Political parties urged to enrich Ontario by strengthening college education Posted on May 11, 2018 at 1:17 pm. New measures to enhance career-specific degree programs at colleges, strengthen mental health supports for students and transform apprenticeship training are among the priorities for Ontario’s colleges in the upcoming provincial election. “Students in Durham Region and across Ontario deserve the best college education they can get,” said Don Lovisa, president Durham College (DC). “We know that by calling for, and actioning these new measures, we will find more opportunities to help our students be successful and ensure they continue to find meaningful work upon graduation.” The 24 colleges officially launched their election platform today. The platform, Enriching Ontario, highlights four priority areas that will ensure greater numbers of students acquire the professional and technical expertise that leads to successful careers. DC strongly supports the priority areas identified in the platform. The colleges are calling for the provincial parties to enrich the opportunities for students by committing to the following: Revitalize college programs. Provide colleges with the ability to quickly design and implement leading-edge programs, including the expansion of career-specific degree programs. With the launch of the new Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management degree and six additional new programs in September 2018, DC continues to focus on meeting the evolving needs of employers and industry professionals. Strengthen mental health services. Commit to a whole-of-community approach to mental health that strengthens the supports and services available to post-secondary students. DC currently provides an assortment of support services for students including: Aboriginal Student Centre; Access & Support Centre; Coaching; Outreach Services; Student Academic Learning Services; and the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion & Transitions. The community-of-whole approach will strengthen the services already provided by the college to ensure that all students who need support receive the support they require to be successful. Produce more apprentices. Create a simplified, one-window application process to apprenticeship programs by expanding the college system’s provincial application service. On March 5 Women in Skilled Trades Durham College (WISTDC) hosted a networking event for female students studying in the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology. WISTDC is dedicated to creating opportunities for female students in DC’s skilled trades programs to connect and network with other women working in skilled trades. There are growing career opportunities for skilled trades and we need a different approach to ensure students and employers needs are met. Invest in student success. Commit to the long-term sustainability of college education and fund the expansion of science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs by 30 per cent over four years. DC recently celebrated student success through the annual Celebrate STEAM exhibition that took place on April 18 where students displayed more than 25 applied research projects, including projects in artificial intelligence, exploring student achievements in STEAM. Participating students gained real-world professional experience by solving industry and social challenges through applied research, innovation and collaboration to address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy. Colleges have the capacity to contribute much more to science, technology and trades and only require the supports to expand. More than 240,000 full-time students and about 300,000 part-time students are enrolled in the 900 programs at Ontario’s colleges, in programs ranging from business, paramedicine, advertising, engineering, aviation, machining and animation to game development, biotechnology and 3D manufacturing. Colleges serve a diverse range of students, including university and college graduates in post-graduate programs. The number of university graduates enrolled in colleges has increased by about 40 per cent over the past five years and more than 83 per cent of college graduates find employment within six months of graduation. “College education ensures people entering the workforce are job-ready. Our graduates have the skills and qualifications they need to be successful,” said Lovisa. “This election provides a tremendous opportunity to ensure college education remains at the forefront of new innovations and a rapidly evolving economy.” DC contributing to the development of transformative automotive technologies Posted on May 4, 2018 at 4:02 pm. As part of its ongoing efforts to develop multi-community partnerships that support the local and provincial economy through applied research, Durham College (DC) has been named as a partner in the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) project in this week’s announcement from Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). The college will be a collaborator in the Regional Technology Development Site (RTDS) located in Durham Region. With six sites established as part of the project, DC will contribute by helping to support and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop, prototype, test and validate new technologies, access specialized equipment, and obtain technical and business advice in developing transformative automotive technologies. DC’s role will be to focus on the human machine interface (HMI) and user experience by providing technology companies access to faculty expertise, student talent and state-of-the-art research facilities, thus helping them develop autonomous vehicle capabilities in a safe and controlled environment. In partnership with the province, OCE is administering an investment of up to $5 million over five