Durham Lords in the community Posted on December 15, 2015 at 3:25 pm. Durham College (DC) student-athletes continue their commitment to the local community through fundraising and community events. The DC Athletics department is involved in a variety of community initiatives, providing a great experience for the athletes by encouraging them to lend a helping hand. Fundraising events This season, the women’s softball team stepped up to the plate and gave back to multiple causes through their 50/50 draws held each game. Those groups included the Canadian Cancer Society – Durham Region and the ALS Society, in addition to providing funds for treatment for Maria Iurato, cousin of Lords catcher Justine Pike. The softball team also donated items to the Whitby Salvation Army Food Bank and the Denise House in Oshawa. In September, the men’s baseball team fundraised for Play Global, an organization that teaches baseball to coaches and youth in developing countries and areas of conflict, using baseball as a way to help kids see past their differences, respect others and play as a team. The Lords not only raised a monetary donation for the charity, but collected equipment to send to Uganda. The women’s volleyball team made raising funds and awareness for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Chapter a priority this season. Heading into the winter break, the team is approaching $500 raised and will continue with raffles and other initiatives in the New Year. At Christmastime they also collected toys to donate to the YWCA Durham’s annual toy collection. Community events The Lords participated in a number of community events this season, including the Terry Fox Run in Oshawa, the 10th Annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The Athletics department was also involved with the 2015 Pan Am Games at multiple venues in various volunteer roles. Women’s volleyball alumnae, Alana McNeill, was part of the volleyball staff at Exhibition Centre, while Jenn Bowers was a line official at the beach volleyball venue. In Ajax, the department was represented by four volunteers during baseball events. In November, the department welcomed the Adult Social Club from the Abilities Centre in Whitby to the men’s and women’s volleyball doubleheader against the Algonquin Thunder. If you’re interested in participating in any of these community initiatives, please contact the Athletics department. Selling Sports for a good cause Posted on December 11, 2015 at 12:02 pm. Students in the Sports Business Management (graduate certificate) program this fall were given the opportunity to complete a project in partnership with Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment (MLSE). As part of the Selling Sport course, they received the rights to sell discounted tickets for four Toronto Marlies games, using the skills they acquired in their program to put together a preliminary sales strategy proposal, sell the tickets and then reflect on their successes and challenges in a post-sales recap report. In addition, Marc Lira and Colby Pridham, two members of the MLSE sales team, shared their experiences with the students during an in-class guest lecture. “The project provided an excellent opportunity for students to use the skills and knowledge they learned in class and apply to a real-life selling situation,” said Scott Campbell, professor in the School of Business, IT & Management. “They really benefitted from having an organization like MLSE to partner with.” However, for these students, this project was about more than just making the grade. For each ticket sold, $5 was donated to Camp Oochiegeas, a summer camp exclusively serving children with cancer. Together, the students were able to sell 409 tickets, raising more than $2,000 for Camp Oochiegeas, which is free to campers and is staffed entirely by volunteers. “This project, was extremely rewarding. I would consider it a highlight of the term,” said Heather Lloyd, the top-selling student. “We appreciated the chance to not only push ourselves to achieve our personal sales goals, but to also be able to make a meaningful donation to Camp Oochiegeas.” As the top-selling student, Lloyd, who sold 40 tickets, was rewarded with a career counselling meeting with MLSE. In addition, the top four sellers in the class each received a pair of tickets to an upcoming MLSE event. DC Winter Accelerator now accepting applications Posted on December 10, 2015 at 2:11 pm. With the New Year fast approaching innovative ideas are sure to follow, which is why FastStart DC, along with the Spark Centre, is once again offering its popular Accelerator program for the winter 2016; applications are now being accepted. The Winter Accelerator is looking for passionate and motivated Durham College students and alumni with an interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants will develop their businesses, meet with industry professionals and participate in seminars and pitch competitions, allowing them to take their innovative ideas and ventures to market faster, while utilizing the professional services of an experienced support team. All those who are interested and eligible to participate are encouraged to apply before the January 6, 2016 deadline. For more information on the DC Winter Accelerator, including specific program dates, please visit our webpage. Durham College named one of the GTA’s Top Employers Posted on December 8, 2015 at 9:02 am. In recognition of being an exceptional place to work, Durham College (DC) has once again been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2016. This is the sixth consecutive year the college has received this honour. Home to over 770 full-time employees, some of whom have been part of the college family for over 35 years, DC is proud to be acknowledged for its commitment to its faculty, support and administrative staff. Benefits for full-time employees include skill-building and development, the opportunity to move into various roles throughout the college, investment in education for employees and their families through tuition subsidies, a robust pension plan and maternity and paternity leave top-up payments. These benefits, coupled with a supportive work environment where the focus is on community, has created a highly engaged and motivated employee base, as indicated by an annual one per cent employee turnover rate. “We rely on the vast experience and expertise of our employees to help ensure that the student experience comes first,” said Scott Blakey, chief administrative officer, Durham College. “Our employees often tell us that the college is like a family. It is a sentiment that underlies everything we do as we all work together for the betterment of the entire college community.” Greater Toronto’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the greater Toronto area employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Organizations are judged on several categories including physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. For more information, please visit www.canadastop100.com/toronto/. DC’s Living Green sustainability initiatives Posted on December 7, 2015 at 4:56 pm. Durham College (DC) continues to invest in the future with its Living Green initiative. Its dedication to encouraging sustainable behaviours and sharing responsibility for social, environmental and economic stewardship is reflected in a new video that highlights the college’s initiatives. “When it comes to sustainability, it is our duty as an educational institution to foster stewardship of the resources and land we live on,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “In 2009, we made a commitment to incorporating sustainability into all aspects of the college. We want to lead by example, demonstrating environmental responsibility for our students so they can run the organizations of tomorrow with conservation in mind.” Highlights of DC’s sustainability in action include achieving a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Bronze rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in 2012. Since then, the Living Green initiative has been working to enhance the environmental sustainability of campus operations, planning, curriculum, research and innovation. In addition, DC’s Sustainability Committee, which includes over 20 students and employees from a wide range of departments and programs, continually supports new efforts to reduce the college’s carbon footprint. These include a campus-wide battery-recycling program as well as ensuring all electronic waste and surplus asset items are reprocessed locally in a sustainable manner. Standard drinking fountains have been replaced with new hydration stations, which offer a touchless bottle filling system and counts the quantity of bottles diverted from landfills. To date these stations have prevented more than 191,000 plastic water bottles from being used and discarded. DC’s Whitby campus, home to programs in the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology, the School of Science & Engineering Technology and the Centre for Food (CFF), is also incorporating sustainability into its operations. Students from a broad range of programs are working together to bring the field-to-fork vision and sustainable living model to life. Those studying Horticulture – Food and Farming help produce food to directly support the culinary programs and supply Bistro ’67, DC’s green-certified teaching restaurant, while students in the Construction Carpentry – Sustainable program recycle wood skids from shipping and receiving to create artisan cheeseboards that are sold at the CFF’s Pantry. “Students studying at the Whitby campus are learning about sustainability within their curriculum,” said Susan Todd, executive dean, School of Science & Engineering Technology. “And it’s not just in the theoretical sense, they’re also getting hands-on experience.” To learn more about sustainability at DC, read the Conservation and Demand Management Plan available on the college’s website. Durham College wins Spirit of Agriculture award Posted on November 25, 2015 at 11:04 am. Durham College (DC) was recently recognized for its contribution to the flourishing farming industry in Durham Region. The second-annual Celebrate Agriculture Gala, hosted by Durham Farm Connections at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club, welcomed community members to gather together in celebration of the region’s agricultural roots. During the event, DC was awarded the Spirit of Agriculture award that recognizes the contributions of an organization that supports and champions the agriculture industry. Maureen Calhoun, associate dean, School of Science, Engineering & Technology, accepted the award on behalf of the college. “I am extremely proud of our food and farming team,” said Calhoun. “Several years ago Durham College had a vision to create a school that could embrace a field-to-fork concept, networked with our local agricultural community. Now this concept has become reality at the Centre for Food. This award is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication students and employees put into bringing the field-to-fork vision to life.” The field-to-fork vision is based on the harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of local food. This vison continues to grow at the Centre for Food (CFF), allowing students from DC’s culinary, hospitality and horticulture programs to directly help strengthen the link between the college and the community. “Students truly experience field-to-fork as they see the product they’ve grown in the fields and greenhouse served at Bistro ’67, the college’s teaching-inspired restaurant located in the Centre for Food,” said Calhoun. Faculty researchers share initiatives at Whitby Fall Research Showcase Posted on November 24, 2015 at 1:28 pm. On November 23 Durham College (DC)’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) welcomed faculty researchers to its Whitby campus to share their current and future applied research initiatives at its Whitby Fall Research Showcase. Projects in the areas of agriculture, craft brewing and new energy technology were highlighted. “There are some amazing applied research projects taking place at the college’s Whitby campus,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSIE. “This showcase was our chance to share the work being done by faculty with the support of our students, as we partner with industry and local businesses to provide innovative solutions and advance the research agenda in a number of unique areas.” Agricultural research projects: Dr. Ross Stevenson, faculty researcher from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, discussed his project to find a suitable variety of okra that can be grown locally, which, given the increasing demand for growing ethno-cultural vegetables, brings research opportunities to Durham College. Greg Moran, faculty researcher and research co-ordinator from the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology and Shane Jones, faculty researcher from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, shared their cold-frame technology research, which will allow fresh vegetables and greens to be grown year round, even during cold Canadian winters. Dr. Riaz Shah, faculty researcher from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, spoke about the pest management research that he is planning with local apple growers and also discussed the research equipment he will be using including a reach-in incubator and Potter Spray Tower. New energy technology: Faculty researchers Lauren Fuentes and Phil Jarvis from the School of Science & Engineering Technology, shared details about research being undertaken at the Whitby campus’s Smart House project, while faculty researcher Dr. Ali Taileb from the School of Science & Engineering Technology announced a new energy technology project and discussed the type of research this will support; Ray King, principal inventor at Dynacurrent Technologies Inc. was also on hand to discuss where the new energy technology will lead. Craft brewing: Chris Gillis, manager of applied research business development, ORSIE, shared his work with the craft beer industry, outlining their specific research needs, while illustrating how DC’s new brew line capabilities will help in supporting craft brewers. For more information about applied research at DC, please visit ORSIE’s webpage. Lindsay Panchan breaks DC women’s basketball single game scoring record Posted on November 23, 2015 at 3:06 pm. It was all Lindsay Panchan at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre on November 20. The second-year Sport Business Management student led the Durham College (DC) women’s basketball team with 41 points in their 66-64 victory over the Algonquin Thunder, in the process breaking DC’s record for most points in a single game. The previous record of 38 points was set by Jenn Hevey on October 16, 1998 against Georgian College when the Lords defeated the Grizzlies 75-26. “I’m extremely happy to find out I broke the record here at Durham College, but we aren’t even halfway through the season,” said Panchan. “I’ll take a little bit of time tomorrow to enjoy it, but Monday we’re back in the gym preparing for our next game and that’s where our focus is right now.” The loss was Algonquin’s first of the season and only their fourth in the last seven years against DC, having won their last 17 head-to-head match-ups, dating back to January 12, 2007. Panchan and Brittany Walters were the Lords lone scorers after the opening quarter as Algonquin was ahead 16-10. In the third, Panchan had 11 of DC’s 21 points as they took a 48-46 lead into the final 10 minutes. Algonquin had a shot for the win in the dying seconds, but DC held on for the victory after Walters gave the Lords the lead in the final minute, making a pair of free throws to put them ahead for good. Panchan also added 11 rebounds for the double-double, while Walters finished the game with 10 points. Durham College partners with Hau Giang Community College in Vietnam Posted on November 20, 2015 at 8:55 am. Durham College (DC) has signed a five-year contract with Agriteam Consulting Ltd, to work with Vietnam’s Hau Giang Community College (HGCC) to develop a technical vocational program in the sector of post-harvest production. Funded by the Government of Canada, the partnership sees DC’s School of Science & Engineering Technology and Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFÉ) working with HGCC to share its expertise with programs in the areas of food and pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food sciences. Four high-level officials from HGCC recently travelled from Hau Giang Province, Vietnam on a one-week study tour to observe DC’s facilities and gain a deeper understanding of DC’s post-harvest programs and best practices in curriculum development. “It was an honour to host the rector, vice-rector and dean from HGCC,” said Mark Herringer, executive director, International Education. We’re looking forward to many more opportunities for both institutions to work together as DC shares its experiences combining the areas of science and technology with post-harvest production. As we’ve discovered, when you bring together multiple disciplines it leads to innovative solutions that help our partners, employees, students and wider community flourish.” In addition to working with HGCC to address its specific needs, the project team will also be lending its expertise to assist in developing a new program model that can be adapted for use at the national level in Vietnam. Two other Canadian colleges are also taking part in the project, having partnered with additional Vietnamese institutions. Work will be ongoing until September 2019. Durham College alumna wins Premier’s Award Posted on November 19, 2015 at 1:37 pm. Durham College (DC) alumna Debbie Low has been honoured on the provincial stage for her passion for sports and dedication to empowering Canadians who live with a disability. The 1985 graduate from DC’s Sports Administration program was announced as the recipient of a Premier’s Award on Monday, November 16 at a gala celebrating outstanding graduates from the Ontario college system. “I am incredibly touched and honoured to not only be nominated but to also receive the Premier’s Award for community services,” said Low, who was awarded the honour in the community services category. “Attending the Sports Administration program at DC was one of the most important decisions I made in setting me on the career path to where I am today. My full-year placement and the mentorship and coaching I received from the faculty gave me the skills and confidence I needed to succeed in the very competitive sporting industry; an industry that has also given me the opportunity to give back to the local community and champion the rights of athletes with disabilities so they too can achieve their dreams.” Helping individuals with disabilities inspired Low to make a significant impact in the athletic community and helped her stand out amongst other provincial nominees. Since graduating from DC, she has implemented numerous programs, along with developing the operational plan for Canada’s team at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games. Over the past 10 years, she has remained a leader in the sports industry as CEO of the Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario (CSIO), as well as serving on committees and boards for many not-for-profit organizations that support the success of athletes with a disability. “It was truly an honour to be present when Debbie received recognition for her career success before a crowd of some of the most influential leaders in Ontario, said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “The entire college community is very proud of her. She is an excellent role model for our students and our more than 73,000 alumni.” Low was one of 116 college graduates nominated for this year’s awards, including two others from DC, and is the fifth alumni from DC to win a Premier’s Award. Each year the Premier’s Awards are presented to acknowledge the social and economic contributions that college graduates make to the province and throughout the world. Chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 24 colleges, the award recipients have demonstrated outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made a significant contribution to their community. For more information about the DC alumni community please visit www.websiteredesign.durhamcollege.ca/alumni. « 1 … 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 … 166 »