"Vibrancy lives where people gather, in local ideas, shared making, and the everyday creativity that turns community into possibility." |
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Director (Research & Innovation) |
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In our latest podcast episode, we sat down with Lee McGrath, Business Lending Advisor at Community Futures Essex County – The Unconventional Lender, to talk about the real challenges and opportunities facing local entrepreneurs. Lee brings a wealth of experience in small-business financing and support, helping founders navigate everything from startup capital to growth-stage financing.
Lee shared practical advice for business owners considering alternative lending options, highlighting how CF Essex County’s flexible, story-driven approach to loans sets them apart from traditional banks. Listeners learned how understanding your business story and goals can open doors to funding.
Whether you’re launching a new venture or planning to expand, this conversation is packed with insights on accessing capital, building resilience, and leveraging community resources.
What We Carry When Systems Bend: Identity, Innovation, and the Work of Enduring Together Dr. Dhillon and Sonja Popovski meet Lee McGrath |
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St. Clair College Recognized as a Top 50 Research College in Canada |
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St. Clair College has once again been recognized for its growing impact on Canada's research landscape, earning a place on Research Infosources Inc.'s Top 50 Research Colleges list for 2023-2024. St. Clair secured the 49th spot nationwide, highlighting the college's continued commitment to fostering innovation, applied research and industry collaboration.
In 2023-2024, St. Clair College dedicated efforts toward research initiatives, supporting projects that drive real-world solutions, enhance student learning through applied research experiences, and strengthen partnerships with community and industry. This national recognition reflects the collective contributions of St. Clair's students, faculty, research staff, and partners who continue to advance impactful research across the region.
St. Clair College is proud to be part of Canada's innovation ecosystem and looks forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead. |
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St. Clair College R&I Featured in Local BIZ X Magazine |
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John Lopez, Sonja Popovski, and Kevin Roy. (St. Clair College) |
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St. Clair College’s Research and Innovation team was recently highlighted in BIZ X Magazine, showcasing its vital role in supporting businesses and community partners across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent regions through research-based solutions. Featured in the piece were John Lopez, Program Manager; Sonja Popovski, Business Development Manager leading collaborative research partnerships; and Kevin Roy, Program Lead in Additive Manufacturing Technologies and Student Mentor. Their presence underscored the department’s commitment to driving innovation, fostering industry collaboration, and empowering students through hands-on, community-focused research. |
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St. Clair College Research & Innovation Celebrates National and International Achievements |
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St. Clair College's Research and Innovation team is celebrating several major accomplishments early this year, demonstrating the growing impact and recognition of the College's research leadership locally, nationally, and internationally.
Research Project Manager David Potocek has been awarded a prestigious SRCR Travel Grant to attend the 9th World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI) in Vancouver, May 3-6, 2026. With fewer than 20 grants awarded across Canada, this support will allow him to engage with global leaders on responsible and ethical research practices and bring valuable insights back to the College and the Windsor-Essex region.
Additionally, Dr. Karamjeet Dhillon and David Potocek have been accepted to present at the 2026 NARST International Conference, a leading global forum for science education research. Their presentation will highlight the OVIN 2.0 Project: Empowering Equity in STEM, a robotics-focused summer pilot program designed to expand access and opportunity for underrepresented youth in STEM.
Rounding out these achievements, Dr. Dhillon, in collaboration with Rose Anguiano Hurst of WEST of Windsor, has been invited to present at the 2026 CCWEST Beyond Boundaries: Collaborating for Collective Action Conference. Their session, Beyond the Buzz: How Quiet Innovation is Reshaping Skilled Trades Education, will spotlight the innovative approaches shapinig skilled trades learning in Windsor-Essex. |
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Featured Research Projects |
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John McGivney Children's Centre Seating and Mobility Project |
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John McGivney Children's Centre, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. |
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This project strengthens collaboration between the John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC), St. Clair College and Mitacs to enhance Seating and Mobility services for children with physical challenges in Windsor-Essex. By embedding a Biomedical Engineering Technology student intern within JMCC, the initiative creates opportunities to apply industry-relevant technical expertise to the custom design and fabrication of adaptive equipment. The project supports knowledge transfer from JMCC therapists with technical expertise in mechanical design, materials handling, 3D modeling, and biomedical engineering to the student intern. |
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Updating the 2023 Windsor-Essex & Pelee Island Wine Region Economic Impact Report |
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This Capstone project supports the development of an updated version of the 2012 Windsor-Essex Wine Industry Economic Impact Report, originally produced by the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation, TWEPI, and the EPIC Wine Growers Association. Since 2012, the regional wine sector has evolved significantly, requiring a refreshed report that reflects current industry conditions, tourism trends, and economic data. During Q1, students reviewed and assessed the 2012 report to identify strengths, limitations, and data gaps. A scan of comparable Ontario wine region reports (including Niagara, Prince Edward County, and Lake Erie North Shore) was completed to identify best practices and modern reporting standards. Key quantitative and qualitative data requirements for an updated report were also identified, including economic impact, tourism expenditures, employment, education partnerships, and destination development alignment. Next steps in Q2 will include recommending which sections of the 2012 report should be retained, expanded, or replaced, and provide TWEPI with a clear roadmap for developing a modernized 2025 Wine Report aligned with regional tourism and economic development objectives. |
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From Industrial Roots to Digital Futures: St. Clair College sets the pace for regional innovation at Ministry of Agriculture roundtable |
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The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness hosts roundtable at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto on Nov. 13, 2025. (John Lopez/St. Clair College) |
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St. Clair College participated in the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Roundtable at the Royal Winter Fair, joining industry and research leaders to discuss innovation, research priorities, and talent development across the agri-food sector. Represented by Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon and John Lopez, the College showcased its applied research strengths, including greenhouse automation, climate-resilient viticulture, EV retrofits, and cold-chain innovation. Discussions emphasized collaboration among government, academic, and industry; the growing role of AI, robotics, and digital twins; and the importance of engaging grassroots farmers in research design. The event also offered key networking opportunities to build long-term partnerships. St. Clair College highlighted its strategic Windsor-Essex location, its interdisciplinary research portfolio spanning agriculture to social innovation, and its commitment to community-first, accessible research supported by a partner framework that brings together nonprofits, SMEs, and public agencies to co-develop impactful, region-specific solutions. |
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St. Clair College Supports WE-SPARK's "Cheers to Hope" Event |
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Margo Reilly, Dr. Karamjeet Dhillon, Dr. Gina Bulcke, and David Potocek at the Cheers to Hope event at Ambassador Golf Course on Nov. 6, 2025. (Dylan Anthony/WE-SPARK Health Institute) |
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St. Clair College's Research and Innovation team attended WE-SPARK Health Institute's "Cheers to Hope" event on November 6 2025, joining partners across Windsor-Essex to celebrate and support local health research. The annual event raises funds for the WE-SPARK Grants Program, which fuels innovative community-focused research across the region.
Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon, Director of Research and Innovation, and David Potocek, Research Project Manager, represented St. Clair College R&I at the event. Among the projects highlighted was one led by St. Clair's Dr. Amy Peirone, supported through a WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery grant, contributing to the region's improving response to intimate partner violence. As well as St. Clair's Byron Hornick who collaborated with the University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital on an Igniting Discovery Grant that leveraged police services alongside nursing expertise to deliver community-based care. This project will identify areas of strength, impact, and utility of this interdisciplinary dyad addressing the needs of equity-deserving groups in Windsor-Essex.
"Cheers to Hope" showcased the power of collaboration and reaffirmed the role of local institutions, St. Clair College among them, in driving meaningful, community-rooted research. |
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A Portfolio Strengthened by Influence and Policy Leadership |
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John Lopez, Dr. Karamjeet Dhillon, Sonja Popovski, David Potocek, and Kevin Roy from St. Clair College Research and Innovation at the 2026 Emerging Technologies Conference. |
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The College is making impact by grounding its research and innovation agenda in the real needs, lived experiences, and economic priorities of Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. Rather than adopting a top-down or abstract research model, the College has built a deeply rooted, community-centered portfolio where partnerships begin with listening, humility, and proximity. This approach ensures that every project responds to challenges that matter to the region and aligns directly with the strengths of the College’s academic programs.
