Innovative Projects Realized

Development of a Simulation Pipeline for Validating and OptimizingElectrically Tunable Liquid Crystal Zooming Systems

[Reseach Abstract. Project Overview missing]

simulation package available) to simulate a zooming system composed of tunable liquid crystal lenses
that is capable of aberration correction. The first component of the project consists of simulating a liquid
crystal lens in COMSOL. The liquid crystals rearrange themselves based on a space varying electric
field created by the placement of multiple electrodes and special materials. The crystal rearrangements
produce a rapid change in local refractive index. Therefore, the entire system produces a radial gradient
in refractive index and behaves like an effective concave or convex lens depending on the applied
voltages.
The second component of the project consists of importing COMSOL data into Zemax to create an
optical system capable of zoom and aberration correction with three tunable lenses or more. This
??simulation pipeline??, would allow for immediate design validation before prototyping the optical system,
saving research time, effort, and costs. The full zooming system has enormous applications in
smartphone photography, microscope imaging, manufacturing machine vision, and tunable glasses for
the visually impaired.

Anion Exchange Membranes for use in Industrial Electrolysis Systems for Salt-Splitting

Salt splitting is a technology in which an electrochemical cell containing 2 membranes to transport positive and negative ions, is used to produce sulfuric acid and caustic soda from sodium sulfate, a compound found commonly from industrial brine streams. Salt splitting electrolysis is a sustainable solution for the expanding markets of acid and caustic recovery and treatment of neutralization waste products, which would otherwise be disposed. One of the major challenges of this technology is to produce a relatively concentrated sulfuric acid product with high efficiency and low power consumption, due to leakage through the anion exchange membrane. Therefore, developing an anion exchange membrane with the capability of effectively blocking protons is key to the success of this technology.

Virtual Agent Emotion Modeling for Interactive Human Training Bots

Computer Generated Solutions (CGS) is developing a chatbot to train health-related customer support human
agents. In this research, an intelligent sentiment-based chat bot is to be modeled and designed to act as a client
to train the client-facing representatives who would be able to help clients more effectively. The main objectives
of this internship are to (1) conduct literature review on virtual agents emotion modeling (2) design a novel
framework and emotion model using fuzzy systems, (3) to design and develop a trainer bot using language
understanding and emotional modeling, (4) to integrate the solution with the current CGS virtual agent avatar and
(5) to document the process and develop manuals for non technical experts in CGS to design intelligent bots.
Research outcomes of these studies provides the community with a systemic comparison of different ways that a
virtual agent could perceive and express emotions to act more naturally in a training setting.

Fire resistance behavior of FRP reinforced concrete slabs

Pultrall produces FRP bars for several applications in the construction industry. Although the
advantage of using advanced materials in civil engineering is outstanding, the company
needs more information regarding the performance of its product in fire. Material tests will be
conducted on FRP bars at high temperature and full-scale fire tests on FRP reinforced
concrete slabs will be conducted. Results of the research will improve the procedure of
designing and constructing FRP reinforced structures.

Co-op Marketing Intern

Prostar faces project postponements and a temporary lull in business. As Prostar shifts marketing strategies from pre to post Covid, the intern would assist in overcoming interrupted growth plans and help modify advertising practices. The intern would focus on working with new CRM software, updating the websites, and practicing continual improvement of customer service practices. The intern would also be responsible for market research into the construction/trades industry and how it has been affected by the pandemic. The intern will also manage Prostar’s social media and complete tasks as needed.

Marketing Assistant

Reliance Foundry is a company that specializes in quality outdoor products and metal casting. Because it is an online-based business, the marketing department plays a large role in the growth and sales of the company. During my internship, I will take part in conducting various marketing research as well as working on different marketing campaigns.

Market Research and Operations Intern

CassaV Foods Corp is a social business developing food products derived from cassava that are healthy, rich in fiber, and gluten-free while also making an impact on vulnerable communities. COVID-19 has affected and delayed our launch plans as sampling of food products and retailing has stopped.

This internship would research the market, analyze and compare scenarios/costs of the supply chain which will help uncertainties/unknowns and get our company close to launching. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to make much progress during 2020 or may try to launch and incur losses due to a lack of knowledge from the market and supply chain.

The Market Research and Operations Intern will be responsible for conducting a thorough market analysis of the healthy snacks market and the cassava food production supply chain.
1. Conduct Industry and Market Research:
a. Market Sizing and Potential
b. Competitive Analysis
c. Explore consumer preferences and habits through a survey and interviews

2. Sourcing/Logistic Research:
a. Research the cassava supply chain including potential suppliers and costs
b. Conduct cost/benefit analysis of supply chain alternatives
c. Make go to market strategy and sourcing (raw materials, packaging) recommendations

Financial Analyst

Our startup is a Seed Stage agtech company that produces smart indoor gardens and fully seeded, nutrient-loaded pod packs.
1) Implement, run, track and troubleshoot our B2C delivery
2) Compare and decide on the most optimal shipping rates and methods
3) Apply a data-centric approach to evaluate and set comprehensive goals for performance and growth
4) Upkeep financial cash flow forecasts to meet company goals
5) Assist in fundraising & grant applications and reporting
6) Identify issues and implement solutions to increase organizational effectiveness, systems, and processes
7) Support work with Operations Coordinator & CEO
8) Create and send out monthly reports to Operations Coordinator & CEO

Strategic Initiatives

The intern would be key to help us develop a plan to reach more students by tutoring online worldwide and diversify our offerings by adding more exams to our portfolio, enabling us to grow despite the downturn in the industry, by gaining more market share.
As we move to the implementation phase of our 2-year growth plan, we need an intern to conduct market research, data analysis and documentation for management. This will help us confirm we have a compelling message and effective marketing. More specifically, the intern would develop a target profile of our client, create a plan to reach influencers (school counsellors, educational consultants), determine other exams that would be key to the company’s growth, and hone our sales process for online tutoring.

Clinic@Joe’s Associate

We would like to hire one MBA student for their business knowledge and skills to support market analysis, intellectual property research, competitive and regulatory landscape analysis, as well as funding opportunities for early stage drug and technology development within Research St Joseph’s Hamilton (RSJH). The MBA student will work on diverse projects and get familiar with early stage drug and technology development. Under the mentorship of our team, the MBA student will work in multidisciplinary groups composed of scientists, clinicians, engineers, and business development individuals.

Improved data driven sgRNA design for use in bacteria

CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising tool for genome engineering in bacteria, but it’s limited by inconsistent accuracy. Though some studies have been conducted to understand why this inconsistency occurs, many important biological features have not been explored. Moreover, computer based attempts to predict accuracy have suffered from these knowledge gaps. This is due mainly to the fact that the mathematical equations that these predictions are based on, do not take these biological features into account. This project will use new laboratory data to develop new mathematical equations and ultimately improve the reliability of these CRISPR/Cas9 systems.

Sales Development Role

GrantMe is an online ed-tech company where students and educators can access our platform from the comfort of their own homes. Although we have seen a decline in revenue of 15%, we are still able to operate and hope to recover from the economic impact of COVID. We believe that ed-tech is going to become a critical industry for education as educators, students, and institutions are all required to use technology to offer online solutions for learning. As an online education platform, we believe that there has never been a more critical time for students to be able to access financial resources to support them in funding their education. We see the widespread adoption of technology in the education sector as a large opportunity for our business.