Panel on addressing climate change

Ph.D.
Co-founder, Terrafixing Inc.

Dr. Vida Gabriel is a visionary entrepreneur, visible minority woman and co-founder at under 30 years of age of TerraFixing Inc., an Ottawa-based startup developing technology to reverse global warming.  

Vida received her bachelor’s and PhD from the University of Ottawa, where she conducted research on sustainable chemical reaction engineering practices under Professor Marc A. Dubé, who still mentors her today. She has since applied her skills at TerraFixing to tackle one of humanity’s greatest challenges.  

Along with her studies and career, Vida has been an active member of the University of Ottawa community, having lived on campus for five years and serving as a community adviser, team lead and peer support for the Housing Service. She now works alongside her co-founder and fellow uOttawa alumnus, Dr. Sean Wilson, to create a brighter, more sustainable future for all. 

Professor of Structural Engineering, University of Ottawa

Dr. Beatriz Martín-Pérez, Ph.D, P.Eng., is a Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on the experimental testing and numerical modelling of reinforcement corrosion and associated mechanics of damage build-up in reinforced concrete structures. She is particularly interested in integrating material deterioration models with current methods of structural analysis. Dr. Martín-Pérez is also involved in the development of wind-uplift resistance design guidelines of roofing systems and components. She is a member of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and the American Concrete Institute. 

Prior to joining the University of Ottawa in 2002, Dr. Martín-Pérez worked as a researcher at the Institute for Research in Construction of the National Research Council, in rehabilitation of urban infrastructure, where she was involved in the development of performance prediction tools for flexible pavement structures subjected to both environmental and traffic-induced loading.

Associate professor in the mechatronics department, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)

Luis E. Garza Castañón received an engineering degree in electronic systems, an MSc in control engineering and a PhD in artificial intelligence from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico, in 1986, 1988 and 2001, respectively. 

From 1988 to 1998, he worked in the areas of automation and control in the steel and metalworking industry. From 1999 to 2003, he was a lecturer in the physics department, Tecnológico de Monterrey. Since 2004, he has been an associate professor in the mechatronics department, Tecnológico de Monterrey at Monterrey. In 2017, he co-founded Aixware Technologies, a small company developing smart embedded systems for industrial applications. He is a member of the CONACYT National System of Researchers, Level 1, and is the author of more than 100 publications — journal and conference articles, book chapters and books. His research interests include autonomous vehicles, machine learning, fault detection, diagnosis and control, image processing, sensors, embedded systems, and advanced control applications.