#SenecaProud

Hey I'm Pat Perdue and I want to introduce you to my latest podcast. This one is a co-production between my company, YCASTR, and Seneca College, in Toronto. Seneca College is a really great school. I know, because over the past couple of years I've been teaching some marketing and customer service courses there. People come to study at Seneca from all over the world which makes it a hotbed of innovative thinking. And a big part of that thinking is driven by our amazing faculty, many of whom are, well, like me, professionals who are thriving in their own businesses, and teach at Seneca as a way to share their passion for what they do. Needless to say I've been hugely inspired by the people I've met. And what happens when I get inspired? Well, apparently I launch a podcast. So, here we are! Welcome to #SenecaProud Where I get to introduce YOU to some of Seneca College's amazing faculty. So subscribe, download, and join me, as we meet some of the super inspiring folks who teach here at Seneca College, in Toronto. I'm Pat Perdue, and I'm glad you're here today.

Season 5, Episode 9: Season 5 In Review: Discovering Our Potential; Recovering our Dreams 06/13/2023

Season 5, Episode 8: Seneca Professor, and Fashion Sustainability Expert, Dr. Sabine Weber 05/29/2023

Season 5, Episode 8: Seneca Professor, and Fashion Sustainability Expert, Dr. Sabine Weber About Today's Show Welcome to episode 8, Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! Question: What do you do with the clothes you no longer wear? If you're like me, you try to donate them when you can, but what if they're tattered? For me, I probably throw them into the garbage, which of course goes straight to the landfill. Turns out, textile waste is a big problem, both globally, and in Canada as well. Here are some statistics, courtesy of Earth.org: 92 Million Tonnes of Textiles Waste is Produced Every Year - which is the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes ending up in a landfill site every second. The number of times a garment is worn is now between 7 to 10 times before it is discarded. To produce 1 kg of cotton requires 20,000 litres of water, and producing a single t-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water. Clearly this is a serious problem, and our guest in today's show is not only a Seneca Professor, she is also one of Canada's formost experts on the topic, Dr. Sabine Weber. In this show we talk about her Dumpster Study, funded by Seneca's Applied Research Fund. And.... In this episode we also learn: How serious the problem is in Canada The opportunity for entrepreneurs to solve the supply chain challenges, so that garmets can be recycled more easily What we can do to help reduce our textile waste So much more! About our Guest, Dr. Sabine Weber Sabine Weber has been teaching at Seneca Polytechnic since 2016, in the school of fashion, where she teaches in all three fashion programs: Fashion Business & Fashion Business Management, Fashion Arts and Fashion Studies. Prior to coming to Canada, Sabine began her career in Germany and later in Switzerland, where as a fasion buyer she oversaw a purchasing budget of over $250 million per year. Currently, Sabine’s research topics are sustainable fashion, textile waste, and social innovation. Sabine’s main interest is how social innovation can help to transition the fashion industry towards sustainability. Her particular focus is textile waste and a circular fashion system. And along with her students, she completed what became known as the Dumpster Dive study, which was funded by Seneca’s Applied Research Fund. We touch on that study in our conversation. Sabine hold both a Master’s Degree, and a PhD from the University of Waterloo. This description of Sabine only scratches the surface of Sabine’s accomplishments in the area of textile waste and sustainable fashion. Suffice it to say, Sabine is one of, if not number one, expert on this topic, in Canada. And she teaches right here at Seneca! Pretty cool. Important Links Read more on the Dumpster Dive Studey To read more about the global issue of textiles, click This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26974683

Season 5, Episode 7: Seneca Graduate, and Queen's Park Bureau Chief for Global News, Colin D'Mello 05/09/2023

Season 5, Episode 7: Seneca Graduate, and Queen's Park Bureau Chief for Global News, Colin D'Mello About Today's Show Welcome to episode 7, Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! Today's episode features Seneca College graduate Colin D'Mello, who is also the Queen's Park Bureau Chief for Global News. As Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Colin is responsible for gathering and reporting on our provincial leaders, and holding them accountable on our behalf, which often means asking the tough questions. This episode is a master's class in how determination, positive self-criticism, and focus can combine to transform raw talent into genuine success. In this episode we also learn: How to build your career strategically How competition in your field can make you stronger if you pay attention and learn from it. The value of giving back to your community So much more! About our Guest, Colin D'Mello Colin D’Mello is one of Ontario’s most prominent political journalists. Colin is the Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for Global News. After graduating from the broadcast journalism program at Seneca College, Colin began his career as a radio reporter in Moncton, New Brunswick before returning to Ontario. He helped launch 1310 News in Ottawa and later reported for 680 News in Toronto. In 2011, Colin moved to television broadcasting, beginning a long run at CTV News where he most recently served as their Queen’s Park Bureau Chief. For the last few years he has also held the role of President of the Queen’s Park Press Gallery, advocating for journalists and helping to manage the relationship between newsrooms in Ontario and the provincial legislature. In addition to his Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Duties, Colin also currently works as a guest lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University, is married and has two children. To Contact Colin Directly, DM him on Twitter: Colin's Twitter Handle: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26786697

Season 5, Episode 6: Mary Trant, Jamie Zeppa, and Erin Dolmage, on their Award Winning Roundtables 04/25/2023

Season 5, Episode 6: Mary Trant, Jamie Zeppa, and Erin Dolmage, on their Award Winning Roundtables About Today's Show Welcome to episode 6, Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! In this episode, I speak with three professors who have created a regular, weekly online roundtable that has proven to be something quite special. Borne out of the need for connection we all felt during the COVID lockdowns, these weekly roundtables have become an opportunity for Seneca Faculty of the Arts to connect, share common experiences as educators, and simply hold space for each other, and for themselves, and as such have become tremendously popular. In this episode we learn how the professors manage to do week after week, what they talk about, and how you might want to set up one such forum for your workplace, department, or for whatever group you have in mind. And fun fact, our guests today are each bronze recipients of the CICan (Colleges and Institutes Canada) Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty as a result of the positive contribution their Roundtables have provided. In this episode we also talk about: The key difference between a meeting, and a Roundtable (ca you guess?) How ChatGPT is impacting the teaching landscape Best practices to help YOU can start your own weekly online Roundtable Lots more! About our Guests, Erin Dolmage, Mary Trant, Jamie Zeppa, and Erin Dolmage Erin Dolmage is a Professor in the Seneca @York School of English and Liberal Studies, Faculty of Arts and a Ph.D. Candidate in History at York University in Toronto. She had done extensive work with the Métis in British Columbia, working with Elders and Family History researchers. She co-authored a chapter in the edited collection Contours of a People. She collaborated on “Bodies of Water, Not Bodies of Women: Canadian Media Images of the Idle No More Movement” in Active History. For Seneca Press, alongside her students, she collaborated on A Celebration of Indigenous Culture at Seneca. She was an editorial consultant on the book Two Dead White Men - Duncan Campbell Scott, Jacques Soustelle and the Failure of Indigenous Policy, 2022. Erin has been co-hosting a weekly roundtable for the Faculty of Arts alongside Mary Trant and Jamie Zeppa and has been acting as the Academic Integrity Chair for Seneca York King since 2022. Mary Trant has been faculty at Seneca since 1990, and currently teaches General Education courses in the School of English and Liberal Studies at Newnham campus. Her favourite Gen.Ed. courses to teach are the Psychology of Creativity, the Psychology of Happiness, Group Dynamics, and Brain and Behaviour. Jamie Zeppa has taught writing and literature at Seneca since 2004. During her time at the college, she worked with colleagues to develop curriculum for the University of Centra Asia. She also helped to develop COM 101, the composition course taken by most Seneca students, and is engaged in a research project assessing the transfer of writing skills from COM to other courses. Before Seneca, she worked as a freelance writer and editor and taught corporate communications. She has written a memoir (Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan) and a novel (Every Time We Say Goodbye), both published by Penguin Random House Canada. This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26647566

Season 5, Episode 5: Winston Stewart - Seneca Alumnus, CEO of Wincon Security 04/12/2023

Season 5, Episode 5: Winston Stewart - Seneca Alumnus, CEO of Wincon Security About Today's Show Welcome to episode 5, Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! I have a question for you. Have you ever been set on a life-plan, and then something happens outside of your control, or maybe someone whispers something in your ear, which causes you to fully reconsider your plan, and pivot to a different life direction? What do you do? Do you decide to take the risk, and pivot to that new direction? Or do you cling to your original plan that doesn’t make as much sense as it once might have? In this episode we meet Seneca Alumnus and CEO of Wincon Security, Winston Stewart, who was faced with that question 30 years ago and decided to take the risk and follow the new direction. The result was the creation of Wincon Security, which has grown into one of Canada's most successful privately owned security companies. In this episode we also talk about: The keys to running and growing a successful business. The importance of seizing the moment, and going for it. The role Seneca College played in Winston's direction in life. Lots more! About our Guest, Winston Stewart Winston Stewart has over 30 years of experience in the security industry. While a still a student of Seneca College in their police services program, Winston recognized the rising need for security in the private sector, and the opportunities in private policing, and launched Wincon Security in 1992 at the suggestion of his professor at Seneca College. Starting, the way many start-ups do, with a single client who believed in him, and a single employee, Wincon Security is now a multimillion-dollar organization, employing over 250 people with over 100 clients. The Wincon Vision is to make security a worry-free experience, one that enables their clients to focus on what matters most: their organization’s growth and success. Winston has created a nurturing workplace culture driven by their employees’ insights and ideas, where engagement and long-term client partnerships set us apart from the competition. And it all began at Seneca College. Winston is a proponent of equity and diversity and is committed to creating policies, strategic plans, and programs that contribute to our multicultural society. Important Links and Contact Information Click This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26518734

Season 5, Episode 4: Neil Hetherington - CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, on what each of us can do to end food insecurity 03/28/2023

Season 5, Episode 4: Neil Hetherington - CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, on what each of us can do to end food insecurity About Today's Show Welcome to episode 4 Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! In this episode our guest, Neil Hetherington, Seneca graduate, and CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, talks about how each of us can take steps to help end food insecurity in Toronto, and across Canada. In this episode Neil shares his journey from student at Seneca College, to the youngest CEO in the history of Habitat for Humanity in Toronto and New York, and then to his role as CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank. In this episode we also talk about: How the need for food banks in general has increased dramatically in Canada, and specifically in Toronto The key steps each of us can take to help end food insecurity in Toronto: Sending an email to any elected official asking them to implement their poverty reduction strategy. Dropping food off at any Fire Station in the city of Toronto. The Daily Bread Food Bank will come an pick it up for distribution. Helping out as a volunteer at the Daily Bread Food Bank. Becoming more aware of the root causes of food insecurity by listening to the Daily Bread Food Bank's podcast, called the 2030 Project, which you can find Neil also shares how his experience as a student of Seneca College helped shape his journey as a leader in the the not-for-profit sector, and how being rewarded by mission, rather than money, has shaped his career. About our Guest, Neil Hetherington Neil Hetherington is the CEO of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. Previously he was the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Toronto and New York City for 16 years. He holds degrees or certificates from Huron University, Seneca College, Harvard Business School and the University of Virginia - Darden Business School and his MBA from UWO Ivey Business School. Neil was named one of Canada's Top 40 under 40 in 2005. He has received the distinguished alumni of the year awards from each of Huron University, Royal Saint George's College, Western University and Seneca College. He was awarded Queen Elizabeth's Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals in 2002 and 2012. In 2018 he was awarded the Premiers Award for Outstanding Ontario College graduates for excellence in business. Important Links and Contact Information Click here for the Click here for their podcast, the Click here for the email address of your local for your email asking about their poverty reduction strategy. Click here to find your This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26368278

Season 5, Episode 3: Isabel Kanaan - Co-Creator and Star of OMNI's "Abroad" TV Show 03/14/2023

Season 5, Episode 3: Isabel Kanaan - Co-Creator and Star of OMNI's "Abroad" TV Show About Today's Show Welcome to episode 3 Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! In this episode of the #SenecaProud podcast, we talk TikTok, TV, and chasing your dreams with Seneca College graduate Isabel Kanaan. Isabel shares her story of moving to Canada from the Philippines when she was a teenager, and what it was like to have to finish out her final year in high school in a completely new country. And while she dreamed of going into entertainment in the Philippines, the thought of her realizing that dream in Canada seemed like a more of a fantasy - until she enrolled in the Acting for Camera and Voice Programme at Seneca College. And the rest, as they say, is history. In this episode we also talk about: What it's like as a child of immigrant parents to pursue a career that's not "easy to define." How the multicultural, diverse aspect of the TV show "Abroad," filmed both in English and in Tagalog, has an impact on people beyond the Filipino community. How important it is to pursue the career to you love. About the TV Show, "Abroad" "Abroad" is a weekly comedy sketch show about life as seen through the eyes of Isabel Kanaan, in her experience as a Canadian. Abroad is filmed bi-lingually, in both English and Tagalog. In its second season, Abroad will be starting in May, on on the OMNI television network. Check your television listings for showtimes. About our Guest, Isabel Kanaan Isabel Kanaan is a Filipina-Canadian actor, comedian, and writer best known for OMNI’s Abroad. She was on CBC’s Air Farce (a legendary comedy show), TFC’s BRGY, and MYX’s News Hotlist. She was awarded the NBC Universal Bob Curry Fellowship, the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, one of NOW Toronto’s breakthrough stage artists, and was nominated for a Premier’s Award for her expeditious achievements in theatre, film, and TV. Also, what you will learn from our interview is that it was her time at Seneca College that re-ignited her passion for acting, and made so much of her success possible. In addition to Abroad, selected TV Credits: Overlord and the Underwoods (Nickelodeon), The Good Witch (Hallmark), Nurses (NBC), Hudson & Rex (City TV), Holly Hobbie (Hulu). Isabel is also popular on Social Media, where on Tiktok her humorous style of storytelling has over 180k followers and nearly 6 million likes. Important Links and Contact Information Click Click Click This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26227524

Season 5, Episode 2: Shahrzad Farzinpak - Creating Business Leaders for a Sustainable Future 02/28/2023

Season 5, Episode 2: Shahrzad Farzinpak - Creating Business Leaders for a Sustainable Future About Today's Show Welcome to episode 2 Season 5 of #SenecaProud Podcast! In this episode we talk about sustainability, and Seneca's role as a signatory in the UN Global initiative known as PRME. PRME is an acronym that stands for "Principles for Responsible Management Education." The mandate of PRME is to bring the concept of sustainability into every management classroom, regardless of the subject. Our guest in today's episode, Shahrzad Farzinpak, is not only the Chair of the School of Human Resources and Global Business, Sharhzad also leads Seneca's efforts in this crucial global initiative. Also in this episode, we also talk about: 1. The meaning of "Triple Bottom Line," and how business leaders of the future will consider more than just financial profits as they grow their businesses. 2. How Seneca students and faculty alike can include sustainability as an ongoing aspect of their daily assignments and class conversations. 3. How Shahrzad's experience prior to joining Seneca in 2014 influences and informs her current work as head of Seneca's PRME Initiative About Today's Guest, Shahrzad Farzinpak Shahrzad’s Seneca Business journey started in 2014 and since then she served in different roles and has been involved in a number of projects including expansion of academic partnerships within and outside Canada, the development of many block transfer pathways that recognize business diploma studies for students moving into the Hons. Bachelor degrees, and the development and implementation of the Seneca Business transformation plan. In addition to all of that, Shahrzad is also the Seneca College head of a global initiative called PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), which is a UN Initiative to bring the concept of sustainability into every management classroom, regardless of the subject, rather than having sustainability limited to, say, environmental courses, or energy courses. Before beginning her journey with Seneca in 2014, Shahrzad was a FT consultant in Iran, working on a range of projects related to sustainable urban development and socio-environmental impact assessments of large-scale infrastructure developments, and taught part-time in , a public university in Tehran, Iran. Shahrzad also hold a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Tehran. About PRME PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007. As a platform to raise the profile of sustainability in schools around the world, PRME equips today's business students with the understanding and ability to deliver change tomorrow. Important Links and Contact Information United Nations PRME Website: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/26081052

Season 5, Episode 1: President David Agnew - The Future is Now 02/14/2023

Season 5, Episode 1: President David Agnew - The Future is Now About Today's Show Welcome to the first episode of #SenecaProud Season 5! As in previous seasons, we launch Season 5 with an interview with Seneca College President, David Agnew. There's a lot that's changed in the year or so since President Agnew was on the podcast. While last year we were still in lock-down, this year, in-person classes are in full swing, students and teachers fill the hallways, and students are studying in the libraries. But it's definitely not the same as it was pre-pandemic. Technology has transformed much of the student administrative experience, and many more of our classes are completely flexible. And that's most definitely not all. Also in this episode, we also talk about: 1. How the Apple Store shopping experience inspired the Seneca registration experience, making it much more efficient and easy to navigate. 2. The 3 Year Strategic Plan embraces the Polytechnic side of Seneca. 3. The roll ChatGPT, and other AIs, might play in our daily lives in the very near future. About Today's Guest, President David Agnew David Agnew has been Seneca College President since July 2009, and under his leadership, Seneca has experienced record growth in enrollment and expanded its offerings in both undergraduate and graduate programs, and continues to be a national leader in innovation in education in Canada, and globally. One of the largest colleges in Canada, Seneca is growing its applied research, broadening international and corporate partnerships, investing in capital expansion and adopting an innovative academic direction to increase experiential, cross-disciplinary and flexible learning opportunities. Mr. Agnew was Secretary to the Cabinet and head of the public service in the Government of Ontario, Canada from 1992 to 1995 after serving as Principal Secretary to the Premier. In 1995, he led the Public-Private Partnerships Project and was seconded to Massey College at the University of Toronto where he was a Senior Resident. He was the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, the first head of the organization recruited from outside the international development sector. As Principal for the consulting firm Digital 4Sight, he led the firm’s global research initiative on Governance in the Digital Economy, an exploration of the impact of technology on government and democracy. In the co-operative sector, he was the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. Mr. Agnew was the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, the national dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses. Mr. Agnew’s working life started in high school as a newspaper reporter in Toronto and he continued his journalism career in St. John’s, Ottawa and Edmonton. He was the gold medallist when he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a B.A. in political science. Following his studies, he was a Parliamentary Intern at the House of Commons of Canada. In 2012, Mr. Agnew received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the community. Important Links and Contact Information To learn what the fuss is about with ChatGPT, click For more on the Au Large Program, click All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/25926006

Season 4, Episode 10: Season 4 in Review 04/05/2022

Season 4, Episode 9: Wai Chu Cheng, and Courtney Hayes, Sustainable Seneca 03/22/2022

