Page 17 - Eureka-2013

Computer Science

By Kristy Strauss scs.carleton.ca

rom its initial days in the early
F1980s, Carleton’s School of
Computer Science has graduated
students who are well prepared for
the working world.
Jason Flick, who graduated with
a computer science degree from
Carleton in 1996, is now president and
CEO of Flick Software Inc., a leading
provider of software products and
services for the mobile and wireless
communications industry. A true
entrepreneur, he’s also president
and co-founder of You I Labs Inc., Jason Flick Derek Burney Jr.
combining art and science to help
companies build the best devices and “I do credit the co-op experience “We do a really good job in giving
apps. tremendously with the fact that I was students a wide range of capabilities,”
“At Carleton, I got lots of practical able to join the workforce, and be says Deugo, who received his
and abstract experience in the productive immediately,” Burney says, computer science education at
industry,” says Flick. He worked in adding that he was Corel’s CEO for Carleton. “That’s something they
various software roles while earning three to four years before he moved to can use to advertise to potential
his degree, and after graduating, Microsoft in senior executive roles. employers.”
built his career in management and John Pugh, a former professor and Professor Prosenjit Bose, Associate
director roles with companies such director of the School of Computer Dean of Research and Graduate
as TouchLink/TouchNet, Eftia, and Science, says the school always had Studies, has been teaching computer
Canadian Health Systems Inc. the tradition of graduating students science at the university for 16 years
But Flick says his experience at right into the working world. He says and says computer science students
Carleton encouraged him to also start many Carleton computer science have a great chance of finding work
his own businesses. “Carleton gave students got hired on to work at after school. “Demand is so fierce
me confidence,” he says. “Starting the company he co-founded, The and we have graduate students being
your own company always takes Object People Inc., a multi-national offered incredible jobs,” Bose says. “I
longer than you think. It’s been more company and provider of computing, had two students who went to work
difficult, but more rewarding, than I e-commerce and web solutions that for Google.”
could have imagined.” was eventually bought by Oracle. He adds that Carleton’s computer
Derek Burney Jr., another Carleton Now owner and CEO of the science students also have the added
computer science alumnus, has Ottawa Fury Soccer Club, Pugh says benefit of being in a city where they
also used his degree to serve in Carleton’s computer science students have their choice of co-op placements
senior executive roles at companies were especially in demand across in the high-tech industry.
such as Corel and Microsoft. He’s Ottawa in the early days. Bose often runs into alumni around
currently Microsoft’s corporate vice- “Our students were particularly the city, who always tell him about
president for strategic relations in the attractive to many companies,” he their positive experiences at Carleton
Applications and Services Group. says. “These companies wouldn’t have and how their computer science
Burney was in his mid-20s when he been successful without the students degree has helped them in their
started his degree at Carleton. He was from Carleton who knew the latest careers.
older than most of his fellow students, technologies.” “Every single one of my graduate
so decided to take Carleton’s co-op Computer science professor Dwight students that has finished has an
program and work while studying Deugo, also Assistant Dean of Science amazing job,” Bose says. “I have
computer science. He graduated in (Recruitment and Retention), says students that come back and tell me
1993, and says his co-op experience the school has grown since its early how they’ve been doing. It’s really nice
helped him land a computer days to offer a variety of streams to hear, and makes me feel like I have
programmer job at Corel. Seven years and courses, including computer the best job in the world.”
later, he was CEO. game development, robotics, mobile
computing and software engineering.

EUREKA 17