Loyalist College Graduate James Harrington Presented With Prestigious Premier’s Award
On February 23rd, Loyalist graduate Jim Harrington received the Premier’s Award as an outstanding Technology graduate of the Community College system in Ontario. He was one of six recipients of the provincial honour this year. The Award was presented by The Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training Colleges and Universities, at a special banquet held in Toronto at the Colleges Ontario Conference.
Since graduating in 1969 from the Electronics Engineering Technician program, Jim has followed his passion for research and exploration as an electronics and mechanical product designer. Since 1970, he has been developing research and exploration equipment in astrophysics, geophysics and oceanographic applications. Today, he is recognized worldwide for the design and fabrication of Canada’s first successful fuel cell-assisted sailboat, “The Sloop Jim D”.
After graduation, Jim spent the next ten years in Mississauga working in the geophysics industry before moving to Canada’s Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics. During that time, he assisted in the design and construction of the high flux telescope for the Ulysses spacecraft that was launched from the space shuttle in 1990 on a trip to Jupiter and around the sun. The mission ended in March 2008, and was a successful voyage of discovery. He also recommended, and then assisted in, the construction of the first three-component magnetometers for the Black Brant sounding rockets used to study the Aurora Borealis.
Now living in Victoria, B.C., Jim operates a company called AGO Environmental Electronics. He spends much of his leisure time as an inventor and recreational sailor. While sailing his 42-foot ketch he decided that there had to be a better way to power a boat than with diesel, to eliminate the smoke, smell and noise. He wondered if a fuel cell that he recalled seeing on the Apollo spacecraft might be the answer, and teamed up with a friend who works at the University of Victoria fuel cell laboratory to develop a two-horsepower outboard. The fuel cell, a high powered solar panel powered by hydrogen, charges the battery power box that in turn runs the motor. Last year, he developed a conversion kit to easily change gas outboards to electric 230 VAC 3 phase using standard off-the-shelf components. This system was installed on an 18-foot cabin cruiser that has operated in Victoria Harbour through the summer of 2008, powered by batteries charged by the solar panels. In November 2008, Jim received the “Best Innovation Award” from the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce at its Annual General Meeting.
“We are very proud of the accomplishments of Loyalist College graduates and the contributions they make,” said Loyalist President Maureen Piercy. “Jim Harrington’s career achievements are outstanding and it is gratifying that he credits the advanced math, physics and electronics that he learned at Loyalist as important building blocks to help him begin to see possibilities. Certainly those possibilities are endless, and Jim has proven that with his inventions and ongoing research and development.”
Jim thanked the College for the nomination for this Award and expressed his gratitude to the selection committee. “I really am surprised and honoured,” he said. “It is not something that you ever expect, but I appreciate this recognition very much.”
The Premier’s Awards were created in 1992 and are presented annually to college graduates who have excelled in their careers and made a significant contribution to society. Recipients receive a bronze medal and $5,000 to designate to their college for student bursaries.
Media Contact: Dianne Spencer, College Advancement & External Relations, Loyalist College, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2235 or e-mail: dspencer@loyalistc.on.ca