Steering Committee
Daniel L. Silver, Ph.D.
Professor, Jodrey School of Computer Science
Email: danny.silver@acadiau.ca
Bio:
Danny is a Professor in and a former Director of the Jodrey School of Computer Science at Acadia University. His areas of research and development are machine learning, data mining, user modeling and adaptive systems. He has published over 60 scientific papers, edited special journal editions, and has been part of the organizing or program committee for a number of national and international conferences, seminars and workshops. Most recently he was awarded a Harrison McCain Foundation Award for research into advance machine learning methods. Since 1993, he has worked on machine learning and data mining projects in the private and public sector providing situation analysis and problem definition, project management and guidance, and predictive analytic services. In 2011, he received the Science Champion Award from the Nova Scotia Discovery Center for his work on youth robotics and the advancement of STEM education.
Leigh Huestis, LLB, MBA
Director of the Office of Industry & Community Engagement
Email: leigh.huestis@acadiau.ca
Bio:
Leigh Huestis joined Acadia University as the Director of Technology Transfer and Innovation in 2003 after 10 years working in a variety of senior business development and strategic alliance roles within the IT industry in Atlantic Canada. Leigh was also a Partner in a marketing consulting company - PLUG Marketing - which specialized in providing marketing solutions to small and medium sized companies throughout Atlantic Canada.
As Director of Acadia’s Office of Industry and Community Engagement (formerly the Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation), Leigh is responsible for commercialization and industry liaison activities, intellectual property management and preparation and negotiation of a wide variety of research and commercialization agreements. Leigh has been a recipient of the Acadia President’s Award for Innovation and a team finalist for a NS Discovery Award. She also sits as an Advisory Member on a number of Boards, including the Acadia Center for Social and Business
Entrepreneurship (ACSBE) and the Jodrey School of Computer Science, and is actively involved in coordinating activities of the Springboard Network as a member of the Network Coordination Committee and the Technology Assessment Committee.
Leigh has an MBA from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Arts (English) and Law degree from Dalhousie University. Leigh is a member of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and its sister CDN organization, ACCT, the Licensing Executives Society (LES), the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, the NS Barristers Society and Springboard Atlantic Inc.
Paul Richards
Regional Manager, Innovacorp
Email: prichards@innovacorp.ca
Bio:
Paul Richards is an accomplished economic development professional with a proven track record of accelerating business growth. As Regional Manager for Innovacorp, Nova Scotia’s early stage venture capital organization, Paul focused on enabling knowledge-based companies to accelerate the commercialization of their technologies and to create a dynamic high-growth entrepreneur culture in Nova Scotia.
Darcy Benoit, Ph.D.
Associate Professor / Director of the School of Computer Science
Email: darcy.benoit@acadiau.ca
Bio:
Dr. Darcy Benoit is an Associate Professor in and Acting Director of Acadia’s Jodrey School of Computer Science. He earned a BSc in Computer Science from St. Francis Xavier University and his PhD in Computing from Queen’s University. Dr. Benoit joined Acadia University in 2002. Since then, he has received several research grants from groups such as NSERC, inNovaCorp, a Nova Scotia Productivity and Innovation Voucher. He is the author or co-author of over 30 publications. Dr. Benoit’s research areas include large-scale data collection, database management systems, and mobile computing.