A week-long schedule of virtual events, RISE is a celebration of research, innovation, scholarship, and entrepreneurship. Hosted by Georgian College, the event will include over 80 guest speakers from around the world, live sessions to get you thinking critically, research showcases that demonstrate the innovation happening across the college, and much more.
RISE is a wonderful opportunity to see how the students at Georgian College are thrusting Barrie into the future and changing the world. This year will also see the first annual Innov8 Awards, which will recognize excellence in research, innovation, and change-making ideas presented by students or student teams at RISE 2021.
Another big part of RISE 2021 will be the opportunity to check out the City of Barrie's Manufacturing Innovation Summit where you can join forward-thinking manufacturing leaders to share ideas and take away practical insights to harness the power of innovation.
The final piece of the RISE 2021 puzzle is the Big Data Insights Conference, a student-led event showcasing coursework and research being done in the Big Data Analytics program. The theme of the session will be "Ransomware: With Big Data Comes Big Responsibility".
Georgian College has always had a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding business community and RISE is just another opportunity to showcase the amazing student talent that is growing right in our own backyard. "Some students have been involved with our industry-led Research and Innovation projects for a long time (9+ months). They have had the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to real R&D projects. They’ve worked so hard to add value and create an impact for the industry partners," said Mira Ray, Director of Research and Innovation at Georgian College. "Often, our business partners are so impressed with a student working on their team that they hire that student when they graduate! Every business is looking for the type of keen, motivated, professional talent that you find in Research and Innovation students."
Dr. Ray also shared some of the talks and workshops she can't wait for during RISE 2021:
- A session showcasing digital transformation in action at Georgian College in our avatar-based campus that is part of iLRN…a bit like Ready Player One!
- We have an active research partnership with Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. Two of our researchers will be presenting their findings of mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing strategies to manage during these times. A topic that is extremely relevant to everyone.
- Some of our students are using their time at Georgian to start a business as part of the Entrepreneurship Co-Op program. They will take part in a panel discussion along with their industry mentors.
- Four dynamic women, in a variety of industries, will talk about their journeys to inspire the next generation of women leaders during the Empowering Women in Innovation session.
- There is an engaging keynote speaker every day:
- April 6: Dr. Angela Aujla, Professor at Georgian College will be talking about the very important topic of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace
- April 7: Dr. Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work in Australia, will discuss "The Unequal Pandemic: Why COVID-19's Effects on Work Were so Unfair, & How to Repair the Damage"
- April 8: Dr. Jose Ortiz, OBGYN and Epidemiologist from Guatemala, will be joined by Jennifer Kluszczynski, manager of the ICU at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, to share their COVID experiences from opposite sides of the world.
- April 9: Leah Zaidi, an award-winning futurist and founder of Multiverse Design, a foresight consultancy based in Toronto, will be providing resources and tools on "How to Think Like a Futurist"
- Our faculty and staff are multi-talented! The Research and Scholarship Showcase highlights their expertise and their passions beyond teaching in the classroom.
- Don’t forget to visit the 3D Click and Shop Marketplace, where RISE 2021 attendees can buy direct and interact live with the owners from local businesses connected to Georgian’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre (HBEC)
"Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Workplace" 
"Anecdotes from Covid-19 Warriors" 
"The Unequal Pandemic: Why COVID-19’s Effects on Work Were so Unfair, & How to Repair the Damage 
"How to Think Like a Futurist"
With such an amazing event available online, in the comfort of your own home, you might be surprised to learn that this event is also completely free!
To find out more about RISE 2021 and to register for the event, click here.
Congratulations, you found another RISE Code Hunt word: "KOOL2RISE". Good luck and enjoy RISE!
Featured image courtesy of Johannes Plenio via pexels.com
