“The Women’s Health Scholars Award makes it easier to focus on my work because it affords financial stability,” Erika says. Recently, the award funding allowed her to present her research at the 33rd International Congress of Psychology in Prague. “To see my research gaining traction at that level is wonderful!” When she’s at home, Erika enjoys spending time with her beautiful cat Severus. (Photo courtesy of Erika Puiras)

Lazy. Selfish. Immature. Abnormal. Those are some of the insults lobbed at women who choose not to have children.

Erika Puiras was only 24 years old when she became the target of these prejudices.

“Some of the people in my life began making snide comments and pressuring me to have kids,” she says. This was in 2021 after Erika had completed undergraduate and master’s degrees in psychology at Lakehead and was about to begin her PhD studies in clinical psychology.

“I got fed up with the stigma and decided to do something about it by using my PhD dissertation to study the biases experienced by childfree women and the impact they have on women’s mental health,” Erika says. “I have great respect for parents, but that doesn’t mean that other life choices aren’t equally valid.”

She wasn’t sure what kind of reaction her research would garner because this form of stigmatization wasn’t really on the public’s radar at that time, either culturally or academically. “It was a leap into the unknown—I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to recruit enough participants for my research study,” Erika says.

Her topic choice, though, proved to be prophetic—Erika has tapped into a divisive moment in a changing society. Online or offline, it’s hard to turn around without witnessing heated debates about “childless cat ladies.” This discourse, for many, is received as an assault on women’s autonomy.

2024 Women’s Health Scholars Award for Groundbreaking Research

Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recognized Erika’s research in 2023 with a prestigious Women’s Health Scholars Award. Now, Lakehead is proud to announce that Erika’s Women’s Health Scholars Award has been renewed for 2024. The purpose of the award is to help Ontario attract and retain exceptional scholars who will make the province a leader in effective health services and health care for women.

“Only a handful of these awards are granted each year, with fierce competition from across the province and from much larger universities,” says Lakehead’s Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Dean Dr. Mirella Stroink. “It’s a reflection of Erika’s outstanding research track record and the support of Lakehead’s doctoral program that she has received a Women’s Health Scholars Award.”

“Women’s decisions to have or not have a family have real consequences in terms of social judgment,” Dr. Stroink adds, “and recent political rhetoric has been demonizing women who don’t have children.”

Punished and Dismissed for Not Being Mothers

Erika is now analyzing research data gathered from studies she conducted that surveyed over 1,300 participants from across Canada and the United States, as well as from Thunder Bay. She describes the findings that are emerging as disturbing.

“Women are being subjected to physical and verbal abuse from family members—and people outside their family—because they are childfree,” Erika says. Many study respondents also faced both workplace discrimination and stigmatization by their health-care providers “Women frequently mention being denied medical care—doctors refusing to give them IUDs and other forms of birth control they’ve requested or refusing to sterilize them without their partners’ consent, which often lowers their trust in health care providers.”

There was a common message that Erika heard again and again from the study participants. “They wanted people to know that their worth as women—and as human beings—shouldn’t be defined by whether or not they have children.”

On December 3rd, the Lakehead community came together for the eighth annual Giving Tuesday campaign and achieved an extraordinary milestone, contributing an astounding $383,436.56—the highest single-day donation total in the university’s Giving Tuesday history!

This year’s results leave Mark Tilbury, Lakehead’s Director of Alumni and Annual Giving, elated. “Compared to last year, the number of gifts we received increased by 23 percent,” Tilbury shared. “It’s a testament to the incredible impact we can achieve when individuals and organizations unite.”

Highlights of the 2024 campaign include:

• Over 350 donations
• Six new awards and growth in over 40 existing awards.
• Contributions ranged from $10 to $45,000, showcasing the collective power of every gift.
• People from across the globe contributed — Canada, the US, China, the UK, Finland, and New Zealand!

“This generosity shows that Lakehead alumni and friends deeply value accessible, high-quality education,” said Michael den Haan, Vice-President of University Advancement. “This global day of kindness inspired alumni and friends to strengthen their connections with Lakehead and support students in profound ways.”

The success of Lakehead University’s Giving Tuesday campaign is the result of weeks of planning, preparation, and teamwork. Behind the scenes, countless hours are spent coordinating efforts, crafting messages, and building connections with alumni, donors, and the broader community. From developing matching gift incentives to sharing compelling stories that highlight the impact of giving, every detail is planned to inspire generosity. This collaborative effort involves The University Advancement team, and units across the university, as well as volunteers, and supporters, all working together to ensure the campaign's success. It’s this behind-the-scenes dedication that is key to enabling so many people to give during this one-day event.

Since Lakehead began participating in Giving Tuesday in 2016, the initiative has raised over $1.55 million to support student financial aid.

