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Five ways to stay connected as a DC alum

Whether you just crossed the convocation stage or graduated decades ago, you might be wondering how to get the most out of being a Durham College (DC) alum. The best way to leverage your alumni community is to stay connected. There are so many benefits to choosing DC – even beyond graduation – including professional, social and financial perks. We’re going to break them down for you in this handy list to get you started!

  • Update your info

    The first step to staying connected is to ensure we’ve got your updated info. Filling out a quick form let’s us know what you’ve been up to since graduating and will make sure you’re getting the latest alumni updates via our monthly enewsletter.

  • Download the app

    We’ve made it easy to find alumni news, perks and contests by putting it all on the DC Alumni Connect app. Download the app today to get access to the information you need to stay connected – right at your fingertips!

    There are more than 100 alumni perks, helping you get a discounts on attractions, restaurants, services and shopping. On the app you’ll also find the DC Alumni Marketplace, allowing you to browse alumni-owned businesses or even add your own.

  • Attend alumni events

    The Durham College Alumni Association hosts a wide variety of well-attended events each year. Reconnect at the Alumni End of Summer BBQ, bring the family to DC Alumni Hockey Night at the Tribute Communities Centre, hear from fellow alum and industry experts at DC Talks, or network at the AGM – there’s something for everyone. Keep a lookout for information about our next event on our social media channels or in the DC Alumni enewsletter.

  • Give back to DC

    If you’re looking for a way to make a lasting impact on future generations of DC students, there are a number of ways to give back through volunteerism or by making a donation. Contact the DC Alumni team or visit durhamcollege.ca/giving to learn more about giving at DC.

Students get ready for Convocation at Countdown to Grad

The Durham College (DC) class of 2024 is ready for graduation.

Last week, Countdown to Grad events were held at both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses. Over 500 students took advantage of the early opportunity to register for graduation, book their grad photos, enjoy a free pizza lunch and more.

For Interactive Media Design students Yvett Forrester and Ilia Slesarchuk, it was an opportunity to reflect on their DC journeys while looking to the future at Convocation and beyond.

“I’m really excited. I can’t wait for graduation,” said Forrester. “I’m not nervous, I just want that moment to come.”

Now that the finish line is in sight, Slesarchuk enjoyed the opportunity to take a break from his studies and prepare for graduation.

“I’m a little tired, but it’s great,” he said. “I’m not nervous at all, I’m just excited.”

There was a lot of excitement in the air at both events according to Mary Weller, Alumni Development Officer.

“The students that I’ve spoken to are enthusiastic to come in and see what they’re entitled to as alumni,” she said.

One of the best offerings that all alumni have access to is the Career Development Office and the many services they provide, according to Weller, who makes sure to point each student in their direction.

“Career Development is available to every alumnus for the rest of their life. If they ever need help with their resume, cover letter or interviewing skills, they can reach out to Career Development, and it’s free.”

As lifelong members of the Durham College Alumni Association (DCAA), graduates also get exclusive benefits and discounts using the free DC Alumni Connect app.

Alumni are encouraged to stay connected with DC on social media and share the stories of their success with us. They’re also eligible for DC’s Alumni of Distinction award, which recognizes graduates who make extraordinary contributions to society while also achieving career success.

Journalism alumni gather to celebrate 50 years of The Chronicle

Earlier this month, the DC Talks: Alumni Series presented “A Celebration of The Chronicle’s 50th Anniversary.” The special event, produced by the Faculty of Media, Art & Design and the Durham College Alumni Association, recognized a half-century of quality journalism from Durham College’s (DC) campus publication.

Six alumni of DC’s Journalism program gathered in the Rotary Global Classroom to take part in a wide-ranging panel discussion. They shared stories from their time in journalism and related fields, reflected on the immense changes the industry has faced, and offered advice to today’s students who are preparing for their own careers.

