General News

Over 50 students and faculty attended the online announcement on Wednesday evening where John McKinnon, Supervising Editor at Mercury Filmworks spoke to the group. “I’m very happy there is a program we can do this with,” he said. “To know that his Kevin’s memory will go on in this way and will help people, I can’t tell you how much it means to the entire studio.”

“We are grateful to Mercury Filmworks for their support of learners in our new Film and Media Production program said Claude Brulé, President and CEO, Algonquin College. “This generous donation will help support students as they embark on their career in animation and film production. This annual award will make an impact on the life of one of our pending graduates, providing them with resources and support as they begin their career in this exciting field – while honouring a talented individual who served as a role model for many.”

Program co-ordinator Jeremy Atherton echoed those sentiments. “We are honoured you have chosen our program to continue his legacy. To build this legacy with this new generation speaks to who Kevin was and who Mercury is to our film community.”

Kevin was a much beloved son, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle. He loved music, animals, his family and friends, and he loved his work and his co-workers. Kevin appreciated life and was always mindful of his interactions and impact on others. Kevin was an immensely respected pillar in the Ottawa production community for 30+ years in both live action & animation. Mercury Filmworks is proud to offer this award in Kevin’s memory.

Launched in the Fall of 2020, Algonquin’s two-year Film and Media Production program provides hands-on experience with the equipment and processes used in the film and screen-based media production industry. Ottawa’s Mercury Filmworks is one of Canada’s most prolific independent studios and internationally recognized as a leader in the animation industry for its benchmarks in quality, reliability, and innovation.

Ottawa is becoming known for its top-notch talent, in part due to the animation, film and media students graduating from Algonquin and being hired by firms like Mercury Filmworks. Mercury employs over 75 graduates and has been a long-time partner of the College.

“With this bursary, we honour the memory of our friend and colleague Kevin Kocvar. In his name, we hope to empower the next generation of editing talent to be the skilled, steadfast, and kind professional that Kevin was,” said Clint Eland, Chief Executive Officer of Mercury Filmworks.

The newly established Kevin Kocvar Editing Award will be awarded annually to a graduating student of the Film & Media Production program whose passion for excellence in editing is matched by their leadership, mentoring, kindness, and understanding as well as their desire to continually learn and grow in the editorial field. Applications will begin this spring. The deadline is June 15, 2021. The winning applicant will receive $5,000.

“We are thrilled that each year one of our students will be the recipient of this honor. This award, in Kevin’s name, recognizes the tremendous importance of the editing process in films” said Robyn Heaton, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Media and Design. “The new Film and Media Production program allows students to immerse themselves in the complete workflow of modern digital filmmaking – from cinematography to post-production. This annual award will assist a student in realizing their dream of working in this exciting industry.”

“Kevin would be honoured but he never wanted people to make a fuss,” said former friend and colleague and Algonquin film theory professor Chris Mullington. “I think it’s wonderful, but he would say ‘what’s the big deal?’. He was a professional and a good person. He had high standards, he was kind and was a good citizen. I’d like (people) to know what a fine person he was and hopefully this award will help carry on that legacy.

Congratulations are in order for this year’s recipient of the Algonquin College Employee Philanthropic Recognition Award, Jamie Bramburger.

Jamie is not only the Manager of Community and Student Affairs at the Pembroke Campus but also a true inspiration to our colleagues and our community.

Through partnerships and community connections, Jamie demonstrates what it means to transform students’ hopes and dreams into lifelong success.

“Algonquin College is a wonderful place to work and its importance in our community can never be overstated,” said Jamie. “The contributions and support of both the College and our students are a reflection of the incredible people who work with us every day. I am truly grateful to receive this award.”

Jamie’s steadfast leadership has supported students across all three campuses, where he has championed several fundraising initiatives in support of College priorities.

Through Jamie’s generosity and commitment to the Algonquin College community, he continues to be a strong ambassador and role model to colleagues and students alike.

The Employee Philanthropic Recognition Award has been awarded since 2018 to recognize members of the Algonquin College community who have facilitated a donation or have gone beyond what it means to be a philanthropic leader at the College.

Ottawa, ON – October 5, 2020 – Ciena is working with Algonquin College to upgrade its Optophotonics Lab on the Ottawa campus – providing students hands-on experience with the same cutting-edge equipment that currently powers the majority of internet traffic and Zoom calls.

Thanks to Ciena’s support, School of Advanced Technology graduates will benefit from extensive, experiential learning on the same equipment available in top corporations – including major telecommunications carriers in Canada and around the world.

“We couldn’t be more grateful for Ciena’s contribution, they have been a wonderful partner for close to a decade,” said Claude Brulé, President and Chief Executive Officer of Algonquin College. “This will ensure our current and future learners have access to the latest and greatest technology – and position them to find employment and long-term career success in the tech sector.”

“Ciena is proud to equip the Algonquin lab with technology deployed by many of the world’s largest service and cloud providers, as we know firsthand that applied skills help tremendously with both learning and career opportunities,” said Rod Wilson, Ciena’s Chief Technologist of External Research Networks.

Students enrolled in the Optical Systems and Sensors stream of the joint Bachelor of Information Technology program with Carleton University will get access to the upgraded, state-of-the-art facility – the only student lab of its kind. The lab’s technology upgrade includes Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical platforms and Waveserver platforms. Ciena’s investment expands a long-standing partnership with the College that began in 2012 and will stimulate increased interest in the program and support continued enrollment growth.

“Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Information Technology-Optical Systems and Sensors program will get access to the upgraded, state-of-the-art facility – the only student optical communication networks lab of its kind in any educational institute” said Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, Professor & Coordinator, BIT-OSS, Algonquin College.

Ciena established ties to the capital region when it acquired the Ottawa-based data storage networking company Akara Corp. in 2004, and in late 2009, Nortel Networks’ Metro Ethernet Networks (MEN) business. With its R&D lab in Ottawa, it now has more than 1,800 employees in the area and is a top employer, with more than 120 Algonquin College graduates currently employed by the American telecommunications networking equipment giant. Ciena has also been a leader in remote work capabilities during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

About Algonquin College

The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 340 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.

About Ciena

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is a networking systems, services and software company. We provide solutions that help our customers create the Adaptive NetworkÔ in response to the constantly changing demands of their end-users. By delivering best-in-class networking technology through high-touch consultative relationships, we build the world’s most agile networks with automation, openness and scale. For updates on Ciena, follow us on Twitter @Ciena, LinkedIn, the Ciena Insights blog, or visit www.ciena.com.

Algonquin College has been granted access to the ALIBI Music Library, a professional music and sound effects (SFX) platform. This makes Algonquin the first institution in Canada with access to extensive catalogs used in Hollywood productions and in the TV, streaming, video games and advertising industries.

Through a special educational license, ALIBI becomes the College’s exclusive music library provider, offering students access to music for various curriculum projects involving film, video production, social media, podcasts and video games. The library contains more than 200,000 audio files, including more than 11,000 curated original songs and 6,000 sound effects, created by a global array of professional artists.

“We are thrilled to be the first Canadian institution to partner with ALIBI,” said Claude Brulé, President and Chief Executive Officer of Algonquin College. “This dynamic content platform provides our students with a valuable new tool that will drive innovation and creativity.”

With this newly-formed partnership, students enrolled in courses for film and media production, television, radio, advertising, interactive media design, and video game development will be able to access, download and incorporate professional music and sound effects content into the films, videos, ads and games they create as part of their course curriculum.

“This raises the bar for our students’ digital content,” said Robyn Heaton, Algonquin’s Dean of the School of Media and Design. “We have an innovative and forward thinking learning environment that fosters creativity, and the use of this extensive library will only better prepare students to thrive in the screen-based industries.”

ALIBI’s music has been used for such notable projects as the STARZ hit series ”Power Book II: Ghost” (trailer soundtrack), popular cereal brand Cinnamon Toast Crunch (national commercial soundtrack) and fan-favorite video game for ”The Walking Dead” (trailer soundtrack), to name a few. Additionally, ALIBI’s sound effects were used in trailers for “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” among numerous others.

“Music and sound are vital to almost every area of content production and can make a huge difference in how consumers respond to what you do,” said Jonathan Parks, Executive Producer & founder of ALIBI Music. “We’re excited to be able to enrich that part of the coursework experience for Algonquin College’s students. It’s such an investment in tomorrow’s creative workforce.”