For the second consecutive year Durham College (DC) has been rated as one of the top 25 colleges in Canada for research income according to Research Infosource Inc.’s, ranking of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges, which was released today.

The ranking is a significant achievement for DC’s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI), which supports local businesses and industry by helping them solve their technical problems and become more competitive.

“We are very pleased and honoured to see Durham College’s achievements continue to be recognized on the list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director of ORSI. “We continue to look for opportunities to support small- and medium-sized companies with their research and innovation needs and to provide excellent opportunities for our students to experience real-world challenges.”

“Colleges and CEGEPs have a unique place in the country’s national system of innovation,” said Ron Freedman, chief executive officer of Research Infosource. “They differentiate themselves by concentrating on practical, applied research that is focused on the needs of local firms and organizations.”

For more information and a complete list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges please visit www.researchinfosource.com/top50_col.php

Durham College’s Centre for Food (CFF) has won second place in the prestigious Canadian Design-Build Institute (CDBI) Awards of Excellence, making it the second-best design-build project in all of Canada for 2014. The college received the award during the CDBI National Conference held in Victoria, British Columbia from October 15 to 17.

CDBI, the national voice of design-build practitioners in Canada, presents the awards annually to recognize excellence in Canada’s design-build industry and acknowledge design-build teams whose projects contribute to the growth and stature of the design-build profession.

Inspired by the college’s commitment to bring field-to-fork education and practice to the Durham Region, the vision brings locally-sourced, quality produce from field to table at  the 36,000-sq.-ft. CFF that officially opened in October 2013. Accommodating approximately 900 students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science and agriculture and horticulture programs, it houses Bistro ’67, a 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching-inspired restaurant and Pantry, a unique retail food store that brings student-created goods straight from the culinary classroom to the community.

The CFF was brought from concept to reality by a team that included DC; Garritano Bros Limited and Gow Hastings Architects.

“Durham College is honoured to be awarded second place in such a prestigious competition,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “From concept to execution, the CFF is a blend of creativity and innovation in both the design and build aspects of the facility. It truly demonstrates our vision of the field-to-fork concept in a post-secondary setting, as well as our efforts in sustainability and social responsibility.”

From both a construction and design perspective highlights of the CFF include:

• A main atrium that draws users into the heart of the building with a two-storey living wall, serving as a central meeting place and venue for events and celebrations.
• Interior windows that provide glimpses into the labs, encouraging exploration and establishing a dynamic energy within the building.
• Steel and glass foldable partitions on either side of the atrium that allow a wine tasting lab and bake lab the flexibility to open up onto the central atrium to accommodate larger events.
• An audio visual system inside Bistro’67 that allows  diners to see their food being prepared and fins in the exterior glazed wall  that provide seating niches within this double-height space.
• Kitchen labs that offer interactive teaching platforms to enable students to observe and practice their skills in real time and state-of-the-art systems and equipment that allow students to learn how to prepare all kinds of cuisine.
• Culinary labs that open up to the main atrium in order to serve large functions and display the activities within on a daily basis. This includes high-performance surface materials in working spaces including stainless steel, hygienic wall coverings, safety flooring and ceramic tile.

“Each year the Canadian Design-Build Institute recognizes the best design-build projects in all of Canada,” said Steve Garritano, vice-president, Sales, Garritano. “As the design-builder for Durham College’s Centre for Food, I find it to be an exceptional privilege and honour to have been considered amongst the best in all of Canada for this award.”

Project submissions were evaluated primarily on the success achieved in attaining the owner/user’s project goals, as well as their success in implementing design-build best practices, with special emphasis placed on the design team’s use of innovation. The term innovation included the use of new systems; methods and processes that were cost effective; speedy; and safe while using technology to execute projects. The design quality of each project was also reviewed with aesthetics, functionality and life cycle being key considerations. Award recipients demonstrate the highest standards and principles in the design-build industry and the business community in pursuit of excellence.

“We feel very privileged to be the recipients of a CDBI Award of Excellence for the Durham College Centre for Food,” said Philip Hastings, partner at Gow Hastings Architects. “It was a pleasure to work alongside Durham College and Garritano Brothers Ltd. to develop a new approach to culinary education and translate the process of making a meal from field-to-fork into a living and breathing building. We are excited to see this building merge and grow within the surrounding agricultural landscape and local economy and serve as a showcase for sustainable technologies and innovation.”

In addition to receiving the CDBI Award of Excellence, the college also launched Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign, in support of the CFF in August 2014. The campaign is designed to support the landscaping required at the centre including the planting of trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables and arboretum; the purchase of garden tools; a walking path; new soil; and more. To find out more, please visit http://fieldtofork.durhamcollege.ca.

Durham College (DC) in partnership with the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, in conjunction with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), are working with the Government Technical Institute (GTI), a vocational institute in Georgetown, Guyana that provides technical skills development in a number of disciplines, to help it develop a new Automotive Electronics Technician program.

Led by the International office at DC, facilitated by CICan and funded by the Canadian government through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), the project is a three-year endeavour worth $550,000. It is part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Employment for Education (EFE) program (C-EFE), part of CICan’s overall EFE initiative, a $20-million program sponsored by DFATD, which aims to ensure a network of Canadian colleges and institutes is able to contribute to the reduction of poverty in developing countries in an effective and sustainable way.

“Our involvement in this EFE project opens up numerous opportunities for Durham College faculty and staff to gain international experience and share their expertise with colleagues outside of Canada,” said Fiona Richards, executive director of International Education at Durham College. “It also provides the opportunity for the college to engage globally in areas where it has proven to be a leader regionally and among colleges across Canada.”

Working with faculty and administrators at GTI, the three institutions are working together to develop a program responsive to the needs of Guyana’s auto industry, which has seen a significant increase in the number of cars on the road with new electronic systems.

 “The implementation of an Automotive Electronics Technician program is a true partnership, aligning with the goals of the Government Technical Institute in Georgetown,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and chief executive officer of the CNA. “Our goal is to enhance the program offering capability of the Guyanese institute and utilize the diverse experiences of College of the North Atlantic, the Marine Institute and Durham College in program development and implementation to promote a skilled workforce for the country.” 

Upon completion, the program will be recognized by the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies, which co-ordinates technical and vocational education and training in the region. This means students who gain certification via the program in Guyana will have their credentials recognized across the Caribbean. In addition, the colleges will also work with Excelsior Community College in Kingston, Jamaica to share lessons learned and good practices.

To date there have been three inception trips to Guyana by DC administrators to establish the terms of the project and develop a project implementation plan. This includes the Guyana Industry Linkages Forum, which took place in Guyana on October 1 and saw C-EFE and Guyana’s Ministry of Education and Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training host industry leaders and educators as they discussed how Guyana’s technical institutes can best prepare graduates for employment. 

Durham College (DC) today announced the introduction of the new Fortus^® 360mc rapid prototyper that was recently installed inside the Integrated Manufacturing Centre (IMC) at the college’s Oshawa campus. The installation of the new machine is the result of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) $150,000 Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant that was awarded to the college in April via NSERC’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program.

Designed for users with demanding applications for high accuracy prototyping and direct digital manufacturing, the new equipment will offer the college access to a new way of providing applied research support to local businesses and industry while further anchoring its position at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing industry.

“We are very excited to offer this new technology to businesses in the community that would like to engage in applied research with Durham College,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI), DC. “In addition to offering a significant advantage in terms of quickly developing and refining prototypes at a low cost – allowing our industry partners to move into commercialization faster – our students will be given the opportunity to learn this cutting edge technology, an important skill they will take into the workplace upon graduation.”

Students studying in the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technician and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs will have the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience in rapid prototyping operations while working closely with industry during research projects. This will provide them with additional skill sets including creative designing, business process optimization and maximizing cost effectiveness.

Powered by Fused Deposition Modeling™ (FDM) technology, which is the industry’s leading additive manufacturing technology and the only one that uses production-grade thermoplastics enabling the most durable parts, the Fortus^® 360mc is the latest piece of equipment to be installed in the IMC, a world-class, industrial-grade, automated facility that houses major equipment for automatic identification (bar code and radio frequency), industrial networks, material handling and industrial robotics. Manufactured by Stratasys, the Fortus 360mc was acquired from industry partner Cimetrix Solutions.

