Longstanding partnership exemplifies the best of what colleges contribute to their communities

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is proud to announce its receipt of the Community Care Durham (CCD) 2020 Corporate Leadership Award. College president Don Lovisa received the honour during CCD’s annual general meeting, which was held virtually using Zoom, on June 16.

“This award honours and highlights the longstanding, mutually beneficial partnership between Durham College and Community Care Durham,” said President Lovisa. “This is a partnership that truly exemplifies the best of what public colleges can inspire in their students and employees, and contribute to their communities.”

Nominated and selected to receive the award by CCD senior leadership and its board of directors, DC is being recognized for its longstanding partnership with and contributions made to CCD, which include:

• Regularly providing placement students from programs in DC’s School of Health & Community Services (HCS) to support CCD’s Adult Day Programs and mental health support program, known as COPE, as well as providing students from the School of Business, IT & Management occasionally.
• CCD’s participation in orientation events at DC to promote volunteer opportunities to students and employees. More specifically, CCD has worked with DC’s Police Foundations program to match students with their Friendly Visiting program.
• DC Corporate Training Services creating a Personal Support Worker (PSW) Training partnership to provide CCD’s PSWs with important education specific to their clients needs, in addition to other customized training for CCD staff.
• Most recently, the team from the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) contributing to the successful launch of CCD’s Community Food Box program. Not only did the CFF help launch the program with a generous donation of food in the midst of the college’s COVID-related campus closure, the CFF gardens continue to provide fresh herbs and produce for the weekly food boxes.

“Community Care Durham is an exemplary organization that provides vital services to vulnerable residents in our community,” said Dr. Judeline Innocent, executive dean of HCS at the college. “It is with great appreciation that Durham College receives this honour, which marks our latest milestone as we continue to lead the way in educating students to deliver community-based care, partnering on innovative ways to respond to community needs and building a brighter future for the residents of Durham Region.”

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, Durham College (DC) offers approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

DC enables students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:

Melissa McLean (she/her/hers)
Communications and Marketing
647.880.6363
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca

 

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

Oshawa, ON – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the fourth consecutive year. Awarded as part of the 2020 editorial competition that is 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.

Winning employers are those that incorporate environmental values into their everyday culture, and attract employees because of such values and are evaluated on the following criteria:

1. The unique environmental initiatives or programs they have developed.
2. Whether they have been successful in reducing their own environmental footprint.
3. Whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute any unique skills.
4. Whether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity, attracting new employees and customers.

This year, DC has been recognized for its comprehensive approach to sustainability at both its Oshawa and Whitby campuses. From waste reduction initiatives to the way the college heats and cools its buildings, changes have been implemented at both a personal level and on a broader scale.

For employees this means using communal waste bins as opposed to personal garbage cans and removing individual printers in favour of centralized ones, all part of the in-house Green Office certification program, which encourages adopting sustainable practices in each office’s day-to-day operations.

At a macro level, capital projects such as the Simcoe Geothermal Field, which began running in the summer of 2019, help to reduce the demand for natural gas for heating and cooling, 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 learning about green energy.

At the Whitby campus, the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) is home to numerous sustainable features. There are agricultural growing fields, an apiary, greenhouse, pollinator garden and an arboretum, as well as more 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 – by providing fresh produce to the community without having to transport it by plane or truck from elsewhere.

“Durham College’s sustainability story continues to develop with each passing year,” said Don Lovisa, president. “It is something we weave into every aspect of our operations as an institution, and we are incredibly proud to be recognized for those efforts as one of Canada’s greenest employers.”

For more information on living green at DC please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/livinggreen.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 13,600 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college has also launched its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The newly-opened facility brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

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

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Meghan Ney
Communications and Marketing
416-648-5453 (cell)
meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

Limited students will be permitted to return to campus in July to complete hands-on training to fulfill program requirements

Oshawa, Ont. – Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano announced today a framework for reopening the post-secondary sector in Ontario. This framework will see some in-person classes resuming in July in a range of college programs requiring hands-on work to fulfil requirements.  Today’s announcement ensures more students will complete their programs and acquire the expertise sought by employers.

“This is tremendous news for students and for employers in key sectors who will need qualified people to help drive Ontario’s economic recovery,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College (DC). “We’re very pleased with the government’s ongoing commitment to student success and to our continued delivery of high-quality programs.”

