University of Ontario Institute of Technology

University of Ontario
Institute of Technology

Latin: Universitas Ontario Instituto Technologiae
Motto	Cogitando et Agendo, Ducemus
Motto in English	"By thinking and doing we shall lead." [1]
Type	Public
Established	2002
Endowment	C$13.1 million [2]
Chancellor	Perrin Beatty
President	Dr. Tim McTiernan
Provost	Dr. Deborah Saucier
Academic staff	868 [3]
Administrative staff	404 [3]
Students	10,000 [4]
Undergraduates	8,685
Postgraduates	518
Doctoral students	55 [5]
Location	Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 43°56′41.45″N 78°53′30.13″W / 43.9448472°N 78.8917028°W / 43.9448472; -78.8917028Coordinates: 43°56′41.45″N 78°53′30.13″W / 43.9448472°N 78.8917028°W / 43.9448472; -78.8917028
Campus	Urban/Suburban
Colours	blue      & lighter blue     [6]
Sports	Hockey, Soccer, Lacrosse, Rowing, Curling, Tennis
Mascot	Hunter the Ridgeback
Affiliations	AUCC, IAU, COU, CIS, OUA, Fields Institute, Ontario Network of Women in engineering, CBIE, CARL,
Website	http://www.uoit.ca/

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is a public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The university shares its campus with Durham College. The university was founded in 2002 and accepted its first students in 2003, making it one of Canada's newest universities. The enabling legislation is the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act, 2002.^[7] All undergraduate programs require students to lease a laptop PC from the university as a condition of enrollment, making it Ontario's only laptop-based university. Faculty members also encourage students to use their laptops to complete assignments, perform laboratory research and interact with faculty during lectures. UOIT offers a range of undergraduate programs, and graduate programs in Science, Engineering, Health and Information Technology. The UOIT campus is approximately 400 acres (160 ha) in the northern part of Oshawa.

History

UOIT was founded in 2002 by the passage of Bill 109, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act, 2002, by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on June 27, 2002. It is a public, career-focused university emphasizing science and technology, and a part of the Ontario government’s initiative to create more spaces in post-secondary institutions for the double cohort. UOIT's new slogan, "Challenge, Innovate, Connect", was unveiled in June 2006.

UOIT offered graduate and post-graduate programs and research opportunities^[8] to the first 947 students in September 2003^[9] and total enrolment was over 5,000 in the 2007–2008 school year, making it the fastest-growing university in Ontario. The student population for 2009 was 6285 and 7018 in 2010; by 2012 there are 9203 students.^[10] Teaching and research have long been considered the two pillars of the university's endeavour.^[11]

UOIT Library.

Construction on the university's first buildings began in 2002. The facilities include a library shared with Durham College, the Science Building, the Business and IT Building, and a state-of-the-art virtual hospital for nursing students. The Ontario Power Generation Engineering Building opened in September 2006. The residences for UOIT are Simcoe Village and South Village. The Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) is connected to the Ontario Power Generation Engineering Building (opened in 2011). ACE is a multi-level testing and research centre that will allow for full climatic, durability and life cycle testing. It has a full range of testing facilities including a five-storey high climatic wind tunnel.

Plans have been announced for the Centre for Cybercrime Research which will be a separate, permanent location on campus and will be dedicated to research and the training of graduate and undergraduate students in various aspects of cybercrime.^[12]

An expansion to the athletic facilities, funded largely by students, was completed in September 2007.^[13][14]

The university has established a downtown campus. It purchased and renovated the Regent Theatre to be used as a lecture theatre during the week and as a community stage on the weekends. The university renovated the former Alger Press building which opened in January 2011 as the headquarters of the UOIT downtown campus. UOIT has initiated plans to renovate Victoria St. (between King St. and Bond St. and beside Bordessa Hall) into a pedestrian, social and lounge area. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Faculty of Education are located downtown. The university has completed a comprehensive master plan for the downtown campus location entitled "Into the Future: A Framework & Action Plan for Growing UOIT & Downtown Oshawa". It will guide university growth over the next years and decades. The study anticipates the relocation of the Faculty of Business and Information Technology from the north campus location to the downtown campus location in 2015.

