Art lovers got a glimpse of Durham College’s (DC) most talented artists at the Third-Year Thesis and Grad Show, which took place at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery from April 14 to 26.

The third-year Fine Art Advanced students welcomed the public to see and experience the culmination of their year’s work during the exhibition, which included an artist talk and reception on Sunday, April 19.

“We are extremely proud of this group of graduating students. They have met and exceeded our expectations as artists, and they are very fine people too,” said Charlotte Hale, associate dean, School of Media, Art & Design. “Outstanding faculty and our continued partnership with the Robert McLaughlin and Whitby Station Galleries makes the Fine Art program an exceptional learning opportunity in Durham region.”

The exhibition allows students to experience what an art show is like in a gallery-setting. Works exhibited ranged from paintings and sculpture to art installations.

To learn more about the Fine Art Advanced program and others offered through the School of Media, Art & Design, visit our website.

 

Durham College (DC) would like to congratulate Anna De Grauwe, career advisor and part-time faculty member, who was recently named the recipient of a prestigious award honouring research in community college education.

De Grauwe will receive the Central Michigan University/Ontario College Administration Staff Association (CMU/OCASA) Award for Outstanding Research for her paper: College Faculty’s Perceptions of Career Information that was submitted as part of her Master’s Degree with CMU. The award-winning capstone paper focused on the formal and informal methods used by faculty to deliver career information to students outside of class, and analyzed how such efforts could be better supported.

The award, which recognizes the high quality research being conducted in Ontario by CMU graduates, will be presented at the Leaders & Innovators Conference on June 22 at the Kingbridge Conference Centre and Institute in King City, Ont.

In 2003, De Grauwe joined DC as a support staff member and has since moved into a career advisory role. She graduated from the Career and Work Counsellor program at Fleming College and holds an Honours BA in Sociology from Trent University.

This is not the first time a DC staff member has won this prestigious award. Past recipients have included Kara Woods, director, Strategic Enrolment Services in 2012 and Michelle Cole, manager, Program Development and Quality Initiatives, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2011.

Pam Stoneham, associate dean of the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Energy at Durham College (DC), delivered a TED talk at Sinclair Secondary School on Saturday, April 18.

The event featured four speakers including Stoneham, who spoke to the students about the importance of getting the full college experience and how improving study habits before college will help to achieve a fulfilling education and help with landing a successful career after graduation.

“I told the story of my educational journey which started when I was 18,” Stoneham said. “I became an Electrical Engineer, then about 25 years later I went back to school for a Bachelor of Education, and now I’m an associate dean at Durham College.”

TED is a non-profit organization that features experts, artists and performers, and gives them a platform to share their ideas, and TEDx is a way to extend that practice to smaller, more local events. The talk at Sinclair, TEDxSinclairDDSB, is part of the larger initiative that aims to share information, and they named the conference Off the Beaten Path as the speakers discussed unconventional paths to education.

“My message to the high school students was to view their post-secondary education as the beginning of their professional development and to start developing the behaviours they would want an employer to see in them,” Stoneham explained.

Before arriving at DC, Stoneham worked at General Motors (GM) for more than 16 years where she held multiple positions in the engineering sector, including a team member on the development of the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain. Stoneham then achieved her Bachelors of Education at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and soon after graduating from the program she began teaching at DC, and is now an associate dean.

The Centre for Success at Durham College (DC) provides additional support for high school students to help ensure they receive their credits while simultaneously offering unique college-based opportunities.

Centre for Success students are high school students who study at DC Monday to Thursday and earn college credits while finishing their high school diplomas. Students are admitted into the program on recommendation from their high school guidance counsellors and apply to college after they complete their diploma.

Amanda Moore, a student in the program, will be attending DC this September to study in the Paralegal program. Her goal is to succeed in the program and one day become a lawyer, but at first she didn’t think it could happen.

“Coming to DC through the Centre for Success was really eye-opening,” Moore said. “I never considered going to college until I came here to study high school courses.”

According to Gail MacKenzie, manager of strategic initiatives for the School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment, the Centre for Success is like a school within a school.

“We take 150 students per semester, and they come to DC every day as if it was their high school,” MacKenzie said.

The atmosphere and responsibility of going to college is one aspect which MacKenzie thinks helps students who are at risk of not graduating from high school to find motivation.

“We show them they can be successful in college, and it’s a real boost to their confidence and self-esteem,” MacKenzie said. “They’re treated like adults so they act like adults, and it’s a valuable experience.”

This sentiment is something Moore agrees with, she stressed that independence and understanding were key factors to her success at DC.

“The environment helps a lot,” said Moore. “You get used to the campus and the teachers. They know when to push you and when to leave you alone, and it gives you the experience to know what you’re getting into when coming to college.”

DC offers 10 different credits at both campuses including trades, general education, and business courses that double as college and high school credits. This helps students recover up to three credits that may have prevented them from graduating.

“It’s a really good program,” Moore said.

