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DC welcomes future students at Spring Open House

On March 24, Durham College (DC) opened its doors to prospective students and their families at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site for the college’s annual Spring Open House.

The event gave more than 3,000 students and guests the opportunity to explore DC’s extensive facilities, take guided tours, check out support services, including Financial Aid and Awards and the Access and Support Centre, and learn more about the college’s more than 140 full-time programs and hundreds of continuing education offerings.

DC president Don Lovisa, current students, alumni, faculty and staff were all on hand to connect with community members and share their first-hand knowledge and experience related to all things DC.

The college also leveraged social media to provide those who couldn’t make it in person with a window into on-campus activities. A VIP information session about DC’s new Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management program was livestreamed (a recording is still available) as were campus and residence tours.

Anyone who missed the Spring Open House can still learn more about all that DC has to offer. Campus tours and information sessions can be scheduled online, via email or by calling 905.721.3000.

DC will hold its Fall Open House on Saturday, November 10.

Durham College mourns the loss of Roger Anderson

Durham College (DC) is deeply saddened by the passing of Durham Regional Chair Roger Anderson.

A long-time advocate for post-secondary education and a benefactor of the college, Chairman Anderson made a profound impact on students through his charitable initiative, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic golf tournament, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017 and reached a milestone of more than $6 million raised to support local youth.

“Roger and his family are in the thoughts of the Durham College community across the region and well beyond,” said DC president Don Lovisa. “Each year, through Roger’s generosity, the college bestows more than 100 awards, totaling $2.5 million, to students who might otherwise not have the means to pursue a post-secondary education. He recognized the connection between such opportunity and the pride and prosperity of Durham Region and hoped beneficiaries would go on to offer other students a hand up in their own way. This is the spirit in which we will carry forward Roger’s legacy.”

Chairman Anderson was Durham’s longest-serving regional chair and was the first person to be directly elected into the role in 2014. Prior to his terms as regional chair, he served as a constable on the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) from 1978 to 1988 and as a broker with a local real estate business. He also served as regional councillor and deputy mayor for the Town of Ajax from 1991 to 1997.

He was chair of the Durham Region Transit Commission since its inception on January 1, 2006, and served several terms as chair of the DRPS Board. He was active in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) for 25 years, including a two-year term as president.

In honour of Roger’s life, the college’s flags will be lowered on the day of his funeral, Thursday, March 29.

Students prepare for convocation during Countdown to Grad

On March 20, 22 and 23, Durham College’s (DC) spring and fall 2018 graduating students learned everything they need to know about convocation during Countdown to Grad.

Held at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site, the annual event gave students who attended the opportunity to learn about alumni benefits, career development services and convocation details, while also enjoying a free slice of pizza and receiving a gift from event sponsor, the Alumni Association.

For more information about DC’s spring 2018 convocation ceremonies, please visit the Spring Convocation page.

DC congratulates research partner Partake Brewing for Dragons’ Den success

Durham College (DC) is proudly congratulating research partner Partake Brewing (Partake) for successfully securing a deal for its non-alcoholic craft beer, during the March 15 episode of CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den.

Company Founder Ted Fleming stepped into the den with his brew in-hand, ready to offer samples to convince the dragons to invest in his business – a locally made, non-alcoholic craft beer that brings all the things that make craft beer great to non-alcoholic beer drinkers including taste, variety, authenticity, creativity, and passion.

One of the first partners to work with DC’s Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation at the Whitby campus, Partake secured a deal with dragon Manjit Minhas for $300,000 for 50 per cent of his company after she praised the IPA she sampled for having just the right bitterness along with beautiful body and colour.

Fleming started the company after being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which meant he had to eliminate alcohol from his diet. It was good for his health but he missed beer and while there were non-alcoholic options available, the quality and variety were just not the same as their alcoholic counterparts so it became his mission to remedy the situation. Partake was the end result.

The company’s collaboration with DC and its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) began in October 2016. Funded through a $25,000 Engage grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and using its brew lab and line, ORSIE researchers worked with the company to develop Partake’s IPA recipe, the same beer sampled in the den – a made-in-Canada craft brew that has low or no alcoholic content yet retains a true beer taste.

Plans are in place for Partake and the CCBI to continue their collaboration as new recipes and styles of non-alcoholic beer are developed.

For more information about Partake, visit https://www.drinkpartake.com.

For more information about the DC Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/ccbi.

