UNB Alumni
Telling our #ProudlyUNB stories
Things we learned: While travelling and working abroad
Andrew Martel (BCS'15) and Kayla Renee Ossachuk (BA'15)
Posted: September 24, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , Arts , UNB Fredericton , Young Alumni
Written and submitted by Andrew Martel (BCS’15) & Kayla Renée Ossachuk (BA’15) Two years ago, we started thinking of the idea of travelling around the world for a full year. To be fair, Kayla had been thinking about it for most of her life, but we only started brainstorming ideas back in 2022. At the time, the thought was that we would save up for a year and continue to work while travelling. I’m a management consultant for a firm out of Toronto – a job that is...
How UNB alumni are liberating health data in New Brunswick
Kelly Anderson
Posted: September 20, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories , Computer Science
In 2018, the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Health set a goal of improving access to digital health services in an effort to transform the way health care is delivered in the province. A key part of this commitment was giving patients and families access to their health information, allowing them to better manage their health. What they didn’t anticipate was that a global pandemic would rapidly advance their efforts and push forward an evolution of their plans....
Aaloak Jaswal brings global digital transformation and humanitarian experience home to UNB
UNB Alumni
Posted: April 22, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories
When a UNB alum makes a critical societal impact in countries around the world, it’s a big deal. When an alum brings that experience home to New Brunswick to make a critical impact in our backyard, it’s huge. That’s why UNB is so excited that Aaloak Jaswal (BScCS’93, D-TME’93) has returned to Fredericton to take on the role of innovation director for the new Research Institute in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RIDSAI), a role supported with...
UNBeknownst #33: Barbara Wasson on how technology and AI are shaping the future of learning
UNB Alumni
Posted: November 23, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Podcast , Computer Science , UNB Fredericton
Barbara Wasson (BScCS’82) is the director for SLATE - The Science of Learning and Technology, the Norwegian national centre for learning analytics. She is one of the founders of Kaleidoscope, a European Network of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning and has been the principal researcher on numerous Norwegian and international projects. She is also member of the Norwegian Ministry of Education’s Expert group on Learning Analytics and the Council of Europe Expert Group...
The technology and science behind sustainable diversity and inclusion
UNB Alumni
Posted: November 13, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories , Computer Science
Michael Wright (BBA’96, BCS’99) says that lasting and meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts have to be about the science. That’s why he and co-founder Dr. Leeno Karumanchery created MESH/Diversity, a New Brunswick-based company offering software grounded in behavioural science and data, tailored for forward-focused organizations who want sustainable culture change. “The platform we’ve built leverages the power of behavioural science,...
Top national cybersecurity expert says music has been the key to her success
UNB Alumni
Posted: September 25, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories
Melanie Anderson (BCS’03), a professional in both cybersecurity and classical music, says it’s all about math and logic. Currently the director general of secure solutions and services in the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Melanie and her team are responsible for applied cryptographic research, architecture, engineering and development of secure cryptographic solutions. This includes Communications Security (COMSEC),...
UNBers dominate Atlantic Business Top 50 CEO list
UNB Alumni
Posted: May 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: UNB Saint John , Law , Inspiring Stories , Kinesiology , Engineering , Computer Science , Management , UNB Fredericton
Atlantic Business Magazine’s 2023 Top 50 CEO Awards were recently announced, and 16 UNB alumni and alumni of the UNB Wallace McCain Institute’s (WMI) Entrepreneurial Leaders Program (ELP) made the prestigious list. In its 25th year, the Top 50 CEO Awards celebrate accomplished business leaders in the Atlantic region. Over the past 25 years, they have recognized 552 Top 50 award winners who have collectively created more than a million jobs and generated almost $1.9 trillion in...
Providing the joy of entertainment
UNB Alumni
Posted: April 21, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories , Computer Science
Luke DeWitt (BCS’06) has been known to enjoy a good baseball game along with a craft beer. But what he enjoys even more is building platforms that allow people to be entertained. Luke is the director of web services for REDspace, a software development company in Halifax that builds custom, innovative and scalable platforms for media, entertainment and gaming clients such as Warner Bros., Apple, Turner, MTV, Sony Pictures, IBM, and Nickelodeon. “We build systems like...
From experiential learning at UNB to San Francisco startup success
UNB Alumni
Posted: February 20, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: UNB Fredericton , Computer Science , Inspiring Stories
When Spanish-born-and-raised Mikel Cármenes Cavia (BCS’09) landed in Fredericton to begin his undergraduate studies in computer science at UNB back in 2005, he probably didn’t realize just how much the experience would influence his life. Mikel had graduated from an American high school in Dubai and got the itch to go to university in North America. But his mother was having none of it, insisting that he return to Spain. When a recruiter at the high school told him about UNB,...
Building an outstanding IT career right here in New Brunswick
UNB Alumni
Posted: November 18, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Inspiring Stories , Computer Science , UNB Fredericton
Mary Goggin (BScCS’82) is very modest about her success in the IT field, but her track record speaks for itself. Mary’s been instrumental in the growth and development of several IT consulting companies, including CGI and the company she co-founded, Accreon Inc. She’s been a sought-after project manager, technology expert and business strategist, having made a significant impact in New Brunswick as part of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Technology, in Fredericton as...
Pioneering computer science at UNB: the Wasson family bridges technology, business and learning
UNB Alumni
Posted: September 19, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , Inspiring Stories , UNB Fredericton , Engineering
Photo (from 2013): Brad Wasson, Marie-Claire Wasson (Brad & Colettes’s daughter), Colette Gagnon Wasson, Dana Wasson, Jane Wasson, Barbara Wasson, Didrik Wasson Lillehaug (Barbara's son), Svein-Ivar Lillehaug (Barbara's husband) From her classroom at the University of Bergen, Norway, Professor Barbara Wasson (BScCS’82) tells her students that “data is the new gold.” Barbara, director of the national Centre for the Science of Learning and Technology hosted...
Dawn MacIsaac’s roundabout path to software engineering
Dawn MacIsaac’s roundabout path to software engineering
Posted: September 15, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Inspiring Stories , UNB Fredericton , Computer Science , Engineering
Dawn MacIsaac (MScE’99, PhD’04) has a bit of a unique perspective at UNB. As a professor jointly appointed with the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Computer Science, she teaches in and leads one of the few software engineering programs in Canada that blends computer science learning with engineering. Dawn was the lead in bringing the unique program into fruition at UNB in 2001 – making it one of the first in Canada and the only one of its kind (still) in...
Cormac Stewart combined degrees to bring ideas to life
UNB Alumni
Posted: May 25, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Renaissance College , Computer Science , Young Alumni , UNB Fredericton , Inspiring Stories
It was Spring of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had just turned the world upside down and seven friends who met at UNB had plans cancelled. One of them was Cormac Stewart (BCS’21, BPHIL’21), who was supposed to be overseas doing an international internship as part of his studies with Renaissance College. Instead, he was home in New Brunswick, ruminating with friends about where to find somewhere to eat and what deals were happening at local restaurants and bars. In fact, a few of the...
Janet Lin is transforming retail and financial services technology
UNB Alumni
Posted: April 25, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Inspiring Stories , Computer Science , UNB Fredericton
If you live in Canada, you’ve probably collected PC Optimum points and used or seen the PC Mastercard for your retail purchases. What you probably don’t know is that those products are available because of UNB alumna Janet Lin (BCS’05) and the teams she worked with at Loblaw. Janet has made quite a name for herself in the IT and business worlds. She received the Oracle Global Innovation Award in 2019 while working with Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart for introducing the...
UNBeknownst Episode 14: From Artsy to Shopify, Ash Furrow on compassionate software development and separating yourself from your work
UNB Alumni
Posted: March 3, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: UNB Fredericton , Computer Science , Podcast , Young Alumni , Inspiring Stories
Ash Furrow (BCS’09) is a compassionate software developer from the small town of Woodstock, New Brunswick. He started building iPhone apps in 2009 while still a computer science student at UNB, which launched his career as a mobile software developer. After graduating, Ash and his partner moved to Toronto, then Amsterdam, and then New York, where he joined Artsy as it was just beginning to grow into the world’s largest online marketplace for art. He finally moved home to New...
Deep learning at Amazon
Deep learning at Amazon
Posted: February 9, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Inspiring Stories , Computer Science , UNB Fredericton
You probably don’t always think about all the work that goes on behind the scenes when you’re searching for that must-have book, latest gadget or feel-good movie on Amazon. Weiqi Zhang (MCS’13) does. Since 2015, Weiqi’s been one of the software developers and managers behind the fancy technologies that bring the right products in front of your eyes at the right time. He worked on search technologies and customer experience for six years - first in China, then in...
James Stewart protects companies from artificial intelligence hackers as CEO of Saint John startup, TrojAI
UNB Alumni
Posted: October 27, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Inspiring Stories , UNB Saint John , Computer Science
UNB alumnus James Stewart (BScDA’97, MCS’99, PhD’17) is on a mission to protect artificial intelligence from malicious attackers. He’s working toward this as CEO and co-founder of new Saint John startup TrojAI, a company focused on building solutions for robustness and security of AI. The company was first formed in June 2019, alongside co-founder and fellow UNB alumnus Stephen Goddard (BBA'98). While Stewart was working as SVP of video analytics for Toronto-based...
An alumnus and former co-op student comes full circle
UNB Alumni
Posted: September 29, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Engineering , UNB Fredericton , Computer Science , Inspiring Stories , Young Alumni
Fredericton native Mike Harrington (BScSwE’15) instantly loved software engineering when he began the program at UNB. During his time as a student, he took part in five co-op work terms to gain experience while studying. “My goal was to try out different jobs to see what I liked. I worked with one company on a pricing app, then went to IBM for two terms and worked on software applications, then found Populus. It was a very small team of only five or six people, so I got to work on...
From hardware to software: proof that skills are transferable
UNB Alumni
Posted: March 10, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Inspiring Stories , Computer Science , Engineering , UNB Fredericton
When Lan Liu (MScEE’03) and her husband Richard Liu (MCS’02) came to Fredericton from Beijing, it was a bit of a culture shock. “We flew in on a tiny plane from Montreal and all I saw was trees,” Lan laughs. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into! It was a hot summer week when we arrived, and in China we often use an umbrella to shade ourselves from the sun on hot days. When I walked on the sidewalks of Fredericton with my umbrella, people looked at me...
Learning technical and soft skills in a multi-cultural environment through co-op
UNB Alumni
Posted: March 10, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: Computer Science , Inspiring Stories , UNB Fredericton
We chatted with 2nd-year computer science graduate student Priyal Chandrakant Jawale, who has been working at an 8-month co-op term with Teledyne-CARIS in Fredericton since September 2020, to find out more about her experience. Q1. Why did you choose to study CS? As a child, I loved solving puzzles and playing board games. During high school, I developed an application on a large scale using basic programming languages such as Java and MySQL, which was a spark of dedicating my...
The fast-paced world of transportation cybersecurity
UNB Alumni
Posted: October 23, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , UNB Fredericton , Engineering , Inspiring Stories
When we think about cybersecurity, we typically think of our phones, computers and personal data being hacked. But Mike Vanderveer (BScCMPE’02) says heavy vehicles carrying dangerous goods are also a big cybersecurity concern. Mike, who graduated from UNB with a degree in computer engineering, is a transportation cybersecurity consultant with his own firm, Deep Micro, in Ottawa. He says that it is not easy to hack into our cars and car company security systems are continually improving....
UNB Saint John data scientist pioneering in occupational health informatics
UNB Alumni
Posted: October 22, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: Computer Science , UNB Saint John , Inspiring Stories
UNB Saint John alumnus Hongchang (Gary) Bao’s (BScCS’19) undergraduate research in occupational health informatics has been published in a leading peer-reviewed journal for digital medicine and health, and has garnered interest from national organizations, such as CanPath and the National Cancer Institute. While a student in the computer science department, Bao collaborated on a research project through the campus’ certificate of data analytics program. A dedicated and...
Q&A: Ash Furrow
Young Alumni
Posted: August 22, 2016 5:00:00 AM ADT
Category: UNB Fredericton , Young Alumni , Computer Science
From Fredericton and Toronto, to Amsterdam and New York, Ash Furrow (BCS ’11) has taken his computer science degree to creative lengths around the globe, publishing computer science books and developing iOS apps. He talks to us about his journey and lends great advice for fellow young alumni. Q: Did you come to UNB knowing which degree program and career path you wanted to explore? Not really. I knew I wanted to do something with computers and after learning the basics of programming...