The students were part of the group that returned to complete their studies in early July following the closure of college's campuses in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final project for the students was a "glass" cockpit conversion of two Cessna aircraft. The conversion involved fitting the aircraft with advanced avionics equipment. Mohawk's Avionics program is one of a few programs that can provide this level of training to students.

Currently split between campuses, all of the college's aviation programs, including Avionics, Maintenance and Structures will be relocating to a new, purpose-built 80,000 square foot hangar and learning hub at the Hamilton International Airport this Fall. The space was built in partnership with Britich Columbia-based KF Aerospace and is part of a large-scale expansion of KF's operations in Hamilton.

Mohawk's Aviation training facility at the Hamilton airport is expected to welcome a record number of Aviation students this fall.

For more information on Mohawk's Aviation suite of programs visit:

• Aviation Technician - Avionics Maintenance
• Aviation Technician - Aircraft Structures
• Aviation Technician - Aircraft Maintenance

Students in the photo from left to right: Chris Warren, Adam Rizzotto, Alex Szoke, Glendon Sutherland, Jessica Short, Richard Ferreira, Ryan Kirkpatrick, Austin Hill, Blayne Thomson, Thomas Williams and Mark Klander.

GRADUATE MEDAL

Christina Vukovic (Recreation Therapy)
Stefan Pogoda (Manufacturing Engineering Technician - Automation)
Kenneth Vahl (Computer Software Technology - Software Development)
Katherine Paquette (Office Administration - Health Services)
Heather Quinn (Early Childhood Education)

Awarded to the full-time student who achieves the highest grade point average of each faculty.
 

JUDGE J.K. WARRENDER AWARD

Nicholas Reeve (Broadcasting - Television and Communication Media)

This award recognizes the distinguished contribution of a graduating student to student life throughout their time at the College.
 

OUTSTANDING ACHEIVEMENT AWARD

Thomas Williams (Business Administration)
Lauren Charman (General Arts and Science)
Christopher Arndt (Journalism)

Presented to students who were actively involved in college life, our community, and supportive to fellow students while maintaining a high grade point average.
 

GOVERNOR'S GENERAL MEDAL

Heather Quinn (Early Childhood Education) 

The Collegiate Bronze medal is awarded to a full-time student who achieves the highest cumulative average upon graduation from a diploma level, full-time postsecondary program with minimum two-year duration.
 

The Indigenous Music Awards are part of the Manito Ahbee Festival, which celebrates Indigenous arts, culture, and music. The festival was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from May 15-19, 2019.

Congratulations to Jacob and Wabanaki Confederacy on this incredible award!

Mohawk's Autism program teaches students how behaviour analysis can be used to teach skills that can improve quality of life for individuals with Autism and their families. Students study evidence-based treatments and examine how those treatments are used to teach children with autism. They also design, implement and evaluate behavioural strategies and learn how to train caregivers to implement educational techniques with their children.

According to the Global Autism Project, there are more than 90 million people with Autism worldwide, and more than 85% live in developing countries.

Three Mohawk Photography students are travelling with the group to document the experience as part of a Global Experience General Education course.

Three student entrepreneurs received the nod from judges at the Pitch It to Win It competition, part of MindShift - the one-day summit for budding business leaders held at Mohawk College in March.

In this Dragon's Den/Shark Tank-style pitch competition, students pitched their business ideas to a panel of experts for a chance to win cash and in-kind prizes.

The overall winner was Iris Dip, a first-year Small Business and Entrepreneurship student whose Cozy Kiln business idea involves an interactive pottery studio. She is aiming to gather with friends and family to create beautiful and timeless ceramic pieces for tourists visiting wineries in Prince Edward County and local retirees who seek leisure recreational activities.

“I am very grateful to have this opportunity and all the support to get this far,” says Iris. “Looking forward to starting Cozy Kiln this summer thanks to Pitch It to Win it.”

Customers can drop in anytime with no appointment needed to paint bisque pieces or make their own fresh clay creations with trained staff providing assistance if needed. Cozy Kiln also hosts parties and group events.

Second prize was awarded to Trevor Nagy, a 3rd year Software Development Program student. His business, Icarus, involves building a “yelp-like” interface to assist family physicians with the process of connecting and accurately referring their patients to nearby specialists.

“With the money from this pitch,” says Trevor, “we will be able to pay for highly secure hosting fees and legal costs associated with incorporation and meeting health regulation requirements.”

Bugg Davis, a first-year Business Administration student, earned third place honours for his business idea, Liminal Coffee Co.

This business involves roasting and delivering fresh coffee every week, sourcing organic, fair trade, green coffee beans from ethical companies, to eventually meet a bigger picture of creating a coffee business that hits all points of the industry including store front, direct sourcing with farmers, shipping and delivery, with a focus in social/community outreach and innovation/change.“Being a part of this competition was an incredible experience, and being able to walk away from it with the tangible ability to move forward in my business is so invaluable,” Bugg says.

Four students from across Canada earned top recognition in different categories for bringing their academic studies to life and making an impact in their workplaces, on their campuses and with their lives. Natasha was named Student of the Year in the Other Forms of Work-Integrated Learning at the College level.

According to her nominator, Natasha “is a determined student who has been successful in her Practical Nursing program at Mohawk College because of her drive and dedication.” Although Natasha faced several obstacles as a deaf student during her clinical placements, her drive and dedication made her step outside of her comfort zone to provide the best care for her patients. Described as a trailblazer, Natasha researched and acquired assistive technologies, including a stethoscope that is used by hearing-impaired clinicians that displays the sound of a patient’s heart and lungs visually. Each clinical placement was equally impactful for Natasha as it was for her preceptors and colleagues, many who learned American Sign Language and new clinical techniques as a way to make her feel welcomed and included.

Other winners were Lawrence Young, Sheridan College (Co-operative Education at the College level), Nathan Duarte, University of Waterloo (Co-operative Education at the University level) and Kira Cheeseborough, Thompson Rivers University (Other Forms of Work-Integrated Learning at the University level).

Co-op/work-integrated learning offices across Canada will be celebrating these students’ achievements and other co-op/work-integrated learning initiatives during National Co-op and WIL Week, March 18-22, 2019. 

Heather, Samantha, Cynthia and Megan won the award for their work with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. Working through The Agency at Mohawk, the students conducted research for the group and provided them with a fundraising plan. 

The students were mentored by Mohawk College PR Professor Tim Tuck.

Alex and Spencer are second-year Marketing students whileThomas is a third-year Business Administration students at the McKeil School of Business. The trio were mentored by Mohawk professors Deborah Weston and Janice Long.

Tien Nguyen, Kathy Huynh, Daniel Blow and Phi Nguyen are all Mohawk students. Kathy, Phi and Daniel are Mechanical Engineering Technology students. Tien is an Advertising student. The team was Kathy’s idea. She convinced the other three to join her in entering the International Space Apps Challenge 2018, an international hackathon that took place from October 19-21. The competition was organized by leading scientists at NASA, and others in the space exploration business.

The contest drew more than 25,000 participants at 187 events throughout the world. The Mohawk foursome took part in the Toronto event that was organized by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), and held at Ryerson University.

Being more “mechanically focussed” the team decided to take a different approach with their entry. Instead of coming up with an app, they chose to design an autonomous vehicle that could help space agencies like NASA keep tabs on their very expensive and very delicate spacecraft. They named the vehicle ERCSIUS, which stands for External Remote-controlled Surface Inspection Unit System. ERCSIUS is a concept only. The team built a virtual model. No prototype was built.

“ERCSIUS is inspired by nature,” says Daniel. “The vehicle’s job would be to scan a spacecraft for damage caused by debris impacts.”

To help ERCSIUS do its job better, the team incorporated features found in nature. One of those features is the vehicle’s feet. Here ERCSIUS borrows its design from a water strider, a small insect that can redistribute its weight in a way that allows it to run on top of water. The water strider design would allow ERCSIUS to land safely on the spacecraft’s delicate exterior.

ERCSIUS’s ability to fly around the spacecraft is another key to its design. Instead of crawling across the surface of the spacecraft, which increases the risk of damage, ERCSIUS would orbit the craft, only landing when it identifies potential damage. The team even thought of the propellant they would use for ERCSIUS’s thrusters. AF-M315E is fuel-efficient, stable and non-toxic, making it safer for the crew, the spacecraft and the environment.

ERCSIUS’s biggest benefit is crew safety. It would reduce the need for dangerous space walks and give crews an easier way to inspect and repair their spacecraft.

Daniel, Phi and Kathy came up with ERCSIUS’s concept. Tien, with his background in marketing, was the secret weapon when it came time to pitch the idea to the judges. It worked. The judges were impressed and the four were chosen to move on as Global Nominees. The team learned in December that they are not moving on.

While ERCSIUS may never be built, there is a small chance that it may inspire future designs. No matter what the four agree that the project was worth the effort and will look great on their resumes.

“We had a great time before, during and after the contest,” says Tien. “We were happy to participate in such a fun contest and we were proud to represent Mohawk College.”

The student team of Brennen Robinson, Sam Melo and Cullen MacDougal took silver for their The Vince Lombardi Engagement Rings by Tiffany & Co. The team found out that Tiffany & Co. actually craft the Vince Lombardi trophy - that's the trophy given out to the Super Bowl champion. Their idea was to create rings for men that have actual shavings of their favourite team's Vince Lombardi trophy - making that little blue box special for men too.

Brennan and Cullen also took sivler for their The Jurassic Park Coaster concept. The idea was to create a bluetooth-powered coaster that syncs up with a blu-ray player. When movie buffs watch the new Jurassic Park movie at home - just like in the original Jurassic Park - their water would ripple when the dinosaurs roar.

The final silver went to Maddie George and Kira McNeil for their Calgary Stampede concept. These western-designed posters remind everyone that life isn't easy if you're a cowboy. Lines like "A cowboy tan is what's left when you wash the dirt off." Or, "Around here mud masks aren't relaxing" are accompanied by photographs highlighting the dangers of competing in the stampede.

All of the students are coached and mentored by professors Rafael Ferreira and Jef Petrossi.

"I don't want Deaf people to think they can't do it."

Natasha Mando refuses to let the fact that she is Deaf get in the way of her dreams. A graduate of Mohawk's Practical Nursing program, Natasha is a trailblazer who says she had great support from Mohawk faculty and staff at Hamilton Health Sciences during her clinical placements.

Read Natasha's story in the Fall issue of Momentum Magazine: https://issuu.com/mohawkcollege/docs/momentummagazinefall2018/8

The Mohawk College eco-car team is gearing up to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon Challenge in Sonoma, California.

The competition is based on building a fuel-efficient prototype – a single-seat vehicle – or a two-seater concept vehicle. The vehicles can be powered with lithium ion batteries, hydrogen or gas.

The 10-member Mohawk team will compete in the battery prototype division.

Project manager Jason LaPorta, now in his sixth semester in Electrical Engineering Technology, has

spent all three years at Mohawk on the eco-car team. He joined for the hands-on work and says the learning process, the teamwork and his leadership experience have given him a head-start in landing a job.

It is a demanding commitment. At least one day a week, the team puts in an eight-hour day and most days are three to four hours. By the third week of March, LaPorta has put in more than 160 hours in 2019.

Each year, new students come on board, who learn from the older ones. They are all guided by faculty members who lend their expertise and advice. It’s just like getting a start-up off the ground, he says.

“It’s been a great experience. I realize how difficult it is to get something to work. There are always challenges to overcome. It’s frustrating but it’s important.”

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The students benefit from strategic volunteering that has been vetted and facilitated by the college, says Program Liaison Claire Webber. It gives them valuable experience on their resumes and credit on their Co-Curricular Records (CCR), which highlights all aspects of a college experience that don‘t appear on a transcript. It also allows for networking and a foot in the door for their careers.

“The overall goal is to create meaningful connections between Mohawk students and the Hamilton community through direct volunteering outreach,“ said Webber. “Volunteering can be daunting for students but this makes it easier.“

Ravi Patel, an international student from India studying mechanical engineering, says Campus to Community makes him feel connected to his college and his adopted home. He volunteers at Ronald McDonald House where he hosts a weekly games night. “It‘s a really wonderful experience. I love spending time with kids. They have so much fun and it makes families happy.“

He‘s also volunteered for a food drive and a landscaping improvement project at the Eva Rothwell Centre. Though he first volunteered to get credit on his CCR, Patel says he now does it because of the personal satisfaction it brings.

