Homecoming
Homecoming - Saturday, September 20
You are invited back to campus to reconnect during Homecoming 2025! Start your morning with the annual Chancellor's Challenge powered by Mintz LLP and Forum Asset Management, before attending Homecoming Festivities! View the schedule below for more details.
Chancellor's Challenge - Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m.
Join us the morning of Saturday, September 20 for the fifth annual Chancellor's Challenge powered by Mintz LLP and Forum Asset Management.
This 5K walk/run/roll is a fun, inclusive, non-competitive, pet-friendly event for all ages. The course winds along Ontario Tech's north campus, starting and finishing at Polonsky Commons. Want to participate with fellow Ontario Tech Alumni? Join the Ontario Tech Alumni team!
JOIN THE ONTARIO TECH ALUMNI TEAM!
Homecoming Activities - Saturday, September 20, 10:30 a.m.
Enjoy a day packed with fun, connection, and Ontario Tech pride! Explore labs and facilities, participate in exciting activity stations, and finish the day by cheering on the Ridgebacks. Tickets are free, and you can bring up to 4 additional guests, including family and friends!
There’s something for everyone at this year's Homecoming!
- Complimentary barbecue lunch to be enjoyed with members of your faculty
- Tons of activities, including a print-out photobooth, VR + Robot experiences, bounce castle and caricaturist
- All-day coffee bar
- Alumni Adventure Bingo! Explore labs and demos, including the Environmental Radiation Lab (ERC 3094), the maxSIM Health Lab (SHA 471), and the Gamer Lab & Retro room (SIRC 4160 & SIRC 4360).
- Featured Faculty Talk (UB 2080): AI Demystified: Separating Hype from Reality with Dr. Peter Lewis and Dr. Sharon Lauricella
- Men’s Ridgeback Hockey Game
- Alumni mixer at 2200 North
- Exclusive alumni gift
- And more!
Homecoming 2025 is free for all Ontario Tech Alumni, and you can bring up to 4 additional guests. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to reconnect, network and celebrate your alma mater!
| Timing | Event |
| 8:00 a.m. | Parking opens |
| 9:00 a.m. | Chancellor's Challenge registration opens |
| 10:00 a.m. | Chancellor's Challenge remarks and race start |
| 10:30 a.m. | Homecoming registration opens |
| 11:00 a.m. | Chancellor's Challenge and Homecoming Lunch BBQ |
| 11:30 a.m. | Homecoming Welcome and Chancellor’s Challenge Awards |
| 12:00 p.m. | Alumni Adventure Bingo Begins and activities Continue |
| 1:30 p.m. | Featured Faculty Talk (UB 2080) - AI Demystified: Separating Hype from Reality |
| 3:00 p.m. | Ridgebacks Men's Hockey Game and Alumni Mixer @ Campus Ice Centre |
| 6:00 p.m. |
Convergence Music and Art Festival Don't want the night to end? Head over to Downtown Oshawa for the Convergence Music and Art festival! |
AI Demystified: Separating Hype from Reality
Artificial Intelligence is shaping our world in ways that affect everything from healthcare and education to communication and community life. But what does this mean for us as individuals, families, and citizens?
Join Dr. Peter Lewis, Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence and Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies, and Dr. Sharon Lauricella, Professor in both the Communication and Digital Media Studies program and Educational Studies program, for a thought-provoking conversation on the promises and challenges of AI. Together, they will explore how Ontario Tech researchers are leading in ethical and purposeful innovation and developing AI that improves lives while asking critical questions about its social, cultural, and ethical implications.
Curious about how AI touches everyday life? This session will offer fresh insights, spark dialogue, and show how Ontario Tech is preparing the next generation to use Tech with a Conscience.
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Dr. Peter LewisCanada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial IntelligenceAssociate Dean Research and Graduate StudiesAssociate ProfessorDr. Lewis’s research advances both foundational and applied aspects of trustworthy, reflective, and socially intelligent systems. Drawing on extensive experience applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) commercially, he is interested in where AI meets society, and how to help that relationship work well. Dr. Lewis is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, UK. |
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Dr. Sharon LauricellaProfessorDr. Lauricella has published widely on issues pertaining to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) including the student experience with technology in higher education. She is also actively engaged in studies addressing digital identities and focuses on how women and cultures construct and maintain their online digital identities. Dr. Lauricella holds a SSHRC grant investigating undergraduate student mental health as represented in print news and social media. Her objective is to improve the student experience - both in her own classes and for as many undergraduate students as possible. |