Our newsletter celebrates our faculty and student achievements. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this latest update, which includes shared stories, success and news from the Department of Health Sciences.

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The climate catastrophe humans are facing stems from the way we produce, consume and exchange wealth, according to Dr. Todd Dufresne, Professor of Philosophy at Lakehead University.

Last week, Dr. Dufresne provided three lectures to the CBC’s Ideas, which build on his 2019 book, The Democracy of Suffering: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, Philosophy in the Anthropocene.

His book (and lectures) explore the past, present and future of our age, the Anthropocene. Dr. Dufresne argues that climate catastrophe is the necessary result of an economic and political worldview whose core value is infinite economic growth.

That argument may not be startlingly new, but what may be new is how Dr. Dufresne also points the finger at Western philosophy itself, and its bequeathal of our current obsession with individualism. 

Listen to his Ideas lectures here. You can also read his column here.

As we reflect on the recent discovery of a mass grave with the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, we are deeply saddened.

This discovery reminds us all of the long road ahead, and how much we still must learn about the horrible, deliberate actions that occurred across this country as part of colonization. This recent discovery also reminds us of the more than 150,000 Indigenous children who were forced to attend residential school.

As a post-secondary educational institution, it is our responsibility to educate, recognize, and honour the truth of Canada's relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Lakehead University is committed to reconciliation and we will continue our way forward with Indigenous communities and leadership.

In honour of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation children who were found, as well as their families, communities, and those across the country who have survived or lost loved ones, the flags at Lakehead University have been lowered to half-mast today, and they will remain so until June 8 — one hour for each of the 215 children found.

Lakehead's Office of Indigenous Initiatives also invites us to consider wearing an orange shirt anytime between now and June 8.

Thank you,
 
Dr. Moira McPherson
President and Vice-Chancellor
Lakehead University

Lu-Han (Leanne) Wang is pictured in the New Sun Art Gallery in the Alumni Commons at the Lakehead Orillia campus. 

When Lu-Han (Leanne) Wang moved to Orillia, Ontario four years ago as an international student, just about everything seemed new and unfamiliar.

“Everything was quite different—the weather, the campus, even the atmosphere in class,” said Leanne, who will graduate on Saturday, June 5 from the Honours Bachelor of Commerce program at Lakehead University.

This year’s recipient of the Lloyd Dennis Award for outstanding citizenship used her experiences to foster opportunities for friendship and belonging, efforts that have helped make the university feel like a second home for herself and many others.

Leanne said that the small campus and the welcoming, caring staff at Lakehead Orillia make the transition easier but that there are extra hurdles for first-time international students.

“It’s the small things about a new environment and culture that can be really overwhelming,” said Leanne, who is from Taiwan and already had 10 years of study abroad experience before moving to Orillia. “Going to the bank, getting groceries, finding a doctor—these things can be easier to figure out with one-to-one help on a daily basis.”

With that in mind, Leanne became one of the first peer-mentors for international students at Lakehead Orillia when the program launched in 2019. Through the Lakehead International office, peer mentors make themselves available to their student-matches for questions or concerns about on- or off-campus life and help organize social activities.

“We help students make friends and connections that make the university feel like home,” said Leanne, who mentored 20 students herself during her time with the program. “It makes a big difference for each of us.”

Since its launch, more than 40 international students have used the program. With COVID-19, the program moved online and increased collaboration with international students in Thunder Bay, creating an even larger social and support network. Without being able to travel home during the past year of the pandemic, Leanne said it’s even more reason for international students to make the most of their social resources on campus.

For example, in addition to peer-mentoring, Leanne was also a member of the Lakehead University Multicultural Association, the Lakehead Orillia Thunderwolves Dance Team, and the Business Orillia Student Society. She also volunteered as a student ambassador, a campus orientation leader, and even the ice captain for the 2018 Orillia Winter Games figure skating event.

For Orillia Campus Principal Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans, the leadership role that Leanne took on campus did not go unnoticed.

“Since arriving on the Orillia campus, Leanne has truly embraced the opportunities presented to her,” he said. “From studying abroad, completing an internship locally, to extracurricular involvement in student clubs, the transferrable skills, global perspectives and personal growth will contribute to her future success. Our sincerest congratulations to Leanne on receiving this award, and we wish her the best of luck upon graduation.”

As Leanne prepares to embark on a new journey post-graduation, she reflected on her time at Lakehead and the home she made for herself and other international students in Orillia.

