DC journalism wins big at Better Newspapers Competition

The Journalism – Mass Media program at Durham College (DC) enjoyed a successful evening on April 20 at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s (OCNA) Better Newspapers Competition, taking home first place honours in both categories where the work of students and faculty was nominated.

The Chronicle website won for Best College/University Newspaper Website and 2017 graduate Toby Van Weston won for Student Feature Writing for his two-page story on the water quality issues on Scugog Island. In the judge’s remarks, Van Weston was commended for taking a national-scale story and bringing it to a local level. The Chronicle website was praised for its ease of navigation and for ensuring students are well-informed about campus events and happenings in the surrounding community.

The Better Newspaper Competition is sponsored by the OCNA, a non-profit industry association focused on helping community newspapers prosper by promoting and enhancing the image of the industry among readers. Awards are handed out annually in April and recognize the previous year’s work.

Congratulations to all of the students and faculty involved.


2017 Leave for Change participants complete their mandates

Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome back three of its employees who were selected by Uniterra to represent the college as part of the Leave for Change program.

 The first Leave for Change participants to represent the college overseas turned their vacations into short-term leaves to share their unique skills and experience to assist with projects in developing countries.

The employees were:

  • Dale Burt, professor, Mediation-Alternative Dispute Resolution Graduate Certificate program, School of Justice & Emergency Services. Dale worked within the School of Economics at Danang University in Danang, Vietnam, as a teaching methodology advisor for the month of July, 2017. Using interactive teaching approaches, Dale created and shared tools to assist in designing more modern and dynamic teaching plans.
  • Cosette Kazarian, intranet specialist, Communications and Marketing. Cosette travelled to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in mid-January, for four weeks, where she worked with the University of Vocational Technology. During her time away, Cosette helped review their website, create a social media strategy, and created and updated marketing materials.
  • Kim Sharpe, program assistant, School of Continuing Education. Kim travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal, in June, 2017 where she worked with the National Youth Federation of Nepal to train their members. She was the first participant in the role and made a significant impact by sharing her experience and education with participants.

The agreement between DC and Uniterra allows DC employees to transform vacation time into professional and personal development opportunities. Employees enjoy three to four weeks in developing countries, where they participate in work mandates in their respective fields. During their time abroad, participants contribute their skills and expertise to a development project, paired with professionals from non-governmental organizations in their host countries. DC is pleased to continue the partnership with Uniterra in 2018 and this year’s participants will be announced shortly.


DC joins innovative, creative influencers at Terroir Symposium

On April 23, DC joined a celebration of global hospitality and tourism at the Culinary Tourism Alliance’s 2018 Terroir Symposium. Anna Mae Crespo, Pantry technician at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF), collaborated with the Art Gallery of Ontario’s executive chef, Renée Bellefeuille, to cater the event’s opening breakfast titled, A Taste of Durham Region.

Sponsored by the Region of Durham, the meal featured ingredients cultivated in DC’s backyard, including Kendal Hills Game Farm chicken and waffles with candied peameal bacon and Purple Woods maple syrup, Bistro ’67 granola and Cross Wind Farm goat yoghourt parfait, and an action station sponsored by the Egg Farmers of Canada featuring breakfast carbonara with B’67 bacon and CFF professor Chef Dave Hawey’s Champlain cheese grated on top.

The next day, Bistro ’67 sous chef Peter Stewart assisted several Feast On chefs at a rural retreat at Burning Kiln Winery in Fort Erie that included media and event sponsors in attendance.


DC’s Epic Mac ‘n’ Cheese Competition returns for its fourth year

On April 21, Durham College (DC) welcomed 11 teams of Grade 11 and 12 students to the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) and challenged them to put their culinary skills and original recipes to the test at the fourth annual Epic Mac ‘n’ Cheese Competition.

Organized by students in DC’s Special Events Management program, the event provided a unique hands-on learning opportunity for food-focused high school students, giving them a chance to compete for a bursary towards studying in a culinary, hospitality or special events program at DC. Winning teams also received prizes donated by local restaurants and industry partners such as kitchen tools and gift certificates from Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill. 

After watching the live-cooking action, guests were invited to sample the entrants’ recipes and vote for their favourite. First-place honours went to Taryn Moore and Ryan Bellingham of Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute in Peterborough and O’Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Oshawa, respectively. Second place was awarded to Tasha Webbe and Bailey Lavallee of Henry Street High School in Whitby and third place went to Linda Prenaj from Archbishop Dennis O’Connor Catholic High School in Ajax.

