Cette année, la CCUWiP tiendra quatre panels ainsi que cinq ateliers. Ne manque pas ta chance d’en apprendre davantage sur des sujets variés tel que l’informatique quantique, les carrières possibles pour les personnes physiciennes et les techniques de négociation ! /
This year, the CCUWiP will hold four panels as well as five workshops. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about diverse topics such as quantum computing, potential careers for physicists, and negotiation techniques!
Jan 19th / 19 janvier 2:00 to 3:00 PM
Atelier de SNOLAB / SNOLAB Workshop
Blaire Flynn (she/her)
Blaire Flynn is the Senior Education and Outreach Officer at SNOLAB, Canada’s deep underground physics laboratory. An enthusiastic science communicator, she works to share research in an accessible and informative way. Blaire obtained her BSc in Biology and Chemistry before pursuing graduate studies in Environmental Monitoring and is currently completing her MSc in Science Communication.
Rachel Richardson (she/her)
Rachel is an Education & Outreach Coordinator at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario. Rachel started at SNOLAB as a undergraduate student on the SNO+ experiment and more recently moved into the E&O group. She has both a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Bachelor of Education from Laurentian University. In addition to her work at SNOLAB, Rachel is a professor at the local college and is currently serving as the President of WISE Sudbury.
Christine Kraus (she/her)
Dr. Christine Kraus completed her PhD in 2004 at Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz (Germany), focusing on the final measurements of the Mainz Neutrinos Mass Experiment. This experiment set the best limit on neutrino mass for about 10 years. Following her PhD, she did a postdoc at Queen’s University working on the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment. Christine then came to SNOLAB as a research scientist working on SNO+ before moving to Laurentian University where she earned a Canada Research Chair Tier II in particle astrophysics. Christine is now back at SNOLAB, working as a research scientist mostly on the SNO+ experiment.
Jan 19th / 19 janvier 2:00 to 3:00 PM
Atelier d’introduction à l’informatique quantique / Introduction to Quantum Computing – UdeS
Sarah Blanchette (she/her)
Sarah Blanchette is the Executive Director of the Bachelor in Quantum Information Sciences at Université de Sherbrooke. Part of her responsibilities in the framework of this new degree is to develop partnerships with industry players and integrate their cutting-edge research into the course curriculum. Previously, Sarah worked as a quantum software developer at Institut quantique, where she focused on quantum machine learning projects and on building educational material on quantum computing. She completed her Bachelor’s in physics at Université de Montréal in 2021.
Jan 19th / 19 janvier 4:30 to 5:30 PM
Panel EDI
Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo (She/her)
Professor Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo is an internationally renowned expert in the study of supermassive black holes. An associate professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Montreal, her work has had significant implications for understanding the coevolution of galaxies and black holes. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Montreal, followed by a Ph.D. in astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford as a NASA Einstein Fellow. She has received numerous research awards, including a Canada Research Chair, and has had access to the largest telescopes as a principal investigator. Beyond her scientific career, Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo is also a staunch advocate for diversity in the sciences. She co-founded Parité Sciences, an ambitious project aiming for gender parity in science and engineering (www.paritesciences.com).
Samantha Wong (She/her)
I’m a PhD student at McGill studying high energy astrophysics with the VERITAS gamma-ray telescope. I’m also an EDI coordinator for the Department of Physics at McGill.
Keita Christophe (He/him)
Dr. Christophe’s research employs a wide range of quantitative tools to examine the impact of discrimination on trajectories of psychopathology and wellbeing among racially/ethnically minoritized and immigrant youth, (2) how cultural factors (e.g., ethnic-racial identity, how parents talk to their children about race and discrimination, youth activism, etc.) develop and provide resilience against racialized stressors.
Jan 19th / 19 janvier 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Atelier sur les admissions aux cycles supérieurs / Graduate Applications Workshop
Brigitte Vachon (she/her)
Brigitte Vachon is Professor and James McGill Chair in the Physics Department at McGill University. The goal of her research is to understand the nature of the basic constituents of the universe and the laws that explain their behaviour. Her research group is engaged in leading-edge investigations of high energy particle collisions using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory, and the development of novel instruments to enable discovery research. She is the founder of CCUWiP and a member of the McGill Physics Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee. Prof. Vachon is frequently invited to provide expert commentaries on scientific review panels, and to engage, both in French and English, with media and the public.
Jasmine Parsons (she/they)
Jasmine is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, interested broadly in theoretical high-energy astrophysics. She completed her bachelor’s in Honours Physics from McGill University.
Jan 19th / 19 janvier 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Panel sur la vie aux cycles supérieurs / Graduate Life Panel
Zoe McIntyre
Zoe is from Halifax and graduated from Mount Allison University with a joint honours in math and physics in 2018. She’s currently a PhD student at McGill University working at the intersection of quantum information and condensed matter theory. In 2022, she worked as a research intern at IBM Quantum in New York. Outside of physics, she enjoys reading, soccer, and photographing McGill’s extensive squirrel population.
Elissa Haddad (elle/she)
I hold a bachelor’s degree in physical engineering from Polytechnique Montreal and am currently completing my Ph.D. at INRS in ultrafast photonics. My research focuses on the characterization of ultra-short laser pulses and the study of materials using ultrafast lasers. In addition to engaging in research and advancing knowledge, a Ph.D. provides various related opportunities such as internships abroad, acquiring management skills, building a network of contacts, etc. One acquires several highly valuable skills for the job market, whether in academia or industry. In fact, alongside the completion of my studies, I am now working in partnership development at INRS, particularly to foster more collaborative projects with the industry. Of course, the life of a graduate student has not only positive aspects; it can be a stressful period with a significant workload. That’s why it’s all the more important to gather information before choosing your path. I’m looking forward to participating in the panel on graduate student life to share my experience and exchange ideas with you!
