EMPLOYEE PROFILE: ELIZABETH HIBBERT
BARRETT CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
NEWSLETTER
MAY 2020
Elizabeth Hibbert is the Barrett CTI’s first Project Manager. Her friendly and approachable demeanour has been instrumental in helping her establish working connections within Humber and externally. Hibbert’s professional background includes seven years working in digital at Bell Media as an advisor to sales teams, as well as spearheading new product development in digital technology. Hired on the eve of the building’s first anniversary, one of Hibbert’s main goals is to identify how the Barrett CTI and its team of experts can work with colleagues and partners to enhance academic projects and experiential learning opportunities. She will be working on developing projects and activities to bring students, faculty, and industry together. “Year one in the Barrett CTI was a great success. The team, partners and projects set the bar high. I’m motivated and excited by the opportunity to build on that success and develop programs in our space that encourage innovation, and drives new ways of thinking, ” says Hibbert. PROFILE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Pictured above: An image collage highlighting the events and initiatives that took place within the Barrett CTI over the past year.
One memorable year down and more to come When the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) opened its doors at Humber College’s North campus on April 10, 2019, it was with a mandate to combine academia and industry to inspire innovation, support skills development and promote STEAM outreach. Looking back now after the first year, the Barrett CTI has exceeded expectations and connected hundreds of students with industry partners for a variety of projects and initiatives. These partners have provided the technology and industry expertise students need to have successful careers in rapidly-evolving industries. “Being part of collaborative opportunities within the Barrett CTI provides students with an invaluable opportunity to form connections with industry and gain real-world work experience,” said Neal Mohammed, director of the Barrett CTI. Mohammed stated that none of this work would be possible without the support of Humber’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Consortium, in addition to many other community and industry partners. This consortium is a group of eight industry partners within the technology and manufacturing sectors that continues to provide leadership and vision for the overall direction of the Barrett CTI. These partners have hosted several events and workshops over the past year to engage their employees and Humber students and faculty on the latest advanced manufacturing developments. SICK Sensor Intelligence, a founding partner of the consortium, has relished the opportunity to work with Humber students and faculty on a wide array of applied research projects. “We’re used to operating our devices and products in a certain role, but students can show us how they can operate differently, which is quite clever,” said SICK’s Industrial Automation Specialist Ruairi O’Brien. ARTICLE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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ARTICLE CONTINUED SICK creates sensors and industrial automation equipment. In 2019, SICK donated products that incorporate its AppSpace - a cloud-based software combined with technologies that identify and measure applications. O’Brien says that students have already provided useful information, finding intuitive ways to use SICK’s products, which the company may not have identified on its own. Festo Didactic, the education arm of the industrial automation company Festo, has supported the college for years with its education products and regularly hires Humber graduates. The founding consortium partner funded two Barrett CTI labs - a skills training room and a cyberphysical factory, the first-of-its-kind in Canada. These labs support Humber’s Skills Varsity Mechatronics teams as they train for provincial, national, and international competitions. Festo is also a sponsor of the WorldSkills competitions. Barrett CTI facilities have provided Festo with opportunities to train and develop their employees alongside Humber students and faculty. “Many of our customers are looking not just for training but also the ability to continue their learning,” said Greg James, Festo Didactic’s regional sales manager. James notes that many companies value micro-credentials, which are basically compact training sessions that upon completion, result in certificates or mini degrees in a specialized area of work. There may be micro-credential opportunities within the Barrett CTI in the future. Students have been provided with the tools to be involved in applied research and capstone projects in the Barrett CTI, guided by faculty and industry partners. “The Barrett CTI is proud to have facilitated and nurtured 55 projects in areas such as augmented reality, automation, and drones. We look forward to connecting even more partners with students over the next year,” said Mohammed Founding consortium partner Javelin Technologies (formerly Cimetrix Solutions) spent the year in the Barrett CTI providing meaningful support and learning opportunities for research and capstone projects. The 3D solution provider serves thousands of Canadian designers and manufacturers with support for design, scanning, printing and processing. Javelin Technologies also provided a completely outfitted 3D printing lab and provided Humber with an additional large commercial-grade 3D printer. “It’s much more than just supplying equipment,” said Javelin national education manager Paul Sesto. “It’s about developing new practices and techniques with industry by using these world-class facilities.” Sesto visits regularly to see the impact of his company’s contributions on the tech leaders of tomorrow. The partnership allows Javelin Technologies to observe students’ progress and innovative ideas. “It’s a learning process for both of us and it’s always continuous,” he said. The promising early results within the Barrett CTI combined with rave reviews from students, faculty and industry partners alike have made it clear that the Barrett CTI is only getting started. “With everything currently going on in the world, the Barrett CTI will have new challenges to face in our second year. I’ve seen the great work from our Industry partners over these past several months during these challenging times, and we will continue to support and work with them any way we can,” said Mohammed. For more information about the Barrett CTI, visit www.humber.ca/barrettcti or contact Neal Mohammed, director, Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, neal.mohammed@humber.ca.
PROFILE CONTINUED Having previously worked with cutting-edge digital technology in fast-paced media environments, this role appealed to Hibbert as she can bring new perspectives and a timeline-driven work-ethic to the Barrett CTI. Working for a large, dynamic institution like Humber makes her work even more rewarding. Given that she earned a Project Management Certificate at the college prior to obtaining her Project Management Professional Certification from the PMI. Hibbert is now the definition of a Humber College ambassador. “I loved my program, and to now be part of the college as an employee is a perfect next chapter for me,” says Hibbert. The one year anniversary is a special milestone for the Barrett CTI, however, Hibbert is firmly focused on the future. “I really wanted to learn something new and the technology in this building is so cutting-edge that most of it isn’t even available on other campuses across Ontario,” she said.