Panelists
Faculty of Science Strategic Plan Launch
Moderator: Deborah Yedlin
President & CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Deborah Yedlin joined the Calgary Chamber of Commerce in July, 2021 with a background that includes experience on Wall Street and Bay Street, and more than two decades as a business columnist for various media outlets, commenting on the nexus of business and politics since 1996. Since moving to Calgary in 1992, she has been very active in the Calgary community - as a board member on a number of not-for-profit organizations including serving as the co-chair of the 2016 United Way Campaign. Deborah served as the 14th Chancellor of the University of Calgary and is currently one of three co-chairs of the $250 million Calgary Cancer Centre fundraising campaign. A first-generation Canadian, born and raised in Edmonton, Deborah is a graduate of the University of Alberta and Queen’s University. She also completed her ICD.D designation through the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
Martin Ciuk
Associate Director, Science and Engineering Portfolio, Innovate Calgary
As the Associate Director for the Science and Engineering portfolio within Innovate Calgary, Martin is responsible for the technology transfer operations focused on science and engineering, including business development, industry partnering, licensing, and startup creation. His expertise and background includes a MSc in Biology from the University of Warsaw, focusing on the regulation of enzyme expression. He previously served as Chair of the Neurobiology Center at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw, the Vice-Chair of Euro-BioImaging in Heidelberg, and the Technology Transfer Manager at the University of Guelph, Ontario.
Frank Maurer
Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary
Dr. Frank Maurer is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Calgary. The current focus of his team is on serious extended reality (XR) and immersive analytics applications, combining data science and machine learning approaches with augmented and virtual reality. His team has worked with a substantial number of partner organizations including Telus, the City of Calgary, Nova Chemical, and CMG. He is a co-founder and CSO of VizworX, an award-winning custom solutions company in Calgary. For further information, he can be reached at frank.maurer@ucalgary.ca.
Cathy Ryan
Professor, Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary
Dr. Cathy Ryan is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment at the University of Calgary. One of Canada’s leading experts on water resource management, she holds Professional Engineer and Professional Geologist designations through APEGA. She has worked extensively with Alberta industry in a consulting capacity, leveraging her expertise to help inform best practices and find effective solutions.
Abdullah Sarhan
Co-founder & CEO, RetinaLogik
Dr. Abdullah Sarhan is the Co-founder & CEO of RetinaLogik, a local startup dedicated to improving access to vision screening through the innovative use of virtual reality and AI. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary, specializing in deep learning applied to vision science. With over a decade of experience in AI and software development across diverse organizations, Dr. Sarhan has also served as an educator, teaching courses and leading workshops in machine learning and computer science. His contributions have been recognized through numerous awards in the field. In addition to his work at RetinaLogik, Dr. Sarhan is involved in working on various impact driven research projects. For those interested in connecting you can reach me at asarhan@retinalogik.ca.