At DC, our employees are incredible. Each day they come together and share their expertise with a passion and dedication to enriching the student experience, while going the extra mile as leaders, advocates and mentors who continually enhance the lives of others within the greater community.
Music Business Administration and Music Business Management Professor Jeff Dalziel is regarded as one of the top multi-genre music producers in Canada, and was recently named 2018 Record Producer of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association. With his success only matched by his commitment to the student experience, his career spans nearly two decades and under the banner of his own company, DIESELMUSIC, he has made numerous connections within the music industry, which he leverages to provide his students with real-word expertise and prepare them for success.
From major label presidents and artist and repertoire reps, to songwriters and artist managers, Dalziel draws top industry players to campus where he has helped to create the best music business learning environment in the country.
In addition to his role as director of Athletics at DC, Ken Babcock gives back to the community well beyond campus. He has coached for Baseball Oshawa since 2005 and served as its president since 2012. He was also a member of the organizing committee for the 2000 Ontario Summer Games, the 2008 Ontario Special Olympics Spring Games as well as the baseball portion of the 2015 Toronto Pan-Am Games. In recognition of his extraordinary career, in January, Babcock was announced as a 2019 Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Under his mentorship, the Durham Lords have achieved 42 provincial gold medals and 105 overall Ontario Colleges Athletic Association medals and five gold and 22 overall Canadian Colleges Athletic Association medals.
As director of DC’s Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, Allison Hector-Alexander’s influence on campus is extensive, while also reaching the greater community. Instrumental in bringing the college’s Black History Month Professional and Mentorship Development Day to life, in partnership with the Congress of Black Women for Black Students in colleges and high schools, in February, her efforts were recognized with the 2019 Madiba Award. The award acknowledges a Durham Region leader of African ancestry who embodies the values, vision and commitment of Nelson Mandela to overcoming barriers. Hector-Alexander has also created programming for residents who face barriers to accessing higher education and is an advocate for women who are survivors of abuse, at-risk and street-involved youth and new immigrants.
A community is only as strong as its most vulnerable members, and in Durham Region there is a group of young people known as “Trusteed Youth” who are at an increased risk of school dropout, generational and persistent poverty, mental illness, social exclusion and homelessness. To provide these youth with meaningful support and uplift our community as a whole, DC professor Lorraine Closs is leading a team of researchers to develop an innovative, youth-designed housing hub model. In partnership with several community organizations, this unique project will provide safe housing for youth living on their own, mental health support, an opportunity to participate in sports and recreation, employment and financial empowerment and education advancement opportunities.
