Saying guten tag to the future
Mila Gorodnichy, a third-year biochemistry student, will be working on a research internship in Karlsruhe, Germany, near the French border. Mila found the position through DAAD-RISE, a program that connects students with doctoral students and researchers in Germany. In June, she’ll start at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology.
The research will use organic chemistry to create and identify novel chromophore molecules to be used in electro-optic devices, Mila explains.
“Molecules that possess a positive and negative charge at each end can be used as switches and modulators in telecommunications and computing. Controlling the orientation of the charges can alter the way light passes through them, and that can be used to encode and transmit information,” Mila says.
Mila says she’s also looking forward to improving her German and being immersed in a different culture, as well as taking weekend trips to her dream European cities.
Sowing the seeds of sustainability
Victoria King, a master of public and international affairs candidate, will be using her certification as a World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Leader to host workshops on urban gardening on campus, as well as continuing her involvement in an edible landscaping pilot project and pollinator garden. Victoria earned her certification by working with the uOttawa Office of Campus Sustainability, volunteering over 200 hours on community clean-ups, setting up second-hand markets and founding a sustainability-focused club, Environtastic. Only three uOttawa students and fewer than 100 Canadians have received WWF certification.
“This opportunity means so much to me, as I’m really passionate about increasing biodiversity, urban food supply, as well as showing my peers how to improve our campus!” says Victoria.
Victoria hopes to inspire others to take pride in ecology and get involved in sustainability by planting vegetable seeds, watering gardens and, come harvest time, learning how to cook tasty dishes with the produce.
“I have learned in depth about food security in Ottawa and Canada, biodiversity loss, the impacts of climate change and much more. Perhaps more importantly, I have been surrounded by others that share a common vision of going beyond learning and working to make a difference,” Victoria says.
Supreme summer
Malorie Kanaan, a master of laws and social justice candidate and graduate of the LLL/JD program, has earned the chance of a lifetime, an offer to work as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada as part of the Honourable Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin’s team.
Her responsibilities will include researching legal issues, drafting memoranda on legal matters and offering O’Bonsawin general assistance with the court’s work. Malorie received the 2022 University of Ottawa Leadership Award and is a decorated member of the uOttawa swim team.
This opportunity is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to law, which have been recognized through Malorie’s numerous academic, athletic and leadership awards.
Mastering cell engineering at Tesla
Jatin Mahajan, a master of mechanical engineering candidate graduating this April, is continuing an internship with Tesla in Austin, Texas. Jatin is working as a process engineering intern in the cell engineering team at the Tesla Gigafactory.
“It’s a dream come true to work closely with an innovative and inspiring team of engineers dedicated to advancing Tesla’s mission to transition the world to sustainable energy,” says Jatin. “I am solving issues which the cell production team faces every day, identifying the root causes and then taking corrective and preventive action.”
Jatin came to Canada from Ludhiana, India, to do his master’s at uOttawa in January 2022. He has a bachelor’s in engineering from Punjab Technical University and five years’ experience in the automotive industry. Jatin says that securing the position at Tesla required hard work and perseverance.
“Every day, I am surrounded by individuals who are passionate about what they do and who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. It is this energy and dedication that motivates me to work harder and think more creatively,” Jatin said.