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

Durham College forges stronger ties with Irish institutions

Expanded international opportunities for student exchange and research collaboration in Ireland are on the horizon following the signing of a new agreement by Durham College (DC), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and the Technological University for Dublin Alliance.

The signing was conducted as part of the Higher Education in Transformation Symposium (HEIT), held in November that saw DC and UOIT jointly host their counterparts from Ireland to explore new ways of improving all aspects of higher education – from curriculum and pedagogy to student experience supports. HEIT spawned robust discussion between academic leaders, as well as Canadian and Irish government officials, including Jim Kelly, Ireland’s Ambassador to Canada, who was included among the many speakers at HEIT.

Key topics of discussion at the symposium included:

  • Creating new higher education programs to meet 21st-century demands.
  • Keeping up with rapid technological changes to ensure students receive a cutting-edge education.
  • Building on unique, hybrid post-secondary relationships, such as the DC-UOIT example as well as Ireland’s new trilateral Technological University for Dublin Alliance.

As part of HEIT, the college and university signed an international Memorandum of Understanding with their Irish counterparts to create the Canada-Ireland Centre for Higher Education Policy and Practice. The centre will promote inter-institutional research collaborations, joint publications, joint conferences and international exchange opportunities for faculty, staff and students. Its activities will also focus on exploring new initiatives in higher education policy and practice in both countries, and more broadly.

Grad credits DC for preparing her for a new career at Global News

Recent graduate Katie Scott is applying what she learned in the Broadcasting – Radio and Contemporary Media program at Durham College (DC) to her new career as a national online journalist covering entertainment and lifestyle stories at Globalnews.ca.

“My Durham College education prepared me for my current role at Global News by teaching me the skills I needed in order to land an internship and stand out from the crowd,” said the 2016 graduate. (The program was formerly Broadcasting for Contemporary Media.)

“My DC education taught me a lot about meeting deadlines in the broadcasting industry. I was also able to explore every aspect of broadcasting before deciding which part of the industry I wanted to work in,” she said.

“I love entertainment and I was very happy that a lot of my projects at DC encouraged me to report on my favourite celebrities. I also felt that having a radio show on Riot Radio, called Spill The Tea, was an amazing experience and allowed me to teach others about the entertainment industry while debating hip-hop topics with my two co-hosts,” she said.

Scott added that she loves the diversity of her work at Global News, where she did her field placement as part of the college’s program. “In my work, an average week consists of pitching and writing stories about anything that is happening in the entertainment industry or viral videos. I come into work every morning and I discuss the trending stories for the day with my editor and we discuss what topics are worth covering. We also work with the online video team to create video content for the stories we publish, sometimes doing voice-overs.”

As a part of Corus Entertainment, her stories are also available on SoCast radio outlet websites and Facebook pages, such as those belonging to Q107 and Fresh FM.

Scott says that she has already learned so much from her editors as she continues to hone her skills. But it was her start at DC that put her on a pathway to success in her new career. “I would love to come to speak to DC students about what I do. In fact, one of my teachers from the program, Anna Rodrigues, has asked me to come in and speak to interns getting ready for their field placements next semester.”

Phil Raby, professor and program co-ordinator of DC’s Broadcasting – Radio and Contemporary Media (BRCM), said, “Our BRCM is one of the few two-year diploma programs in Canada that teaches not only traditional radio and television production, but also a variety of content creation skills for new and emerging online media.” He added, “Passionate and driven students like Katie, who make the most of that training, wind up with a diverse set of skills and knowledge that make them very desirable prospects for a wide variety of forward-thinking employers like Corus Entertainment.”

Durham College breaks ground for its new Centre for Collaborative Education

Members of the Durham College (DC) community, including retirees, alumni, students, employees, elected officials, and industry and community partners, gathered on November 25 to celebrate the official groundbreaking for DC’s new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE).

The event marked the start of a new chapter at DC while also honouring its past. The CFCE, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017, will replace the aging Simcoe building, which has long been at the heart of the college’s Oshawa campus.

“When I reflect on how our small community college has evolved over the past 50 years into a leading post-secondary institution serving communities locally, nationally and even worldwide, I can’t help but wonder what the next 50 years will bring,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC.

Lovisa added that while there are many exciting changes ahead for DC, one thing will remain constant – the college will always maintain its commitment to ensuring the student experience comes first.

