President's Public Lecture Series
About the Series
Date(s): October 2025 to June 2026
Place: Events will alternate between Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses, with all lectures available by live stream
Price: Free
As Lakehead University celebrates our incredible legacy, we’re also looking ahead with a new purpose. That’s why we’re proud to launch the President’s Public Lecture Series, a 60th anniversary initiative designed to engage the communities we serve in timely, thought-provoking dialogue on the issues that shape our world.
Hosted by President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall, the free lecture series features research and perspectives from Lakehead thought leaders and changemakers – sparking conversation on the most pressing challenges of our time.
Events will alternate between Lakehead’s Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses, with all lectures available via live stream and posted online for on-demand viewing.
Whether you’re deeply interested in a topic or just curious to learn more, come as you are–bring a friend if you’d like–and enjoy these engaging talks.
Repatriation to Reconciliation - The Genesis of a Canadian Identity
Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux
Date: Friday, Oct. 24, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: OA 1033, Lakehead Orillia campus + Live stream
The Repatriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 launched a dialogue in this country unparalleled anywhere else – from the Oka Crisis of 1990, RCAP in 1991, to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report in 2015 and the MMIWG Final Report in 2019, to our 4th National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2025, Canadians are beginning to understand Indigenous Peoples are important to our national identity.
Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux served as Vice Provost Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University for three years and was appointed as the first Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation at Lakehead University in 2016. She was inducted as a “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2014 and is Chair of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.
Cynthia is a faculty member at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and continues to offer public education and training on Indigenous history, governance and healing across Canada. She is a member and resident of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding. She sees endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages, and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue and applied research initiatives.
Presented in partnership with Lakehead University's CELL/TALL programming.
What's the deal with bullying? Stories from a target, scholar, and educator.
Dr. Gerald Walton
Date: Thurs. Nov. 20, 2025
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Agora, Lakehead Thunder Bay campus + Live stream
Bullying is a problem everyone keeps talking about—in the news, in schools, and in research—yet real, lasting solutions remain out of reach. Drawing on more than 20 years of research and lived experience, Dr. Gerald Walton shows how bullying is tied to bigger social and political forces, leading him to a tough conclusion: bullying is here to stay. In this session, Walton invites participants to confront hard truths while considering pathways of resistance and change.
Dr. Gerald Walton is a sociologist whose research, teaching, and activism focus on how privilege works—and how it can be channelled to support equity for marginalized groups. He often describes himself as both an insider and outsider, a perspective that fuels his commitment to social and institutional change. Recognized with awards for teaching and mentorship, Dr. Walton is also known for his scholarship on bullying and has published widely, including the edited collection, The Gay Agenda: Claiming Space, Identity and Justice (2014) and the co-authored book, Being Boys: Shaping Gender Norms to Weaken Rape Culture (2021).
Self-Regulation and its Role in our Mental Health and Well-Being
Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo
Date: Thurs. Jan. 29, 2026
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Location: OA 1033, Lakehead Orillia campus + Live stream
In this lecture, Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo will explore the concept of self-regulation as a foundation for mental health and overall well-being. Drawing on the Self-Reg framework developed by Dr. Stuart Shanker, it examines how stress, energy, and tension interact to influence our behaviour, learning, and relationships. Participants will gain insights into the five domains of self-regulation and learn practical strategies to recognize and reduce stressors, enhance resilience, and promote a greater sense of calm and balance in daily life.
Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo is professor and assistant dean in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University. Her areas of research include developmentally appropriate practice, self-regulation, stress and post-secondary students, critical disability studies, inclusive education, autism spectrum disorders, and cognitive-developmental systems theory. She is editor of the Journal of Applied Self-Regulation and Director of Research at the Applied Self-Regulation Knowledge Network. She holds multiple federally-funded research grants and has been engaged in provincial, national, and international research collaborations with UNESCO, the Bahrain Society for Children with Behavioral and Communication Difficulties, the Universidad do Sul de Santa Catarina in Brazil, Universidad Casa Grande in Ecuador, Kwayaciwwin Education Resource Centre, Metis Nation of Ontario, the Kenora Catholic District School Board, Mishkeegogamang First Nation, and Kasabonika First Nation to name a few. Further information about Dr. Mastrangelo's research and publications can be accessed here: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/users/M/smastran.