The Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design is happy to welcome Simone Sicard to its team as Model Coordinator, effective Monday, August 26, 2019.

Simone joins us from the not-for-profit sector where she specialized in Arts Management. She has previously held roles at the Living Arts Centre, Prologue to the Performing Arts and Neilson Park Creative Centre, where she was the Operations Manager. She brings with her more than 10 years of experience leading collaborative, service-focused teams.

Simone is also a practicing artist and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Simone to Sheridan!

Sincerely,
Lavinia Jula
Manager, Planning & Projects, FAAD

It is with mixed emotions we are announcing that after 31 years of service to Sheridan, Arlene Smyth will be retiring at the end of August.

During Arlene’s time at Sheridan, her dedication to the College, her talent for very personal and exceptional customer service, and her commitment to continual learning have set her apart. Much more than that, however, she has in many ways been the heart and soul of the team. Her counsel and care for those around her has kept all of us in good stead for many years. She is truly irreplaceable and will be missed.

Arlene joined Sheridan as a part-time Systems Backup Operator in IT and then as a co-op employee during her studies here at the College and was hired full-time as a System Administrator in 1990. After 10 years in that role, she moved to the telecommunications group where, among numerous accomplishments, she was part of the team that implemented one of Canada’s first large-scale ‘Voice over IP’ network-based telephony systems. She has also been deeply involved in many of the College’s new building construction projects, including most memorably for her the Residences at Davis and Trafalgar Campuses.

Please join me in thanking Arlene for all that she has done for Sheridan and in wishing her well on her retirement in the new dream house that her and her family are in the process of building.

Sincerely,
James Duncan
Director, Information and Communication Technology

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Cherie Werhun as Strategic Lead of the S-Factor initiative beginning September 3, 2019. “S-Factor” skills and abilities are one of the hallmark institutional strategies, which emerged from the Sheridan 2024 Strategic Plan. “S-Factor” skills and abilities will support faculty, staff and our learners’ agility, ability and confidence to flourish in an innovation economy. Under Cherie’s leadership, we will – as a community – determine and define the S-factor skills. Ultimately, they will be a key element of our outstanding academic programs, signature student experience and employee development.

With a doctorate in Psychology and an academic career centred on learning and development, Cherie brings an extensive theoretical and practical understanding of competency-based learning and skill development. Of importance to this new role is the concrete experience she has in developing and implementing pioneering educational frameworks.

Before joining Sheridan in 2016, Cherie led a consultative, collaborative, evidence-based strategy to define, design and implement the University of Toronto’s course evaluation assessment framework. In her current role as Associate Dean, Educational Development & Technologies in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Cherie facilitated the design and implementation of an innovative faculty educational development model. She has actively fostered vibrant learning communities of practice and spaces for celebration through events like  “sparkTALKS” and new teaching awards.

Cherie’s service to Sheridan has been defined by intellectual curiosity, energy, open-hearted collaboration and unbridled enthusiasm for learner growth and transformation. We are excited to begin working together with our community to define the “S-Factor” skills and abilities. Please join us in congratulating Cherie as she undertakes this work with the Sheridan community over the next two years.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning will begin recruiting immediately for an Associate Dean. A transition plan has been developed to ensure continuity in the Educational Development and Technologies portfolio.

Sincerely,

Carol Altilia, VP of Student Experience and Enrolment Management &
Melanie Spence-Ariemma, Provost and VP, Academic

I’m pleased to announce that Bill O’Driscoll is joining Sheridan on September 5 as our new Director, Procurement. Bill comes to Sheridan from Toronto Public Library (TPL) where he was the Manager, Purchasing and Administration, responsible for the procurement of all goods and services required for the operation of the library system. Prior to TPL, Bill worked in a number of progressive management roles in public sector healthcare procurement as well as the private sector. Bill is a proud Newfoundlander and graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Please join me in welcoming Bill and wishing him success in his new role at Sheridan!

Sincerely,

Tracy Ens
AVP, Business Services

The Centre for Equity and Inclusion is thrilled to welcome Lianne Kendall to our team as Sheridan’s Sexual Violence Response Specialist. Lianne joined our team at Sheridan on Tuesday, August 27.

Lianne hails from Rothesay, New Brunswick. She attended St. Thomas University and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and sociology. She then attended Sheridan and obtained her diploma in the Social Service Worker program.

Lianne has worked as a crisis counsellor and a high-risk program coordinator at Victim Services of Peel. She also worked at Interim Place, where she provided support to women and children who had fled intimate partner violence. Most recently, she worked as the Francophone designate at the Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Ministry of the Attorney General in the Region of Peel, where she provided support to victims and witnesses of crime.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Lianne to her new role!

Sincerely,

Cherie Robertson
Director, Human Rights and Equity Initiatives in the Centre for Equity and Inclusion

1150 employees turned out bright and early at the Living Arts Centre on August 28 for the annual Welcome Back event to launch the new academic year, setting a new attendance record for this signature event. Those in attendance were treated to a terrific breakfast in the Atrium, followed by a captivating series of presentations in Hammerson Hall. (Note that the disposable cutlery and dishes were appropriately recycled following the event). An Employee Accomplishments video played in the Atrium during breakfast – if you missed it, you can see it here.

The event kicked off with a video tribute to the Bruins Men’s Basketball team, 2019 OCAA champions. The team and head coach Jim Flack took to the stage and were presented with their championship rings by Chancellor McCallion and President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Janet Morrison.

The show’s emcees, fourth-year Bachelor of Music Theatre students Germaine Konji and Aaron Ryder, brought energy and humour to their roles, and also joined with fellow students in an impassioned performance of “The Louder We Get”, the title song from the musical of the same name (formerly Prom Queen) which had its start with the Canadian Music Theatre Project.

Elijah Williams from the Centre for Indigenous Learning and Support acknowledged the lands on which Sheridan resides, and also read a prayer of thanksgiving in the Cayuga language, while Board of Governors Chair John Fleming brought greetings on behalf of the Board, and also welcomed new employees and retirees in the audience.

Janet Morrison then took to the stage to introduce two guests with compelling stories to share. Sarah Gonyea, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Film and Television program, provided an introduction to her film Cosmo, created in her fourth year. The film tells the story of her childhood friend, Amanda Cosmo, who overcomes the trauma and challenges she faced in her young life and sets herself on a new path by becoming an apprentice machinist. This moving film earned Gonyea a place among the semi-finalists for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annual Student Academy Awards.

Next, incoming student Drew Trottier painted a heartbreaking picture of his childhood, one marked by the loss of his father at a young age, sexual abuse by a family member, and attempted suicide. The Kerr Street Mission in Oakville provided wraparound supports that helped Drew to move on from past trauma. This fall, he’s enrolled in Plumbing at Sheridan and looks forward to setting up his own company in the future. He also has ambitions to create a foundation to help young victims of abuse like himself.

Sarah and Drew’s compelling narratives segued into an interactive segment, where attendees were invited to share their thoughts of wisdom and encouragement on cards to be provided to our Student Success Centres, to be shared with students in need of support throughout the academic year. If you weren’t at the event but would like to participate, you can visit the Student Success Centre at your campus and fill out a card.

In her keynote address, Janet Morrison spoke to Sheridan’s status as a game changer, due to the uniqueness of our programming, the way we develop students to innovate or thrive in game changing environments, the way we elevate our broader communities, and how we make companies more competitive by providing them with the skilled and versatile talent needed to thrive in a time of rapid change. You can check out a video about our history of game changing here.

Janet speaking at a podium designed by Spencer Pestell, a second-year student in the Technical Production for the Performing Arts program.

Janet continued with an update on Sheridan 2024: Galvanizing Education for a Complex World, and outlined a number of initiatives already underway to realize the goals set out in our strategic plan. Read a transcript of Janet’s remarks here.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to all who brought donations for the Sheridan Student Union (SSU) Food First Drive. Please remember that the SSU welcomes your contributions throughout the year to support students in need.

Best wishes for the year ahead! If you haven’t filled out a survey about the event and would still like to do so, please click on the link here.

Two Sheridan employees and three alumni have been named to the Brampton Board of Trade’s Top 40 Under 40 list for 2019. The list celebrates changemakers, leaders, innovators, influencers and entrepreneurs who work or reside in Brampton. Honourees were chosen by a selection committee and will be celebrated on the evening of September 19 at Lionhead Golf and Country Club.