“Staying true to our mission will be vital to ensuring our students achieve success, and together we can elevate a thriving Durham community for the prosperity of future generations,” he said.

The groundbreaking commenced with a blessing offered by Kim Wheatley, an Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother, to honour the territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation on which the college sits and was followed by hot beverages for all and a toast from Lovisa to DC’s past, present and future.

The event also included a piece of the Simcoe building being removed that will be incorporated into the new CFCE, a symbolic integration of the old with the new.

A crossroad of education, services, supports and community, the CFCE will serve as a unique academic and cultural access point for students that brings together local, Indigenous and global community groups along with members of key business sectors.

DC thanks everyone who was able to attend the CFCE ground breaking celebration and who have contributed to the college over the past 50 years. Together we are building something amazing.

DC students’ field-to-fork “Five-Mile Burger” is tops at Taste Canada competition

A burger, and the story behind it, won the day for Durham College (DC) students at a national competition this month.

Culinary Management students Victoria Rinsma and Jonathan Soligo, and Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts student Kristin Atwood competed against their peers from other colleges in the Taste Canada Cooks the Books competition at the 2016 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on November 12.

With competitors tasked with preparing dishes provided by Taste Canada cookbook authors, the DC team took on Barry C. Parsons’ recipe for a peanut butter sriracha bacon cheeseburger from his cookbook Rock Recipes 2. Not only was their recipe creative and delicious, but the story behind the dish provided the extra dash of local flair the students needed to win the title of Best New Student Chefs.

“Since starting at DC, I have really found a love and passion for locally-sourced food as well as growing your own ingredients. So being able to promote and showcase those things at the competition was great,” said Rinsma.

“We applied our field-to-fork philosophy in making the burger, as we do with everything at DC’s W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF),” said proud coach Peter Lee, professor and program coordinator of the Culinary Programs at the CFF in Whitby.

In their presentation of the burger to competition judges, the DC students described where each locally-sourced ingredient came from, inspiring Parsons to dub it “the Five-Mile Burger”.

Many of the key ingredients such as onions, peppers, zucchini and the student-prepared relish came from the CFF gardens. The star ingredient, a triple-A sirloin, came from the CFF’s Advanced Butchery lab. The bacon was made pancetta-style and double-smoked by the students to make the pan-seared burger double delicious. No ordinary bun would do for this creation. So a recipe from DC’s Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts post-graduate program for a special brioche bun served as the proverbial icing on the cake.

The competition also required students to create a signature garnish featuring canola oil in honour of event sponsor the Canola Council of Canada. In keeping with DC’s field-to-fork vision, the team also made beer-battered onion rings with an onion from the CFF garden and a blonde ale beer from Whitby’s own Brock Street Brewing Company. The rings were cooked in canola oil and served with spicy sesame aioli sauce made from canola as well.

If the description of the students’ burger and onion rings is making you hungry, Lee says Bistro ’67, DC’s full-service teaching-inspired restaurant inside the CFF, may feature it on the menu in the new year. So start lining up now! 

DC wins Whitby Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Award

Durham College (DC) announced today that it has won a prestigious Whitby Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Achievement Award in the category of Business Achievement (50+ employees). The awards were presented on November 17 at a gala held at the Deer Creek Golf & Banquet Facility.

“On behalf of everyone at DC, I’d like to thank the Whitby Chamber of Commerce for this 2016 Business Achievement Award, which recognizes the college as a valued member of the business community and contributor to the growth of Whitby and Durham Region,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “To be acknowledged by our peers in this way is a testament to the tireless work of our employees to enhance the business community through initiatives such as partnerships, program expansion, research and innovation, and creating a healthy workplace.”

The Peter Perry & Business Achievement Awards are held each year to recognize the success and outstanding contributions of companies and individuals within the Whitby Chamber of Commerce membership. Winners are honoured for their excellence in one or more of the following areas of operation: enhancement to the broader business community; business development and company growth; strategic alliances and partnerships; community relations; product or service advancement; brand profile and reputation; marketing/branding innovation; and healthy workplace.