The panel included:

  • Rob Massey (1977), who served as the Sports Editor at the Guelph Mercury for three decades before founding the Guelph Sports Journal.
  • Chris Bovie (1987), an award-winning journalist and editor who is now the Director of Corporate Communications at the Durham Regional Police Service.
  • Rob Leth (1996), a television personality and videographer for City News and CBC, reporting around the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Jesara Holla (2006), a seasoned communications professional currently serving as the Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs for New Nuclear at Ontario Power Generation.
  • Stephanie Foden (2011), a freelance documentary photographer who has worked for The New York Times, TIME magazine, National Geographic and more.
  • Cheyenne Jarrett (2022), a Communications Advisor at the Region of Durham.

“We are celebrating journalism in this room today,” said Professor Lon Appleby. “Who are the people who keep our leaders on their toes? Who are the ones that reflect our society back to us in the most truthful and dedicated way? Who are the fourth estate in our society? Journalists.”

DC President Don Lovisa moderated the discussion, and commended the Journalism program for its proven track record of producing award-winning students and professors who deliver the news from campus and the surrounding community with accuracy and integrity.

“It’s wonderful to see this, that we continue the tradition of quality stories in journalism and that we are recognized for that across Ontario,” he said.

Despite their varied career and life experiences, all the panelists agreed that their DC education set them on the path to success.

“The program has really rocketed my career,” said Jarrett. “I learned so much. The professors gave me opportunities to expand on my writing abilities and get the job that I have now, straight out of school.”

With traditional media outlets downsizing and shuttering, tomorrow’s journalists are in for a challenge as they build their careers. With that in mind, the panelists offered the benefit of their experience to the assembled students.

“You have to have a passion for it, and you have to take advantage of your opportunities,” said Leth. “It’s so important to learn as many skills as you can. You just never know when that break is going to come, and if you’re willing to learn everything that you possibly can, you make it that much more likely that an employer will hire you.”

They will also find that the skills they honed in school will be relevant outside of journalism, according to Bovie.

“As journalism students, you understand how to communicate. You start to understand relationships and people and what motivates them,” he said. “There are so many skills that you get out of a journalism program that are transferable to so many different career paths.”

At the end of the event, Appleby thanked the panelists and encouraged the students to heed their example as they develop their own careers.

“These are professionals, and that’s what we build here; the professional mindset.”

The full panel discussion is available online.

Tre Sanderson hosts another successful dining event at Bistro ‘67

For the second consecutive year, Durham College (DC) alumnus Tre Sanderson showcased his culinary skills at Bistro ’67.

RBC presents ‘A Night with Tre Sanderson’ was held on February 9 and 10 and was a hot ticket with local foodies, who filled the popular restaurant to experience the young chef’s modern take on Caribbean cuisine. The 2015 graduate of DC’s Culinary Management program and winner of Top Chef Canada Season 10 unveiled a six-course tasting menu that featured mouth-watering treats like lucky lime oyster, rice and pea risotto and sweet potato pudding.

Coming back to the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) is always special for Tre, who was part of the first cohort of students to learn his trade in the state-of-the-art facility.

“It’s humbling every time I come here,” he said. “This event is amazing because I get to come back, showcase my skill set and present food that I grew up on in a different form. But I can also give back to the students and help pave the way for the next generation.”

DC students and the Bistro ’67 team worked tirelessly in the kitchen to help Tre perfect his menu. Working alongside one of Canada’s brightest culinary talents was an invaluable experience for them according to Lori Saint, CFF General Manager.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to work with Tre and for him to coach them and show them how his skills have expanded since he left the program,” said Saint. “He’s a fantastic chef and it’s been really great for all of us to work with him.”

Pantry Technician Anna Mae Baksh has worked on both of Tre’s DC events. She has been particularly impressed by his willingness to try new things in the kitchen, and his determination to make each of his menu items the best they can be.

“Getting to know him as a person has been great, and his drive to be perfect is something to be inspired by,” she said.

First-year Culinary Management student Paige Daniel and her classmates are now following in Tre’s footsteps. The knowledge that Canada’s Top Chef was a student like them just a decade ago is all the motivation they need.

“To see where Tre is and then to be working with him in the kitchen is inspiring. It’s a constant reminder that the sky’s the limit,” said Daniel.

More than any recipe or cooking method, that’s the lesson Tre hopes to impart to today’s students.

“Once you graduate, anything is possible,” he said. “As long as you put your mind to it and have passion behind it, you can really make your dream come true.”

