Red River College

A Decade of Innovation

Red River College

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Supplement to The Saturday, February 22, 2014 www.rrc.ca/appliedresearch PA I D A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E Applied Research & Commercialization (AR&C) has been a growing part of that vision since 2004. "Looking at our first 10 years, a great amount of focus was on building capacity," said Ray Hoemsen, Director, AR&C. "We have worked with granting organizations, such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to help respond to community and business needs." RRC's original focus was on green buildings, and it is still an intrinsic part of the college's research focus. ere are four key strategic research areas at the college: advanced design and manufacturing; clean technology; digital technology; and health, nutrition and social sciences. Many of the research projects have evolved from challenges and problems that both industry and the community want solved. "We are always looking for something that engages our faculty and our students in some way," says Hoemsen. "Our mission focuses on economic development. When our clients do well, then Manitoba does well, and the college does well, too." e college strives to ensure that businesses truly benefit from the research capabilities, resources, and services provided. "We do not let intellectual property be an impediment. We retain rights for further research and educational use, but we routinely give our industry partners commercial rights with no royalties." AR&C, from the beginning, has believed in supporting creativity and research within RRC, and because of that belief, the College Applied Research Development (CARD) fund is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. Built into the original strategic plan, the fund is designed to encourage faculty, staff, and students to engage in research activities at the college. Since that year, the CARD fund has been funded internally. "It's been very effective in giving people the resources and the opportunity to develop practical research projects," says Hoemsen. Over the past ten years, the fund has distributed nearly $500,000 to faculty and students for over 60 projects, supporting such areas as research personnel, equipment, materials, and travel. CARD also holds one of the keys to the future of AR&C. "Health science research is an emerging research area for the college," says Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO of RRC, and the CARD fund has helped support research activities in such areas as nursing in less-developed nations, and in disaster situations, such as Hurricane Katrina. We also anticipate additional focus on areas such as medical devices, pharmaceutical formulations and processes." Due in part to initiatives such as the CARD fund and the introduction of their new construction management degree, the college officially became a polytechnic institution – one of only 11 in Canada. "Being a polytechnic refers to a model of learning and a type of institution," says Stan Chung, VP Academic and Research, RRC. "It's an applied learning model – one that is infused with applied research, and deeply connected to careers and jobs. And as a polytechnic, the college has evolved from a Trades school to one that grants career-oriented diplomas, advanced diplomas, and degrees. I believe our next steps are to share more of our best practices, and to continue to deepen and broaden what we've been doing." e work that is done today is putting the college,Winnipeg and Manitoba on the world stage. In the spring of 2013, Joe Justice, founder of WikiSpeed visited the college and worked with students, faculty, researchers, and local industry to build an energy-efficient car in just one day; he will be showing the videos of this build at his many speaking engagements worldwide. In late 2013, Ray Hoemsen and Neil Cooke, Chair, Transportation Heavy Apprenticeship Trades were invited to Japan to deliver presentations on the work the college is doing in electric vehicle research. "e work we are doing is not just having an impact on our students and research partners, but also on the college and on Manitoba's communities," said Chung. "It's all intrinsically connected to our strategic plan." Expanded research capabilities and resources for aerospace industry and in the area of social sciences, as well as being part of an international consortium to develop and test five all-electric transit buses are all trademarks of a growing and vital college. Another area of growth for AR&C is in the field of social science research. "Tatjana Brkic and her team research businesses in various countries and bring that information back to businesses in Manitoba," explains Forsyth. "ey are developing market intelligence guides that are contributing to the growth of small- to medium-sized businesses both regionally and internationally. is work is not only a significant benefit to companies who may struggle with the costs of R&D, but also contributes to the service learning value-add that we are expanding at the college." Another developing focus for AR&C is to use its social science research to make more meaningful connections with the Aboriginal community, both in and outside of the college. Brkic's research has shown the power of micro- enterprise development in other countries. "We will be looking to see how we can bring our research home to develop micro-enterprises here," says Forsyth. "ere's a lot to be excited about." Forsyth is oen found meeting with RRC students. "Students frequently state the applied research experience as the most valuable learning and career-developing experience of their college years." Applied research is what colleges like RRC do best. Hand-in-hand with an experiential approach to education, RRC is a vital part of the post-secondary education options offered in Manitoba. RRC is proud to provide the province with graduates experienced in innovation, global awareness, and leading-edge technologies who are prepared to fulfill RRC's mission: "contribute to Manitoba's economic and social prosperity through exceptional applied education and research." A DECADE OF 2004-2014 Fuelling Manitoba's economic growth & community development a decade oF InnovatIon aPPLYInG KnoWLedGe, deLIveRInG ReSULtS ™ Ten Years of ParTnershiPs: 2004 - 2014 ed River College's (RRC) Academic Plan 2020 makes the college's vision clear: to be "recognized as one of North America's leading institutes of applied learning and research. The knowledge and skills learners acquire at the college are a catalyst for innovative achievement in Manitoba's business and social sectors. They build our economy and enrich our whole society." R R e d R i v e R C o l l e g e & A p p l i e d R e s e A R C h Red River College's parabolic solar trough testing and demonstration project is made possible thanks to RRC's partnership with the University of Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro, with financial support from NSERC. students frequently state the applied research experience as the most valuable learning and career-developing experience of their college years." – Stephanie Forsyth, President and CEO of RRC • Manitoba's largest institute of applied learning • Over 200 full- and part-time academic programs • More than 30,000 enrolments • 94% employment rate for graduates • Annual operating budget of ~$180M • Annual research budget of ~$2M • Manitoba Roundtable on Sustainability Award of Excellence - 2009 • Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Winnipeg Award - 2010 • Association of Canadian Community Colleges National Gold Leadership Award - 2011 • Top 10 Research College in Canada, ranked by the Impact Group - 2013

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