Career Week 2024

Join us for Career Week 2024, from February 5-9, 2024! Over these five days, you will have the opportunity to attend fun interactive sessions, network with employers, meet SMU alumni, prepare for graduation, participate in skill-developing workshops and more! This week is designed to teach you what's next for your job or future career at any point in your degree.

See the event descriptions below for registration details.

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Career Week 2024 Events

Careers in Corrections

Monday, February 5 | 4-5:30 p.m.
Loyola 188

Cancelled due to the weather-related campus closure.

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Summer Job & Career Fair

Tuesday, February 6 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Loyola 290

Are you interested in learning about employment opportunities or finding a summer job?

The Summer Job & Career Fair provides students with an opportunity to connect with a diverse range of hiring employers to share their skills, ideas and talents. Students who are eager to put their skills to good use in new roles will get a chance to interact and learn about opportunities from employers in their desired fields.

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Grad Expo

Wednesday, February 7 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Loyola 290

2024 graduates can stop by the Grad Expo to learn about alumni benefits, grad photos, student loan repayment, convocation, resources for new graduates and more!

Register for the Grad Expo

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Your Next Chapter Abroad: Insights for International Students

Wednesday, February 7 | 3:30-5 p.m.
Loyola 290

Do you have questions about staying in Canada after graduation and how to prepare? Join us for an insightful panel discussion designed for international students preparing for graduation. Our expert panel of young alumni and industry experts including representatives from the International Centre and Office of the Registrar will share valuable insights and advice for a successful transition to your professional life after graduation.

Register for Your Next Chapter Abroad: Insights for International Students

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Drop-In Career Exploration for Arts Students

Thursday, February 8 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Arts Commons, McNally Main 214 

A "feel good" event for Arts students. Drop by the Arts Commons to find out more about the power of your Arts degree as you transition out of university and into a career. Explore whether grad school might be for you, learn tricks and tips on how Arts students can job hunt successfully, and do some inner exploration on your values, beliefs and goals. You have more options than you think!

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LinkedIn Photoshoot
Thursday, February 8 | 3-5 p.m.
Student Centre, 4th floor

Elevate your LinkedIn profile with a new professional photo! All students are invited to get a professional headshot taken by a photographer for free at the Career and Experiential Learning office on the 4th floor of the Student Centre between 3-5 p.m. Remember to dress in professional attire!

Sign up in advance to book your spot for the LinkedIn Photoshoot

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Bring Yourself to Work: Authenticity and Inclusivity in the Workforce

Thursday, February 8 | 4-5:30 p.m.
Unilever Lounge (Sobey 422)

Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring recruiters, employers and industry professionals as they share invaluable insights on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) in the workforce. This event is tailored for students who are eager to understand the crucial role of EDIA in shaping thriving workplaces and building successful careers.

Register for Bring Yourself to Work: Authenticity and Inclusivity in the Workforce

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How to Apply for the Government

Friday, February 9 | 12-1 p.m.
Online event 

This virtual session will go over the application process for government jobs. If you're thinking about working for the Government of Canada, you don't want to miss this online event!

Register for How to Apply for the Government and receive an online link to the session by email.

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Job Search and Resume Support Webinar

Friday, February 9 | 2-3:30 p.m.
Online event

This virtual session will provide an overview of formatting, structure and best practices for building a resume and searching for work opportunities.

Register for the Job Search and Resume Support Webinar and receive an online link to the session by email.

Students compete to win $10,000 with innovative ideas

Innovation Cup winners Plastarch Packaging

Judges hear student pitches

Innovation Cup 2023 participants and judges

Team GalPal

Team CareETA

Team SeaCycle

The Innovation Cup, a 10-week experiential learning program, was launched at the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre this fall. Thirty Saint Mary’s students from the faculties of Arts, Commerce and Science competed for a grand prize consisting of $10,000 to develop their start-up idea and a summer job opportunity. Through the weekly events, the participating students connected with industry experts to increase their business understanding, skills and network. 

After several elimination rounds, four teams made it to the semi-finals on December 8:

• GalPal, a safety-enhancing mobile application that empowers women to stay alert and stay safe;

• SeaCycle, a water filtration system designed to remove plastic waste, ranging from water bottles to microplastics, using a multistage gravity filter, while also providing automated water quality reports;

• CareETA, a comprehensive digital platform revolutionizing healthcare by providing real-time insights for waiting room well-being;

• Plastarch Packaging, a bioplastic alternative made from set-to-be-wasted root vegetables, solves the need for environmentally friendly cutlery and food packaging.

