OCNews

OC Life

Photo of Dr. Samantha Lenci
Dr. Samantha Lenci appointed Okanagan College Provost and Vice President, Academic

October 25, 2023

Dr. Samantha Lenci, a well-respected leader with experience working across multiple post-secondary institutions in Western Canada, has been named the new provost and vice president academic at Okanagan College, effective Dec. 1, 2023.  “Dr. Lenci is an outstanding leader and team builder who brings expertise in program design, development and implementation, as well as an understanding of the transformative power of post-secondary education in communities,” said Dr. Neil Fassina, OC president. “Most importantly, in addition to her impressiv...

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The Haunting of Hill House Cast Members
OC’s Red Dot Players present The Haunting of Hill House  

October 23, 2023

As the weather gets chilly something is heating up the stage at Okanagan College. A supernatural horror story that promises to be a hauntingly good time for attendees.  The Red Dot Players are excited to present The Haunting of Hill House, a psychological horror story about an investigator of supernatural phenomena who arrives at Hill House to unravel its morbid history. The play is written by F. Andrew Leslie and based on the novel by Shirley Jackson. The performance is directed by OC faculty member Sarah Foss.    "I was drawn to the Shirl...

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Action photo from weekend hockey games in the BCIHL.
OC hockey players chip in for collegiate hockey team

October 20, 2023

The Okanagan Lakers hockey team, consisting of students from Okanagan College, earned two wins in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League last weekend, beating rivals Logan Lake/TRU and Simon Fraser University. The team is back in action this weekend with games Friday October 20 at 7:30 p.m. against the University of Victoria Vikings and Saturday Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. against the Vancouver Island Mariners.  The win over the SFU Red Leafs last weekend, a 5-3 victory over the perennial powerhouse SFU club on Saturday night, was the Lakers first ev...

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OC President Neil Fassina.
Celebrating 60: Welcome to the 2023/24 academic year at OC

September 5, 2023

A message from Okanagan College President, Dr. Neil Fassina: For many people, this week marks the start of a new chapter. The first day of classes, a return to school, those initial moments where you check out the textbooks, syllabus, and materials of a new course – the energy on campus this time of year is electric and exciting.   This year is all the more special for OC, because we’re celebrating sixty years since the opening of the B.C. Vocational Institute in Kelowna and the College’s growth through the region in the decades that follow...

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You at OC Vernon
Okanagan College hosts You @ OC Event to showcase programs and services

June 13, 2023

With summer approaching and many people making their college or university plans for the fall, Okanagan College is extending an invitation to the community to explore the many opportunities available at OC. Applicants, admitted students, parents and anyone interested in learning more about programs and life at OC are invited to attend You@OC on Tuesday, June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the College’s Vernon campus. During the event, application fees for all programs will be waived. You@OC is an opportunity to explore various program opp...

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Artwork by OC Professor Amy Modahl
Okanagan College professor and artist receives Tanabe Prize

April 25, 2023

Okanagan College communications professor and artist Amy Modahl has been announced as a winner of this year's Tanabe Prize, alongside artist Robin Hodgson. The two artists, based in the B.C. Interior, will each receive $15,000 in recognition of their exceptional creativity and promise of future achievements. Modahl expressed her excitement and gratitude for receiving the prestigious award, stating, "I'm so honored to have been chosen to receive this award that will support my work as an artist, especially because I also received a Canada C...

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OC professors Hannah Calder and Corrina Chong
OC profs to share their talents at Valley Voices

April 24, 2023

The following media release is shared on behalf of Valley Voices: Valley Voices to Echo Again in Vernon  Published authors to participate in next Valley Voices reading series with a celebration of stories and a book launch at the Bean Scene coffee house May 10. VERNON– As witnessed by the recent packed house upstairs at Vernon’s Bean Scene coffee house, the word is out about a new reading series in the Okanagan. Valley Voices launched in Vernon April 19 during National Poetry Month with an enthusiastic crowd listening to award-winning poe...

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Vernon student housing announcement
New Okanagan College student housing, childcare centre on target to open in 2024 in Vernon

April 21, 2023

When she decided to attend Okanagan College, student-parent Sarina Parsons was faced with the challenge of finding childcare while balancing her course schedule. She says it added stress at a time where she wished she could have been more focused on her learning.   In just over a year, students like Sarina will have access to childcare and on-campus living options at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus, when doors open at a new mass-timber student housing building currently under construction. The 100-bed student housing project and Sunflower ...

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Salmon Arm Student Housing Announcement
New Okanagan College student housing centre on target to open in 2024 in Salmon Arm

April 21, 2023

Finding affordable housing isn’t just a challenge in the big city – it can be difficult in smaller, more rural communities as well. For students like Dylan Taylor, who are also focused on completing post-secondary education and entering the workforce, access to housing is transformational.    “There are many pressures on students already right now, so having a way to access a place to live on-campus takes away a huge amount of stress and makes it possible to focus on my education,” says Taylor, an Arts student at the Salmon Arm campus.   Th...

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Bite the Hand that Reads
OC English professor’s book on Dickens receives critical acclaim

April 12, 2023

When it comes to studying at Okanagan College, you never know when class discussion will spark ground-breaking academic work. OC English Professor Terry Scarborough is pausing these days to enjoy the accolades from a high-profile review of his book, Bite the Hand that Reads: Dickens, Animals and Sanitary Reform, a concept that sprung from classroom discussion in English 231: Studies in Popular Narrative. He regularly attends the Victorian Popular Fiction Association’s conference at the University of London and decided to explore the topic d...

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Food for Thought
Food for Thought: Okanagan College’s applied research expo unites innovators across timely topics

April 11, 2023

Are you hungry for knowledge and innovation in the field of applied research? Do you want to learn from experts and peers who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in our society? If so, you won’t want to miss the 7th annual Okanagan College Research Innovation Partnerships Expo, or ‘RIPE’, on May 2. RIPE, hosted by OC’s Learning and Applied Research department, is a free virtual event for community members, industry, educators, researchers and students to network and learn about the impact of applied research....

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ECE Conference
Post-secondary partners to unite early childhood education faculty, policy groups, and others from across Canada to discuss outdoor pedagogy in college ECE programs

April 5, 2023

How does playing outdoors support children’s development and wellness? Why is outdoor play such a powerful conduit for learning? How can we advance curriculum in college programs to empower current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) to view outdoor play as an important part of the children’s day, in all kinds of weather? How are colleges integrating and advancing outdoor pedagogy in their ECE programs? These and other questions will be explored during a unique virtual conference next month that will bring together early childhood ...

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Volunteer to Tutor
Inspire at OC Revelstoke: Volunteer to Tutor

April 4, 2023

One of the ongoing programs the Revelstoke Centre of Okanagan College is proud to continuously offer is the Volunteer Literacy Tutoring program. Melissa Jameson, a resident of Revelstoke since 2007 whom some may recognize from her work at Community Connections, or more recently the civic affairs reporter for the Revelstoke Mountaineer, has been the volunteer coordinator for the program since October 2022. Jameson has been struggling to match several learners with tutors and wonders if there is a misconception about what the tutor position i...

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Communications student standing outside the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus
Meet Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores

April 4, 2023

Q: What's your name? A: Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores Q: What's your hometown? A: Quito – Ecuador – South America Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: Well, I studied for a bachelor's degree in Law in Ecuador. Then, I worked for a while and got my Master's degree in Government and Culture of Organizations at the University of Pamplona.  When I returned to my country, professional opportunities arose for me. I mean, a Master's degree improved my career. Spain helped me develop ...

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Corinna Chong
OC professor and national award-winning writer launches new book

April 3, 2023

Short doesn’t necessarily mean sweet – especially if it is unpacking the messy experiences of the human body. Okanagan College Professor Corinna Chong explores the good, bad and unseemly in The Whole Animal, a short story collection published by Arsenal Pulp Press that will be celebrated during an official book launch on April 13. Throughout The Whole Animal, flawed characters wrestle with the complexities of relationships with partners, parents, children and friends as they struggle to find identity, belonging and autonomy. Bodies are divi...

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Connie Denesiuk
OC Foundation chair’s book launch supports students in need

March 27, 2023

Honouring the past and supporting the future: Connie Denesiuk’s new book has ambitious goals. The Chair of the Okanagan College Foundation Board is launching a book next month about a story close to her heart, with the hope it will benefit the community around her. ‘Til Papa Returns; Surviving as a child refugee in WWII is the true story of Alfred Columbus, the youngest of eight children and father to Denesiuk. Alfred was learning how to farm the land their family had worked for more than 200 years, following advice and guidance from his ...

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