Dr. Karamjeet Dhillon, David Potocek and John Lopez of St. Clair College's Research and Innovation team pose out front of The Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing in Windsor, Ont. on Sept. 4, 2024. (Rich Garton/St. Clair College)
When Dr. Karamjeet Dhillon first walked the hallways of St. Clair College, she would often overhear corridor conversations between colleagues, who were discussing great ideas but needed assistance bringing them to life.
"I don't know how to describe it. It was almost like the voices were echoing back, like vibrations. And there was a need," Dr. Dhillon says, to find a landing spot for those ideas.
Her role, as the new Director of Research and Innovation at St. Clair College, is to help faculty and students navigate the most effective pathway to collaborate on research projects.
Quite different than research done at universities, Dr. Dhillon says the Research and Innovation being carried out at the College is grassroots and unique - even from other colleges - because it's student-focused, responding not only to industry, but also community partners.
"It's really a call to the community to say this is a historic College. Anybody working anywhere across this College, whether it's little 'r' or big 'R' research, everyone has a part to play," says Dr. Dhillon, referring to the types of research the College has the capacity to initiate and achieve, with the help of the newly formed Research and Innovation team.
The team, consisting of faculty, staff, and student researchers, is hoping to foster an environment of collaboration. They are ready for anyone with a research idea to approach the team, which can assist by amplifying the idea.
That aligns with one of the team's main goals, which is to provide equitable access for ideas and research opportunities across the system.
"Some of us may not have had the resources to go through the rigour of a PhD, but that doesn't mean we don't have a PhD idea," says Dr. Dhillon, who joined St. Clair College in January 2024. She has since helped develop a new framework and plan of action for the College's Research and Innovation department.
The team has been busy writing grants and has already secured more than $1 million for research projects over the past eight months.
"If you're interested in conducting research in your field of study, or through a capstone project, through an internship, or if you want to do something on your own, we can help potentially get funding for that by looking through grants and available opportunities," says John Lopez, the Program Manager overseeing applied research and innovation projects.
"There is precedence already out there regarding research and colleges, and I think we're just looking at opportunities to expand," Lopez says.
Lopez and Dr. Dhillon now want others to tap into the network they've spent the last eight months carefully cultivating.
"Come and be part of the movement. That's what we're looking to do," says Dr. Dhillon. "Research isn't just this little unit that's responding to the college's needs, it includes everybody."
In an effort to broaden research engagement across the College, the Research and Innovation department just launched a new website which features team bios, areas of research, student success stories and most importantly, a direct link to initiate a research project.
"We look forward to receiving research requests that are student-focused, particularly from those in academics, across all programs, including degree programs," says Dr. Dhillon.
She believes the institution has the potential to be a beacon for others in understanding, implementing, and advancing research portfolios.
"Everyone is welcome to share ideas, remembering that each thought can translate into an idea and then into a movement," Dr. Dhillon says.
"Let's ride this wave together and reach the heights that this historic College deserves."