The ARTI grant is designed to support the purchase of equipment and installations to foster and enhance the ability of colleges to undertake applied research, innovation and training in collaboration with local companies through NSERC’s CCI Program, which supports applied research that facilitates commercialization, as well as technology transfer, adaptation and adoption of new technologies.

ORSI provides an important link to the community through its support and advancement of institutional effectiveness and contribution to the economic performance of the region, using a collaborative culture of engagement that is student-centred and community-focused. ORSI is comprised of three teams – Applied Research; Institutional Research and Planning; and Program Development and Quality Assurance.

NSERC is a Canadian government agency that provides grants for research in the natural sciences and engineering. The council promotes discovery by funding research conducted by post-secondary professors and students and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research and training. 

With headquarters in Oshawa, Ont., Cimetrix has been helping commercial and academic clients for more than 20 years and is recognized as an authority in the field of additive manufacturing applications. Cimetrix will continue to play a key role in the implementation of the new equipment at the IMC, with ongoing education and support to researchers.

Durham College (DC) and WindReach Farm (WindReach) have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will see them work together to provide students with opportunities to work directly in the fields at WindReach, allowing them to develop their food production skills via the planting of crops to be harvested for use at the college’s Centre for Food (CFF).

In addition, the MOU will see both institutions work collaboratively on the development and delivery of educational curricula for students enrolled in the college’s Horticulture – Food and Farming program, housed under the School of Science & Engineering Technology (SET); the expansion of WindReach’s current educational programs; and the enhancement of community awareness and interactions for both organizations through the agricultural development of an acre of the WindReach Farm property for food planting purposes. This includes a strong focus on the local food movement through the planting and growing of beets, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, sunflowers, Swiss chard, fennel and more that has been underway at the farm since May.

Once harvested, the produce is being used at the college’s CFF and Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired green-certified restaurant housed at the CFF. The new building, which opened to students in fall 2013, is supported by ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy and focused on the field-to-fork concept, which is based on the harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of food – in particular the production of local food for local consumers.

As part of the agreement, WindReach is providing professional expertise, in-field growing space and access to field equipment, facilities and storage with the college providing faculty and lab field technologist expertise to support the program and guide students through the planting process.

“Our agreement with WindReach is providing Durham College students with the chance to develop their food production skills in a safe and inspiring environment, enhancing their learning and supporting the vision and values of both WindReach and Durham College,” said Susan Todd, dean of SET. “This opportunity for our students to gain hands-on training in a wide variety of areas related to plant propagation and fruit and vegetable production is a true reflection of the college’s commitment to bring field-to-fork to Durham Region while offering the best possible learning opportunities to our students.

“This agreement with Durham College is a stellar example of both organizations’ commitment to true partnership and collaboration. In addition to the meaningful and relevant training the students are receiving while here, they are also able to see the importance of community agencies and supporting the work they do,” said Kate Bird, chief executive officer of WindReach Farm. “In addition, the more than 20,000 visitors who attend the farm each year will be able to learn about the most current trends and research when it comes to agri-food education; especially at a time when the appetite for local and healthy food is at an all-time high. We are delighted to be working with Durham College on this project and are looking forward to a long-term and mutually beneficial partnership.”

As part of its commitment to field-to-fork, the college also recently launched Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign to support the landscaping required at the CFF including the planting of trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables and arboretum; the purchase of garden tools; a walking path; new soil; and more.

Durham College (DC) announced today that construction on the first-ever greenhouse at its Centre for Food (CFF), a new learning facility created in direct response to the demand of the local culinary, hospitality, tourism, agriculture and horticulture sectors, has begun. This build marks a significant milestone in the college’s commitment to field to fork, which is the vision of bringing locally sourced, quality produce from field to table.

Being built for use by students in the college’s horticulture programs, the greenhouse is designed to accommodate multi-laboratory classes and provide students with a better understanding of the full potential of growing plants and produce all year long.

