Seneca News

May 9, 2019

Seneca employees brought home some coveted accolades this week after winning the 2019 Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Awards of Excellence.

The awards, given out during CICan’s annual conference in Niagara Falls on Monday, recognize best practices from institutions across the country as well as individual leadership and achievements.

Seneca picked up a total of three silvers and one bronze in the following categories:

Since the applied research program began at Seneca in the early 2000s, Seneca ARIE has expanded its activities across all academic areas. The Applied Research Fund, introduced in 2014, has spearheaded new research programs and built research capacity. Also opened in 2014, Seneca’s on-campus entrepreneurship hub HELIX has supported students and community youth in developing innovative ventures at their earliest stages.

Over the last five years, the ARIE team has supported more than 500 companies, resulting in more than 200 collaborative projects and 250 new products, processes and services. As well, 4,200 students have engaged in applied research projects, with the number increasing by 50 per cent year over year for the last three years.

In 2017, Seneca established the Data Analytics Research Centre (DARC), bringing together academic areas such as Applied Science & Engineering Technology, Business, Creative Arts and Design. Through DARC, students and faculty work with industry partners to help them harness the power of data to enhance their competitiveness and productivity.

Seneca welcomes more than 9,000 international students from 150 countries each year. With more than 60 institutional partnerships around the world, Seneca International and the International Mobility Office, in collaboration with academic areas, have developed innovative curriculum development projects, student and faculty exchanges, educational consultancy projects and corporate training opportunities.

Projects and activities such as the Faculty-led Program Abroad have provided students with the opportunity to go beyond the traditional structure of international exchanges while achieving credits and gaining international experience. Other initiatives include the University of Central Asia Internship and the Kenya Education for Employment Program for leadership and management.

As part of Seneca’s ongoing effort to help international students with integration, a virtual orientation was launched in 2017 to prepare them for their arrival in Canada and at Seneca. Once they are here, International Student Services offers a series of ongoing workshops focused on the practical and emotional challenges such as visa, language and health insurance. In addition, to educate members of the Seneca community about global issues, Seneca International hosted its first-ever International Development Week in 2018.

Professor Rose Caruso brings history to life inside and outside the classroom by fostering connections between students and Canadian veterans. Over the years, she has welcomed more than 80 Second World War veterans, Korean war veterans and Holocaust survivors, who have shared their stories first-hand with students in her English and communications classes.

In addition to incorporating interactive remembrance lessons and activities into her teaching and the curriculum, Caruso had a cenotaph erected at Newnham Campus in 2014. In 2016, she received a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation — an honour rarely presented to non-veterans — for her dedication to ensuring the stories of Canadian veterans are told.

Caruso is also recognized within the Seneca community for her exceptional teaching. In 2009, she was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from the School of English & Liberal Studies. She has been recognized by her colleagues for her efforts to centralize online teaching tools for her area, leading the integration of Pearson Canada and McGraw-Hill tools with Blackboard.

Bill Humber, who retired in December 2018, made a sustained and positive impact in the classroom, in the community and on the environment during his 42 years at Seneca. Since 1977, he has served as a program co-ordinator, chair and director, developing and fostering academic programs in environmental restoration, building environmental systems and energy management.

While Humber’s role at Seneca was administrative, he also engaged as a professor and course developer. In addition, as Canada’s premier baseball historian, Humber created a course called Baseball Spring Training. In 2018, he became the first academic researcher to be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 2011, Humber created the Green Citizen initiative at Seneca and became the founding director of the Office of Eco Seneca, an academic initiative within the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering Technology. His commitment to the environment has been a driving force in Seneca’s being recognized as a leader in green citizenship. He remains Co-Chair of the Sustainable Seneca Committee today.