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Convocation
Canadian University College
Friday the Seventeenth of April to
Sunday, the Nineteenth of April,
Two Thousand and Fifteen
Presiding: Joy A. Fehr, PhD
Vice President for Academic Administration
College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church
on the Campus of Canadian University College
Class Officers
President..............................................................................................................Cara Bussey
Vice President...............................................................................................Theresa Donkor
Secretary.................................................................................................................Joahna Jao
Treasurer.....................................................................................................Aaron Densmore
Pastor................................................................................................................Anthony Kern
Sergeant-at-arms.............................................................................................Michael Jakovac
Sponsors...................................................................Denise Dick Herr, Professor of English
Keith Leavitt, Associate Professor of Education
Graduation Motto
Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that, through you, others can see Him.
credited to C.S. Lewis
Graduation Verse
Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23
Class Gift
As the final graduating class of Canadian University College, we are very grateful for all
this institution has taught us and has helped us become. As the school transitions into
Burman University, we want to give a gift that both commemorates the past and
celebrates the future. We are proud of our school and want others to know about it when
they arrive on our campus. The class of 2015 is honoured to donate to the building of a
new Burman University sign. We hope and pray that this sign will be inviting and welcoming to all who set foot on our campus.
Processional Ushers
(Siblings of Graduates)
Danae Brousson, Elliot Chokka, Rebecca Hall, Joanna Jakovac
Saturday Graduate Reception
Graduates and their families are invited to join with the faculty that deliver each
graduate's degree program for fellowship and a light supper at 5:30 p.m. in the
College Heights Christian School gymnasium. Invited guests include families,
faculty, administration, and board members. Please feel free to take the opportunity to mingle throughout the reception.
Convocation services are streamed live on the web at cauc.ca.
Consecration
Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Prelude…………………………………………………………………………………….…….Joshua McMillan
Hymn Sing……………....……………………………………..Jessica Hall, Kalyna Lamberton, Group
Invocation…………………………………………………………………………………………….Pearly Dason
Welcome…………………………………………………………………………………………………....Joy Fehr
Vice President for Academic Administration
Tribute to School and Teachers………………………..………Harrison Chokka, Bobby Chilaka
Tribute to Families………………………….………………………Zachary Loxdale, Theresa Donkor
Musical Selection………………………………………………..…..Odessa Simon, Carey and Friends
Introduction of Speaker……………………………………………………….………………..Keith Leavitt
Associate Professor of Education
Address “Reflect”…………………………………………………………………….……..Leidamae Solijon
Teaching Principal
Windsor Adventist Elementary School
Prayer of Dedication………………..…………….…………………………..Mitchel Keenan (Business)
Jacquelyn Dobbin (Education)
Jorge Torres Amaya (Arts)
Michael Simmons (Science)
Act of Consecration……………………………………………………….Cara Bussey, Kingsley Moyo
Musical Selection…………………………………………….Jessica Hall, Kalyna Lamberton, Group
Postlude……………………………………………………………………………..…………..Joshua McMillan
Sabbath School
Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m.
Theme “Being the Light”
Song Service…………………………..……………………………………..…….Sara Concha and Friends
Welcome………………………………………………………………….Axl Bendzsel, Nancy Sysoutham
Scripture……………………………………………………………………………………..........…….Joahna Jao
Prayer………………………………………………………………………………………..………Ryan Brousson
Musical Selection “Lord, I Want to be a Chritian”……………………………………......traditional
Bonnie Holm, Clifford Holm
Call for Offering……………………………....................………………………………….Maryjo Malong
Offertory………………………………………………………………………………………...Joshua McMillan
Study………………………………………………………………..…...Anthony Kern, Abraham Samudio
Benediction……………………………………………….………………………………………..Kaitlin Grovet
Baccalaureate
Saturday, April 18, 11:40 a.m.
Prelude “Notturno”………………………………………......................................…………….E. Grieg
Processional “Fanfare and Chorale”……………………………………………...............T. Chesterton
Invocation…………………………………................................................…………….France Leclerc
Parent of Graduate
Welcome…………………………………………………………………………..………………....Mark Haynal
President
Hymn “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service”……………………………………………...No. 363
Prayer………………...................................................…………………………………Allen Heinrichs
Parent of Graduate
Call for Offering……………………………………..............................……………..Marilyn Kelloway
Parent of Graduate
Offertory “Romance”……………………………………………………………................…..Dénis Bedard
Musical Selection “Sonata in B Minor: Largo”………………………………....……………J. S. Bach
Chloe Kingsfield, flute; Wendy Markosky, organ
Scripture Isaiah 42:5-7, Matthew 5:14-16.........................................……………..Vince Boyce
Parent of Graduate
Sermon “Keep the Light On!”……………………………………………………….……..Lowell Cooper
Vice President
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hymn “Lord of All Nations”………………………………………………………………………..No. 588
Benediction……………………….................................................………………….Nancy Macharia
Parent of Graduate
Recessional “Allegro vivo”…….……………………………………................................…….P. Benoit
Organist: Wendy Markosky, Professor of Music
Pianist: Debra Bakland, Associate Professor of Music
The congregation will be seated during the recessional.
Evensong
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Prelude, 7:15 p.m.
Prelude………………………………………………….........................................Taylor Lakusta-Wong
Song Service..............................................................................Vanessa Chokka and Friends
Welcome...........................................................................................................Esther Sydney
Invocation..................................................................................................................Joe Steel
Musical Selection..........................................................................................Chloe Kingsfield
Introduction of Speaker...............................................................................Vanessa Chokka
Sermonette “Remember”.................................................................................Landon Sayler
Benediction.....................................................................................................Marvin Muraya
Postlude.................................................................................................Taylor Lakusta-Wong
Commencement Announcements
Commencement seating is on a first-come basis. Graduates’ invited guests are
encouraged to arrive early with their tickets. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. Only
those with tickets will be able to enter. Additional guests are invited to the John
McKibbin Education Centre Amphitheatre (E117), just west of the church,
where the service will be available through live streaming.
Because the class provides colour photographs of each graduate taken at the time
of the degree presentation and because the service is being streamed live, guests
must at all times remain behind the last row of graduate seating.
Commencement
Sunday, April 19, 10:00 a.m.
Prelude “Concerto in G Major”……………………………..............……………………….Wm. Hayes
Processional “March in F Major”…………………..........…………………………..F. De La Tombelle
Marshall
Graduates
Faculty and Administration
Board of Trustees
President and Platform Party
Invocation……………………………………………………………………………….………….Mark Johnson
Chair, Board of Trustees
Musical Selection “Duet, Op. 39, No. 1”……….....................................………………J. Brahms
Marjorie Souza, piano; Debra Bakland, piano
Address “An Essay for Life”.…………………………………………………………....Denise Dick Herr
Professor of English
Canadian University College
Presentation of Candidates…………………………………………………..……………………….Joy Fehr
Vice President for Academic Administration
Conferral of Degrees……………………………………………………………………..………Mark Haynal
President
Presentation of Degrees………………………..………………………………………………..Mark Haynal
Assisted by Lawrence Murrin, Registrar
Presentation of Presidential Medals of Excellence…………………………..……………….Joy Fehr
Mark Haynal
Presentation of Class Gift………….……………………………….Officers of the Graduating Class
Alumni Recognition………………………………………………….………………………….Loney Ziakris
President, Alumni Association
Recognition of Emeritus Faculty……………………………………………………………..Mark Haynal
Benediction……………………………………...........................................……………….Ernest LeVos
Professor of History
Recessional “Concerto in G Major: Presto & Allegro”…………………..J. Ernst, arr. J. S. Bach
Postlude “March in C Major”…………………………….....………………………………………..O. King
Organist: Wendy Markosky, Professor of Music
Marshall: Douglas Matacio, Professor of Religious Studies
Guests must at all times remain behind the last row of graduate seating
The congregation will remain seated during the recessional.
Family and friends may greet the graduates immediately following the service at the
Alumni Plaza in front of the Administration Building.
