NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 presented by KPMG

October 3, 2025 - October 5, 2025

Edmonton - Edmonton Campus

College-wide

NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 presented by KPMG Image

Join the world’s largest space and science hackathon

Take part in a global weekend of creativity, collaboration, and innovation right here at NorQuest College. The 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge invites you to team up with fellow Edmontonians and tackle real-world challenges on earth and in space using data, design, and your big ideas.

Who should attend

Students, developers, designers, entrepreneurs, artists, storytellers, and curious minds of all kinds! If you’re passionate about science, technology, creativity, and solving big challenges, this event is for you.

Why you should join

Collaborate on real NASA challenges, meet like-minded innovators, gain hands-on mentorship, and contribute to global impact through local action. Space Apps offers the chance to build your skills, connect with a community of problem-solvers, and compete for local and international recognition, all in one inspiring weekend.

Event highlights

Real NASA challenge statements
Collaborative team-based hacking experience
Local mentors and speakers from tech, academia, and business
Sponsor booths and giveaways
Complimentary meals and an energizing space to innovate

Event schedule

Pre-Hack Workshop: Mission Ready

Friday, October 3, 2025

3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Day 1: NASA Hackathon Kickoff

Saturday, October 4, 2025

8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Day 2: NASA Hackathon Finale and Presentations

Sunday, October 5, 2025

8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Join the challenge! Register today on the official NASA Space Apps Challenge website.

Speaker spotlight

Friday, October 3

Jelena Bajic

Dean, Faculty of Business, Environment and Technology, NorQuest College

Jelena believes in community-driven impact that elevates individuals and the collective.

Over the past 20 years Jelena has worked with highly skilled individuals in South Africa, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Canada in various capacities, from Energy Advisory as an Advisor at Tetra Consulting in the UK to Research Operations as the Managing Director at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and now Dean of Faculty of Business, Environment and Technology at NorQuest College. Her experiences have taught her that prioritizing and investing in staff learning and professional development always pays dividends through increased innovation, engagement and productivity, driving greater team and organizational impact.

Jelena earned a PhD in Environmental Biology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is trained in Business Management, Change Management and Strategic Communication. Jelena is an Energy Futures Lab Ambassador, serves on a School Council, mentors high-school students through Junior Achievement programs and an avid supporter of the Edmonton culinary and arts scene.

Dmytro Nechytalio

Partner, Management Consulting, KPMG Canada

Dmytro is a Partner and TST (Technology, Strategy and Transformation) Leader for KPMG's Management Consulting practice in the Regions West. He is an experienced leader with 25 years of both industrial in-house consulting and professional services experience to clients in various industries including financial services, oil and gas, metals & mining, retail, power and utilities and pharma. He specializes in strategies, operational excellence, business process reengineering, org design and digital transformations for both private and public sectors. Dmytro has joined KPMG Canada in early 2023 after serving as a Partner and Advisory Leader for PwC Ukraine since 2018. He is also a frequent lecturer on Project and Process management for graduate students and professional trainer on Lean Six Sigma and Project Management. Dmytro helps his clients with going through their complex transformations, developing strategies, recommendations and roadmaps, and implementing target processes to drive more organizational value and cost efficiency.

Glen Southwood

Senior Manager, Technology Consulting, KPMG Canada

Glen Southwood is a Senior Manager in Technology Consulting at KPMG, with over a decade of experience helping organizations across Alberta and beyond harness digital transformation and AI responsibly. With a background in organizational change management and deep knowledge of Microsoft 365 solutions, Glen helps clients innovate, collaborate, and adapt to new technologies that are shaping the future of work.

Kelsey Truran

Engineer, TELUS

Kelsey Truran is an Electrical Engineer with TELUS specializing in RAN Optimization, where she works on building and improving Canada’s wireless networks. A graduate of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering Co-op program (Class of 2022), Kelsey has combined strong technical expertise with a passion for innovation and applied problem-solving.

She previously served as the Local Lead for NASA Space Apps Edmonton, helping bring the world’s largest hackathon to Alberta and empowering students and innovators to collaborate on global challenges. With her background in engineering and her leadership in community-driven tech initiatives, Kelsey continues to bridge industry, education, and innovation in the Edmonton ecosystem.

