Two Lakehead Students Win Provincial Scavenger Hunt’s Grand Prizes

April 2, 2014 – Thunder Bay, ON

Two of the five Research Matters’ Virtual Scavenger Hunt grand prizes have been awarded to Lakehead University students who participated in February’s province-wide research challenge.

The Council of Ontario Universities organizes Research Matters events to encourage the public to explore how Ontario university research affects everyday life. The Virtual Scavenger Hunt took students and the public on a journey into research happening at universities across Ontario.

More than 800 Ontarians participated in the Virtual Scavenger Hunt, including approximately 600 university students who were hoping to receive one of the five grand prizes. Forty students from Lakehead University participated in the challenge and two of these students won the grand prize.

Lakehead students Stacy Tkachyk and Keifer Sutch received the $500 grand prizes in a raffle out of all university students who answered the questions correctly.

Tkachyk is a first-year student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine who is interested in research related to the role of hemoglobin on reoccurring surgeries and amputations.

“I enjoyed the fact that I could learn something new each day,” Tkachyk said. “Research can be very intimidating if you don’t know where to start. There were many areas of interest and research topics that I didn’t realize existed and would never have learned about without participating in the Scavenger Hunt.”

Sutch is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Concurrent Education/Outdoor Recreation who is interested in research related to environmental sustainability.

“The best part about participating in the Virtual Scavenger Hunt was learning what different universities across Ontario were doing in terms of research and how big of an impact some of the research projects will have on our lives in the future,” said Sutch.

Erica Sawula, Lakehead University’s Research Matters Student Ambassador, is thrilled with the success of the Virtual Scavenger Hunt.

“It’s encouraging that so many people participated in the Scavenger Hunt and learned about research happening at Ontario universities,” Sawula said. “This research will have a major impact on our future therefore it’s important that the public know more about it.”

 

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Media: For more information, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177, or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

 

In 2015, Lakehead University will celebrate 50 years of exceptional education. Guided by a new Strategic Plan (2013-2018), our University is known for providing an education focused on independent thinking, unconventional scholarship, and a close sense of community. About 9,700 students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work in ten faculties at two campuses, in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Home to Ontario’s first new Faculty of Law in 44 years (Fall 2013) and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine's West Campus, Lakehead is among Canada’s Top 10 undergraduate universities (2014 Maclean’s University Rankings), as well as 1st in Ontario and 2nd in Canada for its innovative research (Re$earch Infosource). Our Orillia campus is the first in North America to be built entirely to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. Share your Lakehead story as it relates to our Strategic Plan at www.lakeheadu.ca/presidents-office/nurturing-passion, and learn more about Lakehead at www.lakeheadu.ca.