National Safe Driving Week reminds
everyone to drive safely and responsibly

(December 1, 2010 " Thunder Bay, ON) In recognition of National Safe Driving Week, which runs December 1 through 7, researchers at Lakehead University's Centre for Research on Safe Driving (CRSD) urge all drivers to do something, however small, to make our roads safe all year round.

The mandate of the CRSD, based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is to conduct research on safe driving and educate Canadian drivers to reduce the number of vehicular crashes and subsequent injuries and fatalities by raising awareness of safe driving practices across the country. In 2007 alone, road crashes accounted for nearly 200,000 injuries and 2,767 fatalities among Canadians. These fatalities are equivalent to the number of passengers who could fill 55 of Air Canada Jazz's regional jets, 40 of Porter Airlines' Q400 aircraft, or 20 of WestJet's mid-sized Boeing 737-700 jets. When lost productivity and quality of life resulting from road crashes are taken into account, the cost of road crashes to the Canadian economy is $37 billion per year. When statistics are formatted in these terms, the figures are staggering and our natural reaction is to question why we, as individuals and as drivers, don't do more to ensure everybody drives both safely and responsibly.

ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES CAN BE AVOIDED

"For the most part, road crashes are not "˜accidents,' but are preventable events, which is why CRSD researchers focus their efforts on increasing awareness about the need to enhance road safety and safe driving practices," explains Dr. Michel Bedard, Director of the CRSD. Bedard notes the Centre's preferred approach to enhancing road safety is to encourage and improve safe driving rather than promoting punitive approaches. He adds that while driving is not a right, it is an important privilege, which CRSD researchers want to help people retain. All drivers have a responsibility to minimize the risk they pose to themselves as well as to other road users, and must recognize that road safety is everyone's responsibility.

Through its focus on basic and applied research regarding the interactions between the driver,
the vehicle, and the road environment, the CRSD and its research are unique in Canada.

Realizing a reduction in road crashes depends on the development of sound research and its translation into changes in how we drive. Results of this research are disseminated via professional conferences, media events, and publications in scientific journals, and by targeting specific groups such as drivers and policy makers.

USE OF SIMULATOR

The research conducted by the CRSD relies on field research such as on-road evaluations and simulator technology. The latter plays a particularly important role because of the safety and ethical issues involved with this form of research and using roadways as a test site. CRSD researchers test how drivers react in challenging situations by using a simulator rather than an actual road test where safety can be compromised. The same applies to other research activities such as examining the distracting effects of in-car devices (GPS navigation systems, etc.). With the simulator, researchers can also examine the potential value of warning systems such as speed feedback devices and/or lane-positioning systems.

Bedard notes that although equipment-based research is a tremendous benefit in generating results to help the general public drive more safely, each driver's perception of his or her driving skills may be the root of some crashes. "While we can certainly all recount examples of unsafe driving, near hits, or even crashes caused by driving errors that should not have occurred, our perception is often that others are the problem," he says. Bedard recounts a study published more than two decades ago in which 80 percent of drivers considered themselves among the best 30 percent of the driving population. He adds that, "In two recent studies conducted by CRSD researchers, not one driver rated himself or herself below average. This suggests that many of us probably overestimate our own driving abilities. Although nobody is immune to making driving errors, trying to examine what every one of us can do to become better drivers will make us all safer in the long run."

The CRSD has delivered a number of high-profile research findings and engages many well-published researchers with expertise in wide-ranging areas including biostatistics, engineering, gerontology, health, human factors, kinesiology, pharmacology, physiology, and psychology.

For more information about the CRSD and its driving-related research initiatives, please visit http://crsd.lakeheadu.ca or call 807-766-7256.

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MEDIA: Dr. Michel Bedard is available for media interview. For more information or to arrange interview times, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca, or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, at 807-343-8372 or eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.

About the CRSD

The CRSD was launched in 2009. Researchers at the Centre comprise experts from Lakehead University as well as the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, St. Joseph's Care Group, and other universities and organizations from across Canada.

About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

Last year, Ryan Clark, one of the Project Managers of the Lakehead University Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) team, wrote an article about the ways by which Thunder Wolf Racing has overcome various obstacles and managed to succeed when so many other well-funded teams have failed. The article was submitted to the prestigious SAE International Magazine, and not only was it printed, but the Lakehead team is also featured on the cover. Now, SAE alumni around the world have a better appreciation of the LUFSAE team's dedicated team members and its success to date.

For his video entitled "Rule The Tube 2010 - CA Rockstar," Lakehead University Accounting student Richard Jagielowicz has been named winner in the University category of the Rule the Tube 2010 competition. The YouTube contest, offered to high school and university accounting students across Ontario, was held by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO).

As a winner, Richard will receive a cash prize of $1,500 and will be presented with a plaque at the official award ceremony on January 8 at the ICAO office in Toronto. He'll also have an opportunity to make another promotional video, although details are forthcoming.

Richard plans to use his cash prize to pay off some of his OSAP loan. He is grateful for the support he received from Lakehead students, faculty, and staff, as well as for the coverage from Magic 99.9 FM, The Giant 105.3 FM, Thunder Bay Television, and Thunder Bay News Watch. He also extends sincere thanks to his family and friends for the encouragement they gave him with respect to this project.

(November 24, 2010 " Thunder Bay, ON) The work of Dr. Gary Genosko, Lakehead University Sociology Professor and Canada Research Chair in Technoculture, was highlighted today as part of the Canada Research Chairs' week-long 10^th anniversary conference, at which approximately 1000 researchers, scholars, and members of Canada's scientific community are in attendance. Dr. Genosko will be discussing content from the 2009 book he co-wrote, entitled Punched Drunk: Alcohol, Surveillance, and the LCBO, 1927-1975.

In this work, Dr. Genosko's research deals with the history of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), which for nearly 50 years kept tabs on who bought alcohol and where they lived. In the past, those who purchased liquor needed a license to do so, and the LCBO could monitor customers to make sure they weren't abusing their privileges.

This type of monitoring by Ontario's liquor outlets may now be a thing of the past, but Dr. Genosko says those discriminatory policies can still teach us important lessons, especially about the potential legalization of marijuana.

Dr. Genosko also explains the government's past tendency to build files about the average person who may or may not have been buying "too much" whiskey " files which were often shared with other provincial agencies, operating like a law unto themselves.ô°'

Today there is thankfully no worry that government bodies will cut off patrons if they purchase what is deemed to be an excess number of alcoholic items. However, Dr. Genosko discusses the new fear that those practices could be repeated in different contexts, particularly if cannabis is legalized as it nearly was in California earlier this fall during the U.S. mid-term elections. "It's not just one corporation monitoring you these days, but a whole network of them," he says. "Our fear today is that all the fragments of our personal data will somehow be used together in a diabolical way. The important lesson is not to repeat that strategy and to allow people to participate in the construction of their own informatic identities."

The LCBO's surveillance techniques, Dr. Genosko says, are just one example of what he calls the informatics of subjugation, which is an area of study he's been interested in for decades. It focuses on how artificially imposed classes and categories subjugate large numbers of people and how those systems, which perpetuate those categories, evolve as a result of those who resist them.

As Dr. Genosko notes, it was the LCBO cashiers and other front-line workers who rebelled. They realized the government was monitoring their actions as well, and would often sabotage the paper trail when they had to prohibit someone from buying alcohol. Those acts of resistance contributed to the overhaul of the system.

In another example, Genosko discusses the Canadian government's use of dog tags among the Inuit in the 1940s as a means of better managing the early days of the country's welfare system. The tags became a symbol of resistance long after they were used for monitoring purposes. The Inuit would use their tag numbers in song lyrics, in their banking codes and passwords, and even display them on their home address plates. "The dog-tag policy proves that resistance doesn't just take place when the subjugation first occurs, but can carry on for years or even decades afterward," Dr. Genosko says.