DC’s Social Justice Week prompts thoughtful discussions on equity

Durham College’s students and employees had the opportunity to listen and engage with a diverse group of speakers who helped elevate awareness on social inequality, during Social Justice Week in January.

The digital event featured speakers from within the DC community and beyond who shared their experiences and perspectives on a number of social issues including homelessness, child welfare and addiction.

DC Faculty of Social and Community Services professor and event organizer Jason Vassell dubbed the event a success.

“Five speakers led seminars on social justice-related concerns and these speakers enlightened and educated all who were able to listen in on the sessions,” he said.

DC Journalism professor Alvin Ntibinyane discussed the role of journalists in promoting social justice and fighting oppression. He said that too often journalists have served as the voice of the powerful.

“To combat marginalization, journalism should report on and from marginalized communities,” he said, adding that journalists should seek out diverse cultural voices—especially from under-represented communities. He also spoke about the role of journalism in exposing systemic violence including reporting around murdered and missing Indigenous women.

Ntibinyane further challenged the role of hard objectivity—giving equal voice to both sides of an issue—and said many organizations have dropped objectivity as a goal, instead replacing it with truthfulness and fairness.

“I think objectivity in journalism has been the biggest enabler of oppression because in most cases it represents a false equivalence between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he said.

Chris Cull, a DC alum, discussed his docuseries Surviving Addiction and his lived experience with mental health and addictions as well as recovery.

In her presentation, Trent University researcher coordinator Uzma Danish shared a photo-voice project called Exclusion in Immigrant Experiences of Securing Professional Employment.

“Photo-voice is a very powerful tool in research where participants are given a camera and it is up to their discretion as to the photos they take and how they relate those photos to their experiences,” she explained.

In Danish’s research, participants related their experience as immigrants searching for work in Durham Region. Themes shared by the participants included exclusion, discrimination, devaluation of their credentials and their experiences, prejudice and a lack of information they felt they had when they were looking for employment. The research included a call to action from participants.

Members of the DC community who would like to hear recordings of the events can contact Jason Vassell to gain access.

Social Justice Week received support from the Durham College Student Association and Durham College’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion via RISE.

Photo: DC professor Alvin Ntibinyane and alum Chris Cull were featured speakers during this year’s Social Justice Week event.

Durham College seeking to honour exceptional alumni who are leading the way

Nominations for 2024 Alumni of Distinction award now open

With thousands of alumni making a mark in their communities, Durham College (DC) is now accepting nominations to recognize the trailblazers among them through the Alumni of Distinction Awards.

DC’s remarkable alumni community exceeds 114,000 people who play impactful roles both locally and internationally. Since 1990, over 100 alumni have been honoured with the Alumni of Distinction Award. Recipients are chosen for their professional, community and personal accomplishments, contributions to the advancement of DC, and the scope of impact for their achievements. Winners have ranged from respected medical practitioners and educators to accomplished broadcasters and engineers.

“A Durham College education has been a launching pad for tremendous success for our alumni in both their personal and professional lives,” said Don Lovisa, DC President. “Celebrating their exceptional accomplishments through these awards offers a unique opportunity to recognize and applaud their achievements as they serve as the inspiration for the upcoming generation of DC alumni leaders.”

The 2023 Alumni of Distinction included Edmonton Oilers executive Stew MacDonald, Top Chef Canada winner Tre Sanderson and Christine Cunningham, founder and executive director of Perinatal Wellbeing Ontario.

Nomination forms are available online at durhamcollege.ca/alumniofdistinction and should be submitted to alumni@durhamcollege.ca before 5 p.m. on Friday, March 1. The awards will be presented at DC’s Spring Convocation in June.

DC’s Social Impact Hub helps alumnus launch Surviving Addiction docuseries

Durham College’s (DC) Social Impact Hub has partnered with DC alumnus, Chris Cull, to launch his docuseries, Surviving Addiction, which shares different perspectives of those touched by addiction and the humanity behind people’s individual experiences.

Cull, a graduate of DC’s HVAC Techniques program, is an advocate for mental health and addiction awareness, as well as the founder of Inspire by Example, a digital library of lived experiences aimed at providing hope and resources for those impacted by addiction.

