Brief History and Birth of TASME

In the 1990s, several young professionals from the Sri Lankan Tamil community in North America, engaged in Ph.D. programs, postdoctoral research, industrial work, and other pursuits, aimed to promote the exchange of research expertise and support the development of emerging scientists. Driven by this vision, Dr. Sam Thiagalingam from Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Nathan Yoganathan from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital—both members of the Sri Lankan Tamil community—were connected while discussing plasmid constructs for p53. Their initial discussions and subsequent conversations led to the idea of creating a forum to connect Sri Lankan Tamils in the research field. They explored this concept with several others, which eventually resulted in significant contributions from some of these individuals. The aim was to foster the sharing of research knowledge and nurture the development of young scientists by connecting experienced researchers with up-and-coming talent.

Following several discussions, they decided to organize a meeting during the July 4th weekend. This timing was chosen to accommodate both Canadian and American scientists, as the Independence Day holidays would likely free up their schedules. Given the strong Tamil community in the Toronto area and the potential to attract Tamil scientists and students early in their careers, Nathan explored venue options. He found that the University of Guelph's conference services would be an ideal choice for turning their idea into reality. The first meeting took place on July 6, 1996, in Guelph, drawing around 25 scientists and a few local students. At the end of the meeting, discussions turned to naming the group. Although Sam proposed "Tamil Academy of Science" (TAS), it was decided that a name reflecting the varied expertise levels would be more appropriate. Thus, the group was named the Tamil Academy for the Advancement of Science (TAAS), with "TAS" reserved for future use. The initial executive committee was formed, consisting of Dr. Raj Rajakumar (President), Dr. Sam Thiagalingam (Secretary), and Dr. Nathan Yoganathan (Executive Director and Treasurer).

The next task was to name the conference, which led to the selection of “Technological Advances in Science, Medicine, and Engineering” (TASME). Dr. Sam Thiagalingam was appointed Conference Chair to organize the event. TAAS held its first formal conference in July 1997, bringing together 35-40 participants from North America. Dr. Thiagalingam continued as Conference Chair with support from Dr. Yoganathan, who managed venue coordination. By July 3, 2004, at a business meeting in Guelph, Ontario, the TAAS Executive Committee was restructured. The updated committee included Dr. Sam Thiagalingam (President), Dr. Raj Rajakumar (Secretary & Deputy Treasurer), Dr. Vishnu Suppiramaniam (Treasurer), Dr. Cumaraswamy Vipulanandan (Director), and Dr. Nathan Yoganathan (Executive Director). Dr. Thiagalingam remained Conference Chair until July 2007; due to logistical reasons and other factors, the executive committee decided to move the conference to a different location. With the help of Dr. Nades Palaniyar, the conference was relocated to SickKids, which provided a more cost-effective venue and easier access for participants. Drs. Palaniyar and Vipulanandan became the new conference co-chairs for 2008.

In 2011, long-time participant Dr. Bala Maheswaran agreed to co-chair TASME. During this period, several new initiatives were introduced: the organization launched a website (www.tasmeconferences.org), established a database, created an official TASME email address (tasme@tasmeconferences.org), and began global outreach activities, which led to increased participation in the TASME conferences. In 2016, TASME celebrated its 20th anniversary with record in-person attendance, reaching new heights. However, in 2020, due to the pandemic, the TASME conference transitioned to a virtual format. In 2021, TASME marked its 25th anniversary with remarkable success; for the first time, the Paper Management System (PMS) was used, allowing it to become a global conference and resulting in nearly 300 abstracts from over 600 authors and co-authors, and over 450 conference registrations from around the world. Additionally, TASME began publishing professional proceedings in 2021 (http://www.tasmeconferences.org/tsame-proceedings.html), which have been well received globally. The dedication of past and present members and leaders over the past three decades has contributed to TASME's rich and robust history.

Founding Vision and Mission Statement

Vision

  • To help the Tamil community to succeed in becoming leaders and entrepreneurs in science, medicine, engineering, technology and education and to generate role models for the younger generations.

Missions

  • To advance awareness in science, medicine, engineering, technology and to promote education in these fields.
  • To provide a forum for the community to share information and resources in science, medicine, engineering, technology and education.
  • To enhance interaction and networking among members of the community interested in science, medicine, engineering, technology and education to share knowledge and build friendships.
  • To secure training and job opportunities for the younger generation and for adults looking for new opportunities/ alternate careers.
  • To recognize outstanding contributions and service in science, medicine, engineering, technology and education. to provide a forum for International recognition of the scientific achievements by the community.

Timeline

1996: Inaugural Meeting
1996 – 2007: University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
2008 – 2023: SickKids, Toronto, Ontario
2024 – Present: University of Toronto, Scarborough, Ontario
 

TASS Executive Committees

1996 – 2003:

Dr. N. Raj Rajakumar, President
Dr. Sam Thiagalingam, Vice-President and Secretary
Dr. Nathan Yoganathan, Executive Director and Treasurer

2004 – :

Dr. Sam Thiagalingam – President
Dr. Raj Rajakumar – Secretary & Deputy Treasurer
Dr. Vishnu Suppiramaniam – Treasurer
Dr. Cumaraswamy Vipulanandan – Director
Dr. Nathan Yoganathan – Executive Director

Past and Present TASME Chairs

Prof. N. (Raj) Rajakumar

Prof. C. Vipulanandan (Vipu), PhD, P.E. 

Prof. Sam Thiagalingam, PhD

Prof. Vishnu Suppiramaniam,

Prof. Nades Palaniyar, PhD

Prof. Bala Maheswaran, PhD