Energy Minister Dwight Duncan on hand as UOIT opens state-of-the-art OPG Engineering building
March 30, 2007
40,000-square-foot facility offers incredible technological tools to students
OSHAWA, Ont. - Offering tours of state-of-the-art labs and demonstrations of the leading-edge technological tools available to students, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) welcomed more than 100 guests to its Oshawa, Ontario campus today, including Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan, for the official opening of the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Engineering building.
Tom Mitchell, OPG's chief nuclear officer, and Dr. Ronald Bordessa, president of UOIT, joined UOIT students, faculty and staff; OPG partners; municipal government officials; local dignitaries; and members of the business and academic community to mark the opening of the three-storey, 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility and to celebrate UOIT's significant community partnership with OPG, a relationship that will greatly benefit students for generations to come.
"We are extremely pleased to officially open our newest academic building here on campus and on behalf of everyone at UOIT I would like to extend my sincere thanks to OPG for its generous support," said Dr. Bordessa. "I'm pleased the honourable Dwight Duncan could be here today to get a first-hand look at how UOIT and OPG are working together to help address Ontario's energy needs. The OPG Engineering building is designed to provide students with hands-on experience and research opportunities that will make them in-demand professionals upon graduation. Through our partnerships with community-minded organizations such as OPG, we are able to deliver this innovative building and all of its high-tech, state-of-the-art technology and labs, ensuring the success of our students now and well into the future."
Construction began on the OPG Engineering building in spring 2005, with students, faculty and staff moving in for the start of classes in September 2006. Students gain the latest hands-on skills through its 17 labs, which include a rapid prototyping and manufacturing lab; a combustion and engines lab; a mechatronics lab; and an emerging energy systems lab with solar, wind, hydrogen and fuel-cell technology. Each piece of equipment was carefully selected to educate students about technologies of the future and the building itself has already become a showcase for the delivery of engineering education.
OPG, which operates two nuclear facilities in Durham Region among its many generating assets, is providing $2 million annually over a five-year period to help ensure UOIT students are equipped with the latest learning technologies and high-end labs to acquire the skills needed in the workplaces of today and into the future. OPG understands an investment in training today reduces costs in the long run.
"OPG employees take great pride in the job they are being called upon to do every day, a job critical to meeting the energy needs in Ontario," said Mitchell. "As such, OPG wants to ensure it is beginning with the brightest, best educated and trained candidates to care for Ontario's future electricity generation needs. This partnership with UOIT is vital in developing next-generation nuclear engineers who will meet the needs of the nuclear industry for years to come."
In addition to providing funding to support the OPG Engineering building, OPG acts as a valuable resource in the delivery of the university's Nuclear Engineering program by providing experienced mentors and program counselling to students and faculty. UOIT established Canada's only degree program in nuclear engineering through the School of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science in 2003 in anticipation of the industry's need for career-ready graduates to help fill the gap that will be created by an aging workforce in the coming years.
Significant employment opportunities in a variety of fields exist for engineers and scientists with knowledge of nuclear technology. UOIT graduates will go on to design and oversee the operations of nuclear reactors; work in diagnostic imaging using X-rays, MRIs and ultrasound; use nuclear techniques to produce high-yield crops, healthier livestock and disease-resistant plants; and conduct hydrocarbon (oil and gas) exploration, among many other career paths.
"Ontario is in the midst of an unprecedented renewal of its electricity system, and the students of today are going to be a big part of this," said Duncan. "This innovative partnership provides a great opportunity for UOIT students that will provide them with the hands-on experience to be the leaders of tomorrow."
The OPG Engineering building is a key reason why UOIT is quickly becoming home to one of Canada's foremost faculties of engineering and applied science. UOIT's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science strives to offer excellence in education, high-calibre and value-added research, and high-quality and innovative market-driven undergraduate and graduate programs in areas such as Nuclear, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Automotive, Software and Electrical Engineering, as well as Engineering and Management. Many programs are unique to Ontario and even Canada, ensuring the faculty's exceptional students are prepared to be the outstanding professionals and leaders of tomorrow.
About UOIT
As the province's newest university, UOIT provides a unique combination of academic knowledge, vibrant student life, leading-edge research, and hands-on skills. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, UOIT offers career-focused undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business and information technology, sciences, engineering, nursing, social science, and education. The university is committed to research excellence and has attracted significant research grants and awards including five Canada Research Chairs. Sharing facilities and selected services with Durham College, UOIT has attracted over 4,000 students since its inception in 2003. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.
About Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is an Ontario-based electricity generation company whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity in Ontario. Its focus is on the efficient production and sale of electricity from its generation assets, while operating in a safe, open and environmentally responsible manner. OPG's generating portfolio has a total capacity of over 22,000 megawatts making it one of the largest power generators in North America. OPG's generating assets include three nuclear generating stations, five fossil generating stations, 64 hydroelectric generating stations, and three wind generating stations.