The program is part of Mohawk‘s strategic plan for student success and engagement and supported by Glen and Heather Steeves. It began as a pilot with three non-profit partners and has now grown to 12. The aim is to expand the roster of volunteer organizations each year to 24 by 2021.

Mohawk will seek its next group of community partners beginning in spring 2019. Visit mohawkcollege.ca/campustocommunity.

Campus to Community partners

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Central Ontario

• Eva Rothwell Centre

• Habitat for Humanity Hamilton

• Neighbour to Neighbour Centre

• Wesley Urban Ministries

• Stewards of Cootes Watershed

• Mission Services of Hamilton

• Special Olympics Hamilton

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She was focused on nursing and all six schools had excellent academic and athletic programs. Pellow chose Mohawk College because it stood out as the best fit.

“It just drew me right in,“ said the second-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student. “I definitely made the right decision. Athletically, I couldn‘t be happier and academically, I‘m 100 per cent sure I made the right choice for me.“

The David Braley Athletics Recreation Centre, which opened about five years ago, offers stateof- the-art amenities to all of Mohawk‘s athletic programs, says Michelle Ball, Director of Student Engagement and Athletics. It includes a fitness centre, multi-purpose studio, indoor track, and three full-size gyms.

“When Mohawk has a similar academic program to another college, athletes will look at the facilities available. We know the centre has influenced decisions to attend here.“

Mohawk‘s varsity sports roster includes 14 teams: basketball (men and women), volleyball (men and women), soccer (men and women), golf (co-ed), badminton (co-ed), cross-country (co-ed), curling (coed), indoor soccer (men and women), rugby (men), and softball (women).

About 180 varsity athletes suit up to represent the Mohawk Mountaineers in the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA). “I think we are really fortunate because we have an excellent varsity program at Mohawk,“ said Kevin Duffy, head coach of the women‘s basketball team. “I can tell you that whenever I invite parents or rep teams to see our team, they are impressed with the quality of athletics and facilities at Mohawk.“

The women‘s basketball team has earned OCAA medals five straight years and Mohawk has recently fielded strong teams in volleyball, softball and men‘s basketball, and earned individual medals in golf and curling over the last several seasons.

Ball says one-quarter of Mohawk‘s athletes have averages above 85 per cent. “Our success isn‘t just on the court or the field but in the classroom. Our athletes are here for school first.“

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First-year Advertising students, Shem Joslyn and Nika Salazar-Johnson won gold and a paid internship at a Toronto agency. It was the fifth straight year that Mohawk has won gold in the student category. Second-year students Hussein Rumaithi and Angelica Carreno took the silver and merit categories, and second-year students Zachary Kumaczow and Allison Boyd won bronze.

All of this winners were competing against more seasoned students, says Advertising professor Jef Petrossi. Mohawk students have historically been at a disadvantage at this competition, he says because all third-year students are away on placement and unable to compete.

To see the full results of the competition visit: https://nationaladvertisingchallenge.com/winners/

Hussein Rumaithi (Year 2), Zach Kumaczow (Year 2), Rafael Ferreira, Allison Boyd (Year 2), Shem Joslyn (Year 1), Angelica Carreno (Year 2), Jef Petrossi

Missing from photo Nikka Salazar-Johnson who couldn’t attend the event.

Mohawk College Medalists:

• Aircraft Maintenance – Masyn Fox
• Automotive Repair – Ryan Gascho
• Graphic Design (Pin Design Winner) – Jessica Simchison

Technological skills competitions are Olympic-style events that give newcomers to skilled trades the opportunity to put their newly developed skills to the test. Being chosen to compete in the event is a huge honour for students and on some cases can lead to employment after graduation as many employers use the annual competition to scout for talent.

“We are on the cusp of massive change. The techno-socio-economic landscape is on the precipice of a revolution,” says Ciupa, Chief Technology Officer of calvIO Inc., part of the Calvary Robotics group of companies in Webster, N.Y.

“We are moving towards what experts call the technology singularity. The acceleration of technology across many areas is gathering pace. It’s to the point that it’s not really possible for an individual to grasp everything that is going on, strategic plans are less valuable than an agile mindset.”

The technological singularity is in part influenced by the idea that the invention of Artificial Generic Intelligence (AGI), or Super-Intelligence, will continually and rapidly improve upon itself, and will eventually and abruptly trigger runaway technological advances, bringing with it unprecedented changes to civilization.

“I think it’s fair to say the pace of technology is becoming harder to manage, we need help. AGI may deliver that support, till then we need a combination of specialists and generalists in engineering technology.”

The future requires an influx of young people into sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at institutions like Mohawk College, which provide foundational applied learning and research opportunities directly tied to industry needs, says Ciupa.

“Mohawk has done a wonderful job of applying itself where the rubber meets the road and using research funding to educate students, answer industrial challenges and provide well-educated talent. Companies can’t easily build the knowledge experts with the competencies they require in the time frame needed. Partnerships with Mohawk provide that capability and build longer-term talent strategies.”

Education is the key to creating and adapting – socially, economically and technologically – to a new future of automated automation, says Ciupa. 

“At its essence, engineering is about change, changing from the past to the future and changing to the right future and doing it with forethought – we need to develop ‘ChangeMasters.’”

The McKinsey Global Institute says 12 core emergent technologies – from AI to robots, from Internet of Things (IoT) to mapping human genetics, from drones to blockchain, and from 3D printing to energy storage – have the power to truly disrupt the status quo and rearrange how we learn, live and work. The institute estimates that together, applications of the 12 technologies could have a potential economic impact between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year in 2025.

The key is the convergence and collision that drives new technology. For example, Ciupa is supporting with Flaight Smart Media, a Fredericton, N.B. start-up that is using AI and drones to capture sporting events. AI can follow the action of a game, edit video and deliver virtual reality content to spectators inside the venue or outside, says Ciupa. Mohawk College is firmly focused on a future of converging technology, says David Santi, Dean of Engineering Technology.

“There are several areas of technology just in that one application. The great convergence of technology means innovation requires a mastery of many areas. There is a tapestry of technology that requires multidisciplinary awareness. Students need to learn to be agile engineers.”

Mohawk has been actively involved in the development and application of drone technology in building and construction sciences, has the only Civil Engineering Transportation Technology program in Canada designed to meet the needs of a low-carbon environment, and is a leader in energy storage.

“The new net-zero building, The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, will have advanced engineering and space for students to learn and experience building energy management and control systems,” said Santi.

Mohawk is also a leader in education and certification in industrial collaborative robotics, 3D printing and smart system integration using sensors and predictive analytics powered by IBM Watson to improve factory performance, he said.

Disruptive and emerging technologies allow for new opportunities in applied research, creation of programs and advanced credentials and integration into existing programs, says Vice President Academic Paul Armstrong. Most certainly, inter-disciplinary learning that mirrors the real world is the new model at Mohawk.

“Disruption, innovation and the technologies facilitating new ways of working have eliminated silos and students are working in that collaborative and mutually supportive environment from the moment they set foot on our campus.” Armstrong says connecting diverse groups of students and faculty through applied research and other real-world projects is critical to Mohawk’s vision and underpins investments to The Agency – an experiential learning facility – and a new focus on student enterprise initiatives. The Joyce Centre and the creation of a completely integrated factory model at the Fennell Campus will allow industry partners to access technology and knowledge of Mohawk faculty, says Armstrong, and “build opportunities to connect students with experiences that will differentiate them from their peers in the workforce.”

“Disruption, innovation and the technologies facilitating new ways of working have eliminated silos and students are working in that collaborative and mutually supportive environment from the moment they set foot on our campus.”

Mohawk’s strength in applied research is paying off with two new bachelor degree programs: Business Analytics and the recently approved Bachelor of Digital Health, the latter the result of almost 10 years of leading-edge digital health technology work out of the MEDIC Lab.

Mohawk is also a leader in augmented and virtual reality with a new state-of-the-art learning centre accessible to all schools and industry partners. Faculty in skilled trades, building and construction, and media and entertainment are already using AR/VR in their courses, says Armstrong, building on Mohawk’s vision to be a leader in simulation learning.

“Through a virtual environment, students can enter nuclear power facilities, be inside operating rooms, develop proficiency in welding, learn how to operate large equipment and so much more. Mohawk will grow this area of expertise and, in partnership with leaders in the industry, will be well positioned to capitalize on this new and emerging strength area.”

Ciupa says the next great wave of workplace transformation will come using AI to automate some knowledge functions, like the impacts of several decades of robotics in manufacturing.

AI will partially replace knowledge work, by augmenting it by taking on routine or tedious tasks – the black and white – and leaving people to perform the creative, caring, social, higher-knowledge, shades of grey, value-driven and decision-making aspects of their jobs.

“AI Deep Learning systems suffer from a black-box problem; they learn, but you can’t ask them why they made a decision. A human doctor, for instance, can explain a decision and provide a rationale. An AI black-box system cannot do that easily.”

Ciupa says a wholesale rethinking of work and society could create a world of lifelong education or look after others and the environment with the support of new socio-economic models such as Universal Basic Income.

“There would be a more humane use of human beings. There is an infinite need for the caring vocations. Humans will always need other humans to help them.”

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Smart factories decentralize action and decisionmaking to individual machines and gadgets, and sensors know what’s happening elsewhere, says Visser.

“These sensors have some intelligence and can do some of their own thinking. That is a big shift for industry. And if an assembly line is intelligent, what happens to a product depends on the product itself.”

This means the same assembly line can create different bottles of dish soap for various customers or handle car parts in different ways. That‘s a tremendous productivity advantage.

Smart factories constantly crunch vast amounts of complex data in the cloud, adjusting for optimization, identifying bottlenecks and anticipating failures before they happen.

Transitioning to a smart factory requires both a huge capital investment and expertise, says George Miltenburg, Associate Dean of Engineering Technology.

“Big multinationals are on their way to being worldclass smart factories, but smaller factories are far behind. That’s where Mohawk wants to be: the college that can help small manufacturers become smart and join Industry 4.0.”

Through experiential projects, Mohawk computer science and engineering students are being equipped with the skills to design, network and configure smart and secure connected industrial systems, build and program sensors, and move data through cloud protocols. Mohawk partners IBM, Rockwell, Siemens, Cisco and FANUC provide critical expertise and resources.

“We are developing our capabilities with the idea that Mohawk will be a leader in the ramp-up of Industry 4.0,” said Miltenburg. “The big players see a commercial opportunity in smart factories, but they need us to help the smaller players adopt the technology.”

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Congratulations to this year’s recipients. – Ron McKerlie, Mohawk College President

Mohawk had submissions in 4 categories, showcasing 5 projects from total of 17 students.  

Winners were announced on March 22nd in Toronto at the ceremony with Cody winning first place for Photography. 

The program, which teaches Canadian and global accessibility standards, will begin for a second group of students in January.

“We need to start graduating people who understand accessible content,“ said instructor Karen McCall, who taught accessible document design. A growing number of employers are requiring that new hires be equipped to build accessible content, she said.

Much of the digital content on the web is not accessible for those with low or no vision or with hearing loss. By 2021, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires that everything on the web be accessible. That requires captioning for video and making content compatible with assistive devices, for instance.

“It was a rigorous program and I got a lot out of it,“ said graduate Andrea Jelic. “It‘s an up-and-coming career and these skills will be needed.“

The eight-month program mixes once a week oncampus classes with online learning. Courses are delivered in three-week modules, culminating in a capstone project, and all students did one or two field placements.

“We had more employers asking for placements than we had students. There is a lot of demand out there,“ said Program Coordinator Jennifer Curry Jahnke.

Adam Luyk‘s e-learning support role in Mohawk‘s McKeil School of Business has expanded to include accessibility components now that he has finished the Accessible Media program. He now trains Mohawk staff and faculty to create accessible documents and audits courses for accessibility.

“I never thought about accessibility before taking this program. I didn‘t understand the issue and it was an eye-opening experience for me. It has changed my perspective.“

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But advanced robots, equipped with sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, now have the senses, dexterity and intelligence to work sideby- side with human workers. These collaborative robots are smaller and more adaptable, making them viable for a greater range of tasks in more settings.

“There has been a lot of progress and innovation in producing collaborative robots,” said John van Loon, an electrical engineering technology professor at Mohawk. “They know the force they are exerting, they can determine the world around them, they respond to the presence of people, and they will stop if they come in contact with a person. That allows them to work alongside people.”

Robots are becoming so advanced they can even sense and interpret human facial expressions, movement and tone of voice.

“It’s all targeted toward interacting with people in all kinds of ways. The Renaissance Hotel in Las Vegas uses a delivery robot. It takes the elevators and travels the halls and calls the room to bring food or towels. That robot has to navigate through crowds of people, which is an inherently unpredictable environment.”

And modern robots, big and small, can interact and work together, performing tasks they couldn’t accomplish alone, for instance.

“On a search and rescue operation, a squadron of drones equipped with imaging equipment can cover a large swath of land in a search pattern. They understand where every other drone is, what each field of view is, and how everyone is moving so that nothing is missed.”

Students in Mohawk’s engineering technology programs learn to program, operate, set up, repair and maintain industrial robots.

Mohawk partner FANUC has developed some of Canada’s first industrial collaborative robots, which are integrated into Mohawk’s course offerings.

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Solar and wind aren’t predictable generators and can’t be relied on to supply power that matches demand.

“All the problems with current renewable energy systems are solved with energy storage solutions,” said Rubaid Khan, Faculty Member and Research Coordinator of Mohawk’s Energy  Power Innovation Centre. “If there is no immediate demand, energy can be stored and accessed when it is needed.”

Late last year, the world’s biggest battery — built by Tesla — was powered up in South Australia to store wind power. The battery is the size of an American football field and capable of powering 30,000 homes for short periods when the grid is taxed or down. A huge imbalance in supply and demand means the state is plagued by frequent power failures and the highest electricity prices in the world.

“This shows that large-scale renewable energy infrastructure is viable,” said Khan. But much more practical today is microgrid storage.

“So it would not be a one grid-scale battery per city idea but small pockets, in shopping malls or neighbourhoods where solar panels are tied to their own batteries.”

IKEA has announced that all its stores will be net-zero by 2020, powered by solar panels and wind turbines. A neighbourhood of 130 homes in Brooklyn is tied together in an energy production and storage system.

Mohawk is advancing toward a microgrid research and training facility with industry partners that will bring together battery technology with renewable energy production and address a growing skills gap in the sector, says Khan.

RAPID CHANGES IN RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COULD SOON CHANGE HOW WE POWER OUR WORLD

Mohawk students are working with utility companies and equipment makers to design and build the microgrids of the future

Rapidly evolving technology in renewable energy production — solar, wind, hydro-electric and even ocean waves — hold tremendous promise in addressing fossil fuel depletion and climate change while vastly reducing the cost of production.

Renewable energy is at the point of disruption, says Rubaid Khan, Faculty Member and Research Coordinator of Mohawk’s Energy Power Innovation Centre.

A new model of distributed solar and wind power resources in neighbourhoods, businesses and homes provides very localized energy that is much less prone to disruption from storms or natural disasters, terrorism or cyber-attack than traditional, centralized power generation.

Mohawk students are working with utility companies and equipment vendors to size, design and build microgrids that can be managed through sensors and dashboards in the cloud.

“The technology exists but there is a shortage of skilled workers. We are teaching about solar production, batteries and electronics but the next step is integrating it all together. That is where there is a skills gap.”

The College already has a full-scale, two-storey house inside a lab that functions with smart appliances and smart meters. Students monitor energy use, design solar panel systems and battery storage to support that load, and learn how to integrate the home to the main grid, says Khan.

Mohawk is advancing toward a microgrid research and training facility with its industry partners that will be a realworld development and test environment coupling battery technology with renewable energy production, says Khan.

“The heart of the technology is batteries to store power when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. We’ve come a long way with solar and wind energy but storage is where the bottleneck is because we can’t control the clouds or the wind.”

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“We are actually pushing technology into industry. That should be a role of educational institutions, to de-risk technology for our industry partners.”

Drones allow surveying of housing development sites in 45 minutes that would take a crew two or three days using traditional methods.

Combining drones with sophisticated 3D LiDAR scanners means entire buildings can be captured in minutes, right down to the locations of wall outlets and mechanical conduits. The data is used to build detailed floor plans without having to do any measurements.

Mohawk students used that technology to produce a 360-degree scan of the former Westinghouse office building using 3.6 billion data points. It’s Borger’s dream to generate a 3D image of the rock face of the American side of the Niagara Falls when the water is diverted to replace a pedestrian bridge sometime in the future.

“We are the only institution in north-eastern North America with this kind of capability,” said Borger, who says this is thanks to the support of faculty, staff and college leaders 

Drones and scanners can map mines and quarries and survey the conditions of trees, plants and crops, says chemical engineering professor Greg Matzke. “It’s not widely used yet, so there is much potential. Drones allow access to places we could not have gone before.”

Matzke, who has a drone operator licence, foresees a course built around the technology in the near future, perhaps eventually growing to a certificate program.

All of the data captured by drones and scanners can be taken into cutting-edge virtual reality to create 3D worlds.

“Architects, engineers, building owners and contractors can meet virtually, see what each other sees, and mark up drawings. Together, they are experiencing the model as it would be built,” said Borger.

WHAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES CAN TEACH US ABOUT HOW MACHINES LEARN

All the components of a road-worthy autonomous car are contained in a model built by third-year computer software technician student Kugsang Jeong. The car is built on a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and uses machine-learning artificial intelligence, along with video cameras and sensors to navigate its environment.

Jeong had a special interest in a self-driving car, so Dennis Angle, Professor of Computer Science and Information Technology, asked for the funding to buy a basic kit.

“If it was on the road, it could detect traffic lights, pedestrians or other cars,” said Jeong, whose main focus is on digital health. His goal was to learn about the machine learning, which will have an enormous impact on a vast number of sectors.

All Mohawk College software engineering students are able to write and work on the code that drives autonomous vehicles, said Angle.

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The Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) was home to the first metal 3D printer at any postsecondary institution in Canada and has carried out applied research alongside companies of all sizes.

“We have a mandate to explore additive manufacturing and help industry partners explore the technology in a low-risk, low-cost way,” said Jeff McIsaac, General Manager of AMIC. “Partners typically come with a specific challenge and want to find out if 3D printing is the answer.”

