John Root received his PhD from the University of Guelph in 1986, after developing a way to measure quantum effects in the structure of water and other liquids.  He joined Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), where he helped to develop a method to map stresses inside materials using a beam of neutrons from the NRU reactor at Chalk River Laboratories.  This method has been copied at neutron-beam laboratories around the world, and is now applied to help industries improve their products, and expand their businesses.  Dr. Root has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, generated over 75 proprietary reports for industry clients, and delivered more than 100 invited presentations.

In 2003, Dr. Root was appointed as Director of the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (CNBC), which was comprised of six neutron spectrometers, supported by a team of expert researchers and technicians, and managed as an international user facility.  By the time the NRU reactor was closed, in 2018, the CNBC was supporting a community of more than 800 research participants from more than 20 universities across Canada and over 100 foreign institutions.  (http://cins.ca/resources/cnbc/).  CNBC users generated knowledge of materials at the molecular and nano-scale, for applications such as transportation safety, lifetime management of infrastructure, market development, fundamental scientific understanding and education (www.cins.ca/discover)

In 2011, Dr. Root established the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation Inc (Fedoruk Centre), a not-for-profit corporation with the purpose of placing Saskatchewan among global leaders of nuclear research, development and training through investment in partnerships with universities and industries for maximum societal and economic benefit.  Since 2017, Dr. Root has served as Executive Director of the Fedoruk Centre, to accomplish impacts in three key areas:  (1) Nuclear imaging tools and methods to advance life sciences, agri-biotechnologies and medicine; (2) Material sciences, through nuclear techniques, such as neutron scattering, to improve energy, health, and transportation; and (3) Understanding the practical and social aspects of nuclear energy, to inform decision-making towards a clean, sustainable future.

Esam Hussein, PhD, PEng, FCSSE, is a professor emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science and an adjunct professor in Physics at the University of Regina (UofR). He is also a professor emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). He retired as Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at UofR. After completing his undergraduate studies and a master's degree in nuclear engineering at Alexandria University, Egypt, he earned a PhD also in nuclear engineering from McMaster University. He was employed as a Nuclear Design Engineer at Ontario Hydro (now Ontario Power Generation). Subsequently, he joined the University of New Brunswick – Fredericton, where he taught in Chemical then Mechanical Engineering, and served as Department Chair, Associate Dean and President of the Association of UNB Teachers.

Dr. Hussein led a research program that focused on the industrial and medical uses of nuclear and atomic radiation for nondestructive testing and imaging to detect threat materials. His current research focus is on small modular reactors. He has supervised many graduate students, published numerous scientific papers and industrial reports, is a holder of six patents, and the author of three books on radiation science and applications. His research has led to the establishment of a start-up company (Inversa Systems, Ltd). Dr. Hussein received the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2019, the Canadian Nuclear Innovation Achievement Award in June 2003, and the Sylvia Fedoruk Prize in 2000. He is currently a receiving editor of Applied Radiation and Isotopes and of Physics Open.

Hussein is a registered professional engineer in the Provinces of Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Ontario, and a fellow of the Canadian Society for Senior Engineers. He has been a member of the Canadian Nuclear Society, American Nuclear Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineer, IEEE Nuclear IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society and American Society for Nondestructive Testing.  He is an executive councillor of the International Radiation Physics Society, and was a member of the working Group for the CANDU Reactor Textbook for the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering. Hussein served as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of New Brunswick and the Board of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre.

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Dr. Katherine Zukotynski is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Radiology at McMaster University and an Associate Member of the School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. She is affiliated with several hospitals including Children’s Hospital Boston.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto, Dr. Zukotynski completed medical training followed by a residency in radiology, also at the University of Toronto. In 2009, she completed nuclear medicine training through the Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine at Harvard. She was a staff radiologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2009 through 2012, and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, Dr. Zukotynski was a staff radiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre from 2012 through 2015, an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is board certified in nuclear cardiology, as well as in nuclear medicine and radiology, in both the United States and Canada.

Dr. Zukotynski is involved in medical imaging research. Her main areas of research are in PET/CT, particularly as it relates to oncology, neurodegenerative disease and machine learning. She received the RSNA Research and Education Foundation Roentgen Resident/ Fellow Research Award first as a radiology resident and then as a nuclear medicine resident. She held an RSNA Research Scholar Grant from 2012-2014, and currently holds approximately $5M in funding for molecular imaging, predominantly in prostate cancer research.

Dr. Zukotynski is also actively involved in the leadership of several imaging societies. She is Chair of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Nuclear Medicine Section Instructional Courses, Chair of the Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) Nuclear Medicine Refresher Course Committee Track, as well as the Research and Education Public Relations Committee. She is also Secretary of the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) and immediate past Treasurer/Secretary of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), as well as immediate past president of the SNMMI PET Center of Excellence and Eastern Great Lakes Chapter.

Shawn Exner is the Senior Director/Head of Corporate Development for Cameco Corporation, one of the world’s largest diversified nuclear fuel companies.  Based in Saskatoon, his main responsibilities are to lead the evaluation and recommendation of investment and divestment opportunities for Cameco throughout the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle (exploration, development, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication). In addition, his responsibilities include the creation of new joint ventures or shareholder agreements and a variety of other commercial arrangements, as well as negotiating the restructuring of these agreements when circumstances warrant. Shawn has played a key role in Cameco’s acquisitions over the last 17 years and has been involved in the post-investment management and governance related to Cameco’s investments in the Bruce Power Limited Partnership, JV Inkai, Global Laser Enrichment and Westinghouse Electric Company.

Shawn holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants (Canada). Shawn has been with Cameco for 28 years with the first 10 years in various financial reporting and long-term planning roles, and the last 18 years with Corporate Development.

Brigitte Guérin holds the Jeanne-et-J.-Louis-Lévesque Chair in Radiobiology at the University of Sherbrooke (UdeS). As a full professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, she serves as the director of the Medical Imaging Center at UdeS, and the Medical Imaging Axis (CRCHUS). After receiving her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UdeS (1994), she completed a postdoctoral training under the supervision of Prof. Yvan Guindon at the Montréal Clinical Research Institute, staying on as Senior Research Associate until 2002 when she accepted a position as Director of Medicinal Chemistry at IPS Pharma Inc. In 2007, she accepted a tenure-track faculty position at the UdeS Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology. She rapidly established an original radiochemistry research program as an independent researcher, based on her extensive know-how and expertise in the field of radiochemistry. She has published over 118 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, has patents pending, has advanced 15 radiotracers from the bench to clinical trial, has given 59 invited lectures at international scientific meetings, and has vulgarized her work for public media in both official languages.

Iain Harry is a Senior Business Advisor in Generation Asset Planning with SaskPower. In that capacity, Iain has led SaskPower’s evaluation of many emerging clean energy generation technologies including the feasibility of nuclear power from small modular reactors (SMRs). Iain led the Government of Saskatchewan’s evaluation of nuclear power from 2008 to 2012 and has led the SaskPower team responsible for advancing SMR development and deployment in Saskatchewan since 2013.  Prior to joining SaskPower, Iain served as a Senior Advisor to the Premier of Saskatchewan and Vice President of Crown Sector Initiatives with Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan. In that capacity, Iain played a lead role the development of a number of major innovation projects including Saskatchewan’s Uranium Development Partnership, the establishment of the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, the establishment of the Saskatchewan Centre for Cyclotron Sciences and the development of SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Project – the first and largest commercial demonstration of carbon capture technology on coal fired power generation in the world.  Iain holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from the University of Saskatchewan and has more than 30 years of experience in public and crown sector management and public policy development at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.

Deidre ("Dee") Henne is the University of Saskatchewan's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), reporting to the President and working with the university community to develop financial strategies to ensure financial sustainability and resiliency, and to invest in advancing the university's mission and strategic priorities. 

Originally from Hamilton, Dee has over 25 years of experience supporting both higher education and health sciences in research-intensive settings. Dee has taken residence in Saskatoon close to the university to support a 5-year term July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029. Prior to joining the university, Dee established her own advisory services company, LEAD, serving non-profit organizations in areas of strengthening financial health, strategic resource allocations, and sustainability-related financial reporting.  Dee also served as Chief Financial Officer at McMaster University and served Hamilton Health Sciences (Canada’s second largest research hospital).   

Dee’s past community and volunteer work includes serving City of Hamilton’s Ward 1 Budget Committee, Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) Board, Community Care Access Centre’s Board, and more. Dee’s most recent voluntary role is a 3-year (July 2024 to June 2027) appointment on Canada’s new Reporting and Assurance Standards Oversight Council (RASOC), which oversees the work of the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB), Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB), the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB), and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AASB). 

Dee has been recognized for her contributions to the Ontario and Canadian higher education sector, receiving the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) Leadership in Learning award in 2017, the Council of Ontario Financial Officers Distinguished Leadership Award in 2019, and CAUBO’s most distinguished recognition the 2023 Ken Clements Award, which recognizes an administrator who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and has made an extraordinary contribution to the advancement of higher education administration. 

Kim Kearfott is a board-certified radiation safety specialist at both the practitioner (NRRPT) and professional (CHP) levels. She is a tenured full Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at University of Michigan with a Doctor of Science degree from M.I.T. with a doctoral minor from Harvard School of Public Health (nuclear medicine imaging, medical physics, radiation biology). She also earned a Master of Engineering degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia in nuclear reactor safety. Professor Kearfott received National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator, Society of Nuclear Medicine Tetalman, Health Physics Society Elda Anderson, and American Nuclear Society Women's Achievement and Rockwell Lifetime Achievement awards. She is a Fellow of the Health Physics Society, the primary scientific organization of radiation protection specialists in the United States. She has served on the national board of directors of both the American Nuclear Society and the Health Physics Society. She completed training in the first class of FEMA Radiological Operations Support Specialists (ROSS).