OSHAWA, Ont. - Offering tours of state-of-the-art labs and demonstrations of the leading-edge technological tools available to students, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) welcomed more than 100 guests to its Oshawa, Ontario campus today, including Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan, for the official opening of the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Engineering building.
Tom Mitchell, OPG's chief nuclear officer, and Dr. Ronald Bordessa, president of UOIT, joined UOIT students, faculty and staff; OPG partners; municipal government officials; local dignitaries; and members of the business and academic community to mark the opening of the three-storey, 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility and to celebrate UOIT's significant community partnership with OPG, a relationship that will greatly benefit students for generations to come.
"We are extremely pleased to officially open our newest academic building here on campus and on behalf of everyone at UOIT I would like to extend my sincere thanks to OPG for its generous support," said Dr. Bordessa. "I'm pleased the honourable Dwight Duncan could be here today to get a first-hand look at how UOIT and OPG are working together to help address Ontario's energy needs. The OPG Engineering building is designed to provide students with hands-on experience and research opportunities that will make them in-demand professionals upon graduation. Through our partnerships with community-minded organizations such as OPG, we are able to deliver this innovative building and all of its high-tech, state-of-the-art technology and labs, ensuring the success of our students now and well into the future."
Construction began on the OPG Engineering building in spring 2005, with students, faculty and staff moving in for the start of classes in September 2006. Students gain the latest hands-on skills through its 17 labs, which include a rapid prototyping and manufacturing lab; a combustion and engines lab; a mechatronics lab; and an emerging energy systems lab with solar, wind, hydrogen and fuel-cell technology. Each piece of equipment was carefully selected to educate students about technologies of the future and the building itself has already become a showcase for the delivery of engineering education.
OPG, which operates two nuclear facilities in Durham Region among its many generating assets, is providing $2 million annually over a five-year period to help ensure UOIT students are equipped with the latest learning technologies and high-end labs to acquire the skills needed in the workplaces of today and into the future. OPG understands an investment in training today reduces costs in the long run.
"OPG employees take great pride in the job they are being called upon to do every day, a job critical to meeting the energy needs in Ontario," said Mitchell. "As such, OPG wants to ensure it is beginning with the brightest, best educated and trained candidates to care for Ontario's future electricity generation needs. This partnership with UOIT is vital in developing next-generation nuclear engineers who will meet the needs of the nuclear industry for years to come."
In addition to providing funding to support the OPG Engineering building, OPG acts as a valuable resource in the delivery of the university's Nuclear Engineering program by providing experienced mentors and program counselling to students and faculty. UOIT established Canada's only degree program in nuclear engineering through the School of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science in 2003 in anticipation of the industry's need for career-ready graduates to help fill the gap that will be created by an aging workforce in the coming years.
Significant employment opportunities in a variety of fields exist for engineers and scientists with knowledge of nuclear technology. UOIT graduates will go on to design and oversee the operations of nuclear reactors; work in diagnostic imaging using X-rays, MRIs and ultrasound; use nuclear techniques to produce high-yield crops, healthier livestock and disease-resistant plants; and conduct hydrocarbon (oil and gas) exploration, among many other career paths.
"Ontario is in the midst of an unprecedented renewal of its electricity system, and the students of today are going to be a big part of this," said Duncan. "This innovative partnership provides a great opportunity for UOIT students that will provide them with the hands-on experience to be the leaders of tomorrow."
The OPG Engineering building is a key reason why UOIT is quickly becoming home to one of Canada's foremost faculties of engineering and applied science. UOIT's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science strives to offer excellence in education, high-calibre and value-added research, and high-quality and innovative market-driven undergraduate and graduate programs in areas such as Nuclear, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Automotive, Software and Electrical Engineering, as well as Engineering and Management. Many programs are unique to Ontario and even Canada, ensuring the faculty's exceptional students are prepared to be the outstanding professionals and leaders of tomorrow.
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About UOIT
As the province's newest university, UOIT provides a unique combination of academic knowledge, vibrant student life, leading-edge research, and hands-on skills. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, UOIT offers career-focused undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business and information technology, sciences, engineering, nursing, social science, and education. The university is committed to research excellence and has attracted significant research grants and awards including five Canada Research Chairs. Sharing facilities and selected services with Durham College, UOIT has attracted over 4,000 students since its inception in 2003. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.
About Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is an Ontario-based electricity generation company whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity in Ontario. Its focus is on the efficient production and sale of electricity from its generation assets, while operating in a safe, open and environmentally responsible manner. OPG's generating portfolio has a total capacity of over 22,000 megawatts making it one of the largest power generators in North America. OPG's generating assets include three nuclear generating stations, five fossil generating stations, 64 hydroelectric generating stations, and three wind generating stations.
About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.
Media contact
Tony Doyle
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.3111 ext. 2209
tony.doyle@uoit.ca