The Centre for Success is only one piece of DC’s School-College-Work Initiative. According to MacKenzie there are approximately 1,800 students getting dual credits at DC that come from all over the Region of Durham.

In March 2010, Leilani Morales, a teacher with Durham College’s (DC) School of Science & Engineering Technology, keyed two words into her computer: Volunteer Toronto. Through her search, she found Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training, an organization committed to assisting all persons of Aboriginal ancestry to attain a better quality of life. She was given the opportunity to tutor math in the organization’s new Ngindaasmin Academic Upgrading program, which provides assistance to individuals wanting to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma while allowing them to learn the history, treaties and traditions of the Anishnawbek. After her first four months in the program, four out of 10 Ngindaasmin students were accepted into university.

In November 2010, Morales was nominated by program co-ordinator, Carol White, for the first ever Volunteer Legacy Award. This prestigious award, organized by Volunteer Toronto, recognizes up to 25 people for their commitment to bettering the community through volunteerism.

More than four years after winning the award, Morales was asked to be part of the judging panel for the 2015 Volunteer Legacy Awards. She was required to review 40 outstanding volunteers based on set criteria. She spent three consecutive days pouring over the heartwarming stories before submitting her recommendations to Volunteer Toronto.

“The experience was humbling,” says Morales. “It deepened my perception of volunteerism. A volunteer is someone who is compassionate, selfless and committed to making a positive change. They see a need in their community and initiate a project to improve the lives of others, from helping grieving people recover, to giving the underprivileged an environment or experience they could never have.”

In her spare time, she is currently teaching math for another program through Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training. In this program, students can upgrade their basic math, measurement, trigonometry, geometry and applied algebra skills.

When she isn’t teaching, Morales spends time with her husband, a professor in DC’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services. Together they have two children. She also enjoys paper crafting, gardening and her new hobby, photography.

The recipients of this year’s Volunteer Legacy Awards will be announced during National Volunteer Week, which runs from Sunday, April 12 to Saturday, April 18. Morales was moved by the firsthand stories of volunteerism in the City of Toronto.

“Sharing this experience will hopefully inspire and promote volunteerism at DC and beyond,” says Morales. “On our campus, I believe that there are many staff and students who are eager to help give hope and comfort to those in need and celebrate with every positive change that comes along the way. They are ready to volunteer.”

Katriona Dean, a Durham College (DC) School of Media, Art & Design grad, shared her talent with the Town of Cobourg so others could share theirs. Dean painted two pianos that were placed in parks around town; one designed as a great horned owl, eyes fixed on you as you play, while the other was styled after a fox, with large ears and lovingly nicknamed Foxgang Amadeus after the famous classical pianist, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“Studying Graphic Design at DC really helped me tap into my creative potential and has opened a world of opportunities for me as a designer/artist,” Dean said. “I worked diligently as a design student to break down my own creative barriers, which in doing so has provided me with endless creative freedom.”

The two pianos are ranked first and third on Bored Panda’s list “Most Beautiful Outdoor Pianos You Can Play All Around the World” with Foxgang Amadeus sitting comfortably in first place.

“Knowing that the pianos would reside in a park setting I wanted to bring to life the Canadian aspect just as much as the natural aspect,” Dean explained. “The great–horned owl and the red fox are both representative of the beautiful Canadian wildlife that can be seen in parks right across the country.”

She says she was drawn to the idea of using a connection between music and art to help bridge gaps between strangers in the park who might stop to listen or play.

“It was important to me that the artwork draw passersby to really want to engage with the installation; I didn’t want anyone to feel that they could simply walk by without at least tapping a key or two,” Dean explained. “These artistic projects are organized with the sole purpose of inviting strangers to walk up to an instrument in the street to share their love of music. Absolutely anyone and everyone is invited to express themselves in some way, shape or form through this installation.”

The most important aspect of Dean’s art, according to her, is uniting people and making a difference. She tries to focus her art towards those goals, she says it’s the only time she feels a piece is truly complete.

Check out the piano in this short video.

It’s lights, camera and a lot of action for three students from the School of Media, Art & Design, who will spend a few weeks this summer assisting the CBC in their coverage of 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. 

Brittany Sprung, Khalila DeGrasse and Koree Wait, second-year students in Durham College’s (DC) Broadcasting for Contemporary Media program, were nominated by their professor and accepted as interns following an intensive interview process with the CBC. Only 30 paid mentorships are available to post-secondary broadcasting students across Canada.

“This opportunity is a testament to the hard work, dedication and talent shown by these students,” said Greg Murphy, dean, School of MAD. “We’re so proud they will represent the program and the college at the 2015 Pan Am Games and look forward to seeing their great work. Congratulations to Brittany, Khalila and Koree on this outstanding achievement.”
Their work at the international sporting event will consist of assisting camera crews at the competitions or working in the CBC’s broadcast control centre.