The five Sheridan-affiliated honourees include:

• Satindervir Deol (Police Foundations ‘08), a Constable with the Equity and Inclusion Bureau of the Peel Regional Police
• Catherine Hale, Director, Creative Campus at Sheridan
• April Patterson (Court and Tribunal Agent ’05), a prosecutor with the City of Brampton.
• Katherine Rinas, Facilities Project and Program Manager – Sustainable Energy Systems at Sheridan
• Ariz Shafi (Tourism and Travel ’12), Managing Director at LetzMarket and Vice President at Shafi Education

Learn more about the above honourees. Congratulations to our employees and alumni on this well-deserved recognition!

Sheridan celebrates the employees who have helped shape Sheridan’s identity and reputation for excellence over the years.

The President, members of Senior Leadership and the Board of Governors will host the annual long service event, titled “A Celebration of Time”, on Thursday, November 14, 2019. This event recognizes Sheridan employees with full-time service of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years. The event also celebrates individuals who retired from Sheridan this past academic year.

Please take some time to congratulate and celebrate your fellow colleagues! To review the list of this year’s recipients, please visit the Centre for People & Organizational Development’s recognition webpage on Access Sheridan.

If you are a recipient, please review the list for accuracy and advise Kristen Nykanen (kristen.nykanen@sheridancollege.ca) of any corrections no later than Wednesday, September 25. Formal invitations will be sent to the honoured recipients at the end of September.

Congratulations to this year’s long service and retiree recipients!

Animation Professor Tony Tarantini enjoys offering workshops to students worldwide. For a few years now, during the summer months, Tony has delivered a five week animation production masterclass called “Animando”  to animation and design students of Nemo Academy, in Florence Italy. This intensive experience focuses on how to tell a compelling memorable story through the marvelous medium of animation. The team of 35 to 40 grad students come together and over five weeks participate in an animation production project from script to screen. Although the desire is to finish a film they could all be proud of, the more important goal is to learn how to work in a team and be part of a positive, collegial, and supportive collective effort while still learning. That is not an easy task. Managing the workflow of an animated production project in order to keep 40 artists busy within an impossible five-week schedule amounts to no less than what Tony calls ‘controlled chaotic creativity’.

Tony usually co-directs the workshops with other well know Animators. In 2019, as director and project lead, he had the help of two Disney and Bluth Studio greats as co-directors, Tom Bancroft and John Pomeroy. He reminisces saying, ‘…it was an absolute pleasure to work with these amazing artists who enjoyed teaching as much as I did’.

Two films have been completed as a result of the Animando master classes: ‘LIFE, a Great Adventure’ and ‘Yujo’, which means friendship in Japanese. The 2019 film, ‘Wish’, is almost finished. Nemo’s classical animation program is well-respected throughout Europe and its graduates are poised to inspire a new animation renaissance in Italy. Florence is the perfect place for it and Sheridan is playing a small part in its birth.

Sheridan professor Taylor Graham is the writer behind the new opera Frog Song: An Opera for Children which received a workshop production at IMPACT’19, an internationally celebrated festival in Kitchener, Ontario.

The workshop performances took place on September 28 and 29 at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts.

Frog Song follows Navdeep and Wyatt as they chart their way through the loss of a parent, peer-pressure, and female empowerment — all toward finding their true voice. A giant wall of frogs and a mythic skeletal bird add to the magic in this modern-day fairy tale.

Learn more: https://mtspace.ca/productions/frog-song-an-opera-for-children/

FAAD professor, Maureen Judge recently celebrated the broadcast premiere of her new feature documentary film, 17 And Life Doesn’t Wait. The film premiered on TVO on September 26 and is now available for streaming. 

17 And Life Doesn’t Wait paints a lively, candid and emotionally charged view of life through the eyes of three teen girls in their final year of high school. We watch them as they experience the impact of the outside world, their impending independence, and the conflicting expectations and overwhelming anxiety that often come with being a girl today.

Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/345970753

Darya (Dasha) Shalimo has always been an active participant in the life of the Sheridan ECE community.  After she successfully accomplished her role as a Coordinator and played a role in the program obtaining PEQAB approval, she moved forward to represent Sheridan on international as well as Canadian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) arenas this summer.

