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Engineering brilliance on display at DC Innovation Showcase

The ingenuity and dedication of Durham College (DC) students was on full display at the 2025 DC Innovation Showcase last week.

Organized by the DC Engineering Club and held in the Centre for Innovation and Research (CIR), the event challenged students to present innovative projects aimed at addressing climate change, while competing for over $5,000 in prizes.

Members of the DC community and industry professionals attended, engaging with students about their cutting-edge projects and the real-world applications they have.

“Events like these are my favourite because they are student-led. This showcase is a reflection of not only the passion and the dedication that our students bring to their studies here at DC, but live demonstrations of the solutions they envision and test for societal challenges,” said Dr. Jean Choi, Vice President, Academic and Students. “This powerful platform allows students to showcase their incredible work while cultivating meaningful connections and building on the knowledge they have learned in labs, classrooms and work placements.”

A panel of industry professionals evaluated the prototypes based on criteria such as creativity, feasibility, and potential impact.

The top prize in the individual category went to Mechanical Engineering Technology student Nathan Colburn for his full carbon fibre bike frame.

“A lot of us in the Mechanical Engineering program work on tons of different things outside of school. This is an opportunity to show off what we can do,” he said. “It’s fun being able to show everyone different concepts and ideas.”

In the group category, the team of Mechanical Engineering Technology students Douglas Aubrey-Sleeper, Joshua Dervent, and Wyatt Martorino took the gold for their ‘KERS Bike.’ By incorporating a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), it can operate like an electric bike without the use of a battery.

“We’re just happy that we showed up and got good feedback from everybody. We were really happy with the experience,” said Aubrey-Sleeper.

With so many creative and boundary-pushing projects on display, the event lived up to its name as a showcase for the talented future professionals at DC.

“It was inspiring to see innovative projects tackling real-world challenges, with valuable interdisciplinary collaborations that brought together diverse perspectives,” said Tania Clerac, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Information Technology. “Our students truly showcased the power of innovation and their potential to make a lasting impact on society. I’m proud of the amazing work and excited for what’s to come!”

Here are the complete results of the competition.

Individual Category

  • Gold Winner – “CFG-01” by Nathan Colburn, Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Silver Winner – “Arduino Dual Plant Hydration System” by Jack Koebel, Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Third-year Finalist – “CFG-01” by Nathan Colburn, Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Second-year Finalist – “Roll Up Charger” by Braiden Daschuk, Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • First-year Finalist – “Thermal Battery Optimizer” by Thomas Heine, Electronics Engineering Technology

Group Category

  • Gold Winner – “KERS Bike” by Douglas Aubrey-Sleeper, Joshua Dervent, and Wyatt Martorino, Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Silver Winner – “Fire Barrier” by Ridley Singh and Dash Darbyson, Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices
  • Bronze Winner – “Medical Robot” by Xie Zonghuo, Brendan Mcbride and Ryan Groskopf, Electronics Engineering Technology

Online game development for Barrett Centre uses student skills and provides real-world experience

What if you could help children learn that the food doesn’t just appear on their dinner plates but grows on farms? What if you could make that heavy lesson fun? What if you could provide students from two creative programs with a real-world learning experience along the way? Now a collaborative partnership between the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and programs in the Faculty of Media, Art and Design is doing just that, by enlisting student talent to build educational games for the Barrett Centre’s website, in a multi-semester project.

The Barrett Centre is already a pretty fun place to visit as a kid. Hosting sessions with local schools as well as community organizations, the farm offers tours where children can see vegetable growing in action, as well as play farm games like “Maple Tree baseball” with different cards that help (seeds, light, soil, rain) or hinder (lawnmower, deer) plant growth—kids take their cards and run to  a base. If the group on base has all the conditions they need to help a plant grow, they are safe. But if seed meets lawnmower instead, they are out.

It’s that same spirit of creativity and fun that the Barrett Centre’s Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Hoban is hoping to extend online. Their web portal was developed in 2023 and already includes resources about sustainable urban agriculture, a community forum, Barrett Centre experts on call, and a blog with stories from the community. Students can already jump on to continue their experiences from home and the games are expected to make the site even more interactive, especially for kids and parents looking for educational tools.

“The Barrett Centre facilitates farm and food literacy at our Ajax Urban Farm, and online through the Urban Agriculture Community Portal.  Both before and after students visit the farm, they can continue their education on the portal.” said Hoban. “This project started with an intention of wanting to support this community by connecting the physical and digital learning spaces through gamification.”

