Three York University trainees received the Innovation York Commercialization Fellowship. This Fellowship, funded by Innovation York in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, launched this year to support the research commercialization process by providing strategic, short-term funding to assist in developing commercially viable projects at the University.
The Fellows will receive $7,500 of funding in addition to education on intellectual property and commercialization, exposure to industry/community partners relevant to their field of study, and an experiential learning opportunity. Fellows will be supported by a series of educational activities, including workshops and seminars, and expected to complete tasks to enhance their commercial awareness.
Meet the first cohort of the Innovation York Commercialization Fellowship:
Aref Soltani Tehrani, MSc candidate, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Reza Rizvi, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tehrani is developing a fast, one-step method of fabricating Graphene Oxide-based transient Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags with attractive electrical and mechanical properties to overcome the issues of environmental pollution caused by the presence of hazardous, xenobiotic (human-made) materials in different daily use products. RFID tags are smart tags widely used in various devices like TTC day-pass tickets, smart cards, packaging industry, etc. However, the non-eco-friendly materials (mostly chemical-based materials and plastics) used in conventional tags have been contributing to the increasing environmental pollution. RFID tags developed by Aref can be easily dispersed into the water due to the inherent eco-friendliness of the sole constituent material, Graphene Oxide, thereby reducing a significant amount of electronic waste. Based on the industrialization merits of the technology (cost-effective, mass productive, facile, and reproducibility), this invention would have wide applicability in different industries including but not limited to sensors, packaging, and flexible electronics.
Artem Solovey, MSc candidate, Department of Civil Engineering
Supervisors: Kevin Gingerich, assistant professor, Department of Civil Engineering; and Mehdi Nourinejad, assistant professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Solovey is developing an advanced matchmaking algorithm with a vision to have ridesharing and freight delivery as one integrated system across the globe. His algorithm enables private vehicles to deliver both people and packages on route to the same destination with a slight detour and highest utility for all users to solve a problem in the efficiency and sustainability of in-person and package deliveries. Artem’s algorithm can be used by companies to create an efficient way to simultaneously manage people’s transportation as well as inbound and outbound packaging deliveries with one integrated system, resulting in major cost savings. He is looking forward to applying his matchmaking algorithm for the first time to support the development of YuRide, a ridesharing system designed exclusively for York campus communities.
Carmen Victor, postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cinema and Media Arts
Supervisor: Mary Bunch, assistant professor, Department of Cinema and Media Arts
Victor’s project focuses on the commercialization of PUBLIC and preparation of PUBLIC’s data for distribution with a vision to have an impact on research in the areas of contemporary art, public spectacle, community engagement, cultural production, urban spaces, media histories, archival research and record, as well as contemporary art historical record. PUBLIC has been producing thematic, full-colour physical and digital journal issues bi-annually since 1988, holding large-scale exhibitions and contemporary art projects in addition to publishing a series of high-impact books and edited volumes. The journal has always enjoyed wide distribution through Magazines Canada. However, there has never been distribution in place for PUBLIC. Following through with the distribution of PUBLIC’s books, their goal is to have an exponentially positive effect for all the contributors to the various volumes and the researchers in the space. The team envisions this project will also contribute to raising the profile of the University as a research centre for contemporary cultural concerns.