Kim Kearfott has more than four decades of research and applied experience in radiation detection and radiological safety. She began her career in reactor safety analysis. She then became known for her early work on internal dose assessments for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and for her designs of clinical PET facilities. She performed pioneering work in radon: discovering and mitigating the highest ever recorded domestic indoor radon air concentration. She has conducted projects in the personnel radiation monitoring, external dosimetry, and internal dose assessment. Her current research is the design of radiation detection systems for environmental radiation, homeland security, and nuclear weapons verification. Dr. Kearfott maintains an interest in measurement systems of all types, including the detection of conventional explosives. She holds several patents on radiation detection methods and detectors. Dr. Kearfott has supervised ~ 447 graduate and undergraduate student projects, resulting in more than 565 publications. An experienced teacher, Prof. Kearfott has presented more than 250 talks, 83 formal undergraduate and graduate courses, and 37 short courses.  

Tom started his career in the field of heavy industrial equipment manufacturing for power generation at a then brand new company, Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd.  Over the next 26 years, Tom worked in many roles to support the needs of a growing business and in 2006, Tom was appointed as the first Canadian President and CEO of the Canadian operations.

Tom was appointed Vice-President Operational Support for Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) in 2015 where he led the Health and Safety, Logistics, Facilities Design and Development, and Growth and Business Development teams.  Tom started his consulting business, TPK Management Consulting Inc. in 2020 to continue supporting organizations in their growth and improvement journeys.

Through his work, Tom has had the opportunity to conduct business in many countries and cultures, primarily those in Asia, Europe and North America.  He has extensive Board experience in the corporate, co-operative and not-for-profit sectors and is currently Chair of the University of Saskatchewan, College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board.  Recent past board director appointments have included the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, Safe Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Community Foundation and the national board of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

Tom has a BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and completed the Ivey Executive Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Dawn Pratt is a member of the Muscowpetung Anihšināpēk Nation. With varied experience in science education and an indomitable spirit, she has forged a professional consultancy company, askenootow STEM Enterprise, as an Indigenous STEM Educational expert for the past 20 years (STEM = science, technology, engineering, and math). Dawn earned a Master of Science degree with a specialization in the design of organic adsorbent materials directed toward the removal of arsenic from contaminated water (University of Saskatchewan, 2011).

Dawn is fundamentally driven to reinstate Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper teachings into STEM education for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples’ futures. She seeks to amplify Indigenous STEM role models and Indigenized STEM content by transforming instructional practices and curricula in ways that embrace Indigenous cultural, linguistic, and land-based traditions and resources.

Dawn remembers the moment her career calling took shape; in grade 4, her parents bought her a chemistry kit. Since then, she has pursued her passion for understanding the chemical world and sharing the joys of scientific discovery with children, youth, and adults. As part of realizing her passions, she is deeply dedicated to raising her two daughters to approach the world with a curiosity for STEM, replete with confidence in the Indigenous heritage she too derived from her family.

Dr. Baljit Singh is a highly accomplished researcher, educator and administrator in the field of veterinary medicine, with specific expertise in lung biology and anatomy. He began his role as Vice-President Research at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021, after serving as Dean of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (2016 – 2021), and serving as Associate Dean of Research at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (2011 – 2016).

Dr. Singh’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc and AH) and Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc) from Punjab Agricultural University in Punjab; a PhD from the University of Guelph; post-doctoral training at Texas A&M University and Columbia University, New York; and he completed licensing requirements set by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for foreign veterinary graduates.

Dr. Singh has received the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, the University of Saskatchewan’s Provost’s Prize for Innovative Practice of Teaching and Learning, University of Saskatchewan Master Teacher Award, and the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award. He has also received the Outstanding Veterinary Anatomist Award from the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists, as well as the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence. In 2013 he was named a fellow of the American Association of Anatomists.

Dr. Singh’s research has focused on cell and molecular biology of lung inflammation. He is the author or co-author of more than ninety peer-reviewed journal articles and books, and has supervised the research training of more than eighty undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students.

Avery Vold was appointed Vice President, Economic Development and Research Investments in January 2023. She joined Innovation Saskatchewan in 2018 and held various roles in Corporate Services, Strategy, and Governance. Prior to joining Innovation Saskatchewan, Avery spent four years with the University of Saskatchewan working in the Edwards School of Business, Executive Education department developing and administering professional development programs for the business community.

