STUDENTS
Fatima Alghamdi
My name is Fatima Alghamdi. My hometown is Makkah, Saudi Arabia. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Print and Advertisement Design from Umm Al-Qura University in 2007.
I have two, seemingly opposite, passions in life: psychology and design. I have an insatiable curiosity for the human psyche and learning about what makes each one of us unique. Toronto is a fascinating place for me as I have met people from all around the world. However, my curiosity and love for people can also be said to lie at the heart of my other passion – design. Indeed, I loved my undergraduate studies, in part because it allowed me to express myself and engage people through my designs. I am excited for the opportunity to continue to develop and hone my skills and share my designs with a more global audience. Success to me is having my designs recognized from Canada to Saudi Arabia and everywhere in between!
I believe I bring a balanced approach to my design as I have held several different roles within the design industry. Indeed, it was my role as an advertising executive that landed me a full scholarship from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce to pursue my Master’s degree in design. However, my professional background is not limited to design. I have also been trained in topics as varied as: women in leadership; statistics; neuro-linguistic programming; graphology; memory indexing etc. Learning about all of these disciplines invariably serves to make me a better designer.
I am attracted to inclusive design theory because I am sensitive to the idea that every person in society deserves a voice and the opportunity to take part in society at-large – especially online, now more than ever. As such, I believe learning inclusive design practices will make my designs richer and business decisions stronger. My favorite quote and one that I try and live by: “I will never say I failed 1,000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1,000 ways that can cause failure” – Thomas Edison.
Deanna Burrows
Deanna’s passion for the Arts began at a very young age and continued as she entered her undergraduate degree in New Media Design. After graduating from the University of Toronto Scarborough, she joined the creative department within Arts & Science Co-op at U of T where she helped design their website and marketing material that promoted awareness of Co-op at the Scarborough campus.
From there she gained valuable creative and administrative experience as she helped with the organization and marketing of major events. Today, Deanna works for two departments within the University of Toronto; Statistics and Computing in Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS). At both locations she acts a creative specialist to design posters, brochures, websites and other promotional material.
Deanna’s interests lie in user-centred design as she aspires to contribute her graphic design skills to further her knowledge in inclusive design.
Nell Chitty
Nell Chitty grew up in rural Niagara in an artistic family regularly involved in contemporary art, dance and theatre. Nell was an avid creative writer as a child and began her passion with photography. Moving to Toronto to study fashion communication at Ryerson University, she was introduced to graphic design and typography.
Nell became interested in inclusive and accessible design whilst witnessing the deterioration of her aging family members' eyesight. She dedicated her fourth-year thesis at Ryerson to designing a typeface for the visually impaired, which has led to her current studies at OCAD University.
Following her undergraduate degree, Nell spent two years in Montreal and became an active blogger. Dissatisfied with the superficiality of the fashion industry she experienced in Montreal and New York, Nell looks forward to using design and social innovation to better the daily lives of people living with vision loss and other impairments.
Pina D'Intino
Pina has acquired 25 years of experience in the IT and financial industry. Since 2000, Pina has been directly involved in accessibility related initiatives and is currently leading the accessibility strategy roadmap from an IT perspective including standards, policy reviews, awareness and education, and inclusiveness as it relates to business.
At Scotiabank, she is a member of the SERC, the founder of the SUA Employment Resource Group and was a member of the IT&S advancement of women. Pina is the chair of the CFIAT; bringing together financial organizations to leverage and share accessibility practices and strategies. In March of 2007, she joined the AODA I&C SDC as a subject matter expert.
Guest Speaking engagements on accessibility and leadership: CSUN, ATIA, University of Guelph Windsor, and Schulich School of Business, the International Federation of Banks in Brazil, panelist on the USBLN International Forum on accessibility, participant on the Ontario BLN in Canada, panelist at the United Nations Convention in New York on Information Technology and Communication in Developing Countries, and a participant in a UN Convention discussion forum on standards policy development with representatives from International countries in Washington.
Sandra Earl
I currently work as a User Experience and Accessibility Specialist for an eLearning technology company where I am responsible for researching, documenting and applying user-focused design patterns. I have an aptitude for recognizing similarities and enforcing standards across diverse design projects, and using information design principles to simplify users' experiences with technologies.
Above all, I enjoy helping clients, development teams and business leaders reach a common vision.