“At first I was shocked and couldn’t believe it, but it didn’t take me long to tell all my family and friends,” said Brittany Sprung, who will work in the CBC’s control centre. “I am so proud and excited to start my career at one of the largest multi-sport events happening in Canada, and of course, with the CBC who has a long-standing history of excellent broadcasting in Canada.”

The 2015 Pan Am Games runs from July 10 to 26 followed by the Parapan Am Games from August 7 to 15. The Region of Durham is hosting a number of the events that were spread across southern Ontario.

Congratulations to Durham College (DC) Music Business Management graduate, Kase de Jonge, on his 2014 Cyril Devereux Award from The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA).

The award, named in honour of CMRRA’s first general manager, has been given annually since 2001 to an employee who exhibits excellence in all aspects of her/his position including impeccable work quality and productivity, exemplary client service, professionalism and team spirit.

“The MBM program was fundamental in the success that I have achieved so far in my career,” said de Jonge. “The program covers so many aspects of the music industry that it truly prepares students for the ‘real world.’”

De Jonge, who graduated from DC in 2008, has worked with CMRRA since late 2009, when he was hired to be part of their major label licensing team. Since then, he has proven himself as an expert in royalty analysis and helps the company identify and release royalties owned to CMRRA clients.

Congratulations Kase!

From March 12 to 14, high school robotics teams from across Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and New York State descended on Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) Oshawa campus for the 2015 FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC) Greater Toronto East Regional competition. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The event, a last stop before the FRC World Championship taking place in St. Louis, Mo. in late April, was free to the public and saw more than 1,000 student participants compete on more than 45 teams, as they demonstrated their engineering skills and knowledge using the Recycle Rush^SM program.

The fierce three-day robotics showdown concluded with the alliance of team 2056 (Orchard Park Secondary School), team 2852 (Denis Morris Catholic High School) and team 3710 (Frontenac Secondary School) being crowned champions and earning a coveted spot at the world championship.

“At DC we celebrate the spirit of innovation fostered by these FIRST^® Robotics competitions and look forward to hosting this exciting event on our joint campus every year,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Competing in the FRC is a great way to prepare students for a post-secondary education in science and technology.”

Competing in head-to-head challenges, teams guided their robots through a recycling-themed game in an attempt to dispose the “litter” and collect as many points as possible during the two-minute-and-30-second match. Within the first 15 seconds, robots operated independently from their drivers to earn points by moving themselves. Competitors were also recognized for robot design excellence, sportsmanship and teamwork.

Competitors also had the opportunity to fine-tune their robots in the Durham College Machine Shop, where DC students and staff were on-hand to assist with the repairs.

“The teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves, their cheers definitely made that obvious,” said Nisarg Sanchela, co-chair for the Greater Toronto East Regional planning committee. “The event was a great success and we look forward for many more to come.”   

The full list of Greater Toronto East Regional winners and special award recipients can be found on the FRC website.

 FIRST^® Robotics Canada is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.

For more information about FRC, please visit http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/main/frc/.

The Engineering Quality Control Department (DEPT. 3822) in Plant 22 (Plt. 22) at Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) in Mississauga, has supported Durham College’s (DC) Mechanical Engineering Technician – Non-Destructive Evaluation program over the last seven years with its student internship program.

The partnership began about eight years ago, when David Craig, fellow inspection engineer and NDT manager, visited a lunch and learn at the college where he was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by students.

“The internship spawned from this initial interaction,” said Katy Zaidman, program co-ordinator for the Mechanical Engineering – Non-Destructive Evaluation program at DC. “As an advocate for the future NDT workforce, David and the Plt. 22 NDT department established year-long internships that allow students to experience first-hand the heightened technology demands of the aerospace industry.”

The partnership, which includes Plt. 22, DC and Mohawk College has benefitted 11 students to date.

“When Plt. 22 took over the placement program from its initial Montreal location, students gained technical knowledge while also getting the opportunity to process and inspect a wide variety of parts – from nuts and bolts to more critical aspects,” said Craig.

He added that over the years the program has evolved, and students now have the opportunity to work for a one-year term in Plt. 22, which aligns with the college curriculum.

“I am a different person today,” said Jenifer King an intern from DC. “At P&WC I have acquired knowledge of how to apply the theory learned in class to real inspection situations.”

She added that the internship is an invaluable opportunity to work with one of the most reputable companies in Canada and train with people who have decades of experience in NDT.

“The experience of learning and working with the P&WC NDT team will stay with me for a very long time,” said King.

“We would also like to recognize Karen Zwara, supervisor of Dept. 3822 as well as the Plt. 22 NDT team for their support of the program” said Craig. “In addition to mentoring and providing technical support to the students, Karen’s team participates in the interview and selection process with both DC and Mohawk College to ensure the internship is offered to suitable candidates.”

The process is now established and well positioned to continue offering NDT students much needed practical experience, hours and access to NDT lines, equipment and certified inspectors.

If you’re interested in DC’s Mechanical Engineering – Non-Destructive Evaluation program or any other programs the college has to offer, drop by our Open House on Saturday, March 21.