EOH Newsletter 2015

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Environmental & Occupational Health Certificate Program

This year the University of Victoria's Environmental & Occupational Health Certificate Program celebrates its 20th anniversary.
We would like to pay special tribute to the people who have assisted in making this program a success. This includes students, graduates, instructors, staff, steering committee members, industry professionals and influencers.
We invite you to visit the anniversary website and learn more about the program's history as well as remarkable achievements by our students, instructors, and staff.

Achievement and success through continuing education

Program Graduate Troy Hasanen (2013) shares his story...

"I started the program while I was working a full time job with three young children so the online nature really appealed to me. I would begin my course work after putting the kids to bed turning my wife into an education widow while I completed my course work. Being able to choose my own pace through the program was a huge asset for my personal time management balance. Many of the courses I was able to use immediately in my job. On more than one occasion I was pulling up my course work in a meeting and showing my coworkers all of the different routes people had taken to arrive at the same conclusion. We then chose a path and worked through to the result. During many of the courses I found myself putting in to practice the skills and knowledge as I was learning them. This really added a dimension I was not expecting from the online discussion of topics. The Moodle format was really easy to use and allowed me access from: home; work; hotel room in other cities; or wherever I happened to be.
When I first thought about pursuing a more formal education in safety I was doing research and development on new processes and procedures for a small company. It just made sense to put the safety items in place as I was doing the development. As the company grew from 9 employees to 80 the safety role changed and became a larger component of my duties. The personal interaction and problem solving really appealed to me. Every situation required a different solution and even when there was only one end result there was always so many different routes to get there. Having the course online meant I was taking courses with fellow students from a very diverse work and cultural landscape. The online discussions and experiences really helped to develop my understanding of my blind spots and appreciate the value held in the variety of skill sets, experiences and cultures that I was learning with. I am still in contact with many of my fellow students from the UVic EOH Program."

Troy Hasanen is the Safety and Environment Consultant at the University of Victoria.

Convocation news

Congratulations to our Summer 2015 EOH Graduates!
   •   Robert Bryon Brown, Duncan, BC
   •   Shawna Cadieux, Duncan, BC
   •   Darcy Carriveau, Vancouver, BC
   •   Steve James Coady, Victoria, BC
   •   Pamela D. Dola, Gimli, MB
   •   Kelly Ann Duncan, Victoria, BC
   •   Jocelyn C. Gile, Victoria, BC
   •   Michelle Lynne Graf, Calgary, AB
   •   Danny R. Green, St. John's, NL
   •   Annette Louise Halsted, Victoria, BC
   •   Janet Sarah Hankins, Vancouver, BC
   •   Kelli Maureen Hartman, Kelowna, BC
   •   Jeremy James Hudec, Calgary, AB
   •   Michael Bernie Macala, Canal Flats, BC
   •   Marilee Diane Manessy, Calgary, AB
   •   Evan Daniel McCarthy, Grimsby, ON
   •   Deborah J. McPhee, Prince George, BC
   •   Chinomnso John Okebie, Edmonton, AB
   •   Wilver Kemunto Ongoro, Nairobi, Kenya
   •   Corinne Irene Paul, Calgary, AB
   •   Kirk Phair, Victoria, BC
   •   James Michael Pierce, Leduc County, AB
   •   Shirley Lynne Roberts, Coaldale, AB
   •   Matthew Scott Shaw, Williams Lake, BC
   •   Sarah Snable, Barrie, ON
   •   Donald Carmen Soepboer, Victoria, BC
   •   Joyce Tze Yun Sun, Victoria, BC
   •   James R. Tuovila, Calgary, AB
   •   Jasdeep Melissa Kaur Virk, Langley, BC
   •   Dustin Michael Worobec, Victoria, BC

The next convocation ceremony will take place in November 2015. All coursework must have been completed by August 31, 2015 for students to be eligible to participate. More information on convocation is available from the Ceremonies and Events Office.

Awards and Bursaries

Division of Continuing Studies Bursary

Each term the Division of Continuing Studies offers bursaries to assist learners in furthering their education. Bursaries are awarded to learners who can display evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning and who can demonstrate financial need. Application deadlines are January 15 and August 31. Applications are available online on our Info for Students page.

Dick Martin Scholarship Award

The Canadian Centre for Health and Safety (CCOHS) is now accepting entries for the Dick Martin Scholarship Award. Awarded annually, this $3,000 national scholarship is available to any student enrolled, either full-time or part-time, in an occupational health and safety related course or program leading to an occupational health and safety certificate, diploma or degree at an accredited college or university in Canada. Application deadline is January 31st of each year. Application details are available online.

BCRSP Scholarship Award

Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) annually awards two $4,000 national scholarships to students enrolled, either full-time or part-time, in a two, three or four year occupational health and safety related program leading to an occupational health and safety certificate, diploma or degree at the undergraduate level. Application deadline is March 31st.

Posted October 2, 2015