Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3596295

Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3596595

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE GRADUATE SEMINAR 2021
Guest Speaker Series Presented By:

Dr. Michael S. Brown
"In-Camera Color Processing for Digital Cameras"

Friday, February 12, 2021
12:00 pm

Abstract:
We often think of our cameras as devices that convert the incoming light rays directly to photographs. However, there are many steps involved in producing the final photograph we share with family and friends.

In many cases, the type of processing applied gives a camera its unique photographic quality. In this talk, I'll provide an overview of the processing steps applied on board a digital camera to convert the sensor image to the final photograph. The in-camera processing includes steps such as denoising, demosiacing, white-balance, selective color rendering, tone-mapping, and color space conversion. I'll also talk about new multi-frame approaches to imaging used on smartphone cameras.

Dr. Michael S. Brown is a professor and Canada Research Chair at York University. Before moving to Canada, he worked 14 years in Asia at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the National University of Singapore. Dr. Brown is currently an associate editor of the International Journal on Computer Vision and is the general chair for the Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference in 2021. His research targets computational photography, image processing, and computer vision.

To register for this virtual event, please email grad.compsci@lakeheadu.ca and a Zoom link will be shared.

Everyone is welcome.

Title: Exploring the biosynthesis of plant fatty acids based polymers

Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Wensheng Qin (co-supervisor)
Dr. Isabel Molina (co-supervisor)
Dr. Heidi Schraft
Dr. Doug Reid

Please contact biology@lakeheadu.ca for the meeting ID and password.
All are welcome to attend.

Michael S. Dohan, Associate Professor (Information Systems) in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University, is hosting a workshop on Process Mining, one of the fastest evolving data analytics technologies. Join Dr. Dohan and Elsa Welshofer of Celonis, a leader in the Execution Management System, to learn more at this hands-on workshop.

Register now by emailing msdohan@lakeheadu.ca.

Workshop Details:
What: Turning Data into Value with Process Mining with Elsa Welshofer, Celonis
When: Monday, February 8th at 8:30 am EST
RSVP: Email Michael S. Dohan at msdohan@lakeheadu.ca

Student: Afraa Hassan

Supervisor: Dr. Muntasir Billah

Thesis Committee Member(s): Dr. Eltayeb Mohamedelhassan, and Dr. Sam Salem (Graduate Program Coordinator - Session Chair)

Presentation Title: Durable Concrete for Northern Infrastructure with Reduced Drying Shrinkage and Micro-Cracking


Date and time: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021, between 1:00 and 1:45 P.M.

Zoom Meeting:

Time: Feb 3, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/j/94129367134?pwd=czNZNXZaQmdqUzBRZzRtc01DZ0VH...

Meeting ID: 941 2936 7134

Passcode: 482716


Abstract:
In the Northern regions, durability issues resulting from concrete cracking are a major factor for damages and failures for many types of structures (e.g., buildings, parking garages, basement, bridge decks). The presence of shrinkage cracks in concrete is one of the major issues affecting concrete durability. Loss of moisture, changes in temperature, and hydration process are few reasons that cause shrinkage cracks in concrete. Among all types of shrinkage, drying shrinkage contributes a major portion of shrinkage strain in conventional concrete. Controlling the drying shrinkage effectively can reduce the total shrinkage strain in concrete and subsequently reduce the extent of cracking and improve the durability of concrete structures. Over the last several decades, researchers have investigated the causes and remediation strategies for shrinkage in concrete. Their research combines information on concrete shrinkage, identifying the types and causes of shrinkage in concrete, and explaining the applications and suitability of different types of shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA). The objective of this exploratory study is to develop a pulp fiber-based concrete to reduce the drying shrinkage and microcracks in concrete. Using superabsorbent cellulose fibers (SCF) derived from water-insoluble, lignin-free Softwood Kraft Pulp fibers in the concrete mix, this study intends to develop a concrete mix with acceptable fresh and hardened properties with low drying shrinkage and cracking. Using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images the crack growth in different concrete specimens is observed. Free shrinkage tests are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of SCF in reducing the drying shrinkage of concrete. Test results indicated significantly reduced crack widths and lower drying shrinkage in concrete containing SCFs. Additionally, shrinkage strain of concrete is one of the most important design parameters in many construction applications. Although there exist many shrinkage prediction models, the output from those models varies significantly. Recently, the availability of increased amount of data and computational power and, on the other side, the variety of available analytics algorithms have enabled engineers to move from descriptive statistics and simplistic correlation analyses to more sophisticated machine learning (ML) techniques. Considering the current difficulties of predicting the shrinkage strain of concrete, this research will also develop an ML-based shrinkage prediction model using the globally accepted RILEM data bank consisting of 1869 dataset. Different ML techniques will be used to identify the most accurate model for calculating concrete shrinkage. Shrinkage strains calculated using the ML models will be compared with the existing ACI model, CEB MC 90 model, B3 model, and GL 2000 model. The comparison of this model will give a clear overview of the parameters that affect concrete shrinkage most and help to develop a reliable shrinkage strain prediction model.

You are invited to attend the Winter 2021 Biology Seminar Series presented by Dr. Michael Rennie, Department of Biology, Lakehead University (Thunder Bay).

Guest Speaker: Dr. Thamara Laredo, Lakehead University (Orillia)

Title: “Elucidation of molecular interactions in zein, a multifaceted bio-material: From remediation to packaging”

Live via ZOOM. Please contact biology@lakeheadu.ca for meeting ID and password

You are invited to attend the Winter 2021 Biology Seminar Series presented by Dr. Michael Rennie, Department of Biology, Lakehead University (Thunder Bay).

Guest Speaker: Abby Kimmitt, Texas A&M University

Title: Females as the gatekeepers to reproduction: how reproductive timing likely prevents gene flow in seasonal sympatry

Live Via ZOOM. Please contact biology@lakeheadu.ca for meeting ID and password.

We are pleased to open registration for participation in the “Lakehead Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Conference”!

This virtual summit is open to any Lakehead graduate students pursuing research in the natural and life sciences and will take place during the afternoon of March 19, 2021 via zoom (exact time TBD). Registration is free for everyone, and will remain open until February 26, but zoom login information (link, password, etc.) will be emailed shortly before the research summit.

The summit will consist of a series of 5 minute pre-recorded research talks by your fellow Lakehead graduate students, as well as two keynote speakers.

To submit a talk, please use the following registration and abstract submission link found here - all abstracts will be accepted.

Research talks will be organized into small time blocks that will be followed by Live Q&A sessions with speakers within those sessions. To ensure the program is ready for March 19, all pre-recorded talks must be submitted by March 12.

The goal of your research talk is to succinctly describe your work (only five minutes!); why it matters, why it is novel, and why it excites you! Ideally, pre-recorded research talks will be accompanied by a slideshow presentation that visually describes your research. Additionally, there will be prizes for ‘Best Talk’ and ‘Runner-Up’ for both Natural Science and Life Science research disciplines.

We’re also pleased to announce our two keynote speakers.

Dr. Kyra St. Pierre, an arctic ecologist and biogeochemist currently working with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, will be talking about her research program [personal website; google scholar], and Dr. Steven Heard, a professor and science communication whiz at University of New Brunswick will speak about how to write a good thesis, faster [personal website; google scholar]. 

Our goal is to bring together the diverse and energetic graduate students here at Lakehead and provide a platform to share novel research that is being conducted. By bringing together speakers who work alongside but not necessarily with each other, this virtual summit is intended to share the different types of research, techniques, and tools that are being developed right here at Lakehead.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the summit’s co-conveners, Terron James, tsjames@lakeheadu.ca, Haley MacLeod, hmacleo1@lakeheadu.ca, and Alex Ross, aross10@lakeheadu.ca.

Shannon Salter Presents: "Beyond Zoom Hearings: Human Centered Design and Access to Justice in the age of COVID-19."

Join Shannon Salter, Civil Resolution Tribunal's Chair, and an adjunct professor at the UBC Allard School of Law, for a discussion on "Beyond Zoom Hearings: Human Centered Design and Access to Justice in the age of COVID-19."

This lecture was made possible by the Harold G. Fox Education Fund.