Nomination for Atlantic Regional Representative
Vlado Keselj
Professor
Dalhousie University, Halifax
Dr. Vlado Keselj is a Professor of Computer Science at the Dalhousie University in Halifax. His research interests are in the areas of Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Mining. He received his degrees in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo (PhD 2002, MMath 1997) and the University of Belgrade (BMath 1994). Dr. Keselj has published with co-authors more than 150 papers (more than 100 refereed), and co-edited four books of proceedings. He served on the board of CAIAC (Canadian AI association), and is a member of the ACM, IEEE, AAAI, and CAIAC associations.
Statement of Intent
I would like to express my interest to serve on the CS-Can|Info-Can board as the Atlantic Director. I have a long-term strong interest and passion in promoting Computer Science and local, national, and international levels. I have been active in the Canadian AI society, serving on its board for four years, I was a co-chair of the Canadian AI'2010 as well as some international conferences such as ACM DocEng 2018. I have organized a number of programming competitions for Nova Scotia highschools 2016-2020, university competitions, and ACM and ICPC Atlantic competitions. While participating in the work of CAIAC and and the Canadian AI/GI/CRV conferences, I was looking forward for an opportunity to have a general Canadian CS conference and a society with similar goals, so I see creation of the CS-Can|Info-Can as a great step in this direction, and an opportunity to significantly advance computer science in Canada, make its profile even larger internationally, and contribute to the strength of Canadian economy and science. I would be honoured to be given a chance to contribute in this exciting endeavor.
James Hughes
Associate Professor
St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish
James Hughes is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at St. Francis Xavier University. He completed his BSc and MSc at Brock University and his PhD at the University of Western Ontario. James’ research interests include the development of machine learning algorithms for real world applications, in particular, neuroinformatics. As of late, his interests have shifted to studying and developing computer science pedagogy to improve student learning outcomes for remaining competitive as the tech industry evolves.
Statement of Intent
I am excited to contribute to CS-CAN's mission by leveraging my experience as a PI of one of the larger research labs at a smaller university in a rural community. As a current St. Francis Xavier University Alley Heaps Associate Chair, I have been concerned with the management and impact of technology and computer science within broader society and how it impacts our lives. Further, I'm particularly interested in addressing the unique challenges faced by rural communities within this context. I feel that this aligns well with CS-CAN's mission statement and I look forward to taking my pursuits in this area to the next step and participate in an organization that can have a much larger impact.
Nomination for Pacific Regional Representative
Mario Nascimento
Director Pacific Northwest Research
Northeastern University
Khoury College of Computer Science, Vancouver
Mario Nascimento is currently with the Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Science at Vancouver, serving as its first Director of Pacific Northwest Research. Before that he was a Professor at the University of Alberta’s Department of Computing Science for 23 years, serving as its Chair for 6 years. He has also been a visiting professor in Singapore, Denmark, Germany and Brazil. According to Google Scholar, his publications have been cited 4,600+ times, yielding an H-index of 33. He’s currently serving as the PC co-Chair for ACM SIGSPATIAL 2023, and as the General co-Chair for SSTD 2023 and has served as ACM SIGMOD‘s Information Director and VLDB Journal‘s Editorial Board member.
Statement of Intent
CS-Can/Info-Can has been mostly driven by schools in Eastern Canada, but it is moving towards a more regionally inclusive stance. This is the main reason I would like to join its Board. We need to democratise access to events and further promote the co-location of CS Canadian events. For instance, CS-Can/Info-Can should support the organisation of regional versions of CAN-CWiC so that more students in those regions can have similar experience as those (fewer) that can afford attending the main events in person. Another idea is to further explore hybrid events, particularly geared towards students. By hybrid I do not mean simply allowing online attendance, but rather facilitating satellite events, where activities happen locally in-person and are also shared online across different locations. Finally, I would like to see CS-Can/Info-Can pursuing a stronger and influential voice within NSERC (and other agencies).
Mohamed Hefeeda
Professor
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
Mohamed Hefeeda is a Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where he leads the Network and Multimedia Systems Lab. His research interests include multimedia networking over wired and wireless networks, mobile multimedia, and AI for multimedia systems. In 2011, he was awarded one of the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplements (DAS). His research on mobile video streaming has resulted in multiple patents and conference awards and has been featured in several news venues, including ACM Tech News, World Journal News, and CTV British Columbia.
Mohamed served as the Director of the School of Computing Science at SFU between 2018 and 2023, where he led a major faculty renewal and expansion process. Under his leadership, the School hired 25 faculty members, introduced a new Professional Master's program in Cybersecurity, and substantially increased its graduate and undergraduate enrollments.
Statement of Intent
It is my honor to be considered to serve on the Board of Directors of the CS-CAN/INFO-CAN organization in the capacity of the Pacific Director.
