Sheridan Works Month: How 12 student researchers are developing career-ready skills through applied research experiences

At Generator at Sheridan, Sheridan’s hub for applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship (RIE), students have the opportunity to engage in experiences that extend their learning beyond the classroom. By working directly with industry and community partners, they gain hands-on experience developing meaningful solutions to real-world challenges, equipping them with confidence and critical insights that can shape their academic and career journeys.

Through RIE activities, students learn and hone technical and soft skills, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving and relationship management. By working closely with industry and community partners on real-world projects as well as faculty and staff experts, they’re also able to expand their professional networks — paving the way for future career opportunities.

Each year, Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada designates March as National Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning Month. As a CEWIL member dedicated to providing students with experiential opportunities through the Sheridan Works program, Sheridan is proud to showcase stories of some of our Generator at Sheridan student researchers.

The following profiles represent diverse and unique research experiences that demonstrate how applied learning at Sheridan translates into real-world impact — equipping students with career-ready skills while delivering meaningful solutions that help our industry and community partners innovate, adapt and grow.

Carla Farag

Honours Bachelor of Interaction Design

Working with the Centre for Elder Research (CER), Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) and Sheridan's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHASS) has given Interaction Design student Carla Farag a uniquely diverse applied research experience across projects in healthcare, artificial intelligence and gender equity–focused entrepreneurship. However, her involvement in these projects has looked very different from the common research stereotype — no lab coats, high-end equipment or dense technical reports. Instead, her contributions focused on communication, storytelling, relationship-building and strategic outreach. Learn more about how Farag has helped these research projects move into real-world contexts where they can be understood, trusted and applied.

Taofikat Atanda

Honours Bachelor of Social & Community Development

Through her capstone research project, Sheridan graduate Taofikat Atanda explored how to increase awareness and understanding of Universal Design for Learning, an inclusive framework that proactively removes barriers to student success. Translating her research findings into practical tools for instructors and academic leaders earned her recognition as one of 12 recipients of a 2025 Generator Student Award. Now pursuing a Master of Public Policy, Atanda continues to build on the power of evidence-based research to drive meaningful change. Learn more about how Atanda explored the unfamiliar and experienced first-hand how research can inform decision-making, address social issues and guide career goals.

Andrew George Geevarghese

Honours Bachelor of Interaction Design

Andrew George Geevarghese joined the “Intergenerational Homesharing” project conducted by Generator at Sheridan’s CER in collaboration with community partner SpacesShared. Through real-world qualitative interviews, data-analysis and user-centred design, Geevarghese helped build community-based resources that bridge student housing needs with older-adult hosts looking to age in place. He also discovered how working in research helped sharpen his academic skills, provided him with a deeper understanding of community needs, and helped prepare him for a career in UX research and design. Learn more about how his student research experience helped shape his academic journey and career goals.

Shengwei Kang

Honours Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering)

In the final year of his Honours program, Shengwei Kang learned about a research opportunity through his professor, Dr. Nadim Arafa, principal investigator on a collaborative project between Generator at Sheridan’s Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing (CIM) and industry partner Prosfit. After joining the team, Kang contributed to enhancing prosthetic design and user comfort by collecting data from robotic simulations and replicating human movement to evaluate pressure points and weight distribution. Although his academic focus was in energy systems and fluid dynamics, participating in a robotics-focused research project challenged him to adapt quickly in an unfamiliar environment, conduct hands-on lab testing, and strengthen his creative problem-solving and technical communication skills. Learn more about how Kang applied his engineering knowledge in new ways and gained real-world research experience that broadened his career trajectory.

Shehnazdeep Kaur

Honours Bachelor of Computer Science – Mobile Computing

Before joining Generator at Sheridan's SIRT for her first co-op placement, Shehnazdeep Kaur had never imagined herself studying or working in animation and game design. Through her contribution to the M-Body research project, a groundbreaking open-source initiative that blends technology and creativity to advance the field of character animation, Kaur’s academic and career trajectory shifted. The positive experience led her to return to SIRT for two more co-op positions since! Learn more about how she found a new passion for merging computer science with creative industries like animation, immersive media and AI during her co-op placements with SIRT.