While the competition was heating up, guests also had the opportunity to shop local at a number of student-designed-and-run pop-up shops onsite. Goods for sale included an assortment of sweet and savoury treats created by students in DC’s Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts graduate certificate program, flowers grown by Horticulture – Food and Farming students and charcuterie and cheese made by Culinary Management students.

The pop-up shops marked the culmination of students’ capstone projects, which challenge students to apply all of the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired through their studies to exploring and solving a chosen real-world problem or business challenge.

This year’s event also featured the welcome addition of kid-friendly activities designed by DC students to help keep even the smallest foodies entertained. 

Thanks to all of the event’s sponsors – Canada Cutlery Inc., Gordon Food Service, Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill, Selbie Produce, Sysco Canada and The Butcher Shoppe – and congratulations to all of the competitors, winners and pop-up shop entrepreneurs!


DC first responders take first place at National Paramedic Competition

Durham College (DC) faculty first responders and first-responders-in-training from the School of Justice & Emergency Services (JES) took first-place honours at the National Paramedic Competition on April 7.

In the annual competition, which was held for the first time at Canada’s Wonderland this year, 34 teams from paramedic services and college across Ontario faced a written test and six simulated patient scenarios designed to highlight extreme situations and challenge teams to use their training, knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve problems and manage competing patient priorities.

Up against 15 college teams, DC Paramedic students Carley Schillings and Laura Ellis surpassed their competition to take first place. One scenario presented two patients with critical injuries—one having fallen from a railing, the other suffering an anaphylactic reaction. The scenario required the team to split up with limited resources and provide adequate care to both patients.

Also competing at the college level, Paramedic students Corey Beal and Jon Reid took second place by managing to diagnose and treat a patient experiencing an adrenal crisis–a rare medical condition. The patient presented in a vague way and required intensive investigation to create the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.

Competing against seven teams, Durham Region paramedics and DC professors Dale Button (Paramedic) and Matthew Walton (Firefighter – Pre-Service, Education and Training) took first place together in the Advanced Care (professional) category. The team particularly enjoyed a scenario where a patient fell out of a tree holding a saw. The simulated accident resulted in several serious injuries and a hunt to find a missing eyeball.

Congratulations to the entire JES team!

Learn more about the competition and view a complete list of winners.


DC presents at Harvard University

Durham College (DC) joined the Ivy League last month as Ashley Marshall, professor with the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Allison Hector-Alexander, director, Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, presented at the Black Portraitures colloquium on African American culture hosted by Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research from March 22 to 24.

Based on Marshall’s project in Critical Race Theory, namely anti-black racism, Harvard invited her to present alongside leaders in the field of critical race studies. She then asked her mentor, Hector-Alexander, to join her as a panelist at the conference. The two scholars have collaborated on several projects in the past.

Representing DC, Marshall and Hector-Alexander shared their experiences as women of Jamaican and Dominican descent, presenting their ideas about racial representation as an integral part of the learning environment. The women focused on the need for post-secondary institutions to emphasize how formative culture is for students and suggested tactics for how students and educators could both benefit from increased engagement. Marshall explored the role teachers played in grooming her into the communications professional she is today, and Hector-Alexander emphasized how much work still needs to be done to make campuses more inclusive spaces.

Both women consider the college experience to be about more than academics alone. They believe students need to be heard and have a seat at the table. The conference at Harvard University allowed Marshall and Hector-Alexander to take away innovative ideas to bring back to DC to further exemplify how the school cares about its faculty and students by supporting anti-racism, anti-oppression and anti-brutality both inside and outside the classroom.

For further information about the conference, visit the Black Portraitures website.


Durham College has a $913.3 million economic impact to Durham Region

Durham College (DC) announced today that, it has a strong economic impact of $913.3 million to Durham Region, according to a recent study conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI).  This substantial contribution is equal to approximately 4.9 per cent of the area’s total gross regional product and supports 9,558 jobs, which means one out of every 24 jobs in the Durham Region is supported by the activities of DC and its students.

The economic study reports, “The value of Durham College influences both the lives of students and also the Durham Region economy. The college serves a range of industries in the region and supplies local businesses with workers. Society as a whole in Ontario benefits from an expanded economy and an improved quality of life. The benefits created by Durham College extend as far as the provincial government in the form of increased tax revenues and public sector savings.”

“We have always enjoyed a strong relationship with the broader community,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “We are proud of the role we play in providing access to high-quality, post-secondary education. By producing job-ready graduates who have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, we are also ensuring they have the ability to become community builders in their own right, both personally and in their professional lives.

The college also added $153.8 million in income to the region during the past year through its day-to-day operations, which is equivalent to supporting 2,320 jobs. Spending by DC in-region students during the same period was $34.1 million, which supports 978 jobs.

