Software Analytics Research Symposium 2025 Concludes Successfully

The Software Analytics Research (SOAR) Symposium 2025 concluded successfully on December 4, marking the end of a two-day gathering that brought together leading voices in software engineering from both academia and industry at the GSA Commons, University of Saskatchewan.

By Gabrielle Dela Cruz

SASKATOON, SK – Organized under the NSERC CREATE Program in Software Analytics Research, the event featured keynotes, research presentations, a poster session, a Women's Café, and an industry panel, all designed to advance the field of software analytics and foster collaboration between software researchers and industry partners.

Keynote Speakers and Industry Panel

Three distinguished keynote speakers headlined the symposium:

Dr. David Lo, joining remotely via Zoom, delivered a timely keynote on energy-efficient large language models, addressing critical sustainability concerns in AI development.

Dr. Shane McIntosh, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, presented his talk in person, focusing on software build systems and developer productivity.

Dr. Thomas Zimmermann, Chancellor's Professor and Bren Chair at the University of California, Irvine, joined remotely to share his research on empirical software engineering and the human aspects of development teams.

An industry panel session, chaired by Dr. Chanchal Roy and moderated by Dr. Banani Roy and Dr. Kevin Schneider, explored the theme "Broadening Collaboration Between Industry and Software Engineering." A diverse group of software companies participated:

  • Devin Greene, Software Engineering Manager, Calian
  • Chad Jones, Founder & CEO, Push Interactions
  • Ryan Silk, Director of R&D, Siemens EDAI
  • Dr. David Callele, CTO, Agexchange Group
  • Dr. Hasan Pervej Ahmed, Research Officer, University of Saskatchewan

The panel provided valuable insights into bridging the gap between academic research and industry needs.

Women's Cafe

A new addition to this year's symposium, the Women's Café brought together graduate and undergraduate students, women faculty members, and industry professionals. The session, chaired by Dr. Banani Roy with Dr. Julita Vassilieva as chief guest and Dr. Karen Wood as special guest, focused on how women in technology can overcome challenges and strengthen their presence in professional environments with confidence. The event featured Sahrima Jannat Oishwee, a recent USask graduate now working as a Software Engineer at Siemens.


The symposium also included a new entertainment segment during the reception, featuring a Russian folk dance performance by the Kalinka group and musical performances by Prisha Roy, who performed "Speechless" and "Run Away."

Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony was attended by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice President of Research at the University of Saskatchewan, as Chief Guest, and Dr. Ian Stavness, Head of the Department of Computer Science, as Special Guest. In their remarks, both emphasized the importance of events like SOAR in fostering innovation, building research capacity, and connecting students with industry leaders. Dr. Singh acknowledged the Department of Computer Science for its significant role in helping the University of Saskatchewan rank 10th among 50 research-intensive universities in Canada.
Eight participants were recognized for their outstanding contributions:
Distinguished Research Awards:
Shahriar Rumi Dipto (Winner, $500)
Ajmain Alam (Runner-up, $400)
Saikat Mondal (Honourable Mention, $350)
Parnian Eslamloo (Honourable Mention, $350)
Md. Shamimur Rahman (Honourable Mention, $350)
Best Poster Awards:
Shamse Tasnim Cynthia (Winner, $350)
Sharmin Afroz (Runner-up, $300)
Palash Roy (Honourable Mention, $250)


The symposium's success was supported by dedicated student volunteers, including social media coordinator Shamse Tasnim Cynthia, web chairs Palash Roy and Ajmain Inquiad, T-shirt designer Parnian Eslamloo, T-shirt coordinators Khairul Alam and Ajmain Inquiad, and research video composer Aditi Dhali. Session chairs Dr. Debashish Chakraborti, Dr. Sristy Nath, Saikat Mondal, and Shamimur Rahman ensured smooth operations throughout both days.

The symposium reinforced Saskatoon's growing role as a hub for software research and innovation. The event was broadcast live by Culture Connect TV on its official Facebook page, allowing a broader audience to engage remotely and extending the symposium's reach beyond the physical venue.

For more information about the SOAR program and future events, visit soar.usask.ca.