Genosko also finds it fascinating how technological innovation can come from these so-called outlaws who resist cultural categories. Even today, large-scale corporations are incorporating what would previously have been viewed as acts of resistance into their business models. Microsoft, for example, routinely uses computer hackers to test their security systems.

Dr. Genosko's interest doesn't necessarily lie in whether or not these sorts of resistance are good or bad, but rather how people transit from resisting to becoming part of the system, and whether or not the resulting innovations are incorporated to everyone's benefit. "I'm trying to find as many technologically interesting examples within these kind of events that tell us something about innovation, where it comes from, and where it's going," he says.

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Media: Dr. Genosko is available for interview via the Canada Research Chair Conference. For more information or to arrange interviews with Dr. Genosko by telephone or email, or in person upon his return to Thunder Bay, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

(November 24, 2010 " Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University's Dr. David Greenwood has beennamed Canada Research Chair in Environmental Education. An announcement was made today by the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, at which he also announced approximately 310 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs at 53Canadian universities. The Canadian Government's $275.6 million investment in the Canada Research Chairs Program also includes $13.4million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for research infrastructure associated with the new Chair awards. The funding will enable Canada to strengthen its position as a world leader in university research and development.

Dr. Greenwood, an Associate Professor in Lakehead University's Faculty of Education, has long been interested in the applicability of "place studies" to education. His research focuses on situating and connecting individuals, communities, histories, cultures, and ecosystems within the context of their specific "places," in a global, interconnected context. He says the intersection of place and environment invites broad questions regarding the purpose and practice of education in the 21st century. In light of the recognition of numerous social and ecological consequences of human activity on the planet,Dr. Greenwood's research investigates the types of environmental education we must consider given our impact as a species, and as diverse cultures, on one another, on other species, on ecosystems, and even on larger systems such as the global climate. His research program asks how educators should respond to the growing complexities been people, place, and planet.|

"Answering these complex questions often comes from looking beyond business as usual in the educational establishment. What is important is that learners of all ages have opportunities to experience the cultural, ecological, and educational significance of the places in which they live, and of their own life stories across multiple geographies. Such experiences can be nurtured by working with history teachers to integrate family and community history into the curriculum, inviting high school students to contribute to a local urban renewal project, or convening a university geography class in a local farmers' market and/or organic garden," explains Dr. Greenwood, noting the tremendous transformative and pedagogical power generated by these experiences.

Dr. Greenwood is leading an interdisciplinary initiative to establish a new Centre for Environmental, Sustainability, and Place Studies, which will be housed in a new Environmental Education Research Lab at Lakehead University. The proposed Centre, he says, will create and support interdisciplinary environmental research, education, and outreach. Among its many activities will be developing programs and lines of inquiry aimed at "greening" schools and universities, and establishing an international research group to coordinate philosophical and empirical research on "place" at multiple sites.

"The Chairs Program has been pivotal in attracting world-class researchers to Lakehead University and enhancing our research capacities in areas which have been strategically prioritized for fostering research and innovation excellence," says Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President (Research), Lakehead University. "We are proud to have Dr. Greenwood in this new role and look forward to seeing research results which are incredibly relevant to many of today's emerging environmental issues and concerns."

Dr. Wang notes that Dr. Greenwood was the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award for Research in the College of Education at Washington State University in 2006. Internationally, he is among the most frequently cited theorists in the interdisciplinary field of Environmental Education. "As are the rest of our Canada Research Chairs, Dr. Greenwood is a prime example of the renowned international experts Lakehead University attracts," says Dr. Wang.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Canada Research Chairs Program. Since its inception, it has brought breakthroughs in numerous research and innovation frontiers, such as clean energy, the control of infectious disease, business management, and digital technologies. The Program continues to help strengthen Canada's capacity for leading-edge research, while at the same time, building economic opportunities for Canadians.

