Something transformative is coming to Thunder Bay, and you are invited to experience it.

TEDxLakeheadU 2026: G.R.O.W.T.H is officially happening on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 at The Outpost, Lakehead University.

 The Outpost, Lakehead University  
955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1

 Mark Your Calendars: Saturday, May 23rd, 2026  
 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT

This is more than a conference.  
It is a full-day experience bringing together bold ideas, inspiring people, and powerful conversations.

 What attendees can expect:

• 7 inspiring TEDx speakers  
• 2 interactive workshops  
• Live performances and panel discussions  
• Networking opportunities  
• Catered lunch + refreshments  
• Exclusive TEDxLakeheadU gift bags

 Digital Ticket Information

General Admission: $65

Student Admission: $40  
Students will be required to provide a valid student ID at the door for verification and a current institutional email address while checking out online.

 Limited capacity release — secure your spot early!

Whether you are passionate about innovation, storytelling, leadership, creativity, or community impact, TEDxLakeheadU 2026 is for you.

Join us as we explore the theme of G.R.O.W.T.H and spark ideas that inspire change.

Secure your spot today:  
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/tedx-lakeheadu-2026-growth

The Thunder Bay campus' Community Garden plots are now available to rent!

• Plots are ~10x10ft
• $15 / plot for LU students
• $30 / plot for non-students
• Anyone can rent a plot, including community members and organizations

To reserve a plot:

1. Submit a Rental Agreement

• electronic to communitygarden@lakeheadu.ca and garden@lusu.ca
• paper to CASES 2004 F

2. Submit Payment (cash or cheque) to CASES 2004 F (Rachel Portinga, Sustainability Coordinator).

Due date for first plot assignments is May 22, 2026 - but there will likely be plots available after this date! Email communitygarden@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

The Active Commute Challenge is back June 1-30! It’s a great way to stay active, reduce your environmental impact, and have some fun.

A few quick things to know:

• Students, faculty, and staff can all join the Lakehead University team
• Register [http://www.tbayonthemove.ca] again this year — even if you’ve participated before.
• Early bird commutes logged in May are eligible for early bird prizes.
• Every trip where you replace a solo car ride counts—walk, bike, roll, or take transit.
• Be sure to log each trip separately for more chances to win!
• Prizes are up for grabs throughout the challenge.

Questions?
Feel free to reach out to Rachel Portinga, Sustainability Coordinator (rporting@lakeheadu.ca), or Mattia Rolli, LUSU Student Life and Facilities Coordinator (studentlife@lusu.ca).

This Gifted Scientist and Artist Loves Unlocking their Mysteries

A YouTube video changed Kate Solbakk's life.

"The 'Story of Stuff' documentary exposed society's cycle of buying stuff and throwing it away and then buying more stuff and throwing it away," explains Kate (HBASc'14).

"As I was becoming a young adult, I didn't want to participate in that destructive loop.

Plus, I've always loved nature. I spent my childhood catching frogs and minnows, so learning that the animals I loved were under threat made me want to protect them."

Kate grew up on a vegetable farm in Simcoe County, now she lives on a hobby farm with chickens outside the town of Drangedal in Norway.

A Young Environmentalist Finds Her Calling

Armed with this resolve, she joined the first group of students in Lakehead Orillia's Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environmental Sustainability program.

When this degree launched in 2010—the year Kate enrolled—it was the first of its kind in Canada.

"There were just six students, which made us feel like collaborators," she says. "The faculty were always asking what we thought of various aspects of the program."

"I became fascinated with the incredible diversity of protozoa," says Kate Solbakk (née Weel). "They play beneficial roles in many ecosystems including encouraging plant growth, promoting soil formation, and stimulating plants' defense mechanisms to protect them against disease. Artwork Credit: Kate Solbakk

It was through her Lakehead studies that Kate found her professional path.

She was hired as a work-study research assistant for a project led by environmental sustainability professors Dr. Sree Kurissery and Dr. Nanda Kanavillil.

