On behalf of the Teaching Commons team, welcome back to the new academic year – and a refreshed
newsletter!

Click here to view the Fall 2023 Teaching Commons Newsletter.

IBM Quantum Computer

April 21, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont. 

A Lakehead Thunder Bay Electrical Engineering professor is receiving $25,000 through NSERC to push the boundaries in the field of quantum computers. 

Dr. Ehsan Atoofian, Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering, will work with professors from Finland’s Aalto University and Germany’s Clausthal University of Technology for one year, thanks to funding through an Alliance International Catalyst Quantum Grant provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.  

Quantum computers are based on quantum mechanics. They offer a level of parallelism, meaning they can perform a large number of operations at the same time, that is beyond the capability of classical computers. 

This enables the execution of compute-intensive tasks that are not practical on classical computers. As an example, Google ran a quantum program on a 53-qubit machine in only 200 seconds – whereas the same task may take 10,000 years on a state-of-the-art classical supercomputer. 

Dr. Atoofian and his colleagues will work to create smaller, more efficient quantum arithmetic circuits and then implement them on real quantum computers. Arithmetic operations such as multiplication, division, square root, etc. are the backbone of many applications such as image processing applications. 

“Research in quantum computing is in its early stages,” Dr. Atoofian said. 

“Quantum computers built by a few companies are noisy. Due to the noisy nature of contemporary quantum computers, it is not feasible to run quantum arithmetic units on quantum computers. We are simplifying quantum arithmetic units to overcome quantum noise. 

“So far, most research projects in quantum computing have focused on theory. However, we take a practical approach and implement quantum arithmetic units on actual quantum computers,” he said. 

By completing this work, the research team led by Dr. Atoofian will create new avenues for the implementation of large-scale applications on quantum computers, which have not been feasible until now.

Dr. Atoofian will use Zoom to communicate with his colleagues, Prof. Alexandru Paler from the Department of Computer Science at Aalto University, and Prof. Robert Basmadjian from the Department of Computer Engineering within the Institute for Informatics at the Clausthal University of Technology. 

They will have access to a quantum computer located in New York, which they will use remotely. 

Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, congratulated Dr. Atoofian and his team on receiving this Alliance Grant from NSERC. 

“Quantum computing may well be one of the most significant future advances in computing,” Dr. Dean said. 

“Calculations will be at speeds that are not even imaginable today. Being involved in the theory and then actually being able to verify those results with quantum computing is extremely exciting research.”

In 2021/22, Lakehead University received nearly $2 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, and research facilities. 

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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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth 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.

Dear members of our Lakehead University community,

I am very pleased to be sending you this greeting as I begin my term as President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University. It is a great privilege to return to Lakehead – where I have spent most of my career – to take on this role, and I am eager to get to work with all of you as we face the challenges and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

My partner, Laurel, and I are so happy to be back in Thunder Bay, and I thank those of you who have sent welcoming and congratulatory messages to us. We truly feel like we are part of this Lakehead family and the regions and territories our campuses call home.  

My story at Lakehead began in 1998 when I accepted a faculty position before I went on to become the founding director of the teaching and learning centre, and ultimately the Dean of our Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities for six years. In 2015, I accepted an appointment as the Vice-President Academic and Provost at the Ontario College of Art and Design University before being appointed President of Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2018.

It is good to be back, and I am proud to help lead an institution that reflects so many of my values alongside so many talented and passionate students, faculty and staff who advance and support issues that are very important to me, including reconciliation, EDI, climate action, and excellence in research, teaching, and learning. I am particularly proud to be part of an institution that has continued to address reconciliation – I believe strongly in the need for our university to engage meaningfully with the urgent and necessary work to respond to the Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.

Universities can play a significant role in effecting change through addressing major challenges of our time, and all members of the university can contribute to that work through research, curriculum, pedagogy, policy development, community partnerships, and examining our own organizational structures. It is the people — our students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners, volunteers — who are the ones driving change. I believe in the skills and talents of each person in our university community and recognize that our collective contributions inevitably exceed our individual work and performance. 

Universities are dynamic, energizing, and complex entities. I love the environment of inquiry, knowledge production, and creativity that is the lifeblood of universities. They are also institutions of centuries old traditions, some of which have created barriers for women, IBPOC, and LGBTQ2S+ students, faculty, and staff, and we must continue to be vigilant in examining and changing the structures to ensure universal access, and creating a working and learning environment in which all members of the university community feel seen and can show up as themselves. 

The violent attack on a faculty member and two students in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo last Wednesday, described by the police as motivated by hate, brutally illustrates the fact that equity-deserving groups are not always safe on our university campuses. For many years I taught courses with a focus on gender and was a graduate student when the École Polytechnique mass shooting occurred, and I can imagine how anxious and disturbed many of our faculty, students, and staff are feeling right now. I stand in solidarity with you all, and remind everyone of the resources available to you to help address violence on our campuses (Office of Human Rights and Equity, Security Services, Student Health & Wellness, LUSU, Employee & Family Assistance, and our Mobile Safety App), and encourage you to seek out the supports you need.

I know we will stand strong as a university community in the face of such threats, and I look forward to seeing you all on both campuses.I know we are going to do great work together. Over the coming months, I will focus my efforts on meeting and listening to as many members of our Lakehead University community as I can — both in Orillia and Thunder Bay. 

I have missed being here. It is great to be back. 

I look forward to meeting new faces, as well as getting to know so many others and our exceptional campuses all over again. 

Thank you. Miigwetch. 

Dr. Gillian Siddall
President and Vice-Chancellor
Lakehead University

July 6, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.   

Lakehead University’s Electrical Engineering degree program has received the maximum possible accreditation from a recent review conducted by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). 

The Electrical Engineering program has received accreditation for a full six years, up to June 30, 2029. 

“This accreditation represents a ringing endorsement of Lakehead’s Faculty of Engineering. It celebrates our commitment to delivering high-quality professional programs that are academically rigorous and align with the needs of industry,” said Dr. Janusz Kozinski, Dean of Engineering. 

Lakehead’s Department of Electrical Engineering offers outstanding undergraduate and graduate education, along with world-class researchers. 

“We are very proud to receive this latest approval from our regulatory body,” Dr. Kozinski added. 

Lakehead’s undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering was first established in 1974, and it has achieved accreditation ever since. 

The CEAB, part of Engineers Canada, accredits Canadian undergraduate programs in engineering. 

Students who receive a degree from an accredited engineering program meet the academic requirements needed to become licensed with Canada's engineering regulators.

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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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Ingenuity manager Alyson MacKay (centre) is pictured with Ascend Accelerator graduates (from right) Christopher Silver, Louis Johnson, Allan Alias, and Asha Nurse.

July 18, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.  

Lakehead recently celebrated the graduates from its third cohort of the Ascend Accelerator boot-camp-style program, hosted by the Ingenuity incubator space.

Along with FedNor funding, participants in the student-based business ventures received mentorship and weekly workshops. They were held accountable to milestone goals created over the 10-week program, which ran from May 8 to July 14.

This year the cohort included four participants who each explored a separate business venture. Ingenuity manager Alyson MacKay said it was exciting to help the students develop their businesses.

“I can’t believe the third cohort is coming to an end – it's amazing how fast the 10 weeks went by,” MacKay said.

“I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work the students have put into their business ideas and am looking forward to celebrating their success. Their commitment and passion drove the energy in the Ascend program and they’ve come a long way since the first week.”

Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, congratulated the participants for reaching graduation.

"By providing financial support and access to mentors, Ingenuity Ascend offers a great platform for Lakehead students to transform their ideas into reality and launch their unique business ventures,” he said.

“From using thermal sensors to detect falls to developing automated lockers for artists and entrepreneurs to sell their products, our graduating entrepreneurs have solved gaps in the market and are contributing to the growth of our regional economy.

“Once again, I’d like to congratulate the graduates, and I wish you all the best as you ascend your businesses to the next level,” Dr. Dean said.

Louis Johnson’s project, Liaison, implements a completely automated locker system that allows artists and entrepreneurs to seamlessly market and sell their crafts, products, or services in high foot-traffic venues.

Vendors can simply load their lockers with merchandise and consumers can conveniently purchase them with the push of a button. This solution now gives vendors the opportunity to create more, invest more, and profit more.

“This year's Ascend program hosted by Ingenuity has been an unforgettable experience,” Johnson said.

“As a physics graduate and a mechanical engineering student with no business background, I was doubtful of my capabilities to become an entrepreneur.

“However, over these past 10 weeks I wasn't just exposed to all of the essential aspects of starting a business but was taken through the step-by-step process of how to implement them.

“Alongside the valuable information I've gained from this program, I was able to network with other like-minded entrepreneurs, which created an environment where everyone was able to feed off of each other’s ideas to create innovative solutions.

“Turning your passion into a business is an extremely difficult process, but with guidance and support from Ingenuity the self-doubt started to fade and the end goal became much more attainable,” Johnson added.

Christopher Silver’s project, Silver Vantage Software, uses computer vision and machine learning to create a thermal fall detection system for elderly people. A thermal sensor will monitor a room, sending an alert to a family member or personal support worker if a fall is detected.

Allan Alias is launching Pixel Point, a comprehensive social media management and real estate media solution provider that specializes in management and digital marketing. Pixel Point offers a range of services from content creation to paid ads management.

Asha Nurse created Silver Sands Nail Bar, a home-based and mobile nail salon in Thunder Bay that offers gel polish, gel extensions, and overlays. It specializes in the newest trends in the nail industry.

As a mobile salon, Silver Sands takes the hassle out of finding a nail technician by bringing their services directly to you. The mission of Silver Sands is to understand and meet the needs of its clients, especially young people.

For more about Ingenuity, visit www.lakeheadu.ca/centre/ingenuity. 

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 Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at 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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

July 31, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

As a growing number of women across Canada and the United States are choosing to not have children, Erika Puiras’ research aims to shed light on the potential mental health consequences imposed by the stigma associated with being “childfree”.

Puiras, a doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Lakehead University, has been recognized for this work with the 2023 Ontario Women’s Health Scholars award, which recognizes ground-breaking women’s health research taking place across Ontario universities.

“It was a bit jaw-dropping to receive this award,” said Puiras, who is one of 10 university scholars receiving this year’s scholarship. “It shows that people are seeing the merit in what we’re doing.”

As part of her dissertation, Puiras is studying the experiences of intentionally childfree women and how stigma, including negative societal messages and discrimination, ultimately affects their mental health and overall wellbeing.

Under the supervision of Dr. Dwight Mazmanian, Professor in the Department of Psychology, she will explore whether childfree women experience self-stigma and how stigma influences their help-seeking behaviour and trust in health-care systems that have historically stigmatized this population.

“For the first-time, both as a researcher and a person – especially a twenty-something woman – I’m seeing a lot of the stigma that gets levelled at people, particularly women in a specific age range, around the decision to not have children,” explained Puiras. “Between 20 and 35, even 40, is when you start to experience the brunt of the stigma in your personal life, people asking maybe a lot of intrusive but well-meaning questions. And, sometimes people are understanding and other times there is a lot of stigma that comes out [in questions and comments].”

“At some point you might start to internalize that and believe these negative perceptions and stereotypes about yourself,” she added.

Over the next year, Puiras hopes to engage with over 1,000 childfree women across Canada and the United States through questionnaires and in-depth interviews to learn more about their journey, hear about the stigma they’ve experienced and how it has impacted them as individuals.

“I’ve had a lot of feedback already from some of the women participating in this research saying, ‘this is the first time I’ve ever seen a survey that’s represented who I am’,” Puiras stated. “It’s one of those things that was a leap into the unknown, then we started doing the research and came to the realization that what we’re doing is resonating with people.”

“If there’s one takeaway from the research we’ve completed so far, the message from childfree women is: our worth as people and our worth as women is not based on our decision to have children.”

The annual Women’s Health Scholars Awards are funded by the Ontario government and administered by the Council of Ontario Universities.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications and 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 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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

August 15, 2023 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

Dr. Glenda Tibe Bonifacio will join Lakehead University as the new Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities on November 1, 2023.

"I’m very pleased to welcome to the Lakehead University community Dr. Bonifacio, an internationally recognized scholar with a history of community-engaged research that makes a real impact," said Lakehead's Provost and Vice-President (Academic), Dr. David Barnett. "She is an experienced leader with a proven commitment to her team and a focus on student success."

Dr. Bonifacio is currently Professor in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Lethbridge and a research affiliate of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. She completed her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at the University of the Philippines and earned her PhD from the University of Wollongong in Australia.

“Lakehead University is one of the top universities in the world with a progressive outlook,” explained Dr. Bonifacio. “Lakehead has made incredible gains in Indigenizing the academy, internationalization and integration of diverse students from around the world, and equity and social justice. I’m truly inspired by the intentional collaborations across departments and faculties to make a difference in the lives of the students we serve and the communities on campus and beyond.”

In addition to holding several administrative and governance roles at the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Bonifacio is a community-engaged scholar working in local and global contexts. Her research centres on the intersections of gender, migration, and disaster in island countries in Asia and the Pacific region. She is a Visiting Scholar with the University of the Ryukyus, an Honorary Research Fellow of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS) hosted by Hiroshima University, and the recipient of the 2022 international research fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). She is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI).

“As an immigrant in Canada, the emblematic idea of the 'North' with a global role in contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, local engagements, and critical scholarship and praxis are a few reasons I was attracted to the role of Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities,” she explained. “My work and community practice embrace and share the same aspirational values to deliver emphatic leadership across the disciplines.”

During her time at the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Bonifacio has been involved in the work of institutional transformation around issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion on campus. She is an elected member of the faculty association’s Gender, Equity and Diversity Committee and in 2016 she co-founded the Support Network for Academics of Colour Plus (SNAC+) composed of diverse students, staff, faculty, and community members to promote equity, racial justice, and inclusion on campus and beyond. She also served as a racialized member of the Equity Committee of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

“I look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues, staff, and students in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities on the Orillia and Thunder Bay campuses,” she said. “They are amazingly delivering programs and services I look forward to participating in with collegiality and accountability.”

Orillia was the first place she visited in Canada as a member of the Task Force for Youth Concerns of the Asia Alliance of YMCAs for the International Youth Year over 30 years ago.

Dr. Bonifacio succeeds Dr. Betsy Birmingham who has served as dean since July 2018.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications and 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 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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

August 17, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.   

Lakehead University’s Faculty of Engineering has received approval from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to offer a new Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) program in Mechatronics Engineering for undergraduate students. 

The inaugural cohort of Mechatronics Engineering students will begin their studies at Lakehead’s Thunder Bay, Ont. campus in September. 

Mechatronics Engineering is a new and rapidly growing multi-disciplinary branch of engineering that is at the intersection of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, and Computer Science. It is related to the design and fabrication of computer-controlled electromechanical systems, such as robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles. 

The creation of the Mechatronics Engineering program at Lakehead has been spearheaded by Professor Wilson Wang, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, who will now serve as the program’s coordinator. 

“We are exceptionally proud to receive approval from the Government of Ontario for Mechatronics at Lakehead,” Dr. Wang said. 

