1980s
Susan Reid (FORDP '86) partnered with the City of Cambridge, Ontario, in the summer of 2024 to provide a series of therapeutic free guided forest walks on the Walter Bean Trail. Susan is a forest therapy guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Trainers (ANFT) who runs a business called Deep Roots Walk. Forest therapy is a practice that enables individuals to explore their relationship to nature by immersing themselves in the woods and that supports their well-being. As a teenager, Susan was a junior forest ranger in northern Ontario and did tree planting and trail clearing in Quetico Park, Ontario, before enrolling in Lakehead's forestry technician program where she learned about more than 100 species of trees and how to manage a forest sustainably. After graduating, she worked in environmental education focused on water before returning to the field of forestry to help develop a forest festival education program for youth in southern Ontario. This experience prompted Susan to earn her certification from the ANFT so that she could help people take time for themselves in a positive natural environment.
1990s
Dr. Linda Rodenburg (BA/HBA/BEd '99), who was appointed the principal of Lakehead University's Orillia campus in August 2024, was given the 2024 Nelle Carter Woman of the Year award by the Orillia Business Women's Association (OBWA) for her progressive approach to community building and community partnerships, including strengthening connections with Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, the City of Orillia, the County of Simcoe, the Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital, and Georgian College. In support of Dr. Rodenburg's nomination, Lakehead Orillia Principal Emeritus Dr. Kim Fedderson said, "Not only is her heart in the right place, she has, in the 18 years she has lived here, demonstrated her commitment as an ever-present volunteer, educator, activist, and visionary." Dr. Rodenburg was Lakehead Orillia's interim principal before being named principal in August 2024.
2000s
Christopher (Chris) Dube (BEd '05/MEd '09) received a 2024 regional Certificate of Achievement from the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence initiative for his outstanding contributions to education, particularly in the areas of experiential learning and community engagement. Chris teaches science, chemistry, biology, outdoor environmental science, and learning strategies at the Lake Superior High School in Terrace Bay, Ontario. Chris's initiatives, such as integrating GPS and GIS technology into the curriculum in collaboration with Lakehead University, exemplify his commitment to preparing students for a digital and innovation-based economy. One of his recent notable achievements was the Community Building and Powwow Revitalization Project, which enabled students to camp on the Pays Plat First Nation powwow grounds and deeply engage in cultural teachings with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. Together, they raised nearly $30,000 to purchase and install new bleachers for the powwow grounds.
Filippo Lettieri (BA '07, Geography/BEd '07) has been named the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board's new director of education. In 2022, he became a superintendent of education and was responsible for leadership development. Filippo's other accomplishments include helping oversee the amalgamation of St. Ann, St. Bernadette, St. Pius X, and St. Theresa in 2017. In addition, he served as vice-principal, and then principal, of St. Basil school after it opened at the former site of St. Mary's College and St Basil Secondary, and was the principal of Our Lady of Lourdes French Immersion in his hometown of Elliot Lake, Ontario, the school he attended as a youngster.
2010s
Elizabeth Garofalo (HBA '18, English/JD '21/ MA '24, ENCS) was named Lakehead University's new ombudsperson in May 2024. As ombudsperson, she provides impartial and confidential support independent of the university's administrative structure to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff are treated fairly and equitably. In her new role, she informally helps with academic concerns such as grading, appeals, and plagiarism, and non-academic concerns such as interpersonal conflicts, employment, and misconduct. Prior to being appointed ombudsperson, Elizabeth was a staff lawyer with Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic where she represented low-income clients in hearings before the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Social Benefits Tribunal.
Dr. Gabrielle Gaultier (HBSc '14, APBI/PhD '20, BIOT) became the first Canadian to be awarded the Moderna fellowship in September 2023. She is currently studying immune responses to COVID in Canadian children and her findings will be used for the optimization of COVID-19 vaccination schedules for children. Dr. Gaultier was awarded a three-year fellowship for her project, which aims to quantify humoral immune responses to COVID-19 infection and vaccination in Canadian children through quantification of anti-spike protein IgG concentration and function as well as B-cell responses. Her PhD projects investigated B-cell and antibody responses to the 13-valent pneumococcal protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccine in adults with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), natural immunity against Haemophilus influenzae type A, and B-cell subpopulations in adults with CKD, as well as antibodies specific for Streptococcus pneumoniae in Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults. Dr. Gaultier is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia and a member Dr. Manish Sadarangani's lab group at the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute where her research focuses on the immunological analysis of infectious diseases for the purpose of vaccine development and evaluation, with a particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2.
Andrew John (A.J.) Keene (BEd '94) has been promoted to the role of superintendent of education with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. He graduated from the University of Windsor in 1993 before receiving a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead. In 2006, he earned a Master of Education in Curriculum Studies from the University of Toronto. A.J. was an administrator with the Lakehead District School Board for 15 years including a central role as the early years and program principal. He also worked for the Ministry of Education developing math resources for the Guides to Effective Instruction in Mathematics. He was a superintendent of education with the Lakehead District School Board for four years, most recently as the board math lead.
Benjamin Kuzmich (HBSc '12, Geology/MSc '15, Geology) is the exploration vice president of Libra Lithium Corp Libra, a mining and exploration company that is developing a portfolio of grassroots lithium exploration projects in Canada, and which has recently joined the Athena Gold Corporation. Benjamin is a professional geologist with a proven track record of exploration success in Canada throughout Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. His accomplishments include the delineation of the E-Zone at Barrick's Hemlo gold mine, where he managed a $20M-drill program, and where his reinterpretation of geologic models resulted in a 23% improvement in underground head grade for 2019. Outside of Hemlo, he led the discovery of the Little Wing gold occurrence at Alamos's Lynn Lake project as well as numerous REE/LCT pegmatite, precious, and base metal occurrences throughout the Superior Province. His MSc thesis at Lakehead University focused on the highly endowed, critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario.
Claudette McGowan (BA '17) was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Waterloo at their 2024 spring convocation ceremony. These doctorates are presented to inspiring individuals who provide exceptional service or leadership and those who have made outstanding contributions to their discipline. Claudette is a global IT leader who excels in digital transformations, service enhancements, and cybersecurity. She has been in leadership roles at Deloitte, the Metropolitan Police, BMO, and TD Bank where she was the global executive officer for cyber security. She is now CEO of Protexxa and co-founder of The Firehood network for women in tech. In addition to her BA from Lakehead, Claudette has an MBA from Athabasca University. She has been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians by Toronto Life magazine and was featured in the Women's Executive Network's Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
2020s
Maydena (May) Remenda (HBSW '22/MSW '24) received the Municipal Retirees Organization of Ontario (MROO) 2024 Targeted Scholarship for her master's research at Lakehead focused on enhancing dementia care for Indigenous residential school survivors, who are often relocated to long-term care facilities far from their communities and support systems. By advocating for culturally safer care practices that respect and integrate the survivors' unique heritage and histories, May aimed to ensure that elders are treated with dignity and kindness. At the graduation ceremony for her Master of Social Work degree (specializing in gerontology) in the spring 2024, May received the Dean Braun Scholar award, which is presented to the student with the highest academic standing in their program. May is now working as a knowledge broker with Lakehead University's Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH). Click here to listen to May talk about her research in this CTV interview.
Monika Steger (JD '22) has joined Lenczner Slaght, one of Canada's leading litigation firms, as junior counsel. Monika is using her health law expertise to assist regulated health professionals in areas such as medical negligence, privacy issues, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario proceedings, and other administrative and regulatory health issues. As a Lakehead student, Monika volunteered with the Lakehead chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada and was a caseworker with the Lakehead University Community Legal Services Clinic. She graduated with First Class Standing and received numerous course prizes, including top standing in property law, evidence law, and family law. Prior to joining Lenczner Slaght, Monika summered at the Canadian Centre for Elder Law and then articled and practiced at a leading litigation boutique firm in Toronto where she gained experience in health law and insurance defence.
In Memoriam
Kevin Kozar (ENGDP '03/Beng '05) tragically passed away of natural causes at the age of 49 after a quiet evening at one of his favourite places on earth, his camp at West Loon Lake near Thunder Bay. Kevin tried several academic paths before finally finding his true passion. In 1999, he graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) with a diploma in Wood Processing Technology. In 2005 he completed his degree in mechanical engineering at Lakehead University. He loved to tell people that when his graduated, he was 30 years old and a brand-new father to a 3-week-old baby—reinforcing that it was never a bad time to pursue your dreams. Kevin began his engineering career at Wardrop Engineering in Thunder Bay, and, in 2012, he achieved his dream of creating Kozar Engineering. He quickly grew his office from a single-man operation to a successful mid-sized firm. After 12 successful years, Kozar Engineering recently joined CIMA+, and Kevin was very excited about the new opportunities this would bring for his team. Kevin leaves behind a close-knit and loving family—his wife Amy, and his three sons Charlie, Harry, and Miles. He is also survived by his mother Elaine, sister Allison, and extended members of the Kerr and Johnson families. Kevin was predeceased by his father David whom he remembered often with love and admiration.