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Science Rendezvous 2015 proves to be a fun-filled day of discovery

Families throughout Durham Region and beyond discovered just how exciting science can be as Durham College (DC) and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) co-hosted Science Rendezvous on May 9.

From university labs to shopping malls and farmers’ markets to hospitals, science champions gathered at dozens of venues across the country to share their passion for science and technology, and encourage public understanding and interest in this dynamic field.

With nearly 650 attendees at Science Rendezvous in Oshawa, the day proved to be an engaging, informative and a fun-filled adventure into the impact that science and technology has on our everyday lives – from candy and cookies to bugs and bones.

More than 60 activities were spread across DC and UOIT’s shared campus in Oshawa, providing something to pique everyone’s interest. Some highlights included; extracting actual DNA from a strawberry, which participants even got to take home; building a balloon dragster while learning about Newton’s law of motion; launching bottle rockets using only air and water; making ice cream out of liquid nitrogen; integrating science with art in a colour symphony; and a tour of ACE, a performance testing facility featuring one of the largest and most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels on the planet.

The grand finale was a spirited game of Science Jeopardy that tested the knowledge participants had gained throughout the day by visiting the different exhibits.

“Science Rendezvous is a wonderful event that brings science to life for even the youngest of curious minds,” said Susan Todd, dean, School of Science, Engineering & Technology at DC. “We all have an intuitive sense of the role science plays in our lives, but don’t always realize how fun it can be to learn its many functions. This event makes science accessible to everyone and provides an exciting hands-on experience that also engages the imagination and showcases the endless possibilities in this exciting field.”

“It was a remarkable day”, said Dr. Greg Crawford, dean, UOIT Faculty of Science. “Kids, parents and grandparents wandered among the various displays, seeing, smelling, touching, and playing with a wide range of activities, and learning a little science and how the world works along the way. We are grateful to the many UOIT and DC faculty, staff, students and alumni that helped make this possible.” 

Check out the Science Rendezvous gallery for photos.

Durham College Ensures Access to College for Strike-Affected Students

Durham College (DC) will accept grade 12 mid-term grades as final grades for students applying to the fall 2015 semester from any school board impacted by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) work stoppage.

“Our primary mandate as a college is access for students,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “At Durham College the student experience comes first and we remain committed to students’ success by putting plans in place to support affected students’ academic needs during these unique circumstances.”

In order to be eligible for consideration, students must have completed their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) prior to starting classes in the fall, and meet the entrance requirements for any program they have applied to. The current deadline for confirmation of all entry requirements is August 22. Should the strike go past the deadline for the school boards to issue the OSSD’s, refunds will be offered to any applicant who has already paid their $500 deposit.

“We understand that students’ in the affected boards feel uncertain about their post-secondary future,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice-president, Student Affairs. “The leadership team at Durham College is doing everything we can to reassure them that, should all necessary requirements be met, we will accept them with open arms based on their mid-term grades.”

Regular updates will be posted on www.durhamcollege.ca, and all current DC applicants will be contacted directly in an effort to keep future students and their families informed as the situation progresses. Students or parents/guardians who have further concerns are invited to contact the college at 905.721.3000.

More information about the strike is available on the DDSB website.

More options to study abroad for DC students

Durham College (DC) students will soon have the option to study in India.

A new window for DC has been opened as it announces the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with India’s National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), to provide education and hands-on training in the automotive and agricultural sectors.

The signing was one of 10 MOU’s announced recently by Colleges and Institutes of Canada (CICan) and the offered programs will be branded by CICan, NSDC and participating Indian partners.

DC president Don Lovisa applauds Indian Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in upgrading the skills of India’s workforce. The agreement partners Canadian colleges with an institution in India to develop a joint venture arrangement for skills training geared towards students studying in applicable sectors.

“Our automotive programs offered at our Whitby campus and the agricultural work we’re currently undertaking at DC’s Centre for Food (CFF) are helping prepare our students for the demands of a complex and changing world,” said Lovisa. “This is a very exciting development for the college.”

Recently, Dr. Satender Arya, CEO of the Indian Agricultural Sector Skills Council, visited DC’s CFF. The visit has not only allowed him to view DC’s developments in agriculture and see the college’s programming in action, but has allowed for more developing partnerships abroad to position DC as an international presence.

Although the MOU with DC is currently signed only for the automotive and agriculture sectors, the college is also preparing to work in India in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field, which could be added to the NSDC framework in the near future.

Durham College students receive appreciation for playing it safe

Durham College (DC) was recognized on Wednesday, May 6 by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada for its unique approach to emergency preparedness.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Emergency Preparedness Week, which this year runs from May 3 to 9, a group of students in the Interactive Design and Media program collaborated with OFMEM to create a series of videos and posters to promote emergency preparedness in Ontario.  

