¶¡ÏãÔ°AV University celebrates 20 years
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV University
A historical timeline
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May 9, 2001
Government of Ontario sets aside $60 million in startup funds for a new university through the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation.
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June 27, 2002
Bill 109, Schedule O, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act gains royal assent, officially founding the new university.
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June 19, 2003
Exceeded enrolment projection with more than 800 applicants.
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September 4, 2003
Doors officially opened to inaugural class. The first two academic structures are today’s Science Building and the Business and Information Technology Building.
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November 7, 2003
Construction completed for one of the largest geothermal wells in North America.
Three hundred and eighty-four holes, each drilled 213 metres (700 feet) into the earth linked to mechanical systems provide buildings with highly efficient and environmentally friendly heating and cooling.
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January 27, 2004
Officially opened Campus Tennis Centre.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2004/04/images/ 20040420.jpg)
April 20, 2004
Lyn McLeod named university's Founding Chancellor.
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June 4, 2004
First convocation held for Bachelor of Education graduates.
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July 6, 2004
The Estate of Kerry Willoughby donated more than $1 million to student success.
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July 19, 2004
BMO Financial Group Donated $1 Million to Help Establish Campus Library.
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October 29, 2004
Opened the Campus Library.
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November 12, 2004
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV received its first Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.
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December 2, 2004
Dr. Richard Marceau appointed as first Provost.
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December 9, 2004
Women’s Ridgebacks hockey team played historic first game.
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March 15, 2005
Group of Engineering students launched first-ever Solar Vehicle Team.
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April 11, 2005
Ontario Power Generation invested $10 million in education to help meet the growing need for energy specialists.
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April 15, 2005
President Gary Polonsky announced his retirement.
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April 21, 2005
First Canadian Master’s program in IT Security launched.
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September 15, 2005
Outpaced enrolment of other Ontario universities by 21 per cent.
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December 11, 2005
Opened Campus Ice Centre.
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March 29, 2006
Hosted first Pangaea Uniting Nations Cultural Show.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2006/04/images/ron_bordessa_pic.jpg)
April 26, 2006
Dr. Ronald Bordessa announced as second President and Vice-Chancellor.
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June 7, 2006
Campus Library won Interior Design Award.
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March 30, 2007
Opened the Ontario Power Generation Engineering Building.
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June 1, 2007
First all-faculty Convocation conferred nearly 700 degrees.
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June 13, 2007
Lenovo Canada announced $2 million donation to boost opportunities for university students.
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September 5, 2007
Province invested $10 million to build new facilities and to help university grow.
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September 12, 2007
Opened the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, Campus Ice Centre, and Campus Tennis Centre.
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October 19, 2007
Received an A+ on the Globe and Mail’s University Report Card for the quality of technology, and included on a list of five 'Hot' universities that are leading a technology wave.
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April 1, 2008
New $120-million General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence launched.
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August 1, 2008
Perrin Beatty appointed Chancellor.
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October 20, 2008
The Faculty of Education relocated to downtown Oshawa, establishing the university’s first presence in the city’s core.
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November 7, 2008
Named one of Canada’s Top 50 research universities.
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March 25, 2009
Ontario’s first Mobile Devices course launched to meet growing demands of digital economy.
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May 29, 2009
Federal and provincial governments invested $73 million in the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the construction of the Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre, now known as the Energy Research Centre.
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June 15, 2009
The number of high school students confirmed our university as their first choice for post-secondary education increased by 6.4 per cent with the system average at only 2.3 per cent.
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November 9, 2009
Received ownership of the historic Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa and announced plans for construction of new building, now known as Bordessa Hall.
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June 7, 2010
President Ron Bordessa announced his retirement.
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June 21, 2010
The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities relocated to Bordessa Hall (55 Bond Street East), and Charles Hall (61 Charles Street).
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September 1, 2010
Opened the Clean Energy Research Laboratory.
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September 9, 2010
Downtown campus officially opened.
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June 13, 2011
Opened the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) Core Research Facility.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2011/02/images/dr_mctiernan_president.jpg)
July 1, 2011
Dr. Tim McTiernan named President and Vice-Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2011/11/images/erc ribbon cuttingv2.jpg)
November 28, 2011
Opened the Energy Research Centre, connecting to the Business and Information Technology Building.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2012/02/images/Thumbnail-ARCopening.jpg)
February 3, 2012
Aboriginal Resource Centre officially opened.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2012/09/images/Thumbnail-Students4.jpg)
September 25, 2012
Enrolment increased tenfold in 10 years.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2013/02/images/Thumbnail-WomensHockey_clinch playoff.jpg)
February 11, 2013
Men’s and women’s hockey program skated into OUA playoffs for the first time.
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June 10, 2013
First Faculty of Science PhDs conferred.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2013/09/images/Thumbnail-10thCelebration.jpg)
September 4, 2013
University celebrated 10th anniversary.
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April 24, 2014
Dr. Deb Saucier appointed Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
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September 26, 2014
Opened Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2015/09/images/Thumbnail-TimMcTiernan.jpg)
September 15, 2015
Dr. Tim McTiernan reappointed President and Vice-Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2014/01/images/thumbnail_EVTE_campusMasterPlan_v1.jpg)
September 22, 2015
Finalized campus master plan with campus partner Durham College.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2016/01/images/Thumbnail-TheJoyceFoundationCheque.jpg)
November 17, 2015
Joyce Foundation invested $1-million it establish The Joyce Foundation Success Awards.
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November 25, 2015
Recognized with a Healthy Workplace Award (Gold category) for the second consecutive year from Regional Municipality of Durham’s Health Department.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2015/11/images/Thumbnail-RupinderObservatory.jpg)
November 27, 2015
Reflecting telescope installed Campus Library roof.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2016/02/images/Thumbnail-NoreenTaylor.jpeg)
February 17, 2016
Noreen Taylor named Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2016/10/images/Thumbnail-SIRC.jpg)
October 13, 2016
Federal and provincial governments announced $13-million investment in Software and Informatics Research Centre.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2016/11/images/Thumbnail-RidgebacksOUAChampions.jpg)
November 6, 2016
Ridgebacks women’s soccer team captured first-ever OUA championship.
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November 30, 2016
Opened the Campus Fieldhouse.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2017/01/images/Thumbnail-EnglishLanguageCentreOpening.jpg)
January 11, 2017
Opened the English Language Centre.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2017/05/images/Thumbnail-OUATeamOfTheYear.jpg)
May 12, 2017
Ridgebacks earned women’s soccer OUA Team of the Year award, and women’s soccer coach OUA Male Coach of the Year award.
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July 4, 2017
Office of Graduate Studies renamed to School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
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November 1, 2017
Dr. Steven Murphy announced as fourth President and Vice-Chancellor.
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November 2, 2017
Opened the Software and Informatics Research Centre creating first academic presence north of Conlin Road.
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February 12, 2018
Province of Ontario, Magna International Inc., Multimatic Inc. invested $4 million to enhance ACE with a Moving Ground Plane.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2018/05/images/thumbnail-basketball.jpg)
May 29, 2018
Ridgebacks added basketball to varsity program. Men’s and women’s basketball programs joined the Ontario University Athletics in 2019.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2018/08/images/thumbnail-primeministerannouncement.jpg)
August 31, 2018
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $9.46 million in funding to enhance the Automotive Centre of Excellence.
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December 18, 2018
Brilliant Catalyst launched to accelerate the development of new ideas, business ventures and innovations.
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January 29, 2019
Noreen Taylor reappointed as Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2019/02/images/thumbnail-livingston_v2.jpg)
February 28, 2019
Dr. Lori Livingston appointed Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2019/03/images/thumbnail-brandannouncement.jpg)
March 27, 2019
New brand introduced with the transition from the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV University.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2021/06/images/thumbnail-stonehousetribute.jpg)
March 6, 2020
Tribute Communities donated $2.2 million.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2020/05/images/mitch-frazer_thumb.jpg)
May 1, 2020
Mitch Frazer appointed Chancellor.
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May 28, 2020
Hunter the Ridgeback named the OUA’s best mascot.
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June 11, 2020
New brand captured a Bronze Award for Best Institutional Brand from the U.S.-based Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2020/10/images/project-arrow-thumbnail.jpg)
October 13, 2020
Named lead academic institution for Phase 2 of Project Arrow, Canadian-made zero-emissions vehicle design prototype.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2020/11/images/er-brand-award-thumbnail.jpg)
November 24, 2020
Won a 2020 Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Award (Silver) in the discipline of Brand Building and the category of Social Causes.
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May 6, 2021
International Atomic Energy Agency designated ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as Collaborating Centre.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2021/06/banner_images/new-building-thumbnail-1.jpg)
June 29, 2021
Opened Shawenjigewining Hall.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2021/11/images/thumbnail-erc-bei-sion-new.png)
August 18, 2021
Estate of Nicholas Sion supported Brilliant Energy Institute with a more than $3-million donation.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2021/11/images/thumbnail-scarborough-charter.jpg)
November 18, 2021
Signed Scarborough Charter to address anti-Black racism.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2022/01/images/thumbnail-president-steven-murphy.jpg)
January 5, 2022
Dr. Steven Murphy reappointed President and Vice-Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2022/03/images/ocis-solar-facade-installation-thumbnail.png)
March 22, 2022
Installed a five-storey, 224-panel solar wall on ACE as part of the university’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets.
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June 8, 2022
Convocation ceremonies returned to the outdoor Polonsky Commons setting at the north campus.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2022/07/images/gr-bruce-street-land-parcel-thumbnail-v3.jpg)
July 22, 2022
Long-term commitment to downtown Oshawa enhanced with the purchase of a parcel of land at 154 Bruce Street, adjacent to existing operations in Charles Hall.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/01/images/ro-january-2023-ouac-applications-increase-thumbnail.jpg)
January 18, 2023
Ranked top among province’s universities for year-over-year percentage growth in applications.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/02/images/er-chancellors-challenge-story-thumbnail.jpg)
February 15, 2023
Mitch Frazer reappointed Chancellor.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/06/images/2022.10.06-fall_exterior_north-404931.jpg)
June 12, 2023
Ranked among the highest in the province in year-over-year percentage increase for high school students indicating it as their top university choice (up 17.6 per cent).
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/06/images/thumbnail-trivine-esprit.jpg)
June 28, 2023
Ridgebacks varsity sports awarded rights to host first-ever U SPORTS national championship.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/07/images/vpri_2023_young_universities_thumb.jpg)
July 24, 2023
International survey placed ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV second among Canada’s ‘youngest’ universities in international survey.
![](https://news.ontariotechu.ca/archives/2023/09/images/20th-newsthumb.jpg)
September 4, 2023