“We know that employers in Northwest Ontario and across Canada are increasingly seeking graduates with the interdisciplinary skills and practical experience that this program offers. 

“We have already seen a high demand for this program from students in high school and colleges, and we look forward to welcoming our first cohort in September.” 

The program has been designed to prepare students to create technologies that support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

 With sustainability and co-op at its core, this program will integrate business, law, and public safety into the learning experience – giving students a deeper and broader insight to accompany their engineering expertise. 

Students have the option to enrol directly from high school, or via Lakehead’s unique college transfer pathway that gives engineering technology diploma graduates the opportunity to complete their BEng degree in just two years. 

Click here for more information about Lakehead’s Mechatronics program.

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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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Fourth-year nursing student Marian Aigbogun, left, demonstrated CPR on Thursday, Aug. 24. Nursing Simulation Lab Coordinator Caroline Sabotig used a tablet to control the manikin and to show Aigbogun if the CPR was effective. 

August 24, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.   

Meet the new CAE simulation manikin that is now helping Lakehead University nursing students prepare for what it’s like to save someone’s life during a Code Blue emergency. 

A Code Blue is called when a patient’s breathing or heart stops. Understandably, this can be a high-anxiety moment for learners. 

However, thanks to the Nursing Simulation Lab where the new manikin is used, Lakehead University’s nursing students can practice their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and team response in a safe environment. 

The School of Nursing has been running simulated Code Blue labs for its final year BScN students since 2009. 

With this new, high-tech manikin, students experience fully functioning and changeable vital signs (e.g., breathing, heartbeat, pulse), along with digital eye and pupil reactions. The new manikin offers computerized feedback in real time about the quality and consistency of each student’s efforts. 

Through the behind-the-scenes activities of the Nursing Simulation Lab Coordinator, Caroline Sabotig, the manikin can speak with students until the moment they realize they must act fast to save the manikin’s life. 

With this new manikin, students will know if they are doing compressions properly when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, also known as CPR, since the manikin indicates has software that provides real-time feedback on the quality and consistency of the resuscitation efforts. 

Fourth-year nursing student Marian Aigbogun said this simulation manikin has given her an experience that is very close to real life. 

“Now I have the confidence and expertise to respond in a timely and professional manner when faced with a real Code-Blue situation,” Aigbogun said.

The state-of-the-art manikin is compliant with the American Heart Association’s cardiac life support guidelines. 

“This manikin is the highest of high tech – it’s extraordinarily lifelike,” said Dr. Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio, Director of the School of Nursing. 

“Not only does it look around the room like a real patient, but students get instant feedback, showing them if they are doing CPR correctly. The new manikin even has articulations – with joints that allow for realistic movement.” 

This is another example of how Lakehead University is preparing nurses to work in Northwestern Ontario and beyond. 

“With all of these features and benefits, this manikin provides our students with an advantage when it comes time to head out into the workforce,” Dr. Jones-Bonofiglio said.

This mannikin was purchased thanks to donations from very dedicated alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. A total of $25,000 was raised and the School of Nursing's students, faculty and staff are very grateful for the support. 

“This new resource is truly the result of a community effort. We had generous donations come to the School of Nursing that allowed us to launch a shared funding campaign toward this important purchase,” Dr. Jones-Bonofiglio said. 

“This new manikin is very lifelike and contributes much needed diversity to our growing family of high-tech manikins here at the School of Nursing.” 

The Dean of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Dr. Mirella Stroink, said they are thrilled to offer this advanced simulation manikin as part of the student-learning experience in Lakehead University’s School of Nursing. 

“The immediate feedback that the manikin provides allows for real-time learning in a safe and supportive laboratory space. We are truly grateful for the generous donations and ongoing support of our community,” Dr. Stroink said.

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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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Four universities to leverage shared resources, facilities, expertise, and enrich postsecondary contributions to economic development in Ontario  

Friday, August 25, 2023, Thunder Bay

Four Ontario universities – Trent University, Laurentian University, Lakehead University, and Nipissing University – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on enhancing collaboration and resource sharing on research and innovation initiatives to, ultimately, drive economic development in the province.

“Trent is thrilled to be part of this partnership with universities that are keenly aware of the emerging and untapped opportunities in connecting different parts of Ontario,” said Christopher Rooney, senior director, Research & Innovation at Trent University. “We know that by working together we can realize more benefits from postsecondary research and innovation. We’ll be able to share expertise and resources more efficiently and effectively in a way that boosts overall research and commercialization endeavours.”

The MOU outlines four key areas for collaboration: research and commercialization support, knowledge sharing, access to professional expertise and advanced facilities, and ecosystem partnerships. 

In particular, the four universities will be focusing efforts and attention on projects related to intellectual property and entrepreneurship, research data management and security, policy development, course/curriculum development, networking and joint symposia, and government relations, such as engaging with provincial and federal ministries and funding agencies.

To date, the four universities have partnered to establish the Northern and Rural Innovation Cluster focused on critical minerals, cleantech, and battery electric technologies with funding from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON). The provincial agency is providing a total of $294,000 to the pilot project which has seen an industry liaison officer hired to support the four universities in commercialization efforts related to the cluster’s primary research topics.

“This is a great example of the kind of initiatives that this MOU will drive,” said Director Rooney. “The funding from IP Ontario goes further with the four universities working together to invest the funding in a way that brings expertise, resources, and programming to each campus but all towards a unified goal. The initiative will help educate and train students and identify more opportunities for collaboration.” 

Director of Research and Innovation at Laurentian University, Gisele Roberts, adds that “having previously collaborated with Lakehead, Nipissing, and Trent as members of a commercialization network, we are excited to renew discussions with these partners to explore opportunities for resource sharing. This will leverage the expertise within our institutions to maximize the research and commercialization impacts of our universities and allow us to quickly adapt to rapidly changing research policy requirements.”

“Lakehead University is excited to see increased intellectual property literacy within the institutions and ecosystems, improved connectivity between stakeholders, and enhanced economic development through collaboration,” said Ellen MacKay, Lakehead University’s Director of Innovation Development.

“Lakehead is well positioned for this partnership as we have research and development strength in critical minerals through the hiring of two new research chairs in critical mineral processing and exploration, and the continued work from the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration.”

“Nipissing University is pleased to once again collaborate with Laurentian, Trent, and Lakehead to advance research and innovation programs across the province,” said Dr. Barbi Law,  Interim Associate Vice-President of Research, Innovation, and Graduate Studies. “Sharing knowledge and resources between our institutions will lay the groundwork for building more partnerships and will enhance our overall innovation efforts.”

About Lakehead University

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 in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

About Laurentian University (Akinomaagegamik)

Laurentian University serves over 8,000 students on its campus in Sudbury, Ontario, and is one of two bilingual universities in the province of Ontario. Committed to its bilingual, tri-cultural mandate, Laurentian University offers an outstanding university experience in English and French with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education.

About Nipissing University

Nipissing University received its charter as an independent University in 1992, and was created to address the specific needs of Northern Ontario. The university’s strategic priorities regarding the student experience as well as academic and research excellence is grounded in this commitment. As a proud, primarily undergraduate university with a reputation for excellence in teacher education, arts, science, and professional programs, Nipissing consistently ranks among the top undergraduate universities in the country for student satisfaction, student support services, residence life and mental health services. 

About Trent University

One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.

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For more information contact:

Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, Lakehead University, mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca

Jean-Paul Rains, Director, Communications & Digital Strategy, Laurentian University, communications@laurentian.ca 

Carly Johnston, Communications Officer, Nipissing University, (705) 474-3450 ext. 4035 or communications@nipissingu.ca

Clay Pearn, Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6188 or claypearn@trentu.ca