The semi-finals saw these teams give their best pitches to the panel of judges, who did not hold back with their questions and feedback. Following a 15–minute discussion, the judges decided that GalPal and Plastarch Packaging would move to the finals.

The finals, also on December 8, were energetic and both teams had improved pitches to present to the panel. With two unique and fascinating business ideas, the judges and the audience had a tough time choosing the winner.

Ultimately, the winner of the first Innovation Cup was Plastarch Packaging, with a team comprised of Madeline Bristol, Susan MacInnis and Mya MacDonald. The team had a compelling pitch, backed by the numbers and validation, paired with the team’s passion for developing sustainable solutions.

The Innovation Cup will be back next fall for all the young entrepreneurs to pitch their innovative business ideas!

Student researcher has found 100—and counting—invasive crayfish in Three Mile Lake

Invasive species has potential to move well beyond one Halifax-area lake

Dr. Linda Campbell, graduate student researcher Madison Bond, and DFO Officer Sarah Kingsbury MSc’20 show evidence of crayfish at Three Mile Lake

As a master’s student at Saint Mary’s University, Madison Bond has a unique and exciting opportunity to conduct research that could play a pivotal role in the protection of Nova Scotia’s ecosystem.

For her thesis project, she has been studying the presence of Red Swamp Crayfish, an invasive species found in Three Mile Lake, in Waverley, N.S. This species has the potential to wreak havoc on this lake—with the potential to create damage on a much larger scale.

Red Swamp Crayfish, which look like tiny lobsters, are native to the southern United States. It’s not known yet how they arrived in the Maritimes, but Madison, along with supervising professor Dr. Linda Campbell and partners at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), have been investigating the impact that they have already had on the lake.

Madison Bond speaks with media about her research

Under a student contract with DFO, Madison caught the first live crayfish at the lake in 2022; approximately 100 have now been captured in traps. Her research work this academic year and next summer is to collect more crayfish and study how their lifecycle and habits differ compared to the crayfish living in their native habitats.

Because Nova Scotia temperatures are colder than their native freshwater habitats, crayfish may burrow deeper into shorelines. The temperature could also affect the number of offspring and the length of their lifecycle. Using frozen crayfish in the lab, Madison will also determine what they eat—leading to more answers about their impact on the local ecosystem.

As an invasive species in a lake, crayfish cause a variety of issues. Crayfish are known for burrowing into the shoreline, which can cause significant damage by changing the shoreline which leads to erosion. Along with the loss of habitat for native species, the aggressive crayfish also compete for food, space and calcium in the water.

Crayfish go through a wandering phase in their lifecycle, which means that they can travel significant distances on land, and potentially move to new bodies of water. The Shubenacadie Canal is within walking distance for a crayfish, meaning this invasive species problem has the potential to become exponentially larger. “Shubie” Canal is a 114-kilometre waterway that stretches from the Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy, and is a well-used and loved recreation destination in Nova Scotia.

Crayfish aren’t the first invasive species in Nova Scotia. Dr. Linda Campbell’s Dynamic Environment and Ecosystem Health Research (DEEHR) lab at Saint Mary’s has also investigated the impact of two other invasive species, Chinese mystery snails and chain pickerel.

To protect the province’s native species, habitats and waterways, never introduce a plant, pet or other animal into the wild.

If you find a crayfish, please put it in a bag and note details such as location coordinates, time and date, and contact Madison Bond and the team at Saint Mary’s who will collect it from you. Please do not disturb the traps.

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Public Lecture

Dr. Linda Campbell will present a lecture titled “Overlooked no more: non-indigenous, invasive species in Nova Scotia lakes & rivers”

The unanticipated and unplanned appearance of non-indigenous species in freshwater ecosystems is a global issue. In regions lacking biosurveillance and awareness programs, the potential for unwanted species to establish in lakes is very high. Dr. Linda Campbell will present case studies for both fish and invertebrates in Nova Scotia, highlight progress made over the past decade, and discuss ongoing needs in order to limit the impact of unwanted species on Nova Scotia’s freshwater ecosystems.

Date: Monday, December 4, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: In person at Saint Mary’s University – Atrium 101 or via Zoom
Details: https://nsis1862.ca/public-lectures/

Launch of new partnership to support diverse student entrepreneurs

Participants celebrating the first Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) event and the generous gift by TD Bank Group

Natasha Fernandes, Project Manager, TD Inclusion Initiative; Michael Sanderson, Director, Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre; Peter Owusu, Account Manager, TD; Stephanie Tennant, District Vice President, TD; Jennifer Auld, Vice President, Atlantic Region, TD; Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President of Saint Mary's University.