Tilbury added, “We’re thrilled that alumni and friends worldwide contributed to advancing student financial aid at Lakehead by paying it forward. A huge thank you to everyone who supported Lakehead students!”

The 2024 campaign underscores the unwavering commitment and global reach of the Lakehead community. Together, we’re making a lasting difference in the lives of students—one gift at a time.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Lakehead University’s Dr. Melissa Twance has been appointed Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Land Pedagogies and Indigenous Futurities.

Dr. Twance’s work under the five-year chairship will focus on land-based learning and Indigenous pedagogies and how this perspective can assist in decolonizing education and making education a positive, empowering experience for Indigenous youth.

Through a community-engaged arts-based approach, including sharing circles and beading circles, Twance will study how traditional Indigenous places of learning and ways of knowing, being and doing, immerse youth in culture, language, tradition, and values that support their education and development.

“Bringing about transformative change means that we need to go against the colonial norm that is infused throughout Western education institutes and allow Indigenous knowledge to be validated as its own form of knowledge, which will make learning a more positive experience for Indigenous people,” she explained.

Twance’s work is influenced by her own educational experience. A member of Netmizaagamig Nishinaabeg (Pic Mobert First Nation) in Northwestern Ontario, she said the values and ideas around achievement in the Western education system never felt relevant to her life or her community, resulting in isolation and frustration.

“My research will focus beyond the Western classroom because that’s where I was able to find validation and support for myself growing up,” she said. “My grandmother taught me beadwork and my mother ensured that we had a cultural upbringing and participated in ceremonies and Powwows, which helped me build a sense of community and identity.”

In these spaces, Twance will foster a platform for Anishinaabe people – including Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members – from across the Great Lakes region to contribute knowledge and experiences to create a system where Indigenous students feel affirmed.

“Instead of conforming to and meeting Euro Western measures of success, how do we define success for ourselves, how does learning with and through the land point to different futures for us?” she stated.

The appointment comes with $600,000 in funding over five years and a $39,000 research infrastructure grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

“Lakehead University is extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Melissa Twance as our newest Canada Research Chair,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “We look forward to the research contributions Dr. Twance will make over the term of this appointment.”

The Canada Research Chair program also announced the renewal of Dr. Maryam Ebrahimi for a second five-year term. Dr. Ebrahimi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, will continue her work as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Molecular-based Low-dimensional Nanomaterials. Her research lies at the border of chemistry and physics, focusing on the fundamentals of low-dimensional nanomaterials whose properties are determined by their size, structure, and growth dimensions.

Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont. - Lakehead University has been identified as a Canadian research powerhouse in the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

According to Research Infosource’s annual Top 50 Research Universities ranking and analysis, Lakehead is the number one research-intensive undergraduate university in Canada when it comes to AI research and publications. With over 180 per cent growth in published studies in the area of AI (from 2018 to 2022), Lakehead researchers are at the forefront of real-world innovation and transformation.

“The recognition from Research Infosource reflects the extraordinary talent and research capacity cultivated at Lakehead University,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall. “Research and innovation is an important economic driver for the regions we serve and opens doors to collaboration, discovery and positive social progress. It also offers opportunities for our students to be at the forefront of real-world, cutting-edge research, particularly in the area of AI, that will give them hands-on experience and practical skills that employers seek.”

Lakehead academics are working with industry partners and collaborators in Northwestern and Central Ontario, nationally, and internationally on unique machine learning and knowledge engineering projects including intelligent transportation systems, healthcare robotics, power systems, and consumer electronics.

“Universities hold the key to shaping the future of AI by pushing the boundaries of what technology can do but in a way that’s responsible and ethical,” stated Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. “The high calibre of research happening at Lakehead University has the potential to stimulate advancements around the world that contribute to global progress and societal good. Lakehead continues to be a trusted expert for knowledge transfer that leads to innovation and economic development.”

In this year’s Research Infosource rankings, Lakehead also maintained its spot as one of the top three universities in Canada in the Research University of the Year competition in the undergraduate category. In addition, Lakehead ranked:

• No. 1 in not-for-profit research income (2023)
• No. 1 in International Government Research Income Growth (470 per cent growth from 2022 to 2023)
• No. 1 in artificial intelligence publications (2018 to 2022)
• No. 1 in artificial intelligence publications as a percentage of total university publications (9 per cent of Lakehead’s total research publications)
• No. 1 in artificial intelligence publications growth (over 182 per cent increase from 2018 to 2022)

The university’s total annual research income continues to grow, increasing 13 per cent to $27 million from 2022 to 2023, and there’s also steady growth in corporate research income in addition to the not-for-profit research income.

The latest Alumni magazine speaks with Dara McLeod about her work helping children facing war and conflict and its far-reaching impact. Also inside: travel into the brutal world of the British Royal Navy in the 1800s, learn how a friendly puppet is revitalizing the Ojibwe language and how wetlands give us insights into the past.

Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont. -- Giving Tuesday, one of the largest days of giving on Lakehead University’s calendar, returns on Tues. Dec. 3.

The annual tradition encourages alumni, friends and supporters to come together in support of student financial aid. Since 2006, over $1.17 million has been raised through Giving Tuesday, creating 20 new student awards and supporting dozens of existing scholarships and bursaries.

Many Lakehead students face financial challenges that impact their ability to pursue higher education, said Vice-President of University Advancement Michael den Haan. “Your generosity removes financial barriers for students and opens doors to education and opportunity allowing students to achieve their academic and career goals.”

“Thank you to our alumni, friends and supporters who come together to make a lasting impact on the lives of our students,” he added.

This year, the first $50,000 dollars raised through Giving Tuesday will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Alumni Association of Lakehead University for any new gifts received in support of student financial aid.

“Giving Tuesday showcases the strength and generosity of our Lakehead community, living and working all over the world,” said Paul Popo-Ola (HBComm’10), President, Alumni Association of Lakehead University. “Together, we can ensure students receive the support they need to thrive and succeed.”

To donate visit donate.lakeheadu.ca.

Ontario continues to invest in advanced research opportunities at Lakehead University! On Friday, Nov. 15, Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland announced $559,910 in funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to support the construction and enhancement of Lakehead’s Dynamic Soil-Structure-Interaction Testing Facility.

The project will create a full-scale upgraded soil testing environment to serve the needs of mining companies, engineering firms, and infrastructure developers, including industry partners TBT Engineering and Supercom Industries who attended today's announcement.

“It will provide exciting opportunities to conduct collaborative research and development projects between Lakehead and the engineering and mining industries in Canada,” said Vice-President of Research and Innovation Dr. Andrew P. Dean.

Read the announcement at https://nohfc.ca/en/news/2024/ontario-supporting-advanced-research-opportunities-at-lakehead-university. 

Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont. - Lakehead University researchers have been awarded a total of $1.4 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), one of Canada’s federal research funding agencies, for projects over the next five years. The funding will enable exploration in a variety of areas – from chemistry to physics to engineering and geology.

One of the researchers who secured a NSERC Discovery Grant of $147,500 is Dr. Mohammed El-Gendy, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. His research program looks at using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) to enhance resiliency and prevent deterioration of concrete infrastructure.

“We often associate climate change with impacts on the environment; however, climate change also accelerates infrastructure deterioration due to more frequent and severe weather events,” described El-Gendy.

Dr. El-Gendy’s program examines the performance of fibre-reinforced polymer reinforced concrete bridge deck slabs under manmade and natural conditions to test their resiliency and reliability as a long-term solution in the construction industry. “We hope these insights will lead to more sustainable concrete structures capable of withstanding extreme conditions,” he explained.

This year’s NSERC funding also supports projects being led by Dr. Pedram Fatehi, Canada Research Chair in Green Chemicals and Processes (Tier 2), Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) Industrial Research Chair in Green Chemicals and Processes, and Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dr. Xing Tan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Dr. Fatehi is the lead researcher on a $320,000 Discovery Grant project investigating the potential of lignin-based mixtures and compounds as alternatives to fuel-based polymers in the cosmetic and food packaging industries. According to Fatehi, lignin, a renewable, biodegradable by-product of the pulping industry, has promising application due to its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and high thermal stability nature. Over the next five years, his research team will chemically create new lignin nanoparticles to explore their potential use in large-scale materials fabrication.

Dr. Tan has been awarded a $132,500 Discovery Grant for his research on vehicle routing problems, focusing on complexity analysis and algorithm design. His project addresses important challenges in constrained vehicle routing and multi-agent pathfinding, taking into consideration real-world limitations like fuel, sparse charging infrastructure, collision avoidance, and more. The research holds practical applications in areas such as autonomous vehicle coordination, automated warehouse operations, and traffic management, aiming to contribute to safer, more efficient, and sustainable transportation systems that advance both industrial innovation and environmental objectives.

“Our NSERC grant recipients demonstrate the breadth of high-calibre research happening at Lakehead University,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “These researchers are exceptional scientists seizing opportunities to excel their research and make their mark on the world.”

In 2023/24, Lakehead University received almost $2.5 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, research facilities, and research security.

The following Lakehead researchers have also received NSERC grants:

Discovery Grants (five-year grant)

Dr. Mitchell Albert, Lakehead University - TBRHRI Chair in Molecular Imaging and Advanced Diagnostics, Department of Chemistry, “Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI Biosensors Development Program”, $145,000.

Dr. Ahmed Bediwy, Department of Civil Engineering, “An Innovative Housing Solution for Remote Communities Using Waste Mine Tailing in 3D-Printed Green Concrete”, $147,500.

