Classes

Robert retired after 38 years in commercial real estate. He is currently Chair of the board of directors, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Vice Chair of the board of directors, West Northumberland Physician Recruitment and Retention Services Board, board member of the Port Hope Rotary Club and director of the Trust Fund Committee.

Ron is a playwright and filmmaker, whose play, Musical Paws, won the audience choice award at the FRIGID New York Theatre Festival in 2012. Based on a true story, the show uses humour, music and dance to tell the story of composer David Nowakowsky (1848-1921), the celebrated music director and choirmaster of the Brody Synagogue in Odessa.

John began his training as a classical dancer with York’s ballet program. He is now a retired musician, currently playing in two local bands in Bowmanville, Ont., which is where he resides with his wife, Patricia.

After a successful career in finance and corporate services in the food, high tech, nutrition and health care industries, Shelley has retired from corporate life. She now lives with her husband, Herb, in British Columbia and runs a life coaching business.

Humberto has been a national representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) since 2002. He recently published his first book, Compassion Fatigue, a collection of speculative fiction.

Gary is a composer, multidisciplinary artist and author of 26 books, including Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy, which won the Canadian Jewish Literary Award in 2021. His national best-selling novel, Yiddish for Pirates, won the Leacock Medal for Humour in 2017.

Carmela’s novel, Love and Rain, was recently published by Guernica Editions. The novel is described as an exploration of love, and the social revolution that marked the rise of the FLQ in Quebec and the Red Brigades in Italy in the late 1970s.

Sean is an award-winning filmmaker whose 2020 film From the Vine, starring Emmy-winner Joe Pantoliano, was picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films. The film is currently out on Amazon Prime. He is also the director of the critically acclaimed teen cancer drama Kiss and Cry, and Full Out, a gymnastics film starring Jennifer Beals, both of which have been acquired by Netflix worldwide.

Nancy has served as vice-president of human resources for HUB Customer Central (HCC), one of the largest insurance brokerages operating in both the U.S. and Canada. She is focused on empowering visible minority and newcomer women in finding resources and support they need to succeed.

Lucy has recently accepted the role of inter-company global process architect at Cargill, the largest agricultural company in the world. She currently resides in Hamilton with her husband and two daughters.

Efraim is currently living and working in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. He is a private fund associate for a top firm, Greenberg and Traurig, LLP.

An insolvency and restructuring professional specializing in personal and corporate bankruptcies and proposals to creditors, Mary is the co-author of the Guide on Legal Information About Consumer Debt. She has also published articles in the Annual Review of Insolvency Law and in INSOL International, among other industry publications.

Steven’s first book, Brave Survivors are Superhumans, was released in April 2023. A collection of short stories encompassing environmental issues, dystopian worlds and natural disasters, the book is inspired by Steven’s study of climate fiction at York.

Yash is an engineer and software developer who has made impressive strides in the technology sector. Recognized among Canada’s 2022 Developer 30 Under 30, his research article on software development practices earned acclaim from companies such as Google and Oracle.

In pursuit of continuous learning, Alireza graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at the age of 50. The author of 88 Tips On Immigration to Canada, he credits his York degree with propelling his career as an immigration consultant and public speaker to new heights.

Khalid is a recent graduate from the Schulich School of Business who is currently working as a junior analyst for the World Bank Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Ted was a staunch advocate of medical assistance in dying (MAID) and passed peacefully thanks to the program on June 9, 2023. He was 78.

David Rotenburg spent two decades in the Department of Theatre, including many years as Graduate Program Director of the MFA program. In 2003, he founded the world-renowned Professional Actors Lab. He was a mentor and coach to many in the profession. A prolific fiction writer in addition to being a director of plays in Toronto and on Broadway, David published twelve novels, including the recently released City Rising: From the Holy Mountain. He passed away in Toronto on Nov. 8, 2023.