Looking Back: 7 ways BCIT innovated through collaboration in 2018

At BCIT, our students and faculty are prepared to solve problems faced in our increasingly complex world. From electric vehicle charging infrastructure to the introduction of education in rural areas, our innovative solutions contributed to another successful year.

We attribute our success through the power of collaboration and as 2018 comes to an end, we reflect on seven of our most impactful stories from the year that showcase how BCIT has innovated and accomplished greater good by collaborating with industry and community partners.

 1) How the community came together in providing education for rural areas 

  • BCIT welcomed the first-ever graduating class of a remotely delivered program in Kitimat. Read more about how members of the local community came together to create a better future.

 2) Using Amazon Alexa in healthcare: How a BCIT Computing student’s app is changing nursing classrooms

  • Michelle Wan, BCIT Computer Systems Technology (CST) student partnered with BCIT Specialty Nursing to improve access to patient diagnostic information using Amazon technology. Learn more about the Alexa app that provides blood test results and diagnostics reports to a nurse, working hands free.

 3) Cannabis beverages in the brew: BCIT and UBC partner with private cannabis company

  • The latest cannabis innovation in the brew stems from a unique partnership between BCIT, UBC and a private cannabis company, Pacific Rim Brands. Read about how Dr. Paula Brown is applying her expertise to collaborate with UBC and Pacific Rim Brands in developing cannabis-infused beverages.

  4) Getting SMART about emissions: How BCIT researchers are helping to fill the knowledge gap in Electric Vehicle uptake

  • With the Province’s announcement that all vehicles sold in BC will be zero-emission by 2040, research into electric vehicle charging by BCIT’s Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team (SMART) is more vital than ever. Learn how Dr. Hassan Farhangi is leading the SMART team to create charging infrastructure and energy management systems that remove barriers to large-scale uptake of electric vehicles.

  5) Students take first place at Microsoft hackathon with idea for helping dementia patients

  • BCIT Computer Systems Technology (CST) students are making a difference in the lives of people with dementia. Find out how collaboration at a hackathon led this winning team to make a difference.

  6) BCIT School of Health Sciences use robots to simulate working with real patients

  • They bleed. They cry. Some even give birth. Discover how BCIT School of Health Sciences’ critical care nursing program incorporates lifelike robots, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to simulate working with real patients and in a hospital setting.

 7)  How BCIT is promoting diversity through an Indigenous lens

  • What started as a conversation between the two co-founders, BCIT faculty member Shannon Kelly and BCIT Indigenous Special Projects and Indigenous Services Advisor Zaa Joseph, on the increasingly diverse BCIT community, has turned into a movement for opening up a dialogue around diversity. Read the full story on how this movement came to life.

Do you have a story of how you achieved greater good through the power of collaboration? Let us know below!

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