Sheridan women #BreakTheBias

International Women’s Day 2022 calls for each of us to work together to #BreakTheBias – an important step towards forging a world with gender equality across disciplines in our communities, workplaces, and places of study.

At Sheridan, we celebrate a community where everyone brings their full potential, experiences and expertise to the work they do. This International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of the women in our Sheridan community who are breaking barriers through their work, and learn how they’re making their communities stronger.

Dr. Carolyn Moorlag

Dr. Carolyn Moorlag is the Director for the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing & Design Technologies (CAMDT) and Director of Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST) Research. She learned early on that by trying something new, especially outside of her comfort zone, that you can learn and develop your abilities and confidence substantially. She hopes to inspire students to take on new opportunities, especially early in their careers. “I think that it is important for everyone – men and women – to have that balance in their lives between contributions at work and passions to pursue in the rest of your life.”

Lindsay Engel

Lindsay Engel is the Dean of Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Science and Technology and a newly appointed member of Skilled Trades Ontario. As part of Skilled Trades Ontario, she’ll work to improve skilled trades training, services and the workforce to help with Ontario’s pandemic recovery. Engel is proud to work towards reducing barriers to increase diverse representation in this field. “The Government of Ontario’s vision for the Skilled Trades closely aligns with Sheridan’s mission to reduce barriers, increase retention, and increase access to the Skilled Trades through our apprenticeship and postsecondary training.”

Dr. Sara Cumming

Dr. Sara Cumming is a professor in Sheridan’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHASS) and the lead researcher on a 2021 NSERC – College and Community Social Innovation Fund grant for her highly collaborative research, titled “Community Ideas Factory: The Life Skills Project.” Dr. Cumming’s work focuses on helping homeless, single parent-led families reach self-sufficiency through life skills training. “Accessing mentorship and education drastically changed my life circumstances and propelled me to work in this area.”

Renee Devereaux

Renee Devereaux is Director, Entrepreneurship & Changemaking at Sheridan EDGE, and a 2021 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow. She plays a strong leadership role in the impact entrepreneurship space across Sheridan and within Sheridan’s home communities, supporting entrepreneurs and changemakers to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges. “EDGE, and the founders we support, care deeply about contributing to an inclusive economic recovery at this critical time.”

Dr. Kathryn Cameron

Dr. Kathryn Cameron is Sheridan’s Chief Risk Officer and Chair of the Emergency Operations Centre, who has skillfully led Sheridan’s security and risk management practices through the pandemic. She credits the collaborative efforts, collective wisdom and positive mindset of many teams across Sheridan for keeping our campuses running during the pandemic. “...we stay focused on our good decisions, learn from the times we didn’t get it right, and always stay focused on moving forward. Focusing on our collective achievements across Sheridan has really helped me to stay positive.”

Sherine Mansour

Sherine Mansour is the designer, creator and coordinator of Sheridan’s Journalism – New Media program. She focuses on teaching Journalism students what their role is in society, what their role is globally, and ensuring her students become responsible journalists who value integrity, honesty and truth, and who can be champions of factual information going forward. “The greater good always comes first, because that’s where ethics come from. Responsible journalism is about taking care of the weak — those without a voice and those who have no recourse or protection. If you’re coming from that place first and foremost, then the ethics decide themselves.”

Alana Staszczyszyn

Bachelor of Information Systems and Security alumna Alana Staszczyszyn is a cybersecurity specialist who uses her skills for good as an ethical hacker, analyzing risks and developing strategies to prevent breaches. She’s been featured in many leading publications as a leading cybersecurity expert and a woman working in a traditionally male-dominated field. “To succeed in this field, you need to be able to learn new things all the time, and you have to want to learn new things. What employers are looking for is adaptability and a genuine passion for the job.”

Michelle John

Michelle John is a Sheridan graduate and a Fire/Life Safety Education Officer at the City of Brampton who received the Premier’s Award for Community Services for her commitment to the safety of Brampton’s residents. She is an immigrant from Trinidad & Tobago and a single mother of three. “I hope this award inspires women of colour to see the value in working hard and the value in investing in themselves through college education. I’d like people in my community to see that anything is possible and they’re not limited because of the colour of their skin.”

Charmaine Hammond

Charmaine Hammond is an author, mental health expert and Sheridan Correctional Worker alumna who executive produced the film Back Home Again, an animated short film which was inspired by the Fort McMurray wildfires. The award-winning film is about connection and people coming together and coming home. It’s about hope and community, and supporting people’s mental health and resilience. “It’s okay not to be okay all the time; we all go through things in life where we need support and connection. And that’s really what we’re hoping people will get from the film. We hope they reach out and realize that they’re not alone.”

Ashleigh Montague

Project Management graduate Ashleigh Montague organizes pop-up markets which have supported over 50 BIPOC-owned businesses, helping them boost their sales and outreach. Her BLK OWNED Hamilton, which organized the markets, is one of the 11 youth-led entrepreneurial ventures which were supported last year by the Social Impact Catalyst powered by RBC Future Launch, run by Sheridan’s entrepreneurship hub, EDGE, to help create the building blocks for equity, social justice and inclusion in the community.