Students were required to create 60 to 90 second videos for families and seniors that stressed the importance of being prepared for situations such as emergency preparedness on campus, stovetop safety, emergency preparedness for pet owners, electrical blackouts, storms, floods and public alerting – just to name a few. The criteria was set by OFMEM, and students had to work with them to develop a process from feasibility study to the end product.

“This recognition will motivate and build the students’ confidence for their future careers,” said Linda Cheng, professor, School of Media Art & Design at DC. “It taught them to listen attentively, understand the needs of a client, come up with a plan, form a team, establish a timeline and deliver a final product.”

The partnership initiated in 2012 when Jude Kelly, Communications and Public Education, OFMEM, worked with Cheng and her students, to create a game day program for the Juno Hoops charity basketball event. Kelly was impressed by the students’ talent and proposed a collaboration.

“The project was so successful that I approached Ms. Cheng immediately afterward to see if she would be interested in working together on another project,” said Kelly. “She liked the concept and slotted it into her curriculum.”

After two successful collaborations in 2014 and 2015, the partnership has proven to be an excellent resource for OFMEM and valuable experience for students.

“I strongly believe in practicing what we learn in the classroom as it pertains to industry,” said Cheng. “This recognition validates our curriculum and our students’ talent and professionalism, and we will certainly continue to build on this collaboration and expand into more industries.”

This project also included students from DC’s Contemporary Web Design program, who created mock web pages on emergency preparedness. Successful entries were posted on the OFMEM website and YouTube channel, and promoted via Twitter and Facebook.

DC faculty member’s unconventional teaching methods wins award

Congratulations to Durham College’s (DC) Dr. Lynne Kennette, Professor of Psychology, School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services, who will receive the Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award – an award given to people who teach at the two-year college level.

The award will be presented at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) Convention held in Toronto this August. Criteria included the use of innovative teaching methods, developing interest and awareness of psychology, and developing a professional identity off campus.

“I am so grateful to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology for recognizing my teaching efforts with the Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award,” said Kennette.

Kennette’s teaching methods may be unconventional, using TV programs like Big Bang theory and Family Guy to better relate psychological concepts to her students; however, it’s this unconventional method that engages her students and drives their interest in psychology.

“Teaching well requires a lot of planning, and it can be a very challenging profession at times, but I love it,” she explained. “I have so much fun designing learning activities for my students. Witnessing their ‘aha moments’ when the concepts we discuss in class come to life in classroom experiments or demonstrations makes all the planning and hours of preparation worth it.”

Kennette is DC’s only full-time psychology instructor, but her work in mentoring students has encouraged some to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the university level. She also shares her lessons with, and helps guide, part-time staff on campus to provide the best psychology education the college can offer even though it’s a general education course rather than a dedicated program.

But what means the most to Kennette is being a professor that students are genuinely excited to see on and off campus. She has also made such a difference in the lives of her students, that she often sees their friends sign up for her class in following years.

The award process consisted of a self-nomination form and letters of support required from students, faculty and peers.

“It is truly humbling to have my peers, who are typically previous award recipients, review my application materials and deem me worthy of such an honour,” she said.

The award comes with a plaque and $1,500 as well as a mention in the fall issue of one of the APA’s journals, Teaching of Psychology.

Durham College hosts fifth-annual Research Day

On Thursday, April 30, Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) hosted its fifth-annual Research Day at the college’s Oshawa campus. Staff members from ORSIE were joined by the DC Leadership Team, student and faculty researchers and community and business partners to share the importance of research on campus and highlight the applied research and innovation projects currently underway.

The day focused on areas significant to the local and provincial economies and highlighted the agriculture, health care, gaming and wearable technology sectors. Diverse breakout sessions were held throughout the morning and Courtney Cole, founder and CEO of ForAHealthyMe Inc. delivered the keynote address about the convergence of economics, aging, demographics and the role of technology in the delivery of healthcare. DC’s rapid prototyper was also demonstrated for those in attendance.

“Over the past five years the college’s research agenda has advanced significantly thanks to the creativity and expertise of our faculty, staff and students,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic. “Under the leadership of ORSIE many unique applied research projects have been supported, helping us all prosper through innovation.”

Since launching five years ago, ORSIE has made incredible strides in the pursuit of the college’s applied research agenda by responding to business and industry needs for practical solutions through applied research and innovation activities, while providing real-world experiences for students. As part of DC’s research agenda ORSIE has entered into several agreements with local small and medium-sized businesses in the environmental, energy, social sciences and humanities fields, developing strategic research plans, forming an ethics board and receiving significant research funding from several government agencies. 

“There is an incredible commitment to research that runs through every level of the organization and applies to faculty, staff and students alike,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “The work ORSIE has undertaken to drive the research agenda forward in the pursuit of research excellence, is something to be shared and celebrated. Research Day gives us an opportunity to do just that.”

