- Samantha De Gregorio
AMD, Layer 6, Geotab, Roche, and University Health Network (UHN), were just a few of the industry partners participating in the Master of Science in Applied Computing (MScAC) program’s 2024 Internship Expo.
Throughout this week-long event, nearly 60 of the program’s industry-leading partners, ranging from established tech giants in AI to emerging startups in healthcare, pitched their applied research projects to the talented 2023-24 student cohort. The breadth of applied research projects MScAC students can tap into for their upcoming 8-month internship includes computer-assisted healthcare diagnostics, leveraging machine learning algorithms for advanced financial forecasting, and deploying generative AI in the realm of e-commerce innovation.
“ModiFace has been recruiting MScAC students since 2017 with great success” said Soheil Seyfaie, at ModiFace. “It’s always energizing to see the enthusiasm and passion of the students exploring applied research internship opportunities. Overall, the Internship Expo for ModiFace has proven to be a valuable opportunity for us to connect with emerging talent.”
Thomson Reuters is a new industry partner with the MScAC program. Anu Dodda, head of engineering at Thomson Reuters described her first time at the Internship Expo as a win-win for Thomson Reuters and MScAC students. “I am excited that we as an organization get to leverage these students’ academic strengths, curious minds, and applied research experience to deliver on our AI strategies for our customers.”
MScAC alumna, Carey LeMesurier, an associate in investment science at CPP Investments, returned to the Internship Expo this year as a recruiting industry partner. She said, “Coming back to the MScAC Internship Expo as an industry partner was a very fulfilling experience! I loved getting the chance to come back to meet the current student cohort and discuss how their passion for applied research will help solve real-world challenges we face in industry.”
The volume and diversity of industry partners who participated in the 2024 Internship Expo speaks to the impact these partners are looking to make in the tech ecosystem – all while in collaboration with the student talent of the Department of Computer Science and its MScAC program. This unique applied research internship approach not only enriches the industry-academic experience for the students, as they progress to become the next generation of world-class innovators, but it also allows industry partners to gain a competitive edge in their respective sectors.
“This is the fifth year Samsung AI Centre has partnered with the MScAC program and it is because of how well-trained the MScAC students are that they have become great full-time research engineer hires for us,” said Alex Levinshtein, research director at Samsung AI Centre Toronto.
Following the completion of the applied research internship, the MScAC students will present their applied research projects at the 2024 Applied Research in Action (ARIA) showcase this November.
Arvind Gupta, academic director, professional programs in the Department of Computer Science, thanks all the participating industry partners who attended the 2024 Internship Expo. “Toronto looks forward to seeing the tech innovation our industry partners and students will soon present at ARIA 2024.”
Early bird registration for ARIA 2024 is now available: Register now
Photography by: Lauren Bedwell
