Class of 1999 Biographies

Eric Choi

Eric was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Toronto, and currently lives in Montréal. He holds a master's degree from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and currently works as a flight dynamics analyst on the RADARSAT mission at the Canadian Space Agency. Besides his aerospace career, he is also a science fiction writer whose work has been published in several magazines and anthologies. He was also a former editor of the Canadian Space Gazette, the publication of the Canadian Space Society. His other interests include travel and international cinema.

Gordon Coutts

Gordon is currently working towards a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He works part-time for COM DEV, specializing in superconductor technologies with potential applications in the field of satellite communications. He completed a co-op Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His co-op experience includes work terms at COM DEV, Motorola, and Brock Telecom Ltd. He was awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarship, and a Canada Scholarship as an undergraduate. Gordon speaks English and French. His interests include canoeing, wilderness camping, skiing, bicycling, and environmental concerns.  

Alvin Cunje

I completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry in 1995. As an undergraduate, I was elected to the University Senate and served as President of the York Chemistry Club. I helped to organize a "Chemical Magic Show" which was a great success because it was a lot of fun and exposed people to chemistry in a positive and friendly manner. I received the Murray G. Ross award for outstanding academic achievement and contribution to undergraduate student life and was awarded the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Gold Medal for high academic excellence (1995). As a graduate student, I received the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) award from 1995 to 1999, to complete a doctoral dissertation on "Catalysis in the Gas Phase". I will complete my Ph.D. in the fall of 1999.

Thierry Fontaine

Bonjour, hi, hola! I'm from Quebec, Canada and I like very much to travel around the world. I have visited Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the USA. And now, Thailand is just like outer space: a new frontier. I'm ready to explore it and enjoy very much the summer session with all of you.

Angelina Guzzo

I was born in Montréal, Canada. I have also lived in Ottawa, Toronto and Boston. I graduated from McGill University in 1994 with my Ph.D. in microbiology and went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship for three years in protein biochemistry. I am currently in my second year of medical school at McGill. My research has been published in several journals and I have presented at international science conferences. In addition I have taught several undergraduate courses. My extracurricular interests include martial arts, hockey, hiking and rollerblading.

Eric Lanoix

Eric just completed his masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in Montréal, Canada. His thesis focused on the long term dynamics of tethered spacecraft in LEO. His other areas of interest include orbital mechanics and planetary exploration. Eric has also worked for two years at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) within the Astronaut Program and the Space Systems Division. During his time at the CSA, Eric worked on the Space Vision System (SVS) project and participated in the survey of the Zarya and Service Modules of the ISS in Moscow. Eric's hobbies include jogging, dancing Argentine Tango, and photography.

Morla Milne

I grew up in both rural and urban settings and have had the opportunity to live and study in Tanzania, Germany, Sudan, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. I have a degree in international relations that serves as an excellent background for my chosen career in journalism. While I don't presume that my experiences qualify me for anything other than my own life, they have made me flexible and adaptable, useful assets no matter what I am doing. I have a warped sense of humor that keeps me sane in high stress sitautions.

Ethel Poiré

My name is Ethel Poiré. I am a physicist and I have completed a Masters degree in Engineering Physics and two years as a Ph.D. candidate at École Polytechnique de Montréal. During my graduate studies, I have gained experience in plasma processes and techniques used in surface analysis and characterization. I am working at the Canadian Space Agency as a materials scientist. My interests are the effects of space environment on materials and coatings, especially thermal control systems. I am sort of addicted to space. I like space related model kits and collectibles. My favorite hobbies are reading, going to the movies, flying, and sports. I enjoy aerobics, cycling and playing squash and badminton. I play the piano and the trumpet. I speak French and English. I am also learning Spanish, Russian and German.

