The following professors received Teaching Awards at the Senate meeting held on Monday, Oct. 24.

Teaching Innovation Award

Dr. Pauline Sameshima (Education professor and Canada Research Chair in Arts Integrated Studies) has received a 2022 Teaching Innovation Award from Lakehead University’s Senate Teaching and Learning Committee.

The Committee highlighted Pauline’s implementation of the “the Slides Strategy,” a teaching technique that “stimulates high levels of engagement in students, allowing them to understand each other’s perspectives well and affording much more creativity and the ability to participate in reading assignments to a greater depth than existing alternatives.”

The Teaching Innovation Award recognizes the development and/or implementation of innovative pedagogical practices and technologies.

For an explanation of “the Slides Strategy,” please see the publication by Pauline Sameshima and Tashya Orasi, “What’s better than the asynchronous discussion post?”

The Lake Superior Living Labs Network Team, led by Dr. Lindsay Galway and Dr. Charles Levkoe, the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, for designing and implementing a Climate Action Field School which took place during August of 2021. This week-long training program brought together more than 20 faculty, staff, and students from Lakehead University with a collection of community partners with a wide range of expertise to learn from one another and engage in creating change. Participants and partners expressed appreciation for the diversity, intensity and interdisciplinary of the experience, and described it as both inspiring and amazing.

Alexa Haberer, Technologist from the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, has the logistical acumen, competence, enthusiasm, adaptability, resilience, and empathy to manage outdoor adventures (including protocols for transport, field meal preparation, outdoor pedagogy, outdoor accommodation, and first aid and emergency response) amidst the ever-changing conditions of a global pandemic (despite lockdowns, the easing and then tightening of restrictions) and does so with unstoppable energy, compassion for all, and the patience to assist those who struggle.

And then factor in that Alexa is a professional to the core, wonderfully creative and skilled in her teaching philosophy and pedagogical practice, and she can balance student interests, needs, and safety.

Contribution to Teaching Awards

Dr. Farhan Ghaffar's students applaud the clarity of his instruction, and repeatedly express appreciation for the way he has introduced critical concepts to them in an engaging way that responds to different learning styles. His students write about his collaborative teaching style, which combines "a perfect mix" of theoretical and application-oriented elements. Many comments from his students speak to his in-depth knowledge of his subject material, his preparedness, and the understanding and respect he shows his students. The effort Dr. Ghaffar puts into every lesson has enhanced and fostered students' learning experiences, and his enthusiasm for teaching has helped his students unlock their own passion for circuit design.

Messages from Dr. Ravi Gokani's students repeatedly comment on the extraordinary efforts he makes to provide all his students with opportunities to succeed and the respect he shows his students. The creativity he employs in his course design has greatly enhanced the learning experience for his students, who appreciate his varied modes of instruction (which include structured debates, student presentations, lectures, class discussions and video presentations) and the way he models the teacher as a learner. He has clearly made a very positive impact on the academic careers of many of his students through his
enthusiastic and engaging approach to teaching.

Dr. Sarah Jacoba's innovative approach to her course instruction clearly resonates with many of her students, who over and over again express appreciation for the passion she brings to her instruction. Letters and comments from students consistently speak of her diverse teaching methods, clarity of instruction, and dedication to student success. More than anything else, though, her students applaud the welcoming environment in Dr. Jacoba's classes. By accommodating different learning styles and ways in
which students express their creativity, Dr. Jacoba has created a space that "allows students to better explore the
types of thinkers they are, and the types of thinkers they want to be".

In their letters and comments, students of Dr. Francisco Ramos-Pallares write very favourably about his clear, organized approach to instruction. Many students wrote that they appreciated the relevance of the material he taught and the varied, engaging methods he employs to respond to the different abilities and learning styles of students coming into his courses.

Dr. Ramos-Pallares works hard to make sure every student is involved in the process of developing a deeper understanding of the physical meaning of concepts. By providing his students with opportunities to practice critical thinking and to build skills necessary for their careers after graduation, Dr. Ramos-Pallares makes it clear to his students that he is dedicated to helping them achieve success.

Dr. Sam Salem's respect for his students and passion for teaching are clear, based on the repeated comments by students applauding his thorough and enthusiastic instruction. Students appreciate the steps he takes to accommodate the different level of experience they bring to his courses - he encourages student feedback so that he can respond to student needs, he readily changes his pace and delivery methods and is very generous with his time when responding to student questions. Dr. Salem's
dedication to student success is clear, and he keeps his courses engaging and challenging while remaining friendly and fun.

It is evident that Steven Secord's efforts to make his courses engaging and effective are appreciated by his students, who consistently write about his passion for teaching, his innovative use of technology, and the clarity of instruction that all make his classes the "best online course[s] ever!"  Mr. Secord's students write about the many opportunities his classes provide to learn from and engage with professionals in various types of science education. It is also clear that Mr. Secord creates a positive,
supportive environment for his students that helps build the confidence necessary to engage in meaningful discussion and deeper learning. The impact he has made on his students might be best illustrated by an excerpt from a nomination letter: "Steven is the teacher we all hope to be, as we head into our chosen career as educators of future generations."

Graydon McKee, a recent Graduate from the Biology MSc Program at Lakehead University has won the Rob Peters award for best student paper in Canadian Aquatic Science in 2022. Graydon’s paper titled, “Alternative migratory strategies related to life history differences in the walleye (Sander vitreus)” was published in Movement Ecology (McKee et al. 2022).

In the words of Graydon’s nominator, “Graydon’s work stands to make a significant contribution to understanding the inherent variation that exists within managed populations like fisheries, indicating that management strategies targeted at a population without recognizing this variation are unlikely to succeed, or alternatively, only potentially benefit one fraction of the population.”

The Robert H. Peters Award is awarded by the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences. This prestigious award recognizes the best aquatic sciences paper published in the preceding year by a Canadian student or a student working in Canada.

A link to the paper (available open access) is here:
https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-022-00308-7

Read more about Graydon and the award here:

https://www.scas-scsa.ca/page-18139

Winter camelina

September 22, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station in Thunder Bay is always looking for new opportunities for its area producers by testing new crops and products. This year these include:

1. Winter camelina: Winter camelina is an oil seed crop from the mustard family. Dr. Tarlok Sahota, LUARS Director, obtained this seed from Christina Eynck, Research Scientist, Oilseed Breeding for Biofuels and Bioproducts, AAFC Saskatoon.  This is a short-season crop that possesses very good frost tolerance in the seedling stage and the full-grown plants exhibit good drought tolerance. It is resistant to flea beetles and black leg disease. Pod shattering is not an issue in camelina, therefore it can be straight cut.

Winter camelina flowers in late April, earlier than other crops – and even earlier than most spring-flowering wild plants. Consequently, its flowers are prized by many native pollinators as well as honey bees. Camelina flowers provide abundant pollen and nectar for them. Late August to mid September is considered an optimum window for seeding winter camelina in the Prairies. LUARS is trying to determine its optimum time of seeding and winter survival potential under the region’s agro climatic conditions by seeding it at 10 days interval from August 25 to September 25.

 2. Anvol: Anvol is a urease inhibitor, a nitrogen stabilizer, with double ingredients - NBPT (Agrotain) and Duromide from Koch Agronomy Services, Calgary. Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, forming ammonia and carbon dioxide. Untreated urea quickly hydrolyses in moist soils and is subject to losses of N as ammonia through volatilization. Anvol gets to work faster and provides a longer duration of protection from nitrogen loss through volatilization. Koch Agronomy Services sells urea treated with Anvol; farmers therefore don’t have to treat urea with it. LUARS is comparing Anvol treated urea with urea, ESN, urea superU and their blends in spring and winter wheat.

3. Holganix Bio 800⁺:  Holganix contains more than 800 species of microbes. It is claimed to improve plant performance and yield by maximizing soil health and uptake of nutrients, minerals and water, increasing plant resilience against various stresses, boosting root architecture, faster crop establishment, improving nutrient use efficiency and lowering fertilizers and herbicide needs. Some of the soil microbes contained in Holganix Bio 800⁺ Agriculture include both Phosphorus and Micronutrient Solubilizing Bacteria, Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria, Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria, Plant Debris Degrading Bacteria and Fungi, Mycorrhizae Fungi, Trichoderma Fungi, Penicillium Fungi, Beneficial Nematodes, and Protozoa. LUARS is testing Holganix in winter wheat and winter rye.

For more information, you can reach Dr. Sahota at tssahota@lakeheadu.ca or (807) 707-1987.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 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 nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, 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 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 10,000 students in THE’s 2022 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

The 2022 Northwestern Ontario Palliative Care Online Summit begins Thursday, November 3rd at noon, and continues each Thursday in November. Registration is free. The event will take place using Zoom.

Join us each Thursday for interesting palliative care topics by renowned international, national, provincial and regional speakers. The Summit takes place Thursdays as follows:

- Nov. 03 from 12 - 1:30 pm ET: End of Life Doulas - Enhancing Care for All
- Nov. 10 from 12 - 1:30 pm ET: Culturally Safe-r Palliative Care Education for Providers Caring for Indigenous Peoples
- Nov. 17 from 12 - 1:30 pm ET: Dignity and New Opportunities in Palliative Care
- Nov. 24 from 7 - 8:30 pm ET: Racism in the Health Care System

For more details on each session, please visit: https://cerah.lakeheadu.ca/events/2022-northwestern-ontario-palliative-c...

Check out Lakehead University's Research and Innovation Bulletin produced by the Office of Research Services!

The R&I Bulletin is distributed weekly every Tuesday by the Office of Research Services and includes information on research funding opportunities, events and workshops and news updates from our funding partners. The latest version of the R&I Bulletin (as well as past issues) can be accessed here.

Joseph “Martial” Arbour is a health champion and volunteer with the NorWest Community Health Centres
who recently acquired a birth certificate. The birth certificate helped Martial reconnect with his siblings.
Martial spoke during the media conference with Anita Jean, Manager of Community Digital Health Equity at
Norwest Community Health Centres, standing nearby.

September 16, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University, Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, and the NorWest Community Health Centres have released a report calling on the province of Ontario to act quickly.

The three-year study, aptly named ‘Eliminate Systemic Barriers To Obtaining and Keeping Ontario Birth Certificates,’ was conducted by Lakehead University researchers Dr. Kristin Burnett, Chair of Indigenous Learning, and Dr. Chris Sanders, Associate Professor in Sociology, with Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic.

Kinna-aweya has been assisting people in the community obtain personal identification for well over a decade.

The purpose of this advocacy is to highlight the systemic barriers faced by people in Ontario, particularly Indigenous people, who need birth certificates, and issue a call to action to address these problems so that Ontarians who are the most marginalized in society can more easily obtain birth certificates to access essential services when needed.

“It’s important to acknowledge that in Ontario as well as throughout Canada, missing ID is not a problem experienced only by people who are homeless or precariously housed,” Dr. Burnett said.

“Our research found that many Ontarians live without birth certificates for a variety of reasons and face enormous barriers getting either their first birth certificate or a replacement. Indigenous people in particular face unique and significant barriers to obtaining identification,” she added.

Dr. Sanders said the report is calling on the province to apply changes that would make it easier for people to obtain birth certificates.

 “We call for the elimination of all fees for all types of birth certificates because the fees are not a significant revenue source for the province, but they are a hardship for people living in poverty,” he said.

The report also calls for the simplification of birth certificate applications, including reducing the personal/parental information sections, because the phrasing of certain questions confuses people and is unnecessary to issue a birth certificate.

“We call for the elimination of the guarantor requirement on the Ontario birth application,” Dr. Sanders said. “The guarantor requirement is an additional barrier that not all provinces have.”

The report calls for all ministries to recognize kinship agreements or customary care agreements to support family unification and to enable families to access services.

It calls for birth certificates to stay with people in care or custody, so that ID travels with individuals, who would not lose possession of their ID upon transfer or release.

“And, we call for the smaller, more durable birth certificates that were previously used by the Ontario government so that people without safe places to store the document can carry it on their person again,” Dr. Burnett said.

“While digital ID has been suggested as a possible solution, digital ID is not accessible to people without technology and resources.” 

Anita Jean, Manager of Community Digital Health Equity at the NorWest Community Health Centres, said from a digital health equity perspective, individuals applying for a birth certificate are at a real disadvantage.

“The option to mail in your application involves payment which requires personal identification in most cases. Applying for a birth certificate online is not an option if you do not have a credit card, access to a computer and an internet connection,” Jean said.

At the Lakehead University Community Legal Services (LUCLS), law students provide access to justice for low-income individuals in the community.

“The application to obtain a birth certificate in Ontario is cumbersome and complicated,” said Rodi-Lynn Rusnick-Kinisky, LUCLS Director.

“LUCLS assists in completing these applications because there is no government service available to help. We call on the provincial government to reduce the barriers to obtaining ID by simplifying the birth certificate application process and by waiving all fees for vulnerable Ontarians,” Rusnick-Kinisky said.

Beth Ponka, Director of Administration at the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, thanked Dr. Sanders and Dr. Burnett for their leadership in completing this research. The report confirms what Ponka already suspected, that people experience numerous barriers trying to obtain basic ID.

“Without ID, and birth certificates in particular, it can be difficult or impossible to access income supports, obtain housing, get a Social Insurance Number, open a bank account, or even get food at a food bank.

“The work to navigate the system and pay the cost for ID is falling on community agencies who do not have the resources to address this huge gap in service to vulnerable Ontarians,” Ponka said.

To read the report, visit lakeheadu.ca/aki.

 Beth Ponka, Director of Administration at the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, said the report confirms what
she suspected, that people experience numerous barriers trying to obtain basic ID.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 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 nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, 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 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 10,000 students in THE’s 2022 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

September 14, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Dr. Deborah Scharf from Lakehead University is working on a component of a $1.37 million research study examining sleep.

The overarching aim of this research is to help all people living in Canada understand the value of sleep health, and if necessary, to access and utilize evidence-based resources and interventions that consider the complexity and severity of their insomnia in light of their life circumstances. 

Dr. Scharf, who is an Associate Professor in Psychology, is a co-investigator on this project. She will help design and conduct sleep intervention mobilization studies in priority populations, such as those at high risk for sleep-related workplace injuries like truck drivers and police.

“Sleep is fundamental to all aspects of wellbeing,” Dr. Scharf said.

“It impacts our feelings such as mood and anxiety, and our thinking including concentration and decision making.

“Sleep also impacts our physical health through factors including immune response and aging,” she said.

“At the same time, most people have very limited access to evidence-based treatments for improving their sleep when they need them. The purpose of this research is to begin to change that.”

Trent Lynds, a master’s student in clinical psychology at Lakehead University, is also part of the team, promoting equity through his role as an Indigenous person and clinical psychology graduate student trainee. 

“I am thrilled to be a member of such an incredible research team,” Lynds said.

“Our research will enlighten our understanding of sleep difficulties among Indigenous peoples in Canada, and will foster better nights among the population.”

Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder and has significant impacts on daytime functioning, including physical and mental health, social relationships, and cognition and learning.

Those who do not meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia, but have symptoms of insomnia, also experience daytime consequences and benefit from treatment. Experts are increasingly recognizing that insomnia – and more generally poor sleep – is a public health crisis globally, including in Canada.

The research team has evidence on how best to treat insomnia, but most individuals do not receive evidence-based interventions or are receiving inappropriate treatment as first-line treatment. For the last decade, Dr. Penny Corkum from Dalhousie University and her group have developed and evaluated a range of digital interventions to support sleep health and treat insomnia in infants and young adults.

Through this $1.37 million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Dr. Corkum’s team will leverage the existing infrastructure and platforms to develop, evaluate, and sustain a Canada-wide digital healthy sleep promotion campaign for across the lifespan – building on its Sleeping during COVID-19 campaign conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Sleep Society and Canadian Sleep and Circadian Network.

The team will also develop eHealth programs to treat insomnia across the lifespan, building on the existing Better Nights, Better Days programs for children and youth ages one to 23 years old.

They will also create eLearning programs to provide health-care professionals who are not sleep specialists, and educators with knowledge about sleep and its treatment.

Integrated into every aspect of this research is a focus on understanding and addressing barriers to equitable access for Canadians who face the greatest levels of health disparities, including Indigenous peoples, sexual and racial minorities, immigrants, and people living with functional limitations from mental and/or physical health disorders.

Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, congratulated Dr. Scharf and thanked CIHR for funding this important research.

“We all sleep and know the value of quality sleep for our well being, performance and general health,” Dr. Dean said.

“Understanding and appreciating the value of sleep and the effects of insomnia through evidence-based research is highly impactful.”

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 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 nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, 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 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 10,000 students in THE’s 2022 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Check out the latest Lake Superior Living Labs Network (LSLLN) newsletter for updates on our recent activity and upcoming events.

The LSLLN serves as a platform to connect academics and community groups to develop new partnerships and collaborative initiatives across the Lake Superior watershed. For more information visit www.livinglabsnetwork.org.

Lakehead University's Faculty of Business Administration is pleased to host the Canadian Council of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE) Conference this year. The conference will be held virtually October 28-30, 2022.

This year's conference theme, Entrepreneurship, SMEs, and Sustainable Development, echoes the shared imperative of innovation in public, private, and social sectors upon the prominent and inter-related challenges in environmental, societal, and economic domains around the globe.

This conference focuses on diverse and inclusive approaches to advancing entrepreneurship and driving economic and social recovery across sectors and countries and adopts a comparative and international perspective in addressing topics related to entrepreneurship and innovation.

This year's conference theme focuses on the importance of inclusion in engaging organizations and individuals of diverse nature for their input and participation. Researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, administrators, students, policy makers and all interested in advancing entrepreneurship and small business will participate.

Keynote speakers include:

• Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade of Canada
• Rosalind Lockyer, Founder & CEO, PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise
• Jason Thompson, President of Superior Strategies Inc and Warrior Engineering Ltd.
• Wendy Cukier, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Gregor Sneddon, Executive Director, HelpAge Canada
• Heatherjean MacNeil, Entrepreneur and Visiting Faculty, Northeastern University
• Allyson Hewitt, President & CEO, Enactus Canada
• Kelly Lendsay, President & CEO, Indigenous Works and Founder and CEO, LUMINARY
• Sophie Bacq, Larry and Barbara Sharpf Professor of Entrepreneurship, Indiana University
• Jay Krishnan, CEO, the Accelerator Centre (Waterloo)
• Wendy Timpano, General Manager, Orillia Area Community Development Corp.
• Adam Straker, Program Manager, Future of Cities, Communitech

The Fall 2022 Journey alumni magazine is now online! Click here to read it.

These are some of the great stories featured in this issue.

WORLD EXPLORER AND THRILL-SEEKER

Trying to catch up with adventure photographer Jody MacDonald

HACKING THE HACKERS

An interview with cybersecurity expert Dr. Amir Ameli

BABES IN THE WOODS

Cracking Vancouver’s oldest unsolved murder case

JUSTICE FOR ALL

Evelyn Baxter’s legal career is a study in courage and compassion

KATE AND THE DRAGON

Can a winged monster and a knight be friends?

AN ENGINEER WITH BIG ASPIRATIONS

Avery Williams loves engineering’s transformative possibilities

NORTHERN LIGHTS AND ICE ROADS

Jacob and Meg Vander Ploeg have made a life in the Far North