Brock Success Stories
The transition to a new millennium brought out the best in Brock University's Surgite! and its graduates. There was a real focus over the next decade on recruiting new students and the success of the alumni is a key factor in drawing students to Brock. With a plethora of achievements to mention, Surgite! is bursting with stories from its alumni.
The Summer 2000 issue of Surgite! is brimming with articles of successful Brock alumni. The issue began with a mention of the 97.8 % employment rate of Brock's alumni within two years of graduation. The article also discussed the six month employment rate as 94.4 % "giving new life to Brock University's positioning line: 'Careers begin here!'"
The Summer 2000 issue also leads with an article about the successful recruitment video created by Brock University's External Relations Department with OMNI Media Productions. The video won a national award from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) and featured some of Brock University's successful alumni like: Denis Dyack, Rick Campanelli, Ian Beddis, Tara Powell, and Theresa Maddalena.
New student recruitment video is golden, Summer 2000
The same issue of the alumni publication also mentions some of Brock University's entrepreneurial success stories like that of Steve Debus. While working on a project for one of his courses, Debus created a clothing line that featured loungewear for students. His business was a huge success within five years of completing his degree at Brock University. By the year 2000, Debus had surpassed seven million dollars in sales for Modrobes Saldebus Lounge Clothing Inc. The company that had began with one pair of "exam pants" evolved into millions in sales and a collection that includes skirts, jackets, bags, and even shoes.
Modrobes success began at Brock, Summer 2000
In the Summer 2001 publication, an article focuses on Dennis Bausch, a member of the Board of Trustees and Brock University graduate. Bausch completed a degree in politics and economics in 1975 and quickly made a name for himself in the business sector. He started out with management responsibilities at General Motors and ended up Executive Vice-President of Marketing and Planning for Magna International Inc. Bausch remarks on his time at Brock, "A Brock education is designed to make you a better person and encourage you to make a contribution to society throughout your life".
The Summer 2005 edition of Surgite mentions some of Brock's alumni athlete success stories including that of Tonya Verbeek. The article mentions that Verbeek is a silver medal winner from the 2004 Olympic Games and has been named St. Catharines Athlete of the Year. Marty Calder is also mentioned in the article for receiving the St. Catharines Sportsperson of the Year.
In the Spring 2005 edition, there is a focus on a Faculty of Business graduate presented with the 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award. Paul Ingram, a faculty member of the Columbia Business School, is recognized by Dean of the Faculty of Business, Martin Kusy, for his professional achievements. Ingram is quoted in the article: "My degree from Brock has been the foundation for all of my subsequent academic work. Besides a great education, Brock gave me a love of learning that persists today."
The same Spring 2005 edition shares another successful Brock graduate story; this time based in the sciences. John Smol received a Masters of Science in 1979 from Brock University and began his work in the field of Paleolimnology. Respected around the world for his work in the Environmental Sciences, Smol received the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, Canada's top scientific prize. The award included $1 million to continue his work in Environmental Studies.
A comprehensive list of Distinguished Brock Alumni is shared in the Spring 2007 edition. The annual award was given out for the first time in 2002 and has continued as an annual event. Four previous Distinguished Alumni Award winners Dr. Ian D. Beddis, Mr. Robert Neill, Dr. Andy Panko, and Dr. Karl Kaiser were involved with the Alumni Association in selecting thirty recipients from the last thirty years. The list of outstanding alumni include: a special needs advocate, a minister of education in Namibia, a war crimes prosecutor, a world-renowned expert/advocate for Alzheimer's, national broadcast journalist, and more.
