Emily McKnight

Emily McKnight | Class of 2012

Bachelor of Arts, Criminology
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities

Intending to pursue a career in law enforcement, Emily completed the Police Foundations program at Durham College in 2008. After learning more about law enforcement and the social, communication and technical skills needed to serve and protect communities, Emily decided to enter the Criminology and Justice pathway program at Ontario Tech in 2009.

This interdisciplinary program, which weaves sociology, psychology, philosophy and law together with criminology, revealed new opportunities to Emily. She was keen to explore how criminal justice is shaped by social, political and technological contexts. After graduating in 2012, Emily enrolled in the Dispute Resolution certificate program at York University where she honed her communication, mediation, negotiation and arbitration skills.

Meanwhile, Emily was continuing to connect with Ontario Tech, attending alumni events and maintaining the relationships she had developed with fellow students and faculty members. Realizing that she could apply her knowledge and skills to a range of occupations, and appreciating the Ontario Tech environment, Emily decided to become an Academic Advisor. Currently, Emily works within the Faculty of Business and I.T. She is part of a team that aims to help students in the Bachelor of Commerce program make choices that will lead to their academic success. Emily works with students to identify their strengths and interests, guide them toward a career path, establish academic goals and plan the courses that will meet their objectives. She enjoys answering their questions, addressing concerns and finding practical solutions for issues ranging from academic and career to personal and financial.

In 2019 Emily married alumnus Michael Williams-Bell. Michael completed his PhD at Ontario Tech in Applied Bioscience in 2016 and is currently a professor at Durham College. They live in Durham Region.