Her job was to analyze microscopic organisms in Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.

"That's where I fell in love with protozoa—the charismatic megafauna of the single-celled world," Kate says. "They do all the things that animals do, but with just one cell."

An Adventure in Norway

The end of her third year at Lakehead marked another turning point for Kate.

It happened in Norway, where she'd travelled to visit her now-husband.

"While we were walking around a farmer's market at the Bygdøy Royal Farm in Oslo, I saw microscopes and a poster of protozoa in a display for the VitalAnalyse research company," she recalls.

VitalAnalyse studied how human activity affected microorganisms in agricultural soil. Their goal was to develop better fertilizers to feed the soil and prevent it from being depleted.

Kate became the only scientist in northern Europe doing microscopy to help farmers and researchers understand agricultural soil ecology.

"I asked if they needed help for the summer and they hired me as a field technician."

In September, she headed back to Lakehead to complete her degree but returned to Norway after graduation to build a career at VitalAnalyse.

Revealing an Invisible Universe

Kate spent much of the following years peering into a microscope, but in 2016, she embarked on a journey that took her in an unexpected direction.

She had begun creating illustrations of protozoa to help bring attention to VitalAnalyse's public outreach efforts.

"There was a demand for illustrations because microscopy photos can be hard to understand. Images of the same creature look dramatically different in different lighting.

"My husband encouraged me to do microscopy illustrations when he found out that I could draw," Kate says. "He was also interested in digital art and had bought a stylus pad. To create my illustrations, I use a stylus to draw on the computer in a process similar to oil painting." Everything is hand drawn, there's no AI involved."

As a kid, Kate was constantly drawing, so illustration work allowed her to reconnect with this part of herself.

"People started telling me they loved my drawings," she says. "They'd say, 'Ooh, it looks like it's from outer space!'"

In 2019, Kate started her own company, called Mikroliv.

Initially, Mikroliv offered both soil testing for researchers and microscopy illustrations, but she soon shifted exclusively to illustration.

"My drawings have appeared in gardening books, research papers, presentations, and websites. People can buy them as art prints and schools sometimes use them."

The popularity of Kate’s illustrations led to an important commission to create soil life illustrations for the Levende Matjord (living soil) research project. After finishing the commission, Kate continued to create drawings and eventually expanded her subject matter to include pond life. Above, Kate at an exhibition of her illustrations. Artwork Credit: Kate Solbakk

Immersing Videogamers in the Micro World

Videogaming has always been a huge part of Kate's life. Now it's become the latest way for her to merge the worlds of art and science.

She's been developing Cellscape—a fun arcade-style survival game—which she hopes to release in late 2026.

Developing the Cellscape videogame has tapped into Kate's imaginative powers. "You play as a protozoa in a soil ecosystem where the creatures around you eat and divide depending upon who has eaten who," she says. Artwork Credit: Kate Solbakk

"It's the culmination of the last decade of my work," Kate says. "I want to make microbes more relatable and approachable."

Or in the words of Cellscape:

"Experience life as a microbe in a dynamic, living ecosystem. Hunt bacteria, dodge hazards and predators, and divide as many times as you can!"

Download a demo of Kate's Cellscape videogame and try it out for yourself.

Business Grad Rechal Parmar is Always Ready to Rise to a Challenge

Rechal Parmar, an Honours Bachelor of Commerce student, has been a formidable presence on campus since arriving at Lakehead Orillia four years ago.

During that time, she's evolved into a leader that fellow students can reach out to for support and encouragement.

"When I started my degree, I was more drawn to accounting, but I now plan to make human resources my major focus because I like to solve people-centric challenges," Rechal says.

"I've always loved community work, but hearing the phrase 'When your community grows, you grow,' gave me a new purpose!" she says.

"It became my motivation for doing more campus work and volunteering."

Rechal's diverse contributions have earned her the 2026 Lloyd Dennis Award for Outstanding Citizenship.

