Best U of T Engineering Podcasts (2025)

1
The future of sustainable pet food — Sofia Bonilla 29:12

15d ago29:12

29:12

U of T Engineering Alumna Sofia Bonilla completed her PhD in our University of Toronto Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, having previously completed degrees in microbiology and environmental science. Her thesis focused on protein production, and she has since leveraged that expertise to become the founder and CEO of ALT-PRO,…

1
From engineering to round-the-world sailing adventure – Melodie Schaffer 26:58

1M ago26:58

26:58

After graduating from the University of Toronto, Melodie Schaffer (ChemE 9T1, MASc 9T4) had a successful career designing biomedical devices. More recently, she’s made big pivot to the world of offshore sailing. She is the first Canadian woman to complete a round-the-world sailing race, earning her the Canadian Rolex sailor of the year award for 20…

1
How a student company beat out Boeing — Michael Acquaviva and Anna Poletaeva of Prandtl Dynamics 28:55

3M ago28:55

28:55

Prandtl Dynamics is a company recently founded by U of T Engineering undergraduates. Over the past year, they have been making headlines by doing something that many established aerospace companies cannot yet do: develop effective, acoustic-based strategies to neutralize threats from Uncrewed Aerial Systems, also known as drones. Dean Yip spoke to …

1
Engineering beyond borders: Mina Shahid’s journey from U of T to microfinance company Numida 29:25

4M ago29:25

29:25

Both during and after his time at University of Toronto Engineering's Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Mina Shahid was heavily involved in Engineers Without Borders. The experience led to a successful career in international development, and today he is the co-founder and CEO of Numida. The company offers digital financial service…

1
Kristina Menton — COO and Head of Flight, Pivotal 30:13

6M ago30:13

30:13

Immediately after graduating from the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Kristina Menton was recruited by what would become Pivotal, a company that is changing the face of aviation. Today, she is the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Flight, leading the development of new kinds of personal aircraft, such as the BlackFly …

1
Vince Arone — VP, Sales and Marketing: Jule- Powered by eCAMION 26:57

7M ago26:57

26:57

Since graduating MechE 8T8, Vince Arone has held senior roles at a number of technology companies. Most recently, he has entered the exciting world of battery electric storage systems and DC fast chargers. Dean Yip talks with Vince about this fast-growing industry, and how he has now brought some of that tech back to campus as part of the Landmark …

1
Liane Catalfo — President, Engineering Alumni Network and Senior Manager, Health and Life Sciences, Deloitte Canada 22:51

9M ago22:51

22:51

After earning her BASc and her MEng in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at U of T, Liane went on to apply her knowledge and skills as a senior manager in health and life sciences consulting at Deloitte. She has returned to U of T Engineering to serve as president of the Engineering Alumni Network, where she is working to h…

1
Carlos de Oliveira and Michael Gray — Co-founders, Cast Connex 21:29

10M ago21:29

21:29

Carlos de Oliveira and Michael Gray are co-founders of Cast Connex, an industry leader in the architectural and structural use of cast steel components in the design and construction of building and bridge structures. Cast Connex recently made their mark on the Las Vegas skyline by contributing to the development of Sphere at the Venetian, the worl…

1
Raylene Mitchell — IBET Momentum Fellow 19:44

11M ago19:44

19:44

Raylene Mitchell is an IBET Momentum Fellow and a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. Under the supervision of Professor David Sinton (MIE) andMichael Ross (ElecE 0T8), the Industrial Research Chair in Northern Energy Innovation at Yukon University, she is researching energy storage solutions in Indigenous communit…

1
Eva Lau — Co-founder, Two Small Fish Ventures 29:12

12M ago29:12

29:12

U of T Engineering alumna Eva Lau is co-founder of Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the next evolution of computing and its applications. Today, she leverages her experience to help early-stage transformative tech companies achieve internet scale. Eva sat down with Dean Yip to discuss innovation, the importanc…

1
Shrey Jain — Graduating EngSci Student and Applied Scientist at Microsoft Research 28:40

2y ago28:40

28:40

Shrey Jain just completed his Bachelor's of Engineering Science with a major in Machine Intelligence, and is among the more than 1,000 U of T Engineering undergraduate students who will walk across the stage at Convocation this month. Over the past few years, Shrey has worked on a number of high-profile projects relating to AI and its implications …

1
Nika Shakiba — Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC 25:26

2y ago25:26

25:26

Nika Shakiba completed her PhD in our Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2017 and is now an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on stem cells — using systems biology to understand how they work, and synthetic biology to engineer new therapies for regenerative me…