The project began with a capstone student group from the Project Management Graduate Certificate program, where students generated several plans for how games could be integrated onto the Barrett Centre’s education initiatives.  It was then carried forward with a five-week field placement at the Barrett Centre, where students started to brainstorm types of games that might work. Now the creation process has moved ahead, with students in the Interactive Media Design program and Web Development each hard at work in their own domains, the former to design an interface for the game that the latter students will build.

Program Coordinator and Professor Linda Cheng said that she runs the class like an agency to facilitate student collaboration. Several games are in various stages of development, and each will go through planning, prototype and testing. As for the creativity, she’s leaving that to the students.

“When we launch, it will be a surprise. There are three different games, each approach is different, and the knowledge players gain will be different,” she said. She wants students to feel complete ownership of the project as they work to meet the practical needs of the Barrett Centre, and also to have the opportunity of receiving feedback from a real-life client, plus communicating directly as they would in any real-world agency.

For her part, Hoban just has one requirement for the finished product. “The goal of these games has to be educational and fun,” she said, adding that the target audience is Grades 1 and 2. “It‘s all about using the online games to facilitate food literacy education.”

DC Advanced Law students use virtual reality to gain essential de-escalation practice

Durham College (DC) Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations students are using an innovative and interactive way to practice their crisis de-escalation techniques thanks to a new virtual reality (VR) scenario program.

The program was designed to deepen students’ communications skills by providing more real-time opportunities to practice the difficult scenarios they would face in the profession, said Program Coordinator Yvonne Armstrong, who was inspired to incorporate the new VR tools by both her own position on the Toronto Police Services’ Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel, as well as by recommendations from the Program Advisory Committee.

Christopher Patton is one of the 23 Advanced Law students who had the opportunity to try out the system first. He’s now gone through dozens of scenarios, which last five to 10 minutes each and deal with everything from suicidal people to citizens with dementia to domestic violence. Patton says that one of his most memorable recent scenarios was a traffic stop where he practiced pulling an individual over and talking them down and making sure everything was under control.

“When you’re in it, it feels real with the noises and traffic going by, you’re looking at everything and there’s a lot going on,” he said. Already a graduate of the Police Foundations program, Patton says he’s de-escalated similar situations on placement so appreciates how valuable the training can be.

Patton also gains a lot by watching his classmates go through their scenarios (students interacting with the scenario wear VR headsets but the rest of the class can follow along by watching a screen projection). The space is set in a 10 x 10 metre perimeter with cameras 360 degrees around the user, so users can look all around when using the headset.

“You get to see a different perspective when other people answer. Everyone approaches scenes a little differently, so it shows you that difference,” says Patton.

Armstrong unfolds the scenario in real time on the headset, advancing the scene based on students’ responses and even starting over if they get stuck, which is part of the benefit. “It’s a safe environment—it allows for the student in the scenario to stop, start and reset, and for students watching to also learn from the feedback,” said Armstrong. She says it’s a great opportunity to expand students’ communications practice, an essential employability skill.

“I don’t expect perfect responses, but I always say, ‘let’s talk, let’s think about the questions you should ask,’” she said, noting that while some students may have a bit of experience, others have never done this sort of exercise. “For them, it’s really a shock, and in real life, you can’t stand and freeze. Hopefully, this provides some skills and situations.”  

Patton agrees: “This is your time to make mistakes, where you’re allowed to mess up, versus on the job.”

Durham College’s Barrett Centre recognized by the Province of Ontario for excellence in urban agriculture

The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture at Durham College (DC) has been recognized by the Government of Ontario through the 2024 Excellence in Agriculture Awards.

The awards were announced at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on November 2 and the Barrett Centre received an Honourable Mention in the Urban Agriculture Excellence category from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Durham College President Dr. Elaine Popp was joined by Barrett Centre Partnership Manager Carey Yeoman and Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Hoban in accepting the award.

“We are so honoured to receive this award on behalf of the Barrett Centre and Durham College,” said Yeoman. “This is a testament to what can be achieved in our communities when municipalities, regions and community partners work together to create a lasting impact on food security and agricultural literacy.”

