Alumni Careers

Since the B.Hum’s foundation in 1996, Humanities graduates have gone on to work in an incredible variety of fields — government, law, journalism, education, business, international development, medicine, the arts, and more.

Keep in Touch

If you are an alumna or alumnus of the Bachelor of Humanities, please join the Linkedin group for Carleton University Bachelor of Humanities Alumni. And stay in touch by filling out this form.

Arts — Culture

Catherine Sinclair (B. Hum 2001)

Deputy Director, Chief Curator
Ottawa Art Gallery

I am now Deputy Director, Chief Curator at the O.A.G., and my Humanities education certainly contributed to where I am today. My curatorial work involves selecting artists for exhibitions, both historical and contemporary, organizing those exhibitions and providing the research to back up those ideas, and assessing and growing the Gallery’s Permanent Collection. A major part of my job is research and analytic writing, and these skills really began for me in those B.Hum years. Read More.

Pascale Arpin (B.Hum 2011)

Artist

Pascale Arpin’s career also bridges art and commerce and it sprung from the College of the Humanities, but the similarities end there.

If you live in Ottawa, you’ve likely seen Arpin’s work. Although she does illustrations and paints canvasses and has brought film and TV props and sets to life, her niche these days is custom sign painting and hand lettering — a traditional style that adorns the windows of about five dozen local businesses, including hip spots like Little Victories Coffee on Bank St., Crows Nest Barber on Wellington St. and The Third in Hintonburg. Read more.

Victoria Goddard (B.Hum 2004)

Writer, Gardener, Jobbing Humanist

At the College of the Humanities I learned to ask the old questions and to live always as if they matter – and in doing so, I learned the courage shown by those, ancient and modern, who try to answer them. In short, I think I can say that my writing, like my life, is shaped by the past, and the College of the Humanities did not only show me those shapes but also taught me to see. Read More.

Kwende Kefentse (B.A. 2011)

Executive Director of CKCU

I think it’s a great foundation for doing more innovative things because you get the opportunity to cross subjects but in a deep way. My job has everything to do with being culturally sensitive, and so just being sensitive to all the different religions in the world, peoples, and modes of thinking about the world, and to be able to move with some flexibility between these has been really instructive. Read More.

Ian Moggach

Artistic Director, Theatre By the Bay, Barrie, ON

I use what I learned in HUMS almost every day. As a theatre director, my knowledge of the philosophies, political movements, and artistic trends of different eras in history has put me well ahead of my peers. Perhaps more importantly, HUMS taught me how to analyze texts and write compelling essays. These skills are an extraordinary asset in my line of work. The staff and professors were wonderful and dedicated but pushed us extremely hard. I credit the College’s professors for teaching me how to convey my thoughts in writing effectively. Little did I know just how often I would need those skills in my profession.

More Arts — Culture

• Award-winning novelist and short story writer, nominated for the prestigious Quebec Writer’s Federation McAuslan First Book Prize, won the Writer’s Trust of Canada’s McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize
• Professional singer/songwriter who has released three albums as a solo artist, incorporating jazz, folk, and classical influences; won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Young Performer, and was awarded the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award
• Assistant coordinator of the Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit
• Copy Editor/Coordinator at Toronto International Film Festival
• Franco-Ontarian Arts & Arts Service Organizations Program Assistant, Ontario Arts Council
• Director of Business Development at The Artistic Edge
• Guest Services Manager, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra & Winspear Centre
• Visitor Services Coordinator at The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum
• Committee Member, Public Art Committee, Winnipeg Arts Council
• Assistant Instructor at Ottawa Little Theatre
• International Partnerships Manager, Science Museum Group, U.K.

Broadcasting — Media — Journalism

Jennifer Carswell (B.Hum 2005)

Senior Broadcast Journalist
BBC World Television, London, England

My love of stories, as a window into humanity and what makes us truly human, took root during the Humanities program and has blossomed ever since.  On a regular basis, I go back to Humanities basics by examining original sources and documents and trying as best as I can to get behind, underneath, and around what is really there to figure out what is important. Read More.

Danielle Kubes (B.Hum 2009)

Freelance Journalist

Humanities prepare you for what comes after Humanities because you’re required to take a music class, a science class, a philosophy class, a history class, and a literature class — and in doing so you will gain a breadth and depth of knowledge upon which our modern world was founded, and therefore be better able to navigate it. Read More.

More Broadcasting — Media — Journalism

• Digital Editor, The Globe and Mail, Toronto
• Video Journalist at The Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem
• Assistant Producer, Al Jazeera Media Network
• Multimedia Reporter, currently working on the International Business Times money desk in New York
• Videographer and Web Team Intern at Center for Strategic and International Studies, with Think Tank Industry
• Editor-in-Chief at Blu Inc Media – LP Luxury Properties Magazine
• Freelance Journalist at Sun Media
• Senior Writer at Interactive Investor
• Senior News Editor, PPI Asia at RISI
• Reporter for Toronto Star’s Calgary Bureau

Business

Sarah Cathrae (B.Hum 2001)

Managing Director
Suske Capital

I have used these gifts towards many pursuits. I have managed people, an arcade, a banquet hall, and a marina. I did facilities management for the Canadian Space Agency. I have consulted for Fortune 500 companies. I worked in finance for Credit Suisse on Bay Street. I appraised multi-million dollar commercial properties. Currently, I work as the Managing Director of Suske Capital, a Canadian boutique private equity firm that invests in real estate, finance, emerging technology, alternative energy, and healthcare. Read More.

More Business

• Director of Enterprise and Alternative Investment at Greater Asia IntraLinks, Hong Kong
• Corporate Account Manager – Chicago and Illinois, at Softchoice Corporation
• Division Director at Investors Group Financial Services Inc.
• Principal at Inman & Oxland – Masonry, Dry Stone Walls, & Landscape
• Account Executive at Wahanda
• Account Manager at Perram Corp.
• Assistant to Vice President of Business Development at Nuevo Americana Inc.
• Built Heritage Resource Consultant at Julian Smith Architects
• Intern Architect at Bruce Carscadden Architect Inc.
• Director of Development at Career Cruising
• GTA Sales at Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
• Marketing Specialist at Bull, Housser & Tupper
• Consultant at Cushman & Wakefield
• Real Estate Research Consultant at Primecorp Commercial Realty Inc.
• Client Solutions Manager, CBRE Commercial Real Estate Services
• Research Assistant at Aimia Inc.
• Marketing Research & Analytics/Copywriting at marvVy
• Marketing and Operations Assistant at Hachette Book Group
• Sales Training Coordinator at Institute for Integrative Nutrition
• Accident Benefits Adjuster at the Cooperators
• Ski Instructor at Whistler Blackcomb
• Carpenter at Local 397 Carpenter’s Union
• Sales Coordinator, Sportsnet
• Lead – Data Governance, Canada Life

Communications

• Press Secretary to the Minister of Municipal Affairs at the Government of Alberta, Former Press Secretary of the Premier of Nunavut
• Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications at Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Senior Communications Officer at Canada School of Public Service

More Communications

• Communications Officer at Canadian Transportation Agency
• Assistant Director: Corporate Engagement at Northwestern University
• Research, Communications, and Project Coordinator at The Church Council on Justice and Corrections
• Senior Editor and Multimedia Services Manager at Center for International Forestry Research
• Brand Communications Manager at One Planet Home at B&Q
• Marketing and Communications Manager at BookNet Canada
• Communications Liaison at Private Islands Inc.
• Communications Coordinator, Grant Connect at Imagine Canada
• Community Manager at GetInvolved.ca
• Social Media Marketing Manager at EVO Canada
• Intermediate Copywriter at Loblaw Companies Limited – Home & Entertainment
• Writer and Editor at Regent College
• Education Manager at Falls Brook Centre
• Senior Writer at Stiff Sentences
• Producer at MediaStyle
• Community Consultant at AvalanBay Communities
• Information Officer at Public Service Alliance Local 901
• Account Manager at Narrative PR
• Public Affairs Officer at Flagship Solutions
• Social Media Coordinator at Human Concern International
• Writer, Performer, and Workshop Facilitator at Jer’s Vision
• Senior Publicity Director at TARO PR (Public Relations)

Education

Brett Walker (B.Hum 2002)

Department Head of English
Ottawa Catholic School Board

After graduating from the B.Hum. I enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. A year later, I was teaching English for the Ottawa Catholic School Board and today I am the Department Head of English at a Catholic high school in Ottawa…I have taught a variety of subjects at different Ottawa area high schools and have worked with many amazing individuals. Education is both challenging and rewarding, but every day brings something new and exciting. Read More.

Eric Jeffery (B.Hum 2005)

English Teacher, King’s College
Auckland, New Zealand

Being an English teacher is incredibly rewarding—my job is to mentor and inspire young people and help them find value in their lives. My working day is spent conversing with interesting young minds from all walks of life. It makes me proud to pass on some of the wisdom from the greatest books of all time to my own students. Read More.

