December 20, 2022
Markham Campus has received a $75,000 gift from John Solomos, president and CEO of Markham-based BlueBird IT Solutions. The construction of York University’s highly anticipated Markham Campus is well underway and the campus is set to open in Spring 2024.
York University will be dedicating the “John Solomos Collaborative Study Room” in honour of Solomos’ generous contribution. Located in the Markham Campus Library, this modern and welcoming space will accommodate up to 12 students. This study room will be equipped with a large screen to facilitate collaborative research and projects. The Markham Campus library will feature many innovative spaces that encourage experiential learning and foster creative entrepreneurship, including media creation spaces, makerspaces, and a VR and Gaming Lab.
“The library will be a dynamic, multi-modal space to not only consume knowledge but to network, experiment, discover and produce new knowledge through creative activity and interdisciplinary interaction in alignment with how 21st century teaching is taught,” says Joy Kirchner, Dean of Libraries. “Envisaged as the campus focal point, it is a hub that fosters research and knowledge mobilization in practice, offering technology, space and expertise for our students and faculty in support of experiential learning and creative entrepreneurship. John Solomos’ gift will enable that vision to flourish.”
The new campus is located in Markham, one of Canada’s fastest-growing tech hubs, with over 1,500 technology and life science companies operating throughout the city. The campus will offer innovative, work-integrated programs centered around technology and entrepreneurship. Academic programs have been designed to produce job-ready candidates to match the region’s growing talent needs.
“My interest in supporting York University’s Markham Campus was sparked by the fact that the institution will be located in my hometown and will be focusing on two things very close to my heart: entrepreneurship and technology,” says Solomos. “As a graduate in technology, I am grateful that I was able to study my passions at an academic level. My learnings helped with my success as an individual and as an entrepreneur in the technology space. I hope that through my support, current and future students will enjoy the same opportunities that were granted to me.”
John Solomos is a Markham entrepreneur and president and CEO of BlueBird IT Solutions, a technology company specializing in the adoption and implementation of healthcare technology amongst physicians. BlueBird has assisted and supports thousands of practitioners in family medicine, specialty, and hospital environments utilizing Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and technology to enhance patient care across Canada.
Solomos credits the Markham community for providing the opportunities that led him to become the entrepreneur he is today. “By giving back to the community, I hope that we can keep education accessible to all residents so that we can continue to bring innovation and meaningful opportunities to all who live in our community and help create the next generation of successful Canadians,” he says.
“We are incredibly grateful for John Solomos’ generous support and community spirit,” says Gordon Binsted, deputy provost, Markham Campus. “He is an inspirational member of the York Region community and his contribution will help drive positive outcomes for Markham’s future generation of positive changemakers.”