2026-04-30 – Newsroom

#DawsonProud, Academic News, Decolonization, Homepage news, Sustainability, Well-being for all

Dawson advances Living Campus with new micro forest initiative

Despite budget constraints, the Office of Sustainability at Dawson College advanced the vision of the Dawson community’s campus landscaping plan last fall by launching a micro forest initiative.

After Jennifer de Vera identified a funding opportunity from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), she brought it to the team. Along with Eva Helms, Sophie La Font and Diana Rice, they applied for a grant to create a micro forest with guidance from the First Peoples’ Centre and Kanienʼkehá꞉ka staff.

Visit the link for the homepage news story.

#DawsonProud, Dawson Research, Homepage news

Dawson research team listen to frogs to understand Canada’s lakes

In winter, Canada’s lakes fall quiet as if everything has gone to sleep. Then spring arrives, bringing with it the unmistakable chorus of frogs. This season, Dawson Biology faculty member Jessica Ford and her students are tuning in to that chorus, contributing to a five-year, cross-Canada multidisciplinary research project that explores how human activity is reshaping the country’s lakes.

“My research on amphibians, their preferred habitats, and how habitats change when amphibians use them for breeding or not, will be useful in understanding the role amphibians play in these lake ecosystems,” Jessica said.

Jessica is hoping to detect changes in amphibian ranges by identifying new or previously unknown populations.

Visit the link for the homepage news story.

#DawsonProud, Academic News

Vernissage Season is almost here

Students graduating in seven programs have been hard at work creating original art and products and preparing for their end-of-year and end-of-program vernissage events, taking place from May 20 to June 5.

Be inspired and come support our graduating students in 3D Animation and CGI, Graphic Design, Illustration, Product Design, Interior Design, Professional Photography, and Visual Arts.

Visit the link to check out the events and save at least one of them in your calendar.

Academic News, Office of Academic Development

Interview with FLC facilitator Hélène Nadeau

In this issue, we present an interview with Hélène Nadeau (Physics), Facilitator of Designing an Interdisciplinary Science Integrative Project Course, a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) taking place over the 2025-26 year at Dawson.

This FLC’s goal is to provide support to teachers interested in teaching the IP course, which is the capstone course of the new version of the Science program. The participants share ideas, develop activities, reflect on grading strategies, and collaborate on course planning.

Visit the link for the interview.

Office of Academic Development

Last Indigenous Perspectives events for the semester

Indigenous Perspectives: They Lied to You in School

Join us in watching a short video by Ray Fadden regarding the contributions Native America gave to the world. This will be followed by an open discussion.

https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/oad/indigenous-perspectives/

Tuesday, May 12: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM in the CoLab (3F.43)

Wednesday, May 13: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM in the CoLab (3F.43)

#DawsonProud, Homepage news

Dawson students bring photosynthesis to life at Biodome workshops

Dawson students are helping bring science to life for younger learners through an interactive workshop at the Montreal Biodome that blends art, technology and education.

The initiative is part of L’Écho des Plantes, a collaboration involving the AgeTeq lab at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie, Opéra de Montréal and students in Dawson’s SciArt Club. As part of an extracurricular activity led by teacher Annie-Hélène Samson, students are designing and animating workshops on photosynthesis for primary and secondary school groups.

Kaleb-Wolf De Melo Torres, an ALC student, contributed by developing an interactive game to explain scientific concepts. “I was primarily responsible for designing a basic game system which the students attending the workshop interacted with,” he said. “The goal was to create an interactive experience that would break down the concepts of photosynthesis.”

Visit the link for the homepage news story.

#DawsonProud, Homepage news, In the news/in social media

Dawson team off to Science on tourne! nationals

The trick to being a good engineer is to learn by doing and to persevere through challenges, failures and setbacks, says Enriched Science co-coordinator Chris Whittaker. This year 27 Dawson students on eight teams lived this experience through the Science on tourne! competition.

Visit the link to learn about the wining team's project in the homepage news story.