Erin Benincasa

Senior Humanities Teacher,
The Element High-School, Ottawa

The Bachelor of Humanities gave me the opportunity to meet incredibly passionate professors and students who inspired me to work harder, dig deeper and pursue ideas relentlessly. I remember falling short of the high expectations set by the program in the first few essays, but I also remember the overwhelming support I received from my professors as I strove to become a better writer. These same professors later happily supervised my Bachelor’s thesis, encouraged me to go abroad in 3rd year to Leuven, and supported me in my Master’s. They reached out to congratulate me on my wedding, the birth of my first child, and my new job. The professors at the college taught me what it meant to be a great educator and to walk side by side with your students on their journey. The Bachelor of Humanities changed my life. I cannot imagine having chosen any other program.

Sarah Carlyon-Baker (B.Hum 2006)

ESL Program Resource Teacher
Upper Canada District Schoolboard

In the Bachelor of Humanities, I read books I would never have encountered had I pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree, as I had originally planned. It gave me the English and History qualifications I needed to complete my Bachelor of Education, but along the way, I also studied Religion, Politics, Art, Philosophy, and even Science. Read More.

Kateri Couture-Latour (B.Hum 2011)

Biology Teacher
American College of Sofia, Bulgaria

When my students discuss the social and ethical implications of science, my experience in the Humanities allows me to facilitate these discussions so that they can explore multiple perspectives and understand the real-world implications of what they learn. Read More.

Jessica Carmen (B.Hum 2012)

Program Officer—Japanese Language Education
The Japan Foundation, Toronto

What has helped me the most in working in an organization promoting international (Japanese) culture, was completing my third year of studies in Osaka, Japan, through the B.Hum’s Study Year Abroad stream. This allowed me to gain an Asian perspective on what I had been studying at Carleton while letting me exchange ideas with not only the local Japanese students but also fellow exchange students from around the world. Read More.

More Education

• Many High School teachers in Ontario and Quebec
• English teacher at CEGEP, Dawson College in Montreal
• Student Parent Support Worker/ Program Facilitator of Tutoring at Pathways to Education Canada
• Teacher at Rishi Valley Education Centre, India
• Teacher at Chief Little Pine School, Saskatchewan
• High School English Teacher at YCIS Shanghai, China
• Native English Teacher at English Program in Korea

Education — University Level

Erica Charters (B. Hum 2002)

Associate Professor
Faculty of History
Oxford University

As a veteran of the Great Books program, I am better prepared to think about continuity and change in a long-term perspective. Whereas many graduate students and academics are often overwhelmed by competing interpretations and theories, the unique program at the College of the Humanities allowed me to feel at home in this intellectual environment. It fostered a sense of excitement and pleasure regarding intellectual debate, as well as a strong belief in the social nature of intellectual endeavours, two approaches that have served me well in my career. Read More.

Allana Haist (B.A. 2001)

Lecturer in Rhetoric and Composition, American University in Cairo

Entrepreneur
Social justice advocate

I am a lecturer in the Rhetoric and Composition Department at the American University of Cairo. I feel so incredibly lucky in this work to be able to experience the same openness, creativity, and excellent colleagues as I did back in my days in the Humanities. The department is a part of the University’s Academy for Liberal Arts, placing us at the forefront of creating a literate culture where the sort of critical thinking we did back in Humanities can be introduced to our students here in Cairo. Read More.

Timothy Brownlee (B.Hum 2002)

Associate Professor of Philosophy
Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio

One achievement that I believe is unique to the College is in establishing a special community of learning…My professors showed an incredible dedication to my own development as a student and a person and continue to be model scholars. But I am continually impressed by the degree to which my friends, my fellow students, were also my teachers…Taking many of the same classes with the same intellectually curious and distinctly interested students has proven to be so powerful in large part because I found myself growing and learning with, challenging and being challenged by the same individuals over the course of four years. Read More.

Tiffany Tsantsoulas (B.Hum 2010)

Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy
Penn State University
Former Director of Marketing and Education, inHealth Inc.

I know I could not have accomplished what I did in those three years after graduation without the strong foundation that the B.Hum provided me. Studying the humanities and philosophy developed my critical thinking, writing, and researching skills. The small classes, individual attention and mentoring, discussion groups and close-knit community of peers taught me how to clarify my ideas and articulate arguments. Most importantly I learned how to work hard, be curious, tackle problems, and bring passion into everything I do. Read More.