1
Jenna Usprech — Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC 28:36

2y ago28:36

28:36

Jenna Usprech completed her PhD at U of T's Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2018, specializing in tissue engineering. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She spoke to Dean Yip about student wellness, science communication, and classroom strategies tha…

1
Marta Ecsedi and Aidan Grenville — Past and current EngSoc presidents 29:20

2y ago29:20

29:20

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of our Faculty, Dean Yip is joined by two guests who can offer some perspective on the past, present and future of Skule. Marta Ecsedi (CivMin 7T6) was the first woman president of the U of T Engineering Society, also known as EngSoc. She has gone on to champion a more inclusive engineering profession through…

1
Herman Colquhoun — Design Principal, IBM 33:13

2y ago33:13

33:13

Herman Colquhoun completed his master’s degree in Human Factors at U of T Engineering, and eventually went on to spend more than a decade at IBM, where he is a design principal leading the design of the IBM Quantum Premium Partner Experience. He is also a member of the leadership team for the Racial Equity in Design initiative at the company, the c…

1
Marissa Wu — Manager, Essential Medicines, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. 30:37

2+ y ago30:37

30:37

Alumnus Marissa Wu's fascinating career lies at the intersection between healthcare, technology and entrepreneurship. She is the founder of two startups, Onyx Motion and Rhythm, and she has acted as mentor to other founders through our Entrepreneurship Hatchery. She joined us from London, UK, where she serves as Manager, Essential Medicines for the…

1
Don Scott — Director Of Engineering, Submergence Group and CTO of Marine Ai 29:20

2+ y ago29:20

29:20

Over the past few decades, EngSci alumnus Don Scott has made a name for himself in the field of marine technology, designing systems for all kinds of ocean-going vessels. Most recently, he’s been exploring the application of artificial intelligence to unpiloted underwater vehicles, creating marine analogues of the more familiar airborne drones we a…

1
Joelle Javier — Elevating and Amusement Devices Safety Engineer 24:37

2+ y ago24:37

24:37

Materials Science & Engineering graduate Joelle Javier is an Elevating and Amusement Devices Safety Engineer at Technical Standards and Safety Authority. This means she is in charge of making sure that roller coasters deliver a memorable thrill without compromising the safety of their riders. Through this and other activities, she aims to inspire t…

1
Eric Khoury — Head Coach, Raptors 905 26:29

2+ y ago26:29

26:29

After graduating from the Engineering Science program and the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies, Eric Khoury made a career pivot, taking his analytics prowess to the Toronto Raptors organization, where he eventually joined the coaching team. Earlier this year, he was named the head coach of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors' NBA G…

1
Eric Choi — Science fiction author and aerospace engineer 27:18

2+ y ago27:18

27:18

Aerospace engineer and award-winning science fiction author Eric Choi is a graduate of both our Engineering Science program and our University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies. He uses his expertise to advance space technology, such as the Canadarm 2, but also to tell compelling stories about alternative histories and potential futures. Hi…

1
Dionne Aleman - Pandemic modeling, multidisciplinary minors and more 27:34

3y ago27:34

27:34

Dean Yip sits down with Professor Dionne Aleman from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering for a wide-ranging conversation. They discuss her work in applying operations research and machine learning to improve medical and healthcare decision-making, including the development of pandemic models. They also discuss the importance of …

1
Elham Marzi - Innovations in Engineering Education 27:27

3y ago27:27

27:27

Professor Elham Marzi is a member of our Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice, or ISTEP. She brings a unique perspective to our Faculty: for one thing, her expertise is not in engineering, but rather in organizational behaviour, human resources management, strategy and negotiations. Combine that with the fac…

1
Ajay Kochhar - President and CEO of Li-Cycle 26:14

3y ago26:14

26:14

U of T Engineering alumnus Ajay Kochhar is President and CEO of Li-Cycle. The company, which he co-founded a little more than five years ago, is already the largest recycler of lithium-ion batteries in North America, and has even more ambitious plans for the future. Ajay’s story is a great example of how an engineering education provides a strong f…

1
Phil De Luna - Director of the Clean Fuels program at the National Research Council of Canada 26:56

3y ago26:56

26:56

U of T Engineering alumnus and cleantech innovator Phil De Luna is the Director of the $57M Materials for Clean Fuels program at Canada’s National Research Council, making him the youngest person ever to serve as a director at NRC. He is also the Chair of the Board for CMC Research Institutes, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada and Forbes …

1
Cassandra Abraham and Ngozi Isiuwe - Blueprint 24:02

3y ago24:02

24:02

In this episode, Dean Yip talked with some of the people behind Blueprint, an academic enrichment program for highly motivated Black secondary school students interested in careers in Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). Engineering Outreach Coordinator Cassandra Abraham designed and oversees the program, while Ngozi Isiuwe is a second-…

