Theme: It's About Time

This year's theme is: It's About Time. This topic will serve to ignite a conversation about how, in the age of multitasking, time is the driving factor in most of our lives. We aim to inspire our audience to take advantage of the time they have while still enjoying every minute.

401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4
Canada

Antonio Pascual-Leone

Antonio is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Windsor, where he trains psychotherapists and is director of the Emotion Change Lab. He has received several career awards from international societies (2009, 2014), distinguished publication awards from associations in US and Germany (2010; 2016), and is an honorary research professor at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). In addition to 14 years of university teaching, he has given over 35 clinical workshops around the world and received several more awards for his teaching and mentorship (2016; 2018), recognizing his leadership in education and his innovation teaching psychotherapy skills.

Catherine Hundleby

Dr. Catherine Hundleby is Director of the University of Windsor’s new interdisciplinary PhD program in Argumentation Studies and holds positions in Windsor’s Department of Philosophy and program in Women’s and Gender Studies. In developing and directing the Argumentation Studies PhD program, Hundleby builds on decades of research in Argumentation Theory at the University of Windsor in the Department of Philosophy to offer a unique program that draws on the expertise of researchers across the disciplines and professional education units at Windsor. There are no other graduate programs in argumentation in North America, though it is an emerging field around the world. Plus, no program in the world has the strength of Windsor in the philosophical approach to argumentation known as “informal logic.” As a feminist scholar, Hundleby’s research addresses the different sorts of interpersonal relationships that play out in argumentation, how power dynamics can influence the effectiveness of shared reasoning, and which ideals and practices can make the best of argumentation for everyone.

Chantal Kayumba

Chantal Kayumba is a fourth year nursing student at the University of Windsor. She was born and raised in Windsor and is of Rwandan descent. She has served around the world as a volunteer for various mission trips along with organizing and leading many teams to various regions to serve. She has a passion for mental health and continues to research and raise awareness in any capacity. Her goal is to continue her studies in nursing leadership after graduating this spring and eventually be one of the leading minds and researchers in the field of psychiatry through the nursing role.

Charu Chandrasekera

Dr. Charu Chandrasekera is the founding executive director of Canada’s first and only research centre dedicated exclusively to alternatives to animal testing—Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM) and its subsidiary, the Canadian Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (CaCVAM)—officially launched at the University of Windsor in October 2017. Dr. Chandrasekera obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary. The ensuing animal-centred research endeavours in heart disease and diabetes gave her first-hand experience to recognize the immutable limitations of—and the impetus to shift away from—animal testing. As an experienced scientist, a former animal researcher, a science policy expert, and an animal lover, Dr. Chandrasekera now advocates for a paradigm shift in which human biology serves as the gold standard. With CCAAM/CaCVAM, her vision is to promote the replacement of animals in Canadian biomedical research, education, and chemical safety testing through 21st century science, innovation, and ethics. Every Canadian now has the power and the opportunity to contribute to this legacy.

Jeremy Bracken

Jeremy Bracken teaches business in the International Baccalaureate Program at Assumption College School in Windsor Ontario. In his 12 years of teaching in the WECDSB, he has been at the forefront of blended learning practices and routinely runs professional development sessions for his school board and the Ontario Business Educators Association. In 2018, Bracken was recognized as one of Windsor/Essex’s Top 40 Under 40 Leaders for his involvement in youth entrepreneurship, coaching debate, developing business competitions and coaching several sports. He is on the board of directors at the Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator and specializes in youth outreach programs. Bracken has consulted for and helped found dozens of businesses by local young entrepreneurs. His students have won dozens of grants and awards at the regional and provincial level. As the owner and landlord of several properties and investor in local businesses, Bracken brings his personal experiences into the classroom to build a vibrant and innovative learning environment. He strongly believes the role of the classroom teacher has evolved, and educators must adapt their style to embrace the needs of 21st century learners. His goal is to inspire our youth and his fellow educators to unleash the talents contained within them.

Robert Franz

As Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, Robert Franz’s appeal as a first-rate conductor and enthusiastic award-winning educator is acclaimed by critics, composers and audiences of all ages. Critics hail his “masterly pace, emphasis and technical control”, calling his conducting “viscerally thrilling”. In his sixth season as Music Director with the Windsor Symphony, Franz was recently recognized by The Windsor Endowment for the Arts with its Arts Leadership Award in Performing Arts. The awards are presented to prominent artists who foster a vibrant local arts community. Recent collaborations include the Windsor International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Canadian Historical Aviation Association and the University of Windsor. Throughout his career, three basic tenets have guided Franz’s artistic choices: first, a belief that it is by the highest artistic standards that an ensemble will grow and engage its audiences and that nothing attracts the audience to a return visit more than a committed and passionate performance; second, that collaborating and building bridges in the community is an essential part of a conductor’s job; and finally, that the orchestra must be a strong player in education.

Ziad Kobti

Dr. Ziad Kobti holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Wayne State University. He is a full professor and director of the School of Computer Science at the University of Windsor. He is also the current president of the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association (caiac.ca). He is an active researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) specializing in nature-inspired evolutionary algorithms such as genetic and cultural algorithms used in search and optimization. These types of algorithms evolve near-optimal solutions to complex real-world and dynamic problems fairly quickly. He has applied these algorithms in agent modelling and decision support systems in various disciplines including healthcare, archaeology, and automotive. His work is published in revered and renowned venues; his past work on the virtual archaeology was featured in both Scientific American and Science Magazine. His goals are to continuously strive to develop new AI methods and apply them to new problems facing our society today and well into the future. His latest work centred on applying these algorithms to analyze social networks in an attempt to identify solutions applicable to health and social services.