2022-10-05 – Newsroom

Peer tutoring project IndigeStem was a finalist at the provincial Forces AVENIR gala

The student-led peer tutoring project IndigeSTEM was a finalist at the 6th edition of the provincial Forces AVENIR gala under the Society, communication and education category.

Dawson students Rotshennón:ni Two-Axe and Kayla Spencer-Young came up with the idea to encourage and support their fellow Indigenous students who may be interested in pursuing studies in Science. The project, which won them the local Forces AVENIR award, tackles discrepancies in the access to resources between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Aside from providing academic support, the students also organize cultural and scientific activities.

Forces AVENIR recognizes, honours and promotes student involvement in projects that contribute to the development of conscious, responsible, active and persevering citizens who are both rooted in their community and open to the world.

Read more about the project.

Watch the full recording of the event.

Awards Office

Do you know any outstanding students?

REMINDER:

The Awards Office is accepting nominations for the following awards:

David Oliver Award – 1 recipient of $500

This award is offered by the Association of Dawson Professionals in memory of David Oliver. David was a beloved member of the Student Services staff who died at a young age and is fondly remembered by his colleagues and the students whose lives he touched. The award is given to a second- or third-year student in good academic standing, who shows great promise in leadership, and who best exemplifies a sense of responsibility and integrity within student activities. Dawson College faculty or staff members can nominate students for this award.

Harry Fainsilber Memorial Award – 1 recipient of $500

This award was established by the Fainsilber family in memory of the late Harry Fainsilber, a beloved Mathematics teacher at Dawson. The Harry Fainsilber Memorial Award is given to a second-year female student who, during her first year, has demonstrated perseverance and determination in the field of Mathematics. Faculty of the Mathematics Department can nominate students for this award.

For more details visit https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/awards-scholarships/nominate/

#DawsonProud

CRLT Faculty Simeon Pompey recognized by MP Marc Garneau in House of Commons

For those of us who know Simeon Pompey, a faculty member of CRLT, it should not come as a surprise that we are not the only ones who recognize and treasure him. Liberal Member of Parliament for NDG-Westmount Marc Garneau recognized Pompey as a "distinguished teacher, community leader, and father."

This statement commended Simeon for his years of dedication to the community in NDG.

Watch M. Garneau's statement.

#DawsonProud, Academic News, Events

Reservation system for Open House is now open

Dawson’s 2022 Open House will be a blend of in-person experiences at the College by reservation only and online information sessions open to all.

For the in-person events, prospective students are required to reserve their spot in a Program Experience and/or Campus Tour, which are taking place on Sunday, Oct. 23.

Dawson’s reservation system opens Wednesday, Oct. 5 here and spots are limited. Each student may register for up to two program experiences and one campus tour. Due to limited capacity, students may only bring one guest.

For more details click on Read More.

Events, In the news/in social media, Learning opportunities

Acclaimed Author Neil Smith will be at Dawson on Oct. 20

Montreal writer Neil Smith will read from his darkly comic new novel Jones on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. in room 5B.16, with a special opening act—a Dawson student reading from their creative work.

This event is free and open to the public.

Communications Office, From the Director General, Well-being for all

Coffee for faculty during World Teachers’ Day

Last week Dawson celebrated Support Staff Appreciation week, and October 5 is World Teachers’ Day. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize the vital contribution of teachers and to thank them for their dedication and their commitment to the education of our students. As a sign of appreciation, Director General Diane Gauvin offered a cup of coffee and cookies to all of Dawson’s teachers on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Thank you to our outstanding faculty!

#DawsonProud, Decolonization, Peace Centre

Recap from Peace Week

Peace Week 2022 started off once again with the launch of Dawson Dining, a yearly collaboration with the Dawson Student Union and the Peace Centre prior to the pandemic. This has been one of the signature events of Peace Week, and it was thrilling to revive it once more!

Read the full recap from organizer Diana Rice.

Post Humanities and Public Life Conference reception is on Oct. 6

After a 2-year Covid-induced hiatus, the Humanities and Public Life Conference came back in force this year with a record number of professionals coming to share their insights on how the questions and skills they learned in humanities courses fit into their work. The theme was Crisis, Conflict, and Resolution, and over the span of the strike-shortened week, over 2,000 students attended 20 different presentations.

There will be a reception for the conference (originally scheduled for Sept. 23) this Thursday, Oct. 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the CoLab. Refreshments will be served!

Read the conference recap by co-organizers Daniel Goldsmith and Sean Elliott.

#DawsonProud, Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery

Anna Williams’ Unquiet Mythologies

Anna Williams is a visual artist based in Odawa/Ottawa. Her first Montreal exhibition, An Unquiet Mythology, features bronze sculptures and complex prints on view at the Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery until Oct. 22. On a recent Thursday evening, two visual arts students, Ella Gauthier and Alessandro Ruvo were given the chance to ask Anna (she/they) a few questions.

Click Read More for the full interview.