Candidates for Graduation
Canadian University College Programs
December 2014 Conferrals
Bachelor of Arts (Three-Year)
Thomas Hugh Elliott (Adventure Based Counseling)
Bachelor of Science (Three-Year)
Sung Joon Yeon (General Studies)
Bachelor of Arts (Four-Year)
Eric Boateng (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track)
Nicole Beverly Igboji (Behavioural Science)
Mark Randall Kramer (Adventure Based Youth Leadership)
*Ayinde Issa Shillingford (Religious Studies)
Bachelor of Business Administration (Four-Year)
Amy Katrina Windels (Accounting Track)
Bachelor of Science (Four-Year)
Stephen Ashly Bigelow (Psychology)
April 2015 Conferrals
Bachelor of Arts (Three-Year)
Cassandra Tiautee Brosseuk (General Studies)
Mark Chandler Burns (Adventure Based Counseling) magna cum laude
Bobby Venkat Chilaka (General Studies)
*Jenna Mae Diamante (General Studies)
Jessica Lindsay Hall (Religious Studies) cum laude
Candice Naomi Jones (International Health & Wilderness Studies)
Dory Pouponneau (International Health & Wilderness Studies)
Evan Eliazer Schmitt (General Studies)
James Inglis Scott (General Studies)
Bachelor of Science (Three-Year)
Axl Charles Bendzsel (Wellness Management)
Vanessa Vijaya Chokka (Psychology)
Ralph Damas Edmond (General Studies)
*Rachel Scott Hicks (Wellness Management)
Joahna Porsha Jao (Wellness Management)
Garrett Alan Paige (Wellness Management)
Karen Angela Pieper (Psychology)
Melina Ruth Potts (Wellness Management) magna cum laude
Kirsten Cheerlhiz San Juan (Wellness Management)
Griffin Taylor Reece Wile (Wellness Management) cum laude
Bachelor of Arts (Four-Year)
Serena Mae Allen (International Studies)
Ryan Nicholas Claude Brousson (Religious Studies)
Harrison Rao Chokka (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track) cum laude
Diana Angelica Gonzalez (Behavioural Science)
Bonnie Myrene Holm (International Studies) cum laude
Anthony Francis Kern (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track) magna cum laude
Chloe Kristin Kingsfield (Music) cum laude
Vivian Loanne Kohn Thompson (Religious Studies)
Kimberly Nocole McKay (Adventure Based Counseling)
Kingsley Moyo (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track)
Jazer Abraham Samudio (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track) magna cum laude
Jorge Ulises Torres Amaya (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track)
Bachelor of Business Administration (Four-Year)
Matheus Bergonzine (Accounting Track) cum laude
Tyler Edward Bishop (Accounting Track) magna cum laude
Christopher Scott Brittain (Management Track)
Gabriel Anthony Castella-Chin (Management Track)
Jared Peter Clausen (Management Track) summa cum laude
Aaron Burton Densmore (Accounting Track) cum laude
Theresa Abrafi Donkor (Human Resource Management Track) summa cum laude
Monique Joann Francois (Management Track) summa cum laude
Kaitlin Nicole Grovet (Management Track)
Anthony Gerald Heinrichs (Management Track)
Mitchel Arthur Keenan (Management Track) magna cum laude
Chad Ethan Kelloway (Human Resource Management Track)
Odessa Ruth Simon (Management Track)
Kimhong Ung (Accounting Track)
Bachelor of Education (Four-Year)
Melissa Amy Burton (Elementary)
Caroline Rose Bussey (Elementary) magna cum laude
Tristan Larson Caro (Secondary: Social Studies)
Alison Rose Castella-Chin (Elementary) cum laude
Maria Sara Concha (Elementary)
Jacquelyn Michelle Dobbin (Elementary)
Nicole Kristine Isabelle Duffin (Elementary) cum laude
Katelyn Marie Hutton (Elementary) cum laude
Emma Jane Johnston-Connors (Elementary)
Keith Patrick Kenney (Elementary)
Kalyna Mikael Lamberton (Elementary)
Zachary Ray Loxdale (Secondary: Religious Studies) summa cum laude
Cody Gary Mills (Secondary: English)
Kevin Mopera (Elementary)
Maria-Jose Triguero (Elementary)
Kayla Gemmae Whitworth (Secondary: Biology) cum laude
Bachelor of Education After Degree
Landen Darrell Ames (Elementary) magna cum laude
*Joseph James Arnesto (Secondary)
Isabelle Leclerc (Elementary) cum laude