"Being recognized for what I've done for the Lakehead and Orillia communities really means a lot to me—it shows that I belong here and that I'm valued," she says.

"I'm always keen to collaborate and make a difference."

A Natural Entrepreneur

For Rechal, coming to Lakehead presented a steep learning curve.

"English is my second language and I'm from a small town in India where the culture is very different from Canada's," she explains.

Rechal with her parents and her brother. Rechal's parents were a big influence on her decision to earn an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Despite these seismic changes, Rechal found her footing with the help of a Lakehead International (LUI) peer mentor.

"My mentor really had an impact on me," she says. "She made me feel at home."

With her growing confidence, Rechal joined Enactus Lakehead—part of a global network of Enactus clubs that empower youth leaders to create positive change through entrepreneurship.

"Enactus allows college and university entrepreneurs to pitch their business proposals to companies," she says.

As co-president of the Lakehead Enactus Social Entrepreneurship Club, she and her fellow Enactus members applied their commerce skills outside the classroom to help Simcoe County businesses.

A Friend You Can Count On

On campus, Rechal fostered an appreciation of Indian and American culture through annual presentations at the Welcome the World Fair and became a warm and welcoming face as the president of Lakehead University Christian Fellowship Club.

Rechal spent one semester as an exchange student in Indianapolis, Indiana, while attending Lakehead.  

But perhaps the moment she knew she was truly an integral part of campus life happened in her second year.

"A LUI staff member asked me to become a peer mentor," Rechal says. "Now, it was my turn to help international students adjust to university and navigate cultural differences," she says.

"I also helped students with practical things like how to use the transit system and shop at grocery stores."

Getting Ready to Fly

As Rechal's graduation day approaches, she's already jumped feet first into the world of commerce.

She's doing an internship at an Orillia camping centre where she is busy learning different aspects of the business.

"Although I've completed four years of university, I still have so much more to learn," Rechal says.

When her placement ends in October, she'll return to her hometown—where her love of business was born—to begin charting her future. "My parents have owned a trading and metal manufacturing company since I was a child," she says.

"My dream career path is to build a purpose-driven business that aligns with my Christian faith and values," she adds.

Rechal is also reflecting on the academic and campus experiences she's had, and the foundation they've given her to succeed.

In the end, she says it's the people who've had the greatest impact on her.

"What has stood out most is the warmth of the university community and their willingness to help. That's a big advantage of studying at Lakehead."

Rechal shows her Lakehead spirit by wishing Wolfie a happy birthday.

She urges other graduating students to tap into this community and not go it alone.

"You have this fantastic support network that you can always rely on.

Once a Thunderwolf, always a Thunderwolf!"

The Lloyd Dennis Award for Outstanding Citizenship is presented to a full-time student at the Orillia campus to recognize their contributions to the welfare of the university. The award is named in honour of the late Lloyd Dennis, an Officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario as well as a highly respected educator and proponent for the creation of the Lakehead Orillia campus.

Lakehead University will celebrate the achievements of graduating students at its Thunder Bay campus convocation ceremonies on May 28 and 29.

Lakehead University will celebrate graduating students during its 2026 convocation ceremonies in Thunder Bay and Orillia, while also recognizing distinguished Canadians and community leaders whose contributions have had a lasting impact on education, Indigenous knowledge, public service, arts and culture, advocacy, and community development.

“Crossing the convocation stage signifies not just the conclusion of a chapter—it represents a transformation,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall. “During their time at Lakehead, our graduates have developed their knowledge, confidence, and resilience. The entire university community is honoured to celebrate their achievements and to be a part of their journey. Congratulations to the class of 2026!”

In addition to celebrating the graduating class of 2026, Lakehead will recognize three outstanding individuals with honorary degrees and honour two individuals with the title of Fellow of the University, recognizing their contributions to education, Indigenous knowledge, public service, arts and culture, and community leadership.