I served as the Director of the School of Computing Science (CS) at Simon Fraser University between May 2018 and April 2023. During this five-year period, I participated in various activities managed by CS-CAN/INFO-CAN and attended all annual general meetings (in-person or virtually during the pandemic). I learned valuable information about the many great CS departments across Canada, and I interacted with several department chairs and board members during this period. I admire the continuous effort by CS-CAN/INFO-CAN to support all computer scientists in Canada, including advocating for stronger research support from national funding agencies to the CS discipline, encouraging larger participation of minorities and under-represented groups in CS, improving the presence and participation of Canadian CS departments in the CRA (Computing Research Association), fostering the exchange of knowledge and best practices among Canadian CS departments, honoring exceptional faculty and students and highlighting their achievements, and building stronger connections among academic institutions and industrial partners.
I would like to contribute to achieving the CS-CAN/INFO-CAN mission, which, as stated on its website, is to “Ensure excellence in research, innovation, and education across all aspects of computer science.” In addition, if elected as the Pacific Director, I would like to increase the participation of CS departments in Western Canada in the activities and initiatives of CS-CAN/INFO-CAN. This may be achieved, for example, by organizing some of the CS-CAN/INFO-CAN events at CS departments in Western Canada and encouraging more faculty and students to participate in various CS-CAN/INFO-CAN activities and competitions.
Sara Khanchi
Assistant Professor
New York Tech, Vancouver
Sara Khanchi is an assistant professor of computer science at New York Tech's Vancouver campus. She received her Ph.D. in computer science from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada in 2019. She has several years of experience in industry, mainly in areas of malware analysis and development of secure network devices and services. Her current research interests are in the intersection of intrusion detection systems (IDS), malware analysis, machine learning, and network traffic analysis.
Statement of Intent
As a female leader with a strong background in academia and industry, I am eager to apply for the Pacific Director position at CS-CAN. I am passionate about advancing scientific research and collaboration and equally committed to developing solutions for real-world problems in the Pacific region. My experience in academia and industry has honed my problem-solving skills, particularly in coordinating interdisciplinary projects that require the cooperation of various stakeholders. In my current work with industry partners, I address security challenges in infrastructure and help identify solutions to problems faced in the field.
I am committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that embraces diversity and inclusion in research and innovation. As a female leader, I have personally witnessed the positive effects of encouraging female students, who may face cultural or gender-based barriers, to pursue careers in STEM fields. I am excited to collaborate with stakeholders to identify practical solutions that can drive progress and improve outcomes for researchers and organizations in the Pacific region. I believe that diverse perspectives and ideas can lead to more innovative solutions to real-world problems, and I am committed to fostering such an environment as Pacific Director at CS-CAN. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to discussing my qualifications and experience with you further.
Nomination for Department Heads
Joanne Atlee
Professor Director of Women in Computer Science (WiCS)
University of Waterloo, Waterloo
Dr. Joanne Atlee (P.Eng) is Professor and Director of Women in Computer Science (WiCS) in the Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo and was the founding Director of the Software Engineering program. Her record of service includes General Chair for ICSE’19, Program Co-Chair for ICSE’09, Program Chair for RE'05, and ACM SIGSOFT Executive Committee. She is currently an ACM SIGSOFT Liaison for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a member of SIGSOFT CARES. She serves on the CS-Can/Info-Can Board of Directors -- on the EDI subcommittee and the CAN-CWIC Steering Committee. She is an ACM Distinguished Scientist.
Statement of Intent
As the Director of Women in Computer Science, I am deeply committed to identifying, removing, and mitigating against biases and discriminations that women and other underrepresented minorities in computing face in their studies and careers. I strive to help technical women and minorities develop the networks and strategies they need to recognize and confront these biases. As a member of the CSCan/InfoCan Board of Directors, I am particularly interested in serving on the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion and working on initiatives to increase and widen the participation of underrepresented populations in computing and to improve their experiences, their sense of belonging, and their avenues for success in their studies and their careers. This includes collecting and analyzing statistics about the gender, race, ability, and Indigeneity identities of undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, and faculty in computing programs throughout Canada. It includes helping to launch a nationwide climate survey to better understand students’ experiences and sense of belonging in their computing programs. It also includes increasing student participation in CAN-CWIC and other initiatives that help members of underrepresented populations to succeed in careers in computing.
Hossam Hassanein
Professor Director School of Computing
Queen’s University, Kingston
I am a Professor and the Director of the School of Computing, at Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I am also the founder and Director of the Queen`s Telecommunications Research Lab (with over100 MSc and PhD Alumni). My research is in the control and performance evaluation of broadband, wireless and mobile network architectures and protocols, radio resource management, the Internet of Things, and data-centric networks. I am currently leading research in the areas of next generation wireless networks and edge computing.
I have 30 years of academic experience, 24 of which at Queen’s University. I have demonstrated leadership in research, education, and administration, and demonstrated success in developing and implementing a vision, and in leading the members of School of Computing at Queen’s to achieve their full potential. As Director of the School of Computing (SoC) at Queen's since 2017, I have made significant impact on the SoC and the Faculty of Arts and Science. I secured top computing professionals in Intelligent Systems, enabled the right environment for research, and strengthened connections with industry and the community. I also led the development of new graduate program options, aided with the restructuring of the Computing major, and provided support for students and instructors. Additionally, I oversaw the inclusion of EDI in the SoC operation and course offerings, led the SoC's efforts on a visioning process for Computing 2030, and championed the SoC's efforts on global engagement, resulting in several agreements signed with universities and organizations around the world.
Statement of Intent
- Foster strong collaboration between CS-CAN and all CS departments in Canada.
- Expand CS-CAN’s members support through enhanced resources.
- Elevate CS-CAN’s influence in industry and government.
- Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Enhance global engagement of CS-CAN and its affiliate members.
Nomination for Director at Large
Kelly Lyons
Professor
University of Toronto, Toronto
Dr. Kelly Lyons is a Professor in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, cross appointed to the Department of Computer Science. Her current research interests include service science, knowledge mobilization, data science, and social media. Kelly has co‐authored several papers, served in conference leadership roles, given many keynote and invited presentations, and co‐chaired several workshops. She has received funding from NSERC, the GRAND NCE, SSHRC, and several industry partners. Previously, she served as a Member‐ at‐Large of on the ACM Council and the ACM‐W Executive Council. Kelly has led several initiatives that promote Women in Technology.
Statement of Intent
As a member of the Board of CS-Can|Info-Can, my main contributions have focused on Awards, the collocated national conference, and the transition of the Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing (CAN-CWIC) conference to CS-Can|info-Can. As the Awards representative on the Board, I led the effort to establish the Excellence in Teaching Award and recruited the Teaching Award Committee Co-Chairs. I established terms of reference for awards committees and conflict of interest guidelines. As a member of the CS-Can|Info-Can collocated conference organizing committee, I am committed to establishing a plan and mechanisms for bringing Canadian research communities together annually for years to come. I served as Co-Chair of the 2011 Ontario Celebration of Women in Computing and have been involved in CAN-CWIC since the beginning. I am passionate about supporting women in computing and will work to ensuring the long-term sustainability of CAN-CWIC under the CS-Can|Info-Can umbrella. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve on the Board of CS-Can|Info-Can for one more term where I will work with stakeholders to bring faculty members, students, industry partners, and government officials together to create and sustain a computer science community in Canada that is inclusive, innovative, and influential.
Andrea Bunt
Professor and Associate Head (Graduate)
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Andrea Bunt is a Professor and Associate Head (Graduate) in Computer Science at the University of Manitoba. Prior to joining the University of Manitoba in 2009, Andrea completed a Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Waterloo. Andrea’s research is in human-computer interaction, with an emphasis on feature-rich software learnability, online communities, and human-AI interaction. Andrea received the CS-Can | Info-Can Young Researcher Award in 2018, an NSERC Accelerator Supplement (2015-2018) and Best Paper awards at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems, the ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, and Graphics Interface. She has chaired the NSERC RTI Selection Committee for the Computer, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, has co-chaired the Graphics Interface Conference, has served on numerous international Program Committees (e.g., ACM CHI, ACM UIST, ACM IUI) and is a member of the CS-Can | Info-Can Research Advisory Committee.
Statement of Intent
In joining the CS-Can | Info-Can board, I would bring over 20 years of experience in working in the field of Computer Science at universities in three Canadian provinces (Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario). I believe strongly in the importance of student training, both within the classroom and through funded research opportunities. Through my research, I have collaborated with industry in Canada, as well as worked in multidisciplinary teams. My service responsibilities both within and outside of my university often involve working with multiple interested parties to define and achieve common goals. Finally, I am strongly committed to EDI principles and to doing the work necessary to research and implement strategies that can help diversify the representation in Computer Science.
Maryam Aliabadi
Assistant Professor
New York Tech, Vancouver
I am a Teaching Faculty and a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow in the Faculty of Computer Science at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. I received my B.Sc. degree from Shahid Beheshti University (SBU), Tehran, Iran, and M.Sc. degree from University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver Canada in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I also conducted my PhD thesis in the area of Cyber-Physical System/ Internet of Things’ security at the UBC’s and SBU’s CS departments. I have over 10 years’ international industrial experience as an R&D engineer and IT project manager and 3 years’ of teaching experience in international universities.
Statement of Intent
I have been actively engaged in the domains of Computer System Security, Program Analysis, Software Testing, Cloud Computing, and Data Center Security. My research contributions, particularly in the realm of Cyber-Physical System and IoT security, have garnered recognition and have the potential to impact the future of secure computing. Notably, I have designed innovative security solutions that address the unique challenges of these interconnected systems.
Moreover, I am a dedicated educator, having spent 3 years teaching at international universities with specific focus on IoT security and Cloud computing. I have developed a passion for cybersecurity education, with a specific focus on children's cyber safety through gamification. As the founder of KIDS SHIELD (www.kidsshield.ca) in Canada, I am pioneering cybersecurity education for young learners. I firmly believe that empowering the next generation with cybersecurity knowledge is vital to creating a safer digital environment.
My goal is to bring my extensive background in research, practical industry insights, and cybersecurity education to CS-CAN. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the institution's academic and research endeavors, particularly in areas related to security and reliability of computer systems, and cloud computing. I am confident that my unique blend of experiences will enrich the academic community and help advance the mission of creating a more secure and connected world through education and research.