Category Archives: Past

Past

Tony Davis, Associate Emeritus Professor, U of T, Geography and Planning, “Putting the Brakes on Global Warming”, January 28, 2020

Our climate is determined by the interactions between internal mechanisms (plate tectonics) and the receipt and processing of solar radiation. For most of geologic time that has conditioned a world much warmer than the current one with a larger greenhouse effect. Contemporary global warming reflects our inadvertent interference with the natural balance, mostly through the burning of fossil fuels. So far mean global temperature has increased by only 1.5°C over the last 70 years, but climate models predict that the world will warm by as much as 4°C by 2100.
                    What impact will that have? 
                     Can we stop it happening?
                   Can we redress the situation?
Continue reading Tony Davis, Associate Emeritus Professor, U of T, Geography and Planning, “Putting the Brakes on Global Warming”, January 28, 2020 →

Past

Bern Grush: An Adult Conversation about Autonomous Vehicles: Conflicting Narratives about the autonomous vehicle future, October 29, 2019

Bern Grush is the Chief Innovation Officer at Harmonize Mobility, Inc. He is an author, innovator and entrepreneur in the fields of autonomous vehicles, parking reform, and road pricing. He is the principal author of the 2018 textbook “The End of Driving: Transportation Systems and Public Policy Planning for Autonomous Vehicles”.

In 2017, Bern was named Toronto Star Wheels’ Newsmaker of the Year for his RCCAO report “Ontario Must Prepare for Vehicle Automation: Automated vehicles can influence urban form, congestion, and infrastructure delivery” which Maclean’s magazine called “…fascinating and carefully argued…” He has been described as the top, current independent thinker on autonomous vehicle deployment.
Continue reading Bern Grush: An Adult Conversation about Autonomous Vehicles: Conflicting Narratives about the autonomous vehicle future, October 29, 2019 →

Past

Beth Beattie: Why we need leaders in our community to publicly disclose their mental illnesses, September 24, 2019


In 2002, Beth Beattie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The stereotype of people living with bipolar disorder is that they are inherently unstable and unreliable. Beth did not want to be thought of in those terms as a lawyer. As a result of stigma, both societal and self-imposed, she did not share her story outside her family and closest friends for 14 years.
Continue reading Beth Beattie: Why we need leaders in our community to publicly disclose their mental illnesses, September 24, 2019 →

Past

The Search for Earth-like Planets, Dr. Michael Reid, Associate Professor of Astronomy, University of Toronto, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, April 30, 2019

Biographical Information
Dr. Michael Reid is an Associate Professor of Astronomy in the University of Toronto’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He earned his PhD from McMaster University and did post-doctoral work at the Submillimeter Array in Hawaii before joining the faculty of the University of Toronto. His expertise is in making astronomy accessible to everyone, using non-technical language. He also works as the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, where he organizes events and programs designed to share cutting-edge astronomical research with the public.
Continue reading The Search for Earth-like Planets, Dr. Michael Reid, Associate Professor of Astronomy, University of Toronto, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, April 30, 2019 →

Past

Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey: “China, Alluring Panda or Pandora’s Box” March 26, 2019

Whiff member Chris Twigge-Molecey P.Eng., Ph.D., FCAE, FCIM, will give a talk on “China, Alluring Panda or Pandora’s Box.”

Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey retired in 2013 from full time work at Hatch Ltd. where he worked for 42 years. He joined Hatch in 1971 and has held a wide range of both technical and management positions. His technical contributions have included implementation of technology development programs management of R&D programs as well as design and commissioning of full scale metallurgical plant. He lead the development of Hatch business in several overseas markets including Russia, Chile and China. He was a member of Hatch’s board of directors from 2007 to 2011.
Continue reading Dr. Chris Twigge-Molecey: “China, Alluring Panda or Pandora’s Box” March 26, 2019 →

Past

Sue Lougheed Thompson: The Paradox of a Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis – A Personal Reflection, February 26, 2019

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Sue Lougheed Thompson: The Paradox of a Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis – A Personal Reflection
Sue Thompson, Harry McMurtry and Dr. Ross Sugar on their 500 Mile Walk in 2016.
Sue Thompson is a physical education teacher, but in the summer of 2016 she took on the endurance challenge of a lifetime. She, along with two other people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), walked 500 miles in 45 days from the Bronx to Toronto to demonstrate what all people with the disease can achieve.
Continue reading Sue Lougheed Thompson: The Paradox of a Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis – A Personal Reflection, February 26, 2019 →

Past

Geordie Hyland, on the U.S. ‘distance learning’ revolution, January 29, 2019

Brief summary
Geordie is a C-level executive in the education field. His online education experience in the United States includes K-12, Higher Ed and Continuing Medical Education (CME), in North America and internationally. Geordie has held management positions overseeing large teams of educators as well as roles in Ed Tech and social entrepreneurship.

Full bio
Geordie Hyland is Executive Vice President at Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA), a nonprofit healthcare educational institution based in Tampa, Florida that employs more than 2,000 faculty and staff and serves 15,000 online students and 45,000 alumni across the United States.
Continue reading Geordie Hyland, on the U.S. ‘distance learning’ revolution, January 29, 2019 →