Stephanie Husby

Chair, Machine Learning Analyst Program, NorQuest College

Stephanie is an experienced educator and leader, spending more than 15 years in various post-secondary institutions as a faculty member. She currently serves as Chair of Technology at NorQuest College, working to develop innovative programs in machine learning, data analytics and IT support. Stephanie is passionate about project-based learning and building impactful partnerships between students and future employers. Holding Master’s degrees in both computer science and business helps support her passion for translating technology application to sustainable business value. Prior to NorQuest, Stephanie worked as the Director of Curriculum for the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, building and facilitating workshops to help client organizations leverage artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively.

Gail Kesslar

Applied Research, Business Development Officer, NorQuest College

Gail Kesslar, is an Applied Research, Business Development Officer. With over 20 years of project management and administration experience. Known for her relationship building skills and her ability to collaborate, Kesslar is also known for her ability to ideate and activate projects from the ground up. With extensive experience in managing both projects and diverse teams, she also brings added value to projects through her communications and marketing expertise. A former Project Manager of Research and Academic Innovation’s Autism CanTech! project, the VR Soft Skills Training, and Unity Higher Ed XR Grant, she sees and values Applied Research as a powerful tool that can help both community organizations and industry to solve challenges while simultaneously elevating individuals from equity-seeking groups.

Saturday, October 4

Carolyn Campbell

President and CEO, NorQuest College

Carolyn is a former Deputy City Manager, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Associate Dean of Executive Education at the University of Alberta. A proven leader with extensive experience coaching and mentoring other leaders, Carolyn has served on over 25 boards and committees over the past two decades. She has taught fine arts and graduate-level business courses, and combines a passion for education with considerable strategic, operational, and crisis management experience.

Carolyn was past Vice-Chair of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Board of Governors, Chair of the United Way Cabinet of the Alberta Capital Region, Board member and mentor of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College, and Professional Development Advisory Board member of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. Carolyn has two undergraduate degrees in Art and an MFA from the University of Alberta and is currently pursuing her doctorate from the University of Oxford researching the board governance of major arts museums and the repatriation of Indigenous objects.

Carolyn is a practicing visual artist and is passionate about enhancing NorQuest’s impact in the community and beyond.

Elias Gedamu

Strategic Adviser and Project Manager, Canadian Space Agency – Health Beyond Initiative

Elias Gedamu is a strategic adviser and project manager for the Canadian Space Agency’s Health Beyond initiative. He is currently focused on delivering strategic payloads to the International Space Station and advancing the Connected Care Medical Module initiative. His work supports the development of next-generation health technologies to enable medical autonomy for astronauts on long-duration missions, while also improving healthcare delivery in remote and underserved communities on Earth.

Elias holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from McGill University and dual bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering from the University of Calgary. He is a licensed professional engineer with APEGA, certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with PMI, and Tech Driven Entrepreneur.

With over 20 years of experience building innovation in biomedical engineering and medical imaging, Elias has authored multiple scientific publications and book chapters in 3D medical imaging and diagnostics. He is the inventor on 11 patents, including technologies licensed to Samsung, and his work in imaging and diagnostic systems has influenced the development of medical technology by global leaders such as GE and Siemens.

Previously, Elias co-founded a traceability technology company that was later acquired by GE Innovations. He also founded and served as CEO of H3ALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC., where he led the development of an advanced non-invasive diagnostic imaging device from concept through testing and regulatory process, achieving a clear path towards FDA clearance and Health Canada certification. His portfolio includes a patented 3D thermal imager developed for both clinical and remote health applications. Earlier in his career, Elias was a product development engineer at the Montreal Neurological Institute, contributing to translational research in clinical imaging and quality control.

His leadership in medical technology has been recognized through competitive research and innovation awards from NSERC, NRC IRAP, Alberta Innovates, TECTERRA, and Global Affairs Canada as well as an invited technology and commercial reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Funds for next-gen high-impact technologies.

Uchenna Mgbaja

Instructor, Machine Learning Analyst Program, NorQuest College

Uchenna Mgbaja is a Machine Learning Engineer, educator, and community leader with over a decade of experience spanning engineering, project management, and artificial intelligence. She is currently an Instructor in the Machine Learning Analyst program at NorQuest College, where she equips the next generation of innovators with the tools to solve real-world challenges through applied AI and machine learning.

