Graduates honoured with a recognition website, lawn sign event and more

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) pride is at an all-time high as it celebrates the class of 2021. While a physical convocation ceremony wasn’t possible, graduation festivities are in full swing as friends, families and the entire college community have come together to celebrate the hard work of its more than 3,800 graduates.

They will be invited to attend an in-person ceremony when it is safe to do so, however it was important to mark the completion of the students’ credentials once the semester ended, so the college has created a dedicated Convocation Recognition Website.

Filled with elements typically seen at convocation, the site features:

• Messages of congratulations from DC’s chair of the Board of Governors, president, and executive vice president, Academic, as well as the deans from each academic school.
• The names and programs of all graduating students.
• The names of student award winners.
• Virtual shout-outs and recognition for grads submitted by family, friends, faculty and more.
• A list of frequently asked questions related to graduation.
• Links to order DC merchandise, from grad rings to flowers.
• Information about life as a college alumni, including details about special benefits for DC grads.
• Digital DC swag so #DCGrad2021 pride can be shared online.

In addition, the site acknowledges this year’s Alumni of Distinction winners. The Alumni of Distinction award honours the extraordinary contributions DC graduates make to society while achieving career success. Congratulations to Tamara Dus (Registered Nursing, 1996), Caroline Wright (Sport Management, 1996), Thomas Coughlan (Business Administration – Accounting, 2005) and Stuart Petrie (Mechanical Engineering Technology, 2014).

The DC Alumni Association (DCAA) is also helping celebrate the graduates by providing free, DC-branded lawn signs for display at their homes so they can proudly mark their achievement.

“Given the circumstances of the past year, this class of students has displayed an incredible amount of perseverance,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Amidst a lot of challenges and change they have completed their post-secondary education, which is anchored in transformative, hands-on learning, innovation and courses that responded to current trends. As a result they have developed flexibility, resilience and a sense of purpose, which will certainly serve them well throughout their careers. On behalf of the entire college community, I want to congratulate each and every one of them.”

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 11,000 full-time students access to more than 140 post-secondary programs, including four honours bachelor degree and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by offering an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by experienced faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Collaborative Education brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, featuring the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and interprofessional simulation and anatomy labs. The campus is also home to several of the college’s applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Mixed Reality Capture Studio. Additionally, the flexible, fully automated, and industrial-grade Integrated Manufacturing Centre serves as a model of the new standards in education in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and engineering.

At DC’s Whitby campus, construction continues on the new Skills Training Centre. Designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades training, innovation and education, this building will expand the college’s capacity to provide students with hands-on training, access to simulators and other forms of instruction in shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices, crane operation, automotive, millwright and plumbing, among others.

The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes the award-winning Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food grown and prepared by students in the college’s horticulture, culinary and cook apprenticeship programs.

Media contact:
Meghan Ney
Communications and Marketing
416.648.5453
meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

The investment will support 12 virtual learning projects in numerous in-demand fields of study

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) is thrilled to announce that the Ontario government is providing the college with more than $1.5 million in funding to support 12 innovative virtual learning projects. From entrepreneurship and sales to health care, cybersecurity and more, these projects will help students gain access to new, high-quality post-secondary learning and retraining opportunities.

“The last 14 months are proof that virtual learning is flexible, accessible, and can offer boundless educational opportunities for students,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “We are grateful for the Ontario government’s support and investment in these projects. This funding allows us to continue offering exceptional in-demand virtual learning experiences for students who wish to gain valuable skills that prepares them for workplace success.”

Of the 12 DC projects to be developed with the funding, four are micro-credentials that respond to specific industry gaps, including Corporate Training Specialization, Establishing a Construction Contracting Small Business in Ontario, Managing Responsive Behaviours in Older Adults and Sales for Small Businesses.

The remainder of the projects are a diverse selection of digital learning resources, programs and courses that will supplement learning taking place at DC and its collaborative partner institutions, including:

• Case Management Workflow simulator
• Cybersecurity courses – APSA upskilling course and Cloud Computing Fundamentals course
• Fluid Power Trainer simulator
• Five-course French language program
• Health Technology Management Practice course
• Indigenous Histories and Reconciliation: Moving Towards Reconciliation through Capacity Building course
• Metrology Trainer simulator
• Write it Again – Open Educational Resource

 

These projects are part of the province’s Virtual Learning Strategy that was announced last December and support key priority areas including creating or adapting digital content, equipping faculty and students with skills and resources to teach and learn online and identifying educational technologies to support online courses and programs.

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 11,000 full-time students access to more than 140 post-secondary programs, including four honours bachelor degree and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by offering an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by experienced faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Collaborative Education brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, featuring the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and interprofessional simulation and anatomy labs. The campus is also home to several of the college’s applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Mixed Reality Capture Studio. Additionally, the flexible, fully automated, and industrial-grade Integrated Manufacturing Centre serves as a model of the new standards in education in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and engineering.

At DC’s Whitby campus, construction has begun on the new Skills Training Centre. Designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades training, innovation and education, this building will expand the college’s capacity to provide students with hands-on training, access to simulators and other forms of instruction in shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices, crane operation, automotive, millwright and plumbing, among others.

The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes the award-winning Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food grown and prepared by students in the college’s horticulture, culinary and cook apprenticeship programs.

Media contact:

Shelly Totino
Communications Officer
Communications + Marketing
Durham College
c: 905.626.0675
shelly.totino@durhamcollege.ca

Funds being used to create The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture

Oshawa, ON – As a recognized leader in food, farming and horticulture science education, Durham College is pleased to announce it has received a $5-million donation, to be released over a period of five years, from The Barrett Family Foundation. Only the second college in Ontario to receive support from the foundation, the funds will be used to create The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture (Barrett Centre).

Housed within the college’s Whitby campus, the Barrett Centre’s vision is to become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agricultural practices, research, education and training, to address some of society’s biggest challenges including food insecurity, access to safe and stable supplies of fresh food, and economic stability and regeneration of land for local food production.

This includes building a dynamic new urban farm that will be developed as a community-inspired living lab in the coming years. Leveraging the college’s horticultural, food and farming knowledge and experience, the farm will replicate and scale the successful farming operation already established at the college’s Whitby campus, within the community.

“We are extremely grateful to be partnering with The Barrett Family Foundation to bring this new centre to life,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “The immense successes we have enjoyed with our post-secondary programs and urban farm on our Whitby campus demonstrate the potential for further exploration and solving critical issues related to food access and security. In establishing the new community farm we will refine and enhance the current model while also scaling up more broadly to support the local, regional and national urban environments.”

“Durham College is a recognized leader in urban agriculture education,” said Bob Barrett, The Barrett Family Foundation. “The vision to modernize and replicate their current model of urban farming into a regional, national and global entity is very impressive and innovative. Our investment in the college and creation of the Barrett Centre will allow them to scale their operations into a global hub for urban agriculture knowledge and best practices.”

Over the coming weeks and months, the college will begin establishing the infrastructure for the Barrett Centre, including the new community farm which will be scaled and modelled based on the urban farm at DC’s Whitby campus gardens, greenhouses and agricultural fields. A progress update and launch event is planned for the summer, public health restrictions permitting.

For more information about The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture visit www.durhamcollege.ca/barrettcentre.

Award recognizes college’s commitment to environmental sustainability for fifth consecutive year

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the fifth consecutive year, further emphasizing the college’s commitment to sustainability.

Awarded as part of the 2021 editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, this designation recognizes employers who create remarkable workplaces that minimize the environmental impact of their operations. DC was evaluated on how it incorporates environmental values into its everyday culture, and how it attracts employees through its green initiatives.

This year, the college was recognized for its continued comprehensive approach to sustainability at both its Oshawa and Whitby campuses. From heating and cooling select buildings using geothermal energy, to growing and harvesting affordable food that produces little waste and few emissions at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre), DC continues to prioritize its green initiatives.

“As a leader in post-secondary education, it is our responsibility to pave the way for a greener future,” says Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Taking climate action through sustainable initiatives and capital projects is never easy – but as good corporate citizens, the positive impacts we’ve already made are worth the effort. While this award recognizes how far we’ve come, it also demonstrates our continued commitment to creating a culture of sustainability here at Durham College and beyond. Together, we are leading the way.”

Recent capital projects like the Simcoe Geothermal Field are recognized through this award as helping to reduce the demand for heating and cooling through natural gas, as well as electricity generation. The Energy Innovation Centre, which is also part of the geothermal field project, processes the power and is a living lab for DC students to learn about green energy, while the greenspace atop the geothermal field provides a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for all employees and students to take advantage of.

At the Whitby campus, the Weston Centre is home to numerous sustainable features. There are agricultural growing fields, an apiary, greenhouse, pollinator garden and an arboretum, as well as some experimental projects, such as an old shipping container that has been transformed into a vertical hydroponic garden capable of producing 700 heads of lettuce per week, all year round. This innovative growing space uses 90 per cent less water than traditional farming methods, features LED lighting for growing and eliminates food miles – the distance food travels from where it is made to where it’s consumed.

You can read more about why DC was selected for this award online.

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 11,000 full-time students access to more than 140 post-secondary programs, including four honours bachelor degree and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by offering an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by experienced faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Collaborative Education brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, featuring the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and interprofessional simulation and anatomy labs. The campus is also home to several of the college’s applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Mixed Reality Capture Studio. Additionally, the flexible, fully automated, and industrial-grade Integrated Manufacturing Centre serves as a model of the new standards in education in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and engineering.

At DC’s Whitby campus, construction has begun on the new Skills Training Centre. Designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades training, innovation and education, this building will expand the college’s capacity to provide students with hands-on training, access to simulators and other forms of instruction in shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices, crane operation, automotive, millwright and plumbing, among others.

The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes the award-winning Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food grown and prepared by students in the college’s horticulture, culinary and cook apprenticeship programs.

Media contact:

Shelly Totino
Communications, Marketing + Student Recruitment
Durham College
c: 905.626.0675
shelly.totino@durhamcollege.ca

 

Oshawa, ON – The Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) and the Student Affairs office at Durham College (DC) are pleased to announce $492,654 in funding from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada to support eligible students enrolled in six of the college’s Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs this semester.

CEWIL Canada has a long history of supporting DC and its WIL-related initiatives. The new CEWIL Innovation Hub (iHUB), which is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL), is a program dedicated to developing career-ready students through quality WIL-training. Acting as a centre of expertise for grant-based funding, the CEWIL iHUB launched its first call for proposals in 2021.

DC students from a variety of programs will benefit from this funding, including:

• Practical Nursing and Personal Support Worker – Through the Financial Support Grant for Frontline Health Care WIL Requirements, frontline health care students at DC with winter semester placements – many of whom were impacted by COVID-19 closures– will be eligible to receive financial support for WIL-related expenses, including pre-placement requirements, transportation, technology and childcare. The goal of this program is to expand access to WIL opportunities, particularly to students in underrepresented populations.
• Chemical Engineering Technology – Students in their final year of the program will complete a high-impact field placement in chemical engineering technology laboratory enhancement and equipment repair. Students will benefit from access to current, industry-relevant technology, such as chemical process simulation software and hands-on experience developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for in-house use of these technologies. The experience will enable students to employ practical troubleshooting techniques for equipment repair and calibration contributing to their career-readiness.
• Video Production and Photography – Students will partner with the K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation to experience the arts and culture sector while producing communication materials centred around Ontario’s contemporary Indigenous arts community. The funding will allow students to leverage new technology, adapt to COVID-19 limitations and explore new approaches to remote digital film production using 360-degree angle cameras, lighting and sound enhancements.
• Fitness and Health Promotion – In collaboration with experts from Ontario Tech University, DC students will implement wearable technologies and use sports science techniques to assist in developing unique training programs for elite varsity athletes. This funding will foster opportunities for DC students to leverage the fitness industry’s leading-edge technology, such as the Kinduct training platform, used by over 450 professional and elite sports teams to analyze data from wearable technologies to customize training programs. This experience will familiarize Fitness and Health students with technologies used in their field, bridging the gap as they enter the workplace.

