Professor Leroy Dacosta is 2007 CAST/UTECH Distinguished Alumnus

Professor Leroy DaCosta is the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus of the Canadian chapter of the College of Arts, Science and Technology/University of Technology (CAST/UTech) Alumni Association.
At the association’s fifth anniversary awards banquet held recently in Canada, former President of UTech, Dr. Rae Davis was made a Lifetime Achievement Awardee, while Dottie Higgins, UTech’s first Scholarship Coordinator and Financial Aid Officer, was presented with the 2007 Recognition Award.
Professor DaCosta, a lecturer in Accounting Information Systems at Seneca College in Toronto since 1985, graduated from CAST in 1967 with a Diploma in Business Administration. With more than 30 years experience in accounting, he holds a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation and is a member of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association. He has also taught at Ryerson and York universities in Toronto.
Newly appointed President of UTech, Professor Errol Morrison, thanked the association for its continued contributions and interest in the university.He told the gathering that the university is “on the move,” and would soon be introducing new areas of interest such as public health and a faculty of law.
“I invite your total commitment in helping your alma mater in moving forward and opening it up for the people of Jamaica and the region,” said Professor Morrison whose appointment became effective on March 1.
Guest speaker for the evening was Canadian criminal court judge, Justice Michael Tulloch, who lauded the association for the work it is doing in providing scholarships to students attending UTech and Canadian tertiary institutions. To date, the alumni association has awarded Cdn$28,000 to deserving students in Jamaica and Canada. “Education is dear to my heart,” said Justice Tulloch. “It is the reason I am where I am today. Education is perhaps the surest way to success.”
The Jamaican-born judge bemoaned the number of young black men at risk whom he said, are “over-represented in the courts.” He implored the audience to reach out and save these young men by “educating them about themselves” and by letting them understand that there is no alternative to a good education.
“They need to understand that they must educate their minds for their future,” said Justice Tulloch. “They must invest in their minds, and not in clothes, cars or guns.”
President of the CAST/UTech Alumni Association, Greg Allen, informed that the future plans of the association will include increasing the number of scholarships presented each year and making more significant contributions to UTech’s development.