Dr. Oleksandr Bubon, Department of Physics, “Solid-state Technology for Organ-targeted Positron Emission Tomography”, $137,500.

Dr. Philip Fralick, Department of Geology, “Sedimentological Processes Operating in Deep Time, 1.4 to 3.0 Ga”, $150,000.

Dr. Yurii Shepelytskyi, Department of Chemistry, “Advanced Multiferroic Materials for Photoinduced Magnetoelectric Effect Investigation and Medical Application”, $157,500.

PromoScience Grant (two-year grant)

Dr. Christopher Murray, Department of Physics, Farm Lab, $79,800.

Co-applicants:

• Dr. Ellen Field, Lakehead University
• Jacob Kearey-Moreland, Lakehead University

The Lakehead University community mourns the loss of The Honourable Murray Sinclair - Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission - who passed away on November 4, 2024. He was a visionary leader who had the courage to call upon us to account for, and acknowledge, the wrongs Canada has committed against Indigenous Peoples and to begin the long process of healing.

The Honourable Sinclair was a member of the Peguis First Nation whose Anishinaabe name was Mazina Giizhik (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky) and Fourth Degree in the Midewiwin Society, a traditional healing and spiritual society of the Anishinaabe Nation responsible for protecting the teachings, ceremonies, laws, and history of the Anishinaabe. He achieved great things during his lifetime, and his death has created a void in Canada’s social and cultural landscape that cannot be filled.

“Murray Sinclair was a man of integrity, grace, and wisdom,” says Lakehead University Chair on Truth and Reconciliation Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux. “He lived his life in full view of those who most needed him, supporting and encouraging, while speaking directly to the atrocities of Indigenous incarceration, a failed child-welfare system, and the indignities of Indian Residential Schools. Murray Sinclair leaves an incredible legacy of change making, witnessing, and above all else, love. He was deeply respected by Indigenous peoples of Canada, his deeply resonant voice was heard from coast to coast to coast, and when he spoke, people listened. His courage, humour, and graciousness will be sadly missed.”

The Honourable Sinclair excelled in many roles throughout his life - he was the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, the second Indigenous judge in Canada, a lawyer, a senator, a professor of law, co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba, and an impassioned advocate for social justice. 

These roles were connected by his mission of helping Indigenous people reclaim their voices, histories, and dignity in the face of cultural genocide. He was also a powerful bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples who was committed to fostering reconciliation, cooperation, and respect.

In an interview with the CBC in 2015, just prior to the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, The Honourable Sinclair explained: “Education is what got us into this mess - and education will get us out - the use of education at least in terms of residential schools - is the key to reconciliation.”

We are deeply grateful that The Honourable Sinclair made time to serve as an advisor to Lakehead University, guiding us in our work to improve our strategic priorities, our Indigenous relationships, and our university.

He addressed our community several times, visited with our faculty and students, delivered important lectures, led discussions at Lakehead’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, and was present at the 2016 convocation ceremony for the very first graduates of our Faculty of Law, which has a mandate to teach Aboriginal and Indigenous law.

In 2021, Lakehead awarded The Honourable Sinclair an honorary Doctor of Laws. On this occasion, our students had the privilege of hearing his thoughts on how to embark on their path forward.

“One of the great challenges that we face as human beings growing up is to understand what our purpose in life is,” he said, “but in order to accomplish our purpose, we have to be unafraid to seek it out and to attain it.”

This was a challenge he himself rose to and, in the process, helped transform Canada as a nation.

His historic achievements earned him innumerable awards, accolades, and honours including two National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now the Indspire Awards), a Meritorious Service Cross for his service on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Peace from the Gandhi Foundation. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2022 and a Member of the Order of Manitoba in 2024.

After retiring as a senator and returning to his law practice in 2021, he continued to have strong ties with northwestern Ontario. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has noted that “Over the years, he has taken time to engage with NAN youth and facilitated opportunities for them to develop relationships with the Government of Canada.”

As we pay our respects, may we commit - each of us - to honouring his memory through action and change. Flags at both campuses will be lowered until Nov. 14, 2024. 

The family of The Honourable Murray Sinclair has announced that “for those who wish to pay their respects, a sacred fire to help guide Mazina Giizhik’s spirit home has been lit outside the Manitoba Legislative Building. The family continues to welcome everyone to visit his sacred fire to make an offering of tobacco and send him your best wishes.”

Click here for details about a public memorial service and a public visitation that will be held in Winnipeg.

If you’d like to honour and continue the work of this champion for human rights and reconciliation, please make a donation to The Murray Sinclair Memorial Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation.

For department highlights, student and faculty success stories, and information about our programs, check out:
https://mailchi.mp/1680de94911c/newsletter-fall-term-2024-success-storie...