As the Local Lead for NASA Space Apps Edmonton 2025, Uchenna brings together her passion for applied learning, inclusive innovation, and community collaboration. She has led numerous AI and data-driven projects across sectors, earning recognition through publications, awards, and partnerships with government, industry, and non-profits.

Her work emphasizes the intersection of education, technology, and social impact, ensuring that Edmonton’s innovation community is well-represented on the global stage.

Ross Lockwood

Data Scientist, KPMG Canada

Ross Lockwood is a scientist with a passion for learning, experimentation, and scientific outreach. In 2014, Ross volunteered to be a crew member for the HI-SEAS Mars Simulation, a 4-month NASA- sponsored habitation experiment on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. He holds a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics, co-wrote an online course on Black Holes, and now works as a Data Scientist for KPMG Canada.

Sharon Morsink

Professor, Physics, University of Alberta

Sharon Morsink is a Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta, where she teaches a wide variety of astrophysics courses ranging from introductory to graduate levels. She supervises the university's astronomical observatory located in the CCIS building and is involved in science outreach aimed at a wide range of age groups. Her research focus is neutron stars, which are tiny stars (about the size of Edmonton), that can spin with frequencies equivalent to the musical range of middle to high C. Her neutron star research focuses on computational modelling of their structure and the use of X-ray observations from space telescopes to provide a better understanding of their mysterious properties.

Zehrah Shah

Senior Data Scientist and Acting Manager of Data Science, City of Edmonton

With over a decade of international experience in applied machine learning and AI, Zehra has solved complex challenges across the government, healthcare, and agriculture sectors in North America and the Middle East.

She currently serves as a Senior Data Scientist and the Acting Manager of Data Science and Research for the City of Edmonton, where her portfolio includes enhancing document search with NLP, supporting wildfire prediction efforts, and optimizing recreation center memberships. Prior to her work with the City, she led the data science team at Clinisys EMR. Zehra holds graduate degrees in Computer Science from UC Davis and the University of Alberta, complemented by her experience in university research and lecturing.

Austin Mardon

Adjunct Professor, John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, and Associate Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta

Austin Mardon, PhD, CM, FRSC, graduated with a major in geography from the University of Lethbridge in 1985. The following year, at age 24, he was investigating meteorite impacts 170 km from the South Pole as a junior field member on an Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition sponsored by NASA and the National Science Federation. He received the U.S. Antarctic Service Medal for his work. However, the extreme hardships of the expedition affected him mentally and physically. While he went on to earn master's degrees in science (South Dakota State University) and education (Texas A&M University) and published a number of articles and books, his health issues persisted. At the age of 30 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Although some of his abilities are compromised by the disease, Austin earned a PhD in geography from Greenwich University, Australia; continued his remarkable publication record, including articles in both Science and Nature; was elected an International Fellow and Corresponding Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York; and was inducted into the International Academy of Astronautics. In 2014 he was elected into the Royal Society of Canada, the pre-eminent academic society of Canada.

Equally impressive has been his work on behalf of the mentally ill. In addition to giving countless interviews to the media on the topic of mental illness, Austin has published articles about faith and schizophrenia, homelessness, medication, and income support. He has provided leadership as a member of the board of directors of both the Edmonton and Alberta chapters of the Schizophrenia Society, and for a number of years he was coordinator of the Alberta Mental Health Self-Help Network. "I hope to soon see the day when schizophrenia is treated like any other disease and is finally detached from the stigma that makes a difficult burden to bear even worse," added Austin.

Austin has received a number of awards, including the Order of Canada (2007). Others include: the Flag of Hope Award (2001) and the Bill Jefferies Family Award (2007) of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada; the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Lethbridge (2002); the Presidents Award of the Alberta chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2002); the C.M. Hincks Award from the national division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (2007); and the Medal of Honour of the Alberta Medical Association (2010). In (2014) Austin was granted Specially Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Canada. Recently Austin received NASA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Medal (2024) and 9 honorary degrees.

A popular member of the Speakers' Bureau of Alberta, Austin has publicly assisted the medical profession by supporting development of policy positions that have helped medical providers treat those with mental illness.

Austin is currently Associate Adjunct Professor with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, and was recently appointed as an Associate Adjunct Professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Psychiatry - the first time someone with schizophrenia has been appointed to such a position.

Catherine Mardon, DCSS, JD is a retired attorney whose former practice included representing the homeless, the disabled and those with mental illnesses. Catherine has extensive training in Mediation, and has held certifications in General, Victim/Offender, Divorce, Landlord/Tenant, and Debtor/Creditor mediation. She has a Masters of Theological Studies degree in Moral Theology/Ethics. She is a recognized expert in dealing with clients with mental illnesses and/or mental disabilities and has given over 200 public speeches to consumers, students, and professionals. She is an author of 36 books which have been translated into over a dozen languages. She has over 30 years’ experience in board governance. She currently serves as a special advisor to the Glenrose Hospital and on their Medical Ethics Board. Her advocacy on behalf of those with mental illnesses and disabilities was recognized by, the Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction’s True Grit Award in 2016, the Sovereign’s Medal in 2018, and was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of St. Sylvester in 2017, a Papal Knighthood.

Sunday, October 5

Adam White

Associate Professor, Computing Science, University of Alberta

Adam White is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. He is the scientific director of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, a principal investigator of the Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence group at the University of Alberta, and a Canada CIFAR Chair in Artificial Intelligence. Previously, Adam was a staff research scientist at Google Deepmind. Adam co-created the Reinforcement Learning Specialization, taken by over 100,000 students on Coursera. His work has been published in top venues in ML and AI, including JMLR, JAIR, AIJ, ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, AAAI, IJCAI, and AAMAS.

Adam's research is focused on understanding the fundamental principles of learning in both simulated worlds and industrial control applications. His research program explores how the problem of intelligence can be modeled as a reinforcement-learning agent continually interacting with some unknown environment, learning from a scalar reward signal, rather than explicit feedback. Adam's group is deeply passionate about good empirical practices and new methodologies to help determine if our algorithms are ready for deployment in the real world. Adam has pioneered applications of reinforcement learning to real drinking and wastewater treatment plants and is the co-founder of RL Core Technologies, a startup applying AI and machine learning across industrial control.

Junaid OOsman

Founder and CEO, Waste Parrot

Dr. Junaid OOsman, Ph.D., P.Eng., is an AI and machine learning leader with over 13 years of industry experience. His expertise spans computer vision, clean technologies, and intelligent systems, backed by a PhD focused on AI applications in waste management and automation. As the founder of Waste Parrot, he was recognized as a Phase 1 winner of NASA’s Lunar Recycling Challenge, selected from more than 1,200 teams across 86 countries as the only Canadian company for its breakthrough in autonomous waste recycling for space missions. An RPAS-certified pilot, Dr. Junaid brings a distinct perspective on AI and remote sensing, inspiring innovators to harness technology for both global sustainability and space-driven impact.

Kris Andreychuk

Manager, Data Science and Research, City of Edmonton

Kris Andreychuk is the Manager of the Data Science and Research team at the City of Edmonton, recognized as Canada’s leading public service data science program. Focused on the practical application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the team collaborates with various business areas to solve real-world problems and operationalize their findings.

Throughout his career, Kris’ leadership has spanned diverse portfolios including data governance, public safety, social services, and information security—all with the goal of improving the lives of Edmontonians.

Recognized by Edify Magazine as one of Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40, Kris has received multiple awards and international recognition for his contributions to data science and the public service.

Tracy Topolnitsky

Director, Academic Initiatives, NorQuest College

Tracy Topolnitsky is the Director of Academic Initiatives at NorQuest College and has over 20 years of experience in post-secondary education, international education, and teaching. An award-winning teacher, she has led innovative program development, built global partnerships, and contributed research on flexible learning and student success.

Celia Wanderley

Chief Innovation Officer and Head of AI, Bits In Glass

Celia is a highly accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience in the technology sector. She currently serves as the Chief Innovation Officer and Head of AI at Bits In Glass. She excels in large-scale technology transformation and was honoured with the AI Innovator of the Year Award by Women in AI in 2023 for her work in AI adoption across enterprise in the private and public sectors.

Registration

Join the challenge! Register today on the official NASA Space Apps Challenge website. Registration closes October 4, 2025.

Get involved

Are you interested in supporting the event in other ways? Sign up to be a judge or volunteer and help make the NASA Space Apps Challenge Edmonton a success!

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For sponsorship opportunities, please contact sheldon.smart@norquest.ca