Sudhan Muthiah (Elementary)
Roland Kirsten Scalliet (Elementary) summa cum laude
Vanessa Mae Evelyn Smith (Elementary)
Marjorie Paes Souza (Secondary) cum laude
Thaksheela Thomas (Elementary)
Janna Lynn Vandermeer (Secondary) magna cum laude
Jared Martin Webb (Elementary) summa cum laude
Bachelor of Science (Four-Year)
Vohda Franklin Ani (Biology)
Pearly Ascelina Dason (Biology) summa cum laude
Alexander Barry Geates (Biology)
Lyndon Bryce Geates (Psychology)
Ryan Daniel Holas (Biology: Medical Track) cum laude
Nelson James Robert Horsley (Biology) cum laude
Michael Daniel Jakovac (Biology: Medical Track) summa cum laude
Michael Thomas Joch (Biology: Medical Track) cum laude
Dwayne Merceus (Psychology)
Marvin Kweku Muraya (Psychology)
Jacob Jonathan Mursic (Biology: Medical Track)
Joshua Carl Mursic (Biology: Medical Track)
Joshua Levi Reginald Edward Perkins (Biology: Medical Track) summa cum laude
Michael Ashlin Simmons (Biology: Medical Track)
Esther Gabrielle Sydney (Biology)
Soupharuck Nancy Sysoutham (Psychology)
Christopher Villacorta-Lopez (Biology: Environmental Track)
August 2015 Conferrals †
Bachelor of Arts (Three-Year)
Maryjo Karen Malong (General Studies)
Marianne Catherine White (Outward Pursuits)
Bachelor of Arts (Four-Year)
Joshua Terry Jabez McMillan (Music)
Joseph Maynard Steel (Religious Studies: Pre-professional Track)
Bachelor of Business Administration (Four-Year)
Okeigbo Chima Dike (Accounting Track)
Bachelor of Education After Degree
*Kidisty Fessahaye Kifle (Secondary) summa cum laude
La Sierra University Program
Master of Arts (Curriculum and Instruction)
Divina Luz Ladores Buhia
BEd Union College 2003
Master of Education (Curriculum and Instruction)
Darlene A. Thiessen
BEd Union College 1996
* In Absentia
†
Six credits or less of on-campus study or a practicum to be completed in the summer.
Commencement is a celebration of an academic milestone and does not necessarily confer
a degree. A degree will not be granted until all requirements for receiving a degree have been met
The Speakers
Leidamae Solijon, BEd
Teaching Principal
Windsor Adventist Elementary School
Ms. Leidamae Solijon was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, only a few hours east of
Windsor where she now resides. Having attended Adventist institutions for the whole of
her educational career, she is a strong advocate of Christian education. After obtaining
her Bachelor's degree in Education from Canadian University College in 2004, with
emphasis in English, Math, and Religious Studies, she spent several years in the Bahamas
teaching at a mission school. She has travelled extensively and has taught in South Korea,
and the United States in addition to Canada and the Bahamas. As a result, Ms. Solijon is
able to use her diverse international experience to enhance her classroom curriculum.
Currently, Ms. Solijon is a teaching principal at Windsor Adventist Elementary School
and is pursuing her Masters degree in Education with an emphasis in Administration and
Leadership through La Sierra University’s Canadian University College extension
program.
Ms. Solijon believes, "I may not make the world a better place, but I will make the little
corner I am in the best place I can."
Lowell C. Cooper, MDiv, MPH
Vice President
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Canadian-born Elder Lowell Cooper is a general vice president of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists—a position he has held since 1998. Prior to his
employment at the Church’s world headquarters, Elder Cooper held pastoral and
departmental leadership roles in Alberta followed by over 16 years of service in Pakistan
and India. Elder Cooper graduated from Canadian Union College with a bachelor’s
degree in theology. Subsequently he obtained a Master of Divinity degree from the
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Michigan and a
master's degree from Loma Linda University School of Public Health. He was awarded
an honorary doctorate from Loma Linda University in 2011.