#DawsonProud, Campus Life, Homepage news

STEMM FEM empowers members while expanding beyond Dawson

Founded in 2023, STEMM FEM is a student-led, student-funded club at Dawson College that continues to grow and expand, now reaching beyond the college level into universities. The club is dedicated to building a supportive community that empowers individuals from underrepresented groups to pursue and thrive in science and medicine.

The Communications Office spoke with co-founder Alexa Blasato and current members Samantha Bierd, Tristan Peirce, and Amélie Zurawski about the club’s impact and evolution.

Visit the link for the homepage news story.

Dawson Foundation, Dawson Gives, Well-being for all

Trilobite Café builds community

Adamo Petosa creates space each week for students to relax, share food and coffee, and connect, right in the middle of the Geology Department’s rock collection.

“I guess it comes from my Italian origins,” said Dawson’s sole Geology faculty member. “I would keep my door open and welcome students who wanted to stay and work or chat. I started putting out cookies and apples for them.”

That simple gesture led to the creation of the Trilobite Café in fall 2024. With a small grant from the Dawson College Foundation SAGE Projects Fund, Adamo was able to expand the offerings this semester, including fresh fruit, and open the café twice a week.

Visit the link for more as well as a personal reflection by Adamo.

#DawsonProud, Academic News

Join the Social Service graduating students at Sole Support on May 1

Third-year students in the Social Service program have organized a day of awareness about the importance of footcare for the unhoused taking place in Conrod’s (2F.4) from 9 AM to 4:30 PM this Friday, May 1. The Communications Office asked the team of 17 students about their event, Sole Support.

Visit the link for the Q & A.

Human Resources

Nominate a great teacher before May 3

Do you know a Dawson teacher who goes above and beyond to inspire and support their students, contribute to the Dawson community, advance pedagogy?

Nominate them for the Teaching Excellence Award (2025–2026) before Sunday, May 3 at 11 PM. Nominations can be received by students and colleagues.

It only takes 5 minutes:

Log into Omnivox

Go to Academic Services → Teaching Excellence Awards
Fill out the form

#DawsonProud, Campus Life, Dawson Foundation, Dawson Gives

Artists in Bloom raises $11,000

The Artists in Bloom fundraising event at Dawson College, held on April 16, was a vibrant celebration of creativity and community.

The 28^th edition of the event raised $11,000 in support of student mental health and vernissage events for students in Illustration and Visual Arts programs.

Photo by Christine Layne of student artist Elsa Luo painting the artwork that attracted the highest bid of the evening.

Visit the link for a brief report and some more event photos.

Decolonization, Well-being for all

Students, staff and faculty came together for fifth annual Wáhta Óshes

Ben Lander has written a brief report about the fifth annual Dawson maple syrup project. It was a good year for Wáhta Óshes.

Visit the link for the report.

#DawsonProud

First novel by Alecsandra Kakon about to be published

Dawson English teacher Alecsandra Kakon is about to publish her debut novel. This Is Why I Need You will be available May 12.

Publisher ECW Books says “it captures the realities of lifelong female friendships and explores romance, motherhood, sexuality, and loss, This Is Why I Need You is perfect for fans of Girls, Sex and the City, and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. With the promise of nothing but fun in the sun, Zinnia, Fay, Kiara, and Valentina are set to reconnect on their 10th annual girls’ trip — what they don’t know, however, is that some baggage comes on vacation whether you pack it or not. A perfect addition to your summer beach bag, This Is Why I Need You will make you want to pick up the phone and reach out to your friends.”

Alecsandra also teaches at Concordia University. Alongside her academic pursuits, she published My Profile Projects, an online series of personal essays that tell the collective memoir of 52 womxn. Photo by Jennifer Fellegi.

Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery

Student interview with artists in “Elephant” exhibit at Dawson’s WGF Gallery

“Elephant” is the current exhibition at Warren G. Flowers Gallery - Dawson College (running until May 1, 2026). The exhibition brings together works by Joshua Vettivelu and Alex v. Pouliot to explore “how experiences of desire, anxiety, love, damage, and repair accumulate in the spaces we inhabit.”

Visit the link for an interview by Visual Arts students Bethany D’Souza and Ana Luiza Strazzi Nogueira.

Sustainability, Well-being for all

Register now for Cycling into Spring bike workshop May 20

Dust off your bike and bring it to Dawson and bike technicians will help you get it road ready! Reusable, repurposed parts will be available at reduced costs. (Cash and cards accepted)

Date: Wednesday, May 20 (Rain date May 21)
Time: 12 PM – 3 PM
Location: Parking Lot 1 Gazebo

In collaboration with Mechanical Engineering Technology, the Office of Sustainability and CYCLE 7 bike co-op.

Register here

Academic News

Panel « Paix et Autres »

On March 13, the Dawson Peace Centre, Dawson Peace Studies Certificate, and the Peace 365 course taught by Ivan Freud, were proud to bring you the second peace panel of the semester on the topic of “Peace & Other.” The distinguished panelists were: Ghayas Hachem, professor of French Literature at Dawson College who spoke on Jean-Jaques Rousseau and his suggestion that a natural peace resided within humanity before the onset of civilization; Patrice Turcotte who began his career as a Psychosocial Specialist in Therapeutic Recreation with Dans la Rue and now teaches in Dawson’s CRLT (Community, Recreation & Leadership Training Program) who spoke of his experiences with homeless youth; and finally Catherine Boulos, a psychologist spoke on her development of Mouvement de Paix (Dance for Peace) which, since 2016, has produced numerous community activities aimed at cultivating peace within oneself and in one’s surroundings.

Students were to reflect on how these three presentations intersected. Visit the link to see the panel here.

Sign up for the Inclusion & Wellness Retreat June 9-10

Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday June 9 and 10, 2026
Time: 9 AM Tuesday to 4:30 PM Wednesday (detailed schedule will be provided with confirmation of registration)
Where: Far Hills
Fee:  Accommodation, all workshops, meals, taxes and other conference costs are included in the fee. Staff wishing to be reimbursed by Professional Development funds will receive a pre-filled Professional Development Fund application one month prior to the start date, to submit with their receipt upon retreat completion.Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Secure yours by signing up now: https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/udl/retreat/

Health and Safety Committee, Well-being for all

The simple guide to a cleaner sip

Staying hydrated is a good way to stay healthy and carrying a water bottle is a way to access fluids regularly throughout the day. Every time you take a sip from your water bottle, you are depositing bacteria inside it and over the course of a day these can multiply by the millions.

Dawson's Health and Safety Committee has put together some FAQs to help you keep your water bottle clean and stay healthy. Visit the link to go to the FAQs.

DawsonITE

DawsonITE is your curated news related to IST and Education prepared by Dawson's Rafael Scapin.

In this issue:

The AI Activities Guide for Teachers: Hands-On Strategies for Your Classroom
Claude can now design your slide decks — and a whole lot more
LLMs hallucinate the most when you ask them to do this

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026

Dawson advances Living Campus with new micro forest initiative

Dawson research team listen to frogs to understand Canada’s lakes

Vernissage Season is almost here

Interview with FLC facilitator Hélène Nadeau

Last Indigenous Perspectives events for the semester

Dawson students bring photosynthesis to life at Biodome workshops

Dawson team off to Science on tourne! nationals

STEMM FEM empowers members while expanding beyond Dawson

Trilobite Café builds community

Join the Social Service graduating students at Sole Support on May 1

Nominate a great teacher before May 3

Artists in Bloom raises $11,000

Students, staff and faculty came together for fifth annual Wáhta Óshes

First novel by Alecsandra Kakon about to be published

Student interview with artists in “Elephant” exhibit at Dawson’s WGF Gallery

Register now for Cycling into Spring bike workshop May 20

Panel « Paix et Autres »

Sign up for the Inclusion & Wellness Retreat June 9-10

The simple guide to a cleaner sip

DawsonITE

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