Theresa Redsky Fiddler, Dr. Gary Polonsky, and William (Bill) Heibein will each be conferred honorary degrees. Kevin Cleghorn and Brian McKinnon will be recognized as Fellows of the University.

“The Lakehead community is proud to recognize the work and dedication of this year’s honorary degree recipients and fellows,” said Dr. Siddall. “Each has made meaningful contributions to their communities and professions, and their stories will inspire our graduates as they move forward into the future.”

Honorary Degree Recipients

Theresa Redsky Fiddler 
Doctor of Humane Letters

Theresa Fiddler, also known as Teri Redsky Fiddler, is a respected Knowledge Keeper, Traditional Practitioner, and community leader from Treaty #3 territory. Raised in Big Grassy River First Nation and Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, she has devoted her life to supporting Indigenous communities through leadership, teachings, and traditional knowledge.

After raising five children with her late husband Josias Fiddler, Teri Redsky Fiddler returned to complete her education as an adult learner, graduating high school alongside two of her sons before earning a diploma in Social Service Work. She later served for 14 years as a Band Councillor for Sandy Lake First Nation.

Today, Teri Redsky Fiddler continues to share teachings with provincial and national organizations and serves as a Knowledge Keeper to the Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation. She also serves as Traditional Practitioner Consultant for Sandy Lake First Nation.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Thursday, May 28 at 9 a.m.

Dr. Gary Polonsky
Doctor of Education

Dr. Gary Polonsky is one of Canada’s most influential post-secondary leaders, with a career spanning more than 40 years across colleges and universities in five provinces. A native of Thunder Bay, he played a key role in expanding access to education, advancing applied research, and strengthening partnerships between institutions and communities.

He served as President of Durham College from 1988 to 2006 and became the founding president of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, now Ontario Tech University, in 2001 while continuing concurrently as President of Durham College — a unique achievement in Canadian higher education.

Gary has also contributed extensively to public service and community leadership, including serving as Chair of the Board behind the development of the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. His many honours include national leadership awards and two Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medals.

The degree of Doctor of Education will be conferred on Thursday, May 28 at 2 p.m.

William (Bill) Heibein
Doctor of Humane Letters

For more than 50 years, William (Bill) Heibein has contributed to the cultural and civic life of Thunder Bay through volunteerism, music, advocacy, and community leadership. His involvement has included leadership roles with the Rotary Club of Port Arthur, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Magnus Theatre Northwest, and the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Following his dementia diagnosis, Bill became a leading advocate for dementia awareness and inclusion. As a founding member of the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group, he helped shape national conversations on dementia care and contributed to programs including Dementia Café and the Dementia Gardens initiative in Northwestern Ontario.

A lifelong musician, Bill continues to perform with the Bottom of the Barrel jazz and dixieland band, which for nearly five decades has brought music to hospitals, senior homes, and community spaces. In 2025, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m.

Fellows of the University

Kevin Cleghorn
Fellow of the University

Kevin Cleghorn is a Thunder Bay-based lawyer with a distinguished career in family law, legal education, and public service. A graduate of the University of Manitoba and Osgoode Hall, he is a certified specialist in family law, accredited mediator, and member of the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Kevin has served as a deputy judge for Small Claims Court in Northwestern Ontario since 1999 and is a past chair of Lakehead University’s Board of Governors. He has taught at Lakehead University since 1994 and received the university’s Contribution to Teaching Award in 2007. In 2025, he received both the James L. Murray Memorial Award and the Law Society Medal for his contributions to professionalism, legal education, and access to justice.

The title of Fellow of the University will be bestowed on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m.

Brian McKinnon
Fellow of the University

Brian McKinnon’s lifelong dedication to education and community leadership has had a lasting impact on Thunder Bay and Lakehead University. A member of Lakehead’s second graduating class, Brian played on the university’s first varsity basketball team and contributed to early campus development initiatives.