Lowell’s wife, Rae Lee, is a nurse and musician. The couple has two adult children and
three grandchildren.
Speaker & Emeritus Faculty
Denise R. Dick Herr, PhD
Professor Emeritus of English
Before Dr. Denise Dick Herr came to Canadian Union College in 1974, she graduated
from Takoma Academy in Maryland and earned an undergraduate degree from Andrews
University and a Master of Arts degree in English from La Sierra University. Although
she has spent most of her professional life on the Hilltop, she taught at Lake Nelson
School in New Jersey, at Andrews University, at Philippine Union College (now
Adventist University of the Philippines) and at the Adventist International Institute of
Advanced Studies near Manila. While she and her husband, Dr. Larry Herr (Professor of
Religious Studies at CUC), were missionaries in the Philippines, she began doctoral
studies at Ateneo de Manila and wrote her dissertation on the Biblical book of Job.
Dr. Herr enjoys teaching English at Canadian University College—literature, writing, and
grammar—but besides teaching, she has served as chair of the Department of English,
Interim Dean of the Division of Arts, and Interim Vice President for Academic
Administration. She also collaborated with Edith Fitch to write Changing Lives: The
Hilltop Story, a book that commemorates the centennial of the institution. “I especially
enjoyed working on this project,” states Herr. “My grandfather was one of the early
presidents and my parents taught here; as I learned more about the history of the school,
I suddenly saw a vivid context for their stories. And for the first time in many years of
writing, footnotes became fun!” In recognition of her involvement with CUC, she
received the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1996 and the Honorary Alumnus Award in
2001.
Drs. Denise and Larry Herr have one son, Garrick, a graduate of Parkview Adventist
Academy and an alumnus of Canadian University College. Their daughter-in-law,
Stephanie, also attended Canadian University College
Emeritus Faculty
Larry G. Herr, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies
Dr. Larry Herr grew up in the Chicago area and graduated from Broadview Academy in
1965. At Andrews University he took as many courses at the seminary from
archaeologist Siegfried Horn as he could during his last undergraduate year and earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology in 1970. After spending a year at the University of
Basel in Switzerland to learn German, he enrolled in the doctoral program at Harvard
University in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and focused
on archaeology. His dissertation was on the development of writing among the small
nations of the Holy Land and how those inscriptions could be categorized as national
scripts during the time of the Israelite kings of the Old Testament. He also became a
specialist in the ways that pottery changed over time. He graduated in 1977 with a PhD
and married Denise Dick (Professor of English at CUC) a few days later.
After a year at Andrews University researching the archaeological results of the Seventhday Adventist Heshbon excavations that had just finished in Jordan, Drs. Herr accepted a
call to spend six years as missionaries teaching in the seminary and Graduate School of
what is now called the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies near
Manila, Philippines. There Dr. Herr taught Old Testament subjects, some archaeology,
and biblical languages, while organizing the technical record-keeping aspects of the new
Adventist archaeological excavations that began near Heshbon in Jordan in 1984.
Drs. Herr received appointments at Canadian Union College in 1985 and moved from
the tropics to Alberta in January. As a valued member of CUC’s Religious Studies
Department, Dr. Larry Herr has taught thousands of students, produced 165 peerreviewed scholarly articles, 18 major books authored or edited, 50 popular articles on
archaeology for church magazines, and 17 scholarly book reviews. He has given 86 papers
at professional conferences and almost 250 popular lectures in churches, schools and
camp meetings. He also has taken part in 30 archaeological excavations in Jordan, Israel,
and Tunisia, most as Director or Ceramic Consultant.
Dr. Herr is a lifetime member of his professional organization, the American Schools of
Oriental Research, and has served that organization as the Chair of several committees,
on editorial boards, and for 20 years has been the Associate Editor of the Bulletin of the
American Schools of Oriental Research, the most prestigious journal in his field. He also
served as President of the Canadian wing of that organization for nine years. Dr. Herr
plans to work on five more major volumes reporting the Seventh-day Adventist
excavations in Jordan that he directed between 1984 and 2008.