Simon Gurofsky (B.Hum 2010)

Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy
University of Chicago

Academic research can sometimes seem narrow; the old joke is that by the time you’ve defended your dissertation, you know everything about nothing. Thanks to my time in the College, I have never lost sight of the broader human context that makes my philosophical pursuits worthwhile. I understand myself not merely to be offering a solution to a dry intellectual problem, or yet another minor interpretive variation on some well worked-over text, but to be trying to help all of us better to understand ourselves, each other, and the world in which we live. The Bachelor of Humanities has helped keep my research grounded in what really matters and has been indispensable for my philosophical and human development. Without it, I doubt I’d have been well positioned intelligently to pursue an academic career.

Katie Jourdeuil

Ph.D. Candidate in Political Studies, Queen’s University

The Bachelor of Humanities program provided the foundation for my academic career—not only by introducing me to the foundational texts in Western philosophy (on which I continue to rely in my work and teaching) but by placing those texts in a wider cultural context. While a student at the College, I learned not only to deconstruct philosophical arguments but to see these arguments as part of a larger conversation about human experience and the nature of community. I carry this perspective with me in my graduate studies and in my daily life. What I loved most about the BHum program, however, was the student experience. The smaller class sizes generate a tight-knit cohort who support one another through the four years in the program. I have so many fond memories of studying for hours in the lounge, cheering on my classmates at Fight Night, and attending music nights. The friends I made at the College are among my closest, and we continue to support one another through our diverse career paths.

Katherine Coady

Disabilities Coordinator and Learning Strategist
Carleton University

Now that I have 10+ years working at two different post-secondary institutions and I have seen how isolated students in larger programs can feel, I have developed an even deeper appreciation for both the connectivity between peers fostered through the Humanities Program as well as the structure of the program itself, providing a foundation and guidance throughout the four-year degree. I couldn’t be more proud to be a Humanities graduate, even if I sometimes have to explain what that degree means when my students see it on my office wall!

More Education — University Level

• Associate Professor, Kennesaw State University
• Assistant Professor, Duke Kunshan University
• Assistant Professor, Philosophy of Architecture, University of Michigan
• Assistant Professor in Public Policy and Social Media, Carleton University
• Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hawai’i
• Visiting Assistant Professor at Skidmore College
• Instructor in the Bachelor of Humanities, Carleton University
• Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Researcher, and Strategic Planner on Health, Buildings, Urban Nature
• Adjunct Professor at Boston College
• Sessional Lecturer in Western Law at Guangxi University, China
• Doctoral Fellow at Swiss National Science Foundation
• Senior Tutor at the University of Edinburgh
• Assistant Ombudsperson at the University of Ottawa
• Disabilities Counsellor at York University
• Advancement Associate – Alumni Relations, Carleton University

Entrepreneurs

Chad Jorgenson (B.Hum 2007)

Editor and Language Specialist
Basel, Switzerland

After graduating with a double major in the Humanities and Philosophy, I opted for the unorthodox path of doing a PhD at the bilingual (French-German) University of Fribourg in Switzerland, where I immersed myself in the study of ancient philosophy, especially Plato, as well a range of modern and classical languages, including Ancient Greek, Latin, and Classical Arabic. Read More.

Johann Kwan (B.A. 2010)

Owner / Photographer
Johann Kwan Photography

In a program the size of the College of Humanities, you really get to know everyone. Professors are there for their students from the moment you enter the college, rather than years down the line when class sizes have thinned down from gargantuan lecture halls. Your fellow students are doing the same things you’re doing, puzzling through the same Platonic dialogue, blowing off steam together when the going gets rough. It’s hard at that stage not to start liking them and calling them friends. Read More.

More Entrepreneurs

• Founder and owner of Tarantula Consulting Inc., a web development company located in Ottawa
• Philosopher, editor, and curator based in Berlin
• Proprietor of Maieutics Publishing, a service dedicated to “editing, technical writing and research for private individuals and firms, not-for-profits, consultancies, government agencies, and self-published writers
• Founder & Owner at Bikerminder Inc.
• Owner of Ability Analysis Research Services
• Owner/Editor at Erika Steeves Editorial Services
• Bookkeeper at Karla Turkowsky Bookkeeping

Environment

• Senior Policy Advisor, Clean Energy Canada; Former Director of the Pembina Institute’s Climate Change Program
• Economist and Policy Analyst at Environment Canada
• Environmental Law Analyst at the Library of Parliament
• Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa
• Office Manager at Ecology Ottawa

