Info for
Quick links
Download our Mobile app
Icon for Apple. App Store Icon for Android. Google Play

DC grads talk careers and life after college at Alumni in the Pit

From life as a Toronto marketing executive to telling the city’s stories on the radio and from a career in the NHL to running three successful businesses, two Durham College (DC) graduates returned to campus on February 6 to share stories about their careers and life after graduation during the annual Alumni in the Pit event.

This year’s event featured Manjula Selvarajah, a 2014 grad of the college’s Journalism – Print and Broadcast program (now known as Journalism – Mass Media), and Brandon Nolan, a 2013 Business Administration – Marketing grad (now Marketing – Business Administration), who offered insights into how they’ve achieved success to the students and employees in attendance.

Manjula Selvarajah:

Now a Toronto-based freelance journalist and occasional on-air technology columnist and producer for CBC Radio, including the popular radio show Metro Morning, Selvarajah left her career as a marketing executive and headed back to school after being inspired by a story she heard on the news about Tamil refugees arriving in Canada. Driven by a desire to tell real stories that would not necessarily be told by mainstream media, she urged students in the audience to treat each day in class as if it is already their job and emphasized the importance of doing amazing work, regardless of whether it’s your dream role or not.

She also credits her DC professors and the field placement she completed as part of her program with preparing her for her current role. It’s a job that has taken her to the front lines of reporting the news and has given her the opportunity to give back, including co-founding the non-profit organization Tamil Women Rising.

Brandon Nolan:

Nolan has enjoyed a diverse career both on and off the ice. A proud Ojibway from the Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario, he grew up spending the winter months playing hockey on an outdoor rink, beginning his love for the game and eventually earning him a spot with the pros. After a stint in the Ontario Hockey League, he enjoyed a five-year professional hockey career that took him all over the world before being cut short by a serious concussion suffered while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes.

After recognizing a college education would give him the skills he needed to succeed in his post-hockey career, he headed back to school. Upon completing his studies, Nolan began down the path that now sees him running successful businesses with his father and brother, including 3N Clothing Apparel and the 3|NOLANS First Nation Hockey School, as well as the Ted Nolan Foundation, which supports and encourages Aboriginal youth to pursue academic growth for a better future.

He shared his story of graduating from DC and taking jobs that, though not ideal, were integral to getting his foot in the door. He also encouraged students to remember that all the steps they take in their career can lead to their goals, echoing his co-panelist’s emphasis on doing good work and providing good service.

Alumni in the Pit is part of DC’s backpack2Briefcase program, a series of events designed to help students and recent alumni make a smooth transition from college to the workplace. Events and workshops are held throughout the year to offer opportunities for both personal and professional development that will enhance the skills and training students learn in the classroom.

Dragons’ Den auditions return to DC Wednesday, February 28

Calling all entrepreneurs! The hit CBC television show Dragons’ Den will return to Durham College (DC) on Wednesday, February 28, to hold auditions in the search for Canada’s best new businesses.

Currently in its 12th season, the show’s producers are embarking on a nation-wide tour in search of the country’s best new business concepts and products in need of a Dragon investment. During its stop on campus, aspiring DC entrepreneurs and members of the general public are invited to pitch their concepts in five minutes or less. If they show producers they have what it takes to pitch in the Den, they could be invited to Toronto to face the Dragons.

DC is committed to enhancing entrepreneurship in the community and encourages anyone with an innovative idea to apply. DC students may also contact FastStart – an entrepreneurial training partnership aimed at students – for assistance in preparing their pitch.

Prospective pitchers are encouraged to apply online and bring a completed application form to the audition.

Auditions:

When
Wednesday, February 28
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where
Durham College, Oshawa campus
Student Services building, Room SSB 116 AB
2000 Simcoe St. N.
Oshawa, Ont.

DC receives $250,000 funding from Government of Ontario’s Colleges Applied R&D Fund

Durham College (DC) announced today that its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) has been awarded $250,000 through the Government of Ontario’s Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF), administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), to study artificial intelligence (AI) in business solutions.

The funding will be used to research how “narrow AI” can help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) uncover new business insights while also providing intelligent and autonomous solutions that help increase a company’s productivity and growth. Narrow AI is any software that uses technologies such as machine learning, decision support, natural language processing and automation to make business recommendations, autonomously make decisions, or take action in a manner that would be considered intelligent.

“The AI research DC is undertaking addresses a significant need for SMEs across our economy,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “This funding will support those research efforts, as we help SMEs adopt AI to solve their business challenges. Our hope is that, through collaborative research, and the implementation of advanced systems, we can help the SMEs of Southern Ontario become more competitive in an increasingly digital economy.”

The funding announcement also coincides with the recent launch of the AI Hub at DC, a new research centre within ORSIE dedicated to advancing the adoption of artificial intelligence as a way to improve business productivity and competitiveness. Through the AI Hub, firms that would not typically have access to the benefits of state-of-the-art AI techniques, will be able to capitalize on  advances in machine intelligence, automated learning, decision support, optimization, robotics, language/meaning understanding, and advanced manufacturing practices.

DC also received ten College Vouchers for Technology Adoption from CARDF. Valued at $10,000 each, under this program the college is will work with 10 growth-oriented local SMEs who are looking to adopt technology to improve their operations and increase productivity. This will be achieved by using one of three methods – process automation, customized online collaboration tools and data visualization.

Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, in partnership with OCE and Colleges Ontario, the $20-million CARDF program not only seeks to drive collaboration between post-secondary institutions and industry, it also aims to create efficiencies so industry can access the skills, services and innovations offered by colleges, while also providing experiential learning opportunities for students.

“Our province needs talent to continue to sustain its growing innovation eco-system. Investing in applied research and development is a step towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our province,” said Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. “By bringing together colleges and the R&D sector, we’re creating opportunities for our students and ensuring they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Companies with an interest in how AI and digital transformation can enhance their businesses are encouraged to contact the AI Hub by visiting http://www.durhamcollege.ca/TheAIHub, emailing theaihub@durhamcollege.ca or calling 905.721.3223.

Your chance to be part of DC’s history

The new Durham College (DC) Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) building is taking shape and excitement is mounting as each day brings us closer to the opening of the building. The grand opening ceremony will include a time capsule installation in the building’s courtyard. We want you to be a part of DC’s history by contributing to the contents of the time capsule.

The time capsule will be filled with items significant to the college between 2017 and 2018. It will be sealed for the next 50 years and opened in 2067, in time for DC’s 100th anniversary.

Details about the time capsule and a call for submission of items to be included in it will be communicated in the coming weeks.

DC celebrates student achievement and donor generosity

Durham College (DC) recognized outstanding student academic achievement and community generosity at the annual Student and Donor Recognition Evening.

Held at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food on January 29, the event honoured DC’s scholarship and bursary award recipients as well as the numerous individuals, organizations and corporate donors who support students and post-secondary learning. The evening also brought donors together with the students who benefit from their generosity.

New awards and the donors behind them were also recognized during the event including the following:

  • Gerald Rose Journalism Scholarship.
  • Rotary Club of Port Perry Award.

Aboriginal Awareness Day at DC

The sixth annual Aboriginal Awareness Day at Durham College (DC), held in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC) on January 25, drew students, employees, community members and local elementary school groups into a lively celebration of Indigenous culture. Presented by DC’s Aboriginal Student Centre, Suswaaning Endaajig, this year’s event focused on the connection between environmental health and personal wellness.

Elder Gerard Sagassige emceed the program, which included a traditional prayer led by Elder Shirley Williams and a poignant performance by Kim Wheatley focusing on water as life and the respect and gratitude it deserves. There were also performances by the All My Relations drum circle, Inuit throat singer Naulaq LeDrew, the Smoke Trail Singers and Dancers, a Métis fiddler and guitar duo and storyteller Darrell LaFrance.

The college’s Sustainability office also participated in the event by creating a virtual reality environment inside the CRWC to raise awareness of nature deficit disorder and how health, wellness and the environment are all connected.

The Aboriginal Student Centre strives to recognize and support students through various activities and teachings with the assistance of Elders from all backgrounds. It uses a holistic approach to education by focusing on student’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

DC’s AI Hub is using AI to improve home care

The Durham College Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (AI Hub) and iCare Home Health (iCare) are partnering to bring advanced AI features to iCare’s mobile application for distant healthcare delivery. 

The Health Espresso app, which serves Canadians who are in home-based post recovery from an operation or simply aging in the familiar surroundings of home, virtually monitors patients’ medication adherence and tracks their body readings to reduce critical health events leading to hospital admissions. Current features include audible reminders of medication dosage timing and tracking medication intake.

The new features under development add AI functionality that brings voice control through natural language detection and processing (think Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa) and a prescriptive action framework that provides smart suggestions for enhanced care and compliance with the recovery schedule. For example, the app could intuit a need to take action, such as giving an audible reminder, after a certain amount of inactivity.

“Speech recognition, recommendation generation and the implementation of a flexible machine learning framework will enhance the user friendliness of Health Espresso for our intended target market,” says Rick Menassa, president and CEO, iCare. “This type of innovation is solidifying Canada’s leadership in AI internationally and showcases DC’s AI Hub and its position at the forefront of implementing AI technology in business solutions.”

Led by DC professor Amit Maraj, the project provides student working as researcher assistants (RAs) to gain valuable AI and project development skills that will differentiate them from other graduates upon entering the workforce.  AI and the multi-disciplinary skills required to implement AI techniques within a business are some of the most coveted and sought-after skills by firms around the world, ranging from small start-ups to multinationals.

The RAs working under Professor Maraj’s supervision are currently implementing in-app speech recognition and will begin building the intent-based model for application control shortly after. By the end of the 33-week project, the RAs will have gained a solid theoretical understanding of AI techniques, including Deep Neural Networks and Recurrent Neural Networks with practical expertise implementing them in commercial business solutions.

“This project is providing me with opportunities to further my knowledge, not only from a technical stand point but also from a team-building standpoint,” says RA Nicholas Carpenter, a third-year Computer Programmer Analyst student. “By building something from the ground up, this is helping me see the entire process of starting a new project. Being on the bleeding edge of technology and designing AI to help people in need has been a great experience.”

Adds Menassa, “The potential of data, smartphone apps, sensors and AI to improve healthcare for all is nearly limitless. Partnering with and leveraging Durham College’s pool of exceptional talent and skills has been a positive experience and a natural fit from the onset. iCare is looking forward to continuing our collaboration with DC for years to come.”

The AI project has already spawned two additional projects between the organizations.

Housed within the college’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), the AI Hub offers small and medium enterprises a much-needed access point to the rapidly growing field of AI.  Companies interested in how AI and digital transformation can enhance their businesses are encouraged to visit www.durhamcollege.ca/theAIHub or contact the AI Hub team directly via email or phone at 905.721.3223.

Westburne Electric sends DC student on career-launching trip

Durham College (DC) student Jordan Jolicoeur recently earned a career-launching, all-expenses-paid trip to the annual Rockwell Automation Fair in Houston, Texas, courtesy of industry leader Westburne Electric (Westburne).

A third-year student in DC’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program, Jolicoeur spent two days networking and gaining a greater understanding of the breadth of career options available to him in his chosen field.

As a shortage of skilled professionals in their field continues, top engineering and tech employers from across Canada and around the world are turning to new recruitment efforts to attract top student talent. Westburne approached DC about sponsoring a student to attend the fair specifically based on the reputation of the college’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program, which is ranked #1 in the province for knowledge and skills, quality of learning experience, graduate satisfaction and graduation rate.

Westburne selected Jolicoeur as the best candidate from his class based on a combination of factors, including his grade point average and his written justification for why he should attend. He was the only student sent by Westburne to the 2017 Rockwell Automation Fair, which featured the latest trends and explored how The Connected Enterprise is bringing the Industrial Internet of Things to life for companies around the world.

The Electromechanical Engineering Technology program at DC offers students a blend of electronics design and mechanical technologies, with automation, instrumentation and control systems at its roots. Training in DC’s premier advanced automation facility, the Integrated Manufacturing Centre, students advance through an experiential learning path that engages them with real-world controllers, operator touch screens, industrial networks, robotics and more. Graduates acquire the education and skills needed to design and troubleshoot automated systems used in a variety of industries.

As a key recruitment pool for Westburne, numerous graduates of the program have gone on to work for the nationwide leader in energy solutions, among numerous other top employers. Throughout the year, DC hosts top employers on campus to provide students with opportunities for networking and learning more about career opportunities within their chosen field.

DC welcomes future students at Winter Open House

On January 20, 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 Winter Open House.

The event gave 1,400 visitors the opportunity to explore the 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.

Winter Open House also gave curious students the opportunity to learn more about the seven new programs DC that will launch in September 2018, including its first degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

Other new programs coming to DC include:

Civil Engineering Technician

Civil Engineering Technology

Cosmetic Techniques and Management

Data Analytics for Business Decision Making (graduate certificate)

Esthetician – Spa Management

Power Engineering Techniques – Fourth Class

Anyone who missed the Winter Open House is still in luck. Campus tours and information sessions can still be scheduled online, via email or by calling 905.721.3000. DC will also hold its Spring Open House on Saturday March 24, 2018.

PSW and CFF Collaboration

Durham College (DC) Personal Support Worker (PSW) students kicked off the new year by learning skills that go beyond the classroom. In a new collaboration with DC’s Centre for Food (CFF), PSW students were able to gain practical experience in food preparation and safety, a valuable skill within their industry.

To enhance the curriculum, program faculty worked with CFF enabling PSW students to complete a Food Safety Certificate through the Durham Region. This opportunity gives PSW students the chance to prepare a meal in class, a daily task in both community living and senior living settings as well as provide instrumental experience for their future career.

Prior to attending their session, students reviewed a video created by the faculty at the CFF, providing them with an overview of safe meal preparation procedures and standards, filmed by DC’s Media Services.

PSW students were then able to prepare a budget-friendly meal developed by the CFF. After their hard work, students were able to enjoy their meal and reflect on the experience. For some, it was their first time operating a gas stove, for others, it was their first time cutting an onion, PSW staff and students thoroughly enjoyed their experience – and their meal!