Nishi Rawat

Nishi is currently pursuing a Medical Degree at Queen's University. She recently completed a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry at McGill University. Last summer, Nishi worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Medicine and Space Physiology (MEDES) in Toulouse, France. She has also worked as a summer RA in the Neurosciences and Motor Control Lab at the JSC and at the Biotechnology Research Institute in Montréal. Nishi was a Hugh Brock Scholarship and Canada Science and Engineering Scholarship recipient at McGill University. She was also a member of McGill University's Varsity Women's basketball team. As a McGill student-athlete, she earned consecutive honors as a Royal Bank Academic All-Canadian and Principal's Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll recipient. Nishi is bilingual and is a native of Ottawa, Ontario. She also enjoys running, cycling and reading science fiction.

Josée Adamson (Robert)

Josée was born in Moonbeam, a very small town in northern Ontario. She attended Ecole secondaire Cité des Jeunes in Kapuskasing, Ontario. Very adventurous and energetic, Josée chose the challenging life of joining the military and graduated from Royal Military College of Canada with a Chemical and Materials Engineering degree. Shortly after graduation, she left the military and joined a small company where she worked on two projects from the Canadian Space Agency that consisted of researching the potential of piezoelectric ceramics on smart structures for space applications. Currently, she is studying the diffusion of liquid metals in microgravity for a Master's degree at Queen's University. Josée also loves to run, fly, and jump out of planes!

Aynharan Sinnarajah

Presently, I am enrolled in the second year of medical school at the University of Toronto. I have completed a three-year Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Economics at the University of Toronto. Presently, I am the President of SEDS-Canada (1999) and I regularly volunteer with the Heritage Toronto. Past activities include cancer research at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital (summers of 1996-97), research with sea lampreys at the University of Toronto (1995), and Guide at the International Mathematics Olympiad (1995). Achievements and awards include Canada Scholarship (1994-97), University of Toronto Scholar (1994-97), Governor General's Award (top high school graduating student, 1994), Canadian Gold Medallist in the Descartes Mathematics Contest (1994), National Finalist in the Chemistry Olympiad (1994), and Metro Toronto Gold Medallist in the Canada Chess Challenge (1993). During my leisure time I play squash, tennis, and volleyball.

Bill Stewart

My name is Bill Stewart, and I am an electronics engineer working for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). In my work, I have had the good fortune of challenging and interesting work and the opportunity to travel to many different countries such as France and Russia. As part of my work, I have flown more than 2,700 parabolas (more than 15 hours of microgravity time) on NASA's KC-135, DC-9, and Novespace A-300 reduced-gravity aircraft. If I go more than a few months without my microgravity fix I can become quite irritable. The amateur astronomer in me enjoys gazing at the night sky on clear, starry nights. I enjoy practicing various sports, my favorites being hockey, cycling, skiing, playing squash, and canoeing. I enjoy playing my favorite songs on my guitar and electric piano.

Nick Svensson

Born in Sweden in 1965, I immigrated to Canada in 1974 with my family. Upon completion of my secondary school education in 1984, I spent four months traveling around the world by myself. I returned to Canada in the fall of 1984 to start my university education in applied physics. Whilst at university, I participated in the co-operative education program. I spent my work terms at five different companies working in various industries such as steel, gas, nuclear energy, petrochemical, and automotive. In 1989, I graduated from university and started to work for COM DEV Ltd. My career at COM DEV has been very broad, and I have had an opportunity to experience many roles including but not limited to design engineering, production management, product assurance, and engineering management. I have since married a wonderful wife and have two beautiful daughters. My interests include my family, flying, and recreational sports of any kind.

Laurence Vigeant-Langlois

Born and raised in the beautiful Québec province, I discovered the art and science of flying as a teenager. This led me to pursue interests for both piloting and engineering. After completing a Bachelor in mechanical engineering at McGill University, I entered a master of science program in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. On the operational side, I teach soaring, tow gliders and train for becoming a professional pilot. With aspirations for contributing to improving aviation and aerospace safety issues, my analytical and operational interests meet in research and development of systems at the human-machine interface level. On the extra-curricular side, I enjoy various outdoor activities and have strong interest in travel. I look forward to participating in the multi-disciplinary and international ISU program for both professional and personal growth.