Journalism at DC honoured by Ontario Community Newspapers Association

The Chronicle, Durham College’s (DC) newspaper and website produced by students and faculty in the Journalism – Mass Media program, has been recognized for its quality work by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) in the 2017 Better Newspapers Competition.

DC graduate Toby Van Weston is one of three finalists in the Student Feature Writing category for a story he wrote about water issues on Scugog Island.

The paper’s website is also a finalist in the Best College or University Newspaper Website category. Most recently, the Chronicle finished second in the 2016 General Excellence Awards.

Additionally, DC alumnus Travis Fortnum, who now works at CP24 in Toronto, received honourable mentions in the Student Feature Writing and Student News Writing categories.

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.

Winners will be announced at an awards gala on Friday, April 20, in Richmond Hill.

The Chronicle and DC’s Journalism – Mass Media program have been fixtures at the college for more than 40 years.

DC receives $14.7 million in funding to combat climate change

Durham College (DC) announced today that it has received $14.7 million in funding from the provincial government through the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program, including $9.1 million to fund the new Simcoe Geothermal Field project at the Oshawa campus. DC is using $1.45 million to complete upgrades of existing facilities, including the installation of high-efficiency HVAC systems, new and upgraded building automation systems and LED lighting and $4.1 million will take the form of an eligible interest-free loan, uses for which are still to be explored.

The announcement was made by Granville Anderson, MPP (Durham), on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) at an event held at the college this afternoon.

Launched by MAESD as part of Ontario’s five-year Climate Change Action Plan 2016-2020, the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program aims to support projects that demonstrate innovative plans and approaches to increase campus sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also supporting other institutional and Strategic Mandate Agreement priorities.

The Simcoe Geothermal Field project is part of a multi-year initiative at DC’s Oshawa campus to create a net-zero carbon footprint in existing campus buildings by using reclaimed land to install a geothermal field, new central plant and piping network.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I extend my sincere thanks to the provincial government for this significant investment in our vision for a campus that makes a direct positive impact on the health and future of both the environment and our students,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Today’s announcement of the Simcoe Geothermal Field project is the latest example of our commitment and action to support sustainable and environmentally responsible practices across all aspects of our operations.”

In addition to the environmental benefits that the geothermal energy system will yield, the project will also provide significant new experiential learning opportunities for DC students. The geothermal field and new heat pump plant will become a living lab that will be incorporated into a wide variety of program curricula to address new green-energy technologies and careers.

“Durham College is a leader of technology and innovation in Durham, so it’s important that we ensure institutions like this are equipped with the most up-to-date, efficient, and environmentally friendly infrastructure,” said MPP Anderson. “I’m delighted that funding from the Climate Change Action Plan is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on our campuses, thus creating a better learning environment for our students.”

“DC is already widely recognized for our excellence in advancing environmental sustainability through our programs, services and facilities,” added President Lovisa. “We are one of Canada’s Greenest Employers and a proud recipient of a silver rating from the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Now, thanks to innovative projects and planning such as the Simcoe Geothermal Field project, our reputation and leadership in this area will only continue to grow and strengthen.”

Women in skilled trades DC talk gender parity

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. The event featured guest speaker Stephanie Smith, plant manager at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Pickering, and focused on gender parity at OPG and the employment opportunities available to women within skilled trades.

OPG has made gender parity a key organizational goal in connection with the trades that account for a significant portion of their workforce. Smith shared her own experiences working with the trades and the direction in which OPG is headed. She was joined by guest journeywomen women Melissa Damiani and Judy Bartley, also with OPG, who discussed their experiences as tradespersons and answered questions from attendees.

Damiani, an instrumentation technician and electrician, is the first female section manager in the Maintenance department at OPG. Bartley is a first line manager for Civil Maintenance, Deep Clean, Painters and Dosimetry Handling. She is also the Durham Region representative for Women in Nuclear Canada, an organization dedicated to promoting the role of women in the Canadian nuclear and radiation related industries.

WISTDC is dedicated to creating opportunities for female students in DC’s skilled trades programs at the Whitby campus to connect and network with other women working in skilled trades as well as each other. 

The first WISTDC event was held in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and encouraged students and DC employees to volunteer at an Oshawa build site. It was an incredible opportunity for students in the skilled trades to practice their craft within the community.

For the latest related news and event information, follow @WISTDC on Twitter.

DC students wow at Teaching City Hackathon

A team of Durham College (DC) students captured an impressive second-place finish in the first-ever Teaching City Hackathon on March 3. A total of 10 teams of Oshawa post-secondary students went head-to-head on International Open Data Day for their chance to win $1,500 by proposing a solution to a public policy challenge around the theme of improving residential rental housing in Oshawa.

