Congratulations to Diana Augustin, who will be retiring on March 31 after 20 years of dedicated service to the university.
Learn more about Diana below, and please join me in wishing her all the best in the future!
Cathy Eberts
Executive Director, Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration
Diana (Dee) Augustin, Information Technology Specialist
Joined U of T: November 2, 1999
Retirement and last day in office: March 31, 2020
Describe your background and how you arrived at EASI
I started in IT in 1987 at a bank downtown. I went to work at Monsanto in Mississauga in 1990. In 1994, I started working as a sub-contractor for Quantum at Dofasco in Hamilton. By 1997, I began contracting on my own at Swiss Re Life Insurance. That is when I met some of the other Natural developers, Tricia Kay and Dharmesh Amalsadia. When that contract ended it was on to CIBC Mellon where I met Nicky Lai and Luzinda van Huyssteen also Natural developers. I also met Matt Hendrickson in passing at this time on one of our lunches. When 2000 was fast approaching, it seemed that the contract market was drying up somewhat, so most of us came to work at U of T as fulltime employees. Moving from contract to fulltime here was the best decision I ever made as I spent the next 20 years working with most of the same people and loving it.
What will you remember most about EASI?
I will remember that my colleagues became like a family to me. They were always willing to help and be supportive even when it was not always work related. I was lucky to be in a group of very intelligent people who were more than willing to teach and so I continued to learn and grow which meant I never got bored. I also was lucky enough to get the best managers ever!
What will you remember most about U of T?
U of T for me represents all the good things you would want an employer to be. Through the years, I had several personal challenges and found that they were always open and willing to help in any way possible. It was very special to me to have such an accommodating employer, as we are all such unique individuals with different things to contribute.
What do you plan to do in retirement?
I am hoping to get some of my bucket list items checked off, the first one being travel. After that, I would like to take some cooking classes and spend a lot more time with my granddaughter. Doing whatever I want, whenever I want sounds wonderful to me.
What words of wisdom would you pass along to others?
Enjoy every day as though it is your last. We are not promised tomorrow so try to live without regrets, as there are no do-overs. Be HAPPY!