As costs for printers and materials continue to fall, the technology is becoming an ever-more viable option for manufacturers. “We are in the very, very early stages. There are processes we haven’t even opened up. 3D printing is changing everything about what we are thinking.”

The technology is driving new design approaches that replicate shapes found in nature, says McIsaac, such as curved holes, porous interiors or lattice structures, that were never possible with traditional manufacturing.

“We can print a tree but we cannot machine a tree. Nature has developed all kinds of shapes that are high strength and light weight. 3D printing allows the production of anything a designer can dream up.”

Part of AMIC’s mandate as an applied research lab is to take the knowledge gained with industry partners and work with faculty to feed that back into the curriculum.

AMIC is staffed with part-time and full-time student employees through co-ops and internships. It also takes volunteers, can be accessed for capstone projects, and is available to student entrepreneurs through SURGE.

“Students who learn in our lab leave with a very unique skill set. They have access to technology other schools haven’t had and work closely with industry partners. They are well positioned for industry in Canada.”

LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE

Faculty and students at Mohawk are exploring how old techniques developed by foundries can be used to improve products made through 3D printing

Developing new materials for additive manufacturing means using traditional techniques to create stronger, lighter-weight parts, says Elizabeth Martin, a professor of mechanical engineering technology. That will make 3D printing viable for mainstream manufacturing.

“We are borrowing from a lot of methods used in foundries for 50 years but applying them in new ways,” said Martin, who has a PhD in polymer mechanics. “3D printing has completely changed the way we look at materials.”

A core area of specialization for Mohawk’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) is materials development, said General Manager Jeff McIsaac. “The catalogue of materials in metal 3D printing is limited. There are only a handful available for commercial use, so there is a lot of focus on the advancement of new alloys.”

Martin says thermal treatment of powdered metals or polymers greatly improves the strength when the material is deposited in layers. Sintering or in-situ heating post-printing also results in better bonding between layers.

“If you think of a structure being printed one layer at a time as being like building blocks, the layers are attached but there is a crack between the layers. It’s important to encourage the layers to attach together in a stronger way so the overall structure is stronger.”

Materials development is key to realizing all the possibilities and benefits that 3D printing offers, says Martin.

“The more time we spend learning about the building up of layers, the better we are getting at developing strong materials. All foundry science relies on strength properties, and we can build that into 3D printing.

Mohawk students have many opportunities to learn and apply the technology, says Martin. The college’s strong design curriculum in the manufacturing program is backed up by foundry techniques and opportunities to volunteer, study and work in the AMIC.

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Cardiac sonography is a subset of radiation sciences that is dedicated to one complex, critical organ. The program, offered at Mohawk‘s Institute for Applied Health Sciences at McMaster, provides a highly specialized, in-demand skill set to treat a population that is aging and experiencing a high incidence of heart disease, said Wendy Lawson, Associate Dean of Applied Health at Mohawk.

“It’s something that Mohawk is very proud of, to be the only such dedicated program in the country and that our graduates have excellent reputations in the field. There is a real need in the labour market and tremendous demand for cardiac sonographers.”

Cardiac sonography is a fast and non-invasive diagnostic tool to evaluate heart function, structure and blood flow in patients in which there is suspected to have been a cardiac event or heart disease or another systemic disease affecting the heart. Cardiac sonography, with the test result evaluated by a cardiologist, leads the way to the best treatment.

“Cardiac sonography provides images of the heart, a moving, highly dynamic organ, and the diagnostic ability of it is really quite amazing,” said Jennifer Lisac, Program Coordinator for the Cardiac Sonography Program and a graduate of the program.

Mohawk recently invested in two new high-fidelity training simulators that provide cuttingedge experiential learning to students, including complex case studies and sometimes difficult patients. Tough scenarios aren’t possible to simulate when 23 students are practising their skills on each other, said Lisac.

The condensed program is four semesters over 15 months, combining classroom and online learning with two semesters of clinical rotations. The program accepts 40 students, allowing for a low instructor-to-student ratio.

Graduates write a national accreditation exam and as of January 2018, sonographers are registered health professionals in Ontario. More than 95 per cent of program graduates are working in the field.

“If you are considering becoming a cardiac sonographer, Mohawk is the place to do it. The investment that they make in their staff, facilities and equipment is second to none,” said Jason Michalakos, who graduated in 2007 and works as a cardiology clinical specialist for Philips Healthcare.

Kenneth Szeto, who graduated in 2017, says extra-curricular learning events and career guidance were invaluable and he landed a job immediately after graduation.

“The program offered both the necessary theoretical knowledge and the dexterous hands-on skills required to succeed in the career. The professors were passionate in their lectures and offered tremendous support after hours.”

Demand for cardiac sonographers will only grow locally, nationally and internationally, says Lawson. Because the tools are portable and cost effective, they are ideal for remote locations.

Lisac and her colleagues are deeply involved with an Albertabased project to teach health professionals in Guyana to use cardiac sonography. Mohawk College is a partner, providing travel, equipment, medical supplies and textbooks and many program faculty and graduates have volunteered their time.

“There are many passionate advocates of the profession here at Mohawk and they’ve invested a lot of themselves in this project.”

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The 20-year-old Broadcast Television Communications student was awarded a provincial scholarship and will be heading to Vancouver for the 2018 Juno Awards.

Whitney received the Michael Monty Scholarship from the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB). The scholarship is given annually to one student in Ontario who displays strong academic achievement while pursuing volunteer efforts that make a difference in their community.

In 2017, Whitney was the host for the John C. Holland Awards and also volunteered at the OAB Conference, and Vanier Cup, Whitney has also volunteered at the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, 2012 World Deaf Athletic Championships, and has helped organize and run summer camps for at-risk youth for the past seven years.

Later this month, Whitney will be making her way to Vancouver for her first industry job. She is working on the 2018 Juno Awards through her internship with Insight Productions, one of Canada’s leading production companies for television programming.

Television and Communications Media program coordinator Patrick Hanson, who nominated Whitney, says “she has a unique ability to instantly change the dynamic of a room and the people in it for the better. Whitney is brimming with positivity, I have no doubt that she is on a path to a very bright future.”