Programs

UOIT has seven faculties, each offering several programs.^[15]

Research

Faculty members are involved in research in a variety of areas. These include:

• Multimedia Based Digital Authentication Schemes
• Statistical and Array Processing
• Wireless Communications and Signal Processing
• Satellite Communications
• Pervasive Computing
• Sensor and Information Networks
• Computer Forensics and Network Security
• Web Modelling and Optimization
• Computer Networking
• Networked and Distributed Control Systems
• Haptics and Virtual Reality (Laboratory for Advanced User Interfaces and Virtual Reality)
• Medical and Mobile Robotics
• Automatic/Intelligent Sensing and Control
• Power Engineering
• Vehicle dynamics
• Fuel cells and hydrogen
• Automotive aerodynamics^[16]
• Noise, vibrations and harshness
• Automotive materials and manufacturing^[16]
• Chassis design
• Automotive software and system modeling^[16]
• Alternative fuels
• Hybrid vehicles
• Automotive systems^[16]
• Dynamics, vibration and noise
• Engineering design
• Energy, thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics
• Manufacturing and materials
• Mechanics of solids and structures
• Robotics, automation and controls
• Semiconductor physics and nanotechnology
• Solar cells
• Lasers
• Information Visualization^[17]
• Human-Computer Interaction^[17][18]
• Game Science^[18]

Athletics

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks are members of Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), and compete in these sports:

• Rowing
• Curling
• Tennis
• Golf
• Dance
• Men's Hockey
• Women's Hockey
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Soccer

Student life

Greek life

UOIT has a growing "Greek" community: there are several fraternities and sororities on campus. These Greek organizations host events for students and do philanthropy work for the surrounding community, Tau Kappa Epsilon has an annual charity event known as "Teke in a box" where they raise money for the campus food centre. Zeta Psi has an annual charity event known as "Zete car push" where they raise money by pushing a car.^[19][20]

Fraternities

• Tau Kappa Epsilon
• Zeta Psi
• Delta Lambda Phi

Sororities

• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Alpha Sigma Chi
• Delta Psi Delta
• Delta Phi Nu

Student association

Students from UOIT and Durham College are members of the Student Association at Durham College & UOIT. This organization provides advocacy and student services for the students of both institutions across several campuses. These services include:

• The Campus Food Centre
• Pride + LGBTQ Centre
• Sexual Health Resource Centre
• Women's Centre
• Intramural and extramural leagues
• Riot Radio (campus radio station)
• Campus Emergency Response Team
• E.P. Taylor's Pub & Restaurant
• Tuck Shop
• Student Insurance Plan
• Legal Services
• Study Spaces
• Campus clubs and societies

Student clubs and societies

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) - UOIT Chapter
• UOIT Engineering Students' Society (ENGSOC)
• UOIT IEEE Student Chapter Social page (UOIT IEEE Student Branch) IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• UOIT Computer Science Club (USCS)
• Social page (HSC)
• UOIT Social Science and Humanities Student Society (SSHSS) Social page (SSHSS)
• UOIT Business and Information Technology Society (BITSOC) Social page (BITSOC)
• Networking and IT Security Student Society (NETsoc) Social Page (NETsoc)
• UOIT Science Council (SC) Social Page (SC)
• Social page of UOIT Concurrent Education Student Association (CESA)
• UOIT Graduate Studies Council (GSC) Social page (GSC)
• UOIT Accounting Association (UOAA) Social page (UOAA)

Social page (UIC)

• UOIT Finance Society (UOFS) Social page (UOFS)
• Math Club at DC & UOIT Social Page
• Social page of UOIT-DC Outdoors Club
• UOIT Software & Electrical Engineering Klub / Club (SEEK) Social page (SEEK)

CampusFest

The Student Association is known for the annual CampusFest events including the CampusFest concert. Past concert performers include Avicii, 20 Amp Soundchild, Monster Truck (band), Tommy Trash, The Chainsmokers, and Wolfgang Gartner.

Buildings

Automotive Centre of Excellence

General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence

The Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) is the first testing and research centre of its kind in Canada, and in many respects the world. It is owned by UOIT and is located on the university’s north campus location.

ACE is a multi-purpose centre with an area of approximately 16,300 square metres. It is divided into two distinct sections: a core research facility (CRF) and an integrated research and training facility (IRTF).

The CRF offers full-size chambers that allow for full climatic, structural durability and life cycle testing including one of the largest and most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels on the planet. In this test chamber, wind speeds can exceed 240 kilometres per hour, temperatures range from -40 to +60 °C and relative humidity ranges from 5 to 95 per cent. The climatic wind tunnel has a unique variable nozzle that can optimize the airflow from 7 to 13 square metres (and larger) allowing for an unprecedented range of vehicle and test property sizes. Coupled with this feature is a large flexible chassis dynamometer that is integrated into an 11.5-metre turntable. Now, for the first time anywhere, vehicles and test properties can be turned into the airstream under full operating conditions to facilitate crosswind development. The large open chamber has a readily reconfigurable solar array that will replicate the effects of the sun and is hydrogen-capable, allowing for alternative fuels and fuel cell development.

