Jumpstart Charities Breaks Down Barriers for Lakehead’s Achievement Program

The Achievement Program has received $47,000 in total gift contributions from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. This critical support is directly removing financial and physical barriers for youth across Northern Ontario–outfitting elementary students with new athletic footwear and funding essential summer camp experiences both on campus and in regional communities.

The Achievement Program addresses a deep, systemic need in Northern Ontario by combining mentorship, physical activity, academic exposure, and financial support. For many youth, physical activity is the first gateway to feeling confident on a university campus. By providing appropriate footwear, this allows students to participate in active learning and sport throughout the school year.

Stepping Forward Without Barriers

To solve this challenge, Jumpstart provided a $27,000 gift in November 2025 specifically designated to purchase brand-new running shoes for all 350 elementary-aged Achievement Program students. With the help of corporate family support from Sportchek, and working closely with superintendents and principals across six partner school boards, Amanda Stefanile, Achievement Program Manager, and Morgan Hill, Achievement Program Liaison Officer, were able to coordinate sizing, tracking and distribution of the shoes to students at their schools.

Shawnda Norlock, Superintendent of Education, Keewatin-Patricia District School Board explains, “Having proper footwear is essential for active learning. For many of our Achievement Program students, new, properly fitting shoes will directly remove a barrier to participation, supporting their physical wellness and overall equity within the school environment.”

The impact was felt immediately by families and children across the region:

“Chi-miigwetch for investing in our youth and for the care and compassion you show families in our community. Your support is felt and deeply appreciated.” - Achievement Program Parent

“Thank you Jumpstart for the opportunity of getting and being a part of getting new shoes. YAY!” - Jaxxon, Achievement Program Student

“My child is hard on his shoes and is growing quickly, this is one less thing to worry about!” - Achievement Program Parent

Fueling Summer Camps and Regional Reach

Building on this momentum, Jumpstart contributed an additional $20,000 gift in April 2026 to directly fund summer camp programming. Summer programming plays a central role in keeping students engaged year-round:

• Thunder Bay On-Campus Camps: Two one-week camps for students in grades 5–8 feature swimming, multi-sport activities (soccer, basketball, dodgeball, badminton), campus visits, and most importantly, healthy snacks and nutritious meals.
• Family Fun Day: Every summer camp wraps up with a family celebration on campus where students can participate in various activities and crafts together, also offering refreshments and free transportation so parents and caregivers feel welcomed into the Lakehead community.
• High School Leadership Series: A three-day workshop series focusing on recreational activities paired with leadership building, communication, career planning, and post-secondary pathway exploration.
• Expanded Regional Outreach: A dedicated two-day program hosted in Dryden designed specifically to support youth from Dryden, Kenora, and Sioux Lookout in partnership with local schools.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart funds cover essential operational costs, including meals, staffing, and free transportation for participants.

A Track Record of Lasting Community Impact

The Achievement Program primarily serves Indigenous (approximately 70%) and equity-deserving youth from Northwestern Ontario who face geographic challenges, financial pressures, and limited opportunities for recreational activities. Enrolled starting in grade 4, students remain in the program through grade 12, accruing financial support toward their university education by fulfilling annual school, community, and campus requirements.

Impact at a Glance

Current Reach: 500 youth across 47 schools and six school boards (expanding to 600 participants by 2026/27).

High School Graduation Rate: 95% of Achievement Program participants have graduated from high school since 2011 compared with a 2023 regional graduation rate of 63% for First Nations youth and 91% for non-Indigenous youth.

Post-Secondary Pathways: 65% of Achievement Program graduates are pursuing post-secondary education at Lakehead University or other colleges and universities, and the remaining 35% are employed or seeking other opportunities.

Cycle of Leadership: approximately 50% of enrolled/graduated students are employed as staff within the Achievement Program, giving back to the next generation.

By graduation, participants can earn up to their entire first year of tuition at Lakehead University. In 2025, the program celebrated its first two university graduates. Through sustained donor support from partners like Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, Lakehead continues to prove that with the right access, equipment, and encouragement, the path to higher education is achievable for every student.

On Friday, Aug. 21, Achievement Program participants, donors, and community supporters will come together to celebrate the impact of the program and the opportunities it creates for youth. Through hands-on activities, personal stories, and shared experiences, guests will see firsthand how the program is helping participants build confidence, develop new skills, and envision a brighter future. The celebration will also mark an exciting new chapter for the Achievement Program, including a major gift announcement and the launch of a renewed fundraising effort to sustain and expand its impact for years to come.

