From urban regeneration and wildfire-resistant structures to Indigenous reconciliation and breakthroughs in medical care, McMaster faculty are tackling complex challenges through research, scholarship and community collaboration.
The W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology will bring some of these stories together for its fourth annual Opportunity Marketplace, a free public event showcasing work happening at the school and across the wider university.
This year’s event, Done and Doing: Stories of Innovation and Impact, takes place on August 25 from 9 a.m. to noon at The Loft in The Hub on McMaster University’s campus.
The morning will feature 12 fast-paced lightning talks from McMaster faculty, spotlighting initiatives responding to societal needs at home and around the world.
The topics will be wide-ranging and timely. Together, the talks will offer a snapshot of how faculty are working alongside industry, government, community organizations and other partners to turn ideas into action.
“The W Booth School is engaged in the fast-moving challenges of our day and devoted to contributing innovative solutions in partnership with others,” says Mike Justason, the school’s newly appointed director.
“Opportunity Marketplace is a forum to highlight accomplishments in teaching, research, scholarship and innovation. We’re thrilled to showcase a diverse mix of faculty who are working with community partners at home and abroad to transform lives.”
The program will open with a keynote address by Lou Frapporti, a civic leader, community builder and partner at Gowling WLG. Frapporti will explore the power of university-community collaboration, with a particular focus on Hamilton and the surrounding region.
Opportunity Marketplace was created as an outreach and relationship-building event, providing a platform to share the W Booth School’s work while identifying opportunities for new connections and partnerships.
As an interdisciplinary academic unit within McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering, the W Booth School brings together undergraduate and graduate programs that connect engineering and technology with business, design, public policy and hands-on experience.
Opportunity Marketplace continues this approach by bringing people together around work already underway, and the possibilities for what can happen next.
Opportunity Marketplace ’26: Done and Doing – Stories of Innovation and Impact
August 25, 2026 | 9 a.m. to noon ~ followed by a complimentary lunch
The Loft in The Hub, McMaster University
Free and open to the public