Recently, the centre celebrated the first anniversary of the grand opening of its innovative and dynamic Urban Farm in Ajax which has been developed as a community-based living lab replicating and scaling the successful farming operations already established at the college’s Whitby campus as a model for other urban farms. The Barrett Centre also operates an innovative indoor hydroponic growing unit on the urban farm which allows freshly grown food to be accessible to the community even during the winter months.

“I’m thrilled to congratulate the entire team at the Barrett Centre on this award and I am incredibly proud of their achievements including a fantastic inaugural growing season at the Ajax Urban Farm,” said Popp. “Managed by DC’s Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science, the urban farm presents DC students with meaningful opportunities to gain hands-on learning experiences through the farm’s mission to build a more resilient, inclusive, collaborative, and diverse food system in our community.”

Some of the biggest challenges facing society today include food insecurity, access to a safe and stable supply of fresh food, economic stability and environmental regeneration of the land for local food production.

The adoption of a holistic and sustainable approach to urban agriculture, and vertical, regenerative farming methods offers socio-economic solutions that build resiliency into our communities, create financial opportunities for people, and solve food insecurity issues while also enhancing soil and air quality.

“Agritech is an incredibly exciting area for our students to participate in,” said Yeoman. “Connecting our students with industry leaders not only furthers their learning but allows our farm to bring food to market more efficiently.”

The Barrett Centre was founded at DC through the generous support of The Barrett Family Foundation and is a hub of excellence in the field serving as a model of best practices in urban agriculture.

Learn more about the Barrett Centre and urban agriculture resources for the Durham community.

Office of Research Services, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) hosts impactful event

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) opened its doors for an exciting event last week.

The ORSIE Impact Expo on Friday, October 25 invited industry, business and community partners to explore and celebrate the innovative work they’re doing at DC.

Close to 150 visitors filled the Centre for Innovation and Research to discover DC’s hub for research and development, new products, processes and services, and experiential learning. They also explored its four applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, Mixed Reality Capture Studio and the Social Impact Hub, as well as the Institutional Research Team and the Experiential Learning Hub. The Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation didn’t miss out on the fun, travelling from the Whitby campus to bring samples of their non-alcoholic products.

DC’s Associate Vice President, Innovation and Research, Debbie McKee Demczyk was proud to welcome so many attendees to the event.

“We’re so excited to share all of the cutting-edge ideas, products, and innovations that are being created right here,” she said.

Another big draw for the crowd was world-renowned keynote speaker Hamza Khan. A bestselling author and proven educator, he kept the audience intrigued and entertained with his powerful presentation on leadership.

Hailing from the Greater Toronto Area, and having worked with DC before, he was eager to take part in the special event.

“This was a very meaningful opportunity for me. DC was one of my first clients when I started in the early 2010’s. They’re one of the first companies that said yes to me, that took a chance on me, and so this felt like coming home,” he said. “This is a community of students, staff, faculty, partners and friends, who are all galvanized around the same idea, which is leading the way.”

Though he spoke for an hour, Khan arrived at a simple and powerful conclusion for his listeners.

“Put people first.”

With those words in their ears, visitors spent the rest of the morning exploring, enjoying interactive tradeshow displays, and networking with peers and DC leaders.

It was an event that made DC proud, including President Dr. Elaine Popp.

“We’re fostering an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, promoting adaptability and agility, and encouraging a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement,” she said. “I’m excited about the future of DC. We are determined to be a future-proof college and spearhead the transformation of education. ORSIE is leading that charge.”

AI in Action event at Durham College delves into transformative potential of AI

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, better known as AI, presents unprecedented opportunities in research and business and Durham College (DC) leading the way in this field by bringing together leaders to collaborate and connect about AI’s possibilities, as wells as its risks and how to navigate them.

Hosted by Durham College’s AI Hub at the Centre for Innovation and Research, the AI in Action event on March 25 welcomed the broader community including business leaders, tech enthusiasts and community leaders.

DC President Dr. Elaine Popp said the college is an early adopter of AI technology, recognizing the importance of being on the leading edge of the field and embracing its impact and innovation.

“As one of the most transformative and captivating technologies of our time, AI has changed the way we think, work, learn, and teach,” she said in her remarks to open the event. “It has captured the imagination of thinkers, scientists, and visionaries worldwide, and now we stand on the threshold of an era where machines can learn, reason, and adapt, revolutionizing our lives and work.”

