Media releases

• Brock, TOES Niagara aim to enhance lives of marginalized women and families through partnership

  Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 19 May 2021 – R0063

  After years of working together on projects that empower immigrant and racially marginalized women and their families, Brock University and Tools of Empowerment for Success (TOES) Niagara are formalizing their long-standing partnership.

  The organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their ongoing collaborative relationship.

  Based in Welland, TOES Niagara offers workshops, programs and other support services to remove barriers for women and their families and help enable improved economic and educational outcomes. The organization connects youth with community mentors, provides entrepreneurship and leadership skills training, helps newcomers to Canada navigate the various systems they encounter, offers support with healing from the trauma of anti-Black racism, and encourages civic engagement, volunteerism and personal growth through its programming.

  Supporting immigrant and racially marginalized women is a critical part of building strong and inclusive communities that benefit all Canadians, said Lynn Wells, Brock Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

  “Helping women and their families to achieve their dreams of becoming engaged citizens will only enhance the life and vitality of the Niagara region,” she said. “Through research, mentorship and other support opportunities, Brock University is pleased to play a role in assisting TOES Niagara with its pivotal work locally.”

  Born through years of research collaboration, the partnership between the two organizations has included a number of projects over time. The latest is an ongoing three-phase research initiative taking place through the University’s Social Justice Research Institute.

  The project, which began in 2019, is led by Associate Professor of Nursing Joanne Crawford and looks at strategies to promote inclusion of immigrant women in Niagara. The research team is examining services and activities that support social inclusion for immigrant women, while also looking at developing and enhancing services to promote social inclusion.

  The University’s research activities are strengthened by working with community partners like TOES Niagara to understand local problems and develop real-world solutions, said Tim Kenyon, Brock’s Vice-President, Research.

  “The work currently underway by Dr. Crawford is a prime example of how researchers and community organizations can come together to create positive change,” Kenyon said. “Each brings valuable knowledge to the table. When combined, these insights can have a tremendous impact locally and beyond.”

  Collaborating with Brock has enhanced TOES Niagara’s ability to assist the people it serves.

  “There are simply some things we, as an organization, cannot do on our own,” said Nyarayi Kapisavanhu, Executive Director of TOES Niagara. “This partnership has allowed us to increase our research capability, our capacity to directly engage with the community and our ability to promote and fund our programming.”

  The MOU “opens a world of possibilities” when it comes to future collaborations with Brock’s faculty, staff and students, Kapisavanhu said.

  Initiatives Brock and TOES Niagara have previously collaborated on include:

  • Brock’s Office of Human Rights and Equity (HRE) helped to facilitate an ongoing mentorship program for Black youth through the Department of Canadian Heritage. HRE provided help with curriculum development, financial support, facilities and facilitation. Several Brock faculty members are mentors with the program.
  • TOES Niagara worked with the Faculty of Education to develop anti-racism and anti-oppression training materials for current educators.
  • Brock Faculties and departments have assisted with various strategic projects, including providing support for TOES Niagara’s strategic plan.
  • TOES Niagara has partnered with Brock on grant applications for special projects, including grants for Black entrepreneurship initiatives with the Social Justice Research Institute, Centre for Business Analytics and the Office of Government and Community Relations.

  The TOES Niagara MOU is the latest in a series of commitments by Brock to work with community partners, such as HOPA Ports, Niagara Workforce Planning Board, Niagara Health, Pathstone Mental Health, Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold and Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock launches Department of Engineering in preparation for bold new programming

  Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 18 May 2021 – R0062

  Brock University has taken the next big step towards its goal of launching dynamic Engineering programs that teach “outside the book” and focus on the employability of students.

  On Wednesday, May 12, the University Senate approved the formation of the Department of Engineering — a historic move for Brock.

  This was the first time since its inaugural year that Brock has created a department that hasn’t grown from an existing program. Although the University announced Engineering programs were on the horizon last year, the creation of the department allows this new academic initiative to be realized.

  “This is a monumental development for Brock University,” said President Gervan Fearon. “The creation of the Department of Engineering is years in the making and to see it come to fruition is a success to be celebrated by the entire University community. It adds an important academic program in demand by students, and it supports the economic vitality of the region — these items are directly aligned with the strategic priorities of the University.”

  Brock plans to welcome its first cohort of 100 Integrated Engineering students for the 2023-24 academic year. Students will explore topics such as big data, artificial intelligence, medical devices, sustainability and climate change, robot automation, manufacturing and transportation. Until then, a minor program in Engineering Science is set to launch in September 2021.

  Integrated Engineering takes key concepts from traditional engineering fields — such as mechanical, civil and electrical — and brings them together into a single coherent program where students learn about each field as well as the connections between them.

  Brock will be one of only three Canadian universities offering Integrated Engineering programs at the undergraduate level.

  With student employability at its core, Brock’s program is intended to produce graduates who are skilled in communication, instinctively collaborative and inherently transdisciplinary in their approach to problem-solving.

  Through a variety of experiential learning opportunities, students will gain real-world experience, build industry connections and enhance their professional skills.

  “This dynamic program will give students a competitive edge in the technology-driven economy, providing them with not only the skills needed to succeed, but also industry experience that employers value,” said Lynn Wells, Brock’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

  Response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive thus far, Wells said, with engineering firms and other industry groups offering support and looking to build connections for future student work terms and work integrated learning opportunities.

  “The introduction of Engineering helps to advance the key priorities of Brock’s Institutional Strategic Plan, including expansion of the University’s research capacity, the offering of a transformational and accessible academic and student experience, and the fostering of a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, decolonization and reconciliation,” said Fearon.

  Students with a wide variety of backgrounds and qualifications will be encouraged to apply for the Integrated Engineering program.

  “The University is committed to promoting inclusivity in Engineering education, with an overall aim to achieve gender balance, equity, diversity and meaningful Indigenization among students, faculty and staff,” said Wells.

  Creation of the department also opens up new areas of impactful research at Brock, said Tim Kenyon, Vice-President, Research.

  “Engineering research responds to complex problems with solutions that draw on many other kinds of research as well, while thriving on connections with industry partners,” he said. “This is a natural extension of Brock’s strengths in transdisciplinary research, partnerships, and research that makes a difference.”

  The process is currently underway to hire the Department of Engineering’s first three dedicated faculty members, who will lay the groundwork for the program’s launch and oversee the hiring of additional academics. Given the interdisciplinary nature of Brock’s Engineering program, a number of shared hires are also planned, with three underway.

  Faculty of Mathematics and Science Dean Ejaz Ahmed called it an exciting development for the Faculty.

  “The Department of Engineering is an important next step in the future of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science,” he said. “This will open the doors to new possibilities for our faculty members and students from teaching, learning and research perspectives. It will provide a broad skill set necessary to solve many of the world’s most challenging problems.”

  Many people are to be thanked for their contributions to the development of the academic proposal approved by Senate, including Greg Finn, Special Advisor to the President and Provost, and members of the Advisory Committee of Engineering.

  After its undergraduate programming is in place, Brock intends to expand its Engineering offerings to graduate students with research-based master’s and PhD opportunities.

  More information on Engineering at Brock is available here.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected] or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases