Driven by empathy
Midway through her doctoral thesis research at Â鶹AV, Anita Nowak (BCom’97, PhD’11) discovered a deep passion for supporting social and environmental innovators. With the encouragement of former faculty member Dr. Michael Hoechsmann, she zeroed in on empathy as the driving force for entrepreneurial success and developed a “Pedagogy of Empathic Action.” This early research continues to inform her work as a global expert in empathy and adjunct lecturer at Desautels.
BCom student leads charge toward sustainable business
As a current BCom student majoring in Managing for Sustainability, Maxime Lakat embodies Desautels’ commitment to integrate sustainability into all facets of business. In only a short time at Â鶹AV, Lakat has already rallied students around the cause through founding the Desautels Sustainability Network (DSN) and the Canadian Business Youth Council for Sustainable Development.
The business of hockey
Mathieu Darche (BCom’00) turned down an NCAA Division 1 hockey scholarship to study business management at Â鶹AV, but he never strayed far from the ice. As the current Director of Hockey Operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Darche is grateful to Desautels for equipping him with the tools he needed to turn his dual passion for hockey and business into a successful career.
Blazing a trail for women in medicine
Susan Riddell-Fitzpatrick (BCom’61) was one of only three women to graduate from Â鶹AV with a Commerce degree in 1961. She went on to become Chair of the Montreal Neurological Hospital Board from 1993 to 1995. Looking back, Riddell-Fitzpatrick is grateful for the space Â鶹AV has given her and her family members to make history and pursue their dreams.
Desautels finishes strong at 2022 ICBC
Five BCom case teams made the finals at the 44th annual Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC) hosted virtually by Queen's University from January 13 to 16, 2022 with the Finance and Ethics teams each taking first place. Winning teams:Finance: Julia Jin and Lucy Chen, coached by Mo Chaudhury
New scholarship honours Devon Haye
A new scholarship has been launched in honour of Devon Haye (BCom’20), who passed away after a long and courageous battle with lymphatic cancer.
GCPA guest lecturer Michael Cohen receives teaching excellence award
Congratulations to Michael Cohen (BCom’15, GCPA'16) on receiving the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting Teaching Award for Guest Lecturers.
GCPA participants named on the CFE Honour Roll
Two Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) participants Elizabeth Roy (BCom'20, GCPA'21) & Arye Richards (BCom’20, GCPA'21) have been named to the Honour Roll of the Common Final Exam (CFE) for their outstanding results.
Students on the frontlines of climate change
Maxime Lakat (BCom’21) is the executive director of the Canadian Business Youth Council for Sustainable Development. Together with peers from Â鶹AV and other universities, Lakat is spearheading a campaign for Canadian business schools to increase student representation on governance boards and actively integrate sustainability and climate change into their course curricula.
William Shatner to make “Star Trek” role a reality
In a prime example of life imitating art, William Shatner (BCom’52, DLitt’11) will channel Captain Kirk, the character he plays in "Star Trek,” as he blasts off into space aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.
In a record-breaking occasion, the 90-year-old actor will become the oldest person ever to visit space. He will join Bezos, a NASA engineer, and a software company co-founder on the two-pilot, 10-minute flight beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
2021 MAA Honours and Awards recipients
We are pleased to announce that three Desautels alumni have been selected to receive 2021 Â鶹AV Alumni Association (MAA) Awards. This year’s recipients will be honoured at a special virtual ceremony on Thursday, September 30 at 5:30 PM (EDT).
Raising the bar for real-world learning in analytics and retail
KPI Digital entrepreneur Benny Cohen (BCom’82) shares business acumen and scholarship support with students in Â鶹AV’s Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) and Master of Management in Retail (MMR) programs.
Learn more
Introducing the Lewtas Experiential Learning Office
Thanks to the generosity of Don Lewtas (BCom’75), students will soon benefit from the Lewtas Experiential Learning Office.
In collaboration with Desautels Career Management, the new Office will help students connect with companies and campus departments that can provide on-the-job experience in their respective fields of study.
Endowed prize honours Richard G. Donovan
Professor Richard G. Donovan passed suddenly on August 3, 2019, but the legacy he left behind continues to this day. Through generous donor support, the $50,000 Richard G. Donovan Prize in Case Excellence is awarded to graduating students who have excelled in case competitions in their time at Â鶹AV. Now, Desautels is raising funds to endow the prize in order to support students for generations to come.
Integrating business and beauty
Anastasia Bezrukova (BCom’12) is the founder and CEO of Minori, a beauty brand based in San Francisco. She credits her time at Desautels, especially her courses in finance and entrepreneurship, with helping her understand how a degree in business could meld with her passion for the beauty industry.
Read more in Â鶹AV Giving