PhD student Tanner George, Lilia Sanchez and their artwork

MTEI student Manish Shinde and MSc student Julie Dayrit with their business HerBiome Skincare

Ashwin Razdan, Katerina Msafari and their business Adrigo Insights

Queen-Esther Okundonor (right), Marketing and Finance co-op student, and her business QTress Beauty Supplies

Tashauna Reid, Psychology and Biology student, and her business College Creative Curations

Students and Tia Upshaw

Students networking

Keynote speaker Dr. Rohini Bannerjee

Jennifer Auld, Vice President, Atlantic Region, TD, gives remarks at the panel discussion

Panelists Tia Upshaw, Ritika Saraswat, Emo Ikede MBA'13 and Sehmat Suri BComm'19 BA'19

Panelists, staff from the Arthur L. Iring Entrepreneurship Centre and guests from TD

The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the launch of the TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative, which was made possible through the generous gift of $200,000 by the TD Bank Group. This two-year pilot is designed to amplify the support of diverse student entrepreneurs, advance the entrepreneurial mindset and innovate business models. Three key initiatives include:

• The Ignition Program —a 10-week program offering training, mentorship, resources and networking;

• The Student Entrepreneurial Experience Bootcamp (SEE) —providing students with a transformational learning experience and an opportunity to develop their own businesses with resources and funding;

• Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) events —promoting collaboration and celebration within and beyond our diverse entrepreneurial network.

"Helping create an environment where everyone can adapt, thrive and reach their full potential is extremely important to us at TD. By supporting the TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative, through the Sobeys School of Business and the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, we know that we will contribute to providing entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds with the right tools to realize their dreams," says Jenn Auld, Vice-President Atlantic Region, TD Canada Trust.

 The program will leverage the expertise and passion of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, creating a holistic support environment for diverse entrepreneurs. Michael Sanderson, Director of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre said, “The TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative is a significant milestone for our students and the broader entrepreneurial community. This initiative represents an important step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for our students and aspiring entrepreneurs. It aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation, diversity and excellence in the entrepreneurial community.”

The first TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative event, TD Connect: Celebrating Diversity Through Entrepreneurship, was held on October 26. This event provided a platform for students to connect and engage with a diverse cohort of entrepreneurs and professionals. It highlighted the endeavours of eight student entrepreneurs and a panel discussion featuring accomplished and diverse business leaders. With an attendance of over a hundred enthusiastic students, the event emphasized the importance of DEIB in the entrepreneurial world.

 Learn more about the programs and events offered by the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and the spaces in the new Sobeys Inspiration Hub.

Saint Mary's biomedical lab is on the frontiers of collagen exploration

Dr. Veres and his students study in great depth the structural makeup of collagen within the body to identify the unknown

Dr. Sam Veres (left) works in a research lab with Master of Science in Applied Science student Amanda Lee

What comes to mind when people think of exploration is typically outer space, or the deep ocean. But within the human body, there are many structural and functional questions that remain unanswered. 

The structural makeup of collagen within the body, and how it develops and is comprised in injury and disease, is one area still under exploration. Dr. Sam Veres and his graduate students explore this topic with great depth in Biomedical Structure-Function labs. 

Sam Veres

“We think hard about identifying things that are unknown, problems that persist and how we might solve them,” says Dr. Veres, interim Dean of Science and Professor in the Division of Engineering at Saint Mary’s University. “A more complete understanding of the collagen in our bodies, how it develops and how it can become structurally compromised, could lead to development of new treatments to help reduce disabling soft tissue injuries like sprains, strains, and overuse tendinopathies.”

Research and collaboration

Collagen provides structural integrity to tissues in human and animal bodies, including the skin, bones, tendons and ligaments, articular cartilage, even discs in our backs. 

Dr. Veres and his lab specifically study collagen fibrils, which are tiny in size—roughly 1,000 times smaller than a human hair. The size of these fibrils is why many aspects of their development remain unknown, and why the multidisciplinary lab uses knowledge and techniques from engineering, physics, chemistry, biology and medicine to study them.

“These sorts of problems are inherently multidisciplinary, and you need to have collaborative teams that come together and work on these problems together,” says Dr. Veres.

Identifying unknowns

It’s a very exciting time in the lab, with four of its graduate students publishing results within the next year. 

Kelsey Gsell is a PhD student who Dr. Veres co-supervises with Dr. Laurent Kreplak through Dalhousie University’s School of Biomedical Engineering. Her research looks at how collagen in the body respond to enzymes that help control tissue repair and renewal.

Dr. Veres is also working with master’s student Ted Lownie, whose research has shown that the specialized collagen structure of highly loaded tendons like the Achilles extends back to the earliest stages of fetal development rather than being driven by mechanical loading after birth, as previously thought.

Dr. Veres is excited to see his students take part in this innovative, multidisciplinary research and continue asking questions, and exploring in the hopes of finding answers. 

“It’s really satisfying to see students go on to do other great things and take this background with them,” he says. “Seeing my students gain an appreciation for what is unknown and still to be discovered is really so wonderful.”

To learn more about Dr. Sam Veres and his graduate students’ research, visit their lab’s website at vereslab.com.  

Innovative retail store will revolutionize how we shop

Saint Mary’s University, recognized as a top Canadian university, is teaming up with some of Canada’s most influential retail companies to create one of the foremost retail laboratories on the continent. It’s all part of the ground-breaking research at SMU’s David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services.

Visitors will soon become part of a living experiment designed to transform the future of shopping and reshape the retail landscape. Students and visitors to the south end of campus will walk into a deceptively simple convenience store that is actually a cutting-edge laboratory.

The retail robot is programmed to glide through stores tracking price tags, missing items and other information, which it relays to employees.

Inside, a retail robot glides through the aisles, logging items that have run low and sending messages to the stockroom. The robot is designed for large stores where it tracks inventory on shelves and assesses planogram and price compliance, explains Ramesh Venkat, Director of the David Sobey Centre. “The robot, equipped with cameras, matches price tags to the computerized lists, checks price tags for compliance for the latest discounts, spots misplaced or missing items, generates a report and sends a real-time alert to an employee.”

And if a shopper wants to take an item home? No need to look for a cashier; there isn’t one. Instead, when you exit the store your credit or debit card is charged automatically. But wait, maybe you want to try on something before purchasing? Step in front of 3D digital screen to model clothing using virtual fitting technology.

SMU researchers are building a futuristic “frictionless customer experience” without inconveniences such as line-ups and check-outs, where customer privacy and protection of information are priorities. “We don't collect any video footage or store any credit card or debit card information. We will provide best-in-class privacy and security, which will set us apart from companies that are doing computer vision in retail environments,” adds Venkat.

The David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services brings together university researchers and Canadian retailers to test new technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics. Vivek Sood MBA’98, Executive Vice President, Related Businesses, Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc., and Chair of the David Sobey Centre notes, “The retail sector is one of the main drivers of Canada’s economy and an incredibly exciting place of major innovation right now. Each time I visit campus I am eager to see the advances being made by the professors and their top research students.”

Students gain hands-on experience building tech solutions for retail

The retail store and its related labs offer SMU students unparalleled opportunities for hands-on learning and collaboration. Saint Mary’s University professors and students are building leading-edge tech from scratch: computer vision systems, augmented reality and robots.

The digital lab and mock store will allow researchers to track shoppers as they interact with digital platforms, including websites and advertisements. In the biometrics lab, graduate students will use advanced tools such as EEG (Electroencephalography), eye-tracker glasses and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) sensors to understand customer behaviour and decision-making. Faculty and student researchers from several disciplines–marketing, psychology, information systems, engineering, and computer science all benefit.

Jason Rhinelander

Engineering Professor Jason Rhinelander, Head of Technology and Innovation for the David Sobey Centre, understands that the David Sobey Centre presents him and SMU students with a huge opportunity. “Retail has so many challenges and that is key for engineers and computer scientists. We don’t invent algorithms for the sake of it. We need problems to solve.”

“We can benefit small and medium-sized Atlantic Canadian companies recovering from the pandemic and battling stressors like inflation. By placing their products in our store which acts as a ‘living lab,’ we can provide data about how customers feel about their packaging, service and overall quality. We can also test the retail environment for accessibility: lighting levels, noise levels, and colour schemes.”

Watch: Jason Rhinelander loves solving problems with technology

Vinod Bachhao

Vinod Bachhao came to SMU as a Master’s student in 2015, graduated to PhD studies and is now the university’s first AI engineer. “I could have gone to Toronto, but I love Halifax and the environment here. I grabbed the opportunity to work on the SMU robot and state-of-the-art AI and computer vision. There is nothing better than this.”

The labs, mock store and the cashier-less store all provide the infrastructure for exploring new ideas and innovations that can shape the future of Canadian retail. “The purpose of the David Sobey Centre is to develop and share innovations, expertise and skills that help build a vibrant retail sector–domestically and globally. This new infrastructure and the collaboration between researchers, retailers and technology companies vitally enable us to achieve that vision. It's really exciting,” says Venkat.

Saint Mary's University shines at Atlantic Schools of Business Case Competition

Ashish Ganapathy, Lauren Golding, Professor Jeff Muton, Ramji Srinivasan, Shiva Kakkar

Team 1: Lindsey Nalunga, Katherine Hanscom, Mark Mitton

Team 2: Ashish Ganapathy, Lauren Golding, Ramji Srinivasan, Shiva Kakkar

On September 24, Sobey School of Business Bachelor of Commerce students Lauren Golding, Shiva Kakkar, Ramji Srinivasan and Ashish Ganapathy walked away with a second-place win at the Atlantic Schools of Business (ASB) Case Competition sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP (Canada), hosted by Mount Saint Vincent University. The competition was part of the annual ASB Conference—one of Canada’s longest-running academic business conferences. 

“I had a wonderful, enriching and insightful experience at the ASB Case Competition,” said Ganapathy, a third-year BComm student majoring in Accounting and Finance. “I prepared forecasts using financial analysis techniques and improved my public speaking and financial analysis skills.” 

Teams representing universities across the Atlantic provinces participated in a competition where students were asked to analyze and create a solution to a business case (a narrative about a real-life company and the problems it’s facing) and present it to a judging panel. This year’s business case was centered around a Newfoundland-based Childcare Cooperative in need of expansion to meet the overwhelming demand for such services.

“It was a proud moment for our team. Our case was based on real challenges faced by Atlantic Canadians—immigration and population growth. We were tested on an array of skills like critical thinking, quantitative and analytical skills.” said Shiva Kakkar, a second-year BComm student majoring in Finance. “Jeff Muton, professor for the BCOM 4481 Business Case Competition course, provided excellent mentoring throughout our preparation for the competition. The learning experience was exceptionally valuable, as we acquired a solid framework for effectively tackling business cases.”

The Bachelor of Commerce Business Case Competition course takes students from classroom learning to real-world challenges. Students get to test their abilities to think on their feet and compete against other students, in consultation with industry leaders. 

At the Sobey School of Business, students will not only learn how to do business well, they’ll learn how to do business for good. 

Sobey School undergrad contributes to COVID research for Scientific Reports

Kyle Morton BComm’23

Kyle Morton had yet to complete his undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s University when he used machine learning in a ground-breaking study of the COVID-19 virus for Scientific Reports. To contribute to an article in the world’s largest scientific journal would be an accomplishment for more experienced researchers. For Morton, it was a miracle.

 “I remember when my economics professor, Yigit Aydede, told me the article had been accepted,” said Morton. “I jumped out of my seat and clapped my hands. It was another fantastic experience that Saint Mary’s made possible.”

Morton participated in the research project over six months during 2022, when he linked two large data sets, one from Statistics Canada and the other from Nova Scotia’s 811 system that recorded influenza symptoms during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Yigit Aydede and Kyle Morton work together examine data for their research

The resulting article by Saint Mary’s University’s Dr. Yigit Aydede, and Jan Ditzen, Free University of Bolzano, Italy, Identifying the regional drivers of influenza-like illness in Nova Scotia, Canada, with dominance analysis - Scientific Reports, unveils a new methodology, one that may assist health officials to both predict where viruses will spread and target interventions to halt them. Read more about the study.

“Working with large data sets, it is easy for errors to go unnoticed, because you cannot visually inspect them. The challenge was: How do you make sure there are no mistakes that will end up leading to the wrong conclusions when you actually perform your analysis?”

Morton sees machine learning as a third form of statistics, one that is predictive. Once he had prepared the data, making sure it was clean and free from errors, Professor Aydede and the research team used powerful algorithms to combine both sets. The results revealed the spatial as well as the temporal spread of the virus in real-time, something that was only possible due to the extraordinary and detailed data concerning COVID-19 symptoms, unparalleled access to Nova Scotia’s 811 records and the unique adaptation of algorithms originally designed for the finance industry.

The opportunity to study and work alongside Dr. Aydede in the Sobey School of Business has transformed Morton’s career aspirations, inspiring him to use machine learning to solve problems.

“I chose Saint Mary’s because it had a very good reputation for its business school. I liked the smaller yet international campus and the undergraduate focus. I gained a lot more experience, working with my peers and my professors one-on-one; I would not have had the same opportunity at other, larger institutions.”

While studying in the Bachelor of Commerce program at the Sobey School of Business, Morton was the recipient of two scholarships from donors to Saint Mary’s University: The Chrysler Canada Scholarship and the KPMG Future Leaders Scholarship. He also received the Fred and Ruth Stork German Studies Award from Waterloo University. This Fall, Morton begins his Master’s in Data Science at the London School of Economics, something he describes as “a dream come true.”