About The Authors
Daniel Gillis (he/him)
Daniel Gillis is a Professor, Statistician, and Interdisciplinary researcher in the School of Computer Science, and the former Director of the Physical Science and Engineering Education Research Centre in the College of Engineering and Physical Science at the University of Guelph. He is a member of the steering committee for Royal City Science (which is working to bring a bricks-and-mortar science center to the City of Guelph), as well as the Community Pet Care Project Advisory Council (which is developing tools to support families who are struggling to afford pet care). Previously he sat on the steering committee for the SEED Guelph – which continues to innovate the emergency food system in Guelph. He is an affiliate faculty member of the Guelph Institute for Environmental Research, the One Health Institute, and the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. Previously he served on the Professional Advisory Committee for the Computer Science program at Sheridan College, and the eNuk Scientific Advisory Panel, as well as on the advisory panels for several businesses/startups, including the RightMesh Scientific Advisory Panel, and the Veranda Scientific Advisory Panel.
Dr. Gillis has several community-engaged or community-led research programs. These include 1) public health and ecological risk assessment, 2) community-engaged software design, 3) bridging the digital divide, and 4) transdisciplinary pedagogy in higher education. He is also co-founder of Farm To Fork, co-creator of ICON, co-founder of GuelphHacks and the Improve Life Challenge, and co-creator of the Gryphons Care Initiative.
You can learn more about Dr. Gillis and the work that happens in his lab here. You can also follow him on Twitter: @DrDanielGillis.
Nic Durish (he/him)
University of Guelph alumnus with a Master’s in Computer Science, Nicolas Durish continually strives to be a role model, leader and innovator in his field. Approaching his field of study with creativity and vision, Nicolas pushes the limits of computation to imagine new ways computer science can positively impact the community, social justice and sustainability. Nicolas has participated in numerous projects that bridge the power of computation with various social challenges including energy conservation, waste reduction, health and environmental monitoring, and truth and reconciliation. Nic was the recipient of the School of Computer Science Young Alumnus Award in 2023. He also received the Guelph Chamber of Commerce Young Innovator Award.
You can learn more about Nic by checking out his website here, or follow him on Twitter: @DurishN.