In memoriam: Pierre Landry
Retired music teacher Pierre Landry has died. His obituary can be found here:
https://yveslegare.com/pages/avis-de-deces/pierre-landry-1964902
In memoriam: Roslyn Silver
Dawson mourns the passing of one of the most distinctive voices and enthusiastic members of its community. Roslyn Silver passed away on November 24 after facing health challenges for a number of years. She was surrounded by her loved ones and closest friends until the end. Roslyn started her long career at Dawson in 1979…
In memoriam: Louise Kralka
The College received the sad news that Louise Kralka, who served on the Board of Governors for eight years between 2009 and 2017, passed away on January 20. She was 68 years old. The celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, January 31. Details are contained in the obituary at https://voluntas.ca/obituaries/kralka-louise/.
Louise was a dedicated member of the extended Dawson community with close friends at the College, and her son Patrick McBride who worked for a time in Facilities Management. An active and engaged member of the Board, she was Chair between June 2014 and February 2017 after serving as Vice-Chair, and she contributed to many Board-related committees.
In memoriam Paul Duchow
It is with much sorrow that we announce the death of Paul Duchow, who passed away in Cuba on October 5, 2025 at the age of 77. Paul taught Political Science and Humanities at Dawson, first at Lafontaine, then at Atwater. He also made an important contribution to the college serving on the executive of the Dawson Teachers’ Union for years. He supplemented his studies with a law degree specializing in immigration law. Following an early retirement from teaching, Paul helped clients cut through immigration red tape. For the past years, Paul spent much of his time in Cuba where his wife, Yarima Perodin, and his daughter, Rebecca, still live.
Q & A with Selma Hamdani, Associate Dean of SMSE (Interim)
Selma Hamdani began her new role as Interim Associate Dean, Science, Medical Studies and Engineering on Aug. 22. She holds an M.Sc. in Neuroscience from McGill University. Since 2012, she has been an active member of the Dawson community. Prior to her appointment, Selma was a faculty member in the Psychology Department, a Coordinator of…
Q & A with Brid Nic Niocaill, Dean of CAA (Interim)
Brid Nic Niocaill began her new role as Interim Dean, Creative and Applied Arts on May 22. She completed her studies in Ireland with a Ph. D in neuroscience before moving to Montreal to pursue a post doc at McGill University. Brid joined the Dawson community in 2010 as a faculty member of the Biology…
Q & A with Jonathan Perlman, Manager of IT Support (Interim)
Jonathan Perlman (Dawson Class of 2002, Computer Science) began his new role as Manager of IT Support on July 2. He is well-known in the Dawson community having worked in Dawson’s IT Solutions department for over 20 years, leading projects and supporting students, faculty, and staff, while also teaching IT courses through Dawson’s CTD and…
Q & A with Andreea Panait, Associate Dean of CAA (Interim)
Andreea Panait began her new role as Associate Dean of Creative and Applied Arts on Aug. 22. Previously, she had been an active member of the Dawson community involved in multiple projects and committees in addition to serving as faculty member and chair of the Mathematics department and Program Coordinator of Science, Computer Science and…
In memoriam: John Henry Burrows, Bruno Geslain and Donald Hackett
The Dawson community lost three retirees over the past few months.
John Henry Burrows taught in the Electrical Engineering Technology program from 1971 until his retirement in 1997. He passed away on July 7, 2025.
Bruno Geslain was employed at Dawson from 1978 until 2013. He started as a Pedagogical Counsellor in the Processional Development and Research service. He later became a permanent manager in 2007 (Coordinator des services pédagogiques / Coordinator, Canada – Québec Entente) prior to his retirement in 2013. Bruno died on July 20, 2025. His obituary is here.
Donald Hackett was a Computer Science teacher from 1971 until his retirement in 2005. He also taught in the Continuing Education sector. Donald passed away on May 4, 2025. His obituary is here.
Interview with Chris Adam on the occasion of his retirement
Chris Adam, founder and first manager of Dawson's Office of Sustainability, will be retiring this July. The Communications Office interviewed him about his career, his challenges and what he loved best about Dawson.
Visit the link for the Q & A.
Last Modified: January 29, 2026