As part of DC’s commitment to provide unique experiential learning opportunities to students, WIL has been a vital part of DC’s framework and student experience for decades, embedded as a formal component in many programs of study.

“This funding demonstrates CEWIL Canada’s dedication to the training of future professionals and the value work-integrated learning programs add to the student experience,” says Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “After an unprecedented year, this support will benefit many of our students whose academic paths have faced numerous challenges.”

“This investment will have an incredible impact on unique, experiential learning opportunities that ensure our students are better prepared with the skills required for today’s changing workplace,” says Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We are incredibly grateful for CEWIL Canada’s commitment to student success.”

To learn more about ORSIE, visit durhamcollege.ca/ORSIE.

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 11,000 full-time students access to more than 140 post-secondary programs, including four honours bachelor degree and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by offering an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by experienced faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Collaborative Education brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, featuring the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and interprofessional simulation and anatomy labs. The campus is also home to several of the college’s applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Mixed Reality Capture Studio. Additionally, the flexible, fully automated, and industrial-grade Integrated Manufacturing Centre serves as a model of the new standards in education in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and engineering.

At DC’s Whitby campus, construction has begun on the new Skills Training Centre. Designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades training, innovation and education, this building will expand the college’s capacity to provide students with hands-on training, access to simulators and other forms of instruction in shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices, crane operation, automotive, millwright and plumbing, among others.

The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes the award-winning Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food grown and prepared by students in the college’s horticulture, culinary and cook apprenticeship programs.

Media contact:

Durham College
Jessica Rivers
Communications and Marketing
m: 905-767-2549
jessica.rivers@durhamcollege.ca

 

 

College amongst first in Ontario to access the program

Oshawa, ON – Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is pleased to announce it has been awarded two Mitacs Accelerate grants totalling $120,000, in support of two new applied research projects creating eight internships for DC students.

Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving challenges with research solutions from academic institutions. It is funded by the Government of Canada with support from provincial governments across the country.

Among the first colleges in Ontario to access the program, the grants are allowing DC to build research partnerships while also giving students meaningful experiential learning opportunities to participate in research as paid interns. Not only does this help partner organizations that need their expertise, it contributes to the training of highly qualified research personnel by providing work-integrated opportunities at DC that support students’ career readiness.

“Hands-on and real-world experience is a crucial part of a world-class post-secondary education. That’s why our Government is proud to support our colleges and universities through Mitacs to create more work-integrated learning opportunities for Ontario students,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “By helping our students get new experiences in their field of study, Durham College and Mitacs are giving their students access to the skills they need to find a good job and succeed in the career of their choice.”

“The Mitacs Accelerate program is a unique funding model that brings researchers, students and businesses together to solve real-world challenges,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “We are very excited to see the two research projects come to fruition and are grateful to be receiving support from our partner companies and Mitacs itself.”

 

Project One: Developing a unique inventory optimization model

Recognizing that manufacturing is a $174 billion industry in Canada, representing over 10 per cent of the total GDP and 68 per cent of merchandise exports, efficient inventory management plays a vital role in a business’s profitability.

Thanks to Mitacs funding, two DC students from the college’s Supply Chain and Operations Management – Business Administration (SOM) program have created an inventory optimization model that predicts factors affecting stock, as part of an internship with electronics manufacturer Creation Technologies LP.

Students worked under the supervision of Creation Technologies’ Supply Chain Leader Maura Kirby, who also sits on the SOM Program Advisory Committee at DC, and faculty researcher Brent Clemens, to create a system that can determine the optimal levels of supply needed to support customer needs, while meeting the company’s business targets. By creating significant cost-savings and improving customer satisfaction, the outcome of this project will support the company’s continued growth and the creation of high-quality jobs for Canadians.

During their internship, DC’s students applied the skills, theories, and concepts learned in their program in a workplace setting, while building their professional networks, and acquiring hands-on experience. Since the project ended in January, both students were hired by Creation Technologies.

