SEA Conference Career Panel

Emilie Novaczek
Occupation: Biologist
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Science Branch)

Emilie’s research career began at Colombia’s Seaflower Marine Protected Area where she developed maps of reef health and marine tourism activity to support effective MPA management. Since then, she has worked on multiple seafloor mapping projects in support of conservation planning throughout her graduate studies at Memorial University. Emilie now works for Fisheries and Oceans, coordinating the Groundfish tagging and telemetry program which studies the movement, survival, and habitat use of several important species including Atlantic Cod, Greenland Halibut, Witch Flounder, American Plaice, and Greenland Shark.


Dr. Stephen Ryan
Occupation: MD and Co-Founder/CMO 
Organization: PolyUnity Tech

Dr. Stephen Ryan, a dedicated family man, serial entrepreneur, and graduate of Memorial University with degrees in Biology and Medicine. Inspired by the potential of 3D printing, he transitioned from his medical training to establish PolyUnity Tech, a company on a mission to empower healthcare professionals with additive manufacturing solutions. Driven by a passion for community development, Dr. Ryan's work exemplifies the application of academic knowledge to address real-world challenges, while fostering an ecosystem of collaboration and innovation.

Tannia Chevez 
Occupation: Digital Training Specialist
Organization: ACENET

Tannia Chevez is a Digital Training Specialist with ACENET, with a background in Computational Chemistry, Computer Science, and Mathematics. She has worked as a research assistant developing algorithms for an animal sound repository, creating chemical composite films, and contributing to various research projects through data analysis, nanoparticle detection, and software development. She has extensive teaching experience, including roles at Brilliant Labs and the Association for New Canadians, and at ACENET, where she helps develop and teach courses, delivers workshops to students, researchers, and private industry professionals, and determines the skills development needs of academic and industry clients.

 
Terrence Tricco
Occupation: Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, cross-appointed with the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography.

Terrence Tricco has experience working in both industry and academia. He did his PhD at Monash University in Australia, worked as a post-doc at the University of Exeter in the UK and the University of Toronto, and was the Lead Data Scientist for Verafin, a tech company headquartered in St. John’s. He joined the Department of Computer Science as an Assistant Professor in 2021.

Dr. Lynn Frizzell 
Occupation: Grants Facilitation Officer
Organization: Memorial University Faculty of Science

Dr. Lynn Frizzell has been a grants facilitation officer in the Faculty of Science since 2018. Before that, she worked in child health research with partners throughout the community. She holds M.Sc. (Behavioural Neuroscience), and PhD (Developmental Psychology) degrees from Memorial University.


Dr. Purvi Kalyan Pallegar
Occupation: Co-founder/CTO
Organization: Nucliq Biologics Inc

Dr. Purvi Kalyan Pallegar's journey in biotech began with a profound exposure to cutting-edge biological science research during his fellowship at prestigious institutions like ICRISAT, India. After completing his master's degree in India, he honed his skills in molecular biology at Western University, Canada. Subsequently, he pursued his Ph.D. research in molecular microbiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. During his doctoral studies, Dr. Pallegar was captivated by the vibrant local entrepreneurial ecosystem, inspiring him to establish Nucliq Biologics Inc. (NBI). NBI was founded with a primary focus on revolutionizing chronic disease management using precision microbiome science. Their flagship product, GutcheckTM, stands as Canada's pioneering gut microbiome analysis kit, aimed at addressing common digestive disorders among the general populace.

 

Michelle English Christensen 
Occupation: Exploration Geologist
Organization: NexGold Mining Corp.

Michelle holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa and a Masters Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Earth Science. Her research combined her love of sequence stratigraphy and geochemistry, focusing on a VMS deposit located in Central Newfoundland. She started working with Anaconda Mining (now NexGold) as a summer student in 2017 while completing her Masters Degree. She has worked on various exploration projects throughout Newfoundland and Nova Scotia from grassroots exploration to mine development. Michelle is now the Project Supervisor at NexGold’s advanced-staged multi-million ounce gold deposit in Nova Scotia where she is responsible for managing all exploration activities related to mine development and regional expansion.