Durham College celebrates bright minds in STEAM

A celebration of science, creativity and innovation was held at Durham College (DC) on April 18 with the second annual Celebrate STEAM exhibition. Students from the School of Science & Engineering Technology and Centre for Food showcased more than 25 applied research projects exploring student achievements in STEAM – an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering, architecture and mathematics.

The Celebrate STEAM exhibit, hosted by the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), featured student-designed and developed innovative food products, wearable technology and sustainable building designs.

Among the delicacies available for sampling were Beets + Bites, an allergen-free, school-safe vegan brownie packed with nutritional value that was developed by Horticulture – Food and Farming students. A healthy, low-sugar, dairy-free ice cream containing immune system-boosting herbs was also on offer from a group of Pharmaceutical and Food Science Technology students (now Chemical Laboratory Technology – Pharmaceutical and Food Science).

The TeleVital Signs Wearable Technology project incorporated 3D-printing technology, programming and prototype design. Showcased by Biomedical Engineering Technology students, the project uses wireless wearable technology in the form of a headset that can monitor a patient’s vital signs and send the data to a physician’s mobile device.

Among the architectural projects on display was Erdhafen, a sustainable building that can achieve net-zero energy consumption, created by Architectural Technology students.

As part of the event, attendees had the opportunity to vote for their favourite projects. Beets + Bites won the Celebrate STEAM exhibit challenge, and also received the FastStart Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit, followed by Matcha Bars, caffeinated granola bars and Chamogelo, nutrient-enhanced gummy bears made with spirulina and aloe vera. The FastStart Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit is awarded to the projects demonstrating the most innovation, potential for commercialization and integration of leading-edge research and industry expertise.

Through their projects, all 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.

View a complete list of projects and team members behind each one.

Follow the conversation on DC’s social media by searching #CelebrateSTEAM and #STEAMatDC.