Members of the DC team known as P.A.M. received a $750 prize for their solution of a website that focused on the inclusivity of the most marginalized Oshawa populations. Each of the competition’s top three teams will now work with the Hackathon Steering Committee, Spark Centre and local entrepreneurs to review opportunities for their proposed solutions to be refined and developed into a potential commercial product, a process which could be explored through partnerships and further research and exploration by students and faculty in their institutions.

“The Teaching City Hackathon not only provided fresh ideas and new approaches to residential rental housing in Oshawa, but also an enriched educational experience,” said Oshawa Mayor John Henry. “I am constantly amazed by the brilliant minds that call Oshawa home. Giving opportunities to young people will change the world, and this is a great example.”

“I was very impressed by the students’ ability to address the challenge from a number of different angles, the creativity of their solutions to the challenge and their presentation skills,” said Janse Tolmie, chief information officer and associate vice-president, Information Technology, DC.

The Hackathon was the second project of Teaching City, a formal collaboration between the City of Oshawa, Canadian Urban Institute, DC, Trent University Durham GTA, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and University of Toronto Department of Civil Engineering. Teaching City aims to establish Oshawa as a city focused on experiential learning, applied research and innovative teaching partnerships to address urban issues.

Learn more about Teaching City and its upcoming initiatives on the Teaching City web page.

 

DC launches dedicated app for prospective international students

Durham College (DC) International is making sure the international student experience comes first with the launch of a pioneering mobile application for those looking to study in Canada. The Durham Assist app is a one-stop shop for students, providing all the information they need to know about studying in Canada and at DC.

Developed in partnership with Canadian developer Maple Assist Inc. and three other Canadian colleges, the Durham Assist app is currently being piloted with potential and new students coming from India. The application provides international students with relevant, comprehensive information about studying in Canada and the DC student experience specifically. 

The app is designed to streamline communication between the college and international students, simplify the application and study permit process, ensure students are better prepared for the cultural and academic transition to Canada and support transportation and arrival planning and services.

Sponsors of the project include Air Canada, Scotiabank and India-based HDFC Bank. These and other sponsors have committed to providing student users with special offers for items such as flights, bank fees, exchange rates and arrival packages that include bedding and other early arrival needs.

Students in India can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.  Once the pilot is complete, the app will be made available more broadly.

DC’s international team opted for a mobile application to improve student service based on the ever-increasing prevalence of smartphones around the world. Based on the success of the pilot project in India, the college will look at expanding the app to other countries with students looking to pursue post-secondary education in Canada.

As of January 2018, DC is home to more than 1,445 international students, representing 61 countries from around the world.

DC hosts FIRST® Robotics Competition and offers students glimpse of college life

While competing in the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) Ontario District Durham College (DC) event on March 3 and 4, high school students from across the province also got a first look at where they could be headed next while visiting the college’s Oshawa campus.

For the fourth year in a row, DC hosted more than 1,000 of the province’s brightest young minds, along with their mentors, family, friends and fellow robot enthusiasts, at the annual event. Competitors demonstrated their technological and engineering skills and knowledge as they operated five-feet-tall, 140-pound robots they had designed and built in only six weeks.

Teams competed in this year’s intensive arcade-themed game, FIRST® POWER UPSM. Robot fans enjoyed watching teams play the game that saw them trapped in an 8bit-video-game world and use power cubes to defeat the game’s boss.

During the competition’s opening ceremony both DC president Don Lovisa and FIRST® alum/DC Mechanical Engineering Technology student Donald Bark encouraged the crowd to take advantage of their time at the college to explore the campus. In particular, FIRST® competitors were directed to the Integrated Manufacturing Centre, where robot repairs and tune ups were being offered by DC faculty and students using the facility’s industrial-grade equipment.

After two days of intensive battles, organized with the help of numerous, dedicated volunteers, the following teams comprising the Red Alliance were declared district champions:

  • Team 610 – Crescent School Coyotes, North York
  • Team 4476 – W.A.F.F.L.E.S Community Robotics, Kingston
  • Team 6110 – Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School Doc Botics, Ajax

Students had a lot of fun while gaining real-world engineering experience, developing leadership skills and learning to work as a team under pressure and tight timelines.

Winners of the DC event now move on to the FIRST® Ontario Provincial Championship at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, April 12 to 14, where they will compete for a spot at the World Championships that will be held in Detroit, Michigan, from April 25 to 28.

Learn more about FRC.