Salon Series 

We are excited to launch our 2025 chapter of Chardonnay With a Cube of Ice. If you haven’t been yet, it’s Tzavta’s naughty sister series, Science at its most accessible, exhilarating, and fun form.  Or as Emma  Goldman, perfectly summarized it, “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution!”.

Curated by Dr. Laleh Behjat, we are honoured to welcome our first two speakers, Dr. Catherine Mavriplis on April 3rd and Dr. Jocelyn L. Hayley on May 4th. 

Ticket includes the talk, DJ dance party, passed around delicious food and a welcome glass of Chardonnay (ice cube optional).

Here are the details:

Chardonnay with a Cube of Ice takes science out of the lab and into the heart of the community, provides a platform and a dance floor for researchers to share knowledge, ideas - and their top five secret ‘summit push’ playlist. Honouring cutting-edge research and celebrating women in science, each event features a leading scientist for a talk, followed by a DJ dance party—a body and mind package with spicy bites, stiff drinks, loud music and a sparkly disco ball.

HARD SCIENCE. HARD LIQUOR. HARDCORE DANCING.

4 May 2025 -Jocelyn L. Hayley, PhD, PEng, FEIC, FCAE

Shifting Grounds

Permafrost in the Canadian North is thawing rapidly, destabilizing land and threatening vital infrastructure—roads, railways, homes—while putting Arctic communities at risk. As the ground shifts, so does the challenge of adapting to an uncertain future.

This talk explores climate adaptation in permafrost-affected regions, paralleling Jocelyn’s own path as a woman navigating the shifting terrain of engineering academia. Just as the North demands resilience, so does a career in a constantly evolving field. Through this lens, we’ll examine what it takes to adapt, persist, and build a more sustainable future—for the Arctic and for the next generation of engineers.

Catherine Mavriplis is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of Ottawa where she works on advanced numerical methods for aerodynamics simulations. After a 25 year tour in the US for graduate school and the first half of her career, she held the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering from 2011 to 2021: a program that aims to recruit, retain and advance women to leadership. She has been the President of the Computational Fluid Dynamics Society of Canada and sat on the Council of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute. She recently was awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal. In her spare time, she’s an avid skier, water sports enthusiast and painter. 

Dr. Jocelyn Hayley is a Professor (Geotechnical) in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on understanding how to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change in permafrost and offshore sediments, with a focus on soil behaviour.  She has been recognized with Fellowship in the Engineering Institute of Canada and Canadian Academy of Engineering, been awarded the EIC Canadian Pacific Railway Engineering Medal, the APEGA Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award, delivered the 2022 Canadian Geotechnical Society Hardy Address, and the 2024 Canadian Geotechnical Society Cross Canada Lecture Tour.  Jocelyn has also served in academic leadership positions, including Head of Civil Engineering and Senior Associate Dean Research.  She is the President-Elect of the Canadian Permafrost Association.

April 3rd - DR. Catherine Mavriplis

For the Love of Math 

Catherine will talk about how mathematics underpins engineering. Combining math, physics, and supercomputers, she simulates software to calculate really complex flows that serve many industries, including Canada’s strong aerospace sector, as well as the plain curious. I’ll also talk about the life of a professor and the amazing people I’ve met along the way.