M2PI at the Women in AI Career Fair
The in-person Women in AI Career Fair, held in Calgary on November 7, 2024, in partnership with the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) and our industry training program, Math to Power Industry (M2PI), brought together a diverse group of professionals and emerging talent in AI. The event featured nine industry panelists, including Dr. Heather Vooys, who shared insights from her role as Machine Learning Lead at AERIUM Analytics, and Dr. Sogol Ghattan, Director at Nautical Crime Investigation Services (NCIS), who spoke on the ethical use of AI. Notably, Dr. Vooys and Dr. Ghattan were M2PI mentors, underscoring M2PI’s ongoing influence in shaping future leaders in the field.
In her talk, Dr. Vooys highlighted that, in her work, she frequently encounters problems that could be readily solved with mathematics, without the need for a machine learning (ML) model. “I encouraged the audience to remember that AI and ML are interdisciplinary tools,” she said, “but if they’re the only tools in your toolbox, you’re likely missing other important methods.” While AI and ML can be highly useful, Heather pointed out that relying too heavily on them can sometimes be inefficient. “Having a mathematics background has helped me determine when ML is appropriate and when it might be excessive,” she added, “and it provides me with alternative methods to solve problems more effectively.”
M2PI supported rising talent through travel awards for Nazanin Hasheminejad and Golnoush Farzanfard, enabling them to attend. Hiva Gheisari, an M2PI alum, connected with professionals and secured a spot at the upcoming Women in AI X Devfest YYC event, a coding competition to build career skills.
The career fair offered an inspiring environment for early-career professionals and mid-level experts in AI, fostering a strong community focused on learning, networking, and mentorship—demonstrating PIMS and M2PI’s commitment to enhancing diversity and growth in mathematics and AI.
The 2025 PIMS M2PI training program, set to run from May 5 to 23, 2025, offers graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the mathematical sciences a unique chance to gain specialized professional and technical skills. Participants will work in teams on industry-specific challenges under the guidance of an industry mentor. Applications open in January 2025. For updates, sign up for our newsletter here.