Season 4, Episode 9: Wai Chu Cheng, and Courtney Hayes, Sustainable Seneca Seneca College recognizes the importance of making sustainable choices in everything we do, from food services, to construction projects, to how Seneca keeps its sidewalks safe for walking during the winter, and even to curriculum design. To help formalize the processes for making sustainable choices, Seneca College has created the newly established Office of Sustainability. Working with curriculum planners, procurement, professors, and more, the Office of Sustainability provides consultation and guidance so that sustainability can truly be part of every decision Seneca College makes. The guests on today's show work directly with Operations, and with Academic, to help keep Sustainability top of mind in every aspect of life at Seneca College. Also in this episode we: 1. Get to meet our amazing guests, Wai Chu Cheng, Sustainability Specialist Academic and Courtney Hayes, Sustainability Specialist Operations. 2. Discover how Wai Chu and Courtney will approach such a large task 3. Gain insight into the newly created Office of Sustainability, which is poised to put Seneca at the leading edge of sustainable institutions in Canada. 4. Lots more! About today's guests, Courtney Hayes, and Wai Chu Cheng Courtney Hayes Courtney Hayes is the Sustainability Specialist in the Operations Department of the new Office of Sustainability. And on the day this podcast is published. She will have been in her role an entire month. Courtney has a BA in environmental and urban sustainability and her master's degree in sustainable management from the University of Toronto. Courtney also has experience in environmental consulting for clients in the IC and AI, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors to achieve environmental certifications, perform audits and reports and carry out engagement projects like internal trainings, webinars and events. Fun fact, Courtney is also a worm mom. She has a vermi compost bin in her front closet at home! Wai Chu Cheng Wai Chu is the Sustainability Specialist in the Academic Department of the Office of Sustainability and has been in that role for a very short time, just a few days when we recorded this podcast, but brings with her a wealth of experience in this space. Wai Chu has been named by Canadian living as one of its 10 Amazing Canadians making the world a cleaner, greener place, and is the co founder of one of Canada's longest running repair cafes called the repair cafe with over 800 volunteers. The repair Cafe diverted nearly 3000 household items from landfills in 2019. Wai Chu was also Sustainability Coordinator at Sheridan College from 2013 to 2022. YG was nominated for the 2020 shared and people award purple ribbon category for purposeful creativity, and was also nominated as a Mission Zero hero last year, as well. A project Wai Chu led involving transforming to sites filled with popcorn into pollinator friendly gardens, was a national finalist for nature inspiration awards 2021 by Canadian Museum of Nature, Wai Chu has a master's degree in environmental studies, and a second master's degree in education. In Wai Chu’s own words, “My passion comes from my love for the natural world, and the local and global community. I am part of.” Keeping Up to Date on COVID-19 For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/22532840

Season 4, Episode 8: Professors Tatiana Mighiu, and Raghad Kamel Discuss Flex Learning 03/09/2022

Season 4, Episode 8: Professors Tatiana Mighiu, and Raghad Kamel Discuss Flex Learning About Today's Show One of the big changes that’s happening at Seneca College is the teaching modality. While traditional classes have all been in person, and during COVID classes have just about entirely been online, as we return to Seneca we have more options. One of those options is called Flex, or HyFlex. In this kind of class, the professor will always conduct the class in a classroom, and students can either attend the class in person, view the class online, or watch the recorded class whenever that works for them. Today's show focuses on how Flex classes really look (since many of us will be experiencing them) Also in this episode we talk about: 1. What setting up a Flex classroom really looks like 2. Some of the technology challenges that have been overcome 3. The benefits of Flex and in-person instruction. 4. So much more.... More about Today's Guests, Professors Tatiana Mighiu, and Raghad Kamel TATIANA MIGHIU teaches in the Opticianry Diploma Program at Seneca College. Among her course are Introduction to Optics, Eyeglass Dispensing Lab and Contact Lens Theory I & II and Contact Lens Lab I & II courses. Professor Mighiu is also the Opticianry Diploma Program Coordinator. Professor Mighiu earned her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Romania, and then furthered her education at Seneca, in the Opticianry Diploma Program. We are also joined by Professor Raghad Kamel, who teaches a variety of courses in the School of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Technology. Professor Kamel received her Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science at the University of Baghdad in Iraq, and then earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Ryerson University here in Toronto. Keeping Up to Date on COVID-19 For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/22386761

Season 4, Episode 7: Randy Pitawanakwat - FirstPeoples@Seneca Faculty and Co-Facilitator, Skoden 02/23/2022

Season 4, Episode 7: Randy Pitawanakwat - FirstPeoples@Seneca Faculty and Co-Facilitator, Skoden About Today's Show In today's show we talk about Skoden, which is not only an Anishenawbe word that means, “Let’s go, then!” It’s also the name of a 12 week program at Seneca for faculty to begin to understand how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into their course materials. The Skoden course is an intense 12 weeks, co-facilitated by our guest, and others from the Indigenous community at Seneca College, who share personal stories, colonial history, treaty history, and ultimately our collective shared history as treaty partners. Also in this episode we talk about: 1. A couple of great Indigenous podcasts - , and . 2. The value of personal history and lived experience in understanding our own unique contribution to the lives of others. 3. Our guest's own journey from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation, to Faculty member at Seneca College. 4. So much more.... Let me tell you about today’s guest. More about Today's Guest, Randy Pitawanakwat Randy Pitawanakwat is a faculty member at Seneca College who works out of Odeyto, First Peoples’ at Seneca. Randy co-facilitates two professional development courses, Skoden and Stoodis (Stoodis, as you’ll hear, is the follow-up portion of Skoden) They’re offered through the Teaching and Learning department of Odeyto. Randy is from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation. Previously, Randy worked with the Indigenous community in the Toronto area for over 11 years in the social work profession. Much of Randy’s knowledge is a collective of understandings from oral tradition and experiences throughout his life in Wiikwemkoong and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. Some Important Links Click for more information, and to sign up for Skoden (link is for employees of Seneca College) Click for a link to the Odeyto Episode of SenecaProud - Season 2, Episode 4. Click for Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Click for Seven Fallen Feathers, by Tanya Talaga Click for Métis in Space Podcast Click for Storykeepers Podcast Keeping Up to Date on COVID-19 For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/22231322

Season 4, Episode 6: Marianne Marando - Seneca College Vice-President, Academic 02/09/2022

Season 4, Episode 6: Marianne Marando - Seneca College Vice-President, Academic About Today's Show Today's episode takes us behind the scenes of Seneca College, with our guest, Vice-President, Academic, Marianne Marando. In "normal" times, VP Academic is a very tricky role. But these days, with so much change happening, it’s never been trickier, or more important. In this episode we'll hear about how Seneca is continuing to be a leader in providing flexible, accessible education and student experience. Also in this episode we talk about: 1. What will Seneca College look like as we come out of the pandemic. (Pat's looking forward to the food options!) 2. The excellent organization, Blue Door, which supports women, families, and men experiencing homelessness. (click to visit their website) 3. Some behind the scenes insights into the role of Vice-President, Academic. 4. So much more.... More about Today's Guest, Marianne Marando As VP Academic, Marianne Marando recently returned to Seneca after five years at Durham College, where she was Associate Vice-President, Academic. As you’ll hear from our conversation, Marianne started her career in academia at George Brown College, where she became the marketing program coordinator, beforing joining Seneca College as a professor, and coordinator in the School of Marketing. Then she progressed to academic chair positions in the School of International Business, and the Centre for Human Resources and the School of Media and Marketing. Marianne also served as Seneca’s Director of Marketing and Communications, before accepting the role of Executive Dean, School of Business, IT & Management at Durham. She was then appointed Associate Vice-President, Academic, responsible for program review and renewal, capital budgeting, corporate training, international education and the office of the registrar. Marianne holds an honours degree in business administration and an MBA from York University, an adult education certificate from Seneca and is enrolled in the Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership program at Western University. Marianne is also the board chair at Blue Door, a York Region-based provider of emergency housing and housing supports. Blue Door Shelters provides shelter to families, youth, women and men without a safe place to stay. As they say on their website, Homelessness can happen to anyone. It’s an incredible organization that helps people experiencing homelessness and shelter anxiety make the transition to permanent housing, and begin to move forward in their lives. Important Links and Co Blue Door can be reached through their website What does "Macgyver" mean? Check out to find out! Keeping Up to Date on COVID-19 For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts. . While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment. It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening! Pat Perdue /episode/index/show/senecaproudpodcast/id/22077536