International Women’s Day: A conversation with DC’s new president, Dr. Elaine Popp

Durham College (DC) is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day. The success we have achieved over the last 57 years would not have been possible without the remarkable achievements of countless women – students, faculty, staff and administrators.

DC has ushered in a new era with the appointment of Dr. Elaine Popp as President. In recognition of International Women’s Day, Dr. Popp spoke to us about the women who have made a difference in her life, the lessons she has learned along her career path, her passion for higher education and more.

Who have been your female role models in your life and career?

I can think of a few women who have helped shape me and made me grow.

Dr. Marla Sokolowski would be one. She was my professor in the second year of my undergrad. She was the only female professor at that point in my academic journey, and she was the first person who truly served as a role model and made me think, “You know what? I could do what she’s doing.” I could stay in school, earn my Ph.D. like her, and teach.

When I was doing my Ph.D., Dr. Sokolowski’s lab was next to the lab I worked in, and her research studied fruit fly behaviour. She was the first scientist to show that behaviour can be linked to genetics – it could be linked to an allele in a gene.

I have also found inspiration from women who have blazed trails for other women to follow. Like Kathrine Switzer, who in 1967 ran the Boston Marathon – the first woman to run a marathon.

What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education?

I am passionate about teaching and learning. Having witnessed the transformative power education plays for both individuals and society, I was motivated to start my career in post-secondary 24 years ago knowing that this was an impactful way to make a difference – to help others realize their potential.

At its core, teaching has an overwhelmingly positive influence on the lives of others. When done well, it can help set someone on the path to success, which can last for the rest of their lives. And seeing the development and growth in others is so personally rewarding.

To this day, it thrills me when former students of mine reach out to me and share what they are up to now – the new job they have secured or the further education they have completed.

How would you describe the career path that has led you to your role as president of DC?

I’ve been fortunate to have a fulfilling and progressive career and have had many supportive colleagues and supervisors who have encouraged and challenged me to continue growing.

Bosses I had early on in my career believed in my talents and abilities and invested in me. They encouraged and supported me to pursue various leadership trainings, and pursue positions that I did not have on my radar as being achievable by me. I am so fortunate to have had these strong mentors and champions as I began my career.

I am sure I wouldn’t be here today – in this role – if it had not been for those very people who pushed me to better myself and supported me in doing so.

Perhaps this is why I am so supportive of mentorship models and ensuring everyone feels they have access to the professional development they need to be able to realize their full potential.

What does being DC’s president mean to you?

I’m feeling lots of emotions – I’m honoured, I’m excited, I’m humbled.

I’m so proud of our students. They are really doing incredible things. On a daily basis, they show up, engaging in their classes with their faculty members and learning new skills to prepare them for their futures. Many have outside obligations, like work and family commitments, which can make finding time for their studies difficult – but they still persevere.

And our students are successful because of our amazing staff and faculty members, who are hard-working and dedicated. Our faculty are invested in their professional practice and work hard to create quality learning experiences for our students. DC’s staff is unparalleled in their drive to deliver quality service to our students.

I am committed to DC, our students, our faculty, our staff and our community.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I can think of a few pieces of advice I continue to draw on.

Perhaps I will start by sharing one piece of advice that has become somewhat of a mantra for me. “You always have time for the things you put first.” I remind myself of this when I am finding myself not sticking to my priorities.

Another piece of advice I have taken to heart is: “If you want to know what other people really think, make sure you aren’t the first to speak.” Listen first. I try to follow this advice as much as possible, whenever possible.

One other piece I will share is: “When something scares you, ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen?” It usually isn’t all that bad.

During your career in higher education, what changes have you seen related to gender equality and what work still needs to be done?

There is an increased representation of women in leadership positions within post-secondary academic institutions, reflecting a positive shift towards gender parity in decision-making.

Awareness of gender biases and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging continues to grow in higher education. In addition to a positive shift in hiring practices, this awareness is being integrated into our curricula, ensuring the next generation of professionals will continue working toward gender equality.

More and more, we are promoting programs focused on trades, science, technology and engineering to women and young girls. By encouraging these non-traditional career paths, we are working to make them realistic, achievable and desirable goals for women. The Expand the Possibilities 5.0: Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades Conference, scheduled for April 25 and 26, is just one way we move the needle in these traditionally male occupations.

We are also seeing more women entrepreneurs. Some of the biggest start-up success stories from FastStart, our entrepreneurial support centre, are from women.

I think there is always work to be done. Despite women having more education (according to Statistics Canada), as of January 2023, only 10 per cent of Fortune 500 companies were led by women (according to Forbes).

This is a clear indicator that transparent and equitable hiring and promotion practices must continue to be fostered alongside mentorship opportunities and career advancement education for women. Looking to the future, as we see more retirements, there are real opportunities to elevate more women into a broader range of leadership positions, increasing equality in these organizations.

Here at DC, while I am proud of the work we have done to support gender equality, I know that there are opportunities to do more. I think we need to look at benchmarking where we are today to be able to celebrate the successes we are realizing now and identify how we can leverage our institution to drive gender equality.

---

From our new president to dedicated faculty members and accomplished students and graduates, DC is home to remarkable women who are leading the way. In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re sharing just some of their stories. Meet some of the women who make us #DCProud.