Research at the College is becoming a signature value proposition because it is not siloed and it is woven into the fabric of teaching, student experience, community service, and workforce development. Guided research tours, student-led inquiry, interdisciplinary applied research, and sector-wide collaborations help the College build relationships that are authentic, reciprocal, and sustained. These relationships, in turn, generate projects that bring tangible value back to the College through new applied research opportunities for faculty, experiential learning pipelines for students, industry-driven curriculum enhancements, and increased competitiveness for provincial and federal funding. |
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Representing St. Clair College R&I at the 2026 ONCAT Conference |
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David Potocek and Martina Matee at the 2026 ONCAT Conference in Toronto, Ontario. |
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In early February, members of the Research & Innovation team attended the 2026 Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) Conference, Helping Learners Find Their Way, joining over 230 representatives from postsecondary institutions and provincial stakeholders across Canada. The conference centred on learner mobility; how students move between programs, institutions, and sectors; and explored strategies for removing the structural barriers that impede their progression. St. Clair College's attendance was informed by our ONCAT-funded Capacity Grant project, Improving Program Delivery to Enhance Learner Mobility, which is developing a comprehensive toolkit to modularize the Community and Justice Services program, standardize assessment protocols, and create flexible pathways for diverse learners. The conference provided an opportunity to engage with institutions undertaking complementary work; from Georgian College's use of artificial intelligence in curriculum mapping to York University's credited bridging courses for transfer students; and to situate our project within the broader provincial landscape of mobility innovation. Sessions reinforced the value of replicable, well-documented frameworks that can be adopted across institutions, which is central to the philosophy underpinning our deliverables. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of this project as the work progresses. |
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WE-SPARK Partnership Presentation |
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St. Clair College and WE-SPARK Health Institute representatives gather for a photo, capturing the shared commitment to advancing community health through partnership, education, and action. (Sonja Popovski/St. Clair College) |
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St. Clair College continues to strengthen community health research through its deepening partnership with the WE-SPARK Health Institute, reaffirmed during a recent engagement session that brought together faculty, administration, and regional health leaders. The visit highlighted the College's longstanding role as a founding partner and its reputation as a responsive, community-driven institution committed to applied research that reflects real-world experiences. Discussions centered on expanding accessible research pathways, supporting faculty-led applied projects, and creating more opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary iniatives that directly impact the Windsor-Essex community.
Leaders from both organizations emphasized the strong collaboration and shared vision for advancing regional health innovation. WE-SPARK representatives Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved and Karen Metcalfe praised St. Clair College's hand-on learning culture and its ability to bring community voices into research. St. Clair's Director of Research and Innovation, Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon, underscored the important of designing systems rooted in trust, relationships, and lived experience. The session reinforced St. Clair's broader vision of applied researh as a catalyst for regional transformation, supporting both learner opportunity and community wellbeing. All St. Clair College students, staff, and faculty are WE-SPARK members.
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Image of New Fee-For-Service platform. (Kevin Roy/St. Clair College) |
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Explore St. Clair College’s Research Services, providing local access to industry-leading technology, specialized equipment, and expert support. Available to staff, students, and local businesses, these services help drive innovation and support a technology-focused future. View the full list of services and equipment below to see how we can support your next project. |
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Featured Equipment: Hexagon ATLASCAN 3D Scanner for Reverse Engineering and Inspection |
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Image of ATLASCAN Scanner. (Kevin Roy/St. Clair College) |
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Now available through St. Clair College Research and Innovation, the Hexagon ATLASCAN delivers high-resolution scanning in a compact, portable package. This versatile tool captures details down to 0.1 mm, yet scales to scan objects as large as a vehicle, making it ideal for reverse engineering, inspection, and creating precise digital models. Click below and discover how this time-saving solution can enhance your workflow. |
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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 and WE-RIDE for Research.
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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"I have worked on two research projects with the SCC-R&I department, and each one has meaningfully shaped my growth as both a researcher and an educator. In the ONCAT–SCC Project, I contributed to Milestone 3 within the Community & Justice Services program, where I reviewed college policies, best practices, and earlier project milestones to help develop Standard Operating Procedures that support student mobility and flexible learning pathways. I later transitioned into the ongoing NSERC ECE Literacy Project, where I work directly with kindergarten students, using guided LEGO-based play to support early literacy – especially for English Language Learners. These experiences have strengthened my confidence, expanded my research and collaboration skills, and shown me the real impact that thoughtful, student-centred innovation can have across different learning environments." - Ivy Hoetu |
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Discover the possibilities with a tour or consultation.
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That's all for Winter! Stay tuned for our next newsletter !!! |
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