Keith J. Leavitt, MA
Associate Professor Emeritus of Education
Mr. Keith Leavitt was born and grew up in the central Alberta farming community of
Butte, located eighty kilometers southwest of Lacombe. He attended Red Deer College
for one year and then in May, 1972, graduated from the University of Alberta with a
Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Later that same month, he joined
the Seventh-day Adventist Church through baptism at evangelistic meetings conducted by
Elder George Knowles in Edmonton. At the close of those meetings, Pastor Monty Jones,
a singing evangelist working with Knowles, introduced Keith to his future wife, Bernice
Vatcher, who at the time was working as a secretary in the office of the Alberta
Conference of SDA.
Accepting Christ as his personal Saviour changed Mr. Leavitt’s purpose and focus in life,
so he returned to university to take teacher training. Upon completing an After Degree
in Education from the University of Calgary in 1974, he taught for a year at Level Land
Junior Academy in Beiseker, Alberta, and then the following year at the newly established
Sylvan Meadows Academy in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. In 1976, Mr. and Mrs. Leavitt
accepted a call to serve the Lord in Pakistan. It was there that their three children, Paul,
Debra, and Glen, were born. Following nine years of teaching and administrative work in
Pakistan, including a year as Registrar at Pakistan Adventist Seminary and College, Mr.
Leavitt and his family relocated to Walla Walla College where he completed a Master of
Arts Degree in Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction in mathematics
and science.
In 1986, the Leavitt family moved to Lacombe where Mr. Leavitt accepted the invitation
to teach in Canadian Union College’s School of Education as well as at Parkview
Adventist Academy. Two years later, Mr. Leavitt was employed full time in CUC’s
School of Education where he has taught ever since. Over the past twenty-nine years he
has thoroughly enjoyed the role that he has played in helping young people, and
occasionally older ones, achieve their goal of becoming teachers. In addition to these
primary responsibilities on campus, Mr. Leavitt also has many fond memories of his
involvement with the music, recreational activities, and various clubs and other functions
across the campus community. His wife, Bernie, serves as the CUC Coordinator for
Campus Relations and Educational Awareness.
In recent summers, Mr. Leavitt has volunteered with A Better World, a local
non-governmental organization, travelling to Afghanistan in 2010 and to Kenya in 2012,
2013, and 2014 to assist with educational work that A Better World is sponsoring in
those nations.
Ernest A. LeVos, PhD
Professor Emeritus of History
Dr. Ernest LeVos earned his undergraduate degree in History and Religion and a Master
of Arts degree in History from Pacific Union College. He also received a Master of Arts
degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University. He began teaching
History and Political Science at Canadian Union College in September 1974. After ten
years at CUC, Dr. LeVos with his wife, Carey, and two children, Jonathan and Jillian,
moved to Athens, Ohio, where he completed a year of doctoral study at Ohio University.
Dr. LeVos and his family returned to Canada in 1985 to complete his doctoral degree in
History at the University of Alberta. His doctoral dissertation focused on Canadian
Foreign Policy in Asia from 1947 to 1957. He earned his PhD in 1991.
Since 1991, Dr. LeVos taught as a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta and at
Grant MacEwan College (currently MacEwen University) until 2006. During this time,
he was also a sessional instructor at Taylor University College.
Dr. LeVos returned to Canadian University College in 2006 as the Chair of the History
and Political Science Department. Besides offering instruction in history, Dr. LeVos has
been an active researcher in 19th- and 20th-century cultural and intellectual history. More
recently he has focused on sermon literature of the 19th Century.
Since 2001, Dr. LeVos has regularly travelled to London, England, to work with
manuscripts in British libraries. His recently published book, Charles H. Spurgeon and the
Metropolitan Tabernacle: Addresses and Testimonials 1854-1879, is the direct result of his
research in Britain.
Dr. LeVos also has renewed his interest in the work of the Bible Society and has become
acquainted with the work of the Wycliffe Bible Translators. He currently supports both
of these organizations.
Douglas C. Matacio, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies
As a generalist, Dr. Doug Matacio likes to focus more on the relationships between
things than on things themselves. His path has led him to examine how the disciplines of
the theology of mission, leadership, and cultural anthropology can help diverse entities of
the Church to better understand how to work together in order to complete the delivery
of Christ’s gospel commission to every ethnic group. He has infused his New Testament,
church history, theology, and leadership courses at Canadian University College with
insights from his missionary experience and interdisciplinary study of missiology.
The single most defining experience in Doug’s passage to adulthood was spending twelve
months in 1968-1969 as a student missionary in Japan. Dr. Matacio received his Master
of Divinity degree in 1974 from Andrews University, and a Master of Arts degree in
Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Southern Illinois University in 1975. His
English teaching career was interrupted in 1976 by a call to pastor in the Michigan
Conference. In 1980 Doug began supervising student missionaries doing language school
evangelism in Indonesia. Then he taught English and Theology at Korea’s Sahmyook
University (1984-1989, 1995-1997), which was sandwiched around his doctoral work in
Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Matacio received his PhD in
1997 and then returned to pastoral work in the Greater New York Conference before
joining the religious studies department at Canadian University College in 1999.
Doug is married to Verla (Newman) who has worked as a registered nurse, dormitory
dean at Parkview Adventist Academy, and health co-ordinator for both Canadian
University College and Parkview Adventist Academy. They have two sons, Cory and
Trevor, and three grandchildren. In his spare time, Doug enjoys birding, taking pictures,
rooting, Facebooking, and talking with people he has never met on Adventist online
forums.
Awardee
Canadian University College Award for Excellence in Teaching
Justina N. Adalikwu-Obisike, PhD
Associate Professor of Sociology
Dr. Justina Adalikwu-Obisike is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the
Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences at Canadian University College. She
holds a doctorate degree in Sociology from the University of Saskatchewan and has
taught several sociology courses at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Calgary, and Canadian University College. She has also been privileged to teach sociology
courses at the University of Calabar in Nigeria as a LEADS scholar where she was sponsored by the National Universities Commission.
Dr. Adalikwu-Obisike is interested in pedagogical curriculum development and has
worked with Pearson Learning Solutions – Pearson Higher Education Learning, USA, to
research and develop curriculum for online courses. She has research interests in development, gender and class in the Niger Delta region, and the international political economy of global capitalism. Her past and current research projects focus on global capitalism
and the petroleum industry, social justice and equity, gender inequality, global and family
business management, international migration, and the status of Nigeria as a neo-colonial
state. Her research has been published in the Canadian Journal of African Studies, Journal of
Philosophy and African Studies, Journal of Global Business Research, European Scientific Journal,
and the Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. She also has presented the results of her
research at several national and international conferences.
Dr. Adalikwu-Obisike is a member of the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development, the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association, and the
Canadian Association of African Studies. She is married to Dr. Ellison E. Obisike, who is
an Assistant Professor of Wellness also at Canadian University College. Her hobbies
include gardening, listening to gospel music, and volunteer work.