“I am very pleased to be able to participate with Durham College and Mitacs on this project,” shared Kirby. “The students were able to apply their supply chain knowledge to help identify inventory factors contributing to the creation of the optimization model. Overall, this project has been a great success and has been a valuable learning experience for myself and the students.” 

Project Two: Improving recruitment for employers and job seekers

In today’s highly competitive job market, the recruitment industry often struggles with information overload and the ability to effectively match potential candidates with available positions.

To help address this problem, DC faculty researcher Uzair Ahmad and six interns from DC’s Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation and Data Analytics for Business Decision Making graduate certificate programs will work with Reachout Inc., a start-up company that is building a diversified early career community for post-secondary students and an end-to-end virtual recruiting platform for employers, to develop a two-way hybrid recommendation system to support both employers and job seekers. The system will learn relevant content and rank candidates based on the job description. This will result in stronger candidate recommendations for employers while also promoting appropriate job opportunities to candidates.

It will also ensure increased accuracy and explainable recommendations—an innovation that will provide Reachout with a competitive advantage.

The students involved in this research will be integrated into Reachout’s technical team, with direct supervision provided by Thomas Liu, it’s CEO, and will benefit from the ability to leverage the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom and apply them to solve businesses challenges in a real-world setting.

“Mitacs is delighted to support these exciting projects at Durham College. By enabling the creation of valuable academic-industry partnerships that provide students with meaningful, paid, experiential-learning opportunities, Mitacs is proud to contribute to innovation in Ontario. These internships are helping partner organizations access Durham’s rich expertise in AI and systems optimization, while contributing to the career development of college students,” said, John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director at Mitacs.

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, Durham College (DC) offers over 11,000 full-time students access to more than 140 post-secondary programs, including four honours bachelor degree and nine apprenticeship programs.

DC enables students to develop career-ready skills for the ever-changing job market by offering an exceptional college education. With a focus on experiential learning, led by experienced faculty, through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads are known for having the skills and knowledge employers need.

At the Oshawa campus, the Centre for Collaborative Education brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, featuring the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and interprofessional simulation and anatomy labs. The campus is also home to several of the college’s applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Mixed Reality Capture Studio. Additionally, the flexible, fully automated, and industrial-grade Integrated Manufacturing Centre serves as a model of the new standards in education in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics and engineering. 

At DC’s Whitby campus, construction has begun on the new Skills Training Centre. Designed to shine a spotlight on skilled trades training, innovation and education, this building will expand the college’s capacity to provide students with hands-on training, access to simulators and other forms of instruction in shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices, crane operation, automotive, millwright and plumbing, among others. 

The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes the award-winning Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food grown and prepared by students in the college’s horticulture, culinary and cook apprenticeship programs.

Media contact:
Durham College
Meghan Ney
Communications and Marketing
m: 416-648-5453
meghan.ney@durhamcollege

 

Oshawa, ON – As announced today by the provincial government, a new accelerated training program for personal support workers (PSWs) will increase in the PSW training at Ontario’s colleges.

“The new investment will allow DC to increase enrolment for personal support worker training in our community,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College (DC). “It’s an new opportunity for anyone interested in a career in this field, and Durham College is pleased to collaborate with the province to offer this accelerated program.”

As outlined by the Ontario government, the accelerated program will cover students’ tuition and other expenses and allows participants to graduate with full credentials within six months; the standard PSW program at DC takes two semesters to complete.

With more study hours per week, the accelerated program will use a hybrid model that combines online learning with in-person practical experience, consisting of taking courses virtually and participating in laboratory classes and in care settings.

Students will also be able to volunteer at long-term care homes and other settings early in the program, and can participate in paid work placements after three months.

Applications will be accepted in early March, and the first day of classes for the initial intake will be on Monday, April 5.

Anyone interested in learning more, or applying to DC’s accelerated PSW program, can contact Student Recruitment at recruitment@durhamcollege.ca.

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For more information:
Meghan Ney
Durham College
C: 416-648-5453
E: meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca