News

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is excited to welcome former Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, as its next speaker in the institution’s Perspectives: Canada in the World series. Preparing for the Unexpected: How to Manage Through Complexity and Change  Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 7:00 pm   Red Deer Polytechnic, Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre   A uniquely experienced leader who shares best practices and tactics on leading teams through complexity and change, Hadfield is known for sharing the marvels and wonders of science and space with everyone he encounters. Formerly NASA’s director of operations, Hadfield spent more than three decades working for NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. During his career, Colonel Hadfield flew in three space missions, was involved in building two space stations and performed two space walks. He also crewed and commanded the Shuttle and Soyuz. In 2013, Hadfield became the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, a role he held for six months.   “RDP is thrilled to welcome Chris Hadfield,” says Dr. Jonathon Penny, Dean of the School of Arts and Education. “Colonel Hadfield is a known supporter and sometime practitioner of the arts, an ardent humanist, and an exemplar of what it is to

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) will welcome alumni, partners and community members to Homecoming from October 19 to 21, 2023. “We are proud to reconnect with RDP alumni and community members throughout Homecoming weekend and showcase the unique opportunities that our institution has to offer,” says Richard Longtin, Associate Vice President, External Relations. “In RDP’s 60-year history, the institution has evolved into a premier polytechnic that provides exceptional education, training and applied research opportunities. Our connections with alumni, partners and communities enrich the experiences of RDP students and help us contribute to the prosperity of Alberta.” Since 1964, Red Deer Polytechnic has contributed to more than 80,000 students reaching their academic, personal and professional aspirations. RDP alumni make impactful contributions to industry, communities and students. They support RDP learners in several capacities, which include volunteering, providing work-integrated learning opportunities and contributing to scholarships and awards. Alumni, partners, students and members of the public will have the opportunity to partake in a variety of academic, athletic, cultural and social events on the Polytechnic’s main campus over three days. Here is a summary of the Homecoming events: Thursday, October 19 Palate: A Taste of Local (sold out) | Cenovus Energy Learning Commons |

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) student Keanna Richards was one of 40 Canadian post-secondary learners who were selected to share their international experiences at CICan on the Hill in Ottawa. Richards, who is a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences student, recently attended the prestigious event alongside Canadian parliamentarians to discuss her participation in the RDP Abroad Biology Experience. This innovative project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Global Skills Opportunity ( GSO ), which is administered jointly by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Universities Canada. “The Global Skills Opportunity program helps to create life-changing academic, cultural and social opportunities for RDP learners in Biological Sciences and Practical Nursing,” says Werner Beylefeld, Dean of International Education at RDP. “These study abroad experiences highly complement the education, training and applied research opportunities that are available at the Polytechnic.” During three months in Costa Rica, Richards worked as a Research Assistant with the Center for Rescue of Endangered Marine Species ( CREMA ). While immersing herself in local culture, Richards conducted research on the relationship between the egg sizes of sea turtles and maternal and hatchling body size. After growing her skills and knowledge about sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has increased its additive manufacturing capacity in the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing - Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC) with an additional federal investment of $1.07 million through PrairiesCan . The funding increases RDP’s ability to collaborate with industry on health care device development and additive manufacturing. Applied research activity occurs across RDP in many disciplines and the CIM-TAC is the institution’s flagship research centre. The CIM-TAC is a hub for collaborative problem-solving in society and industry, including the creation of healthcare device prototypes for humans and animals. “We thank the federal government for this new funding and for recognizing RDP’s role in spurring technology adoption, increasing productivity and ultimately helping to create the innovations that will improve the lives of Albertans and Canadians,” says Stuart Cullum, President of Red Deer Polytechnic. “With this recent investment, RDP will expand our impact in the manufacturing sector while providing our students with new applied learning and research opportunities.” “Alberta’s post-secondary institutions such as Red Deer Polytechnic are uniquely positioned to lead collaboration between industry and innovators to transform new ideas into reality,” says the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan.“Our government’s investment in this Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing

With two recent investments by the Government of Alberta in skilled trades programming, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) will add 360 apprenticeship seats, helping to address labour market demand. On September 25, the Government of Alberta announced $12.4 million in funding to create almost 2,000 new apprenticeship seats across the province. Red Deer Polytechnic received almost $800,000, supporting 138 additional seats for students. This is in addition to the almost $1.3 million that RDP received in June as part of the Apprenticeship Learning Grant (ALG) to support the delivery of instruction for high-demand programs during the Fall 2023 Term. Through the ALG, RDP has added 222 new seats for apprentices. “At Red Deer Polytechnic, we are grateful for the Government of Alberta’s growing investment in skilled trades programming to help fulfill labour shortages,” says Lindsay Engel, Vice President, Academic and Student Experience. “As Alberta’s third largest educator of apprenticeship programming, we are proud to train more than 2,000 apprentices this year, contributing to the economic prosperity of the province.” Red Deer Polytechnic offers diverse apprenticeship programming in 17 skilled trades programs that meet the changing needs of industry and students. With flexible learning options at RDP, apprentices can take courses and

Nationally renowned First Nations artist and Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) alum, George Littlechild was the guest of honour at a special event marking the start of National Truth and Reconciliation Week at RDP. Public employees of RDP, the Students' Association of RDP (SARDP), and the RDP Alumni Association purchased a piece of Littlechild’s art entitled 4 Star Art Warrior . The organizations graciously gifted the artwork to RDP’s permanent art collection in recognition of the contributions of students, employees, and alumni and to honour Littlechild’s connection to the Polytechnic. The painting will ultimately be displayed inside the main entrance of Red Deer Polytechnic as a reminder to students, staff, and visitors of the ongoing journey towards reconciliation. The artwork was officially unveiled at a special event held on Monday, September 25, in the Arts Centre Main Stage on RDP’s main campus. Local First Nations leaders, community members, and RDP students, staff and faculty listened as Littlechild shared his personal story as a former RDP student and Indigenous artist. This special event is one of many taking place at Red Deer Polytechnic to acknowledge Truth and Reconciliation Week. About Dr. George Littlechild : Dr. George Littlechild was born in Edmonton, Alberta

The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) has announced two new names related to the new Centre of Excellence. On September 15, former NHL player and co-founder of Respect Group Sheldon Kennedy joined with the board and staff of the CACAC and other dignitaries to announce the new Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence in Red Deer, Alberta. In addition to the naming announcement for the building, the CACAC also joined with non-profit organization Smiles Thru Lindsey – led by the More family – to announce the Lindsey More Youth Mental Health and Addiction Hub , which is located on the second floor of the Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence. “This honor bestowed to me strongly supports my vision and our collective goal to help ALL youth Child Advocacy Centres not only in Alberta, but across Canada and beyond. I am so proud to be part of this journey with the Centre of Excellence and I am incredibly humbled to have this one-of-a-kind facility will bear my name”. – Sheldon Kennedy The naming event included dignitaries from Alberta Health Services, Red Deer Polytechnic, Eagle Builders, the Calgary Flames Entertainment Group, the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group, and various other partners that occupy

Today, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) are gathering for the first annual Alberta Corridor Technical Symposium — Research Matters: Empowering Alberta Through Innovative Solutions — presented by the Alberta Corridor Technical Committee. All three institutions were named in Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges for 2022 as part of the Canada's Innovation Leaders report, adding an elevated level of expertise to this collaborative event. Held in Calgary on SAIT’s main campus, this one-day event is showcasing more than 15 industry-based, cutting-edge applied research projects in progress which embody the collective efforts in research fostered at Alberta’s leading polytechnic colleges. Exploring research in the areas of agriculture and sustainable ecosystems, thermal energy storage, carbon neutrality, remote healthcare delivery, veterinary medicine and much more, the projects aim to create advanced solutions to foster new opportunities for Alberta’s diverse economy. Industry professionals, academics, students and community leaders are attending the symposium to network with peers, learn from researchers and be inspired by the next generation of innovators. Students from all three post secondaries are exhibiting their research findings at the poster sessions on topics including advancing microplastics science, impacts of

Andrea Pinsent, Senior Advisor, People and Culture at Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has been recognized for her exemplary work and leadership in Human Resources by Chartered Professionals in Human Resources ( CPHR ) of Alberta. Pinsent was nominated for the CPHR Alberta Impact Award at the 2023 Excellence Awards Ceremony hosted in Edmonton on September 12. Along with demonstrating exceptional leadership, Pinsent’s nomination acknowledged her efforts to enhance the performance and reputation of Red Deer Polytechnic through her strategic work in Human Resources. “I want to congratulate Andrea on receiving this prestigious recognition,” says Mara-Lee Moroz, Executive Director, People and Culture. “Andrea is invaluable in effectively expanding organization-wide, inclusive strategies and programs, with a focus on the employee experience. These areas of focus include recruiting and onboarding, employee recognition and engagement, learning and development and employee well-being. Her expertise will continue to enhance RDP’s reputation as a premier polytechnic institution, preparing learners for the workforce by offering enhanced education, training and applied research opportunities.” In June 2007, Pinsent joined Red Deer Polytechnic as Programs Administration Coordinator and later Operations Manager. In these roles Pinsent played an integral role within the academic division, managing the critical administrative functions that support the

Our Red Deer Guest Chef for August is passionate about students and setting them up for success! The 12th President of Red Deer Polytechnic Stuart Cullum rose to the challenge of Guest Chef, celebrating all things local with his “Cheddar Mushroom Melt”! It included Alberta beef smashed patties with melted cheddar house-made mushroom cheese sauce, Ceres Solutions oyster mushrooms on a Cob's Bakery traditional hamburger bun. $2 from every burger sold is going directly to Stuart’s cause of choice the Students’ Association of RDP Food Bank. Stuart says he could think of no better cause “established in 1995, it serves a critical need for our student community and contributes to their success and well-being. For us at RDP the student experience is so important, and a number of our students do struggle especially in an inflationary world, with costs, so the demand on the food bank continues to increase and the fact that our Students’ Association takes such a strong commitment into the food bank movement to support our students is heartening for our RDP community”. Students’ Association President Erin Bast says they are anticipating the demand on the student food bank to continue “we don’t know the full impact

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) faculty and staff will grow their impact through applied research, thanks to a $27.3 Million investment by the Government of Alberta to post-secondary institutions through the Major Innovation Fund ( MIF ). Red Deer Polytechnic is one of the post-secondary institutions that will continue to collaborate with the Universities of Alberta and Calgary during the next four years to accelerate research and commercialization because of the MIF funding. RDP will receive $800,000 from the MIF funding within three projects. “We’re enthusiastic and eager to be collaborating with other post-secondary institutions to solve industry challenges in the medical devices, clean energy, and space and defense sectors,” says Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Applied Research. “Our team is focused on applying the state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on experience we have at Red Deer Polytechnic to commercialize new technologies in order to strengthen and diversify the economy. Cross-functional collaboration creates exciting outcomes, and industry will benefit by having researchers from universities, polytechnics, and colleges working together.” The MIF investment will focus on projects in four areas. Red Deer Polytechnic is involved in three of those areas, including: Clean Energy - applied researchers from RDP’s Energy Innovation Centre (EIC)

Starting on September 5, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) students and graduates will have 24/7 access to official transcripts, parchments and letters of completion in their own secure virtual credential wallet. Through a new partnership with the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC), RDP students and graduates will receive and manage their documents through the MyCreds™ platform. MyCreds™ provides secure and convenient access to academic documents, allowing students and graduates to share these with other colleges and universities, government, employers and third parties. Documents issued through MyCreds™ are tamper-evident and cryptographically signed, making them authentic and official. "Red Deer Polytechnic is committed to providing students with seamless access and services, and our partnership with ARUCC to offer academic documents through MyCredsTM is an important new aspect of this,” says Dr. Trish Nuyten, Interim Dean of Enrolment Management and Registrar. “By providing students and graduates with this new pathway to access and share their digital documents, we are offering them more opportunity and agency to connect with educational institutions and employers through an innovative, convenient method.” "The launch of Red Deer Polytechnic on MyCreds™ illustrates the growing impact of digital service in Alberta," says Jennifer Crothers, ARUCC