The IRTF spans five floors with space dedicated for research, education and training. It has offices, laboratories, conference rooms and common work areas that are available to rent. This facility will foster an environment for collaboration and interaction between industry, researchers and students.

ACE is an independent test facility that is commercially available to customers who are seeking to bring their ideas into a proof of concept and ready for market. In addition to conventional automotive applications, ACE is suitable for testing alternative fuel, hybrid and electric vehicles. It is large enough to accommodate trucks, tandem drive systems, full coach buses, light rail transit, aerospace, military and agricultural applications, wind turbines and solar panels. ACE could be used to train military personnel, rescue crews or competitive athletes, to carry out performance testing of outdoor survival gear. ACE can assist the movie industry or test products that are subject to severe wind, humidity, snow, icing or desert heat.

ACE is available to rent by manufacturers, start-up companies and researchers. Clients can rent the entire facility or specific chambers at an hourly rate.

ACE was developed in partnership with UOIT, General Motors of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE). The total cost of the facility is approximately $100 million.

Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre

The Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (ERC) is a 9,290-square-metre facility that houses UOIT's unique-in-Canada education programs and research in geothermal, hydraulic, hydrogen, natural gas, nuclear solar and wind energy technologies. The ERC enables research in clean and green energies and technologies, and promotes Canada's entrepreneurial advantage through public-private research and commercialization partnerships.

Undergraduate, graduate and second-career training enrolment of energy scientists and nuclear engineers is projected to climb from 364 students in 2009-2010 to approximately 650 in 2012. These programs are complemented by Energy and Environmental options in UOIT’s Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Science programs.

• The ERC is the result of a joint $45.4-million investment from the federal and provincial governments as part of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. Full ERC operations commenced with the 2011-2012 academic year;
• The construction phase of the ERC November 2009 through August 2011 created 225 direct and 315 spinoff jobs;
• The ERC is home to UOIT’s Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science (FESNS). In addition to providing administrative space and offices for staff and faculty, the ERC features a network of teaching and research labs of various configurations, which support the Cameco Research Chair in Nuclear Fuels and UOIT’s membership in the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering;
• The four-storey ERC has a glass-covered atrium, a 72-seat lecture theatre, three 50-seat classrooms, two 30-seat tutorial rooms with flexible seating, 12 labs, 11 student-study (breakout) rooms, dedicated working stations for graduate students and offices for faculty and administration;
• The ERC has indoor connections to the adjacent Faculty of Business and Information Technology building on the second, third and fourth floors;
• Teaching space within the ERC is equipped with multimedia capabilities that provide opportunities to expand the current roster of programs, allowing for future growth in new energy-related programs, further development of part-time distance learning opportunities and the expansion of the online degree completion option now offered;
• UOIT’s Bachelor of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering program is the first accredited program of its kind in Canada;
• UOIT’s Nuclear Engineering program features the most extensive nuclear power plant computer simulation of any engineering program in Ontario;
• UOIT is located in Durham Region, which is home to 10 nuclear generating units;
• FESNS professors Dr. Igor Pioro and Dr. Glenn Harvel are working on creating a fuel-channel conceptual design for a Generation IV Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor, which will increase the efficiency of current technologies and lower energy production costs; and
• FESNS has a close relationship with industry partners in provincial, national and international programs including: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited; Bruce Power; Cameco Corporation; Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; Ontario Power Generation; and SNC–Lavalin.

Campus facilities

• Campus Library 2004
• Business and Information Technology 2005
• Gordon Wiley Building
• Science Building 2004
• Simcoe Building
• Ontario Power Generation Engineering building 2006
• University Pavilion (UP Building)
• Campus Tennis Centre 2003
• Campus Ice Centre 2005
• Campus Athletic Centre
• Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre 2007
• Polonsky Commons
• General Motors Automotive Centre of Excellence (2011)
• Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (2011)

Board members

• Lyn McLeod 2002-2008
• Perrin Beatty 2008–present

Presidents/Vice-Chancellor

• Dr Gary Polonsky 2002-2006
• Dr Ronald Bordessa 2006–2011
• Dr Tim McTiernan 2011–Present

See also

• University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks
• UOIT Engineering Students' Society
• List of Ontario Universities
• Ontario Student Assistance Program
• Higher education in Ontario
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport
• Canadian government scientific research organizations
• Canadian university scientific research organizations
• Canadian industrial research and development organizations

References

External links

• Official website
• University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act, 2002
• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada profile