DeGroote Doctoral Student Association
Our mission
The DDSA is the Doctoral Student Association of the DeGroote School of Business. The purpose of this association is to create a community and provide a forum of discussion for doctoral students at DeGroote. The DDSA works to address student concerns, thereby enhancing the experiences of doctoral students and encouraging valuable academic research activities.
2025-2026 DDSA officers
DDSA research day
The DDSA hosted their annual DDSA Research Day on March 4, 2024. This year’s theme was commercialization of research, with a focus on entrepreneurship for academics.
The flagship event was the Student Business Challenge (SBC), a business pitch competition specifically designed for PhD students. Our PhD Students showcased their entrepreneurial skills and competed for a total prize pool of $1,800.
Student business challenge 1st place winner
Nicole Rakowski – 1st winner – $1,000
Student business challenge 2nd place winner
Mahdi Abouei – 2nd winner – $500
Student business challenge 3rd place winner
Fatemeh Navazi – 3rd winner – $300
Popular choice prize winner
Hesam Nojavan – $500