Over the past six years, DC has invested more than $45 million at the Whitby campus to further its evolution into a community hub focused on innovative learning, skilled trades and applied research, highlights of which include:

  • The addition of new skilled trades programs, including Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices that will launch in January 2017.
  • The ongoing development of cold-frame technology by faculty and student researchers, making it possible to grow fresh, local produce year-round by harnessing the sun’s energy and redirecting it to support growth on cold days. Cold-frame technology uses framed boxes built from cedar wood that have special insulation and triple polycarbonate glass on top. Filled with sand, the boxes direct heat collected from the sun to stimulate growth.
  • The W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF). The CFF is focused on the sustainable field-to-fork concept, as supported by its ambassador, celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy. Home to a range of complementary programs in baking, culinary, food and farming, horticulture, hospitality, and event management, the CFF boasts numerous sustainable features and extensive grounds that include an apple orchard, agricultural planting fields, gardens, hoop house and greenhouses that support applied learning and research while growing produce for use in the CFF’s kitchens and laboratories, as well as Bistro ’67 and Pantry.

In addition, DC has established a strong relationship with Habitat for Humanity, a partnership that enables students from the college’s Construction Carpentry – Sustainable program to gain hands-on experience outside of the classroom while providing a way for DC to give back to our community with students and employees assisting with the construction of four homes for families in need.

DC was also a driving force behind the inaugural Idea Summit, held at the CFF in May 2016. The event brought together business leaders and employees from some of Durham Region’s largest employers, who discussed how to promote the region and the development of a set of recommendations to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation. The summit saw the creation of several task forces that are currently working to develop recommendations on how governments at all levels can support the region and its highly-educated and motivated work force.

“DC remains a strong, vibrant presence in Durham Region, and Whitby in particular, where the expansion of our campus has mirrored the community’s growth,” added Lovisa. “This growth and leadership has resulted in more opportunities than ever for our students, and supports the social and economic health of our communities. We look forward to continuing to work with the Whitby business community, including the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, to advance initiatives for the betterment of our community.”

From Durham to Disney

Jessica Stoiku conducted a phone interview for The Chronicle with the Pedersens about their journey. Photo by Alex Kang

They’ve made the leap from Durham College to Disney.

Husband and wife Celeste and Chris Pedersen graduated from Durham’s animation program a year apart in 2007 and 2008. Although they’ve been working on different timelines, the couple found their way from Durham Region to California, and have been working for Walt Disney Studios since 2013. Their passion and dedication has led them to working on Disney’s latest film, Moana, which opened in theatres Nov. 23.

The Chronicle conducted a phone interview with the Pedersens about their journey.

What is the day in the life like for you at the studio?

Celeste: I guess it starts the same. We live pretty close to the studio so we drive in the morning or sometimes we walk, which is great because California is beautiful and sunny. My work is shot-based, so we’ll have meetings with my department. We’ll have shots assigned to us. So again reviewing the work that we’ve done.

Chris: While Celeste is more of the shot side of production, I’m more of the character side. So I’m more rigorous. I create the controls and build for the animators to  actually pose, move the characters to bring them to life. I work closely with the look department and modelling and animations. So we work together to create this character. We have team meetings often – we get together and touch base to make sure everything is going smoothly.

What has been your favourite part about working on the film?

Celeste: Just working at Disney for me has been like a dream since I was little. Being here and working with some of the people I’ve looked up to is just incredible. To see the stuff you’ve been working on actually on screen is incredible.

Chris: I second that. It’s pretty incredible working with the people that have been working at the studio for as long as I remember watching movies growing up. A lot of those people are still working here. It’s pretty incredible. I like being challenged a lot. They’re always pushing the envelope here to make the best quality films. I love just the challenge of that.

Have you ever had something you were working on go completely wrong?

Chris: There are always little challenges here and there. I wouldn’t say there was anything that went sort of completely wrong. Story changes. Sometimes characters come and go, so we adapt to those changes. We do our best to foresee those things…and work together to troubleshoot them.

Celeste: We’re [in] a very collaborative environment. People come together really quick to try and work through it.

How has Durham College helped you get to where you are today?

Celeste: I’ve always wanted to work for Disney. Going to school at Durham helped prepare me to get into this field.

Chris: Growing up I always loved watching the Disney movies, but animation was never something as a child I kind of thought myself getting into. I always found myself leaning toward engineering. I loved Lego and building and creating things. That’s similar to what I do now. My job is very technical. There’s a lot of building, inventing and coming up creative solutions, which I really like.

Who inspired you along the way during your time at Durham College?

Celeste: All the teachers were incredible at Durham. They were all very supportive, very encouraging. I always doubt myself. Am I good enough to do that? You get discouraged sometimes, but the teachers are always there to support you and tell you, ‘you can do it.’ They’re the ones that got me my first job outside of school, and I was very appreciative of that.

Chris: They’re always so super supportive. One moment though that sort of stood out for me was in third year animation class. I remember working on an animation shot. I just remember something clicking for me with animation and all of a sudden I understood it and that was sort of a milestone point for me with my student career. I feel that sort of launched me into feeling confident with animation. Getting my first job was really dependant on Durham and the teachers. The fact that the course was so well rounded it allowed me personally going into a more technical path. It also gave me the base knowledge to pursue that.

This story was edited for style, length and clarity.

Jessica Stoiku

Jessica Stoiku is a second year journalism student at Durham College. With a passion for writing, she enjoys exposing the arts and culture stories of people within the community for The Chronicle. She hopes to work for a publication that focuses on human interest and issues on a broader scale.

Leave for Change international opportunity for all staff coming to DC in new year

On November 18, Durham College (DC) President Don Lovisa signed an agreement with Uniterra, Canada’s largest international volunteer cooperation program, to introduce an exciting professional development opportunity called Leave for Change.

The agreement will enable interested DC employees to transform their vacations into short-term professional and personal development experiences of three to four weeks in a developing country. During their assignments employees would contribute their skills and expertise to an established development project. Employees would be paired with a professional from a non-governmental organization and receive support from other professionals in a host country, including Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Malawi, Vietnam, Nepal, Mongolia and several others.

The Durham College Leave for Change program is currently in the initial stages of implementation with the college planning to host information sessions starting in January for interested employees. This program is open to all employees.

“This is a fabulous opportunity for all DC employees to learn from international experiences, while contributing to the social and economic stability of developing foreign communities. Those experiences will assist in advancing the internationalization of our college, a key pillar of our strategic vision,” Lovisa said. “In supporting this program, DC is fostering a more inclusive learning environment while enabling employees to develop a wider global perspective,” he added.

Celebrating the official signing, in the back row from left, were DC staffers: Larissa Strong, manager, international student support, Durham College International (DCI); Katie Boone, manager, international partnerships and contract training, DCI; Mark Herringer, dean, international education, DCI; Sandra Bennett, associate vice-president, Human Resources; and Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic. Signing the agreement in the front row, from left, were: Don Lovisa, president, DC; and for Uniterra, Tom Tunney, senior manager, University and College Programming. Uniterra is a joint initiative of the World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation.  

DC supports award-winning research and development in cancer care

Durham College (DC) announced recently that its applied research partner, Bykart Software Ltd. (Bykart), in conjunction with the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, has received the prestigious 2016 Quality and Innovation Award from the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario (CQCO). The award was presented at a ceremony hosted on November 16 by CQCO in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario, and co-sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society – Ontario Division.

Bykart is being recognized for its Chemotherapy Appointment Reservation Management (CHARM), a revolutionary new software system, developed in partnership with DC, which is fundamentally changing the way care is delivered to cancer patients. 

When Bykart approached the college about working together in 2011, CHARM, originally developed in 2009, required significant upgrades to move its enterprise-class health care application framework beyond the chemotherapy clinics for which it was initially designed. Through collaboration with student and faculty researchers at DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), Bykart was able to deploy a suite of integrated, health care application services to complement CHARM’s existing functionality and simplify integration into existing hospital software.

The framework was then implemented at the Odette Cancer Centre and the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Clinic, and the results were remarkable. They included:

  • An increase in the number of patients treated.
  • Reduction in unplanned over-time, which proved cost-effective as well as boosted morale among staff.
  • Savings in the cost of training since staff were involved throughout development of the product.

“CHARM was developed by a dedicated team with the desire to deliver a home-grown, cost-effective software solution to health care organizations, and its tremendous success proves that this is possible,” said Thane Fitzgerald, director of development, Bykart. “Our work with both Durham College and the experts at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre have resulted in an award-winning application suite that has been deployed at the Odette Cancer Centre and the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Clinic. The real reward, however, is that we were able to equip staff with a system that enables them to deliver services more efficiently, thus improving the overall quality of care for people living with cancer.”

Specifically, ORSIE supported the project by delivering a unit test suite for each functional area of the new system for quality assurance; transitioning the existing database structure to a new database platform, and developing several web service interfaces to support access to the application by mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

“DC is proud to offer top-quality applied research facilities and resources led by a talented team of faculty and student researchers,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Applied research opportunities not only provide an excellent platform for teaching and learning, but enable the college to be involved in leading-edge projects that support the advancement of other industries – in this case, health care. We offer congratulations to Bykart and the Odette Cancer Centre for their success and commitment to enhancing cancer care in Ontario.”

The annual Quality and Innovation Awards encourage and recognize initiatives that have led to significant improvements to the delivery of cancer care for patients across Ontario.

Earlier this year, Bykart was also awarded the 2016 Edmond Odette Prize for Innovation from the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre.

 

Prospective students get a look at their futures at DC’s annual Fall Open House

On November 12, Durham College (DC) employees, students and alumni delivered information and inspiration to more than 2,300 prospective students, as well as their friends and families, at the college’s annual Fall Open House.

Doors were open at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses, and the Pickering Learning Site, providing visitors with the opportunity to explore the facilities, take guided tours, check out support services and visit individual program classrooms and labs to speak with faculty and students.

DC President Don Lovisa was also on hand to meet with visitors and answer questions about the college.

“There is no better way to get a feel for the DC community and all that we have to offer – from programs and support services to athletics and campus life – than to attend an Open House event,” said Lovisa. “A unique energy fills the air when prospective students step on campus and see all the possibilities for their future opening up before them.”

In addition to the Open House activities, DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship held a pre-Open House event at the college’s Whitby campus for its applied research partners. The event highlighted new applied research capabilities involving the newly commissioned research brew line and growth chambers focused on agri-tech research.

DC offers more than 140 market-driven programs including five new programs being launched in 2017, two of which will serve as educational pathways from DC to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). They are:

DC Alumni Association pledges $250,000 to Centre for Collaborative Education

Durham College (DC) announced today a $250,000 commitment from the DC Alumni Association to support the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) at the college’s Oshawa campus.

“This pledge is a true testament to the commitment DC alumni have to their alma mater,” said Chris Vale, president, DC Alumni Association. “I am proud of the Alumni Association’s decision to support the continued growth of the college. In particular, it underlines our belief in the importance of the Centre for Collaborative Education. We could not be prouder to be helping to build a facility where students, employees and the broader community can come together in ways that extend beyond the scope of traditional education.”

The donation, announced on November 10 at an Alumni Association networking event, is being made over a period of five years. This significant contribution serves to set the pace for the college’s Building Something Amazing fundraising campaign, which will see the college aim to raise $5 million over two years toward the construction of the CFCE. In addition to the association’s commitment to the CFCE, it has also supported the college via several other initiatives over the years including ongoing donations to scholarship and bursary programs, the Building for Our Future and Growing for Our Future capital campaigns and the annual campus holiday food drive.

“On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I extend my sincere thanks to the DC Alumni Association for this wonderful support of our new Centre for Collaborative Education,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “This generous pledge is in keeping with the loyalty and commitment the Alumni Association has demonstrated to the college time and time again. As a key member of the DC family, we are delighted to have its support as we work together toward building something amazing.”

A legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017, the CFCE will be a multi-level, 75,000-square-foot-facility that will serve as an educational access point for students while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors. It will provide a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs including:

  • The School-College-Work Initiative and the affiliated Centre for Success program, a partnership between DC and the Durham District, Kawartha Pine Ridge District, Durham Catholic District, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District, and Trillium Lakelands District school boards, that assist in-risk students by helping them find their way to college.  
  • The Aboriginal and Student Diversity Centres.
  • Entrepreneurial, Innovation and Creative spaces including the Spark Centre, which will expand applied research opportunities for students, faculty and small- and medium-sized businesses.
  • Global, Open and Collaborative spaces that will enable faculty, students and the broader community to use technology in creative ways to gain unprecedented access to students, educators, thought leaders, subject matter experts and other visionaries from more than 40 countries around the world.
  • Health science facilities including state-of-the art classrooms and labs and a spa focused on massage therapy, cosmetology and aesthetics.
  • Foundation programs designed to prepare students for the continuation of post-secondary education at college or university.
  • Significant collaborative learning and social spaces for students, faculty, staff and community.