A major donation by the Alger family contributed immensely to the remarkable learning centre becoming a reality. DC President Don Lovisa, and the entire college community, is very grateful to the Alger family for its continued stalwart support of opportunity, accessibility and excellence to the benefit of DC students who primarily live in Durham Region.

Part of the college’s ongoing landscaping at the CFF, the greenhouse is located to the south of the 36,000-sq.-ft. CFF and will accommodate students studying in both the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture – Technician programs.

The two-year Horticulture – Food and Farming program offers students a hands-on opportunity to become familiar with the concepts of food production including plant propagation; soil and plant nutrition; fruit and vegetable production under field, greenhouse, garden and container conditions; food and agriculture regulations; and more. The two-year Horticulture Technician program focuses on the art, science and business of horticulture with students studying arboriculture; aspects of growing plants outdoors, indoors and in a greenhouse environment; landscape construction and design fundamentals; nursery management; and more

“The construction of the greenhouse at the CFF symbolizes an exciting new phase of learning for our horticulture students here at the Whitby campus,” said Susan Todd, dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology. “In addition to the theory of horticulture learned in the classroom, the new greenhouse will provide students with a unique opportunity to gain a hands-on understanding of greenhouse design, required control measures, energy consumption and how to work in a controlled environment in both operational and plant production modes.”

The CFF, which opened to students in September 2013, houses both Bistro ’67, a teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a unique retail store that brings student-created goods straight from the culinary classroom to the community. The greenhouses will be used to grow vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers for use by the college’s culinary students at both locations, helping the college solidify its commitment to the field-to-fork concept, which is based on the harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of food – in particular the production of local food for local consumers, a concept that has been adopted and applied to a diverse range of programs.

The comprehensive development of the CFF vision, such as the addition of the greenhouse, is continually underway and includes extensive landscaping of the grounds surrounding the building. This will strengthen the link between the college and the community and provide students with an outdoor extension to the indoor classroom, connecting them to sustainable practices; enriching their curriculum; and enhancing their environmental consciousness.

Future expansion plans at the CFF include agricultural fields, a pollinator garden, an arboretum and much more.

Durham College (DC) played host to the Ontario Simulation Network (SIM-one) on June 17 when the organization hosted a workshop titled PSW & Simulation Regional Workshop: Unlocking the Potential of Simulation at Living Lab 2 at the Whitby campus.

SIM-one, an active supporter of the college’s Personal Support Worker (PSW) program, offered the workshop to Durham College faculty and staff and other interprofessional health-care providers in Durham Region who interact with seniors and PSWs. Aimed at improving access to training, it focused on how PSWs can assist seniors aging at home using the latest simulation equipment.

“We were thrilled when SIM-one approached us with the idea of Durham College hosting this workshop,” said Deborah Schuh, program co-ordinator, PSW program. “It provided an opportunity to showcase the successes within our PSW program and was a great way to promote interprofessional collaboration between faculty from our PSW, Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant and paramedic programs. In addition, it helped to increase awareness of the important role a PSW plays as a valued member of the health-care team who promotes and maintains quality of life for our seniors.”

With DC faculty members Deborah Schuh, Kevin Griffith and Laura Maybury from the School of Health & Community Services and Marie McEwan, the Clinical Simulation Program Advisor for Durham College/UOIT, assisting with the activities, the goal of the workshop was to improve the understanding, attitudes and skills needed for the effective use of simulation techniques by the participants.  

DC’s Living Lab 2 was donated to the college in January 2011 by Durham Custom Homes. A 1940s-built home with low ceilings, narrow hallways and smaller room sizes, it provides a realistic depiction of the current living environments of many seniors and is an ideal learning environment for students. In March 2013, the college received $46,500 in funding from SIM-one and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Seniors Care Strategy to purchase PSW-specific simulation equipment for installation in the home.

“Living Lab 2, or the PSW Senior’s House as we call it, has been a buzz since SIM-one was provided an update on how it is enhancing student learning,” added Schuh. “It is equipped with both high- and low-fidelity simulators with funds received from SIM-one and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Seniors Care Strategy and I am pleased to say that the simulators have been incorporated into an innovative and unique senior’s home care community simulation experience for more than 70 recent PSW student grads.”