At the end of summer 2019, Dasha attended the European Early Childhood Research Association Conference (one of the biggest ones in EU) where she delivered a 20 min presentation and where her research work conducted within both institutions: UofT, OISE and Sheridan was very well perceived. In addition, as a Sheridan employee and former OISE PhD student, she was awarded best Student Research Paper of the EECERA 2019 Conference, granted by the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Following that venue, Dasha developed strong connections with Gent University, Belgium and University of Bologna, Italy. She is looking forward for the development of those bonds for the benefit of Sheridan ECEC community and students.

For the first time in 400 years, a sculpture has been installed on the grounds of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City and was unveiled by Pope Francis on September 29 – World Day for Migrants and Refugees. The bronzed, life-size sculpture titled Angels Unawares is by Kitchener, Ontario artist Timothy P. Schmalz and was modeled for by Sheridan life drawing model Edward (Ed) Czuchnicki.

Ed posed for more than half of the 140 people depicted on the boat, requiring days of physically demanding work. The people featured on the boat are from different countries and time periods, reflective of the rich history of migration around the world. “The refugee crisis is an issue that demands our attention,” says Ed. “We’re all on that boat.”

As a tribute to their two decades of working together on art installed around the world, the artist sculpted one of the passengers in the image of Ed’s late mother Janina, a refugee from Poland during the Second World War. “She would have thought this to be a tremendous honour,” he says.

Here at Sheridan, Ed has modeled for life and character drawing classes for more than 15 years. Much of the stand-out work that’s featured in the glass displays in Sheridan’s halls bears his likeness. Students are evidently impacted by his work. You may recall that in 2016, Honours Bachelor of Animation student Taha Neyestani created an Annie Award-winning short film called Ed for his final-year thesis, inspired by the magic that Ed creates in the studio.

Ed has recently retired from Sheridan. He plans to travel to Italy to see the sculptures he helped bring to life.

Congratulations Ed!

Read more about Ed’s career on Sheridan Curiosities. 

Read Sheridan’s news release about the unveiling.

Watch Ed by alumnus Taha Neyestani below.

The Hamilton Gallery of Distinction has named its six inductees for 2019 including Sheridan’s Elder in Residence, Bertha Skye. It’s an honour administered through the Hamilton Public Library that recognizes outstanding citizens, past and present, who have made significant contributions towards the betterment of the community.

Skye has worked with Sheridan’s Centre for Indigenous Learning and Support (CILS) since it opened in 2015 and was a founding member of Sheridan’s Indigenous Education Council, which was created to advise the college on challenges and barriers related to the success of Indigenous learners.

Elders are viewed as valuable and respected members of Indigenous communities. They’re knowledgeable of ceremonies, language, medicines, the laws of the communities and the values the community stands up for and works to pass this information down to the next generation.

Skye and her fellow inductees will be honoured on November 12 at an evening event in Hamilton where she’ll receive an award made by a local Hamilton artist. Her photo will be added to a wall of distinction located on the third floor of the Central Library in Hamilton.

Click here to learn more.

It is with very mixed feelings that I am writing to share the news of Joan Condie’s retirement effective December 1, 2019.  Joan’s forty-year career at Sheridan is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  Her many contributions to our learning community, and to our evolution as a home of higher education, have helped define and make tangible our commitment to character, quality and accountability in the space of Teaching and Learning at Sheridan.

Having joined Sheridan in 1979 as Professor of Liberal and General Studies, Joan taught a range of courses in Psychology, Women’s Studies and Organizational Behaviour, eventually moving to serve as Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator in the area of Business.  In that context, Joan spent several years as a dedicated curriculum coach for faculty, a role that would eventually lead her to assume the position of Curriculum Consultant in a small unit; that unit would soon grow and blossom into what we know today as the Centre for Teaching and Learning.  Joan then became an Associate Dean of Program Development and Quality Assurance, steadily gaining a reputation as the trusted face and guiding voice of all things related to Quality Assurance at Sheridan.  For the past four years, Joan has served as Dean, Centre for Teaching and Learning, leading cross-Faculty and pan-institutional initiatives related to faculty and educational development, curriculum development and review, and digital innovation.  In this role, Joan also served as Chair of a host of institutional committees and groups related to quality assurance, and represented Sheridan provincially as the Co-Chair of the College Degree Operating Group.