The 310chairholders included in today's announcement will conduct research across a range of important fields including water security, molecular neuroscience, and globalization. The results of their research will hold the potential to benefit all sectors of Canadian society.
Lakehead University's other Canada Research Chairs are:

• Dr. Michel Bédard, Public Health Program, Chair in Aging and Health
• Dr. Lionel Catalan, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chair in Industrial Waste Management and Site Remediation
• Dr. Aicheng Chen, Department of Chemistry, Chair in Material and Environmental Chemistry
• Dr. Gary Genosko, Department of Sociology, Chair in Technoculture Studies
• Dr. David A. Greenwood, Faculty of Education, Chair in Environmental Education
• Dr. Judy Iseke, Faculty of Education, Chair in Indigenous Education
• Dr. Ellie Prepas, Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment, Chair in Sustainable Water Management and the Boreal Forest
• Dr. Gregory Pyle, Department of Biology, Chair in Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology
• Dr. Alla Reznik, Department of Physics, Chair in the Physics of Molecular Imaging

A full list of the chairholders announced today is available on the Canada Research Chairs website.

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MEDIA: Please note that both Dr. Wang and Greenwood are attending the national SSHRC announcement in Toronto today, and this information is being issued in conjunction with the national release, as requested by SSHRC to be held under embargo until 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. For more information or to arrange interview times with Drs. Wang and Greenwood via email or telephone while they are in Toronto, or in person once they return to Thunder Bay, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

(November 23, 2010 " Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University administration, faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader community are looking forward to Dr. Lorne Everett taking the podium tonight at the University's third Speaker Series instalment of 2010.

Dr. Everett presents The Fifteen Classes of Planetary Emergencies, and speaks about the potential impacts of global disaster on life and planetary emergencies including asteroid impact, global warming, pollution, and radioactive waste.

"We are proud to welcome Dr. Everett to address the Speaker Series for the first of what we hope will be numerous occasions," says Lakehead University President Dr. Brian Stevenson. "He is a world-renowned scientist and an acknowledged expert on many topics including subsurface hazardous waste characterization and remediation. He is also former Chancellor of the University. I very much look forward to Lorne's talk as it marks my first Speaker Series participation, and I'll have the opportunity to listen on as other members of the internal and external communities take in the expert opinion of a valued member of the Lakehead family."

The Speaker Series is a free public lecture offered by Lakehead University as an information-sharing event and dialogue, in partnership with The Chronicle Journal, Days Inn North, and 5 Forks restaurant.

Dr. Everett will speak at Lakehead University's Agora at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23. The presentation will also be linked by video conference to Lakehead University's Orillia Campus (OA 1025).

Everyone is welcome to attend, but seating is limited, so early arrival is recommended. Parking and admission are free. For more information, be sure to visit the University's online Calendar of Events.

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"¨Media: Dr. Everett's bio information follows below. Dr. Stevenson is available for media interview from 3:00 p.m. " 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23. He can be reached via Karen Ramsdale at 807-343-8200 or Rosanna Scaffeo at 807-343-7276. Mr. Everett is available for media interview prior to and immediately following his November 23 speaking engagement at Lakehead. For additional information regarding this media release, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca; or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, 807-343-8372 or eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.

About Dr. Lorne Everett

Chancellor (Emeritus) Lorne Everett graduated from Lakehead University with an Honors BSc in 1968. At Lakehead he was the Editor in Chief of the NorWester, Athlete of the Year, Ontario intercollegiate squash champion, and president of his graduating class. He is the only graduate named on the Wall of Honor three times, the Athletic Wall of Fame two times, and the Thunder Bay Walk of Fame. He received a PhD in Hydrology in 1972 from the University of Arizona in Tucson. After graduation he joined General Electric's think tank, TEMPO, in Santa Barbara California. He is an internationally recognized expert who has conducted extensive research on subsurface hazardous waste characterization and remediation.

Dr. Everett received the Gold Medal from the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, the Golden Jubilee Medal from the Governors General of Canada, the Medal of Excellence from the US Navy, theIvan Johnston Outstanding Achievement Award from ASTM and the C. V. Theis Award from the American Institute of Hydrology. He is the Chairman of the World Federation of Scientists Pollution Panel. The World Federation is located at CERN Geneva home of the Large Hadron Collider (made famous by the Dan Brown novels: The De Vinci Code and Angels and Demons). Dr. Everett is the CEO and President of L. Everett and Associates, a forensic environmental consulting/litigation support firm, in Santa Barbara Ca. He has been the Chief Scientist and Sr VP for large Fortune 500 companies. He is the Chairman of the American Association for Testing and Materials International Vadose Zone committee. He has published over fifteen books, 200 professional papers and reports, holds several patents, and has testified before the US Congress on different occasions. His book entitled Handbook of Vadose Zone Characterization and Monitoring is a best seller. His book entitled Groundwater Monitoring was endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency as establishing "the state-of-the-art used by industry today" and is recommended by the World Health Organization for all developing countries.

He has been invitedfor the past 21 years by the President of the World Federation of Scientists, Dr. Antonio Zichichi, (a Science Advisor to the Pope) to participate in Planetary Emergency meetings held every August in the Phoenician-era city of Erice, Italy. A second meeting in the fall is often held at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican or the Enrico Fermi Institute in Rome. Each year, Dr. Everett gives the Annual Report on World Pollution to the General Assembly of the World Federation of Scientists. Over 120 Nobel Laureates have participated in these meetings.

Dr. Everett is an expert witness participating in over 70 environmental court cases with awards in excess of $2 billion dollars.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

(November 22, 2010 " Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead's Department of Athletics announced today that the University is hosting the 2010/2011 OUA and CIS Wrestling Championships this February, as well as the CIS Championships in 2012. Wrestling enthusiasts from around the city and region can enjoy the OUA event on February 12, as well as the ensuing CIS matches which run from February 25 to 26. Matches will be held at the CJ Sanders Fieldhouse.

Both of these exciting sporting events, which promise to bring intense wrestling action to the city, are expected to draw substantial spectators. "Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Bombardier Transport, as well as other valued event partners including the City of Thunder Bay, Prospector Steak House, Russell Athletics, Research in Motion (RIM), and Coaches of Canada, we're moving forward with plans for what is shaping up to be a truly enjoyable and memorable month for the competitors, spectators, and volunteers," says Tom Warden, Director of Athletics at Lakehead University.

Lakehead's men's team comprises approximately 20 wrestlers and its women's team comprises approximately ten wrestlers. Both teams will face six other university teams during the OUA tournament and fifteen university teams during the subsequent CIS matches.

Brock Curtis, Head Coach of Lakehead's men's and women's wrestling teams, notes that both teams are heading into the OUA and CIS events with strong standing, which he believes can only create an even more dynamic atmosphere for those who come to watch. "The skills and dedication of our veteran wrestlers and new team members give me every confidence that our teams will fare well, and that all other teams will leave here impressed with the quality of Lakehead's wrestling program," he says. Curtis led the men to win the OUA championship in 2009/2010.

Ticket pricing ranges from $15 - $50 and includes day passes, banquet tickets, luncheon tickets, weekend passes, and the ultimate VIP package. Additional ticketing and scheduling details are forthcoming and will be available on the Thunderwolves website in the near future.
Lakehead last hosted the CIS Championships in the 2001/2002 season, and the OUA Championship in the 2006 season.

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Media: Tom Warden and Brock Curtis are available for media interview. To arrange interview times, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca

On November 17 and 18, the Agora becomes a marketplace for vendors to show and sell their wares to the Lakehead University community.

Participating are: Wojo Originals; 414 Skate Board Shop; Books and More; Bent Metal Wear; Touch Unwired; Pneumaticity Inc.; Gear Up for Outdoors Ltd.; Amos & Andes Imports; Bank of Montreal; Mindy's Treasure House; Rollin' Thunder; Tupperware; Limited Edition/ Naturally Fit; Big Ed's Furniture and Consignment House; Academy Afrah; and Shanthi Om Yoga.