Durham College (DC) announced recently its intent to partner with IFTech, an Oshawa-based start-up company specializing in wearable technology. The college’s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI), with support from DC faculty researchers and staff, will be working with IFTech on an applied research project designed to support the company’s growth and expansion into the wearable technology marketplace. A grant application for the project is currently being finalized with the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

In particular, the college will be assisting IFTech with bringing its flagship invention, As Real As It Gets (ARAIG), to a manufacture-ready, commercial product. A multi-sensory stimulation device, ARAIG is a wearable suit that immerses individuals into the reality of a gaming world by stimulating the senses with localized directional feedback. Providing physics to the body, it leaves the mobility of the user unfettered and provides a new level of immersion in terms of how games and virtual simulations are experienced.

“ORSI, along with our faculty and staff, is excited to work with IFTech on bringing such a unique technology product to market,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSI. “This project will provide a wonderful opportunity for our students, faculty and staff to pursue applied research in an area that is both new to the college and the current consumer marketplace including the chance for them to gain significant on-the-job research and work experience.”

A 3D-scale model of the ARAIG titled Legion One Exoskeleton, created in collaboration with Cimetrix Solutions Inc. an Oshawa-based company that specializes in providing professional grade 3D printing solutions, will be revealed on Tuesday, May 13 inside the Spark Zone at the OCE Discovery event. The event, which is taking place in Toronto on Monday, May 12 and May 13, will mark the first time IFTech has publicly shown the design. Attendees will have an opportunity to speak directly with Brodie and Michael Stanfield, co-founders and co-chief executive officers of IFTech and co-creators of ARAIG, and provide feedback. 

“IFTech sees this as the beginning of a relationship that will continue for many years to come,” said Brodie Stanfield. “We see Durham College being involved in many current and future projects and are excited to be partnering with some of the brightest minds in Durham Region in order to rapidly move forward on our research and development.”  

In addition to its new relationship with the college, IFTech has also been working directly with innovation experts from Spark Centre over the last year to advance its commercialization plans. 

“IFTech and its flagship product ARAIG will revolutionize a video gamer’s experience,” said Dennis Croft, executive director, Spark Centre. “Durham College’s deep expertise in applied research will greatly advance the timeline for a commercial-ready, high-quality product for IFTech.” 

Durham College faculty, staff, student researchers, industry collaborators and other guests joined the college’s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI) on Thursday, May 1 for the fourth-annual Research Day on campus.

Designed to provide a first-hand look at the innovative applied research projects the college currently has underway, the event highlighted research in the areas of engineering technology, education, gaming, information technology, social innovation and agriculture.

With the college recently receiving funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada that will see ORSI develop new agricultural research projects that will assist local growers in tackling challenges related to pest management, crop integration and plant propagation, the event will feature a keynote presentation by Jim Sheehan, president, Durham Foods, who will discuss why the need to improve processes, create new systems and ultimately invest in research and development has never been so critical to small- and medium sized businesses.

“Since its inception, ORSI has created a strong applied research agenda for Durham College,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSI. “An agenda designed to respond to the significant business and industry need for practical solutions through applied research and innovation activities while remaining focused on providing unique and real-world experiences to students.”

The college also celebrated the success of ORSI; recognized all student and faculty researchers and its Research Advisory Committee and Research Ethics Board; and honoured the top student and faculty researchers of the academic year.

Philip Jarvis from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, was named the Top Faculty Researcher for 2013-2014 with Stephen Forbes from the School of Business, IT & Management, coming in second and Anna Rodrigues from the School of Media, Art & Design, finishing third.

In addition, Ryan King, a third-year Electronics Engineering Technology program student was named as the winner of the Top Student Researcher Award.

Steven Ruttle, a third-year student in the Electronics Engineering Technology program was named as the second place winner and Kenneth Gardner, a second-year Electronics Engineering Technology program student, finished third.

Providing an important link to the community through its support and advancement of institutional effectiveness and contribution to the economic performance of the region, ORSI offers a collaborative culture of engagement that is student-centered and community-focused.