Dr. Bill Dushenko joins Yukon College as vice-president Academic

Whitehorse – The Yukon College Board of Governors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bill Dushenko as vice-president Academic.

Dushenko comes to Yukon College from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton where he spent six years as a dean, most recently for the School of Sustainable Building and Environmental Management.

Dushenko starts his new position this week and is eager to get to work. He says his first priority is “increasing accessibility for students”.

“I believe that greater flexibility, such as providing more co-op opportunities for our students, increasing our ability to deliver core programs via distance-ed, as well as developing new programs is our path to this.”

At NAIT, Dushenko launched the new Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Technology Management program (the Institute’s very first bachelor degree program), a diploma program in Alternative Energy Technology and development of a new BTech in Green Chemistry and Engineering Technology. He oversaw 23 technology/applied science diploma and certificate program areas supported by 200 faculty and staff serving 3,000 students.

“Bill Dushenko’s strong background in program development will help Yukon College meet our goal of increasing the number and variety of learning opportunities available to our students,” says Chris Hawkins, acting Yukon College president. “He also brings a wealth of experience building effective collaborations with industry partners, which is vital to our future growth.”

This new post is a return to the Yukon for Dushenko. As a biologist in the 1990s he spent time in Mayo conducting environmental assessment training for Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation. Previous to this, Dushenko collaboratively led research field teams conducting environmental investigations into the contamination of arctic ecosystems from abandoned DEW Line sites, mine tailings, and other contaminated sites in the Yukon.

“Like so many, the North has called me back,” says Dushenko. “But what is really exciting is the immense pride the staff here has in the college. I’ve found their enthusiasm to be very contagious.”

Quick Facts: Bill Dushenko

• At NAIT, he helped lead the establishment of the NAIT Centre for Sustainable Energy Technology, a $5.2 M government-sponsored project to provide state of the art training to Alternative Energy Technology and Power Engineering Technology Students; and NAIT-BP Canada Mobile Education Unit for Water and Water and NAIT-BP Waste Water Lab in Calgary, a $ 1.5 M industry-sponsored project to provide flexible operator training in Aboriginal and remote communities and southern Alberta.

• In Edmonton he has participated in the Renewable Energy Taskforce for the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence Board of Directors, as well as the National Council of Deans of Technology (NCDoT), and National Technology Benchmarks Committee for the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB).

• Prior to NAIT, he was Associate Professor and Director/Academic Lead for the B.Sc. Environmental Programs, at Royal Roads University (RRU), in Victoria, B.C. from 2002 to 2006.

• He enjoys a number of outdoor activities including gardening, camping, skiing, hiking, biking, traveling and snowshoeing, as well as being an avid live theatre-goer.