 Avery holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance, from Edwards School of Business and a Master of Public Administration from Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. She is currently a board member of Saskatchewan’s first tech incubator, Co.Labs, the Global Agri-food Advancement Partnership, Interval House and Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. 

Dr. Andrea Armstrong has 18 years experience in the development and commercialization of medical isotope technologies. Prior to joining Synergy Oncology, she spent 14 years leading McMaster University’s radioisotope research program, where she led the commercialization of two large-scale production technologies, as well as the development of a new process for generating high-quality lutetium-177 in medium flux research reactors. She was a critical member of the multi-institutional team that secured $35 M from ISED Canada to create the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem in 2023, and was the McMaster lead for the “Care By Air” initiative that saw the first-in-world use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System to deliver medical isotopes to hospital.

Andrea has a strong track record of building strategic partnerships to advance both medical and non-medical applications of nuclear technology. During her time at McMaster she established collaborations with scientists at national laboratories, universities, and the private sector, supporting research through provision of expertise, radiotracers, and isotopes. Andrea is the author of the university’s contribution to Canada’s Small Modular Reactor Action Plan, white papers on topics including Canada’s neutron gap and the global medical isotope supply chain, and 35+ peer-reviewed publications. As a recognized expert in her field, Andrea is a regular contributor, speaker, and panelist at events organized by groups including CNIC, CNA, CNS, NAYGN, NRCan, NWMO, OCNI, and TRIUMF. She is also an experienced educator, creating and delivering content for undergraduate and post-graduate courses and workshops, as well as public-facing events such as Doors Open and Nuclear Science Week.

Andrea is the chair of the Canadian Nuclear Society’s Science & Technology of Radioisotopes (STORI) division, a member of the IAEA’s Consultancy Group on Lu-177, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at McMaster University. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Calgary.

Chair in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University (Calgary, AB)

Duane Bratt is a political science Professor educated at the Universities of Windsor (BA 1991, MA 1992) and Alberta (Ph.D 1996). He teaches in the area of international relations and Canadian public policy. His primary research interest is in the area of Canadian nuclear policy. Recent publications include: co-editor, Orange Chinook: Politics in the New Alberta (University of Calgary Press, 2019), co-editor, Readings in Canadian Foreign Policy: Classic Debates and New Ideas 3rd edition (Oxford University Press, 2015) and author of Canada, the Provinces, and the Global Nuclear Revival (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2012). Current projects include the risk assessment of Canada’s nuclear waste site selection process.

David Shoesmith is an emeritus professor in the Department of Chemistry at Western University (London, ON) and ex-Director of Surface Science Western (2011 - 2019). He was a research scientist with Atomic Energy of Canada (Whiteshell Laboratories, Manitoba) from 1973 to 1998 and subsequently holder of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NSERC/NWMO) Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel Disposal Chemistry (2000 - 2019). He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2016), NACE International, the Canadian Society for Chemistry (1985) and the Electrochemical Society (2011) and has won a number of international and national awards. His research is concentrated on the electrochemistry and corrosion of materials with a special emphasis on the corrosion of uranium dioxide and nuclear waste container materials under permanent waste disposal conditions. In these areas he has been, and in some cases still is, involved in collaborative projects with universities and research organizations in Sweden, USA, South Korea, China, and Spain. His research was also funded by automobile, chemical processing, and oil and gas transmission companies

Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Radiology, McMaster University

Dr. Katherine Zukotynski is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Radiology at McMaster University and an Associate Member of the School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. She is affiliated with several hospitals including Children’s Hospital Boston.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto, Dr. Zukotynski completed medical training followed by a residency in radiology, also at the University of Toronto. In 2009, she completed nuclear medicine training through the Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine at Harvard. She was a staff radiologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2009 through 2012, and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, Dr. Zukotynski was a staff radiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre from 2012 through 2015, an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is board certified in nuclear cardiology, as well as in nuclear medicine and radiology, in both the United States and Canada.

Dr. Zukotynski is involved in medical imaging research. Her main areas of research are in PET/CT, particularly as it relates to oncology, neurodegenerative disease and machine learning. She received the RSNA Research and Education Foundation Roentgen Resident/ Fellow Research Award first as a radiology resident and then as a nuclear medicine resident. She held an RSNA Research Scholar Grant from 2012-2014, and currently holds approximately $5M in funding for molecular imaging, predominantly in prostate cancer research.

Dr. Zukotynski is also actively involved in the leadership of several imaging societies. She is Chair of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Nuclear Medicine Section Instructional Courses, Chair of the Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) Nuclear Medicine Refresher Course Committee Track, as well as the Research and Education Public Relations Committee. She is also Secretary of the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) and immediate past Treasurer/Secretary of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), as well as immediate past president of the SNMMI PET Center of Excellence and Eastern Great Lakes Chapter.