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“We place students at the heart of everything—equipping them to lead, create, and make meaningful change through applied research"
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Director (Research & Innovation)
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Featured Research Project
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Addressing Child Literacy in Windsor-Essex
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Through this Project, St. Clair College Research & Innovation team addressed the early-reading gaps in low-income neighbourhoods across Windsor-Essex through an NSERC-supported literacy initiative. Free book kits, parent-child workshops, and flexible online sessions—delivered with local libraries—remove cost and timing barriers, making shared story time a daily habit for young families.
Library card sign-ups and family visits climbed, post-workshop surveys showed parents feel more confident guiding reading at home, and a cross-disciplinary team of six faculty and twelve student researchers tailored content to each community using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems lens. Over the summer, the group fine-tuned schedules, broadened outreach to newcomer families, and publish an open-access replication toolkit, turning a local success into a national model, one story at a time.
At St. Clair College, we specialize in developing tailored solutions to address industry-specific challenges by harnessing our student's and faculty's talent and expertise. If an organization is facing an industry-related problem that demands an innovative approach, our students and expert researchers are ready to collaborate to create the solutions of tomorrow.
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St. Clair College and Syngo Collaborate to Advance Urban Robotics and Micromobility Innovation
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St. Clair College is proud to be collaborating with Canadian-based startup Syngo, an innovative company working at the intersection of micromobility and robotics. While still operating in stealth mode, Syngo is developing advanced technologies aimed at reshaping how people and goods move through urban environments.
This partnership leverages St. Clair College’s cutting-edge applied research and prototyping facilities, including the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing and Applied Research and Development Centres, which offer industry-grade labs and shop floors equipped for electric vehicle testing, mechanical integration, and control systems development. These environments give Syngo access to critical resources while providing students with the rare opportunity to work directly on future-focused transportation technologies.
Students from a range of programs—including Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Robotics, Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Product Design, and Computer Systems Technology – Software Development—are contributing to collaborative projects in areas such as autonomous navigation, vehicle control systems, sensor integration, and ROS-based software stacks.
“This is the kind of partnership that brings our curriculum to life,” said Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon, Director of Research & Innovation at St. Clair College. “It provides our students with hands-on experience in advanced robotics and mobility development, while allowing them to work alongside a startup that’s solving real-world transportation problems with an eye toward safety, sustainability, and innovation.”
Jason Hughes, CEO of Syngo, shared his enthusiasm for the partnership:
“Windsor has a deep legacy of technical excellence, and the talent coming out of St. Clair College is a perfect reflection of that. The College not only produces technically skilled graduates, but provides the resources, equipment, and mentorship needed to let that talent thrive. For a cutting-edge robotics company like ours, this collaboration is the ideal environment for hands-on development and real-world testing.”
With Windsor-Essex rapidly establishing itself as a hub for mobility and automation technologies, the collaboration between St. Clair College and Syngo underscores the importance of combining industry insight with academic expertise. Together, they’re cultivating the next generation of robotics talent—and helping shape the future of transportation from the ground up.
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Research Excellence at the Ford Innovation Showcase
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On May 2 , 2025, the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing buzzed with energy as St. Clair College hosted the Ford Innovation Showcase—a celebration of student-driven creativity and applied research. Dozens of multidisciplinary teams unveiled prototypes and studies spanning advanced manufacturing, robotics, and vehicle technology, reaffirming the College’s role as Windsor-Essex’s launchpad for next-generation innovation.
Among the standout presentations were former Research & Innovation student-researchers Enrique Mendoza Bustos and Aryan Keyhani, who debuted a Baja Automotive Simulation Study that captures deep human-machine-interaction data—haptics feedback, eye-tracking metrics, and driver-movement patterns—while testers pilot a virtual Baja racer. Their work—refined through St. Clair’s simulation labs—drew attention from faculty, industry guests, and Ford engineering mentors for its practical application to lightweight vehicle design.
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The showcase perfectly embodied St. Clair College – Research & Innovation’s mission to align classroom learning with industry needs, students harnessed professional-grade equipment and expert mentorship in our Applied R&D labs to test and refine bold ideas. Ford engineers and regional tech leaders engaged directly with each team, offering feedback that opens doors to co-op placements and collaborative projects and, by spotlighting in-house talent, the event reinforced Windsor-Essex’s growing reputation as Canada’s emerging hub for mobility and advanced manufacturing.
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Mary Lou Dietz Equity Leadership Award
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“As a relatively newcomer to Windsor, I feel incredibly honoured to have been acknowledged among so many important people for my service to local and broader community, both in and outside of academia. I left my family and friends in the Greater Toronto Area to start something new here, and this award has made me feel "seen" and welcomed, which helps to combat the isolation that accompanies such huge transition”. Award Winner Dr. Camisha Sibblis
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Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon and Ms. Sonja Popovski had the pleasure of meeting with Paul and Jan Smith, fourth generation farmers and land lovers of Smith Homestead in Courtright Ontario.
Paul was born on the farm and has lived there for over 70 years. As they walked the property with him and his dog Ellie, they knew this was more than just a farm, this is a true labour of love that Paul and Jan share with their community. A perfect backdrop for educational retreats and land-based learning ventures they hope to provide an opportunity for the Indigenous voice to be heard, showcase the skill sets and reinforce educational examples and disciplines.
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From Concept to Component - St. Clair College 3D Printing Lab
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The St. Clair College’s 3D Printing Lab turns student and staff ideas into tangible prototypes at professional speed and quality. Equipped with industrial-grade FDM and resin printers, the lab supports everything from robotics parts and biomedical models to custom fixtures for capstone projects—accelerating design iterations across every academic program.
Dedicated technical expertise reviews each file, optimizes print parameters, and advises on materials and post-processing, ensuring first-time users and seasoned makers alike achieve reliable results.
Ready to transform your digital model into a physical masterpiece? Submit your OBJ/STL file through the online request form or stop by B2018 in the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing to explore the possibilities. One lab—limitless potential for innovation.
Ready to bring your idea to life? Submit your design here
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Lead With Kindness Campaign
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St. Clair College, Research & Innovation is delighted to present the Lead with Kindness Campaign. This initiative brings caring individuals, organizations, and researchers together to address community needs and industry challenges. By focusing on tangible outcomes, every contribution and sponsorship helps introduce cutting-edge technologies to our region, strengthens collaboration with local partners, and creates lasting impact.
Join us for hands-on demonstrations at our Mobile Discovery Hub, explore new concepts at the Innovation Station, and support initiatives such as Sponsor a Student.
Through these efforts, Lead with Kindness ensures that every act of support fuels meaningful progress, guiding both our community and industries toward a brighter, more innovative future.
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St. Clair College Research & Innovation proudly introduces our Fee for Service initiative to empower students, faculty, industry partners, and community members to bring their ideas to life using our specialized facilities and expertise.
From fabrication and processing to media production, planning & consulting, robotics & automation, and testing & simulation, our service catalog offers a range of resources designed to support your next breakthrough.
Ready to get started?
Simply visit our website, review the available services, and submit a request form outlining your project needs. Our team will assess your requirements and provide a tailored quote based on the scope of work.
Let us help turn your ideas into practical outcomes through high-quality, professional support and discover how easy it is to innovate with St. Clair College Research & Innovation.
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" My experience working with Research and Innovation has been nothing but fantastic. I’ve had incredible opportunities, including speaking at the WE-SPARK Conference in 2023 and presenting at a City of Windsor conference, where I showcased research on school lunch programs. I also had the chance to teach food literacy lessons, which aligns closely with my passion for education and future goals in teaching. My role as a student researcher has opened many doors, allowing me to merge my interests in both research and education."
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Testimonials - Student Voices
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A Heartfelt Thank You From Immaculate Conception Students
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As part of the Collaboratively Addressing Insecurity project, one phase of our larger NSERC-funded social innovation project, we recently concluded a 12-week School Lunch Program at Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School. This pilot brought together partners from education, health, and community sectors to deliver nutritious lunches and engaging food literacy lessons to students from JK to Grade 8.
To our delight, the students surprised us with handmade thank-you cards expressing their appreciation. These thoughtful messages remind us of the real impact this work has on children's well-being and learning. A sincere thank you goes out to all of our partners and to the young learners who shared their gratitude in such a meaningful way.
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Book a Tour or Consultation!
Discover the possibilities with a tour or consultation.
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Contact Us!
For inquiries please visit our Contact Us Page:
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That's all for May!!
Stay tuned for our next newsletter, arriving in June 2025!!!
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