More Environment

• Program Officer, Learning Programs and Communications at The Natural Step, Canada
• Environmental Bioenergy Consultant, Climate Change Solutions
• Manager for Sustainable Buildings Initiatives with BC Public Service

Health

• Project Team Lead | Clinical Programs (Ontario Renal Network) at Cancer Care Ontario
• Policy Analyst – Science Policy – Bioethics at Health Canada
• Senior Project Administrator, Health Canada

More Health

• • Director of Marketing and Education at inHEALTH Inc
  • Coordinator of Public Policy and Government Relations, Spinal Cord Injury Ontario
  • Communications Supervisor, Administrative Coordinator at Epilepsy Ottawa-Carleton
  • Research Assistant – School of Public Health, University of Waterloo
  • Research Assistant at University College London; M.A. History of Medicine, University College London; MSc Social Epidemiology
  • Residential Facilitator at Community Head Injury Resource Services
  • Social Worker, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
  • Outreach Worker at Soujourn House
  • Outreach Team – LHIN 11 (Champlain) at Rainbow Health Ontario (Sherbourne Health Centre)
  • Program Officer at HelpAge Canada- Reaching Out to Isolated Seniors
  • Youth Gambling Awareness Program Youth Outreach Worker at YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka
  • ACC Clerk at the Ottawa Hospital
  • Administrator at Health Canada’s Occupational Clinic for Government Employees at Health Canada
  • Integrative Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Clinical Herbalist

High Tech

Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify

For the Humanities and High-Tech career event held in November of 2020, Harvey Finkelstein, the President of one of Canada’s most valuable companies, sent a message to Bachelor of Humanities students: “I think oftentimes people assume that you need to be a developer or an engineer to work for a tech company. But I can tell you firsthand there are so many roles here that require a very diverse range of skills. I think entrepreneurship in itself requires critical thinkers, people that want to solve big problems, people that are resourceful. And many of those skills you acquire as an Arts major can actually have a really big impact.”

Watch the Ten-Minute or Twenty-Five minute version of the Humanities and High-Tech careers event, which featured Ian Hartlen, Amanda Hadi, and Douglas Soltys.

Ian Hartlen (B.Hum. 2010)

Operations Lead, RnD Programs, Shopify

I think the beauty of this program is that it is not job-training, that you get four years where you are just learning and reading and exploring ideas. But that being said, I think there are skills that you acquire here that start to set you apart when you are in a workplace. This is what you do as a project manager — working with different stakeholders on something that a business or an organization is trying to accomplish, being able to negotiate trade-offs between two different competing interests that people have, arguing both sides, being able to consider that two things could be true at the same time, reconstructing an argument for somebody else and summarizing it really quickly, understanding value and where you think value is. If you have to direct a couple of million dollar budget for the government, what should you direct the money towards? It should be something that’s valuable. And again, these are things that I didn’t even realize were skills that this program gave me.

Amanda Hadi (B.Hum. 2010)

Senior Technical Talent Sourcer, Shopify
Previously: Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

I found the route that I could most easily translate in terms of my skills: I’m a good communicator, I like copy editing, I like reading and researching. I would tell employers, “If I don’t have the skills you’re looking for, I promise I can learn them very quickly.” For instance, when the Art Gallery of Ontario was looking to hire a new head of social media, I showed them my portfolio and I said, “A lot of this was done for one tiny startup indie opera company. But I promise you, I can run a full-scale institution’s social media accounts. Just let me try, and let me blow your socks off.” I think I was the least ‘qualified’ candidate they had in the interview pipeline. They were interviewing people who had done social media professionally for at least a couple of years. But I studied in a program that made me understand visual media and storytelling and the historical context behind the art. Being able to use technical apps is not enough when it comes to explaining art online. So that’s how I got the job, pitching them that: “I’m a really good liberal arts graduate. Trust me, you want me in charge of the keys to the car. Someone else will blow it. They will write something wrong. They’ll misspell it. Or they’ll, worst of all, make some cultural mistake when representing a piece of art.” So the context that I was able to show them in the research that I do before creating engaging posts, I think, is what got me the job. And then I persuaded them to keep me on by just demonstrating my work. Read More.

Douglas Soltys

Founder and Editor-in-Chief,
BetaKit Incorporated

Once you sit in a professional setting, you realize that having been in the Humanities and discussing ideas every week, and doing difficult readings, has put you miles ahead of everyone else in that room. High-Tech workplaces need people who can put context around what they do technically, to communicate that to everyone else in the world. And everyone in the Humanities is capable of doing that.

More High Tech

• Consultant at Systemscope, Information, and Technology Services
• Manager, Financial Information Systems at Carleton University
• Software Licensing Specialist — Microsoft at CDW
• Product Manager and Marketing at Vouchr
• Digital Project Manager at SlimCut Media
• Systems Team Leader at OurSay Australia
• Web Developer at ID Design
• Software Developer at L3 Prime
• User Experience Intern at Baycrest

International Aid and Development

Jean-Noé Landry (B.Hum 2001)

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach at Open North

My humanities degree taught me to work methodically from principles. I have seldom met someone who didn’t aspire to a life of dignity, happiness, justice, and freedom, all ideas that were contemplated and explored at the College of the Humanities. This was certainly the case when I worked in Ramallah with Palestinian advocacy groups or in Serbia with election monitoring groups, wary of backsliding to the days of the Milosevic regime. Read More.

Sébastien Higgins (B.Hum 2013)

Intern
Clinton Foundation

After graduating from the Bachelor of Humanities, I decided to take a year off and gain some job experience before continuing my schooling. In January 2014, I started an internship with the Carter Center in their Democracy Program, monitoring political developments across the Middle East. I was also lucky enough to be deployed on an expert mission to Egypt to monitor the country’s pre-election political atmosphere in April 2014. I have since moved on to an internship with the Clinton Foundation, helping to organize the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual conference on international development. Throughout these professional experiences, I have consistently drawn upon my research, writing, and critical thinking abilities, all of which I owe in large part to my time at the College of the Humanities. Read More.

More International Aid and Development

• Consultant—Aid and Development—at Altai Consulting, Afghanistan
• Project Manager, Coady International Institute, StFX University
• Policy Advisor, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, New Zealand Government; currently working on a Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration at Harvard University
• Human Rights Liaison Unit Intern, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• Monitoring and Evaluation Lead at The Children’s Society, U.K.
• Outreach Worker and Workshop Coordinator at Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, Toronto

Manager of Community Outreach, The Local Community Food Centre

Law

Leslie de Meulles (B.Hum 2007)

Principal Counsel, LDM Law

Leslie de Meulles is a sole practitioner operating her law practice in Whitehorse, Yukon on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. Leslie works primarily with self-governing First Nations on matters related to modern treaty implementation as well as matters related to restorative justice and has worked with Indigenous nations across the country on matters related to treaty and land rights. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the College of Humanities at Carleton University, and her Master’s degree at McGill University, writing her thesis on the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Read More.

Audrey DeMarsico (B. Hum 2001)

Lawyer Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP

I have a broad range of experience advising public and private sector entities on commercial and governance matters. The Humanities program gave me a strong foundation for law and public policy work by informing my understanding of the context of our legal and political system and the importance of good governance and the rule of law. Read More.

Parul Shah (B.Hum 2002)

Lawyer for Justice Canada

The Bachelor’s of Humanities at the College gave me an invaluable foundation for the study and practice of law.  The program challenges students to think creatively and innovatively about the ideas that have shaped and continue to shape our communities and societies. It prepared me for the intellectual demands of a career in law and gave me a perspective that I continue to rely on in my daily practice. I am glad to be part of such a wonderful community of students, scholars, writers, artists, and professionals.

Kyle Kirkup (B.Hum 2006)

Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law

I often think about The College of the Humanities, and how it fundamentally shaped me as a person — not only did the B.Hum program teach me to think deeply and critically, but it also pushed me to be a disciplined writer, a thoughtful colleague, and an engaged citizen. Read More.

Leonor Vulpe Albari (B.Hum 2014)

Update October 2020: Leonor has finished her degree at Oxford and is going to start her training contract with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in London

FASS Article (2016):  Accepted to Oxford Law

If you don’t know what you want to study in university, choose something you enjoy and that will give you tools you can use in many settings. Though the HUMS program did not give me a ‘predestined job’ after graduating, I think it was the best program I could have chosen because I enjoyed it and because I developed important skills, which I am now using in law. Read More.

Roy Sengupta (B.Hum 2016)

Litigation Associate, Debvoise & Plimpton
Graduate of Harvard Law School

I am constantly amazed at the amount of meaningful contact I am able to have with professors on a day-to-day basis in this program, and I absolutely feel that the conversations I have had with my professors have contributed immensely to my own academic development. Read More.

More Law

• Law Clerk to the Hon. Madame Justice Louise Charron at the Supreme Court of Canada
• Litigation Counsel at Competition Bureau Legal Services, Department of Justice, Canada
• Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Justice Canada
• Counsel at Department of Justice (Yukon Region)
• Intake Lawyer at the Department of Justice for Children and Youth
• Sole Practitioner / Contract lawyer at Saxe Law Office
• International Trade and Employment & Labour Lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais
• Lawyer at Baker & McKenzie LLP
• Associate at Regan Desjardins LLP
• Lawyer at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
• Lawyer at Sommers and Roth Professional Corporation
• Lawyer at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
• Lawyer at kirbylaw.ca
• Legal Counsel at Suncor Energy in Calgary
• Research Lawyer at Ann Wilton For Carswell Publishers
• Vice President Membership at Carleton Law Society

Library and Archives

Ciara O’Shea (B.Hum 2009)

Content Services Librarian
Borden Ladner Gervais

As a new librarian, I’ve been experiencing many different workplaces through contract positions. My Bachelor’s in Humanities has prepared me for them all through the practice of public speaking and argument in seminars and the focus on being a clear and concise writer. My wide-ranging level of general knowledge from the program makes me comfortable in any workplace. Already I have taught third-grade students about the Dewey Decimal system, helped a bilingual library in rural Eastern Ontario create and implement a new strategic plan, and researched Electoral Boundary Redistribution for federal employees.  Now I’m helping a large law firm redesign its intranet. My time at the College of Humanities gave me the flexibility to work in all of these positions.

Rebecca Sekine (B.Hum 2019)

Digital Archivist — Past Wrongs, Future Choices, University of Victoria

I met so many of my closest friends in this program, and it directly led me on my career path working in archives and museums. The small class sizes allowed the faculty to genuinely know us. No one was just a “face in the crowd.” I looked forward to class each day and to spending time with my friends both during and after school. My B.Hum degree directly influenced my choice to pursue a Master of Information in Archiving and Records Management. The ability to analyze information, dissect it, and represent it in a concise way is vital for an archivist.

More Library and Archives

• Research Analyst, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Parliament of Canada
• Project Officer, Interpretive Planning at the Library of Parliament
• Researcher, The History Group, working on Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• Librarian at Westmount Public Library, Montreal
• Archives Technician at Archives and Research Collections, Carleton University Library
• Library Information Specialist, RGO Library & Learning Commons (LLC) at Bow Valley College
• Internal Auditor/Archivist, Library and Archives Canada
• Librarian, Department of Justice

Medicine

Robin Visser (B.Hum 2008)

Feeney Fellow
Hepatobiliary Surgery
University of Toronto

I graduated from the Humanities program in 2008 with a combined honours in Biology (in the era before the was an official ‘stream’ of curriculum geared towards this). With Dr. Laird’s encouragement, I applied and was accepted to medicine at McMaster University. There, I completed my MD in 2011 and went on to pursue General Surgery at the University of Manitoba. In June 2017, I successfully wrote my royal college exams to become a fully qualified surgeon and am now at the University of Toronto pursuing subspecialty training in hepatobiliary and multi-organ transplant surgery. This is a fairly coveted fellowship and I am extraordinarily fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue this amazing work. Along the way, I took a year off to do a Masters of Science at the bench, looking at the role epigenetics (specifically microRNAs) play in the pathophysiology and possible treatment for congenital diaphragmatic hernia in infants. We have just been published in Nature! Read more.

Francis Bakewell (B.Hum 2010)

Resident Physician in Emergency Medicine
University of Ottawa—Ottawa Hospital

The study of the great works of civilization forces the realization that each person that comes through our door is not just a patient with a complaint, but someone with the spark of reason and creativity that defines us as a species, someone with a life as meaningful as our own, and someone seeking help. The study of the Humanities is the broadest possible exercise in empathy. Read More.
Spring 2020:  Dr. Francis Bakewell, an emergency medicine physician at The Ottawa Hospital, speaks to CTV’s Patricia Boel about his experience in the emergency department during COVID-19. Video clip here.

Rebecca Warmington (B.Hum 2011)

Fourth-Year Medical Student
University of Ottawa

The Humanities and Biology program was a perfect segue into medical school. Every day in medicine I am confronted with issues that the Hums and Bio program prepared me for.  When I assess a patient with type-2 diabetes, I know the pathophysiology of the disease from my biology training. But my critical thinking skills and understanding of different worldviews allow me to connect better with people in a way that goes beyond physiology. Read More.

Deepro Chowdhury

Bachelor of Humanities and Biology
Class of 2015

The Humanities and Biology program, with its study of biology, biochemistry and all the traditional Liberal Arts has provided me with something I never thought I’d have during my undergraduate years: a genuine desire to attend every single one of my classes, every day. Read more.

Aleksander Godlewski

Bachelor of Humanities and Biology
Class of 2015

Kika Otiono (2020)

Medical Student
Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University

Whether I had to write a philosophy paper or a biochemistry lab report, I think my program at Carleton encouraged me to adapt to new situations and to communicate my ideas clearly, systematically and confidently. Read more about Kika and her journey to medical school.

More Medicine

• General Practioner Oncology, The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre
• Resident Physician at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
• Medical Resident in General Surgery at the University of Manitoba
• Medical Resident in Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa
• RN at London Health Sciences Centre

Public Policy

Jesse Rosenberg (B.Hum 2005)

Director of Policy, The Wellesley Institute, Toronto

Completing my Bachelor of Humanities at the College trained me in the intellectual flexibility I needed to succeed in my future endeavours. I have always connected my success in legal studies to the College – for me, law was a whole new way to think, which my undergraduate work had already prepared me for. After that training, I had the opportunity to work as a Ministerial Policy Advisor, for a government agency, and now as Director of Policy at the Wellesley Institute. In my current role I have the opportunity to think, write, and work to advance policy changes that would reduce health inequities and improve the social determinants of health – to help ensure that people don’t get sick more and die younger because of things they can’t change. Through all of  these opportunities the ability to work in entirely different ways throughout the day has been of enormous benefit. I look forward to continuing to apply not the specifics of what I learned, but the ability to handle the breadth of thought, in the future.

More Public Policy — Government

• Senior Ethics Advisor at Canadian Border Services Agency
• Senior Policy Advisor at Minister’s Office, Ministry of Natural Resources
• Senior Legislative Design Specialist at Ontario Ministry of Finance
• Chief, Screening Oversight and International Operations, Aviation Security Operations at Transport Canada
• Policy Analyst at Passport Program – Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Junior Policy Analyst at Public Works and Government Services Canada – Office of Small and Medium Enterprises
• Trade, High Commission of Canada in the UK
• Team Lead, Policy, Ontario Ministry of Health
• Policy Officer, National Defence
• Strategic Communications Advisor (Global Affairs)
• Analyst, Library of Parliament (policy research)
• Senior Policy Advisor to the National Chief, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP)
• Property Portfolio Analyst at DFATD | MAECD
• Marine Surveying Assistant at Transport Canada
• Program Support Officer at Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Grievance Analyst at Correctional Service of Canada
• Professional Development Award Recipient at IDRC
• Administrative Assistant at Senate of Canada
• Legislative Assistant at Hélène Laverdière, MP, Official Opposition Critic for International Development
• Policy Advisor at Ontario Ministry of Labour
• Constituency Assistant at Legislative Assembly of Ontario
• Poll Clerk at Elections Ontario
• Policy Analyst at Worker’s Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
• Secretary at Adult Education Division – Labour and Advanced Education Nova Scotia
• Case Manager/Regional Consultant at Public Guardian & Trustee of B.C.
• Planner, Development Review Urban Area at City of Ottawa
• Outreach Coordinator – Niagara Region Transit at Niagara Region
• Volunteer Courthouse Support Worker at Elizabeth Fry Society
• Policy Analyst and Researcher at Canadian Alliance of Student Associations

Publishing

• Editor of Canadian Forest Industries and Canadian Biomass at Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.
• Editorial Assistant and Assistant to the Publisher, Random House of Canada Limited
• Copywriter at McMillan

More Publishing

• Digital Sales & Marketing Intern at HarperCollins Canada
• Freelance Writer, Copy-Editor, Research Assistant, and Overall Creative Person
• Freelance Editor

Science

Bradley Laflamme (B.Hum-Biology 2015)

Graduate Student in Biology/Biochemistry
University of Toronto

When science courses are combined with Humanities courses that ask students to engage with ideas, rather than to categorize them as fact or fiction, there is a perfect balance. You get the necessary objective information while simultaneously being humbled by the sheer variety of ways in which human beings experience the world. Read More.

More Science

• Biomedical Ethics Advisor
• Cognitive Neuropsychology Researcher

Security — Intelligence

• Chief in Aviation Security Operations in the Aviation Security Directorate, Transport Canada
• Security Specialist, Canada Border Services
• Parliamentary Relations Officer for the Correctional Service of Canada

More Security — Intelligence

• Science Editor at Defence Research and Development Canada
• Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of National Defence
• Project Delivery Teams Lead at Carleton University Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations (EMCO) Project
• Community Police Action Committee (COMPAC) Administrator at Ottawa Police Service