The report also touched on the accumulated contribution of DC alumni currently employed in the regional workforce, equating the value at $725.4 million in added income in the region, equal to 6,260 jobs.

“In addition to educating students, the college also offers partnerships, corporate training services and applied research services, which benefit businesses and organizations throughout the region,” said Lovisa. “In turn, the support we receive from the community plays a key role in our continued growth and development as an institution and for that we are extremely grateful.”

To view an infographic click here or to read the report click here.


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.


Durham College named one of Canada’s 2018 Greenest Employers

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the second consecutive year. Awarded as part of the 2018 editorial competition that is organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, this designation recognizes employers who create remarkable workplaces that minimize the environmental impact of their operations – and in the process attract a new generation of talented employees and customers.

Winning employers are evaluated on the following criteria:

  1. The unique environmental initiatives or programs they have developed.
  2. Whether they have been successful in reducing their own environmental footprint.
  3. Whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute any unique skills.
  4. Whether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity, attracting new employees and customers.

DC’s focus on sustainability is broad and wide-ranging and is formalized in the college’s current Business, Strategic, and the Campus Master Plans. Multiple programs involve employees and students in environmental stewardship including the Living Green initiative which involves 20 to 30 employees working to enhance the sustainability of campus operations and planning,  administration, curriculum, research, innovation and stakeholder engagement. Students can also contribute creative ideas and solutions aimed at advancing campus sustainability initiatives through the Student Green Team. In addition, the college supports many environmental management programs, green events and transportation-focused initiatives that further its commitment to sustainability.

The college’s building footprint that includes a number of green features such as a 350-panel photovoltaic rooftop solar array, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and a centralized building automation system that monitors multiple campus buildings, as well as Bistro ’67s “Green Restaurant” certification were among the reasons DC was selected this year. Additionally, the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food grounds that feature outdoor fruit, vegetable and herb gardens, native plantings and pollinator gardens played a role in the college’s award.

“We are very proud to receive this designation as one of Canada’s greenest employers for a second year,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “As a college, we work very hard to ensure our facilities, policies and practices are driven by sustainability, for the betterment of the environment and everyone on campus. We’ve made a number of substantial changes over the past several years and are looking to the future with an eco-conscious mindset.”

In support of the college’s green agenda, in March DC announced a number of new initiatives that will be undertaken, including the new Simcoe Geothermal Field project at the Oshawa campus, upgrades of existing facilities, including the installation of high-efficiency HVAC systems and new and upgraded building automation systems and LED lighting.

For more information on DC’s sustainable initiatives please visit www.websiteredesign.durhamcollege.ca/livinggreen, for more information about DC’s submission please visit Canada’s Greenest Employers reasons for selection.


Durham College President Don Lovisa’s contract extended for third term

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that President Don Lovisa’s contract has been extended for a third term.  He will remain in the role until March 31, 2021, with an option to renew at that time.

Lovisa, who is DC’s fifth president, was appointed to the role in 2008. With an impressive track record of success and a focus that is always student and employee centered, the college has thrived under his leadership, experiencing significant strategic growth in enrolment, applied research and capital development. He has also helped oversee the introduction of many new market-driven programs, including the college’s very first degree, an Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

While working on projects such as the GO Transit expansion to Bowmanville, the Idea Summit Innovation Hub and the review of Durham Region Council representation, Lovisa has developed a reputation for being a leader in the community. His succession of leadership roles with Colleges Ontario have also had a direct influence on the broader college system in Ontario.

“I’m honoured to remain president of Durham College,” said Lovisa. “I’m proud of our institution and the role it plays in providing top-quality experiential learning for students and am looking forward to continuing to drive the college’s growth and success, working alongside its employees and leadership team.”

As president, Lovisa is accountable for the delivery of the college’s Strategic Plan and Strategic Mandate Agreement, in particular: 

  • Providing students with the best possible learning experiences.
  • Optimizing the experience and expertise of the college’s people and helping them make the best possible contribution toward the student experience.
  • Managing resources responsibly and ensuring the college is financially and environmentally sustainable, and demonstrating good governance and support for outstanding teaching and learning.
  • Contributing and responding to the economic, social and environmental well-being of our communities.

The DC Board of Governors, , who oversees the president’s role, is confident his leadership will continue to help guide the college into the next chapter of its evolution. “President Lovisa’s unwavering commitment to helping DC achieve its mission that the student experience comes first, while also continuing to drive innovation and research, deepen government and community partnerships and achieve sustainable growth, will serve the college well,” said Dan Borowec, chair, DC Board of Governors.