Stories of WISE

Is grad school really just a backup plan? In our third and final episode of the Industry Series, we sit down with Atefeh Mohammadi, an award-winning graduate researcher, science communicator, and a PHD candidate at the University of Toronto's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. Atefeh shares her journey from an uncertain undergrad to diving into what grad school actually looks...

In this episode, we spotlight industry pathways beyond traditional academic routes. We’re joined by -- Bonnie Wang, a service and biomedical designer based in Toronto who works at the intersection of science, design, and healthcare. Bonnie shares how she uses visual storytelling and human-centred design to transform complex biomedical ideas into accessible and engaging resources for diverse audien...

Today I'm joined by Dr. Brianne Helfrich, who has a PhD in bioethics and is the founder of Helfrich Collective. We talk about her path from medicine to bioethics, what Helfrich Collective means to her, struggles in juggling everything, and much more!

In this episode, we launch a new series spotlighting industry pathways, moving beyond the lecture hall and into the real-world impact of scientific training. Jacquie Fleisig, is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Toronto who began her journey in Engineering Science. Jacquie shares how her love for problem-solving led her through diverse industry and research experience, before ulti...

Today I'm joined by Dr. Ania Harlick, self-proclaimed "accidental physicist". She's an assistant professor of physics at UofT, and in this episode, we talk about her long-winded path to being a physicist and a professor, feeling out of place in STEM, and Dr. Harlick's teaching philosophies.

Today, I'm joined by Alice Lee, a student studying computer science at Northeastern University in Boston! She shares insights into her academic and professional journey, including her experiences at startups and internships, as well as highlighting the impact of student-led organizations on both her career and personal growth.

For our first episode this new year we are excited to share that we are joined by a brilliant guest, Dr. Naomi Levy-Strumpf. Providing a candid look at her research experience, her transition to teaching and what Life Science students can do make sure they get (or make) a seat at the table, Dr. Levy-Strumpf outlines it all in this episode you don’t want to miss. Listen now (and take notes) on how...

Today, we are joined by Dr. Myrto Grigoroglou, assistant professor at UofT! We discuss her unconventional (academic) journey, from studying communications in Greece to linguistics in America. We then talk about her research, her lab, her experience teaching, and end with insightful advice for students.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Alexandra Malinowski! As one of the professors of HMB265: General & Human Genetics, she has taught thousands of Life Sciences students, making her the perfect guest to share advice on how to make the most of your undergrad journey. Drawing from her own experiences as a student and her perspective as a professor, Dr. Malinowski discusses everything from e...

In today’s episode, we’re joined by the wonderful Dr. Haley Zubyk! You might recognize her from your Human Biology or Infectious Diseases classes, but today, we’re getting to know her beyond the lecture slides. Dr. Zubyk shares her journey from biochemical research on antibiotic resistance to finding her true calling in teaching at U of T, and how she’s built a classroom that’s not just about scie...

In today's episode, we are joined by Alvina Lai! You might know her from your COG250 classes, but today we talk about her. Particularly, her academic journey so far, her research on political parasocial relationships and how that can unconsciously influence our thoughts and values, as well as how wisdom may be able to mitigate this polarization.

In today's episode we're joined by Mackenzie Clark, a Senior Software Engineer at Google. Mackenzie has had a fascinating career journey, starting with Google's Cloud Healthcare team, where she worked to make healthcare records more accessible to patients. Recently, Mackenzie transitioned to Google's supply chain sustainability team, where she's developing products to reduce gr...

We are joined by Dr. Colleen Dockstader, an associate professor in the Human Biology Program and the Director of Public Health and Health Studies at the University of Toronto. She has extensive research experiences from her postdoc at SickKids where she studied the effects of radiation on children with brain tumors. In this episode, we discuss her passion for teaching, her personal journey transit...

In this episode, we dive into the journey of Eiman Hassan, VP of Operations at Alphawave Semi. From her university days at UofT in Electrical and Computer Engineering to leading in the tech industry, Eiman shares insights on navigating career transitions, making tough decisions, and breaking barriers as the first woman in a tech startup. Whether you're an aspiring leader or looking for inspira...

In this episode, we dive into the life story of Maude, a senior staff engineer at Slack*. From switching majors in university to leading the entire backend performance infrastructure team at Slack, she’ll give you her honest takes about negotiating salaries, advocating for yourself, and finding the right people to work for! Her journey is one of resilience, growth, and inspiring success! *Maude wa...

Meet this year's hosts Sophie and Armita. Last year they were the WISE co-presidents and this year they have returned as the Stories of WISE podcast hosts!

In this episode, we sat down to chat with Professor Chapman. She shares insights into her life as a professor at the University of Toronto and offers advice to students interested in pursuing research or a career in academia.

In this episode we interview our co-presidents Armita and Sophie. Let's hear their experiences and involvement with WISE!

This October, Stories of WISE reached out to various professors across the University of Toronto spanning departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering to hear their thoughts on the transition back to in-person learning. This September brought the long-awaited return of students and professors back to campus after the university switched to onlin...

This October, Stories of WISE reached out to various professors across the University of Toronto spanning departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering to hear their thoughts on the transition back to in-person learning. This September brought the long-awaited return of students and professors back to campus after the university switched to onlin...

In our debut episode, we speak to Danielle Page, Co-President at UofT Women in Finance (UTWF), and Sally Race, Vice President at the Association for Women in Mathematics Student Chapter at UofT (AWM UofT) to learn more about the amazing work their student organizations are doing on campus to support minorities in STEM and their experiences being executives.