Posted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025
It doesn’t feel like seven years have passed. It’s as if it were just yesterday that the Social Innovation Lab became a home for student-led social innovation. Since its opening, it has evolved from a promising idea into a vital hub for social innovation in Canada’s capital.
Over the years, numerous initiatives have emerged from the Lab. Some of our projects include:
- SLiDE: Our inaugural program, designed to harness the talents of Algonquin College students from the Schools of Media and Design and Advanced Technology, supporting community-based organizations through digital technology.
- SPEnD: A research initiative focused on exploring the capacity of Canada’s colleges for social procurement and finance, while developing market-driven social enterprises.
- AWS AI Accelerator Hub: A new initiative aimed at helping local businesses and community organizations adopt cloud and artificial intelligence technologies.
And many more projects have benefited the community in ways we never imagined. This success stems from a simple yet powerful idea: meaningful change happens when students are empowered to lead from the ground up. Rather than relying on top-down innovation, our Lab invites students to become genuine changemakers, working alongside mentors and dedicated community partners.
The Lab has been a home to many interns, and just as much, those interns have made the Lab a part of themselves. It’s a unique experience, one that continues to shape you even after you leave, echoing the impact every intern, mentor and partner has had on our community. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to helping this very community through student creativity and technological knowledge to create lasting social change.
None of this would have been possible without our generous community of supporters, mentors and funders who believed in our mission and walked alongside us every step of the way. As we celebrate this milestone, we eagerly anticipate the innovations still to come. The next chapter will deepen our commitment to student-led innovation, collaboration and meaningful social impact.
Thank you to everyone who has made the past seven years possible.
Interested in becoming part of our next chapter? Explore the Social Innovation Lab projects:
Visit the Social Innovation Lab homepage for more details.
Posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025
At Algonquin College, we take pride in scholarly work, research achievements and intellectual contributions of our faculty and employees. To recognize and support these efforts, the library, in collaboration with the Applied Research Office, has established the Algonquin College Research Repository—a digital platform designed to preserve, showcase and provide access to the academic output of our community.
What is the Research Repository?
The Research Repository is more than a storage space—it’s a searchable showcase of the academic, creative and research contributions of Algonquin College’s faculty and employees. Hosted online, it enables faculty and employees to share their work widely, helping to:
- Highlight the scholarly and research achievements of faculty and employees.
- Enhance academic visibility and discoverability.
- Facilitate collaboration with other researchers and institutions.
- Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration within and outside the College.
What Can Be Submitted?
A wide variety of scholarly and creative works are welcome in the repository. Submissions can include (but are not limited to):
- Research papers and technical reports.
- Peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Conference papers and presentations.
- Theses and dissertations.
- Creative works, multimedia and project documentation.
- Case studies.
Why Contribute?
Participating in the repository offers several key benefits:
- Increased Discoverability: Your work becomes more visible to colleagues, students and the broader academic and professional community through search engines like Google Scholar.
- Long-Term Preservation: Ensure your contributions are archived securely and remain accessible over time.
- Professional Recognition: Strengthen your academic profile with a centralized, citable source of your publications.
- Institutional Pride: Help demonstrate the breadth and depth of research and innovation happening at Algonquin College.
How to Get Started
Contributing is easy! If you’re a faculty or employees member at Algonquin College, you can submit your research and scholarly output through our simple online submission portal.
To begin:
Please ensure you review the Declaration of Copyright under the Policies section before submitting.
Questions? Contact us at library@algonquincollege.com for support or clarification.
Your research matters—don’t let it stay hidden. Share it. Safeguard it. Celebrate it!
Posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025
OTTAWA — Algonquin College has launched the AI Accelerator Hub, a new initiative powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada, to help local businesses and community organizations adopt cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. Announced May 27, the Hub integrates the college’s applied research programs with advanced cloud computing resources and training to boost productivity and innovation.
The Hub will support collaborative research across sectors, offering rapid engagement models and hands-on student involvement. It builds on past successes, including AI solutions developed for CHEO and local start-up AirShare. AWS will provide technical expertise, training, and research credits to support the initiative.
Read the full article here.
Posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025
Applied Research at Algonquin College is proud to announce the winners of the April 2025 Applied Research Day.
Research Achievement Award
The Research Achievement Award recognizes the remarkable research achievements of AC faculty. Browse more Faculty projects with the Research Development Institute here.
Project Description: Research has indicated a gap in nursing curriculum and competency to care for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Using the results of a scoping review of nursing curriculum about persons with IDD, this Delphi study project will generate recommendations for priority nursing curriculum about persons with IDD.4.
Team Leads: Dr. Anna Don & Dr. Mary Ann Murray
Research Team Members: Sushma Chowdhury, Selam Gessese, Jarrod Mclean, Kim Zappavigna, Daniel Kennedy, Amber Rathwell
Student In-Class Projects Awards
To browse all of the students’ in-class projects, visit the virtual project showcase.
Technology and Software Solutions Category
1st Place | Centre33 Kanata Website Redesign
Client: Centre33
Professor(s): Sean Sytsma
Program: Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members: Raija Rudiak, Khanh Linh (Lyn) Nguyen, Gian William Ramelb, Akashdeep Singh Bhandari
Check out the project here.
2nd Place | Stars Orthodontics App by Pillar
Client: Dr. Khaled Sharaf, owner and founder of Stars Orthodontics
Professor(s): Adesh Shah, Adam Robillard
Program: Mobile Application Design and Development
Student Team Members: Wallace Zhao, Annie Thomas, Sandra Abou-Eid, Janine Ann Buenaseda, Hugues Joan Kabagamba Manzi, Reginald Felix
Check out the project here.
3rd Place | Insight 360 SEO Reporting
Client: Aspire Digital Online
Professor(s): Adesh Shah, Adam Robillard
Program: Mobile Application Design and Development
Student Team Members: Hiu Ming Tse, Hennadii Zaiets, Wong Shing Kwan Terry, Sayed Hashim Jaffar, Brenda Campos Alvarenga, Oyindamola Ajider
Check out the project here.
Multidisciplinary Problem-Solving Category
1st Place (Tied) | Project Investigation of Clay As Construction Material
Professor(s): Francesco Tangorra, Laura McHugh
Program: Civil Engineering Technology
Student Team Members: Marco Goguen, Santiago Osorio Alvarez, Barney George Weistche, Nipun Hill
Check out the project here.
1st Place (Tied) | Project Safety Automated Stovetop System
Professor(s): Carolyn Lorimer
Program: Electrical Engineering Technology
Student Team Members: April Foster, Kevin Labelle, Cody Pedersen, Val Grant
Check out the project here.
2nd Place (Tied) | Project Investigating Synthetic Lethal Interactions in CIN Genes Using Yeast
Professor(s): Maryam Hajikarimlou
Program: Biotechnology Advanced
Student Team Members: Sloane Emmerson, Jeremy Kovacs, Ngo Som Jeanne Abigaïl Grâce
Check out the project here.
2nd Place (Tied) | Project Investigating The Role of RAD7 and RAD16 Genes on UV-Induced DNA Damage Repair in Yeast: A Gene Knockout Approach
Professor(s): Rudy Jones, Maryam Hajikarimlou
Program: Biotechnology Advanced
Student Team Members: Isabela Fernandes Gentil, Chukwubuikem Ezike, Yashkumar Patel
Check out the project here.
3rd Place | Put-in Robot for Inventory Control
Professor(s): Asghar Ali Gill, Kinchitkumar Patel
Program: Electromechanical Engineering Technician
Student Team Members: Amirali Behzad, Ali Abdulzahara, Ouijdane El Khoudri,Vrent Enzo I. Omadto
Check out the project here.
Posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025
Applied Research at Algonquin College is proud to announce the winners of December 2024 Applied Research Student Project Showcase.
Bachelor of Science – Nursing Community Project Awards
To browse all of the student Bachelor of Science – Nursing Community Projects, visit the virtual project showcase.
Client: Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre
Professor(s): Elizabeth Kacew, RN (EC), MScN, NP-PHC
Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Students: Sabrina Chen (Team Lead), Tianhui (Camille) Cheng, Vanessa Goth, Muna Omar
Check out the project here.
Client: Carefor
Professor(s): Kyla MacGinnis
Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Students: Miriam Bickmore, Lauren Doxey-Allin, Hanan Awell and Shantal Marzouca
Check out the project here.
Client: Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at Bruyère Health
Professor(s): Sherry Poirier Shelley MacKenzie
Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Students: Nimah Akinwande, Gina Dang, Katelyn McGahey
Check out the project here.
Student In-Class Projects Awards
To browse all of the student, visit the virtual project showcase.
Client: Sentiers Wakefield Trails
Professor(s): Jed looker Sara hubberstey
Program: Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design
Students: Dami Salaudeen, Gaurav Sapkota, Srishti, Swati Nigam
Check out the project here.
Client: Sentiers Wakefield Trails
Professor(s): Jed Looker Sara Hubberstey
Program: Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design
Students: Laura Avila, Ivuoma Happiness Otokhine, Mayank Raj, Preethi Sureshkumar
Check out the project here.
Client: Stratosfy
Professor(s): Abdullah Kadri Howard Rosenblum
Program: CET – Computer Engineering Technology
Students: Thomas Stanley, Zachery Beavis, Meet Kotadiya, Jeet Damani, Andrew Moses
Check out the project here.
