Season 2, Episode 12: Season 2 Finale: Discovering What is Behind #SenecaProud

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the Andrew Wickham, Professor, and Green Citizen Project Manager in FASET (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Technology). What does it mean to be environmentally sustainable?  This is an important question, particularly in light of how we can live our lives as "Green Citizens."  As well, as Seneca College plots a course for the future with the Au Large project, how does sustainability factor into that future?  Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  How incorporating sustainability into our lives doesn't require radical lifestyle changes or major sacrifices. 2.  What is the Green Citizen Symposium, and how can we all get involved (links below!) 3.  What sustainability means for Seneca College 4.  And lots more! About Today's Guest, Professor Andrew Wickham Professor Andrew Wickham is the Green Citizen Project Manager in the faculty of applied science and engineering technology (FACET), where he develops and grows the Green Citizen Programme, which is tasked with embedding the environmental imperative into every program at Seneca College.  In addition to his duties with the Green Citizen Project, Andrew is professor in the project management environmental program, and he actually graduated from that program here at Seneca in 2013, and he is also a member of Seneca college’s Sustainability Committee as part of the Au Large project. Important Links and Contact Information For information on The Green Citizen, and how you can get involved, email Andrew at andrew.wickham@senecacollege.ca The Green Citizen Website can be found here. COVID-19 Updates All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

9 Maalis 202133min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with two guests:  Dr. Frank Merante, Professor & Applied Research Coordinator at Seneca’s School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry; and Chad Leaver, Director of Applied Research in Seneca Innovation. Seneca College, along with Seneca Innovation, and industry partners, are involved in some leading edge applied research that have amazing, practical outcomes that help save lives.  In today’s show, we’ll look at a couple of those innovations, as well as dive into the crucial role Seneca Innovation plays in helping ideas transform into products in the marketplace. Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  Exciting projects that are specifically designed to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic.  2.  What are some of the key ingredients of innovation, and how the absence of spontaneous conversations during the pandemic has impacted innovation. 3.  How students can get involved with Seneca Innovation and participate in world-class, ground breaking research. 4.  Lots more! About Today's Guests Dr. Frank Merante In addition to being Professor & Applied Research Coordinator at Seneca’s School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry, Dr. Merante is also the Principal Scientist for the Seneca Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences (SCILS). Dr. Merante has been instrumental in establishing applied research capabilities at Seneca. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, and has traversed multiple disciplines including biochemistry, molecular biology and human genetics. Dr. Merante was the recipient of Seneca Innovation’s Research Leader of the Year Award in 2020. Dr. Merante was also nominated for his efforts in two applied research projects conducted at Seneca to combat COVID-19. The first project with Kenota Health helped produce three key proteins associated with COVID-19 for use in an immunodiagnostic device. The second project with Giftgowns is working to produce a long-lasting antimicrobial spray to sanitize surfaces. Chad Leaver In addition to his role as Director of Applied Research in Seneca Innovation, Chad has led community, provincial and national research programs focused on the assessment of health system transformation, technology innovation, data asset creation and advanced analytics. Most recently, he led innovation and research partnerships focused on improving health system sustainability and modernization through digital health solutions and virtually enabled models of care. Chad has a Masters of Science in community health and epidemiology ,and an MBA from both Cornell and Queen’s universities. Important Links and Contact Information: The Seneca Innovation website: https://www.senecacollege.ca/innovation.html All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

23 Helmi 202137min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the Professor Caroline Grammer, professor at the Social Service Worker – Gerontology (SSWG) Program. It’s no secret that this pandemic has impacted different people differently.  While some people are experiencing the pandemic in a comfortable home, with easy access to technology and a job we can do remotely, for others, having a reliable Internet connection is a big deal.  But what about the elderly?  Providing even adequate care to that vulnerable segment of the population has often fallen short even in the best of times, but during COVID, it’s worse than ever.  The vast majority of COVID deaths are from our senior community, and conditions in seniors residences are often, quite frankly, horrible.  And what makes it worse is that social workers can’t even make personal wellness visits, so they have to figure out a way to set up video calls, which creates even more challenges to providing good care.  And….what about the care for social workers? As daunting as this story is, there are areas of hope, and a big part of that hope is our guest today, Caroline Grammer. Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  An exciting, city-wide program Seneca College is participating in (and making a significant impact in), through Caroline's leadership, and the participation of her research team. 2.  What we can do to help re-imagine a system of senior-care that actually works. 3.  Fascinating solutions to seniors' care that de-institutionalize how the elderly are cared for. 4.  Lots more! About Today's Guest, Caroline Grammer Caroline Grammer has been a professor at Seneca College for over 15 years, and through her work in the Social Service Worker – Gerontology Program, Caroline has trained legions of social service workers who provide Social Work services specifically to seniors.  In addition to inspiring many in Canada, and globally, in how to improve the care seniors receive, Caroline has dedicated her professional life to helping the most vulnerable.  Prior to Seneca, Caroline worked in a variety of group home settings starting with terminally ill children as support person, adults with dual disorders as a case worker in Toronto, and adults with intellectual and developmental delays in the Vancouver Lower Mainland (VLM).  She became a teaching assistant for at-risk youth in a Richmond, BC, and ultimately began working in the downtown east side of Vancouver, helping people with IV drug addictions, youth suffering from HIV/AIDS, and eventually transitioning to palliative care, supporting patients dying of AIDS.  This was in the ‘90s, and there was really heavy stigma and fear associated with HIV / AIDS, and very little formalized help.  Caroline worked with the underground cannabis network to provide pain relief for patients and clients because cannabis was only method that worked.  She transitioned from clients with AIDS to older adults who remained invisible in institutional settings and began her work to raise awareness and develop palliative programs in Long Term Care homes in Vancouver.  She returned to Toronto and worked briefly as a case worker on a national telephone crisis line before entering Seneca College to teach and hopefully change the system from within.  Caroline is also a practicing psychotherapist, and when she has the time, she circulates through the senior support services agencies and seniors community centres in the city to talk and teach older adults about safe sex and sexuality in older adulthood.  The “toy box” is a favourite among the crowd.  Pre-COVID this was a very popular workshop for both the older adults and continues to be a favourite class for students in the SSWG program. She has been a gerotechnology consultant (one of Canada’s few) for the past 25yrs engaged with global think-tanks on how technology can allow for aging in place.  She designs and implements studies to test industry technology with older adults and run clinical trials on medical grade technology that assists older adults in maintaining or improving their mobility and independence. Most recently, Caroline has been leading Seneca's Social Service Workers -Gerontology Program in participating in a massive, city-wide study on digital access in Toronto and the underserved.  Caroline and her research team are focusing on the seniors community. Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

9 Helmi 202148min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the Dean of Students and Indigenous Education, Mark Solomon. What can Seneca do differently to foster an overarching culture of equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the College?  What are those aspects of the Seneca process that exclude cultures, or genders, or abilities, because those processes evolved without the input of everyone who should have been at the table, so to speak, but weren’t. That's a really big question, and Seneca is tackling it as part of their Au Large project we talked about with President Agnew.  Today's guest, Mark Solomon, has been tasked with leading that initiative to make Seneca College a more inclusive, and equitable, place to study and work.  In today's episode we talk about the initiatives that are underway to turn the vision of a more equitable, and inclusive Seneca College, into a reality. Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  Potential blind spots to people who are different from us, and how we can identify those blind spots. 2.  How the pandemic has impacted people different, particularly based on privilege.  3.  What can we do as individuals to gain more awareness of diversity within our communities? We also asked Mark to create a media playlist!  Here it is: On CBC.ca/gem  - some amazing documentaries and anti-black racism: The film Across the Line tells the real-life story of a young, Black NHL hopeful living in the racially-divided community of Cole Harbour, N.S. in 1989  "Fade Forward" is a short doc that tells the story of the first black-owned barbershop in Newfoundland and Labrador that has become a hub for newcomers in St. John's. Being Black in Toronto features 6 short films. https://gem.cbc.ca/media/absolutely-canadian/being-black-in-toronto/38e815a-0134fafe7df The Skin We are In builds upon the work of Toronto Journalist/Activist Desmond Cole https://gem.cbc.ca/media/firsthand/season-2/episode-14/38e815a-00be178daef On NFB.ca:   Returning to Oshawa and conversations with family about love and relationships. https://www.nfb.ca/film/im-gay/ A short film about gay marriage and divorce https://www.nfb.ca/film/handmade-mountain/ A film about the complexities of escaping war and the immigration experience https://www.nfb.ca/film/far-from-bashar/ Human impact on the world is explored in this “older” film but still powerfully relevant https://www.nfb.ca/film/manufactured_landscapes_edu/ Podcasts by and about Indigenous Creators! Missing and Murdered - Investigative journalist Connie Walker recounts stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Metis in Space - Chelsea Vowel and Molly Swain, both Métis, drink a bottle of wine and review sci fi movies and television shows from a critical Indigenous lens. Thunder Bay -- The highest homicide and hate crime rates in the country. A mayor charged with extortion. A police chief who faced trial for obstruction of justice. Nine tragic deaths of Indigenous high schoolers. Why did it all happen in the same town? About Today's Guest, Mark Solomon Mark Solomon is a proud member of Henvey Inlet First Nation located one hour south of Sudbury, and he’s born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie.  He often claims to be an economic refugee from Northern Ontario living in Toronto.  Mark has two undergraduate degrees from Laurentian University in Music and Native Studies, a MA from Brock University in Social Justice and a MEd from York University.  Mark has held a number of roles at Seneca College and currently serves as the Dean of Students and Indigenous Education.  Mark is also honoured to serve as the President, of his professional association the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).   He is the first Indigenous person to hold that role.  The role Mark is the most proud of, is his role as a father to a 13 year old.  Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

26 Tammi 202131min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the Seneca College Chief Information Officer, Radha Krishnan. Because of the pandemic, just about everything to do with Seneca College is online.  So, whether you’re a student, staff member, or faculty member of Seneca College, you’ve been working with, and benefiting from, the work our guest and his team does.  Whether that's sending an email, logging on to a course, or uploading an assignment, just about everything involves IT.  This episode talks about how how all of that complexity managed, as well as spending time looking at the vision for the future.  Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  How does the IT department work? 2.  How do they handle the tricky component of change management? 3.  And what is Radha most proud of? About Today's Guest, Radha Krishnan As the Chief Information Officer of Seneca college, Radha has over 30 years of  global IT experience in various industries including higher education, non-profit, supply chain, distribution, retail, and lots more.  Radha has diverse experience in architecting, implementing and managing core IT functions in complex, multi stakeholder environments. So what does a CIO do?  Well, simply put, Radha is responsible for digital & technology transformation of Seneca college. In 2013 Radha joined Seneca to lead i3 implementation.  After the successful implementation of i3, he took over the role as Director of Software Solutions, and then assumed the role of Chief Information Officer in Seneca College In 2016.  Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

12 Tammi 202140min

SHOW NOTES Traditional retail has been on a slow, but steady decline for probably the last decade.  So much so that retailers were getting super creative to find a way to bring you into the store.  In-store mini concerts, dining options like great coffee shops or pop-up kitchens, were becoming a trend in some of the higher-end stores.  And then – you guessed it – COVID-19 hit and the way we used to shop is pretty much history.So, since you probably can’t go to that favourite store of yours, or maybe these days you’re less inclined to, what if there was a way to somehow bring that in-store magic to you, in the comfort of your home?Today’s guest, Oscar Sachs, is the CEO and co-founder of Salesfloor.  Salesfloor empowers store associates to provide the personalized service customers love by connecting store associates to shoppers both in-store, and online.  Think Facetiming with your favourite sales associate right there in the store.  Salesfloor has over 45,000 associates from leading retailers in apparel, beauty, jewelry and baby items and toys.   Salesfloor is redefining the role of store associates in N. America, and globally.  And with retail trending how it’s been trending, simply put, they’re the future of retail. About Our Guest Oscar Sachs Oscar Sachs is the CEO and co-founder of Salesfloor.  Formerly a retail executive responsible for store operations at the Aldo Group and Best Buy, Oscar led some of retail’s earliest omnichannel initiatives to create a bridge between the online and bricks and mortar retail worlds. Oscar Sachs is the founder of several successful start-ups in the retail digital space, such as Ad Splash Media, the first company to develop a digital media program for the top online ecommerce sites. Oscar earned his MBA degree from McGill University.For the Salesfloor website, click here. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I’ve been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that’s always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

8 Joulu 202030min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education, Jeff McCarthy. These days the need to always be learning is more relevant than ever.  And a really good option is continuing education, especially if you need very specific skills in a hurry.  Seneca College has one of the largest continuing education departments in the country, and is the choice of thousands (tens of thousands, actually) for "upskilling" and "re-skilling" during these competitive times. Some quick facts about Seneca’s Continuing Education program: Seneca College Continuing Education offers over 1000 courses, and there’s over 150 programs. There are approximately 50,000 registrations per year. Seneca College Continuing Education offers diplomas, certificates, graduate certificates, and even degrees.  Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  Who is the "typical" continuing education student. 2.  What are the most popular courses 3.  What new programs have just launched. About Today's Guest, Jeff McCarthy Jeff has spent over 20 years in education in a variety of capacities, from teaching, to sales, to management and higher education administration until becoming Dean of Faculty of Education at Seneca in 2016. Some recent news regarding Seneca’s Continuing Education program, is the Fall 2019 launch of Seneca’s Centre for Graduate and Professional Studies and Seneca’s first Downtown Campus, located in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. He regularly participates in Seneca’s United Way and Campaign 4 Students drives…Perhaps most notably for the year he and Helix Director, Chris Dudley(who was a guest on last season’s show) shaved their heads for the United Way, raising over $4,000). Jeff is also an active volunteer in his local community having coached over 32 youth hockey and soccer teams.   Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

8 Joulu 202027min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with the co-ordinator of the Seneca College Veterinary Technicians Program, Kirsti Clarida. While so many of our students are studying remotely during the pandemic, others need to come to class to fulfill the requirements of their programs.  The Veterinary Technicians Program is one such program.  But how can students, and their faculty, to come to campus and keep everyone safe?  Our guest has the answer. Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  The role technology played in helping deliver the essentials of the program, in addition to the in-person component. 2.  How innovations to the program, as a result of the pandemic, actually enhanced the experience of the students. 3.  Hank!  (Kirsti's dog!) About Today's Guest, Kirsti Clarida Kirsti Clarida is the coordinator of the Veterinary Technician Program at Seneca College’s King Campus, and has been a proud Registered Veterinary Technician since graduating from Seneca in 1999.  With service in small animal, emergency and locum veterinary practice, she brings a wealth of experience to her role at Seneca. She is also the former Communications Manager of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT) creating campaigns to increase awareness of the important roles RVTs play in veterinary medicine in Ontario. Kirsti continues to advocate for RVTs in her roles as Vice-President of the OAVT and President of the Ontario Veterinary Technician Educators. Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health 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.   Click here to subscribe. 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

24 Marras 202032min