1
Diana Virgovicova - From Slovakia to Canada and beyond 20:06

3+ y ago20:06

20:06

Second-year electrical engineering student Diana Virgovicova came to U of T Engineering from Pezinok, Slovakia on a Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship. Dean Chris Yip sat down with her to talk about her travels across Canada and around the world, how she found her way to Toronto, what she hopes to accomplish in the future — and how…

1
Series 1, Episode 4 - Shoshanna Saxe 26:21

3+ y ago26:21

26:21

Professor Shoshanna Saxe is an expert in the social and environmental impacts of large infrastructure projects, such as new transit lines or highways. Using data-driven tools such as life cycle analysis, her research helps us learn from our past mistakes and points us toward optimal solutions for safer, cleaner and more liveable cities. In this epi…

1
Series 1, Episode 3 - Angela Schoellig and Tim Barfoot 26:03

3+ y ago26:03

26:03

Professors Angela Schoellig and Tim Barfoot are pushing the limits of what autonomous robots can do. From drones to self-driving cars, their research will help power a new generation of vehicles that can go places that humans can't. Both Schoellig and Barfoot belong to the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, as well as the Roboti…

1
Series 1, Episode 2 — Marianne Hatzopoulou and Jeffrey Siegel 27:26

4y ago27:26

27:26

Professors Marianne Hatzopoulou and Jeffrey Siegel both study air quality, but from different perspectives. Hatzopoulou and her team are use mobile sensors to build real-time maps and simulations of outdoor air pollution, while Siegel’s research group focuses on modelling the indoor environment. Together, they explain the best way to get a breath o…

1
Series 1, Episode 1 - Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng 20:15

4y ago20:15

20:15

Professor Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng and her team are designing the next generation of MRI scans. In the future, they could be used to catch cancer in its earliest stages, or to track stem cell treatments as they repair damaged tissues. A better window into what’s happening inside the body could save lives around the world. Podcast transcripts can be …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

U Of T Engineering Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Tell Me More: Coffee with Chris Yip

U of T Engineering

1
The future of sustainable pet food — Sofia Bonilla 29:12

1
From engineering to round-the-world sailing adventure – Melodie Schaffer 26:58

1
How a student company beat out Boeing — Michael Acquaviva and Anna Poletaeva of Prandtl Dynamics 28:55

1
Engineering beyond borders: Mina Shahid’s journey from U of T to microfinance company Numida 29:25

1
Kristina Menton — COO and Head of Flight, Pivotal 30:13

1
Vince Arone — VP, Sales and Marketing: Jule- Powered by eCAMION 26:57

1
Liane Catalfo — President, Engineering Alumni Network and Senior Manager, Health and Life Sciences, Deloitte Canada 22:51

1
Carlos de Oliveira and Michael Gray — Co-founders, Cast Connex 21:29

1
Raylene Mitchell — IBET Momentum Fellow 19:44

1
Eva Lau — Co-founder, Two Small Fish Ventures 29:12

1
Shrey Jain — Graduating EngSci Student and Applied Scientist at Microsoft Research 28:40

1
Nika Shakiba — Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC 25:26

1
Jenna Usprech — Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC 28:36

1
Marta Ecsedi and Aidan Grenville — Past and current EngSoc presidents 29:20

1
Herman Colquhoun — Design Principal, IBM 33:13

1
Marissa Wu — Manager, Essential Medicines, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. 30:37

1
Don Scott — Director Of Engineering, Submergence Group and CTO of Marine Ai 29:20

1
Joelle Javier — Elevating and Amusement Devices Safety Engineer 24:37

1
Eric Khoury — Head Coach, Raptors 905 26:29

1
Eric Choi — Science fiction author and aerospace engineer 27:18

1
Dionne Aleman - Pandemic modeling, multidisciplinary minors and more 27:34

1
Elham Marzi - Innovations in Engineering Education 27:27

1
Ajay Kochhar - President and CEO of Li-Cycle 26:14

1
Phil De Luna - Director of the Clean Fuels program at the National Research Council of Canada 26:56

1
Cassandra Abraham and Ngozi Isiuwe - Blueprint 24:02

1
Diana Virgovicova - From Slovakia to Canada and beyond 20:06

1
Series 1, Episode 4 - Shoshanna Saxe 26:21

1
Series 1, Episode 3 - Angela Schoellig and Tim Barfoot 26:03

1
Series 1, Episode 2 — Marianne Hatzopoulou and Jeffrey Siegel 27:26

1
Series 1, Episode 1 - Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng 20:15