Dawson Talent

Dawson Horror Studies Collective presents ‘Deep Cuts’: A screening and discussion of John Carpenter’s ‘THE THING’

The second Dawson Horror Studies Collective (DHSC) "Deep Cuts" screening, celebrating 40 years of John Carpenter's The Thing, will be on Thursday, 6 Oct. in the Dawson Amphitheatre (4C.1) from 6 pm to 9:30 pm.

Critically derided as too over-the-top and gory when it was released in June of 1982 (one week after the release of Spielberg's friendlier smash-hit E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial), The Thing has since been reassessed as a masterpiece of cosmic horror and existential dread. The film's themes around pandemic paranoia were resonant in its time, with the HIV/AIDs crisis claiming lives, and continue to be so now.

The event will be hosted by Jay Shea and Kristopher Woofter (English Faculty), with a short lecture preceding the screening, and a discussion to follow. The event is free and open to the public.

Dawson Professional Theatre

The Professional Theatre program at Dawson presents ‘Collaborators’

Inspired by historical fact, Collaborators is a surreal fantasy where dissident Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov is coerced to write a play for Joseph Stalin. When Bulgakov and Stalin make an unlikely friendship, Bulgakov must confront his own corruption.

Collaborators is a dark comedy about the impossible choices facing any artist in a dictatorship. Performed by the second-year students and directed by Matt Holland.

Opens tonight!

Runs from October 5-8

8 pm

Pay what you can. Suggested donation $5.

Academic News, Professional Development

Oct. 14 Ped Day Keynote Speaker: Roger Azevedo, Ph.D.

Ped Day will be held on Oct. 14^th. The schedule will be available shortly.

Dr. Azevedo is a Professor in the School of Modeling Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida. He is also an affiliated faculty in the Departments of Computer Science and Internal Medicine at the University of Central Florida and the lead scientist for the Learning Sciences Faculty Cluster Initiative. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from McGill University and completed his postdoctoral training in Cognitive Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. His main research area includes examining the role of cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and motivational self-regulatory processes during learning with advanced learning technologies (e.g., intelligent tutoring systems, hypermedia, multimedia, simulations, serious games, immersive virtual learning environments). He has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and refereed conference proceedings in the areas of educational, learning, cognitive, educational, and computational sciences. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the recipient of the prestigious Early Faculty Career Award from the National Science Foundation.

Ped Day is presented by the Dawson College Human Resources Department, and supported by the Office of Academic Development.

Well-being for all

2023 CBC Black Changemakers series now accepting nominations!

Back for its third year, the Black Changemakers series from CBC Quebec aims to recognize Black individuals in Quebec whose efforts are having a meaningful impact and, at the same time, inspiring others. They are seeking everyday people who have attempted to do things in a different way and have demonstrated the will to act.

Nominees can be artists, creators, health-care workers, educators, entrepreneurs, community organizers, and anyone in between.

Self-nominations are welcome!

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 30. The nomination form is here.

For an idea of what has happened in the past, here are the links to see all of their 2021 and 2022 featured changemakers.

Please spread the word!

Ian MacKenzie and Doug Smyth on experiential outdoor ed

Two members of our Dawson faculty, Ian MacKenzie of English and Doug Smith of Physical Education, have contributed an article to a book about experiential outdoor education.

The book is entitled Ecopedagogies: Practical Approaches to Experiential Learning. It is a look at a range of creative approaches that can be used by faculty across disciplines to show students how to use and access nature - something that has become increasingly important in our post-COVID world and in the face of environmental crisis.

Each of the chapters was written by faculty at different types of academic institutions, including private and public universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges and CEGEPS. The chapter co-authored by Ian and Doug is entitled Nature Revisited. It covers the interesting subject of Ecopedagogy in an English–Physical Education Learning Community.

For more information about the book and their chapter, visit https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003221807/ecopedagogies-ellen-bayer-judson-byrd-finley

Sustainability

Honey extraction workshop Oct. 14

Time to reap the fruit of our labour with this very hands-on honey extraction workshop. A beekeeper will assist you over the course of this fun-filled hour as you uncap honeycomb cells, hand-spin honeycombs in the centrifugal extractor, and filter the raw honey before jarring and labelling it all! This event takes places on Oct. 14 at 12 p.m. Contact the Sustainability office sustainability@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for
more info and to RSVP your spot. Spaces are limited!

Dawson Remembers

In Memorium Jim Graham

We regret to inform you that former Dawson Mathematics faculty Jim Graham passed away recently.

Jim, a native of Los Angeles, moved to Montreal in 1968 and began teaching at Dawson in 1973 after completing his PhD in Mathematics at McGill. The former coordinator of the Commerce profile was not only passionate about Dawson and the students but was famous for his backyard garden at his home in NDG and brewing his own beer and wine. His special green beer for St. Patrick’s Day was enjoyed by all who sampled it.

Read Jim's obituary.

DawsonITE

DawsonITE Newsletter # 566

DawsonITE is your curated news related to IT and Education prepared by Dawson's Rafael Scapin. In this issue:

The Future of Learning Technology: 10 Key Tools and Methods
Moodle Gains Text-to-Speech Integration
8 Free Alternatives to Photoshop Everyone Should Try At Least Once

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022