In addition to teaching and leading at Sheridan, Joan has conducted research, secured research grants, co-authored two textbooks, and developed and delivered corporate training workshops.  She won several teaching awards including the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award (2009).  Above all, she has become an invaluable colleague, mentor and friend to many of us.  The impact of her investment, dedication and care will no doubt far outlast the duration of her stay here at Sheridan.

Please join me in congratulating Joan upon her well deserved retirement.  Details of a celebration will follow shortly.

Warm regards,

Yael Katz
Vice-Provost, Academic

After 40 years of dedicated service and an amazing career at Sheridan, Joan Condie will be retiring at the beginning of December.

Please join us for a celebration in Joan’s honour as we wish her the very best in this new chapter.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, November 7, 2019
• Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Location: The Marquee at the Trafalgar Campus

We invite you to drop in, congratulate Joan and enjoy some light refreshments.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Warm Regards,
The CTL Team and Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic

The Emergency Management team would like to extend congratulations to Sheridan’s very own Emergency Manager, Darby Pierson.

On September 27, Darby graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland., after she completed the full curriculum that provides the strategic level training and education in the essential skills and tools for emergency management professionals to lead dynamic and resilient programs.

Darby has dedicated herself to the Risk Management Team and the Sheridan community over the past five years, and has demonstrated excellence in leadership in the face of change and challenges. She continuously advocates for the safety and preparedness of our community and firmly pushes the boundaries to keep pace with the constantly changing post secondary atmosphere.

Darby effortlessly completed the four resident courses with three short distance learning sessions in the Advanced Academy including: Application of Advanced Individual Concepts in Emergency Management, Assessment of Teams in Professional Emergency Management, Contemporary Issues in the Emergency Management Organization and Advanced Concepts and Policy in the Emergency Management Profession.

We are grateful for Darby’s commitment to the team and congratulate her for this achievement.

Risk Management Department

This month a group of Sheridan Athletics Student Staff participated in the Adults In Motion Community Concert event. The evening consisted of participants playing the Bruin’s bean bag toss game, receiving free Bruins’ giveaway swag, and connecting with other community partners. Adults in Motion (AIM) is a non-profit day program for adults with disABILITIES within the Halton region, and has a strong connection to Sheridan, with several students completing their practicum with AIM each semester. The organization employs two Alumni on a full-time basis and there are multiple participants who have attended Sheridan in the past. It was a fun-filled evening and we look forward to more opportunities for collaboration with our community partners. A big thank you to AIM for giving our students the opportunity to help build stronger, more inclusive communities!

Congratulations to FAST professors Dr. Srinivas Ganapathyraju and Dr. Mozammel Khan, who each received a 2018 Outstanding Educator Award from the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT).

According to the OACETT website, this award is granted to an individual “who has made a significant contribution to the training and education of engineering/applied science technicians and technologists.” The award specifically recognizes a “sustained record of teaching excellence over many years, and not for one specific year or singular accomplishment.”

Dr. Srinivas Ganapathyraju
Professor, Coordinator and Researcher, Electromechanical Engineering Technician/Technology Programs

Srinivas has an impressive history both prior to and after coming to Sheridan in 2003. Srinivas assisted in the development of the CAMDT Lab within the School of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (MEET). He was also instrumental in the development of four new MEET programs. In addition to his teaching and coordinating duties, Srinivas is active in applied research, providing valuable opportunities for his students, bringing in government funding and assisting industry partners in utilizing new developments in technology and information.

Dr. Mozammel Khan
Professor and Coordinator, Quality Assurance (Post Grad) Program

In addition to the Outstanding Educator Award, Mozammel was awarded the 2018 Honorary Membership Award for his “significant contribution to the development of the profession of engineering/applied science technology”. He won Sheridan’s “Student Success Award” in June of 2018, and his long, dedicated history at Sheridan has been captured on our Curiosities Blog.

Srinivas and Mozammel will be honoured at the OACETT 2019 Provincial Honours and Awards Gala on November 8.

Meet Iswarya, a SIRT marketing assistant and recent graduate of the Marketing Management program. In her co-op experience, Iswarya was able to combine her foundational business knowledge with her creativity and passion for the arts.