The New World of Work Forum, founded in 2017 by Arts & Science grad Bruce Miyashita, is graciously funded by the Tom & Nancy Miyashita Arts & Science Program Enrichment Fund. The forum aims to support students in understanding and communicating their professional value to the dynamic world of work. Bruce Miyashita graduated from Arts & Science in 1984, and earned an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University. He divides his time between the Tom & Nancy Miyashita Foundation, which he formed in 2015 in honour of his late parents, and his consulting practice Miyashita Advisory. Bruce has held executive positions at BMO Financial Group, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., and Bombardier Inc.; has served as a consultant at McKinsey & Company; and is an Honorary Member of the Fogo Island Arts Advisory Board. He is a cyclist and photographer and is also a collector of wine, art, and vintage jazz records.Keynote Speakers
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Vass Bednar Vass is a public policy powerhouse. She is currently the Head of Public Policy at Delphia, an AI company. Prior to this, she was a Policy Associate at Airbnb and chaired the Expert Panel on Youth Employment for the federal government. Vass earned a Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance and served as Associate Director of the Rotman School of Management’s Martin Prosperity Institute, where she worked on a range of economic geography projects. She has served as a Senior Advisor at Queen’s Park and was also previously the co-host of Detangled, a pop-culture and public-policy radio show. Vass graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2008. |
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Prav Pillay Prav is a social entrepreneur, artist and academic. Prav is a founding partner and managing director of Humanitas Capital. He graduated from Arts & Science in 1987, going on to earn degrees in business and fine arts. He has held management positions across private, public, and not-for-profit sectors and has experience in telecommunications, technology, as a business coach, and a post-secondary educator. His thoughtful and pragmatic approach to solving problems and innovation grew out of work with Doctors Without Borders. Prav was the first President of the Society of Arts & Science Students (SASS). |
Panelists
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Asim Alam Asim is a staff anesthesiologist and transfusion medicine specialist who completed medical training at the University of Toronto. In 2012, he joined the Department of Anesthesia at Sunnybrook Health Sciences where he was involved in research in improving perioperative blood transfusion practices. In October 2018, Dr. Alam moved to North York General Hospital to become the next Chief of Anesthesia and Medical Co- Director of Surgery. He graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2003. |
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David Campbell David graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2012, and stayed on campus for two years in the executive of the MSU. Following encouragement by his big sib, he applied and was accepted at Harvard for a Masters of Public Policy (MPP) in the Kennedy School of Government. He returned to Toronto after graduating, and spent two years working as a political staffer at Queen’s Park in the Ministry of Energy. In summer 2018, he began working at Deloitte, where he remains today. He works as a Policy Advisor in the Future of Canada Centre, Deloitte’s premier thought leadership hub. |
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Richard Hendriks Richard began his studies in the Arts & Science Program before switching to the Engineering & Society Program (aka “Arts & Science for Engineers”). He has experience with environmental assessment, economic evaluation, and Indigenous consultation related to several large-scale hydroelectric and mining projects across Canada. |
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Leanna Katz Leanna graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2012. She worked as an intern at the Ontario Legislature before studying law at the University of Toronto. During her law school summers, Leanna worked in mental health law and labour law. Since graduating from law school in 2016, Leanna has clerked the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and worked in private practice in New York. This year, Leanna is a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada. |
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Erica Roebbelen Erica completed her degree in Arts & Science and English and Cultural Studies at McMaster in 2010. She has worked as a family doctor and has a special interest in health of the homeless and addictions. Most recently Dr. Roebbelen has been active working with the Shelter Health Network in Hamilton. |
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Jane van Koeverden Jane has been working at the CBC for over five years. She spent two years in the newsroom before becoming an associate producer at CBC Books, where she currently makes digital content for CBCBooks.ca, The Next Chapter, Writers & Company, and Canada Reads. She graduated from Artsci in 2012 and received her Master’s degree in journalism from Western University. |
Networking Guests
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Sunanna Bhasin Sunanna is a 2017 Arts & Science graduate who is currently completing the Master’s of Management and Professional Accounting program at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She has plans to obtain her CPA designation and publish a bilingual poetry compilation after having recently published her first novel, Underpass. |
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Erik Brown Erik, a 2015 Arts & Science grad, is a research analyst at the Global Risk Institute (GRI), a Toronto-based think tank dedicated to the study of emerging risks to the Canadian financial services industry. |
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Nathan Cupido Nathan graduated from the Arts & Science program in 2016 (with a combined honours in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour). After working for a year at McMaster University, Nathan has been a graduate student in the Health Science Education program since Fall of 2017, pursuing his MSc. He is also a Teaching Assistant in ARTSSCI 3A06 / Literature. |
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Anna D’Angela Anna is a Physician Assistant (PA) student at McMaster University, having completed her MBA in Health Services Management in 2017 and her Arts & Science degree (with a combination in Health Studies) in 2013. As a healthcare professional, she has worked in various organizations across the GTHA in quality improvement and project management roles, most recently as an Advisor (Clinical Analytics) with Sustainability at Hamilton Health Sciences. |
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Mack Gillies Mack Gillies is a prospective elementary school teacher who graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2017. The following year, after completing a Master of Arts in History from McMaster University, Mackenzie returned to the Program as a Teaching Assistant in ARTSSCI 3A06 / Literature. |
