Research at the forefront of Minister Duncan's visit to Sheridan

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, along with Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton South and Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton North, visited Sheridan’s Davis Campus in Brampton, Ont. on July 9 to participate in a research-packed agenda.

To affirm Sheridan’s commitment to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research practices, policies and culture, Dr. Janet Morrison, President and Vice Chancellor at Sheridan, and Minister Duncan officially signed the Dimensions Charter. Sheridan joins other postsecondary institutions across Canada who have voluntarily signed on to the initiative that signifies a commitment to the Charter’s principles and an ongoing and productive engagement with its communities to achieve greater EDI.

On hand for the signing was Dr. Jane Ngobia, Vice President of Inclusive Communities, Andrea England, Vice Provost of Research and members of the Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEI) team, all of whom played an integral role in laying the groundwork for the ongoing promotion of EDI guiding principles across Sheridan.

EDI has been identified as a major focus of Sheridan’s new Strategic Plan. “We’re proud to sign on to this important commitment,” said Dr. Morrison. “At Sheridan we’re working to embed inclusion and equity into everything we do. Our goal is to create a learning environment where everyone knows their unique contributions are valued.”

After the Charter signing, Minister Duncan announced $150,000 in funding for Sheridan’s Screen Industries and Research Training (SIRT) Centre in downtown Toronto. The money is part of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Innovation (CCI) program. “Here at Sheridan College, this will help support collaborations with local companies, which in turn will provide students with hands-on expertise in this rapidly evolving economy,” said Minister Duncan.

SIRT is one of Sheridan’s five research centres and its team will be purchasing equipment that will help fuel digital human visualization and animation. “Our researchers can now focus on developing interactive, computer-generated 3D characters that can be used in a range of industries from film and gaming, to training and simulations, to healthcare and wellness,” said Spencer Idenouye, SIRT’s Research Lead.

Dr. Alejandra de Almeida, Acting Deputy Director of NSERC’s Ontario Regional Office, spoke about the important contributions of colleges to Canada’s innovation ecosystem. “Today’s announcement is a strong example of funding that will impact prosperity and quality of life, she said. “Sheridan will have hands-on opportunities to work with local industry on new processes, new products and new services for screen-based delivery platforms.”

In her closing remarks, Minister Duncan shared this message to Sheridan faculty: “Your work matters. Thank you for your tremendous teaching, applied research and service to your communities.” The visit wrapped with a tour of another Sheridan research hub, the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT). Students and faculty were on hand to showcase their applied research projects designed with industry partners.

Pictured top: Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan's President and Vice Chancellor, and The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, standing with the signed Dimensions Charter.

Pictured above (clockwise from top left): 1. Minister Duncan and Dr. Morrison signing the Dimensions Charter. 2. Sheridan's Centre for Equity and Inclusion staff with Minister Duncan around the Charter after signing. 3. Spencer Idenouye, Research Lead at Sheridan's Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre. 4. MP Sonia Sidhu, MP Ruby Sahota, Minister Duncan and Dr. Morrison with students and staff at Sheridan's Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT).