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Keona Gagnier never expected to cap off her studies at Okanagan College (OC) with a trip across the country to present research at a global engineering conference. But the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems (BCIS) student did just that this April, along with some of her classmates and with the support of ��������instructors.

Earlier this year, Gagnier and several of her BCIS classmates were invited to present their research papers at the IEEE SysCon 2025 in Montreal, a prestigious systems engineering conference hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. With 300-500 participants annually, it is particularly impressive that two ��������student research papers were accepted for presentation this year.

The two papers address different aspects of a collaborative research project focused on creating a comprehensive trading system that integrates and automates key components of algorithmic trading using machine learning models. Under the guidance of their professor, Dr. Youry Khmelevsky, the group spent weeks refining their work to meet academic requirements and professional research standards.  “We spent time each day practicing our presentation,” Gagnier shared. “Dr. Khmelevsky was instrumental in helping us elevate the project to conference standards. He pushed us to think critically, anticipate questions and articulate our ideas clearly.”

SysCon gave the students a platform to present their research and an invaluable opportunity to listen, learn and connect with peers and leaders in their industry. “The conference was an incredible opportunity,” Gagnier said “we attended several talks and had the chance to learn from fellow students and researchers.”

Presenting to an international audience as undergraduate students was nerve-wracking, but the group’s confidence has been buoyed by the experience. “When it came time to present, we were definitely a bit nervous, but seeing other students in the audience and feeling the supportive atmosphere made a big difference,” she said.

The team’s work garnered more than positive feedback — they were all also strongly encouraged to pursue graduate studies.

“That encouragement really stayed with me,” Garnier reflected. “After this experience, I definitely feel more inspired and confident about taking that next step.”

Opportunities like these are a key part of the learning experience at ��������where faculty support students beyond the theory taught in the classroom. Students are encouraged to explore, research, present and connect, extending education into real-world applications.

We celebrate all the BCIS students who represented ��������at SysCon 2025, and acknowledge the dedicated faculty who helped facilitate the students’ achievements.

To learn more about the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems, visit okanagan.bc.ca/science/computer-science