Research Day concluded by honouring both student and faculty researchers for their contribution to applied research projects on campus.

The following students received awards:

  • Third place went to Alfred Massardo, a second-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst program.
  • Second place winners included Steven Murray, a third-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst Program, and Kenneth Gardner, a third-year student in Electronics Engineering Technology Program.
  • Draven Majoor, a third-year student in the Electronics Engineering Technology program, was awarded as top student researcher.

The following faculty members received awards:

  • The third place recipient was Kay Corbier from the School of Health & Community Services.
  • Second place went to Lauren Fuentes from the School of Science Engineering & Technology.
  • Andrew Mayne from the School of Business IT & Management was awarded as the top faculty researcher.

ORSIE will continue to be instrumental in ensuring academic quality and building successful partnerships. A broad range of research and scholarly initiatives will continue to be supported for the benefit of faculty, students, industry and the community. More information about ORSIE’s research areas and projects can be found here.

Campus Nurses Lead the Way

Teresa Engelage and Lindsey Thomas, nurses at Durham College’s Campus Health Centre are now chair and co-chair of the Ontario Campus Health Nursing Association (OCHNA), a newly-created Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) special interest group. OCHNA represents nurses who work in post-secondary institutions all over Ontario with a goal of working with other RNAO groups to spread knowledge as well as discuss issues concerning campus health, policies and nursing.

“We know how a student’s health often affects their academics and we support and counsel our students with mental health needs,” Engelage said. “We can speak out and advocate for our consumer population as well as our members to address emerging issues that impact health on our campuses.”

Building momentum for the group took about a year and contacting more than 40 campuses across Ontario. The group garnered enough interest to become a Provincial Special Interest Group in March, 2015.

“I am very proud to be able to have a strong lead in this movement,” Thomas said. “There is a lot of positive work that we see coming from our vision, and I am excited to help lead the way in accomplishing what we are setting out to do. It is demonstrating the strong leadership that comes from Durham College’s nursing staff as well as our passion to achieve the best care for our student populations.”

Working with students on campus to help develop services concerning both physical and mental health as well as providing students with tools to help prevent and treat disease is an important aspect of their work, however they are also developing a voice for nurses who work on school campuses across the province.

“Our executive has decided as a group to start writing a proposal to the RNAO executive group to lobby the provincial government about the importance of student health on campuses,” Engelage said.

This ability to advocate is a key factor for colleges and universities since it allows campus nurses to promote students and their health issues and requirements to the provincial government.

“It’s important to let the government know about the important work that goes on at this level,” Engelage explained. “We teach young adults about their health, how to make healthy choices in life; educate them early about physical and mental health; work to keep students healthy and in school; and graduate to become a functioning, resilient and healthy adult in society.”

DC’s artists on display at RMG

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.

 

DC staff member to be recognized with prestigious research award

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.

Update for DDSB applicants

Mid-term marks have now been sent

As you know, all secondary schools in the Durham District School Board (DDSB) are currently closed due to a teachers’ strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) – Durham. Schools will remain closed until the DDSB advises otherwise.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to advise that mid-term marks from the DDSB have now been submitted to the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS).

“Our goal is to ensure that applications continue to flow through the process so that all applicants receive the same opportunity for fair consideration to their post-secondary program,” said Paul Bishop, executive director, Strategic Enrolment Services at Durham College. “We are pleased that these grades have now been sent to the application centre despite the work stoppage.”

Regular updates will continue to be posted on www.durhamcollege.ca, and emails will be sent to applicants in an effort to keep future students and their families informed as the situation progresses. Students or parents/guardians who have further concerns are invited to contact the college at 905.721.3000.

More information about the strike is available on the DDSB website.

DC working to ensure potential OSSTF strike doesn’t affect applicants

Friday, April 17, 2015

Durham College (DC) is aware of the potential strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in Durham Region, and every effort is being made to ensure applications continue through the process unaffected.

The college is sensitive to concerns that mid-term marks may be delayed in the event of a strike, which may affect students who received conditional offers. While it is still early to speculate on the potential impact, DC wants to assure students and their families that it is working at a provincial level with the Ministry of Education and Colleges Ontario to develop a contingency plan that will allow students to complete the application process.

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) anticipates that mid-term marks will be submitted in advance of the proposed strike date and mid-term report cards mailed home.

“The student experience comes first at Durham College, and that commitment includes the application process,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We recognize this is an anxious time for students who are completing their high school education and preparing for college. With this in mind we are working diligently to ensure that a potential work stoppage doesn’t create any unnecessary complications for students as they pursue their dreams to attend college.”

DC will continue to update applicants in an effort to keep future students and their families informed as the situation progresses. Students or parents/guardians who have further concerns are invited to contact the college at 905.721.3000 or please check the DC website for regular updates.

More information about the proposed strike is available on the DDSB website.