You can read Joy's story here: http://www.outwardbound.ca/getText.asp?type=Pages&ID=197

Sixteen of the 117 graduates from the Class of 1967 were on hand to celebrate the occasion. Mohawk's "Golden Grads" were first to receive a Mohawk diploma and the first college grads in all of Ontario. The province's other colleges did not graduate their first class of students until 1969. 

The Class of 1967 began their studies as Hamilton Institute of Technology (HIT) students in 1964. When the decision was made to replace HIT with Mohawk, the students voted to become Mohawk grads so as not to be associated with a school that no longer existed.

Mohawk grew quickly in the years that followed. By 1968 the college had grown to 1,900 full-time students and 2,000 continuing education students, supported by 150 faculty. The Fennell campus was opened a year later in 1969.

As part of the Golden Graduation festivities, the noted alumni were awarded new diplomas and presented with a special adcademic stole in honour of their unique status. The college will also be awarding a series of scholarships and bursaries in honour of the Golden Grads in 2018. The money for those awards was raised as part of the college's 50th Anniverary fundraising campaign called The Start of Something Amazing Campaign.

"I walk back and forth to campus every day and I am physically hit with trash all the time," says Chandelle, explaining how she got the a class assignment on creating a viral video around an issue that is important to them.

The third-year Advertising and Marketing Communications Management student says dodging flying trash on the windy west mountain is a common occurrence on her daily trek to and from campus. And it's a problem that seems to be much worse the closer you are to city bus shelters, she adds.

"There's a simple solution," says Chandelle. "Put trash bins at bus shelters and you'll give people a place to put their garbage. Right now, there's no trash bins around bus shelters. You can walk an entire street on the west mountain without seeing a trash bin."

When her third-year Interactive Portfolio class was given the assignment to create a video that could go viral Chandelle knew exactly the issue she was going tackle. She wanted to shed light on the amount of litter on Hamilton streets and hopefully do something about it at the same time.

Chandelle and her classmates Eric Kosteinik, Chris Hitchings and Chiara Campli got to work collecting trash off Hamilton streets. They then turned the trash into art and put the pieces back on the street with a simple message to share via social media using the hashtag #Trash2Art and asking people to sign their Change.org petition.

Once the petition reaches 100 signatures, Chandelle says it will go to the Mayor's office where she hopes it will result in getting trash bins placed at city bus shelters.

"I don't know why they wouldn't do it," she says. "It's a small step towards making Hamilton a more attractive place to live."

For more on this story:

• Watch Chandelle's Trash2Art video here
• Watch Chandelle and classmate Eric Kosteinik on Cable 14 with Linda Rourke
• Sign Chandelle's Change.org petition

Related Content:

Watch this YouTube Video where Mohawk advertising students surprise HSR drivers with coffee

The students congratulated the Minister on the province's efforts to make post-secondary education more affordable for students and for simplifying the process through which students apply to receive funding, including a new OSAP calculator at www.ontario.ca/osap that enables applicants to quickly check how much funding they are eligible to receive.

The students also shared some insights into how the changes were recevied at their schools and highlighted the need for more financial literacy among students to better prepare them for life away from home and the additional responsbilities that come with being a college or universitry student.  Mohawk has already made increasing financial literacy among students a strategic priority and has developed programs and services aimed at achieving this goal.

Read more about Mohawk's student Meghan Josling online here. 

Age: 29

Position: Mortgage broker

Job description: I meet with clients to discuss what type of financing they're looking for based on their current situation.

How did you come to be in this job? I've always wanted to be in the mortgage business. My mother, Mary Carey, is the broker/owner of Personal Choice Mortgage Services.

Read more...

Age: 29

Position: Studio owner and photographer at Moments — by Lauren

Job description: Wedding and lifestyle photographer

How did you come to be in this job? After graduating from university and working in a field I wasn't passionate about, I went back to school and started my own business. I completed the two ...read more 

“When you pour your heart and soul into something and spend so much time perfecting it and getting it right, to hear your name called is such an amazing feeling,” said Ailsa. “We weren’t expecting this. It was a huge surprise.”

“I was just excited to be going so I could admire everyone’s work,” said Chenice. “I was shocked. We did not expect to win.”

The NAC is a national awards competition for Canada’s advertising industry. Mohawk Creative Advertising professor Jef Petrossi says competitions like the NAC matter to the industry.

“Competitions are one of the ways ad agencies promote themselves and show what they’re capable of producing,” he said.

For Ailsa and Chenice, the NAC was a chance to put their creative minds to work on a project that mirrors what professional creatives encounter every day in an agency setting. All entries had to answer a creative brief. In this case it was for the Toronto Zoo, and the challenge was to design an advertising campaign that would entice families to visit the zoo as part of Canada’s 150^th celebrations when other parks and national attractions were offering free admission.

Chenice and Ailsa came up with two ideas. Their first, and the one they received the Gold for, was to put images of the zoo’s animals on Canadian coins such as Toonies and Loonies. A limited number of the coins would be put into circulation and anyone who found one could get into the zoo for free. The campaign publicity would help to promote the zoo and draw paying customers, and by featuring animals from different parts of the world they would also be celebrating Canada’s diversity. The second idea, which they were not required to do but did for fun, featured balloon animals meant to entice children to convince parents to take them to the zoo. They won Bronze for that submission.

Jef says entering the competition is a requirement for all first-year Advertising students. He and fellow Mohawk Advertising prof Rafael Ferreira act as sounding boards for the ideas and give some coaching along the way, but it’s the students that spend countless hours tweaking and perfecting their ideas.

Students from the Mohawk program have won gold at the competition for the past four years. This is the first time that a team has won two medals in the same competition.

Both Chenice and Ailsa came to Mohawk after attending programs at another college and university, and both say that their experience with this competition proves they made the right choice.

“I really wanted to do something creative,” said Ailsa. “Mohawk had the credibility and great professors.”

Three Mohawk students won medal winners at the competition.

• Matthew Gregoroff - Gold - Millwright
• Mike Haefele - Bronze - Steamfitter/Pipefitter
• Caroyln Dandie - Pin of the Show, Graphic Design

Both Matthew and Mike will move to the Canadian Skills Competition being held in Winnipeg in June. They will be joined by Engineering Technology professor Richard Dupp who will be a judge at the national competition.

Skills Ontario began 28 years ago and is a province-wide non-profit organization dedicated to building Ontario's skilled trades and technologies workforce. In addition to running the annual competition, Skills Ontario partners with school boards, colleges, small business, large companies, labour groups, and governments to provide opportunities for youth to explore and develop skills for successful careers in the skilled trades.

HAMILTON, ON (May 3, 2017) -- The Mohawk Students’ Association (MSA) has joined the Government of Canada, The Joyce Family Foundation and ArcelorMittal Dofasco in supporting the construction of Canada’s largest, and the region’s first, net zero-energy institutional building.

The MSA is investing $1 million in The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk’s Fennell campus. The 96,000 square foot centre, set to open for students in September 2018, is part of the largest renewal of labs and classrooms in Mohawk’s 50-year history. Enrolment in high-demand technology programs will grow from 3,500 to 4,500 students and applied research projects with industry partners will increase by 50 per cent.

In addition to supporting the Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, the MSA has also invested upwards of $2.5 million over the past three years towards renovations at Mohawk’s skilled trades campus, construction of the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre and installation of the first outdoor indigenous gathering space at any college in Ontario.

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation has received $20 million in funding from the Government of Canada, $5 million from the Joyce Family Foundation and $1 million from ArcelorMittal Dofasco. The federal funding and foundation gift are the largest yet received in Mohawk’s history.

QUOTES:

CONTACTS:

Jay Robb, Mohawk College Director of Communications, 905.979.8893, jay.robb@mohawkcollege.ca

Samantha Hoover, MSA President, 905-575-1212 ext. 3217, Samantha.hoover@mohawkcollege.ca

A team of seven from Mohawk College’s broadcasting program, with a focus in television and communications media, have created a documentary titled Superfan.

The team was given six weeks to write, shoot and produce a five- to 10-minute short film. The project is the culmination of their three-year diploma program.

This particular film explores the rising popularity of the superhero film genre.

Read more here 

To learn more about the short film, visit SuperfanDocumentar.WixSite.com/Superfan.

To stay up-to-date with the film’s progress, visit Facebook.com/SuperfanDocumentary2017.

Before the main event, Alumnus and previous AESS team member Lacey Hill provided an inspirational and encouraging keynote to the students and shared music from her newly released CD, M (528 Volume II).

The following students were recognized as Indigenous Student Award recipients during our awards night:

School Spirit Award

Jerrilyn King

Keeper of the Fire Award

Behdahbuhn Logan

Keeper of the Fire Award

Ronnie Hill

Sara Smith Award

Shyann Jenkins

Community Involvement Award

Amy Thomson

Perseverance Award

Natasha Findlay-Clairmont

Academic Proficiency Award

Masyn Fox

Amber Skye Memorial Award

Linda Bird

Keepers of the Four Directions - East

Farzon Sahami

Keepers of the Four Directions - North

Stephen Cruickshank

Keepers of the Four Directions - West

Elizabeth Ford

Keepers of the Four Directions - South

Marlene Martin

Inspiring Youth Award

Crystal Meeches

“Vision Like a Hawk” Award

Riley Monture

We also recognized a number of hardworking PSET recipients and our Student Employees in AESS for their dedication to the centre and fellow students.

Congratulations to all recipients and thank you to all who support our students on their path!

Mohawk second-year Journalism and Broadcasting Television students won first place in the Best Television Newscast category, while first-year students took second place in the Best TV Special Event Coverage for their coverage of Mohawk's International Women's Day celebrations.

The shows were led by Journalism Coordinator Susan Prestedge, Television Professor Brian Willrich and Television Coordinator Tracey Kadish. The prestigious competition attracts entries from schools in Canada and the United States. Other schools in the competition included Penn State, UCLA and the University of Guelph-Humber.

Dundas, Ontario -

“Last year’s inaugural event surpassed all our expectations, drawing hundreds of art and floral lovers to see the exhibitions,” says Claire Loughheed, Executive Director for Dundas Valley School of Art. “With Dundas being a walkable, cultural hub, we’re proud to partner once again with Carnegie Gallery and Dundas Museum & Archives to feature these extraordinary displays at all three locations.” 

Admission to the exhibitions is free. At Dundas Valley School of Art and Carnegie Gallery, the floral arrangements, created by participating area florists and students in Mohawk College’s Continuing Education Floral Design program, will be paired with artwork from local artists. At Dundas Museum & Archives, precious artifacts from the museum’s collection will provide the inspiration for the accompanying floral arrangements.

“The imaginative arrangements created last year to accompany our selection of artifacts simply blew us away,” says Kevin Puddister, Curator at Dundas Museum & Archives. “This year, we have all new artifacts and we can’t wait to see what the florists come up with.” 

Opening receptions get underway on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 6 - 8 p.m. at all three exhibit locations. Opening remarks will be delivered at Dundas Museum & Archives at 6:30 p.m. The exhibits will be open on Friday, Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 29, from 1 - 4 p.m.

“It’s quickly become a popular community event,” says Pam Norman, Chair of Carnegie Gallery. “This is a great opportunity to cast aside those winter blues and get out to enjoy the warmth and colour of beautiful floral displays and great art.” For more information about Winterblooms, visit www.winterblooms.ca.

Originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, Talin started at Mohawk in the Career Pathways program this Fall. Her twin sister Tanya also goes to Mohawk and is enrolled in the same program. Competition is a part of life for the twins. Talin says they are always racing, even it’s just up a flight of stairs.

“We’re both competitive but she’s definitely the faster one,” says Tanya.

Talin got involved with Special Olympics Ontario in Grade 10 while a student at Governor Simcoe Secondary School in St. Catharines. She’s kept at it for last seven years, competing in a number of different sports including running, shot put, long jump and soccer.

Running is her favourite sport to compete in with the 100 metre being her best distance.

“I like being fit and enjoy the competitive side of it too,” says Talin, commenting on what has drawn her back to the sport year after year.

Talin is the first to receive the Student Athlete of the Year Award from Special Olympics Ontario. The award is in recognition of her achievements over the years.

What next? Talin says she plans to finish the Career Pathways program and then enrol in either the Health, Wellness and Fitness program or the Police Foundations program.