Our Graduating Staff

Kudos to Our Class of 2010 Administrative Graduates

U of T has been recognized for four years running as a ‘Top Employer of the GTA” by Mediacorp and the Toronto Star. So it should come as no surprise that we have topnotch employees who take university education seriously – both for our students and for themselves.

Meet five who have managed to earn degrees while doing a great job for us.

Erika Bailey, Director, Office of the Dean

Erika Bailey, Director, Office of the Dean, earned an MA in Adult Education from OISE/UT.

Erika Bailey’s thesis work explores adults’ experiential learning of sense of place and ecological identity using an arts-informed, qualitative approach. Her narrative inquiry asks how adults understand their relationship to the world and develop their sense of place through recreational canoe trip experiences, then how their sense of place influences their ecological choices and actions.

Erika has always been fascinated by how experiences impact, inform and unfold into both tacit and explicit actions and perspectives on the world. She finds that the power of (re)telling  one's personal story as a way of expressing experiences is also a powerful way of knowledge sharing and community building. Erika is inspired by our Engineering students, staff and faculty whose diverse work, studies, teaching and research contribute towards realizing a healthier, stronger, sustainable world.

Joan DaCosta, Administrative Assistant to the Director, UTIAS

Joan DaCosta, Administrative Assistant to Professor David Zingg, Director of the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), completed a combined BA degree in Cinema Studies and English this June.

For the past 27 years, Joan DaCosta has worked towards her degree, learning along the way that her passion for Cinema Studies and English extended to a broader love of learning in the humanities and social sciences. Today, Joan applies the benefits of her U of T degree to all aspects of her life through her ability to communicate, analyse and connect ideas through creative thinking. She notes that one of the most important benefits of her education is to “have a mind that is open to new ideas, solutions and suggestions.”

Barbara McCann, Faculty Registrar and Anna Vanek, Director of Administration and Finance for Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE), received their MEd degrees from OISE/UT’s Leadership in Higher Education program through the Department of Theory and Policy Studies. Both Barbara and Anna were part of Cohort 1, where their classmates included senior-level leaders from across the university and area colleges, and where many of their instructors were top university administrative leaders.

Barbara McCann, Faculty Registrar

Barbara McCann received her MEd degree from OISE/UT’s Leadership in Higher Education program this June.

With 30 years of experience at U of T and 25 of those as the Faculty’s Registrar, Barbara McCann enjoyed enhancing her understanding of the theoretical framework behind recurring issues in higher education, including student development, strategic and tactical planning approaches, and governance.

Barbara would like to thank Dean Cristina Amon for her encouragement and support throughout her two-and-a-half-year effort.

Anna Vanek, Director of Administration and Finance (MIE)

Anna Vanek also earned her MEd degree from OISE/UT’s Leadership in Higher Education program.

Anna, who has worked at U of T for more than 17 years, also enjoyed the program, and appreciated being able to use her experience and expertise towards group projects and coursework. She quickly saw the relevance of the program as she brought – and continues to bring – a newfound understanding of university policies and practices to her daily work. Anna particularly appreciated learning more about the globalization and accreditation issues that are driving U of T, and learning more about how the vision, statements and objectives are linked to funding. She is very appreciative of how OISE set up the program, and she extends her gratitude to MIE's Chair Jean Zu and Professor Tony Sinclair who supported her through her studies – along with a big “thanks!” to her family.

Carolyn Wright, Career Counsellor, PEY Internship Program

Carolyn Wright, Career Counsellor, Professional Experience Year (PEY) Internship Program, just graduated with her MEd from OISE/UT’s Adult Education and Community Development program, where she specialized in Work and Career.

Carolyn Wright’s previous experience in human resources was the perfect background for an advanced degree that has ultimately brought her to a position where she gets to help students. This is what she most enjoys about her job. “It is wonderful to work with a group of young people who are so intelligent and hard-working, and have such bright futures ahead of them,” Carolyn said.

Added Dean Cristina Amon, “On behalf of the faculty, staff and the entire U of T Engineering community, I offer hearty and heartfelt congratulations to these staff graduates and  the ones who have come before. Your convocation is a celebration, not just of your degrees, but of your willingness to challenge yourselves and to stretch your limits. You make us very proud."