Following a distinguished career in education leadership, including serving as Principal of Partnerships with the Lakehead Board of Education, Brian continued supporting future educators as an instructor in Lakehead’s Faculty of Education. He also served for 16 years on Lakehead University’s Board of Governors, helping strengthen connections between the university and the broader community.

The title of Fellow of the University will be bestowed on Thursday, May 28 at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit Lakehead University Convocation

SSHRC Storyteller Teagan Neufeld Seeks Better Mental Health Tools

Universities are familiar places to Teagan Neufeld.

But feeling welcome on campus was a long process for this accomplished researcher and psychology graduate student.

"I grew up Métis in northwestern Ontario," she explains. "Going to university in Sudbury meant moving 18 hours away from my hometown of Kenora."

The sudden disconnection from her family and her culture was challenging.

"It made me realize how crucial it is that Indigenous youth have access to culturally relevant mental health services," she says.

This insight helped shape the direction of Teagan's Master of Clinical Psychology research, which is now in the national spotlight.

In September 2026, Teagan will begin a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead, supervised by Dr. Aislin Mushquash, where she will continue her mental health research. She previously gained hands-on experience helping young people as a childcare worker with Tikinagan Child & Family Services.

She has been chosen as one of 20 finalists from across Canada in the 2026 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Storytellers Challenge.

"Learning that I was a storytelling finalist was very exciting," she says. "It feels good to translate knowledge in a way that's accessible to the broader public."

In her award-winning video, Teagan describes the alienation that Indigenous young people can feel as they adapt to life away from their communities.

"You reach out for help, and a counsellor hands you a standard questionnaire to assess your mood.

No one asks about your family, your culture, your language, or your connection to the land.

The support you truly need doesn't exist...yet."

Finding that support is the driving force behind Teagan's master's research, "Evaluating Acceptance of Aaniish Naa Gegii: The Children's Health and Wellbeing Measure."

Central to Teagan's methodology is the embrace of two-eyed seeing—honouring both Indigenous and western ways of knowing.

Her research is being supervised by Lakehead Associate Professor Dr. Aislin Mushquash and is also supported by Dr. Christopher Mushquash, a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction at Lakehead.

Indigenous Students Are Often Overlooked

Psychologists and mental health professionals regularly use health and wellbeing measures to get a baseline assessment of an individual's wellbeing and to track their mental health over time.

"The problem is that virtually none of the existing measures are Indigenous," Teagan says.

Teagan (second from left) enjoys spending time with fellow students Joshua Wetendorf, Abbey Radorf, and Céline Wick at the 2025 Fall Harvest festival organized by Lakehead’s Indigenous Initiatives.

"Standard western measures don't take into account what it's like growing up on a reserve or in a small community. They also don't recognize the spiritual component of wellbeing, which is an essential part of life in Indigenous communities."

In 2011, this gap in care led researchers Mary Wabano and Dr. Nancy Young to design a new clinical tool.

They partnered with Indigenous children, youth, and communities to create Aaniish Naa Gegii: The Children's Health and Wellbeing Measure for Indigenous youth aged 8 to 18.

Aaniish Naa Gegii is a greeting in the Anishinaabemowin language that translates to: "How are you?"

Young people completing the assessment respond to questions based on the four quadrants of the Medicine Wheel to gauge their emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing.

"It's been proven to accurately identify a person's strengths as well as areas where they need support. For example, becoming more involved in cultural events, getting additional help with schoolwork, or talking to a counsellor."

Drawing Strength from Community and Culture

"My research—which is funded by a SSHRC Indigenous Scholars Award—is looking at how to adapt Aaniish Naa Gegii for Indigenous postsecondary students," Teagan says.

Before embarking on her research, she went to Lakehead's Indigenous Student Service Centre (ISSC) to see if students had an interest in more culturally relevant mental health tools.

Both ISSC students and staff were enthusiastic about the proposal, and now they're collaborating with Teagan on the evaluation of Aaniish Naa Gegii.

