5. Dr. Mikhail Burke - Bettering Biomaterials and Breaking Barriers

In this epic 3 hour long conversation, Dr. Burke (or Mikhail) talks about his entire school and professional life from high school graduation to where he is now , the co-instructor of the Engineering & Social Justice Course and Dean’s Advisor on Black Inclusivity Initiatives at U of T FASE. We talk about his familial roots at U of T, feeling out of place at Skule before forging a community - NSBE, importance of the lab culture in a research experience, how he chose grad school, and his PhD experience of working at a satellite U of T hospital. Through this conversion, we discussed the idea of privilege and how it can affect one's pathways, the importance of building a learning experience focusing on objectives not grades, and how we can make research more accessible to the underrepresented communities. A theme we loved during this conversation was Mikhail’s propensity to question the status quo - beyond research. After earning a PhD at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at U of T, he combined his academic training with his long-term interests of empowering learning and creating pathways by continuing in his current work in inclusive pedagogy and higher education.