“I would tell any new student to just go out and try all the new things,” said Leanne. “It was all fun and it really made me more confident and outgoing.

“I’ll definitely miss this small community if I leave for work or school—it’s the most special thing about this place to me, that it’s been like a family.”

Since 2011, Lakehead University has presented the Lloyd Dennis Award for outstanding citizenship to a full-time student at the Orillia campus to recognize their contributions to the welfare of the university through their student activities. The award is named in honour of the late Lloyd Dennis, an Officer of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario, and a highly respected educator and author best remembered for the 1968 landmark report that shaped the future of education in Ontario—Living and Learning: The Report of the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario, known as the Hall-Dennis Report. An enthusiastic proponent of the Lakehead Orillia campus, in 2009 Lloyd Dennis was honoured with Lakehead’s Civitas Award and then in 2012 with a Doctor of Laws (posthumously).

Lakehead University has been awarded $751,000 by eCampusOntario as part of the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS).

Announced in December, 2020, the VLS is a historic, $50-million investment by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) intended to drive growth and advancement in virtual learning across the province’s post-secondary institutions.

The VLS will expand the possibilities of traditional and life-long learning through the accelerated use of both online and hybrid learning.

“As an institution, we are constantly reaffirming our long-standing commitment to reducing barriers to access and equity to post-secondary education for rural and remote residents through virtual learning opportunities,” said Dr. Rhonda Koster, Lakehead’s Deputy Provost and Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning.

“These projects supported through the Virtual Learning Strategy will assist diverse learners achieve their potential.”

Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu, Lakehead’s Associate Vice-Provost, Academic, said these projects will help students succeed in university and beyond.  

“All of these projects will result in improved student mobility through the creation of expanded and flexible capacity, programming options, and student supports,” Dr. Beaulieu said.

Lakehead’s Teaching Commons has received $330,000 as part of theDigital Capacity stream, which provides institutions that have low current capacity with targeted supports in instructional design, educational media development, and learning technology rovers (paid students).

Lakehead will use these funds to hire two Instructional Designers, a Media Designer/Developer, and Learner Technology Support positions on both campuses to provide training and support to faculty in the design, development, and delivery of quality online programming.

As part of the Digital Fluency stream, two projects have been awarded funding to create and adopt professional development resources and supports for faculty and students to improve virtual teaching and learning.

Using the Seven Grandfather Teachings as a pedagogical framework, Lakehead’s Indigenous Curriculum Specialist, Jerri-Lynn Orr, has been awarded $200,000 to lead members of the Indigenous Curriculum Specialists Network in the development of an online, embodied learning experience exploring diverse Indigenous pedagogical approaches to online education.

This will provide learners with a toolkit for adapting and engaging respectfully with Indigenous Peoples, communities, and knowledge systems while actively learning about digital literacy, fluency, and decolonizing digital spaces. It will also model how Indigenous content can be utilized without appropriation.

Lakehead University also received $171,000 under this stream for the creation of a four-module, 32-hour faculty development course, focused on the design/delivery of quality, digital learner experiences.

Led by Dr. Lisa O'Neill, an instructional designer in Lakehead’s Teaching Commons, and Dr. Angela van Barneveld, Assistant Professor of Education, it is a collaborative project between Lakehead and Nipissing universities. The course will be discipline-independent to support the widest variety of faculty – by embedding experiential learning practices throughout – with feedback specific to each participant.

Two projects have been awarded $25,000 each as part of the Digital Content stream.This stream provides funds for the development and adoption of a portfolio of high-quality online, high-quality virtual simulations and/or lab content to reduce the strain on campus space and infrastructure, and enable more flexible delivery to attract new markets for online learning in Ontario.

Kevin Dempsey, Director of Professional Development in Education at Lakehead University, will lead the development of a Professional Practice Video Series for Educators.

Involving the recording and editing of a series of professional practice videos for teachers, it is intended for use in additional qualification courses. The open educational resource videos from this project will greatly improve instruction in additional qualification courses in Ontario.

First-Year University Seminar Courses are known to increase student persistence and retention, which is why a second project will build onLakehead’s past experience in the design and delivery of in-person University Seminars to build students’ academic skills and confidence for a successful transition to university studies.

A multi-unit Lakehead Project Team, representing both academic and non-academic areas of the institution, will adapt Lakehead's existing University Seminars to be applicable in a remote-learning environment.

Lakehead University is also a partner on an additional $530,360 of successfully funded projects being led by Ryerson University, Sault College, Nipissing University, and Queen’s University.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and 99th among 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca. 

eCampusOntario is a provincially-funded non-profit organization that leads a consortium of the province’s 48 publicly-funded colleges, universities and Indigenous institutes to develop and test online learning tools to advance the use of education technology and digital learning environments. For more information, visit https://www.ecampusontario.ca.

Pictured (from left) Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler and Elder Trish Monague.

Monday, May 17, 2021 – Orillia, Ont.

On Saturday, June 5, one of the Canada’s hockey legends and Hockey Hall of Fame member Darryl Sittler will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters during Lakehead University’s Orillia campus virtual convocation ceremony.

“This year’s honorary degree recipient may be best known for his career on the ice, but it is the meaningful impact Darryl continues to make on the world outside of hockey that Lakehead University is pleased to recognize,” explained President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Moira McPherson.

“A dedicated volunteer with a number of charitable causes, including Special Olympics Canada and Colon Cancer Canada, Darryl has been an avid supporter of postsecondary education and our University since 2009.”

Lakehead University will also honour Elder Trish Monague with the 2021 Civitas Award.

"Convocation is a time to celebrate our graduands as well as those in our community who have helped our students be successful," said Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans, Principal of the Orillia campus. "Trish has helped to create a culturally supportive community on the Orillia campus through her counselling informed by traditional wisdom and teaching. We are extremely fortunate to have her as part of our campus team."

Approximately 2,600 students will graduate during faculty convocation ceremonies being held from June 7 to 11. Graduates from the class of 2020 are also invited to attend.

Trish Monague
2021 Civitas Award

Trish Monague (“Cedar Woman”) is from Beausoleil First Nation, a mother of four children and grandmother to six grandchildren.

Trish began her relationship with the spirit at the age of three and uses her gift as a cultural teacher and traditional healer. She has been clean and sober and walking the Anishnawbe Miikan for 30 years.

For 15 years she worked as an addiction’s counsellor with the Beausoleil Family Health Centre. Currently, she is the Heritage and Cultural Coordinator for Beausoleil First Nation.

For the last three years, Trish has shared her time, wisdom, and teachings with Lakehead Orillia students, faculty and staff as a visiting Elder and traditional healer. Her guidance has led to the spiritual growth of various departments resulting in improved supports and accessibility for Indigenous students and community members who visit.

Trish has shared sacred teachings and traditional medicines with students who are looking for clarity and direction for their education, career and life path. She has led ceremonies on campus to ensure the campus is a positive and safe learning space for all. Through her open approach to teaching, she has also contributed to the personal and professional development of staff and faculty who attend her teachings.

Trish is a member of the Lakehead University Elders Council and acts as an Elder-in-Residence. She also provides Indigenous spiritual support for end-of-life care for local hospitals.

Darryl Sittler
Honorary Degree – Doctor of Humane Letters

Darryl Sittler was drafted eight overall by the Maple Leafs in 1970, and by 1975 he had been named Captain, but it was in the year 1976, that he would leave his mark on history. On February 7, at Maple Leaf Gardens, Darryl would accomplish a feat that had never been achieved before, and has not been equaled since, scoring six goals and recording four assists, for an NHL record ten points in one game. Later that season, while facing the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, Darryl scored five goals in a single game, matching another NHL record that still stands. Five months later at the Montreal Forum, he would score the Canada Cup winning goal, in overtime vs. Czechoslovakia.

In 1982, Darryl would play his final game with the Maple Leafs, having become the team’s all-time leading scorer, and seven years later he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2003, he became just the tenth player to have his number raised to the rafters of Scotiabank Arena. Prior to the start of the 2014/15 season, Darryl was immortalized with a bronze statue on Legends Row. During the 16/17 season, both the Maple Leafs and the NHL announced their one hundred greatest players of all-time –Darryl made both lists. 

Darryl’s contributions to our community have been equally impactful. An official ambassador for the Maple Leafs since 1991, he has been recognized for his work supporting such causes as Have a Heart for Down Syndrome, Special Olympics Canada and Colon Cancer Canada. He even laced up for a portion of the Marathon of Hope with Terry Fox. For his dedication, Darryl has been honoured with the Sovereign Medal for Volunteers, Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

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 Media:  For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications & Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and 99th among 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Nicole Costanzo is the recipient of this year’s Robert Poulin Award, presented to a full-time Lakehead University student for their outstanding citizenship.

Nicole, who will graduate this year with an Honours Bachelor of Science, made many contributions during her time at Lakehead – to the university and to Thunder Bay. During much of her time at Lakehead University, Nicole was an instructor with Superior Science.

“Working with Superior Science has been an amazing experience,” she said.

“It taught me how to effectively work with a team to highlight each other’s strengths and work towards a common goal. The best part was being able to inspire local youth and introduce them to different fields of science in a hands-on way that they can’t get in a normal classroom.”

Superior Science encourages campers to pursue science as a career, and makes them more interested in education and learning in general, Nicole said.

“Children are so smart already and full of ideas and energy, so being able to encourage their scientific thinking and help them find what fields of science interest them was very rewarding,” she said.

Superior Science lessons and activities not only focus on important concepts of science, but also on creativity and innovation that allows campers to do their own exploring.

“The best lessons are the ones that incorporate multiple fields of science,” Nicole said. “One example that comes to mind was a revolving solar system. With this activity, we integrated lessons about space science, motor mechanics, types of motion, and electricity.”

She has also served as the coordinator of Girls Club, for those in grades 2 to 7. Offered through Superior Science, Girls Club meets monthly through Zoom due to the global pandemic.

 “A fun lesson I did with Girls Club was learning about chemistry, including properties of matter, types of mixtures, and acids and bases,” Nicole said.

The girls made bath bombs with personalized scents and colours, juice crystal lip balm, and hand sanitizer – while learning the science behind why bath bombs fizz, how mixtures are made, and how hand sanitizer kills bacteria. The girls also learn about science by dissecting animals.

“These hands-on experiences are a great way for kids to learn how science can explain the things we see around us, and how many unique areas there are to explore,” Nicole said.

Because Girls Club recognizes how important it is for girls to have female role models, they also discussed Margaret Hamilton, a computer scientist whose written code helped humanity take its first steps on the moon.

“Including stories like this helps the girls to picture themselves being involved in revolutionary science in their future, which is ultimately our goal,” Nicole said.

As an instructor she travelled to Terrace Bay to deliver Superior Science programming at an elementary school.

“That year our staff also visited Red Rock schools to deliver programming we developed,” Nicole said.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Superior Science has used an online outreach platform to connect with schools in Thunder Bay, Dryden, Atikokan, and Nipigon.

Science has been an important part of Nicole’s life. She said being a woman in STEM has helped shape her identity and career goals.

“Having the privilege to study science at a post-secondary level has made me appreciate my education and has inspired me to pursue a career that involves life-long learning,” she said.

“This has also helped me to better understand the world around me and form my own opinions on current events.”

Beyond standard class content, studying science at Lakehead has taught Nicole many important life skills such as critical thinking, communication and resiliency.

“My time at Lakehead has been some of the best years of my life. While of course there have been many challenges, overall it has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

“Throughout my undergrad, I have learned so much in a short period of time and it has truly gone by in the blink of an eye,” she said.

One of her favourite opportunities at Lakehead was receiving hands-on experience in labs.

“This was a great way to solidify my learning in various courses, and also led me to working in the research lab I am in now,” she said.

“Lakehead’s focus on experiential learning has given me a well-rounded education and prepared me very well for the future.

“Being part of student clubs like the Biology Association, Applied Life Sciences Club, and Food Security club has been complimentary to my learning and has given me a sense of belonging and community on campus,” she said.

Nicole plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to one day work as a physician in Northern Ontario.

Since 1952, Lakehead University has presented the Robert Poulin Award each year to a full-time graduate or undergraduate student selected by their fellows, the faculty and administration, for contributing most to the welfare of the University through student activities.

Lakehead named the Robert Poulin Award after an outstanding Forestry graduate from the Lakehead Technical Institute who died at the age of 20 due to an explosion that occurred on a dredge in the Kaministiquia River.

Congratulations to the Lakehead Orillia campus Let's Talk Science outreach team who received the Indigenous Outreach Project Award during the 2021 Let's Talk Science National Volunteer Awards.

The Award recognizes the partnership between Let's Talk Science and the Education Department of the Beausoleil First Nation. The partnership allowed teacher candidates/Let's Talk Science volunteers to carry out STEM-focused learning opportunities for students at Christian Island Elementary School.

Read more at https://letstalkscience.ca/about-us/news-and-media/congratulations-2021-national-volunteer-award-winners.