Posted on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025
Applied Research is proud to announce that the Embark Student Foundation has awarded a major grant of $400,000 to support the Social Innovation Lab at Algonquin College. This grant will fund the Transdisciplinary Approach to Service Transformation in NEET (TASTE), a long-term initiative to design, pilot and evaluate innovative approaches to reactivate NEET youth to education.
Read the full story here
Posted on Friday, August 2nd, 2024
Applied Research at Algonquin College is proud to announce the winners of August 2024 Applied Research Student Project Showcase. To browse all of the student projects, visit the virtual project showcase.
Client: National Research Council – Centre for Air Travel Research
Professor(s): Jed Looker, Raphael Joseph
Program: Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design
Student Team Members: Joy Fidelis Ugbong, Revati Hardikar, Abhinav Jain, Mayank Mayank, Albin John Joseph
Check out the project here.
Client: Lit 3D
Professor(s): Sean Sytsma, Abhay Sharma
Program: Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members: Merrill O’Malley (Lead), David George, Luxshie Vimaleswaran, Ceejay Spencer, Akpieyi Jennifer
Check out the project here.
Client: Ajile Light Industries
Professor(s): Raymond Greiss, Andrew Dalton
Program: Bachelor of Engineering (Automation and Robotics)
Student Team Members: Michele Lorusso, Josh Balisch, Jack Dewan, Neel Mukherji, Marc Sabourin, Caitlin Jahn, Danielle Galarneau, Michel Akpro
Check out the project here.
Client: IRCC
Professor(s): Prableen Singh
Program: Business Intelligence System infrastructure
Student Team Members: Vasant Dave, Daniel Idogun, Manpreet Kaur, Amitha Varghese
Check out the project here.
Posted on Saturday, June 8th, 2024
Applied Research is honoured to share the news that the Salo family has generously donated $50,000 to establish The Salo Family Endowment for Social Innovation at Algonquin College. This endowment will support student interns in the Social Innovation Lab, empowering them to engage in meaningful social innovation projects.
Our deepest appreciation to the Salo family for their generosity enabling Algonquin College learners to have life-changing experiences and make a positive impact in the community.
Read the full story here.
Posted on Friday, April 12th, 2024
Applied Research at Algonquin College is proud to announce the winners of April 2024 Applied Research Day.
Research Achievement Award
The Research Achievement Award, which recognizes the remarkable research achievements of AC faculty. To browse more Faculty project with the Research Development Institute here.
Project Description: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common among survivors of intimate partner violence, though many remain unaware of their condition and face barriers to medical assistance. The project, aimed at understanding and providing accessible treatment for these injuries, highlighted the pilot testing of Neurovine’s app and sensor band for survivors suffering from mTBI.
Team Leads: Dr. Alyssa Ferns and Dr. Pasan Fernando
Research Team Members: Diana McGlinchey, Zeyu Wan and Anna Van Leeuwen
Student In-Class Projects Awards
To browse all of the student, visit the virtual project showcase.
Client: Ingenium (Erin Secord)
Professor(s): Carolyn Lorimer, Jim Catton
Program: Electrical Engineering Technology
Student Team Members: Zachary Franks; Kristopher Kshonze; Jacob Malcolmson; Tyler Ross
Check out the project here.
Client: Tina Mackey
Professor(s): Sean Sytsma,
Program: Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members: Zarmeen Malik; Vanessa Isabela Denny; Yik Hang (Vicky) Fong; Aiden Famili; Yuka Ishii
Check out the project here.
Client: Ali Yaqub
Professor(s): Sucheng Lee
Program: Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members: Tanner Green; Dawson Peddie; Thomas Stanton; Nate Smith; Uluhan Orhan; Colin Clothier
Check out the project here.
Posted on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
Applied Research at Algonquin College is proud to announce the winners of December 2023 RE/ACTION In-Class Projects Showcase. To browse all of the projects visit the virtual project showcase.
Client: Jessica-Lee Sidaoui
Professor(s): Abdullah Kadri
Program: Computer Engineering Technology – Computing Science
Students: Team Lead: Ryan Turcotte, Obida Kassif, Will Leveilee, Tanisa Tasneem, Palwinder Kaur
Check out the project here.
2nd Place | Mechanic To You Mobile
Client: Matthew Turner, Christian Castillo
Professor(s): Abdullah Kadri
Program: Computer Engineering Technology – Computing Science
Students: Kyle Thomas, Daniel McCue, Matthew Allen, Sarah Almobarak, Mason Fatoric
Client: Eric Torunski
Professor(s): Abdullah Kadri
Program: Computer Engineering Technology – Computing Science
Students: Zahi Masarwa, Casey Rankin, Neeraj Bansal, Liam Landers, Suraj Mittal
Check out the project here.
