Fulbright Canada Establishes Visiting Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Sustainability at Lakehead University

Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, and Dr. Michael Hawes, CEO and Executive Director of Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014.

Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, left, and Dr. Michael Hawes, CEO and Executive Director of Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014.


January 10, 2014 ­­— Thunder Bay, ON 

Lakehead University and the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America (Fulbright Canada) have agreed to establish a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Sustainability Solutions at Lakehead. The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed today at Lakehead University, furthers Lakehead’s commitment to addressing today’s complex sustainability challenges. 

“Solutions to sustainability issues are needed around the world and across many disciplines,” said Lakehead University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson. “The creation of this Visiting Research Chair at Lakehead, and our new partnership with Fulbright Canada, illustrates this University’s determination to more fully understand and respond to our world’s social and ecological challenges.”

Dr. Michael Hawes, CEO and Executive Director of Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, co-signed the MOU with Dr. Stevenson. "I am thrilled to be in Thunder Bay to officially welcome Lakehead University to Fulbright’s select network of partner universities across Canada,” he said. “I believe that Lakehead has demonstrated a strong commitment and a real capacity for sustainability studies and is the ideal institution to locate this new Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Sustainability.”

Lakehead’s Provost and Vice-President (Academic), Dr. Rod Hanley, who is also Acting Vice-President (Research, Economic Development, and Innovation) for the University, worked closely on the development of the MOU and explained what it means for Lakehead. “Today’s signing puts our researchers in a position to collaborate with some of North America’s leading scholars from diverse fields of study. The long-term benefits of this partnership and the extraordinary research it will produce will be felt by people, society, and our planet.”

Fulbright’s Visiting Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Sustainability

Fulbright Canada will invite innovative American Fulbright Scholars from every academic discipline to join Lakehead’s robust network of faculty and students engaged in cross-sector and interdisciplinary sustainability work.

Fulbright Visiting Research Chairs will carry out programs of research, teaching, and services for a minimum of one semester. Announcement of the Visiting Research Chair will occur annually in the Fulbright awards directory.

For more about Fulbright Canada, visit http://www.fulbright.ca/about-us.html.

 

 

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Media: To arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

 


Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.