J. Armand Bombardier Foundation establishes new scholarship for Lakehead University business students
From left, Deb Comuzzi, Lakehead’s Vice-President, External Relations, presented Carolyn Leroux, General Manager, Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay, with a thank you plaque. Also in the photo are Dr. Moira McPherson, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, and Christian Leisander, a business graduate student and a past recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
July 19, 2017 – Thunder Bay, ON
Lakehead University’s Faculty of Business Administration is the recipient of a $50,000 gift from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation to establish The J. Armand Bombardier Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Business.
The purpose of the scholarship is to support eligible students in the University’s business graduate programs, including its Master of Science in Management and Master of Business Administration programs.
“Ever since its inception, the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation has placed education at the core of its actions, firmly believing that high-quality and accessible education is the driving force of society,” said Ode Belzile, Director, Philanthropic Activities, J. Armand Bombardier Foundation. “We are very proud to collaborate with Lakehead University to create two new scholarships that will help attract and retain the best students in Thunder Bay.”
“Lakehead continues to attract high quality business graduate students from around the world,” said Lakehead’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson. “The J. Armand Bombardier Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Business will provide even more incentive to prospective graduate students who are considering Lakehead’s world-class business programs.”
Dr. Stevenson explained that attracting more business students to Lakehead University translates into more business graduates contributing to our local and regional economies.
“This gift demonstrates the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation’s commitment to aspiring professionals and future business leaders in the region,” he added.
The gift from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation, which will be matched 2:1 through the provincial government’s Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program, will generate $150,000 in student support to create two annual scholarships of $15,000 for the next five years.
“Scholarships give students the opportunity to obtain an education that helps to transform their future, and allows them to focus fully on their education and experiences that will help to enrich their time at Lakehead,” said Dr. Bahram Dadgostar, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration. “This new scholarship will also have a high impact on our ability to recruit top students from diverse backgrounds into our programs.”
“At Bombardier we believe in the importance of expanding access to education which develops a talented workforce in our communities,” said Carolyne Leroux, General Manager, Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay. “I am proud of the long history of collaboration between Lakehead University and Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay. This new scholarship will strengthen the connection between our two organizations while fostering the business leaders of tomorrow.”
The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation and Bombardier Transportation are long-time supporters of Lakehead University and have contributed significantly to the experiential learning opportunities available to students.
From site visits to its Thunder Bay plant to active development support of graduate projects, Bombardier has provided Lakehead’s graduate students with practical experiences that allow them to seek solutions to real-world industry challenges as they prepare for their professional careers.
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Media: For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Brandon Walker
Media Relations Officer
Tel.: 807-343-8177
Ode Belzile
Director, Philanthropic Activities
J. Armand Bombardier Foundation
Tel.: 514-876-4555
Lakehead University has about 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. In 2016, for the second consecutive year, Re$earch Infosource ranked Lakehead first among Canada’s undergraduate universities. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.
The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation, a private family foundation, was established in 1965 to carry on the humanitarian work of Joseph-Armand Bombardier and contribute toward the realization of Bombardier’s vision of social responsibility. The Foundation is active in four key areas: Education, Community Support, Healthcare, as well as Arts and Culture. Culturally, the Foundation also plays a very important role through the J. Armand Bombardier Museum and the Yvonne L. Bombardier Cultural Centre, located in Valcourt, Québec.
