Durham College (DC) welcomed a new cohort of first-year domestic and international students to campus last week for the fall semester through a mix of virtual and in-person Orientation activities to kick off the 2021-2022 academic year.

Designed to help new students transition to college, Orientation is a time-honoured tradition that provides the opportunity for first-years to meet staff and faculty, explore student services, get to know the college’s Oshawa and Whitby campuses, and learn more about program expectations, all while developing new friendships.

Festivities began with an in-person Campus Kit pick-up event, where students could take a campus tour, enjoy a refreshing treat, meet members of the Durham College Student Association (DCSA), and attend an in-person Ask a Student, or parent and family session. It was followed by virtual Orientation for International students and online program welcome sessions with faculty and school leadership teams.

Later in the week, DC celebrated the fall semester through a number of exciting social events to help students meet new friends, discover opportunities to get involved on campus, and make the most of their time at DC. Events included the First Day of School Smudge and Prayer, an International Student Social, DCSA Picnic Party, DC’s Price is Right Challenge, Virtual Deal or No Deal, DCSA Movie Night, Virtual Pride Collective Trivia Night, Yoga on the Lawn, the Get Involved and Service Fair, and more.

Closing out Orientation on September 15, all new and returning students were invited to show their DC pride at the 2021 Campus Cup, an annual exhibition soccer match between DC and its campus partner, Ontario Tech University.

With great participation in the various virtual and in-person sessions and activities, Orientation 2021 was an exciting start to a new academic year.

On August 31 Durham College (DC) more than 480 employees gathered virtually for Academic Kickoff 2021. Led by Executive Vice President, Academic, Dr. Elaine Popp, this annual event offers an opportunity for colleagues to come together for engaging discussions and presentations in anticipation of the coming school year.

The program included presentations from colleagues about successes and lessons learned during the past year, and how their efforts supported the goals of DC’s Academic Plan. Student shout outs to faculty were also shared. The event culminated with a keynote address from Ajay Agrawal, who is founder of the Creative Destruction Lab, as well as the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) from an economics perspective, Agrawal delved into its role in prediction and how it can be applied in a variety of settings, including the classroom. He also explored how AI is becoming more accessible and less costly, making it easier to solve today’s challenges with greater accuracy and success.

Following the keynote presentation, DC’s chief administrative officer, Dr. Scott Blakey, announced this year’s nominees for the Employee Awards of Excellence. Presented each year to one employee in the administrative, support staff and faculty groups, the awards recognize their outstanding contributions to the college and broader community. This year there is also the addition of a new category to recognize the contributions of teams or departments from throughout the college. All the winners will be announced in mid-September.

With the majority of classes starting on Wednesday, September 8, the entire DC community is well prepared and looking forward to another year of leading the way in teaching and learning.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to share both its 2020-2021 Annual Report and 2021-2022 Business Plan.

“In looking back at the year that’s been, while also mapping out our objectives and goals for the current year, we’ve had the opportunity to see the college’s mission – Together we’re leading the way – truly come to life,” said Don Lovisa, president. “Working, teaching and learning during a global pandemic has presented us with challenges. Despite the uncertainty we’ve faced, DC’s Annual Report shares incredible stories of adaptability and innovation, while the Business Plan capitalizes on all we’ve achieved during the past year, to help drive our success and chart our course for the future.”

Both documents can be viewed online in interactive and PDF formats.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that, in recognition of their outstanding career success related to their college experience and the significant contributions they have made to their community, five alumnae – Caroline Wright, Tamara Dus, Judy Pal, Tamara Green and Ellen Campbell – have been nominated for the 2021 Premier’s Awards.

The Premier’s Awards honour the important social and economic contribution that college graduates make to Ontario and throughout the world. The awards were launched in 1992 and are administered by Colleges Ontario. Presented annually, the Premier’s Awards recognize graduates in the following seven categories – Apprenticeship, Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate, and Technology.