“Having spent over eight years living with opioid addiction and now 10 years working in mental health and addiction, I’ve experienced being the person living it, being the family member of someone with a substance use disorder, and the frontline healthcare worker who advises on federal, provincial and local strategies in the mental health and addiction field,” said Cull. “Within all of that, I’ve learned the different ways in which addiction can impact someone and I wanted to create this docuseries as a way to reach those who are currently struggling.”

The Social Impact Hub is one of DC’s applied research centres, and its work is focused on identifying creative solutions to complex social problems such as addiction and building relationships with community agencies tackling social justice issues.

“We’re extremely proud to support the creation of Surviving Addiction,” said Colleen McKay, manager, Grants and Special Projects, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where the Social Impact Hub resides. “Working with community partners like Chris is crucial to inform the collaborative efforts of our project teams who work on various applied research and knowledge mobilization initiatives.”

Collaborative projects between DC’s Social Impact Hub and the community also provide a learning opportunity for DC students. Denice Quimbo, research associate in the Social Impact Hub and recent DC graduate says working on this project has given her and current students invaluable experience by applying their skills on a project that positively impacts viewers.

“Along with two students in DC’s Journalism – Mass Media program, we helped film the docuseries over the summer, which provided us a chance to use the skills we learned in the classroom,” she said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work on a project that I believe will make a difference in the lives of those who are watching.”

Cull agreed that the support provided through the Social Impact Hub helped bring his vision to life. “Working with the Social Impact Hub has been an amazing experience,” Cull shared. “The students approached the project with hungry curiosity and were instrumental in shaping what the project has become. I’m exceptionally grateful for all of the support that helped drive my vision.”

The first episode of Surviving Addiction is available online and new episodes will be added on an ongoing basis.

‘It’s not just about the technology, it’s how we’re going to change the world with it’: The powerful impact of GenAI on how we live and work

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) — including ChatGPT – is a game changer on the scale of the internet and Durham College (DC) is embracing that change and exploring how it’s going to impact us in the world of work and beyond through active discussions and research.

On November 22, the DC Alumni Association held a discussion called ‘GenAI: The Power of Infinite Possibilities’. The event was hosted by DC president Don Lovisa and professor Lon Appleby and is available via The Rotary Global Classroom. Panelists included three DC graduates who work with GenAI as well as Amanda Maknyik, associate dean of Teaching, Learning and Program Quality at DC.

Maknyik explained that GenAI is a branch of artificial intelligence.

“It’s unique in the fact that it learns and it can actually create unique new content so that content can be in text form, it can be graphical format, it can be videos, it can be music, it can be any number of things,” she said. “It differs from artificial intelligence in that it learns from the user.”

Roop Gill is part of the commercial team at Sanctuary AI, a company whose mission it is to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots. She is also an alumna of DC’s Chemical Laboratory Technician program and she was enthusiastic about the topic of GenAI.

“It’s like being part of this exciting science fiction movie but it’s real life,” said Gill. “It’s not just about the technology, it’s how we’re going to change the world with it.”

Computer Programming and Analysis graduate Shane Graham said the development of GenAI is as revolutionary as the internet and everyone is going to be using it.

As director of software engineering at Invyzn, a company that handles fleet management solutions including vehicle tracking and big data, he said he uses GenAI on a daily basis for things like writing code, planning projects or even writing emails to save time.

“What I found was for higher level things, it worked exceptionally well, so writing up scope of work documents, writing API documentation, even planning — it could plan a project pretty well and then I’d just overview it and approve it essentially,” said Graham adding that it was saving him a great deal of time.

“In the beginning I was a little worried about using it for code as well, same with the people at my company, but we’re finding that we can easily build out small scripts where it wouldn’t be perfect, but it would get us to a point where we could then go in and manipulate it to exactly what we want.”

GenAI is expected to fundamentally change the skills workers need to succeed in their career. AI can’t be creative like the human mind so the key factor in harnessing the power of it is engineering prompts to generate valuable outputs.

“AI isn’t here to take away jobs, rather it’s a tool that will evolve how we work … AI won’t replace your job, but someone who knows AI will,” said Gill.

