Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship
The Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship is available annually to recognize the accomplishments of a first-year Master’s student. This award was established in the name of Dennis Mock to honour his commitment to higher education, to recognize his leadership and dedication demonstrated during his 28 years at Toronto Met, and to acknowledge his role in developing graduate studies at the university, as vice-president, academic. The funds have been provided by the Peter Bronfman Scholarship Program and the Ontario Student Opportunities Trust Fund.
$5,000
March 15, 2024
Students must meet the following criteria:
- Completion of an undergraduate degree program at TMU;
- Full-time enrollment in the first year of a master’s program at TMU, with a course load of at least two graded, one-term courses in the fall term;
- First-time enrollment in a graduate program;
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident;
- Must meet the Ontario Residency Requirement (see application form for details) and
- Demonstrated financial need.
Download and complete the application: (PDF file) Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship Application
The following must be included along with your application form:
- (PDF file) Graduate student budget form
- A grade report; MyServiceHub unofficial web version will suffice.
- A progress report or plan of study for the Fall 2023 term. If progress reports are not utilized, provide a note from your program indicating this.
- Please contact your program administrator if you require assistance regarding your grade and progress reports.
NOTE: Please email applications to g2guerci@torontomu.ca. Paper or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
The Scholarship and Awards Committee of the Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will notify the recipient of the award by a stated date.
Award recipients
Sahand Sabzparvar, Environmental Applied Science and Management MASc
"I am honoured to be the recipient of the Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship this year. It is extremely gratifying to have the continual opportunity and support to pursue my research within the scope of biopolymers for sustainable packaging applications.
"My research focuses on Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biopolymers which look and act like petroleum-based plastics but instead are derived from microorganisms and have the potential to quickly biodegrade in natural environments. While past studies have shown a preliminary understanding of this principle, I aim to investigate the ability of market-ready PHAs to biodegrade within our Great Lakes through stringent analysis. I hope to uncover if the switch to PHAs for single-use plastics is a worthwhile endeavour for the surrounding and greater areas as the plastic pollution in our lakes is ever concerning.
"Future applicants: continue pushing through the demanding struggles you face but push through them not because they are easy, but because they are hard. You will discover, innovate and create the future that will benefit us all."
Gabriela Macias, Film + Photography Preservation and Collections Management MA
“As a grateful recipient of the Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to further my research on how museums, galleries and archives can adapt their photographic collecting practices to accommodate the changing digital landscape. With this financial support, I will be able to focus on my thesis research and complete a six-month residency placement, which will provide me with valuable hands-on experience in my field.
"To future scholarship applicants, I want to remind you that research is not always a straightforward journey. It can be intimidating to face challenges and obstacles along the way, but it is important to remember that setbacks are an essential part of the research process. My best advice is to embrace the unknown and trust your instincts. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new approaches, even if they may lead to failure. Remember that every experience, both good and bad, can be a valuable learning opportunity. By adopting a growth mindset and persevering through the challenges, you can make significant strides in your research and achieve your goals.”
Yiannis Varnava, Electrical Engineering MASc
“The Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship provides me with financial assistance that is important for prioritizing my thesis research and laboratory projects that I will partake in during my master of applied science degree.
“My research involves using artificial intelligence (AI) to aid pathologists in detecting metastasizing cancer cells. This is currently a tedious and time-consuming task that has the potential to be optimized. The main goal is to provide pathologists with accessible software packages that improve the accuracy of current AI models for segmenting tumours from digitized pathological images.
“My advice for future applicants of all disciplines is to try to draw connections between the concepts you are learning about in your courses and your research. Often ask yourself “why?” and attempt to understand a concept well enough to explain it to others who are not familiar. Doing so may help you broaden your knowledge and become more confident in your field of interest.”
Jamie Hurcomb, Media Production MA
“The Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship will allow me to test out new, innovative virtual production technology in the pursuit of my Major Research Project, whilst concurrently allowing me to focus on my studies and concentrate on my future academic endeavors.
“My research is focused on using virtual production pipelines (specifically, 3D animation) as a democratizing tool in the film and media landscape. My goal is to demonstrate how emerging/novice creators and artists can utilize virtual production as a creative means of artistic expression with limited learning curves, minimal out-of-pocket expenses and an increased focus on self-sufficient and individual-centric educational methodologies. At its core, my research is dedicated to lowering barriers of access in the contemporary media landscape and allowing artistic identity and imagination to remain at the forefront of content creation.
“My best advice to applicants is to remember that creativity is at the core of everything. Whether it is the arts, engineering, science, design, etc., it’s important to always be conjuring up new, innovative ideas to discuss, test out and disseminate. Whatever it is you are passionate about, you will find others… even if those others are not immediately apparent!”
Ahmed El Sayed, Civil Engineering MASc
“The Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship will motivate me to achieve more milestones during my graduate studies and will provide the financial support to stay focused and dedicated to my coursework and research.
“My research is focused on recovering volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and biogas from industrial organic waste using a fermentation process. The main purpose of this research is to understand the composition of recovered VFAs from industrial organic waste as they are incorporated into a wide range of applications. The research also aims to optimize the recovery process from industrial waste to decrease the carbon footprint of landfills.
“My best advice for applicants is to follow your passion when pursuing graduate studies. Incorporate your research with related coursework in order to consolidate and enrich your learning experience. Also, maintaining hard work and dedication is of paramount importance as that will help prepare you for success in your studies as well as your future career.”
Aly Burtch, Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship
"The Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship is a significant asset in the pursuit of my graduate degree in the Master's of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship program here at TMU.
"My project for the duration of the program centres on building and growing my startup venture, uBioDiscovery. We analyze microbiome profiles and provide dietary suggestions tailored to an individual's unique community of gut bacteria. The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of life for individuals with digestive disorders and food intolerances.
"My advice for fellow students is to build a support system early on that you can lean on throughout the course of your studies. These people will stick by you and will motivate you to deliver your best results. It is important to choose a program and courses that interest you as it will make the journey much more enjoyable, and increase your chances of success!"
Taha Rezzag-Lebza, Aerospace Engineering MASc
“Receiving the Dennis Mock Graduate Scholarship will assist with the financial cost of my graduate education, and help me to concentrate fully on my research and courses.
“My research involves using computer simulations to improve the efficiency of airplane gas-turbine engines. These engines are used to propel aircraft forward and are the most complex part of an airplane due to the number of moving parts.
“My advice to applicants is that in addition to working hard and perseverance, taking courses related to your research is very important in order to achieve excellent grades. This will give you a chance to understand the course material better and to really enjoy it. Course projects can also be used to advance your thesis, which can save you a lot of time in the future.”