“We are DC proud of our five outstanding alumnae and their nominations for this prestigious award,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Their accomplishments and the impact they make in their sector and communities is proof that a college education lays a strong foundation for incredible and uniquely rewarding careers. Good luck to our nominees!”

DC’s nominees include:

Caroline Wright – Sports Business Management, 1996

Caroline Wright has spent the past two decades supporting the success of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), one of the largest and most diverse sports and entertainment portfolios in North America. As the senior director of Operations and general manager for MLSE Facilities, she manages all MLSE venues, including Scotiabank Arena, BMO Field, Coca-Cola Coliseum, and more. She has been recognized with multiple awards from the NHL, NBA and MLB for leading business results, and in 2018, was presented with an MVP Award for leading the building conversion of the Air Canada Centre to Scotiabank Arena. Most recently she was recognized by Sports Business Journal. Wright is nominated for a Premier’s Award in the Business category.

Tamara Dus – Registered Nursing, 1993

A registered nurse and the director of Health Service, Occupational Health and Wellness for the University Health Network (UHN), Tamara Dus leads COVID-19 employee response, addressing frontline worker burn-out and stress from the pandemic. She also co-leads the provincial pilot vaccination roll-out to support Ontario’s immunization strategy for vaccine clinics. Dus was instrumental in establishing the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Ontario, and in December 2020, administered the first five doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the province. She has been recognized as the Most Influential Woman in Emergency & Critical Care Solutions in Ontario by Acquisition International. Dus is nominated for a Premier’s Award in the Health Sciences category.

Judy Pal – Sports and Entertainment Administration, 1983

Judy Pal is a sought-after consultant who has worked with international police agencies in Canada, Chile and Trinidad and held numerous communications and administration leadership roles across police organizations in North America. She is credited with re-tooling the image of the largest police department in Atlantic Canada and has conducted image and media training for more than 200 commanders with the NYPD and thousands of law enforcement professionals. She is also a regular contributing trainer at FBI Regional Command Colleges across the U.S. and has taught and spoken at events across North America, Australia, Uruguay and the Philippines. Pal is nominated for a Premier’s Award in the Community Services category.

Tamara Green – Culinary Management, 2017 and Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts, 2018

The founder of the personal chef company Indigenesis, Tamara Green provides Indigenous ingredient-based catering inspired by the Great Lakes region and surrounding Indigenous nations. She prepares items with historical ingredients used prior to Canada’s colonization, avoiding the flora, fauna and animals that were introduced to the area by settlers. Through Indigenesis, as well as her participation in local events like Ontario Culture Days, Green provides opportunities to learn history through food while honouring Indigenous culture and cuisine. Green’s recipes have been published online and in print, and featured in the Fall 2020 edition of Grapevine Magazine. Green is nominated for a Premier’s Award in the Recent Graduate category.

Ellen Campbell – Water Quality Technician, 2013

Ellen Campbell’s passion for clean water has allowed her to nurture an incredible career. She is a senior operator and mechanic with the Ontario Clean Water Agency and member of the agency’s Executive Leadership Committee, as well as the marketing manager for the Ontario Association of Sewage Industry Services. Outside of work, Campbell has sat on the Walkerton Clean Water Centre’s Board of Directors and is the founder of Rain It In, a national non-profit and annual competition that challenges post-secondary students to create innovative solutions to mitigate the impacts of intense rainfall events and floods. Campbell is nominated for a Premier’s Award in the Technology category.

This year’s Premier’s Award winners will be announced in November. For more information, please visit www.co-awards.org.

Although participants didn’t come together on the golf course this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, Roger Anderson’s legacy continued with the 2021 Virtual Regional Chair’s Classic silent auction.

Thanks to the generous donations from our sponsors, donors and proceeds from the auction, over $150,000 was raised in support of students in financial need at Durham College and Ontario Tech University, as well as programs at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.

In total more than $6.9 million has been raised since the tournament’s inception.