Returning in July for the pilot framework are “stranded students” who need to finish outstanding practical requirements currently preventing them from graduating or completing their semester, resulting from the COVID-19 shutdown of face-to-face activity. 

DC cancelled in-person classes in March and shifted to remote delivery to protect our campus community. The transition to remote learning was very successful due to the dedication and tremendous efforts of faculty and staff. With a focus on academic continuity, DC implemented innovative practices to ensure students continued to receive high-quality programs, and most were able to complete their semester. 

Impacted students will receive further communication directly with specific details and information on start dates and timetables. 

DC has continued to collaborate with Minister Romano and public health officials on the safe return of in-person classes. Several protocols will be in place to ensure the continued health and safety of our campus when students return in July, including: limiting the number of students per learning environment; enforcement of strict physical distancing requirements; mandatory use of personal protective equipment when physical distancing cannot be maintained; enhanced screening; increased cleaning and disinfection protocols; and the continued closure of common spaces. 

DC is very pleased to see students and employees return to campus and will continue to put the well-being and safety of our community at the forefront of our decisions as we carefully transition back to campus. 

We also look forward to supporting the government’s announced plans to develop a framework to modernize post-secondary education.

“As the work begins to rebuild Ontario’s economy, it’s essential that colleges have the flexibility to respond quickly and effectively to changes in the labour market,” said Lovisa. “We’re pleased the government is taking a proactive approach to strengthening Ontario’s colleges at this critical time.” 

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

 

Media contact:
Shelly Totino
Communications and Marketing
905.626.0675
shelly.totino@durhamcollege.ca

Oshawa, ON – The Durham College (DC) Board of Governors (BOG) is pleased to announce Michele James as the new board chair and Kristi Honey as vice-chair, respectively, effective Monday, July 1, 2020.  The appointments are for a one-year term.

As chair for the BOG, Michele brings over 30 years of leadership in the health care sector to the role. Currently the vice-president of People and Transformation at Scarborough Health Network, Ontario’s third largest community hospital. Michele’s diverse portfolio includes oversight of the human resources function for the organization’s 5,200 employees. Michele also spent several years in the private sector at IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Michele is a life-long volunteer and has been involved in a number of community organizations.  She is a strong advocate for inclusion and is currently the volunteer chair of the Advisory Committee for the Black Physicians Association of Ontario. Michele has been selected as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2020.

As vice-chair for the BOG, Kristi brings over 20 years of private and public executive leadership experience to the role. Currently the chief administrative officer for the Township of Uxbridge, she is also a DC graduate and Alumni of Distinction recipient for her success as an entrepreneur. An active volunteer in the community, Kristi is a champion of human rights and environmentalist causes having been recognized for her efforts by Women of Influence in their Global Series as one of Canada’s leading women driving equality, diversity, and inclusion nationally and internationally.

Michele and Kristi have both served on the Board of DC for four years.

The BOG is responsible for the governance of DC. It is accountable to the students, employees and communities the college serves, making sure that it is effectively and appropriately managed to achieve its established mandate and to provide needed services.

As chair, Michele will be responsible for ensuring the board meets its responsibilities and established mandate through leadership, openness and transparency. To learn more about the roles of chair and vice-chair of the board, read the Board policy.

About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 13,600 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college has also launched its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The newly-opened facility brings together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

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

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:

Meghan Ney

Communications and Marketing

416-648-5453 (cell)
meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

Bold new mission statement speaks to the college’s reinvention of the student experience

 Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is proud to unveil its 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, which includes a bold new mission statement that will serve as the guiding touchpoint for the wide-reaching college community.

“It could seem odd to be launching a new Strategic Plan at a time of so much uncertainty and upheaval but, after much reflection, it was clear to us that the timing actually couldn’t be better,” said DC president Don Lovisa. “In light of the leadership, innovation, collaboration and excellence being demonstrated through DC’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our new mission statement rings true: Together, we’re leading the way.”

The college’s new Strategic Plan was developed over many months, drawing upon in-depth consultations held with every major stakeholder group, including students, alumni, employees and industry and community partners.  

“We heard our people loud and clear – the college has evolved and it’s time everyone knew it,” said Ivan DeJong, chair of the DC Board of Governors. “‘The student experience comes first’ kept the college’s commitment to our students at the forefront, but it wasn’t capturing the full story DC has to tell. We’re doing much more than putting the student experience first at DC – we’re reinventing it.”