We are deeply grateful to the donors who have helped make the Achievement Program’s impact possible. As the program grows, so does the need for its support. With continued and additional investment, we can provide essential opportunities and supports to students and their families throughout the school year and summer- helping them stay connected, active, engaged, and inspired year-round.

If you would like to give in support of the Achievement Program, you can visit: https://ec.lakeheadu.ca/giving/fund-project

PhD Candidate Omotunde Adeniran is Developing an Ingenious Solution

"Cities revolve around transportation," says civil engineering PhD candidate Omotunde Adeniran.

For the past few years, Omotunde—under his supervisors Dr. Juan Pernia and Dr. Sam Salem—has been applying his engineering skills to make traffic roundabouts safer for all community members.

It's become a pressing issue as roundabouts become more common in North America.

"Municipalities are embracing them because they ease traffic congestion and reduce severe vehicular collisions," Omotunde says.

They're also cheaper than traffic lights over the long term since they don't require as much electricity or infrastructure maintenance.

Coming Full Circle

Surprisingly, Omotunde wanted to avoid a civil engineering career when he was younger.

He grew up in Nigeria where his elder brother and several family members were civil engineers.
Wanting to do something different, Omotunde studied engineering physics before deciding that he wanted to be a pilot. This led him to a logistics and technical support job with a British Columbia-based helicopter company with a subsidiary in Nigeria.

Omotunde learned to fly small single-engine planes and earned a Private Pilot Licence. While working at the Lakeside meat-packing plant in Brooks, Alberta, he liked to go flying with a friend who owned a Cessna plane. At the plant, Omotunde was responsible for food inspection and quality control. Then, for three-and-half years, he was on the crew that cleaned the plant. "I took college and university courses from about 9 am to 4 pm and then worked from 4 pm to midnight and, later, the graveyard shift, so that I could upgrade my education," he says.

He eventually moved to Canada and went back to school after spending several years working in demanding jobs, including one at a meat-packing plant in Brooks, Alberta.

"While taking general engineering courses at the University of Calgary, I realized that civil engineering came naturally to me and that I wanted to do something practical," he says.

He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Lakehead and is now in finishing his PhD studies.

City Streets Should Be Safe for Everyone

Despite the many advantages of roundabouts, they sometimes present challenges for people with vision loss.

In Ontario, drivers are required to yield to pedestrians at designated roundabout crosswalks. Some roundabouts also have rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), which pedestrians can activate by pressing a button to signal to drivers that they want to cross.

Even so, a small percentage of drivers don't stop for pedestrians.

"This can be dangerous for kids, the elderly, and people with vision loss," Omotunde says. "If cars don't stop, pedestrians have to wait for another opportunity to cross."

Omotunde’s sensor-based system uses a signal from a camera to alert pedestrians to oncoming vehicles via a loudspeaker. “When activated, the system says: ‘Gap detected, use caution’ or ‘Vehicle approaching,’” he explains. “As an engineer, you always want the simplest option.” Photo Credit: City of Thunder Bay

Even when additional safety measures have been incorporated into roundabouts—such as tactile walking surface indicators and pedestrian refuge islands—people are still vulnerable.

"None of these measures indicate if drivers are yielding to pedestrians or give them a real-time assessment of how long they have to cross a roundabout road," Omotunde says.

Omotunde started a community newsletter called The Integrand News: Keeping You in the equation! while living in Brooks, Alberta. “I wanted both the non-immigrant and the immigrant communities to see all the good things that were happening in Brooks,” he says. He also joined charitable and service organizations, including Rotary International, where he met educator Dr. Lyle Hamm who encouraged him to go back to university.

Concern about this situation prompted the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to reach out to Dr. Pernia.

"They wanted to know if it was possible to launch a nation-wide study investigating how to make roundabouts safer for people with vision loss," Omotunde says.

"We decided to begin the study at Thunder Bay's Edward Street and Redwood Avenue roundabout because the City of Thunder Bay was willing to support our research."

Omotunde's master's research focused on testing rumble strips that vibrated and made a 'tak tak' sound as cars drove over them, alerting pedestrians to their presence.

Although somewhat successful, this mechanical model had some flaws—including not being sufficiently audible if cars were rolling or travelling at extremely low speeds—that made it unable to completely resolve the concerns of people with vision loss.

A Rising Star in Transportation Safety

For his PhD research, Omotunde switched his attention to developing a sensor-based system that uses computer vision to detect approaching vehicles.

He's now built an impressive prototype that merges AI, coordinate mapping, and Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) to process camera images taken at roundabouts.

Omotunde won first place in the 2026 Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP) Student Paper Competition for his paper, "Field Testing of an Infrastructure-Mounted Sensor-Based Accessibility System for Unsignalized Roundabouts." Professionals from multiple countries who attended the CARSP conference were eager to learn more about Omotunde's concept. "I'm happy to be an ambassador for Lakehead and thankful for the support of my PhD thesis supervisors," he says.

Once triggered, Omotunde's system estimates vehicle time-to-arrival at a roundabout, computes estimated pedestrian crossing time, and uses a loudspeaker to let pedestrians know when there is a gap in traffic.

He's already conducted technical and field testing of the system and will be running a trial with CNIB volunteers at the Thunder Bay roundabout this summer.

"My work has broad applications," he says. "It could potentially help people with mobility issues and people distracted by their cellphones, as well as people with vision loss."

"We can't change the behaviour of drivers," Omotunde adds, "but we can give pedestrians more information to keep them safer."

Thank you to the City of Thunder Bay and Pioneer Construction for providing equipment, staff assistance, and access to the Edward Street/Redwood Avenue roundabout and its infrastructure.

Omotunde also thanks the multiple volunteers who helped make this research possible, including the CNIB, as well as Oasis Family Dental and Janzen Pharmacy who kindly provided access to their power outlets.

This research project directly aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, #10: Reduced Inequalities, and #11: Sustainable Cities + Communities.

The Research and Innovation Bulletin is distributed weekly every Tuesday by the Office of Research Services and includes information on research funding opportunities, events and workshops and updates from our funding partners.

Check out the latest version of our Bulletin by clicking here.

The myAwards Portal is open from August 15 to October 15 for undergraduate students. This year, Student Awards and Financial Aid is running a contest to "win free textbooks for a semester" (value is $500). Two prizes are up for grabs - one for Orillia and Barrie and one for Thunder Bay!

https://lakeheadu.academicworks.ca/

Ghana Forestry Professionals Wowed by Hands-On Learning Experiences

"The summer has been a whirlwind," says Dr. Mathew Leitch, a professor of wood sciences at the Faculty of Natural Resources Management.

Throughout June, he hosted and trained forestry professionals from Ghana committed to making their forest industry more sustainable and profitable. 

"We get thousands of products from trees including mass timber products, phenols, formaldehyde, flocculants, and cellulose fibres that are so strong they're used to create bullet-proof flak jackets," Dr. Leitch says. Above, participants visit the Hurkett Biohub facility with Scott Rubin and his team at Lake Nipigon Forest Management to look at the facility's biochar location, merchandising yard, and other wood value-adding initiatives.

It took over a year to organize the month-long "Workshop in Wood Science and Forest Products," which was hosted on Lakehead University and Confederation College's Thunder Bay campuses.

The session was the first of three customized training workshops that are part of Lakehead's five-year "Best Practices in Sustainable Natural Resources Management" project.

Dr. Leitch received a Global Affairs Canada grant worth nearly $570,000—through the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI 2030) program—to run the project.

It includes funding for the workshops and visiting researchers as well as scholarships for master's degree students.

Forging Bridges Across Continents

BCDI scholarships—which are open to small island developing states and 26 Francophonie and Commonwealth countries—harness the power of education to strengthen economic and social development.

Dr. Leitch's BCDI 2030 grant will enable him to continue training Ghanaian forestry professionals at Lakehead. In 2027, he will host a remote sensing and geomatic workshop and, in 2028, he will host an ecological studies workshop. The workshops are part of a customized training approach to address skill development needs identified by the Government of Ghana. Above, the BCDI participants celebrate completing the workshops.

"Many women in Ghana live in extreme poverty, so one of the goals of my program is to bring more women into the workforce so that they're economically independent," Dr. Leitch explains.

Over the course of Lakehead's project, an estimated 35 professionals and students will receive advanced training in natural resources management.

The resulting network of professionals within Ghana will share their knowledge and skills with their students and colleagues.

A Land of Colossal Trees, Elephants, and Cocoa Plantations

Ghana is a West African country known for its diverse ecosystems.

The southern region—where Dr. Leitch has forged many longstanding partnerships—has tropical rainforests with more than 200 species of hardwood trees.

"The main trees harvested for commercial purposes are African mahogany, iroko, sapele, utile, and teak," he says. "Ghana's trees grow impressively fast," he adds. "In 40 years, African mahogany grows to 4-8 feet in diameter."

Above, a participant practices using a portable mill at Dr. Leitch's campus facility. "Everyone learned how to run the mill and cut wood because these types of mills are readily available in Ghana," Dr. Leitch says. The BCDI grant funded the participants' costs of attending the workshops.

Ghanaians use their forests primarily as sources of lumber, plywood, and charcoal.

"Ghana is the second biggest charcoal producer in the world," says Dr. Leitch, who shared strategies for more efficiently producing charcoal with the visiting professionals and students.

From Tree Farms to Sawmills and Everything in Between

The workshop participants arrived at Lakehead for training in remote sensing, geomatics, wood science, property mapping, and ecological monitoring.

Wood science is a multifaceted discipline that studies the properties of wood species and how they can be used. Above, one of the participants prepares a sample in Dr. Leitch's Wood Science Testing Laboratory.

Dr. Leitch welcomed faculty, staff, and PhD students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University for Development Studies, the University of Energy and Natural Resources, and CSIR-College of Science and Technology.

There were also scientists and staff from the CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana and Lakehead University Master of Science in Forestry students.

"We looked at everything from high-value forest products like engineered wood used in housing construction to low-value products like wood pellets used for heating and barbecues," Dr. Leitch says.

Northwestern Ontario is a Forestry Innovator

All the workshop participants found their time at Lakehead to be worth the long journey.

"They wanted to learn everything they could about our approaches to forest management," Dr. Leitch says.

The participants enjoyed field visits to tree farms, biomass facilities, sawmills, and pulp and paper mills. Another highlight was seeing Lakehead's state-of-the-art research facilities and testing equipment in action.

A tour of Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper, led by Fibre and Logistics Manager Mike Furniss, provided insight into how wood is processed into pulp, energy production from boilers, waste use, and the production of value-added chemicals. Dr. Mat Leitch is pictured on the far right.

"We showed them how we use silviculture to grow, manage, and manipulate the properties of trees and bring products to market," he says.

"I could see their wheels spinning. Even before the workshops were over, they were writing up draft plans to implement when they got back home."

Dr. Leitch greatly enjoyed his time at the workshops, too.

"Ghanaians are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The participants were so gracious and appreciative that they were selected for this prestigious program.

They are eager for anything that will help them move forward as a country."

Lakehead gratefully acknowledges the nearly $570,000 Global Affairs Canada grant that made The Best Practices in Sustainable Natural Resources Management (BPSNRM) project possible.

Thank you to Confederation College and the following government and industry partners in Ghana, including: the Forestry Commission of Ghana, The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research — Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (CSIR-FORIG), Samartex Timber and Plywood Company, and the Charcoal Chamber of Commerce.

Lakehead would also like to thank the following partner higher education institutions: CSIR College of Science and Technology (CCST), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Development Studies (UDS), the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), and the University of Ghana-Legon.

A Lakehead Barrie STEM Hub researcher, in partnership with the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), is transforming how Simcoe County detects and responds to environmental health threats, starting with airborne allergens.

Dr. Thiago E. Alves de Oliveira, associate professor of computer science and assistant dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, has been awarded $248,750 from the New Frontiers in Research Fund’s (NFRF) Exploration stream to create a real-time, autonomous allergen-detection system using machine learning.

A High-Tech Approach to Tracking Airborne Allergens

Dr. de Oliveira— along with Geography and Environmental Sustainability Professor Dr. Florin Pendea and Psychology Professor Dr. Sila Demir— will work closely with Barrie’s RVH to develop an AI-driven sensing network that can instantly and precisely detect, count, and classify pollen particles and determine their allergenic potential.

“Our network has the capacity to enhance quality of life, support public health responses, and strengthen community resilience against environmental and biological risks,” says Dr. de Oliveira.

Collection tapes will capture airborne pollen particles, often invisible to regular microscopes, which will be automatically analyzed by ‘super-resolution’ robotic microscopes.

The platform will also track environmental data including air pressure, temperature, humidity, and particulate matter.

“This will provide a complete, real-time picture of what types of pollen are in the air we breathe,” explains Dr. de Oliveira.

Putting Real-Time Data into Allergy Sufferers’ Hands

Getting information to people will be the most important part.

The interdisciplinary research team will develop an AI-driven app to take the “raw data” and translate it into clear, actionable messages for users.

Users can log their allergy symptoms and will receive personalized health alerts when allergen exposure is high.

This will help them make informed decisions about their health and stop an allergy attack before it happens.

As a partner on the project, RVH is eager to see this next-gen health innovation deliver tangible benefits for the region.

“Environmental conditions can have a real impact on health, particularly for people living with allergies, asthma, respiratory disease, or other chronic conditions,” says Dr. Jesse McLean, RVH director, research and innovation and grant co-applicant.

“This exciting project will help us explore how real-time data can support better day-to-day decisions for individuals, while helping healthcare providers in our region anticipate and respond to emerging community health needs.”

While the project’s initial focus is on allergy management, the network will provide a foundation to monitor a wide range of environmental health risks, including airborne pathogens and harmful pollutants.

“By combining computer science, environmental science, healthcare, and psychology in ways that have not been tried before, this cross-disciplinary project will help individuals better manage their health through technology,” says Dr. Langis Roy, Lakehead vice-president, research and innovation.

“This is exactly the ‘out of the box’ thinking the NFRF program is designed for and that will help Lakehead develop game-changing solutions for health and well-being across the regions we serve.”

Connecting Young People With the Right Care

The Help in Hand initiative is part of Dr. Aislin Mushquash's (pictured) broader research program focused on helping young people thrive in an increasingly digitally connected world.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – For youth in northwestern Ontario, timely access to mental health care is a significant challenge. To fill this service gap, researchers at Lakehead University are launching the Help in Hand initiative in partnership with community mental health agencies and School Mental Health Ontario. 

With a $2 million investment from Health Canada's Youth Mental Health Fund, the initiative expands access to youth mental health supports in schools across northwestern Ontario. Help in Hand will bring digital mental health tools directly into schools—where young people spend much of their time—and create stronger links to additional care when it is needed. 

Led by Dr. Aislin Mushquash, a clinical psychologist and Lakehead’s Research Chair in Youth Mental Health, the initiative is part of her broader research program focused on helping young people thrive in an increasingly digitally connected world. Designed to complement, not replace, existing mental health services, Help in Hand adds another layer of support to help young people connect with the right level of care based on their current needs.

“I’ve worked as a clinical psychologist in our community for 13 years and have seen how young people often face unique barriers to accessing support,” said Dr. Mushquash. “Help in Hand is about providing practical, evidence-based tools while strengthening links to the broader mental health system. Our hope is that this initiative will lead to a better understanding of the impact of digital spaces and technologies on youth mental health.”

Recognizing that educators are often the first point of contact when youth experience challenges, Help in Hand will provide school communities with specialized training and resources to navigate the evolving digital mental health landscape, find high-quality tools, and measure their impact. Participating students will have access to JoyPop, a research-backed app that helps youth strengthen their emotion regulation skills and improve overall well-being.

Dr. Mushquash and her research team are working closely with a network of community partners, including Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Children’s Centre Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, School Mental Health Ontario, and McGill University’s Ludic Mind Studio, to improve the effectiveness, timeliness, and cultural appropriateness of integrated mental health care for youth and their support systems.

Help in Hand will directly benefit youth, families, and schools across the region, while the knowledge generated will help inform how education and healthcare systems make decisions about the integration of digital technologies nationwide.

Quotes 

“Community organizations, like Lakehead University, are key to strengthening youth mental health because they understand the needs and realities of young people in their communities, especially those facing the greatest barriers to care. Through Health Canada’s Youth Mental Health Fund, our government is helping young people access mental health care where they feel safe and supported. Supporting young Canadians today means building a Canada strong for generations to come.”

The Honourable Marjorie Michel
Minister of Health, Government of Canada

"When young people have access to the right supports at the right time, they are better able to thrive at school, at home, and in their communities. The Help in Hand initiative reflects the innovation and collaboration that Northwestern Ontario is known for, bringing together educators, researchers, and community organizations to improve access to mental health supports for youth. I'm proud to see partners across our region leading this important work."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Member of Parliament – Thunder Bay Superior North
Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor), Government of Canada

“The Help in Hand program demonstrates Lakehead University’s commitment to social responsibility in interactive online systems and the mobilization of research into real-world solutions that directly serve the needs of our community. By expanding mental health support within our local educational framework, Lakehead continues to lead in research that fosters thriving, resilient communities.”

Dr. Langis Roy
Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Lakehead University

“The Help in Hand project is an important step forward in improving access to mental health supports for youth across Northwestern Ontario. By increasing digital mental health literacy, providing evidence-informed tools, and strengthening pathways to care, the project will help youth and families find support sooner and more easily. Dilico is proud to partner in this work and to help ensure that Indigenous youth and their caregivers have access to resources and services that support wellness, resilience, and positive mental health outcomes.”

John Dixon
Director of Substance Health and Special Projects, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care

“Helping young people thrive means ensuring they have access to evidence-informed mental health supports that reflect the realities of their lives today. The Help in Hand initiative brings together digital mental health literacy, practical supports, and strong partnerships with schools to help students, educators, and families build confidence and wellbeing. We are excited to partner on this important work and help bring it to school communities across Ontario.”

Dr. Kathy Short
Executive Director, School Mental Health Ontario

Engineering Practical Solutions to Protect Our Environment and Our Communities

Dr. Sam Salem from the Department of Civil Engineering and Dr. Seung-Il Lee from the Faculty of Natural Resources Management have received Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to develop innovative solutions to critical engineering and environmental issues. Theirs are among 15 Lakehead University projects receiving a total of over $2.7 million in funding from NSERC.

“Lakehead researchers are at the forefront of tackling the urgent challenges facing our region, from escalating wildfires to the broader impacts of climate change,” Vice-President, Research and Innovation Dr. Langis Roy says. “This vital NSERC funding will lead to practical solutions that will protect both our environment and our communities while training the next generation of scientists and engineers.”

Setting a Global Standard for Mass Timber Fire Safety

Building on over a decade of cutting-edge research at the Lakehead University Fire Testing and Research Laboratory (LUFTRL), which he founded, Dr. Salem and his research team are improving the safe and widespread use of engineered wood products— called mass timber— in construction.

Despite mass timber’s growing popularity as a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete, the construction industry lacks proven standards for inspecting, assessing, and repairing these buildings after a fire.

Various full-size mass timber building elements, such as beams, columns, and slabs, will be put through intense fire testing. The burned materials will then be analyzed and assessed to determine exactly how fire affects them using rigorous char-layer analysis before applying innovative repair and retrofitting techniques. The outcomes of this research program will help the construction industry accurately assess structural safety after a fire and choose the most reliable, cost-effective ways to repair or rebuild.

“This research will improve public safety, influence building codes, and support the sustainable use of mass timber in high-rise constructions,” says Dr. Salem, the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Researcher Award for his contributions to structural fire engineering.

This practical research program positions LUFTRL as a global leader in structural fire engineering, shaping best practices and standards for the mass timber industry in Canada and beyond.

Protecting Creepy-Crawlers in Northwestern Ontario’s Forests

Land-dwelling arthropods (insects, spiders, and other “creepy-crawlers”) make up nearly 70% of all forest species. Highly sensitive to their environment, they serve as an early-warning system for forests facing climate change and industrial logging.

Three student-led projects under the supervision of Dr. Lee will foster sustainable ecosystem management and the conservation of arthropods in northwestern Ontario’s forests.

The first student-led project investigates how jack pine logging affects forest biodiversity. Researchers will determine how much wood debris loggers need to leave behind on the forest floor to allow ground-dwelling and wood-dependent insects to recover from the impacts of logging.

Study two will provide northwestern Ontario with its first in-depth assessment of regional insect biodiversity. The project examines how different levels of commercial thinning in black spruce forests affect local spider and insect populations.

Using mesh screens to block insects from specific wood samples, the third research team will determine whether insects or microbes— like fungi and bacteria— do the heavy lifting of breaking down dead wood in managed versus wild forests.

“Together, these projects will provide valuable insights to enhance the management and conservation of Canada’s forest ecosystems and biodiversity,” Dr. Lee says.

In 2025-26, Lakehead University received $2.8 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which include costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.

Funding Recipients

Lakehead University received a total of $2,702,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The following Lakehead researchers have received grants:

Discovery Grants (five-year grants)

Dr. Abedalrhman Alkhateeb, Department of Computer Science, "Self-aligned, Causal, and Actionable Multimodal AI Framework for Complex Biomedical Data", $192,500.

Dr. Liang Cui, Department of Civil Engineering, "Multiaxial Mechanical Behavior of Exposed Cemented Paste Backfill under Multiphysics Curing Conditions", $215,000.

Dr. Gautam Das, Department of Physics, "Investigation into photonic devices and their applications in sensing trace chemicals and gases", $180,000.

Dr. Peter Hollings, Department of Geology, "Magmatic evolution and mineralization of the Midcontinent Rift, Ontario", $200,000.

Dr. Seung-Il Lee, Faculty of Natural Resources Management, "Linking forest management intensity to arthropod biodiversity recovery and ecosystem function", $222,500.

Dr. Osama (Sam) Salem, Department of Civil Engineering, "Innovative Techniques for Post-Fire Assessment and Structural Rehabilitation of Mass Timber Buildings", $215,000.

Dr. Tobias Stephan, Department of Geology, "Kinematics and Strain Geometry of Archean Tectonics – A New Tool for Predicting Gold Mineralization in the Canadian Shield", $187,500.

Dr. Abdelhamid Tayebi, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Towards Fully Autonomous Navigation: Robust Estimation and Control Strategies", $260,000.

Dr. Wilson Quansheng Wang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, "Intelligent Diagnostics and Prognostics of EV Drive Systems", $235,000.

Dr. Qiang Wei, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Power Converter Topologies and Controls for High-Power Medium-Voltage Battery Energy Storage Systems", $235,000.

Dr. Kaiyu Wu, Department of Computer Science, "Space Efficient Graph Data Structures", $192,500.

Dr. Yushi Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Scalable On-Chip Low-Dropout Regulators Architectures for Edge Artificial Intelligence System on Chips", $235,000.

Discovery Development Grants (two-year grant)

Dr. Jinqiang Hou, Department of Chemistry, "Integrated Chemical-Digital Technologies for Targeted Molecular Probes in Biological Regulation and Imaging", $44,000.

Dr. Eltayeb Mohamedelhassan, Department of Civil Engineering, "Solar-electrokinetic in-situ leaching for sustainable critical minerals extraction", $44,000.

Dr. Douglas Morris, Department of Biology, "Evolutionary ecology of habitat selection", $44,000.

Jane Antoniak joins Lakehead University as Associate Vice-President, Communications and Marketing and takes on leadership of the Communications and Media Relations, Marketing Support, and Web Development portfolios. A proud Northener, Jane is excited to return to her hometown of Thunder Bay.

A respected communications leader and educator, Jane’s career is marked by a deep commitment to advancing the field of public relations and communications management. She is the owner of a private communications consultancy and currently serves as the President of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Board of Directors. Jane brings significant experience in institutional communications, notably her tenure as Director of Communications and Media Relations at King’s University College at Western University. She began her career as a national journalist working across television, print, and digital media.

Jane’s commitment to professional development and education is reflected in her work as an instructor at Fanshawe College and McMaster University, where she taught strategic public relations within their post-graduate programs and helped prepare the next generation of communications professionals. In addition, she has a Master of Communications Management degree from McMaster University/Syracuse University, and is Accredited in Public Relations (APR).

Her genuine enthusiasm for engaging with community makes her exceptionally well-suited to the role, positioning her to build strong relationships that will advance Lakehead's reputation and deepen its impact across our regions. An active volunteer, Jane has served as a board member at London’s Boler Mountain, a past board member with CPRS Hamilton (Accreditation Chair), and a life-member of the Optimist Club. In 2025, she volunteered in Thunder Bay at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling championships in the youth engagement program.

Jane believes strongly in the mission, vision and values of Lakehead University and looks forward to being part of Lakehead’s continued growth and success.

Her first day at Lakehead will be Monday, August 24.

The Crossfade Program Turns High School Students into Filmmakers

"Film is about illusion and a filmmaker is a kind of magician," says Media, Film and Communications Assistant Professor, Neven Lochhead.

The cinematic world is one that Dr. Lochhead knows intimately.

He's an accomplished media artist and filmmaker who joined Lakehead in September 2025 to teach students in the Media, Film and Communications (MFAC) program on the Orillia campus.

"Mentoring emerging filmmakers is a thrilling adventure as an educator," he says. "I'm surprised every time I assign my students a project."

Dr. Lochhead is an artist-filmmaker, curator, and educator. He says he fell in love with filmmaking because it's so elastic and capacious. "I can fit music, text, art and architecture into film and have things collide in unexpected ways," he says. "I also love narrative storytelling, of course, especially French New Wave cinema."

Recently, Dr. Lochhead has been extending the magic of film beyond the university campus.

Since winter 2026, he has been teaching a series of workshops—called Crossfade—that introduce high school students to sound design, filmmaking, and interactive storytelling.

"Crossfade is a term used in radio broadcasting," he explains. "It refers to the moment of overlap between songs when you bring down one song and bring up another. In film, it signifies the transition between two scenes or two time periods."

The program is offered through Lakehead's Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) with support from the City of Orillia.

Crossfade is also part of the Ontario Ministry of Education's SHSM program and helps fulfil the requirements of the Arts & Culture Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM). SHSM specializations provide young people with experience in different economic sectors and are recognized on their high school diplomas and transcripts.

High school students who completed Crossfade in winter 2026 had their productions displayed alongside the works of Lakehead MFAC students in the annual Media Arts Showcase (above), which was held at the Orillia Museum of Art and History." Jeff Cole, a wonderful teacher at the Patrick Fogarty High School, approached me about offering a film workshop for his media students, which led to the birth of Crossfade," Dr. Lochhead says. "I'm also grateful to CELL Director Nicky Locker for her work getting Crossfade designated as a Specialist High Skills Major."

"Demystifying spaces of higher education and giving students a taste of Lakehead life are two other important goals of Crossfade," Dr. Lochhead says. "The workshops take place on the Lakehead Orillia campus and students eat lunch together in the university cafeteria."

There's yet another advantage for Crossfade participants who may later apply to Lakehead's MFAC program. They can accelerate their admission route to MFAC by submitting their Crossfade projects for consideration instead of a standard filmwork portfolio.

Pick a Card, Any Card

Dr. Lochhead takes an inventive approach to teaching filmmaking.

"I listen to students, challenge them, and encourage them to take risks with their ideas," he says.

After discussing filmmaking principles and techniques, Dr. Lochhead pulls out a deck of custom-made cards.

"In collaboration with an educator at the Edinburgh College of Art, Neil Mulholland, I have been exploring how the randomness of decks of cards can be used to jumpstart the creative process," he says.

Each deck is tailored to different aspects of filmmaking to activate playful workshop environments.

In Dr. Lochhead's cinematography workshops, for example, students drew from his Ciné-Magic Card Deck, which has cards featuring camera shots, angles, moods, and motivations.

Dr. Lochhead's decks of cards lead to unexpected juxtapositions. "The Jootsy! deck is my favourite because it's more speculative. It stands for Jump Out of The System, and it prompts students to develop a parallel-narrative map and connect multiple storylines into a playful, shared, and interactive project."

"A deck functions like a recipe book. Students have to figure out what they can make by combining disparate ingredients. By bringing chance and rules into filmmaking, it becomes a game of problem-solving."

After students deal and choose their cards, they work together in small teams.

"The workshops become a flurry of collaboration where students will produce short works anywhere between 30 seconds to 4 minutes in length," Dr. Lochhead says.

This is crucial because every film and media production requires a troupe of people working together, making the ability to collaborate an essential skill in the field.

"The projects that emerge from the workshop are always full of energy, and there are lots of laughs," he adds. "One group used a birdhouse to film a story about an alien abduction."

From Babbling Brooks to Screeching Traffic

The most recent Crossfade workshops immersed students in the medium of sound art during an intensive three-day program called Sonic Imagination.

"The students went out and collected sounds and then assembled them into audio collages that evoke specific moods and feelings," Dr. Lochhead says.

Any sound imaginable can be incorporated into sound art, whether it's a barking dog or the wind in the trees. Unlike music, it isn't driven by harmonic structures or musical scales, offering sound artists great freedom. Above, a student records sounds.

"Audio collages are playful and they encourage students to be open and curious about the world around them, where music can be found anywhere," he says.

Dr. Lochhead hopes to run a Crossfade series focused on interactive storytelling this fall, giving more Simcoe County students the opportunity to become the next Ken Burns or Sofia Coppola, or to break the mould entirely as they pursue their own unique vision.

Check out this piece of sound art created by Crossfade students called Cosmic Storm.

Click here for information about Crossfade and upcoming workshops.