She cited a 2022 report from the World Economic Forum which predicted 85 million jobs worldwide would be displaced by technology and automation, however 97 million new roles would be created due to the same forces.

The panel tackled complex questions — and some had no simple answers — like the impact of GenAI on sustainability as complex computing requires large amounts of energy. Artificial Intelligence Analysis graduate Tejas Vyas said a lot of start ups are working on the sustainability issue when it comes to increasingly complex computing.

A principal investigator at DC’s AI Hub, a software developer at Preference North America and a 2021 Artificial Intelligence Analysis grad, Vyas also took an optimistic approach when asked about the impact on GenAI on human intelligence.

“Every new technology increases human intelligence,” he said. “Think of it this way: we started with a wheel — we created that wheel then we moved forward, we created a car out of it and now we move forward, we created a self-driving car. Getting something that is very smart is a stepping stone we can build upon. If students and the public are able to use (GenAI) well it will be able to augment existing intelligence.”

GenAI is revolutionizing the workplace and DC is preparing students and faculty to adapt and thrive in this new environment. Find out more about how DC’s Centre for Teaching and Learning is supporting the use of GenAI in higher education.

Durham College celebrates career-ready graduates at Fall Convocation

Durham College (DC) celebrated the academic achievements of nearly 2,000 career-ready graduates this week at Fall Convocation. Graduates from DC’s eight faculties received their diplomas and graduate certificates, including:

“After almost 38 years in the college system and almost 16 years as president of Durham College, Convocation remains one of my favourite events,” said Don Lovisa, president. “Durham College prepares students to make an impact in our community, and it’s extremely rewarding to witness them cross the stage to receive their credentials. Convocation marks the beginning of a new chapter, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.”

Guest speakers at the ceremonies included:

  • Lauren Bull, DC Alumna and founder & CEO, Canoe & Lake.
  • Brandon Bird, DC Alumnus and CEO, Bird Mechanical Ltd., who was recently named one of On-Site Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction.

During the evening ceremony on October 26, the college also recognized Stephanie Ball, retired executive dean, with the honorary designation of Emeritus in recognition of her many years of outstanding service to DC students and the community.

For more information about Fall Convocation, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/convocation

Professor receives prestigious PR award

Durham College (DC) professor Matisse Hamel-Nelis has been recognized for her tireless commitment to accessibility in communications.

PR News has named her one of their People of the Year in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion category.  

A professor in the PR and Strategic Communications program, she emphasizes the importance of making communication materials accessible to all.  

“I love teaching and bringing the concept of accessibility into what I do. In every class I teach, my students have to make sure their content is accessible when they submit it to me, and I teach them how to do it,” she said.

There are a number of ways to make a document more accessible, like using a larger font size, prioritizing concise language that is easily digested by a screen reading program, and providing descriptive text with photos.

Students who enter the workforce with these skills will be in demand with employers.

“If you’re creating a document accessibly, it’s going to save you money down the line and it’s going to save you time when you’re doing it. Once it’s done, you’ll have a truly accessible piece of communication that you can use anywhere, and you’ll have a skillset that not many other students will have.”

As a 2015 graduate of the program in which she now teaches, Hamel-Nelis knows firsthand how fast things can change. Accessibility wasn’t a big part of the curriculum at the time, and she didn’t realize the scope of its importance until she got a job at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

“That’s where I found my love and passion for accessibility and communications and all things diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said, noting that although 15 per cent of the world’s population identifies with a disability, the real number is likely even higher.

In addition to her work at DC, she serves as vice president, Communications for AbleDocs, where she helps organizations ensure their messages are accessible to all.

That commitment is what caught the attention of PR News, and she’ll be traveling to New York next month to accept her award alongside the other honourees.

“Accessibility is really coming to the forefront of what we need to learn and do as communicators. To be recognized for that is a huge, huge honor. It means the world to me.”

With the PR and Strategic Communications program winding down, she is guiding the development of a new graduate certificate that will take its place.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for our prospective students. We’ve put some really good stuff into it. They’re going to love it.”

With Hamel-Nelis leading the way, DC will continue to produce graduates who excel in the field of communications.

More information on the new Public Relations graduate certificate program is available here.