Highlights of the new Strategic Plan include a refocused vision statement, refreshed values and updated objectives and strategies to support each of the four pillars that provide the plan’s framework: our students, our people, our work and our community. DC is also unveiling the beginnings of a refreshed brand identity that will continue to evolve with the college. This identity reflects how DC is moving forward, while maintaining a connection to the past that has brought the college to where it is today.

Members of the public are invited to explore DC’s 2020-2023 Strategic Plan and updated brand through the dedicated microsite launched today. 

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About Durham College

With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, Durham College (DC) offers approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

DC enables students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
647.880.6363
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that its Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (the AI Hub) will receive advisory services and a contribution of up to $300,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). The AI Hub is the applied research centre in AI for the college’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE).

This conditional funding, which started in late 2019 and has since been extended, has allowed the AI Hub to develop technology-based solutions for seven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across the country and a variety of industries.

“This contribution is a credit to the success of our AI Hub team in creating real business solutions for SMEs by leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and more,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “We are grateful for NRC IRAP’s support which, in turn, allows our team to continue doing this valuable work.”

The NRC IRAP l funding enables DC faculty and student researchers to act as consultants to SMEs, applying their skills and training to solve industry challenges related to innovation and technology adoption. Thus far, the funding has supported the following successful projects:

• Mapping, development and deployment of a fully functional rule-based Database and Administration Portal along with a testing webpage for Calgary-based Cognitive Solutions Inc.
• Development of a suite of Machine Learning applications and scripts, which includes inference functions for on-the-fly textual testing and analysis, for AI agency Atomic X.
• Phase 1 of the AI Wetland mapping tool development for Solstice Environmental Management, an Alberta-based environmental consulting firm.
• Development of an AI tool built into the software of a New Brunswick-based digital services provider, Riddl Tech Inc., that can help client companies manage their social and environmental-impact data.
• Development of proprietary conversational chatbot for Health Espresso/iCare Home Health Services Inc. that answers frequently asked questions about regional healthcare resources in Ontario based on a user’s postal code.
• Creation of an event-based AI engine that envelops multi-faceted AI models to predict the fluctuations of the currency in light of changing global currencies and event indexes for online financial tech services company 4Pay Inc.  

Through their partnerships with the AI Hub, each SME gained access to researcher and student expertise and valuable programs and resources to help facilitate the adoption of AI into their business systems.

“Although the benefits are well known, the ability to develop an effective AI solution that can generate value at scale remains elusive for many companies,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice president, Academic. “We are thrilled that this funding from NRC will allow us to further support businesses as they implement AI capabilities into their business systems, all while giving our students more opportunities for experiential learning.”

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

For more information, contact:

Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
647.880.6363
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca

Some programs will be offered fully remote, others will combine face-to-face and online delivery

Oshawa, Ont. – Following Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce’s announcement yesterday about the pause to the reopening of Ontario’s secondary schools, Durham College (DC) is planning to offer hybrid delivery for its fall semester programs.

“As educators across Ontario, including those at DC, prepare for a new academic year, we know it will look very different from previous years,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “The college is hard at work, creating a learning framework that will keep our students, employees and community safe while also continuing to offer quality education – whether that be online, in the classroom, or both.”

Below is an overview of our semester planning:

Winter semester

For winter semester students who need to complete face-to-face classes to finish their courses, DC intends to have them return to classrooms, labs and work placements starting as soon as possible in July. These students will be contacted by their school office with additional information as soon as it becomes available.

Spring semester

Students in spring semester programs, who do not require face-to-face classes to finish their courses, will complete their courses remotely on August 7.

Spring semester students who are in programs that require face-to-face classes will have these courses deferred until the above winter semester students have completed their face-to-face instruction. Specific dates for in-person instruction will be shared by school offices as soon as information becomes available.

Fall semester

For the fall semester, DC intends to deliver as many programs remotely as possible if the pandemic continues to prevent students and employees from gathering on campus.

DC will deliver programming through a combination of face-to-face and remote delivery for those programs that cannot be delivered fully remotely. Students will be contacted directly by their school office with additional information as soon as it becomes available.

Please note that these decisions are fluid and may change as a result of Public Health and government guidance and direction.

“In all our decisions, DC is absolutely committed to providing our students with a high-quality, safe and supportive academic experience. Whether students begin their studies remotely or on campus, we are here for them. Our Support Services teams are here to help,” says Lovisa.

– 30 –

About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs. 