Dohee Kim

Computer Systems Technology Software Development & Engineering

Through her student research experience, Dohee Kim brough artificial intelligence (AI) to life by contributing to two high-impact research projects through Generator at Sheridan’s Centre for Applied AI (CAAI). On the first project, "Advancing Smart Parking Solutions" with partners LocoMobi Inc. and the Town of Oakville, Kim developed a vehicle tracking system using computer vision to enhance urban parking management. For the second project "Find My Bed", in partnership with Korah Limited, Kim worked on an AI-driven simulator to optimize neonatal patient transfers, ensuring timely care for newborns in need. Learn more about how the projects gave Kim a platform to explore and bridge the gap between theory and practice and contribute to meaningful change.

Tejas Kumar

Honours Bachelor of Computer Science

Tejas Kumar had the opportunity to join CAAI and Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Science & Technology (FAST) on an applied research project that worked to optimize retail and sales of Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) for industry partner Encore Market Engagement. Over the span of 18 months Kumar not only cultivated a robust technical foundation in data analytics and machine learning but also sharpened his communication and organizational skills. Through his student research role, he also discovered that although his academic focus had initially been software development, his true passion lies in data science — a realization that has since shaped his career goals and guided his next steps in the field. Learn more about how Kumar turned hands-on research experience into a clear and confident career path.

Patrick & Thomas Morris

Honours Bachelor of Computer Science – Mobile Computing

Twins Patrick and Thomas Morris helped to build the future of digital experiences through applied research. While pursuing their Honours degree, the brothers also embarked on parallel student research journeys at SIRT- reshaping everything from virtual orchestras to AI-driven storytelling, proving that even within the same program, two students can follow completely different paths to innovation. Although their projects differed, the Morris brothers agree on one thing: Sheridan’s research and innovation ecosystem has shaped their academic and career goals in lasting ways. Learn more about the projects that helped them hone their technical skills and enhance their collaboration and communication skills.

Danielle Roberts

Honours Bachelor of Experiential Design

After taking a class tour of Generator at Sheridan’s CER, Danielle Roberts was eager to get involved as a student researcher. After joining the “Inclusive Community Building: A Wayfinding Journey Project”, which explored how older individuals aged 55 and over interact, access and navigate the postsecondary environment and what wayfinding approaches could make campuses more accessible, Roberts helped with report writing, communication with participants, and the collection, analysis and synthesizing of research data. Learn more about how her student research experience gave her a deeper understanding of accessibility, inclusion and community building while boosting her experiential design skills.

Meghna Rajendra Shah

Business Analysis & Process Management

While studying in the Pilon School of Business (PSB), Meghna Rajendra Shah became a student ambassador at EDGE. Through this role, Shah was involved in expanding student engagement through events and programming — including helping to launch Thrive, EDGE’s signature entrepreneurship program which provides hands-on training and mentorship for students developing business ideas. Learn more about how Shah’s experience guided her to explore a new range of career opportunities that landed her the role of Coordinator of Student Engagement at EDGE following her graduation.

Daniel Ta

Honours Bachelor of Engineering – Mechanical Engineering

As part of a recent research project with AgriTech North, an Indigenous-owned B-Corp addressing food insecurity across Canada, Daniel Ta leveraged his mechanical engineering expertise to drive sustainable innovation in agriculture through applied research. Working alongside researchers from CIM and FAST, Ta used computer simulations to design systems that maintain ideal growing conditions while minimizing energy use — even in harsh, remote climates. Learn more about how he helped to find innovative solutions that enhanced the energy efficiency of greenhouses in northern Ontario.

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Interested in learning more about how to get involved as a student in research, innovation and entrepreneurship at Sheridan? Student research opportunities include curriculum-based ‘capstone’ projects, co-op, internships, part-time employment and co-curricular activities. Ask your course instructor for more information or visit Sheridan Works to access current postings.