On February 21, Durham College (DC) students and employees were joined by community leaders to honour the legacy of Black Canadians past and present, during the college’s Black History Month celebration.

Hosted by the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, DC was honoured to host special guests Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Member of Parliament for Whitby, and Mayor of Oshawa John Henry, who both spoke at the event.

DC’s Black History Month Celebration also featured a dance and drumming workshop by Sanaaj Mirrie, social entrepreneur and artistic director of Afiwi Groove School, and a poetry reading by artist, activist and social innovator Greg Frankson, a.k.a Ritallin.

On February 12, Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Growth, visited Durham College’s (DC) Oshawa campus to speak with students and employees during a town hall in The Pit.

After sharing brief remarks, Minister Del Duca spent the remainder of the hour-long session answering questions that ranged from discussing the impact of minimum wage increases on part-time jobs to addressing the need to foster diversity in fields such as science, engineering, technology and math.

With an emphasis on optimism and a focus on Ontario’s strengths, Del Duca reviewed the opportunities for students in the dynamic and rapidly changing economy. He also stressed the importance of continued investment, strategic decision making and driving innovation to preserve the positive gains achieved for the province since the recession.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On Friday, January 12, more than 130 Durham College (DC) alumni and employees were on hand to watch as the Oshawa Generals took on the Flint Firebirds during the college’s annual Alumni Night.

Held each year, Alumni Night at the Oshawa Generals is a chance for DC graduates and employees to come together for an evening of reconnecting and great hockey, while also enjoying a reception, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages as part of their ticket purchase.

Also on hand was DC President Don Lovisa, DC Alumni Association President Elaine Garnett and Student Governor Rahul Khanna, who represented the college during the ceremonial puck drop. Of course, no evening would be complete without an appearance by DC mascot Lord Durham, who was giving away t-shirts and hats to the crowd.

The evening was capped off with a win by the Generals, who beat out the Firebirds 5-3.