About Us

Our Team

Founding Member, Symposium Organising Committee

Heather Kharouba is a University Research Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa. She is a global change ecologist and conservation scientist, with a taxonomic focus on insects and plants. Her lab research focuses on how and why species are responding to climate and land use changes, how we can predict these responses, and how we can more effectively manage our ecosystems in the context of these environmental changes. She approaches conservation research through the lens of cross-disciplinary collaboration and solutions. She has current research partnerships with Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and with NGOs like the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Chantal Rodier

Founding Member, Symposium Organising Committee

Chantal Rodier is an expert in multidisciplinary STEAM (STEM+Art) teaching and research. As the Artist-in-Residence & STEAM Project Coordinator of the Faculty of Engineering at uOttawa, she incorporates art & artistic practices for critical exploration in multidisciplinary teams. With formal training and experience in mathematics, computer science, visual arts and arts management, over the years her practice has grown to incorporate art, technology and human experience into: STEAM projects; permanent and temporary public art installations (uOttawa Public Art Policy and program); large public events (JUNO Awards, Conference Organisation); and other creative placemaking ventures including a collaboration with the new Ingenium museum & innovation lab.

Annette Hegel

Symposium Organising Committee

Annette Hegel (she/they) is an artist, activist, arts administrator, and urban farmer dedicated to ecologically-minded art that encourages long-term thinking on climate change. Her art practice is multidisciplinary, emphasising the confluence of art, nature and science. As Organisational Development and Network Lead for SCALE, she drives the first cross-disciplinary arts initiative tackling the climate crisis across Turtle Island. Based on unceded and unsurrenderd Algonquin Territory in Odawa/Ottawa, she is also part of the FALLOW ART FARM, an experimental artist collective exploring caring and resilient life models. Annette is a queer settler of German birth.

Jakub Zdebik

Symposium Organising Committee

Jakub Zdebik is an Associate Professor of Art History and Theory and Chair of the Visual Arts Department at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is the author of Deleuze and the Diagram: Aesthetic Threads in Visual Organization (Continuum, 2012) and Deleuze and the Map-Image: Aesthetics, Information, Code and Digital Art (Bloomsbury, 2019). He has published in RACAR, The Semiotic Review, The Brock Review, Screen Bodies, Performance Research, and Esse among others. His research focuses on the critical theory of the image that he explores through the concept of the diagram, a contemporary aesthetic philosophical concept relating to the genesis of the image and the representation of thought in visual art, film and literature in the guise of charts, maps and plans across cultures. His disciplinary breadth includes contemporary art history and aesthetics, conceptual visual arts, literature, philosophy, digital art, data visualization, new media, as well as cultural studies, and film studies.

Yoyo Xu

BCC Designer

You Xu (Yoyo) is a designer with a strong background in branding, graphic design, and UI/UX, driven by a deep interest in art, user experience, and AI. With over three years of experience, she has worked both in-house and in agencies, including developing cohesive brand identities, designing intuitive digital products, and crafting engaging marketing visuals. Her expertise lies in blending creativity with user-centered design principles to create visually compelling and functional experiences. She holds a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Digital Transformation and Innovation at the University of Ottawa. She is passionate about emerging technologies, she continuously explores new tools and methodologies to push the boundaries of design, aiming to create meaningful and impactful digital experiences.

Talia Cameron

Communication

Talia Cameron is a PhD Candidate in the Philosophy Department at the University of Ottawa studying applied ethics. Her research focuses on environmental ethics and is motivated by the urgent need to create meaningful climate action. Through work experience at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions on the department’s AI policy instruments, Talia developed an interest in AI ethics that led her to become involved with the Canadian Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Ethical Design Lab (CRAiEDL), where she currently works as a research assistant on CRAiEDL’s policy initiatives and communications strategy.