Marine Prunier (elle/she)
I am Marine, a doctoral student in astrophysics at the University of Montreal. My research focuses on the study of high-energy astrophysical phenomena such as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Located in the central galaxy of a cluster, an AGN is an active supermassive black hole that can emit bright jets and winds. I am investigating the influence of these AGN on the overall dynamic and structure of the surrounding galaxy cluster using X-ray observations and the Illustris-TNG cosmological simulations. My academic career has taken me to various universities in Switzerland, Belgium, France and Canada, where I had the opportunity to work on several research topics in astrophysics but also in aerospace engineering and planetary sciences. I am also a passionate sky-watcher and have had several experiences as an astronomer along the way! Beyond research, I have consistently dedicated efforts to communicate science to the public and advocate for the inclusion of women in science. For years, I have been engaged in youth outreach through Space@yourservice in Lausanne, Switzerland, promoting space science for all, and with Club Mars in Toulouse. I am also co-organiser of Astronomy on Tap in Montreal, with regular monthly events in bars around the city.
Victoria Mochuslka (elle/she)
My name is Victoria Mochulska and I am a PhD student at McGill University, Department of Physics, and François Group, Department of Bioinformatics, Université de Montréal. I also did my Master’s at McGill University. My research is at the interface of physics, non-linear dynamics, and developmental biology. In particular, I am interested in how cells become specialized into different types, such as neural or muscle cells, and how they choose their identities based on internal programs and their environment, forming precise cell type proportions and robust spatial patterns. I study these cellular decisions using mathematical models and numerical simulations.
Fiona Thompson (elle/she)
Fiona is an MSc student studying Chemistry (Quantum Information) at the Coherent Spintronics Group at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing. She works on making and measuring semiconductor-superconductor devices with applications for topological quantum computing. She loves coffee and cats and is passionate about science communication.
Jan 20th / 20 janvier 3:45 to 4:45 PM
Panel sur les carrières / Career Panel
Frédérique Baron (elle/she)
Frédérique is an astrophysicist who is passionate about the search for planets around stars other than the Sun. She has a PhD from the Université de Montréal and now is in charge of the instrumentation projects at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic. She is also the coordinator of the Centre for Research on Astrophysics of Québec.
Katy Hartling (elle/she)
Katy Hartling is an R&D Scientist at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, where she heads the Nuclear Security Section within the Safety and Security Directorate. Her background is in theoretical high-energy particle physics, including models of the Higgs boson and dark matter. She currently specializes in simulation and algorithm development for a wide variety of nuclear systems and safeguards, with recent work on gamma spectroscopy, muon tomography, medical isotope production, and shielding materials for space exploration.
Marie-Christine Ferland (elle/she)
Marie-Christine Ferland acquired a bachelor’s degree in Physics and an MBA before joining the National Research Institute in Quebec, Canada. She held different positions there, from market analyst to Business Development and Commercialization Manager. She was quite involved in the photonic community and held different board members positions. She also held the position of Vice President Innovation for the biggest manufacture association in Canada promoting innovation. She went on to becoming Account Manager for a lidar company before becoming the General manager of the Quebec Photonics Cluster. She is now the Business Development Director at Photon etc., is a Canadian manufacturer of infrared cameras, widely tunable optical filters and hyperspectral imaging. She is involved in the photonic community and is proud to be part of the SPIE Corporate & Exhibitor Committee.
Irina Stateikina (elle/she)
Irina Stateikina is a senior scientist at C2MI specializing in MEMS fabrication process development and was a first MEMS integration professional in this company who established the base for specialists joining the company in recent years. During almost 12 years in her current position, she contributed to the exceptional growth of the company’s portfolio. Building on her experience from 12 years of University teaching she retained link with the academia as an Affiliate Assistant Professor at Concordia University, Montreal. Her diverse background comprising Master of Engineering, Electromechanical, as well as Master of Engineering and PhD, Electrical, specializing in semiconductor physics and devices, allowed her to implement this knowledge in design and fabrication of MEMS devices during her postdoctoral fellowship. Her goal is to enable the advance of MEMS manufacturing through unique collaboration C2MI can offer connecting the start-up and well-established companies with academia and industry in C2MI’s network.
Session de théorie / Theory session
Michel Côté (He/him)
Alexander Maloney (He/him)
I am a physicist at McGill university, working on fundamental questions in theoretical physics. A few specific research interests include:
Black Holes: Their entropy and thermodynamics, the quantum mechanics of black holes, and the quantization of geometry.
Holography and AdS/CFT: Solvable models of quantum gravity, the emergence of semi-classical space-time, and applications of gauge/gravity duality to strongly coupled systems.
Quantum Information Theory: The relationships between quantum information theory and fundamental problems in field theory and quantum gravity.
Conformal Field Theory: The dynamics of strongly coupled CFTs, the conformal bootstrap, and quantum chaos.
Quantum Cosmology: The resolution of cosmological singularities, de Sitter space, inflation, and the wave function of the universe.
Jan 21st / 21 janvier 3:10 to 4:10 PM
Atelier sur la négociation / Negotiation Skills Workshop
Chantal Westgate (elle/she)
Prof. Chantal Westgate is the President and Consultant at Quinte Dimension, where she uses her 18+ years of experience as an Organizational Behaviour Professor at McGill University to provide custom, high-quality soft skill training and consulting for individuals and organizations in Canada and around the world. Some of her specialties include influence, collaboration, communication, leadership, and teamwork.