Ushering in a new era for Sheridan

Congratulations Class of 2016

Convocation is always an exciting time at Sheridan, but this year's was especially memorable. Sheridan’s inaugural Chancellor, former Mississauga Mayor, Hazel McCallion, presided over 2016 Convocation ceremonies which saw more than 7,800 students graduate, ready to make their mark in the fields of the arts, business, community service, applied health and technology fields. Convocation ceremonies took place from June 6 to 9 at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.

A variety of distinguished speakers also addressed the graduates over the course of Convocation week, including Nathan Buhler (Architectural Technology, 2007), Co-founder, BLDG Workshop; Alan Dick (Business Administration – Marketing, 1981), Senior VP of Strategy, Jacobs Engineering; Randy Pilon (Business, 1982), President & CEO, Virox Technologies; and Zaib Shaikh (Theatre and Drama Studies, 1997), Film Commissioner & Director of Entertainment Industries, City of Toronto.

Retired Faculty receive Professor Emeritus designation

Sheridan also honoured some of its own with the Professor Emeritus designation which is awarded to exemplary retired faculty members. This year’s recipients were David Nowell of the Pilon School of Business, and Paul Toms of the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology. Read more below about these former faculty members who have made an impact on the lives of so many Sheridan alumni.

David Nowell: Marketing coach extraordinaire

David Nowell retired in June, 2013 after 28 years as a Professor of Marketing at Sheridan. Over the course of his career, he achieved a number of notable ‘firsts’. David was one of the first faculty to truly embrace the online world, building online courses and incorporating online activities in class, well before other faculty had considered the possibilities of this new environment. Over a period of 20 years, David coached students to numerous awards at the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC), and he himself was presented with an Award of Excellence by OCMC for his contributions. He also led the organization of the first Sheridan-hosted OCMC in 1996. David earned praise from his colleagues for his exceptional generosity in sharing material he developed for course curriculum or extracurricular activities. As a mentor, he was always available to provide advice or feedback to assist others in the development of their teaching practice. David was also a strong advocate for students, serving as an academic advisor in both full-time and continuing education. His focus was always directed to enhancing the learning experience and supporting student success.

Paul Toms: Shaping Sheridan’s technology programs

Paul Toms joined Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Science and Technology in the fall of 1990. In his 25 years with Applied Computing, he was pivotal in the development of new programs, the revitalization of curriculum, the mentorship of new faculty, and the oversight of course development and evaluation – in short, a pillar of the Applied Computing faculty. Paul’s foresight into the future of computing was instrumental in identifying trends in technology that allowed Applied Computing to adopt and develop new curricula that has shaped the courses of today. An advocate for change, Paul was often at the centre of academic debate on both curriculum content and methods of delivery. His leadership was not limited to the Faculty, but also included working with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, serving as both faculty mentor and course outline advisor. Paul was an exemplary citizen of Sheridan in his role of faculty, mentor, advisor and senator.