Event attendees heard from keynote speaker Mohit Rajhans who discussed both the technological and cultural impact of AI followed by from a panel discussion on overcoming barriers to AI adoption.

Panelist Angus Lockhart, a senior policy analyst at The Dias, a think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, said his role is to help find ways to help the Canadian economy to grow in a way that benefits everyone and the adoption of AI is one of those ways.

However, Lockhart said Canada as a whole has struggled in at least the last two decades to adopt technology and those same struggles continue with the adoption of AI.

He said there were several reasons, including an information gap faced by businesses.

“The amount of information you need to pick up a new artificial intelligence tool and put in place in your business is really high,” he said. “We see that about 70 per cent of businesses in Canada say they have no business case for artificial intelligence so most businesses in Canada do not know how AI can benefit them.”

At DC, the AI Hub is helping business adopt AI and creating opportunities for students.

“The AI Hub has been designated as a Technology Access Centre, the most prestigious distinction for a college centre of excellence by recognizing its impact on the local economy and it provides a range of AI related services and research and development,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, Dean of the Office of Research Services in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “I am deeply proud of the industry partners, students and alumni for their significant contributions to the advancement of AI technologies. Their efforts have made the AI Hub a key partner and resource in helping companies recognize and harness the potential of AI.”

Declan Kintu, a DC student pursuing a graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation, was among the event’s attendees.

He said he was interested in the discussion around the need for governance around AI as well as the issue of data management.

“If you have good data, you can create anything with the use of AI,” said Kintu.

As a student, he said the AI in Action event is valuable both for the discussion of ideas and as a networking opportunity.

“I am actively looking to enter the AI space professionally — and coming to Durham College networking was a very big plus for me — and the second biggest thing is the learning, I go home a bit smarter. I’ve learned about new technology; I’ve learned about data management policy.”

Durham College applied research fueled through $2.1 million Mobilize funding grant

Durham College’s (DC) applied research centres will further their work in solving industry and social challenges through innovation and collaboration, thanks to a $2.1 million federal grant.

The Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) received the funding from the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program’s Mobilize grant, which will be doled out over the next five years.

Mobilize funding has a number of objectives, from growing research capacity to fostering inclusive work environments. ORSIE will use the grant to further increase research and innovation training opportunities for students.

“This funding is critical. It anchors everything that we do in all of our applied research centres,” explained Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “It allows us to maintain a competitive edge. We’ve got expert staff and researchers, and companies know that we’re here to support them and we’re not going anywhere.”

The CCI program is managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).  

ORSIE’s applied research centres include the AI Hub, Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, MRC Studio, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and Social Impact Hub. Learn more at www.durhamcollege.ca/orsie. To learn more about ORSIE, read the 2022-2023 Annual Report.

Durham College is leading the way as one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges

For a remarkable tenth time, Durham College (DC) has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges by Research Infosource Inc.

DC placed 19th on the Top 50 list, up from 37th last year. That jump was powered by our tremendous 116.3% increase in year-over-year research income, proving that we’re leading the way in applied research. Among medium-sized colleges, DC secured second place for the number of paid student researchers, seventh for completed research projects, and eighth for research partnerships.

DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) leads applied research initiatives and helps solve industry and social challenges with innovation and collaboration by engaging industry, faculty, students and the community-at-large in research projects to address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy. Notable research accomplishments for this year include:

  • Opening the Centre for Innovation and Research, which is now home to ORSIE and four of six applied research centres, including the AI Hub, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, Mixed Reality Capture Studio and the Social Impact Hub, as well as the Institutional Research Team and the Experiential Learning Hub.
  • Receiving a Technology Access Centres (TAC) grant from the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program. DC’s AI Hub will receive $350,000 per year over the next five years, creating new opportunities to enrich student training, support skills acquisition and launch new services.
  • Continuing to develop more creative and meaningful applied research projects and co-operative education work-terms for students in a growing number of host sites, supported in part through the Diane Blake Student Success Initiative.

“This is an acknowledgement of the tremendous expertise that we have developed here in ORSIE across our research centres,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “It’s also a testament to the relationships that we’ve developed in the business community, the organizations that trust us to do this important work to help them to grow and innovate and be efficient and productive, all while supporting student learning.”

To learn more about DC’s applied research centres, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/orsie.

To learn more about ORSIE, read the 2022-2023 Annual Report.