Michael Furdyk
Michael Furdyk is the Co-founder of TakingITGlobal (www.tigweb.org), which provides innovative global education programs that empower youth to understand and act on the world's greatest challenges. In the past, he turned his interest in technology into several successful online companies, including MyDesktop.com, which sold to Internet.com in 1999. In 2008, he was named by Contribute Magazine as one of 10 Tech Revolutionaries Redefining the Power and Face of Philanthropy.
Michael has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, presented at TED, and was named one of Teen People's "Twenty Teens that will Change the World". Over the last decade, he has keynoted more than 100 events across sectors, sharing his social media expertise and insights on youth engagement and educational reform to audiences in more than 30 countries. He sits on several non-profit boards, including the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition, and on the International Advisory Council for Microsoft's Partners in Learning program.
Joseph Hardin
Grahame Lynch
Jacob Mouka
Hi, I'm Jacob. I graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc. in computer science and physics. I then worked in the bioinformatics department of University Health Network, developing software for cancer research and building clinical informatics systems. For the past few years, I’ve worked as a freelance developer, building web systems, iPhone apps, and everything in between. I’m especially interested in usability and human-computer interaction -- everything should be easy to use! When not at my desk, I’m an amateur musician and I try to keep stress-free by rock climbing.
Dorin Petrescu
Dorin is a Toronto-based communication designer with extensive experience in branding, print and package design. He was formally trained in Romania and holds a BDes in graphic design (with distinction) from OCAD University (Toronto) where he is currently pursuing a Master degree in Inclusive Design.
Over the past 16 years he developed and implemented several branding and communication programs for a large number of upscale businesses in the hospitality and wellbeing field, such as Marriott and Movenpick Hotels and various public and private organizations in Romania, Kuwait, and Canada.
He describes himself as a print and packaging design fanatic, a top-notch communicator, and a lucid creative thinker. He never fails to "confess" his heavy addiction to espresso.
Mark Sherman
Spirit Synott
Dancer, actor and visual artist Spirit Synott's extensive arts-training includes a diploma (with honors) from the Ontario College of Art, and actor training with Actors Equity Showcase, Toronto Theatre Alliance, Actors Co-op, Sears & Switzer, and Debajehmujig Theatre. She has studied and performed dance with Debbie Wilson (modern and ballet), Rachel Gorman (repertoire and modern), Ronald Taylor (African/Caribbean modern), Anthony Guerra (African/Caribbean folk), Almond Small (modern), and Lisandro Gomez (Argentinian Tango). Spirit has performed in an impressive range of venues including: Nathan Philips Square, the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Roy Thompson Hall, and Harbourfront in Toronto; the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Ontario; City Hall in Burlington, Vermont; the NAC, Ottawa; the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts in Calgary; The Round House in British Columbia; and The Millennium Centre, Winnipeg. Spirit's multidisciplinary, cross cultural creation work with Debajehmujig Theatre on Manitoulin Island expands the boundaries of inclusion, exploration and innovation.
Sherly Thankappan
Sherly Thankappan is a special needs teacher in Locomotor and Neuromuscular disorder. Thankappan last served as Director of programs at Blissymbolics Communication Institute - Canada, a non for profit organization designed to meet the literacy and communication needs of individuals throughout Ontario who are non-speaking. Presently, she volunteers there and has been invited to join the board of directors. Thankappan has been a teacher for the past 13 years both in India and Canada and over the past three years she has immersed herself in AAC pedagogy. She enjoys new challenges and dreams of having something available for all that would provide universal access to people facing a range of accessibility barriers.
The Inclusive design program has inspired her and she sees it as the future for those with disabilities, having a quality of life, up to now undreamed of, as they take their place in their community -- participating fully.
Lucian Timofte
Holding a BA in Christian Orthodox Theology (Romania) and a BDes in Graphic Design (OCAD U - Toronto), Lucian perceives himself as a disguised theologian inside of the design world. This cross-cultural mélange is reflected by his recent undergraduate thesis called “Sacred and Profane in Graphic Design.” In fact, his identity is consistently emerged in and challenged by heavy existential and design related questions: Who am I? What is the meaning of life and death? Why do we experience suffering, and how it can be healed? How has our world become so hurt? How can we make it better? What has Design become? How does Design assume the downfalls of Modernity & Postmodernity? Is Design able to integrate and to develop interdisciplinary, inclusive and holistic approaches? In the light of these questions, Lucian’s engagement with the MDes in Inclusive Design seems to be a natural and inspired choice.
Last Modified:1/24/2012 12:57:31 PM
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