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Anna Magnotta For almost 10 years, Anna has been a mentor and advisor at the McMaster University Student Success Centre. During her time here, Anna has been dedicated to helping students develop their professional skills and explore career paths. She holds a degree in sociology, and she is passionate about helping students develop their talents and find their place in the world of work. |
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Emma Mulholland Emma graduated from the Arts & Science program with Combined Honours in Biology in 2018. During her undergrad, she was a student scholar at the MacPherson Institute, volunteered with the McMaster Silhouette, and served on the Arts & Science student council. In the fall, she began her MSc in the McMaster Department of Biology. |
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Rebekah Pullen Rebekah is a PhD Candidate in International Relations at McMaster University. Her research focus is on exploring the social and cultural implications of global conflict in pop culture with a focus on nuclear weapons. She graduated from the Arts & Science Program in 2013 with combined honours in Political Science, after which she moved to the University of Waterloo to complete her MA in Global Governance. |
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Varun Puri Varun is currently an MA student in the Anthropology Department at McMaster University. After graduating from the Arts & Science Program in 2017, he returned this year as a Teaching Assistant in ARTSSCI 3A06 / Literature. |
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Paul Sweeny The Honourable Mr. Justice Paul R Sweeny oversees criminal, family, and civil cases out of the Welland Court House. With more than 20 years of experience as a civil legislation specialist with Evan Sweeny Bordin LLP in Downtown Hamilton, Justice Sweeny is now an appointed Judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. |
Itinerary
| 9:45 a.m. | Arrival and Registration |
| 10:30 a.m. | Introductory Remarks: Dr. Jean Wilson & Bruce Miyashita |
| 11:00 a.m. | First Keynote: Prav Pillay |
| 11:45 a.m. | First Workshop & Panel Rotation |
| 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:45 p.m. | Second Workshop & Panel Rotation |
| 3:00 p.m. | Second Keynote: Vass Bednar |
| 4:00 p.m. | Networking |
Panels, Workshops, and Networking
| Workshop #1: Professionalism Led by the well experienced McMaster University Student Success Centre coordinators, the professionalism workshop will focus on the practical, hard skills of getting a career started. Join us for Arts & Science specific resume advice, finding effective avenues for job application, and dissecting job postings.Workshop #2: Communicating Arts & Science Led by Bruce Miyashita, an Arts & Science alumnus with years of experience in business and mentorship, this workshop will help you figure out what you are truly interested in and how your Arts & Science skills best fit into that. Creatively explore how to communicate the value of the Arts & Science degree and learn more about yourself!Panel Engage with five industry professionals in an thought-provoking activity and a panel discussion. As a response to this year’s Arts & Science student interest survey, we will have one professional from each field of interest: law, journalism, healthcare, environmental practices, and policy. You will have the opportunity to ask whatever questions you may have for these unique and exciting individuals. Networking & Cocktail Hour |
Forum Project Management Team
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Luiza Araujo Luiza is a third-year Arts & Science student with a combined Honours in Business. Luiza chose to apply for this role because the Forum is the perfect opportunity for her to explore her interest in the applications of the Arts & Science degree and to help to communicate its value to the outside world. She loves working with others to come up with creative ways to better student experience, and is looking forward to sharing this thought-provoking and relevant event with the Arts & Science community! |
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Sarah Brooks Sarah is a third-year Arts & Science student and Wilson Leader. She is excited to collaborate with this dynamic team to create an event to help Arts & Science students confidently communicate their unique value. She is also pursuing education in Project Management and looks forward to the practical knowledge she will gain through this experience. Sarah is passionate about community development, particularly in the areas of education and socio-economic development, and believes that we all have a role to play in bettering our society. After Arts & Science, Sarah aspires to pursue a career in International Relations. |
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Maanvi Dhillon Maanvi is in her second year, currently uncombined but interested in English and Cultural Studies. She joined the management team because of her passion for contributing to the Arts and Science community that has been so rewarding to be a part of, and her deep interest in the diverse possibilities of life after Artsci. With every new, weird, and unconventional career path she learns about, she is more encouraged and less anxious about her future and its ambiguity. Besides the conference, she enjoys politics and pop culture, and 1. is as excited for the next election as she is for the next awards show. 2. and will talk to you about elections, award shows, and everything in between. |
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Michelle Zilbergerts Michelle is a third-year Arts and Science student at McMaster University, who is pursuing a combined honours degree in Business. Michelle is excited to be a project manager for this year’s New World of Work Forum, and she is looking forward to delivering a conference that allows students to explore unique career paths, and showcases the value of the Arts and Science background in the professional world. Michelle is also looking forward to developing meaningful relationships between graduates and current students through the conference. |
Student Volunteer Team Members
| Miruna Dragomir (Level I), Ryan Edwards (Level II), Adeola Egbeyemi (Level I), Angel Huang (Level III), Faris Mecklai (Level II), Julia Menezes (Level I), Emily Panousis (Level II), Hina Rani (Level I), Adrienne Scott (Level I), Katerina Simantirakis (Level II), Grant Sweeny (Level III), Gillian Young (Level II) |
A Note From the NWWF Team
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The purpose of the forum has always been clear: to help Artsci students become more confident and capable in the realm of work. This year, our team chose to pursue that by providing opportunities to build practical career skills and knowledge, improve communication, and learn about a diverse selection of career choices. We hope you enjoy the forum, and thank you for attending. Sincerely, Luiza Araujo, Michelle Zilbergerts, Sarah Brooks, and Maanvi Dhillon. |
Forum Location
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David Braley Health Sciences Centre 100 Main St W. Hamilton, Ontario |