Durham College’s AI Hub leads the way with comprehensive support for local organizations introducing AI-powered technologies

$1.75-million Technology Access Centre grant will build AI talent, create new synergies  

As more organizations incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in their daily operations, Durham College’s (DC) AI Hub is strengthening its reputation as an industry resource, increasing its research and development capacity, sharpening frameworks for delivery and growing its expert talent pool.

DC’s AI Hub is one of 16 recipients of the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program’s Technology Access Centres (TAC) grants and will receive $350,000 per year over the next five years, creating new opportunities to support multi-sectoral organizations in Durham Region and beyond.

The CCI program is managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

As specialized centres of expertise, TACs offer timely innovation support to organizations from the private, public, health care or not-for-profit sectors in a college’s community. DC’s AI Hub TAC team will:

  • Enrich student training – Over the next five years, the AI Hub will hire: 15 students as members of the TAC delivery team; 100 students research assistants to support applied research and development projects; and 50 students with curricular work-integrated learning placements related to their field of study.
  • Support skills acquisition – The AI Hub’s training plan facilitates the development of in-demand technical, scientific, professional, leadership and entrepreneurial skills that will provide students on the TAC delivery team with the knowledge employers are looking for to address the skills gap for AI professionals.
  • Enhance service delivery plans – The launch of new services, including fee-for-service business and technical services and corporate AI training through DC’s Corporate Training Services, will further advance the Research & Development capacity the AI Hub is known for.

“The AI Hub team is fluent in the multi-sectorial business applications of AI technologies and the TAC grant will allow our researchers and industry partners to create new synergies that enable us to support clients from diverse sectors,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “This funding will also create new opportunities for our students to gain valuable research experience and close the skills gap in this in-demand, evolving industry.”

Located in DC’s new Centre for Innovative Research, the AI Hub has a strong track record of engaging students in applied research and preparing them to fill the demand for qualified AI professionals. Over the last four years, 219 DC students have been trained through the AI Hub and 22 of these students were immediately hired by our partners.

Comprised of faculty researchers and students, the AI Hub TAC team will incorporate research outcomes into DC’s AI curriculum and invite industry partners into classrooms as guest speakers. These training opportunities will enable students to apply classroom learnings to real-world challenges and develop their technical, professional and soft skills, all of which provide competitive advantages as they enter the workforce.

DC has been consistently ranked by Research Infosource as one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges over the past eight years and won Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Bronze in the 2020 Colleges and Institutes Canada Awards of Excellence and the 2020 Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Innovation.

 To learn more about DC’s applied research centres, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/orsie.

Durham College brings delicious treats to Queen’s Park

Students and faculty members recently showcased their culinary mastery at College Day at Queen’s Park.

Representatives from Durham College’s (DC) Faculty of Hospitality and Horticultural Science traveled to Toronto for Colleges Ontario’s annual showcase of the province’s post-secondary institutions. This year’s event focused on culinary innovation, and two of DC’s successful (and delicious) applied research projects were on display.

In collaboration with the Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI), two Horticulture – Food and Farming students presented Lucky Farmer Honey Ginger Ale. Elliot Berthelet and Danielle Dowd developed the beer as part of their Artisan Product Development course.

“The beer emerged as a love letter to farmers and queer and women brewers everywhere,” explained Berthelet. “We wanted it to be a drinkable summer beer using local ingredients to reflect our own values and approaches to brewing.”

With that in mind, they used honey from the DC apiary and ginger from the greenhouse.

The beer was sampled by many at the event, including representatives from other colleges and members of provincial parliament, and it received rave reviews. But that’s not the only reason the event was rewarding for the students.

“It was a great experience. Getting to see what other schools get up to and the variety of research projects that are happening across the province was really interesting,” said Dowd.

In addition to the beer, the Culinary Management program’s champlain cheese was popular with hungry guests. The product of a happy accident, it was first created when students missed a step in the cheese-making process. The result was a hard, parmesan-style cheese that ages quickly and can be ready for market in two to three months. Parmesan can take as long as two years to be market ready, so the applications were obvious and exciting for David Hawey, professor and Culinary program coordinator.

“We turned it into a research project with a business partner in hopes they’d be able to produce it for sale,” he said.

It was a great day for showcasing some of the innovative work that’s being done at DC’s Whitby campus, according to Wendy Smith, Food and Farming professor and a research coordinator with the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE).

“It was fantastic. We had lots of repeat customers.”