Ontario Tech University Reports on 2024 Activities, Partnerships and Student Recognition
Ontario Tech University released a statement on December 19 outlining activities and recognitions from 2024, including research funding, student accomplishments, campus initiatives, application numbers, athletic results, and international partnerships.
The statement details updates at Ontario Tech’s Oshawa campus, which enrolls students from neighbouring communities such as Clarington.
According to Ontario Tech, the university launched the "Tech with a Conscience" fundraising campaign during 2024. The Institute for Cybersecurity and Resilient Systems received project funding from Canada’s National Cybersecurity Consortium for work on drone swarm security, artificial intelligence for electric vehicle infrastructure, and research into malicious software in generative pre-trained transformers.
Ontario Tech reported a partnership with Lakeridge Health using artificial intelligence in healthcare for Durham Region. The Faculty of Health Sciences led a project to integrate virtual reality reminiscence therapy into dementia care, in connection with the Advancement for Dementia Care Centre, a collaboration with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.
The university listed several student accomplishments for 2024. Bria Hughes-Small, a first-year master's student, won Ontario Tech’s Three Minute Thesis competition and advanced to the provincial level. Students in the Brilliant Work-Integrated Learning program presented designs for a Dementia Village. Rushda Khan, a second-year Software Engineering student and instructor, received the 2023 Actua Instructor Recognition Award in March 2024.
Ontario Tech stated it was recognized by Research Infosource as Canada’s Research University of the Year for the second consecutive year. The statement also cited a number one reputation ranking in the 2025 Maclean’s Canadian post-secondary rankings, second place among Canadian universities under 50 years old by Times Higher Education, and a top three engineering ranking in Ontario by U.S. News and World Report. The university received 13,365 applications from Ontario high school students for the 2024–2025 academic year, an increase of 7.6% from the prior year.
The Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Laboratories received the Engineering Research Project of the Year award from Professional Engineers Ontario (York Chapter) for Project Arrow, an electric vehicle concept. Ontario Tech reported that Dr. Barbara Perry was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Athletic results included a first provincial championship for the men’s soccer team and a silver medal for the women’s lacrosse team at the Ontario University Athletics championship in their first year of participation. The university also hosted the U SPORTS men’s soccer championship at Vaso’s Field.
International activities included the Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research being named a Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health by the World Health Organization. Ontario Tech announced a five-year agreement with Penn State University focused on engineering research, and its Faculty of Science held a chemistry symposium with Japan’s Kyutech University.
The university reported joining the Canadians for CANDU campaign, describing the campaign as promoting the deployment of CANDU nuclear technology. Ontario Tech received research funding to develop a gamma-ray imaging system for small modular reactor fuels and materials. The university stated it led a Clean Energy Summit in Cairo, Egypt, focused on sustainable energy and small modular reactors, and hosted the Hydrogen Business Council of Canada’s annual conference, attended by over 200 industry leaders.