Board of Trustees
2011 — 2016
Mark Johnson, Chair………………………………………………………………………..Oshawa, Ontario
Kenneth Wiebe, Vice Chair……………………………………………………………..Lacombe, Alberta
Mark Haynal, Secretary…………………………………………………………………….Lacombe, Alberta
John Alai…………………………………………………………………………………………..Calgary, Alberta
Diane Burns……………..……………………………………………..……Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Barry Bussey…………………………………………………………………………………Roseneath, Ontario
Michal Strike Cooke……………………………………………………………Langley, British Columbia
Ken Corkum…………………………………………………………………..Mount Pearl, Newfoundland
Wayne Culmore…………………………………………………………….Abbotsford, British Columbia
Victor Dingman…………………………………………………………………………………Austin, Quebec
Mansfield Edwards…………………………………………………………………………..Oshawa, Ontario
John Fournier……………………………………………………………………..Moncton, New Brunswick
Gerald Grant……………………………………………………………………………………….Carp, Ontario
Carol Henry…………………………………………………………………………Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Joyce Jones………………………………………………………………………………………Oshawa, Ontario
Michael Maier……………………………………………………………………..Sturgeon County, Alberta
Dennis Marshall……………………………………………………………………………….Oshawa, Ontario
Emile Maxi……….…………………………………………………………………………..Longueuil, Quebec
Kevin McKay…………………………………………………………………………..Hubbards, Nova Scotia
Ron Nelson………………………………………………………………………….Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Arni Skoretz……………………………………………………………………………………Red Deer, Alberta
Mary Lou Toop ………………………………………………………………………………..Oshawa, Ontario
Nisha Johny, Student Association President……………………………………….Lacombe, Alberta
DonnaLee Lehmann, Faculty Council Representative…………………………Lacombe, Alberta
Loney Ziakris, Alumni Association President……………………………………..Lacombe, Alberta
Administration
of the University College
Mark Haynal, President
Joy Fehr, Vice President for Academic Administration
Darrell Huether, Vice President for Financial Administration
Stacy Hunter, Vice President for Student Services
Bryan Lee, Vice President for Marketing and Enrolment Services
Jerrold Ritchey, Vice President for Advancement
Angela Bishop, Parkview Adventist Academy Principal
Academic Costume
The pageantry and costume of commencement have been inherited from the
European universities of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Academic life as we know it
today began in medieval times, first in the Church and then in the guilds. The teaching
guild was the Guild of the Master of Arts where the Bachelor was the apprentice of the
Master, and the dress was the outward sign of privilege and responsibility. Rather early it
became necessary for colleges and universities to set rules to preserve the dignity and
meaning of academic dress. Today, most institutions adopt a distinctive design for
academic attire.
GOWN. Academic
a
colours. These designs,
particularly the sleeves, reflect the level of the academic degree of the wearer. While most
gowns are black, many universities use gowns of other colours for doctoral degrees.
HOOD. In general, the size and complexity of the hood reflect the level of the degree of
the
longer and more complex the hood, the higher the degree. The
colours of the hood are generally the colours of the degree-granting institution, while the
border colours represent the academic discipline.
CAP. Traditionally, the cap has had a square, solid design and is known as a “mortar
board.” Some universities use a round or octagonal tam for doctoral degrees. Sometimes,
the colour of the tassel indicates the academic discipline. A gold tassel is often used for
doctoral degrees.
Academic Honours
Where merited, Canadian University College confers degrees with three levels of
academic honours: cum laude for honours (red cords), magna cum laude for high
honours (red and gold cords), and summa cum laude for highest honours (gold cords).
The academic honours published and announced during the convocation ceremonies
are based on the graduate’s academic record as of January 1 of the year of convocation.
The academic honours, as printed on the official transcript and parchment, include all
course work completed during the term of study immediately prior to the convocation
ceremonies and, therefore, may be different from the previously announced
designations.
University Mace
Canadian University College's mace was commissioned to honour the 1 May 2015
institutional name change to Burman University. The university's registrar, Mr. Lawrence
Murrin, designed the mace, while Mr. Gerald Whitehead, a retired Canadian Union
College and Parkview Adventist Academy instructor, translated the design into a black
walnut and brass work of art. Engraved in brass on one side of the disc at the top of the
mace is the Burman University crest. On the other side, also in brass, is the symbol of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. The four-sided head of the mace bears medallions that
trace the history of the university. Three brass rings encircle the shaft, each engraved with
one clause of the university’s mission statement: think with discernment; believe with
insight and commitment; act with confidence, compassion, and competence.
In medieval times, the mace symbolized authority over life and death and was held by a
dignitary’s bodyguard at ceremonial functions. Today the mace represents the power of
knowledge.
Canadian University College's mace symbolizes its contributions to the creation and
dissemination of knowledge. It also marks the university's values: excellence, service,
spirituality, integrity, and community. During formal university convocations, the
marshal carries the mace before the university's president and places it in full view of the
assembly during the proceedings. Between convocations it is kept in a display case in the
president's office.