PCCA | ABOUT US
The Pacific Coastal Computing Association (PCCA) incorporated in 2020 as a non-profit based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. PCCA works with partners to promote innovation, diversity & inclusivity in capacity building and positive change in education, the arts, environment, health & wellness and technology.
Our approach to digital transformation advisory and impact project interweaves strategic thinking of IT infrastructure, tools and technologies alongside the advanced diverse skills needed.
Our umbrella mandate is computing for good (C4G).
OUR HEART FOCUS
H. Healthcare. E. Environment. A. The Arts. R. Reconciliation. T. Technology.
These are topics that we are particularly, and collectively, interested in. PCCA originated with the aim to apply high performance computing to environmental applications with global positive impact - and to create inspirational interdisciplinary learning experiences.
TEAM
A forward-looking thinker for education, applied innovation, entrepreneurship and STEM/STEAM diversity & inclusivity, Yvonne brings experience in industry-academic co-operation and capacity building. Yvonne is a computer science professor at the University of Victoria, and visiting professor at the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Center for Digital Media, a partnership between SFU, UBC, BCIT and ECUAD in Vancouver.
Yvonne works with Indigenous community members to develop software learning tools and platforms for improved access to remote education. Yvonne's research changes the way software developers and users utilize the collaborative medium that is the World Wide Web. She believes that the power to harness cloud computing is on the horizon. Her ultimate goal is to take the enormous computing power that used to only be accessible to specialized researchers and share it with all communities in Canada and around the globe.
Education: PhD in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia; MSc in Computing Science from SFU.
At PCCA, Yvonne leads academic liaison, research and educational programs.
With an entrepreneurial mindset, Sang brings her experience in working with start-ups in digital media & technology. Recently, she was Managing Director & Producer at Shocap Entertainment, bringing together real-time visual effects and human performances into XR storytelling. Other start-ups include Vidigami Media in the EdTech space, and Credo, a university spin-off, in software tools and R&D in digital media.
Previously, Sang spent 8 years at Mitacs, a national research organization with a mandate to drive innovation, talent and capacity building in Canada. Her Mitacs portfolio included university-industry partnership projects from tech, mining, healthcare to conservation, green energy and the arts. An early role as research manager in the Graphics Research Lab at Simon Fraser University (SFU) roots her academic connections.
Education: MSc (Animation & AI) and BSC (Hons & Co-Op) in Computing Science (Minor in Business Admin) from SFU. Certificate in Advanced Strategy, UBC Sauder Executive Education.
At PCCA, Sang leads digital adoption/ transformation advisory and project development in digital media, with a special focus on start-ups and SMEs in the Arts & Entertainment and digital interactive media sectors.
Leveraging an international perspective, Nate brings experience in developing integrated learning platforms, updating communication infrastructures and technology consulting. Nate is also the principle of Krafted Solutions, a private consultancy specializing in the digital transformation of the workplace, IT and project management. His skills have been honed in non-profits and industry.
Passionate about the benefits of information technology, Nate has the rare ability to see what needs to be done and then explain it to clients in understandable language. He not only demystifies technology; he makes it work for his clients. He audits their existing technology, researches their requirements and develops realistic plans for improvement. Nate helps clients find and negotiate the best software, hardware and support solutions, and stays close until their implementation is successful.
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Information Technology from the University of Technology, Sydney.
At PCCA, Nate leads digital adoption advisory, consulting and projects in healthcare and social services. He also leads on developing the framework for digital transformation advisory.
Embracing the Zen of building software to support science and community, Derek brings deep technical knowledge from his years in the tech industry in senior roles with corporations, start-ups and non-profits. After a decade at Microsoft leading teams in Windows system administration tools, and at Microsoft Research working on speech recognition, Derek returned to academia to complete a PhD at the University of Victoria.
Derek's core background is in computation and managing software projects, with a longstanding interest in the sciences. His projects tend to involve complex data sets; His PhD work was on biological electroencephalography data sets. Currently, he leads an interdisciplinary team on a geospatial analytics project with the National Research Council.
Education: PhD in Computer Science from the University of Victoria; Singular University; and BA in Psychology from Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.
At PCCA, Derek leads on environmental computing, data & student mentoring.
Fungi: Inspirational model based on nurturing relationships & co-operation.
Busy Bees: It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy.