years to Durham Region’s RTDS. “We are thrilled about this opportunity to continue our engagement with industry and community organizations in a new and exciting way,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, DC. “We look forward to using that expertise to support the goals of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network.” The college’s ongoing experience in machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, means it is well equipped to assist in the development of in-car services unique to autonomous vehicles. This could range from developing multimodal data displays containing details about how the car is performing and reminding owners about maintenance schedules, to providing immediate, real-time information about the objects, buildings, signs and traffic patterns along the route. This multi-community partnership builds on the well-established relationship DC already has with OCE. As one of the college’s primary funders for applied research, OCE is a trusted partner of government in program delivery. The organization has worked with DC to support projects including IFTech Inventing Future Technology Inc. and multiple initiatives focusing on research into how “narrow AI” can help the productivity and growth of SMEs. Funded by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, the Ministry of Economic Development and Growth and the Ministry of Transportation, AVIN brings together industry, academia and government to capitalize on the economic opportunities of connected and autonomous vehicles, while supporting the province’s transportation systems and infrastructure in adapting to these emerging technologies. DC is looking forward to working with Spark Centre (part of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), UOIT’s Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the Region of Durham. DC hosts eighth annual Research Day Posted on May 4, 2018 at 1:56 pm. It was a morning of information sharing and celebrating applied research as Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted its eighth annual Research Day at the college’s Oshawa campus on May 3. This dynamic showcase of DC faculty, student researchers and industry partners introduced participants to the college’s newest research centres: the AI Hub and the Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, while also highlighting applied research projects currently underway in areas of significance to the local and provincial economies. Graham Binks, CEO of primeFusion Inc., was on hand to provide the keynote address, discussing how innovation takes flight when it is turned into action. He shared examples and techniques for collaboration between researchers and business leaders, so they can identify and achieve the most valuable results. The event also featured a demonstration of the artificial-intelligence enabled home health care solution from ORSIE industry partner iCare Home Health Services, called Health Espresso, which is the first of its kind in the world. As one of the first partners to collaborate with the college’s AI Hub, and with the support of a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, DC and iCare have been collaborating to bring advanced AI features to Health Espresso, which is a global tracking device for distant healthcare delivery. The event concluded with an awards presentation announcing the winners of the 3MARC and AI Entrepreneurship challenges, which took place earlier in the morning, as well as the Researcher Award of Excellence. 3MARC is a three-minute applied research communication challenge where students who are engaged in applied research competed by delivering a compelling presentation about their research work. They had to consolidate their research and research outcomes concisely for a non-specialist audience to demonstrate their ability to communicate the importance of their research project and articulate their findings. In first place was Justin Waltenbury, a second-year student in the Computer Programmer In second place, Matthew Wierzbicki, a third-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst In third place was Nicholas Carpenter, also a third-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst program. The AI entrepreneurship challenge is a pitch contest designed to highlight the power of AI in unique and innovative business applications. Entrepreneurially minded students presented their ideas to a panel of expert judges and competed for the cash prize we are about to award, as well as support from the FastStart team. In first place was Sylvia Raposo, a second-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst program. In second place, Julie Doucet, a first-year student in the Entrepreneurship and Small Business – Business In third place was Gregory Barnes, a second-year student in the Electromechanical Engineering Technology This is also the first year the Researcher Award of Excellence was given out, in recognition of an outstanding employee who contributes to the college’s culture of research. Nominations were so strong, two recipients ended up being selected for 2017-2018. Congratulations to Dr. Michael Williams-Bell from the School of Health & Community Services and Dr. Lynne Kennette from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, on your achievement. Durham College upgrades its sport facilities with artificial turf Posted on May 3, 2018 at 11:48 am. Durham College (DC) will score a winning goal when FIFA-certified artificial turf is installed at Vaso’s Field, offering an improved playing surface for varsity and intramural sports leagues and community recreation groups using the multi-sport facility. Scheduled for installation this fall, the leading-edge infill artificial turf is the first of its kind to be installed at a post-secondary school in Canada. The renovation will also include new energy-efficient LED stadium lighting, eight change rooms, varsity team rooms, a press box with television broadcasting capabilities, a VIP viewing box and bleachers that will accommodate up to 500 fans. All the upgrades will allow the campus to accommodate more major provincial and national events, even in the rain. This project is coordinated by the DC Athletics department in conjunction with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Durham College Students Inc. and the UOIT Student Union. Vaso’s Field is named in honour of Vaso Vujanovic, a legendary soccer coach who led the Durham Lords to multiple provincial championships. The Lords are a member of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Gold and Silver for DC at 2018 CICan Awards of Excellence Posted on May 2, 2018 at 9:38 am. Durham College (DC) is proud to share that it has received two CICan Awards of Excellence in recognition of best practices from institutions across the country, as well as individual leadership and achievements, from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Presented during the association’s annual conference on April 30 in Victoria, B.C., Naqi Hyder, a second-year Paralegal student and officer and transitional manager with Durham College Students Inc. (DCSI), was recognized with the gold award for Leadership Excellence for Students. Amit Maraj, a professor with the School of Business, IT & Management, and principal investigator for numerous applied research projects, received the silver award for Leadership Excellence for Faculty. Naqi has always been community focused, and after coming to DC, he put his efforts towards helping students access and enjoy the best college experience possible. As a first-year student, he began working as a peer coach with the Access and Support Centre, where he assisted students to help them achieve their personal and academic goals. After seeing the difference he was making, and feeling confident in his ability to maintain his academics while working on campus, Naqi started looking for his next challenge. He was chosen to be part of the team of three that was tasked with developing the new student government to represent college students. The result is the DCSI, a service-based association that puts students’ needs at the forefront, and provides quality campus engagement for every student. A natural-born leader, Amit is at the forefront of technological advancement at DC, with a specific focus on artificial intelligence (AI). He has a proven record of accomplishment of teaching and research achievements unmatched by most so early in their post-secondary career. Extremely passionate about exposing students to emerging technologies in a hands-on learning environment, Amit has developed innovative workshops and boot camps to encourage students to gain knowledge and fundamental technology skills – with a specific focus on AI concepts – outside of the classroom setting. While providing guidance and mentorship to students in the Computer Programmer Analyst program, he continues to pursue his personal post-secondary goals, and will graduate with a Master of Computer Science from UOIT in spring 2018. Congratulations Naqi and Amit on your well-deserved awards. Durham College is hiring! Posted on May 1, 2018 at 10:49 am. Following its recent announcement of a $913.3 million economic impact to the region, Durham College (DC) is once again boosting the local economy by hiring 46 employees in faculty, administrative, support and corporate training services positions for the 2018-2019 academic year. Given the latest Bank of Montreal labour trends report that ranked Oshawa first in Ontario and third in Canada in an analysis of the best Canadian cities to find employment, DC is hoping to attract top talent to join its already strong team, which currently sits at more than 2,436 full-time and contract employees. “All our employees play a vital role in helping DC achieve its mission that the student experience comes first,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We’re looking forward to welcoming these hires to our Oshawa and Whitby campuses and learning site in Pickering to help the college continue offering top-quality, experiential education.” One of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the college is also one of the top 50 research colleges in Canada. Employees enjoy extensive benefits and opportunities for growth and development while helping foster student success. For more information about the upcoming opportunities and to learn why DC is a great place to work visit www.durhamcollege.ca. DC journalism wins big at Better Newspapers Competition Posted on April 27, 2018 at 10:24 am. The Journalism – Mass Media program at Durham College (DC) enjoyed a successful evening on April 20 at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s (OCNA) Better Newspapers Competition, taking home first place honours in both categories where the work of students and faculty was nominated. The Chronicle website won for Best College/University Newspaper Website and 2017 graduate Toby Van Weston won for Student Feature Writing for his two-page story on the water quality issues on Scugog Island. In the judge’s remarks, Van Weston was commended for taking a national-scale story and bringing it to a local level. The Chronicle website was praised for its ease of navigation and for ensuring students are well-informed about campus events and happenings in the surrounding community. The Better Newspaper Competition is sponsored by the OCNA, a non-profit industry association focused on helping community newspapers prosper by promoting and enhancing the image of the industry among readers. Awards are handed out annually in April and recognize the previous year’s work. Congratulations to all of the students and faculty involved. 2017 Leave for Change participants complete their mandates Posted on April 26, 2018 at 3:38 pm. Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome back three of its employees who were selected by Uniterra to represent the college as part of the Leave for Change program. The first Leave for Change participants to represent the college overseas turned their vacations into short-term leaves to share their unique skills and experience to assist with projects in developing countries. The employees were: Dale Burt, professor, Mediation-Alternative Dispute Resolution Graduate Certificate program, School of Justice & Emergency Services. Dale worked within the School of Economics at Danang University in Danang, Vietnam, as a teaching methodology advisor for the month of July, 2017. Using interactive teaching approaches, Dale created and shared tools to assist in designing more modern and dynamic teaching plans. Cosette Kazarian, intranet specialist, Communications and Marketing. Cosette travelled to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in mid-January, for four weeks, where she worked with the University of Vocational Technology. During her time away, Cosette helped review their website, create a social media strategy, and created and updated marketing materials. Kim Sharpe, program assistant, School of Continuing Education. Kim travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal, in June, 2017 where she worked with the National Youth Federation of Nepal to train their members. She was the first participant in the role and made a significant impact by sharing her experience and education with participants. The agreement between DC and Uniterra allows DC employees to transform vacation time into professional and personal development opportunities. Employees enjoy three to four weeks in developing countries, where they participate in work mandates in their respective fields. During their time abroad, participants contribute their skills and expertise to a development project, paired with professionals from non-governmental organizations in their host countries. DC is pleased to continue the partnership with Uniterra in 2018 and this year’s participants will be announced shortly. DC joins innovative, creative influencers at Terroir Symposium Posted on April 26, 2018 at 8:59 am. On April 23, DC joined a celebration of global hospitality and tourism at the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s 2018 Terroir Symposium. Anna Mae Crespo, Pantry technician at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF), collaborated with the Art Gallery of Ontario’s executive chef, Renée Bellefeuille, to cater the event’s opening breakfast titled, A Taste of Durham Region. Sponsored by the Region of Durham, the meal featured ingredients cultivated in DC’s backyard, including Kendal Hills Game Farm chicken and waffles with candied peameal bacon and Purple Woods maple syrup, Bistro ’67 granola and Cross Wind Farm goat yoghourt parfait, and an action station sponsored by the Egg Farmers of Canada featuring breakfast carbonara with B’67 bacon and CFF professor Chef Dave Hawey’s Champlain cheese grated on top. The next day, Bistro ’67 sous chef Peter Stewart assisted several Feast On chefs at a rural retreat at Burning Kiln Winery in Fort Erie that included media and event sponsors in attendance. DC’s Epic Mac ‘n’ Cheese Competition returns for its fourth year Posted on April 25, 2018 at 3:32 pm. On April 21, Durham College (DC) welcomed 11 teams of Grade 11 and 12 students to the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) and challenged them to put their culinary skills and original recipes to the test at the fourth annual Epic Mac ‘n’ Cheese Competition. Organized by students in DC’s Special Events Management program, the event provided a unique hands-on learning opportunity for food-focused high school students, giving them a chance to compete for a bursary towards studying in a culinary, hospitality or special events program at DC. Winning teams also received prizes donated by local restaurants and industry partners such as kitchen tools and gift certificates from Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill. After watching the live-cooking action, guests were invited to sample the entrants’ recipes and vote for their favourite. First-place honours went to Taryn Moore and Ryan Bellingham of Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute in Peterborough and O’Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Oshawa, respectively. Second place was awarded to Tasha Webbe and Bailey Lavallee of Henry Street High School in Whitby and third place went to Linda Prenaj from Archbishop Dennis O’Connor Catholic High School in Ajax. While the competition was heating up, guests also had the opportunity to shop local at a number of student-designed-and-run pop-up shops onsite. Goods for sale included an assortment of sweet and savoury treats created by students in DC’s Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts graduate certificate program, flowers grown by Horticulture – Food and Farming students and charcuterie and cheese made by Culinary Management students. The pop-up shops marked the culmination of students’ capstone projects, which challenge students to apply all of the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired through their studies to exploring and solving a chosen real-world problem or business challenge. This year’s event also featured the welcome addition of kid-friendly activities designed by DC students to help keep even the smallest foodies entertained. Thanks to all of the event’s sponsors – Canada Cutlery Inc., Gordon Food Service, Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill, Selbie Produce, Sysco Canada and The Butcher Shoppe – and congratulations to all of the competitors, winners and pop-up shop entrepreneurs! « 1 … 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 … 165 »