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Shelly Totino
Communications and Marketing
905.626.0675
shelly.totino@durhamcollege.ca

Grants will support three unique research projects aimed at solving local social challenges

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) will receive more than $1 million in applied research grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to help create innovative solutions for local and regional social challenges.

Applied over a three-year term, the funding is provided through the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), which is managed by NSERC in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The funding is being directed to three of DC’s applied research projects, which will be completed alongside a number of community partners, including:

• A participatory action research project that aims to design financial empowerment tools and resources that will help address the specific and unique needs of low-income residents. Through partnerships with a number of local agencies – including libraries, employment centres and new immigrant welcome centres – research lead Lorraine Closs and partner Randy Uyenaka will engage low-income residents to understand the use of available supports in their neighbourhoods, as well as barriers to access.
• An innovative research project using virtual reality to simulate uncontrolled fire scenarios and improve training for firefighters using immersive life-like experiential learning. By eliciting physiological and psychological responses similar to the human reactions in a real-life fire scenario, research lead Dr. Michael Williams-Bell and partner John Goodwin will develop a safe and controlled training environment for participants, resulting in saved lives and a reduced number of training injuries.
• A series of Innovation Lab co-production workshops held with early childhood educators, parents, faculty, students, behaviour experts and service providers, to develop a tool for educators and families to support the development of social competence in pre-school aged children. Under the direction of research lead Nicole Doyle and partner Corrine McCormick-Brighton, the tools will be used in EarlyON Child and Family Centres in the Durham Region.

“We are so thrilled to receive this funding and are excited to begin work with our community partners to develop innovate solutions to the unique challenges facing our preschool educators, firefighters and low-income population,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “While these projects aim to positively impact our community, they are also providing excellent experiential learning opportunities for our students as they gain valuable experience working alongside experienced researchers.”

CCSIF grants are intended to support college social innovation research projects in partnership with local community organizations. Through the CCSIF grants, each of the three DC research projects will receive more than $300,000.

Applied research at DC is facilitated through ORSIE and seeks to solve social and business challenges through innovation and collaboration. By engaging industry, faculty, students, and community partners, research projects successfully address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy. DC has been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges by Research Infosource Inc. six times.

– 30 –

 About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Shelly Totino
Communications and Marketing
905.626.0675
shelly.totino@durhamcollege.ca

A decade of leadership and achievement draws honours in Applied Research and Innovation category

Oshawa, Ont. –Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) has received bronze in the 2020 Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Awards of Excellence in the Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award category. CICan announced this year’s winners today in a media release. CICan is a national organization representing publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs and polytechnics in Canada and internationally.

“Durham College takes great pride in CICan recognizing our decade of leadership in providing business solutions and student training,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Under the leadership of Debbie McKee Demczyk, the ORSIE team continuously demonstrates an incredible ability to anticipate emerging trends and provide consultative, collaborative services that meet the needs of businesses, all while providing significant hands-on learning experiences for students.”

The CICan award recognizes ORSIE’s extraordinary contributions to the DC campus community and the team’s role in supporting social, cultural and economic development at local, provincial, national and global levels. Winners of the Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award category are selected based on the following criteria:

• Institutional commitment: evidence within the last five years of commitment in building the institutional capacity to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social innovation in the community.
• Impact on SMEs: evidence within the last five years of new or improved products, processes, services that enhance profile and market opportunities.
• Impact on communities and regions: evidence of enhanced collaboration with companies, community partners, local associations and organizations that have a significant and sustainable impact on local or regional innovation.
• Impact on students: demonstrated application of skills into workplace settings, with a focus on the capacity to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Must be supported with data.

The long list of ORSIE’s accomplishments since it first opened in 2009 includes the launch of four applied research centres on campus – the AI Hub, Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, Mixed-Reality Capture Studio and Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation – as well as supporting entrepreneurship and social innovation through FastStart and Enactus, which enable students to use their creativity and skills to develop solutions to real-world challenges while contributing to the economic growth of their communities.

“Since ORSIE launched, research at Durham College has accelerated at an exhilarating pace,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “We entered into 2020 on the wave of success enjoyed last year that saw us achieve all-time highs on an expanding number of initiatives. The dedicated faculty, staff and students continue to demonstrate exceptional hard work and commitment in their pursuit of excellence. Their work is cutting-edge and impactful at every level.”

Learn about ORSIE’s work in these areas and more, including its leadership in autonomous vehicle applied research.

—30—

 

About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

For more information, contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
647.880.6363
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca