Put on your lab coat, grab your headphones, and tune in to On A Tangent, a podcast presented by the Faculty of Science at Toronto Metropolitan University where we discuss all things science and aren’t afraid to go off on a tangent. Join us as we dive into the minds of experts within the TMU scientific community to explore the world's most fascinating topics – from learning how to support underrepresented groups in STEM to unearthing the science behind your favourite foods – you are guaranteed to discover something new!
Music credit: Dean Dr. David Cramb
Episode 13: Introducing Cyber Science with Dr. Marcus Santos
Fall 2026 marks the first year of a new undergraduate program within the Faculty of Science at TMU. An expansion on traditional cybersecurity training, the interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Cyber Science program covers much more than just technical skills. Not only will students learn to analyze system vulnerabilities and develop secure code, but they will also understand the legal, social, business, and ethical considerations, enabling them to communicate with decision-makers. In this episode, Dr. Marcus Santos, computer science professor and inaugural program director, gives us the inside scoop on what’s to come in the new program and how it will prepare students for the future of cybersecurity.
What is Cyber Science? 01:52 | Creating a new program 04:43 | Courses and curriculum 07:22 | Experiential learning opportunities 11:50 | Careers and advice 15:04
19 Nov 2024
Episode 12: Fostering Mentorship in Science with Julia Pia
Mentorship can be a critical ingredient for success in the academic journey, offering students guidance, career opportunities, network connections, and sometimes even leading to lifelong relationships. Inspired by her own mentorship journey, Faculty of Science alumna Julia Pia (Chemistry ‘20) founded Ment Projects to provide accessible mentorship resources for students and professionals. Ment Projects launched in 2023 with The Mentorship Podcast, featuring diverse industry professionals discussing their field and career path. This fall, they launched their mentorship app, Ment, through a pilot with the Undergraduate Science Society at TMU. In this episode, we discuss why mentorship is so important in science and explore the range of mentorship tools and programs available to students within the Faculty of Science at TMU.
Discover mentorship resources in the Faculty of Science at TMU:
Ment - Free for TMU’s Faculty of Science (https://www.ment-projects.com/the-app )
PALS (Peer Academic Leaders in Science) (https://www.torontomu.ca/science/current-undergraduate-students/first-year-science/science-peer-mentors/ )
SciMentorship Program (https://www.torontomu.ca/science/science-mentorship-program/)
Why is mentorship important in science? 2:07 | Julia’s journey with mentorship 4:16 | Mentorship resources in the Faculty of Science at TMU 11:18 | Ment Projects and the Ment App 13:42
9 Feb 2024
Episode 11: Bridging the Diversity Gap in Computer Science with Dr. Preeti Raman
Why does the computing industry struggle with representing Canada’s diversity? In this episode, Dr. Preeti Raman, Computer Science professor and pedagogy researcher at TMU, highlights the critical issues surrounding the gender and diversity gap in computer science. It starts early – a lack of support or exposure to computing in grade school can leave women and underrepresented groups feeling unsupported in their career path, a trajectory commonly known as the "leaky pipeline." Leaning on her expertise in integrative analytics and care-centred pedagogies, she discusses why it is more critical than ever to make computer science accessible to all.
What is the diversity and gender gap? 1:38 | Why should we care about diversity? 3:10 | What does the data say? 4:12 | The “leaky pipeline” and its barriers 7:45 | How can we bridge the gap 15:22
28 Sept 2023
Episode 10: Decolonizing Science Education with Brooke Filsinger and Alacea Yerxa
While Indigenous Peoples can be considered the first scientists, the current Canadian curriculum is rooted in Euro-Western science, overlooking and excluding centuries of Indigenous Knowledges. In this episode, we sit down with Brooke Filsinger and Alacea Yerxa, two changemakers in the scientific and Indigenous community at TMU to learn about what decolonizing science education is and how they hope to change the system to include Indigenous perspectives.
What is Indigenous science? 2:55 | Inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: Indigenizing the Canadian Academy 6:22 | The future of Indigenous science education 11:23 | How they’re changing the system 12:51
25 Mar 2022
Episode 9: Dr. Bryan Koivisto on Earth Hour and environmental awareness
Every year on the last Saturday of March, millions of people across the world turn off their lights for Earth Hour to raise awareness for the urgency of nature loss and climate change. But is ‘awareness’ enough? In this episode, we ask: Is it too late to change course? Are we headed towards environmental disaster? Whose responsibility is it to help save our planet? Our conversation with Dr. Bryan Koivisto takes an interesting approach as we explore this topic from different perspectives and consider how socio-economics, politics, and social media play a role in the mix. Bryan is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology and his research is in Organic-based Renewable Energy. He is also the Graduate Program Director for the Environmental Applied Science and Management Program and he is involved in mentorship in scientific discovery at the university.
What is Earth Hour? 3:10 | The Urgency of Climate Change 9:06 | Environmental Justice and Racialized Communities 11:01 | Can We Turn this Ship Around? 14:15 | Who’s Responsible: Individuals or Corporations? 16:31 | What We Can Do to Help 22:02
28 Jan 2022
Episode 8: Shadan Ghaffaripour on protecting personal data
Every year on January 28th, Canada and many countries around the world participate in Data Privacy Day. On this day in 1981, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection was signed. Today, we use the anniversary as an opportunity to bring forward discourse around the value of protecting personal privacy in our digital society. In this episode, Shadan Ghaffaripour, a PhD candidate in computer science, explains what data privacy is, why we should care, and how users and corporations can protect personal data. Shadan currently works in the Information and Computer Security lab under the supervision of Dr. Ali Miri and her research area is in privacy-preserving technologies.
What is data privacy and why should we care? 1:10 | How can users & corporations protect personal data? 7:30
2 Dec 2021
Episode 7: Elder Joanne Dallaire and Dean Dave Cramb on Indigenous Allyship
After community members raised concerns surrounding Ryerson’s namesake, the Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win Standing Strong Task Force has come forward with 22 points of action on how the university can acknowledge and address its colonial legacy. The university has accepted all 22 recommendations, including a call to rename the university. In this episode, Task Force Co-Chair, Elder Joanne Dallaire, and Faculty of Science Dean, Dave Cramb, chat about the task force's process and what allyship to the Indigenous community means in academia and in our personal lives.
The university invites community members to fill out a survey to share their ideas, opinions and perspectives on a new name. The survey will be open until December 7th 2021. https://www.ryerson.ca/next-chapter/renaming-process/community-survey/ (https://www.ryerson.ca/next-chapter/renaming-process/community-survey/)
A Task Force in an Indigenous Format 1:27 | Being an Ally to the Indigenous Community 19:11
29 Sept 2021
Episode 6: Dr. Michael Olson on the science of coffee addictions
As the world’s most popular drug, caffeine has been ritualized in daily routines all over the world. In this episode, Dr. Michael Olson chats about the effects of caffeine and its role in society. He also compares Canada’s coffee culture to what he observed while working and living in the UK. Dr. Olson studied Pharmacology in his PhD and is now a cell biologist and professor at Ryerson.
The Science of Caffeine 3:08 | Coffee Culture in Canada vs UK 13:39
17 Sept 2021
Episode 5: Rupan Gill and Farhan Mohammed on planning RU Hacks
Hackathon: a hacking marathon where teams aim to develop a functioning software or hardware project by the end of a time constraint. Hackathons are the perfect opportunity for students to build their skills and work as a team before going into the real world. Ryerson’s very own hackathon has set about to do exactly that—host an event for students to build skills, make connections, and have fun while they’re at it. In this episode of On A Tangent, fourth-year students Rupan Gill (Biology) and Farhan Mohammed (Mathematics) share what it's like planning RU Hacks, their motivation to join the team, and what you can expect as an attendee to the annual hackathon. For more information on RU Hacks, visit https://ruhacks.com/ (https://ruhacks.com/).
About RU Hacks 1:59 | Planning RU Hacks 8:39 | Info for Prospective Attendees 13:13
16 Aug 2021
Episode 4: Dr. Saeideh G. Motlagh on Bitcoin basics
By now, you’ve probably heard the hype surrounding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Investors are profiting off the buzz of a “currency of the future” while corporations and governments are feeling pressure to acknowledge the growing technology. But do you really know what Bitcoin is and how it works? Computer Science alumna and blockchain expert Dr. Saeideh G. Motlagh gives us a crypto crash course with the rundown on Bitcoin and blockchain and what this means for the future of technology and finance.
Bitcoin Basics 02:00 | Blockchain Applications 08:28 | Are Cryptocurrencies the Currency of the Future? 12:40
17 Jun 2021
Episode 3: Dr. Emily Agard on COVID-19 vaccine science
Getting vaccinated is the first step to normalcy as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While many people are more than eager to get vaxxed, others may feel hesitant due to misinformation, agendas, and conspiracies floating around. In this episode, Dr. Emily Agard, director of SciXchange at Ryerson, explains the science behind vaccines and busts COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions. Dr. Agard has her PhD in Immunology from the University of Toronto and now teaches immunology and advanced immunology at Ryerson.
How do Vaccines Work? 03:26 | Vaccines & Variants 10:06 | Busting COVID-19 Vaccine Misconceptions 13:04
22 Dec 2020
Episode 2: Dr. Eric Da Silva on alcohol science for the holidays
How is good quality alcohol produced? Why do you get sleepy after a big meal? What is the science between pairing alcohol with foods? With a passion for distilling and a research focus on separation science and analytical chemistry, Dr. Eric Da Silva of the Department of Physics talks about the science of alcohol in time for the holiday season. Disclaimer: The information in today’s episode is strictly for educational purposes. When consuming alcohol, it is important to drink responsibly and in moderation.
About Dr. Da Silva’s Distillery 02:03 | Alcohol Production Process 3:14 | Why Big Meals Make You Sleepy 13:35 | Pairing Foods and Drinks 18:58
12 Nov 2020
Episode 1: Dr. Anthony Bonato on being a gay mathematician
In our first episode, Dr. Anthony Bonato of the Department of Mathematics reveals what he’s got in store for the LGBTQ+ Math Day on November 18th, 2020. He shares his experience as a gay man in the field of mathematics and the importance of creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ mathematicians. This event is open to LGBTQ+ community members in the math field, their allies, and anyone else who is interested. For more information about this free virtual event and how to register, visit: https://math.ryerson.ca/~abonato/LGBTQ/# (https://math.ryerson.ca/~abonato/LGBTQ/#).
About LGBTQ+ Math Day 00:45 | Dr. Bonato's Journey 09:05 | Being an Ally 13:55 | LGBTQ+ Role Models 17:15 | Event Details 21:06
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