and Mindsets: Stories of Failure and Resilience in Academia

Welcome back listeners! This episode we talked to TMU professor and president of the Ontario NDP, Dr. Janelle Brady. Dr. Brady is an anti-racist educator, activist, and Assistant Professor in the School of Early Childhood Studies, Faculty of Community Services at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on anti-Black racism in early childhood education and the experiences of Black mot...

Welcome back Listeners! After a long hiatus we are back with an interview from Dr. Frances Wong! Dr. Wong is a former assistant professor in the department of chemistry and biology here at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her past research focused on cellular systems biology of early human placental development and today her academic interest lies in pedagogy in higher education. Dr. Wong has some...

Welcome back listeners! This week we have TMU molecular biology alum Jocelyne Mendez-Guzman on to talk about her journey through her Bachelors and Masters degrees, the art of balancing a part time job and full time school, and her passion for scientific communication.   To Learn More About Jocelyne's Research: https://linktr.ee/jmendezg   #MadeInToronto #Toronto #TMU #TorontometropolitanUniversity...

This Week on the Podcast we have Dr. Costin Antonescu. Dr. Antonescu is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology at Toronto Metropolitan University. Aside from teaching Cell Biology, he holds the role of Undergraduate Biology Program Director, and serves as Chair for the TMU Dimensions program, an NSERC initiative to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion in postsecondary institut...

Today’s guest, is Toronto Metropolitan University alum Andrew Harris. Andrew completed his BSc with Honours in medical physics in 2016. During his undergraduate degree and following graduation, he worked in research labs at TMU in the Department of physics and chemistry, and Sunnybrook Hospital, largely assisting with computer programming. He has also engaged in research at Western University in t...

This week on the podcast we have Dr. Stefania Impellizzeri! We discuss changing academic paths, Schrödinger's cat, and the motivation that comes with being told you "can't" do something. Dr. Impellizzeri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology at Toronto Metropolitan University. In addition to her faculty role at TMU, she also holds the position of Jet Ice Research Cha...

We are back from the brink of the end-of-semester slump with a brand new episode featuring Dr. Areej Al-Hamad! Dr. Al-Hamad is an Assistant Professor at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University and an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary in Canada and Qatar. She holds two doctorate degrees: the first in Rural and Northern Health from Laurentian University...

This week we talked with Élyse Comeau a PhD candidate in Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. Élyse works in urban planning, specializing in transportation policy, planning, and equity. Her current research focuses on the intersection of transportation planning and accessibility, and her dissertation work is specifically focused on accessible student transportation. She works as a...

This week we talked to Dr. Bryan Koivisto, an associate professor here at TMU in the Department of Chemistry and Biology.   Dr. Koivisto talks about the struggle that was his undergraduate journey, failing the very course he teaches today, how he dealt with parental pressure, and how sometimes all you need is a duck to bring you back from the brink.   To learn more about Dr. Koivisto's work visit:...

This week we interviewed Dr. Kateryna Metersky, an assistant professor from Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Metersky talks to us about her work studying people-centered care and the intersectionality between health and socioeconomic standing, the struggles she had explaining to her parents her choice to pursue academia, and how she finally made them proud...

This week we talked to Dr. David Kinahan, the Senior Director of Development Communications here at Toronto Metropolitan University. David walks us through his journey of self discovery, from leaving dental school to pursuing a PhD in English Literature, Dr. Kinahan doesn't look at his pass failures as a negative thing but instead looks at them as strategic moves that culminated in his future succ...

This week we talk to Dr. Eden Fussner-Dupas is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC and former TMU instructor about her unconventional journey to becoming a professor. From failing her first chemistry exam, to ultimately obtaining a PhD in biochemistry, Dr. Fussner-Dupas frames her setbacks as stepping stones that have ultimately led her...

In this episode we interview Julia Pia, a Toronto Metropolitan alum, who completed her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2020. Following her undergraduate degree, Julia received a Master of Science in chemistry from the University of Toronto in 2022. Today, Julia is the CEO and founder of Ment Projects, a mentorship business that enhances career development through innovation and collaboration. ...

This week we interviewed Toronto Metropolitan University professor Dr. Lynda McCarthy about her journey from visiting the Canada Center for Inland Waters with her elementary school to becoming a great lakes ecotoxicologist and professor. Dr. McCarthy details the struggles she faced going from an institution with unlimited resources to a burgeoning start-up university, having her research shut down...

Cohosts Dr. Krystal Nunes and Alex Whyte talk about the goal of the podcast and interview each other about their academic journeys and the roadblocks they've encountered along the way.