"My research follows the Cree and Metis principle of Wâhkôhtowin, which recognizes that everything and everyone is connected," Teagan says. Artwork credit: Moses Amik

"We're at the information-gathering stage, trying to determine how to adapt the measure to best reflect the students' experiences," Teagan says.

"It's important to me to take a participatory and community-based approach to my research," she adds.

The next steps will be to modify the measure and run a statistical analysis to see if Aaniish Naa Gegii is still valid and reliable.

"This research is where my heart goes because it affects the people in my life," Teagan says.

"The power of representation, and what it can do for Indigenous youth, is transformative."

SSHRC's Storytellers Challenge asks postsecondary students to show Canadians how social sciences and humanities research is impacting our lives, our world, and our future for the better. In June 2026, the national SSHRC Storytellers finalists, including Teagan, will present their research at the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada conference in Montreal. Based on their presentations, five winners will be chosen.

Dr. Christina van Barneveld, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, has received a Northern Arts Grant from the Ontario Arts Council for her 2026 project, Rooted Reflections: Mosaic Dialogues with Northern Land.

This artistic project is a series of 16 abstract fish mosaics that explore themes of migration, belonging, and identity through a northern Ontario lens. Combining traditional glass mosaic techniques with nontraditional, responsibly sourced materials such as stone, birchbark, plant fibres, and organic materials, her work reflects a land-based artistic practice that is grounded in place and relationship.

Dr. van Barneveld brings a deeply personal perspective to the project, examining what it means to live between cultures and how connections to land shape identity over time.

“As first-generation Canadian of Greek and Dutch heritage—born in Montreal and now living in Thunder Bay—I am drawn to the spaces between cultures and how we carry and reshape our sense of home,” she explains. “My approach reflects a commitment to ethical, land-based art-making and a deepening understanding of my relationship to people and place in the North.”

The fish motif in her artwork operates as a contested symbol of migration, resilience, survival, and spirituality across cultures, including Dutch (e.g., herring), Greek (e.g., tsipoura), and especially within northern Ontario’s Indigenous and settler contexts (e.g., pickerel).

Rooted Reflections is grounded in a mentor/friendship-based approach through collaboration with colleague Dr. Paul Cormier, Chair of Keewatinase, Department of Indigenous Education, a member of the Red Rock Indian Band who grew up in northern Ontario. A dialogic process, involving shared walks and reciprocal learning on the shores of Lake Superior, grounds her artwork in accountability to land and community.

“This project is about making art as part of a journey of expanding relationality and accountability to people and places, and sharing that journey with others,” she says.

Public presentations and workshops displaying her artwork will invite critical reflection from diverse communities in northern Ontario, prompting dialogue about the role of art in reconciliation, memory, and home. Using mosaics as a site of cultural negotiation and innovation, her project enacts a provocation: how might abstract, materially grounded art challenge assumptions about place, identity, and cultural continuity?

MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North Lise Vaugeois also acknowledged the achievement.

“Congratulations to Dr. Christina van Barneveld on receiving this well-deserved Ontario Arts Council grant. Her work shows the power of art rooted in land, community, and lived experience here in Northern Ontario. Congratulations Christina!”

Kinesiology Grad Madeline Fabiano Excels at Uplifting Others

Madeline Fabiano (HBK'23/MSc'25) is part of a generation of young people who've faced more than their fair share of struggles.

She was only a few months into her university studies when COVID hit, forcing everyone into lockdown.

This crisis affected students mentally, socially, and academically.

Madeline, though, rose above the pandemic's daunting challenges. She not only thrived, but she helped her fellow students thrive, too.

"I wanted to create supportive environments where people feel empowered and to foster a more inclusive, health-focused campus," she says.

"My goal was to address real student needs and promote a lasting culture of wellness."

Above, Madeline (right) and her father Enzo (left) at her 2023 undergraduate convocation ceremony.

Her diverse contributions have earned her the 2026 Robert Poulin Memorial Award for Outstanding Citizenship.

"Receiving the award is a wonderful culmination of my academic, research, and volunteer work at Lakehead," says Madeline, who has earned undergraduate and master's degrees in kinesiology.

"It's an honour to leave with such a meaningful award."

The Healing Power of Connection

To help students have the best university experience possible, Madeline joined several organizations—including the Kinesiology Association of Lakehead University (KALU) and Lakehead's Student Wellness Advisory Team (SWAT).

"I promoted awareness of campus services and connected students with critical resources, such as counselling," she says.

Madeline’s approach to kinesiology is focused on the benefits of physical activity. “Even carving out 10 minutes makes a huge difference,” she says. 

Later, during her master's degree, Madeline joined the Lakehead chapter of the Cam's Kids Foundation, which assists youth dealing with mental health issues.

"My focus was on promoting exercise and healthy coping strategies and disseminating this knowledge through campus activities and social media."

Madeline's outreach efforts went far beyond campus.

She found time to volunteer with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre's Hospital Elderly Life Program and WE-Can patient assistant program.

Serving as a Camp Quality companion to children with cancer was another incredibly rewarding endeavour.

Get Up and Move

Madeline was drawn to kinesiology—the study of the body in motion—because physical activity has been central to her life.

"I did dance, gymnastics, soccer, and swimming as a young child because my parents wanted to introduce me to a broad range of activities," she says. "When I got older, I concentrated on competitive cross-country skiing and running."

Above, Madeline stands in front of the School of Kinesiology with the coveted Chalice of Knowledge. "You can only drink from it after you've defended your master's thesis!" she explains. This passion for athletics carried over into her university research.

Madeline zoned in on an overlooked aspect of the pandemic—the loss of opportunities for exercise and physical activity.

"After the lockdown ended, I noticed there weren't many young women in the gym," she says.

"They wanted to be more active, but because they hadn't had access to athletic facilities during COVID, they didn't learn the skills needed to feel confident in the gym."

"I had a lot of people in my corner at Lakehead—including my thesis supervisor Dr. Erin Pearson—who contributed heavily to my successes," Madeline says. Above, Madeline and Dr. Pearson (pictured right) at Lakehead's 2024 Research and Innovation Awards Ceremony after Madeline won the People's Choice Award and came first place in Lakehead's Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. She later came third in the 3MT® provincial finals.

Madeline's undergraduate thesis studied these barriers to exercise and provided the foundation for her master's thesis—the development of the SHINE (Supporting Her In Navigating Exercise) program.

SHINE used peer support to enhance women's exercise behaviours and comfort level in the gym.

"Each student exercised once a week with a kinesiology student who acted as their mentor," Madeline explains. "It really improved their confidence and activity level."

Don't Let Fear Hold You Back

"I had countless opportunities at Lakehead," Madeline says, "from representing the university at a national undergraduate kinesiology research conference to competing in the provincial Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) graduate competition.

My Lakehead professors have been my cheerleaders for the past six years." 

For her PhD research, Madeline will create exercise interventions aimed at reducing perimenopausal symptoms among inactive women. "There's not much research on perimenopause," she says. Above, Madeline gives a presentation at McGill University.

Since successfully defending her master's thesis in August 2025, she has been enrolled in McGill University's kinesiology PhD program. "My dream is to continue conducting health research as a university professor," she says.

Madeline urges Lakehead students to be unafraid of pursuing opportunities that come their way.

"My dad always tells me to have courage, he says, 'Be a lion.' It's advice that inspires me to take chances."

The Robert Poulin Memorial Award for Outstanding Citizenship is presented to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student on the Thunder Bay campus for their contributions to the welfare of Lakehead through their student activities.

Madeline's research was made possible by several scholarships and grants: a Canada Graduate Research Scholarship awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, an Ontario Graduate Scholarship, an Applied Health Research Scholarship from St. Joseph's Care Group, and funding provided by a Lakehead faculty member, through a Lakehead Faculty Research Grant, in support of Madeline's master's research.

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.