“I want to thank the local community for their support of the students and youth in Durham Region,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for The Regional Municipality of Durham. “Although this year’s Regional Chair’s Classic was different than in the past, the results and impact will continue to make a difference in the lives of many.”

Don Lovisa, president, Durham College; Karim Mamdani, president and CEO, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences; Dr. Steven Murphy, president, Ontario Tech University were on hand for the cheque presentation, also offering their gratitude on behalf of their respective institutions.

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is pleased to announce that small – and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area will have enhanced access to support from its Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, thanks to two separate grants, totalling more than $2.788 million.

Grant one: College and Community Innovation Grant

The first is a $2-million College and Community Innovation Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Provided over the course of five years, the funds will play an integral role in the Centre’s ability to scale up its applied research activities to meet and address the demand for its services from SMEs.

“We are incredibly grateful to be receiving this grant,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “Given the growth SMEs are experiencing within the economic heart of Ontario, we know there is an urgent need to improve these businesses’ cybersecurity capabilities. However, the current capacity of the Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation could not meet this demand. Thanks to the additional funding we will now be able to provide dedicated faculty research time and resources to address the cybersecurity skills gap by training students and transferring knowledge to our immediate partners and the broader community.”

With the help of expert researchers, student talent and technology partnerships, the Centre will help SMEs develop and integrate cyber defense technologies and increase their cybersecurity awareness by undertaking applied research that falls under two themes –developing cybersecurity products and services with cybersecurity companies, and reducing the risks of cyberthreats to companies with critical infrastructure and operations. This will ultimately increase consumer confidence in the digital economy, promote international standardization, and better position Canada’s SMEs to compete globally.

Grant two: College Industry Innovation Fund Grant

The second is a College Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) grant for a total of $788,509. Awarded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, these funds will be used to enhance the research capacity of DC’s Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation by bolstering its infrastructure.

“Given increasing cybersecurity demands from small- to medium-sized business (SMEs), combined with an accelerated digital transformation, and the number of people now working remotely, it’s more important than ever for SMEs to protect their information systems,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “This generous CIIF grant will play an integral role in helping the Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation meet our clients’ needs.”

Thanks to the Centre’s enhancements, including purchasing new technology and software, adding technical personnel and building capacity for more equipment to effectively manage the increased power and security firewall demands, faculty and student researchers will be able to develop cybersecurity products and services and reduce the risks of cyberthreats to companies with critical infrastructure and operations.

Established in 2020, the Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation was launched as part of a plan to increase cybersecurity applied research capacity at DC. To learn more visit www.durhamcollege.ca/CentreforCybersecurityInnovation.

The Durham College (DC) Board of Governors (BOG) is pleased to announce Kristi Honey as the new board chair and Gary Rose as vice-chair, respectively, effective Thursday, July 1, 2021.  The appointments are for a one-year term.

As chair of the BOG, Kristi brings over 20 years of private and public executive leadership experience to the role, including starting a global consultancy that grew to a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and was recognized by Microsoft as a top 5 per cent global partner. 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. In addition to her diploma, Kristi also holds a Bachelor of Management and Masters of Business Administration degree.  An active community volunteer, Kristi is a champion of human rights and environmental causes having been recognized for her efforts by Women of Influence’s Global Series as one of Canada’s leading women driving equality, diversity, and inclusion nationally and internationally.

As vice-chair of the BOG, Gary brings more than 30 years of progressive experience at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in corporate finance and project planning and execution.  Gary is currently a vice-president within OPG’s Enterprise Projects Organization on the Darlington Refurbishment project and is supporting planning of OPG’s new nuclear Small Modular Reactor at Darlington.   For eight years, Gary served as a trustee on the Whitby Public Library Board and during this tenure, served on all committees and held the position of Vice-Chair and Chair of the Board.  Gary is a Chartered Professional Accountant, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and holds a Project Management Professional certification.

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

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