At Yorkville University, we’re proud of the accomplishments of all our faculty, students and alumni, both inside and outside of the classroom – be it getting their scholarly publications Scopus indexed, winning prestigious interior design accolades, or landing producing jobs at Canadian media companies.
Here are some of the good news stories about Yorkville University’s talented community that we’d like to showcase this month:
BCA Student Olayimika Jinmi-Ahisu Selected into OYA Emerging Filmmakers Program
Olayimika Jinmi-Ahisu, a current Bachelor of Creative Arts student, was recently selected to participate in the OYA Emerging Filmmakers program – a platform that helps jumpstart the career of young Black creatives in film, television, and digital media production.
Ahisu, who graduated from the Film Production program at Toronto Film School in 2021, said the program has so far proven an “enlightening experience.”
“We have been through project pitches, workshops on artist administration and the different aspects of cinematography…” he said. “We have also had the privilege of having round-table conversations with Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George, the founders of the OYA Media Group, on their experiences and journey through the industry. I learned early that successful people’s secrets are embedded in their stories; hence I’m always eager to be at the table when these stories are shared.”
Ahisu’s biggest takeaways from his experience in the program so far are the connections and relationships he’s building with his fellow OYA Emerging Filmmakers participants.
“Everyone makes each meeting feel like home; like I’m a part of a community. We are all at a point as emerging filmmakers where we need each other to attain the next stage in our careers,” he said. “Also, working in collaboration with the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), LIFT’s Canadian Society of Cinematography, and DOPs like Christine Buijs and Raymond Tuquero is a privilege I do not take for granted.”
Ahisu’s goal at the end of the OYA Emerging Filmmakers program is to be better positioned for opportunities to prove himself as a valuable team member to the mentors and colleagues he meets on his journey through the program.
Looking forward, he has a number of projects on the go. In the coming month, he will work as DP alongside writer/director Babatunde Agunloye of Great and Mighty Things Inc., TFS alums, on a series that Bell Fibe TV1 recently picked up. He’s also in the development stage of his first short film in collaboration with several other TFS alumni – Kyle James from the Writing for Film & TV program, and Nick Laws and Carey Stein from the Film Production program.
BID Graduate Mandy Wozniak Named to NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 Class of 2023
Class of 2022 Bachelor of Interior Design graduate Mandy Wozniak was recently selected by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) to be a part of the Thirty Under 30 Class of 2023.
The NKBA recognizes professionals with an exceptional level of passion, creativity, and brilliance in the kitchen and bath industry from across Canada and the United States.
The Thirty Under 30 program selects recipients based on their commitment to excellence, as well as career and educational achievements – in Wozniak’s case, her BID degree from Yorkville, as well as an Interior Design Technology diploma from Lakeland College Canada.
As one of this year’s winners, Wozniak has been awarded a free trip (including airfare and lodging) to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2023, which is taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2023. She also won a KBIS floor pass, conference pass and access to NKBA events; media exposure and awareness among top design and trade professionals; and pre-event and post-event networking activities
“I am looking forward to meeting all the other outstanding young professionals in Las Vegas, where we will be attending KBIS, accepting our awards and identifying future trends, sustainable business practices, and innovative technology,” Wozniak said.
MACP Professors Dr. Rosanne Nunnery and Dr. Lisa McKenna Publish New Book on Telemental Health
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology professors Dr. Rosanne Nunnery and Dr. Lisa McKenna recently co-edited the book Telemental Health: What Every Student Needs to Know
The book, which is published by Cognella, includes contributions by several Yorkville University faculty, including chapters written by Fred Dombrowski and Kelly James. Throughout the book, several other Yorkville professors – including Alice Crawford, Matthew Glowiak, Maranda Griffin, David Hart, Erin Pannell, Melissa Lee Tammeus, and Cheryl Welch – also contributed their experiences in telemental health.
Targeted to graduate students in the helping fields and any professional counselor/therapist new to telemental health, the 290-page book equips future counselors with the tools, skillsets, and knowledge required to effectively serve clients across different modalities.
“Our hope is that students and professionals will benefit from the book’s approachable tone to providing both an understanding of the history of telemental health, along with current practices and application resources to expand their skillset and extend their reach within communities,” said McKenna.
To those ends, the opening chapters address the history of telemental health, opportunities and challenges associated with practice, ethical decision-making, and technical and practical considerations with emphasis on creating a telemental health space that is professional and confidential. Readers also learn about the importance of integrating assessment within the telemental health setting and are provided with strategies for initial screenings for appropriate fit for telemental health, biopsychosocial assessments, and crisis and suicide assessments with a focus on how to navigate these digitally.
Additional chapters explore clinical skills, relationship-building, documentation, billing, and recordkeeping. Readers learn about working with specialized populations, including young children, adolescent and older adult populations, couples, families, groups, LGBTQ+ populations, individuals in recovery, and individuals with intellectual disabilities and chronic pain. The closing chapter discusses the importance of self-care for telemental health practitioners.
Drs. Nunnery and McKenna have received interest from universities considering adoption of Telemental Health: What Every Student Needs to Know for elective courses focusing on telemental health and as a supplemental resource for skills and fieldwork courses.
BCA Student Roosevelt Phillip Lands Editing Job at Dim University
Bachelor of Creative Arts student Roosevelt Phillip recently landed a job editing podcasts for Dim University – a free online school and networking community that helps students around the world pursue their dreams.
In his new role, Phillip is responsible for editing and cutting down the university’s podcasts into clips, then posting them on the school’s social media platforms, including Linkedin, Tiktok and Instagram. He’s also tasked with preparing scripts and call sheets for university videos that delve into the student experience at Dim.
“Punctuality on projects and asking many questions is the best way to thrive in the post-production industry,” said Phillip, a 2021 Toronto Film School Video Game Design & Animation grad.
“One takeaway I’ve gotten from this experience is that networking outside of the initial career you’re going to school for or in related career paths such as social media marketing, graphic design, compositing or video editing is such a huge asset, because it can allow you to keep switching careers if you do not feel like you belong in that career path.”
Phillip’s long-term goal is to become a freelance video editor and compositer for gaming videos, weddings, short films, trailers, etc.
BBA Professor Dr. Adnan ul Haque Sees Latest Book Scopus Indexed
Bachelor of Business Administration professor Dr. Adnan ul Haque’s recently published new book has been indexed by Scopus – one of the largest and most reputable databases for abstracts and citations for academic literature.
Handbook of Research on the Complexities and Strategies of Occupational Stress is a 611-page text that provides an in-depth understanding of the magnitude and the reasons behind varying impacts of stressors. Covering topics such as health capital, turnover intentions, and work-family conflict, Dr. Ul-Haque’s handbook is an excellent resource for business leaders and managers, human resource managers, libraries, students and educators of higher education, government organizations, occupational therapists, researchers, and academicians.
“The impact, intensity, and the degree of stress vary from person to person, business to business, and industry to industry,” ul Haque writes in the book. “The physical and mental well-being of personnel across different organizational settings is vital for smooth, effective, and efficient progress in the business world.”
Handbook of Research on the Complexities and Strategies of Occupational Stress is now available in the Yorkville library here.
Ul Haque also has a second book, Dissecting and Dismantling Occupational Stress in Modern Organization, currently in progress, with a projected publication date of February 2023 via IGI Global.
BCA Student Cassandra Hinnegan Lands Producing Gig at Shaw Spotlight
Bachelor of Creative Arts student Cassandra Hinnegan recently landed a producing gig for Shaw Spotlight as one of a team of local producers whose job it is to bring to life compelling human-interest stories from the communities in the form of diverse short-form documentaries.
“In this position, my job is to find people who have interesting stories to showcase each month. Since I mostly work on my own, my skill level has grown with each project,” said Hinnegan, who graduated from Toronto Film School Online’s Video Production program in 2020.
“The (Video Production) program gave me enough of an understanding of each part to be able to go out and find the story, plan how I want it to look/feel, and film on my own, with the ability to set up the cameras, lights, and sound with minimum struggle.
“And, of course, finally being able to edit it all into a feature that is a cinematic short doc on someone’s life. This job has provided me the opportunity to grow the skills I learned at TFS and…it has forced me out of my shell.”
Most recently in her role at Shaw, Hinnegan had the opportunity to film the 2nd Annual International Powwow in Red Deer, Alberta – an experience she called “amazing.”
“When not running a camera, I was in charge of the Elder interviews, which was one of the most incredible experiences of my film life to date,” Hinnegan said.
Some of Hinnegan’s other projects with Shaw Spotlight include: Honouring History, A Life of Foraging, Jessica’s Story, Mom, Contractor, and Hero, among others.
“Getting to meet all these amazing people and hear their stories has been incredible. I also get to run the local channel, helping decide what gets shown and what is missing that would make it better,” she explained. “Then we go out to find local producers that fit that need…and we help them with filming, editing, and making sure they stay within the CRTC guidelines with content.
“So, needless to say, there is never a boring moment here with Shaw Spotlight, which I hope one day will lead to a filming project that will change the world, one person at a time.”