Drop by and see what they have to offer!

(Thunder Bay -- November 16, 2010) Lakehead University has improved its standing in several areas of measure in the recently released Maclean's Ranking of Canadian Universities 2010.

The ranking is done in three categories " medical/doctoral, comprehensive, and primarily undergraduate. "¨

Lakehead is third overall among the eight undergraduate Ontario Universities and has moved up two places among all Canadian Undergraduate Universities."¨

Lakehead shows some clear strength in several of the categories, which President Dr. Brian Stevenson credits to its faculty and staff. For example, the University, in comparison to Ontario undergraduate universities, finished:

• 1st in Total Research Dollars
• 1st in Library Holdings per Student
• 2nd in Student/Faculty Ratio
• 2nd in Student Awards
• 2nd in Scholarships and Bursaries
• 2nd in Library Expenses (journals and other library acquisitions)
• 2nd in Operating Budget
  

Lakehead University President Dr. Brian Stevenson says, "We are delighted with these results that show the quality of a Lakehead education. Also of particular interest, an Ontario-wide survey conducted by the Council for Ontario Universities indicates that 97% of Lakehead graduates are employed two years after leaving the University, demonstrating that Lakehead attracts good students and positions them well in the competitive job market. This confirms that we provide our students an outstanding education."

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MEDIA: For further information, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca, or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, at 807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca

(November 11, 2010 - Thunder Bay, Ontario) Lakehead's 2010/2011 Shad Valley participants and other top high-school students from around the country gathered in Waterloo on November 5 to share their unique innovations related to Canada's aging population at the prestigious 2010 Research In Motion/Shad Entrepreneurship Cup. Shad groups showcased the products and services they invented last summer, with some receiving awards that acknowledged the students' entrepreneurial abilities and leadership skills.

The Shad Cup competition focuses on science, engineering, technology, and innovation, and demonstrates what teams of bright students can accomplish when put together in a challenging and stimulating group environment. Approximately 500 students take part in the Shad Valley program each summer. This past summer, they were tasked to call on their scientific, engineering, and technological knowledge in designing a product to benefit Canada's older residents while also considering its economic, environmental, and social implications.

Lakehead's Shad Valley team won first place for the Best Marketing Plan and Best Application of Scientific Principles awards, second place for Best Overall Project, and third place for Best Business Plan. Their product, called V720, is a capsule that meets consumer demand for a safe, effective, and non-invasive method of delivering the influenza vaccine into the bloodstream.

"This event is always a wonderful experience for Shad participants because it recognizes the students' creativity, as well as their aptitude for business and scientific principles and practices," says Dr. Sultan Siddiqui, Shad Valley Director at Lakehead University. Dr. Siddiqui adds that this year's event was particularly enjoyable given the success of the Lakehead group and the number of awards they took home.

As noted in a recent Shad Valley International media release, Shad students are leaders in their schools as well as their private lives. They volunteer in their communities, and many are gifted musicians, artists, and athletes. They become business leaders, patent holders, Top 20 Under 20 winners, Top 40 Under 40 honourees, and Rhodes Scholars, to list a few of their many accomplishments. As Shad Valley President Barry Bisson explains, "Shad Valley students are among the best and brightest in the country and will soon take their place as contributors to our nation's growing need for innovation. This competition provides one of the first opportunities for them to experience entrepreneurship in action, and Shad Valley is proud to lead the way in challenging our next generation of leaders and help Canada compete on the world stage."

Lakehead University has hosted the Shad program at its Thunder Bay campus since 1999. It is one of ten universities in Canada to do so.

Visit the Shad International website to learn more about each project entry or to view the full list of winners.

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MEDIA: Sultan Siddiqui is available for media interview today. Please contact him directly at 807-343-8794 or sultan.siddiqui@lakeheadu.ca to arrange interview times. Please note: Dr. Siddiqui's cell number is listed on his office voice message.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 8,280 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca