The Lakehead University Native Student Association (LUNSA) is excited to be hosting their 31^st annual Powwow at the CJ Sanders Fieldhouse, March 8-10.

LUNSA is honoured to have Battle Nation as the Host Drum. Lakehead University students and the Thunder Bay community will gather in celebration of Aboriginal culture and dance.  

Warm-ups will be held on Friday, March 8 from 6 to 10 pm.

Grand Entry is scheduled for 12 pm and 6:30 pm on Saturday, March 9 with a Traditional Feast being served at 5 pm. The powwow will wrap up for the day at 10 pm.  

Grand Entry is set for noon on Sunday, March 10 with the Powwow ending at 5 pm.

LUNSA is a volunteer Lakehead University Student Union club.  Its goals are to promote the spirit of unity among Aboriginal students at Lakehead University through social, cultural, and recreational events, in addition to promoting cultural awareness between club members and the greater Lakehead University student population.

The annual Powwow is LUNSA’s signature event that highlights tremendous talent and entertainment, free of charge, while reinforcing traditional aspects of Aboriginal culture such as drumming, dancing, singing, and giving thanks.

Everyone is welcome to attend:

Agenda

Friday, March 8
Warm-ups: 6 - 10 pm

Saturday, March 9
Grand Entry: 12 pm and 6:30 pm
Traditional Feast: 5 pm

Sunday, March 10

Grand Entry at 12 pm and Closing Ceremonies at 3 pm until 5 pm

• Master of Ceremonies: Jim Mishquart (Rocky Bay First Nation)
• Arena Director: Ryan Gustafson (Whitesand First Nation)
• Spiritual Advisor: Gilbert Smith (Northwest Bay)
• Host Drum:  Battle Nation (Thunder Bay)

Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Moira McPherson, presented Dr. Michel Beaulieu with the Distinguished Researcher Award on Thursday, Feb. 28.

February 28, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University held its Research and Innovation Awards of Excellence reception on Thursday, Feb. 28 to celebrate the exceptional achievements of professors and students.

Dr. Michel Beaulieu was named the 2018 Distinguished Researcher for his work in History. His research is wide-ranging, generally focussing on the history of the political, economic, and social issues relating to northern and remote communities in Northern Ontario.

“I’ve found that good history is the sharing of those stories that are relevant to our times,” he said.

Growing up in southern Ontario, he worked in a museum, which helped spark his love of history and storytelling. Dr. Beaulieu is an award-winning author who has published more than a dozen books, dozens of articles and chapters, and has contributed to several film and new media projects.

He has also been the principle investigator or co-applicant on more than $3.5 million in research grants and has supervised more than 20 graduate students. Before working at Lakehead, he was a student there – Dr. Beaulieu completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and History, a Bachelor of Education, and Master of Arts in History, all at Lakehead, before obtaining his PhD in History at Queen’s University.

“During my undergraduate degrees at Lakehead, I came to appreciate that the history of Ontario’s North has been little explored by historians,” he said.

“As I began my graduate education, it further increasingly became apparent that, even though some historians had written about aspects of the region’s past, few have recognized the history of Northern Ontario as a bona fide field, and even fewer still acknowledge its importance nationally and internationally.”

Dr. Beaulieu has held leadership roles with both Lakehead University and a number of regional, provincial, national, and international organizations.

He is currently a member of Lakehead University’s Board of Governors, Past-President of the Alumni Association of Lakehead University, President of The Champlain Society, Vice-President of the Ontario Historical Society, Vice-President of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, member of the Board of Directors of the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, President of the Canadian International Council Thunder Bay Branch, and an Executive Member of the Northwestern Ontario Archivist's Association.

The Distinguished Researcher Award is the highest honour conferred by Lakehead for research and scholarly activity. 

Dr. Andrew Dean, Lakehead’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, said the University’s researchers make him proud.

“Congratulations to Dr. Beaulieu and to all Lakehead University researchers,” Dr. Dean said. “Whether they are students or professors, everyone in attendance should be proud of their work and this pride should fuel them to even greater accomplishments.”

Award Recipients

Three-Minute Thesis

• People’s Choice Award: Robert Sanderson, Master of Health Sciences (supervisor: Dr. Lindsay Galway)
• Second Place: Ayyappa Kumar Sista Kameshwar, PhD Biotechnology (supervisor: Dr. Wensheng Qin)

• First Place: Alexander Bilyk, PhD Forest Sciences (supervisor: Dr. Reino Pulkki)

Graduate Studies Research Excellence Awards

Natural Sciences and Engineering Category

• Mohamed Ahwiadi, PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering (supervisor: Dr. Wilson Wang)

 Social Sciences and Humanities Category

• Elizabeth Boileau, PhD in Educational Studies (supervisor: Dr. Constance Russel)
  

Health Sciences Category

• Carley Pope, PhD in Clinical Psychology (supervisor: Dr. Dwight Mazmanian)

Graduate Student Conference Poster Winners

• Winner Engineering Category: Ashkan Sahari Moghaddam, MSc Civil Engineering (supervisor: Dr. Ehsan Azar)
  
  
• Winner NSERC Category: Armin Eraghi Kazzaz, PhD Biotechnology, (supervisor: Dr. Pedram Fatehi)
  
  
• Winner SSHRC Category: Ema Cristina Ross Caicedo, PhD Forest Sciences, (supervisor: Dr. Brian McLaren)
  
  
• Winner CIHR Category: Jonathon Racine, MSc Kinesiology (supervisor: Dr. Erin Pearson)

Postdoctoral Fellows Poster Awards

• Health Category: Dr. Guillem Dayer, Department of Biology (supervisor: Dr. Ingeborg Zehbe)
  
  
• Tie: Natural Sciences and Engineering: Dr. Shazali Osman, Department of Mechanical Engineering (supervisor: Dr. Wilson Wang) and Dr. Samira Gharehkhani, Department of Chemical Engineering (supervisor: Dr. Pedram Fatehi)
  
  
• Social Sciences and Humanities Category: Dr. Rubén Mur, Faculty of Natural Resources Management (supervisor: Dr. Brian McLaren)

Indigenous Partnership Research Award

• Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Department of Psychology, Canada Research Chair, and Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research; and Tina Bobinski, Assistant Director of Mental Health and Addictions, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.  The award recognizes their numerous collaborative projects, which include key roles for Indigenous peoples, mutually beneficial outcomes for the researchers and Indigenous partners, contributing to the education of Indigenous students and unique dissemination of research results that take into account individual/community needs.

Innovation Awards

Student Innovation Award Winner

• Ayyappa Kumar Sista Kameshwar, PhD, Biotechnology

Faculty Innovation Award

• Dr. Sudip Rakshit, Department of Chemical Engineering, Canada Research Chair

Building Research Capacity Award

• Dr. Jinan Fiaidhi, Computer Science
• Dr. Sabah Mohammed, Computer Science

Community-Engaged Research Award

Title: “Shelter access for all women: Creating a harm reduction framework”

• Dr. Angela Hovey, School of Social Work
• Dr. Susan Scott, School of Social Work
• Dr. Lori Chambers, Department of Women’s Studies
• Liz Westcott, Executive Director, Green Haven Shelter for Women
• Silvia Samsa, Executive Director, Women's Habitat
• Marlene Ham, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses
• As well as students Carly Roberts, Kaitlin Wilmshurst, Charlotte Scott, Shelby Thompson, and Sarah Tilley

Senate Research Committee Awards

 Contribution to Research Award

• Dr. Lindsay Galway, Department of Health Sciences
• Dr. Claudio Pousa, Faculty of Business Administration
• Dr. Pauline Sameshima, Faculty of Education

 Distinguished Researcher Award

• Dr. Michel Beaulieu, the Department of History 

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

February 28, 2019 – Orillia, ON

Dan Dunsky, creator and former executive producer of “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”, will reflect on Melvin Kranzberg’s "six laws of technology" and their relevance in today’s digital landscape, on Tuesday, March 5 as a keynote speaker for Lakehead University’s Research and Innovation Week.

Dunsky is Vice President, Engagement at Public Inc., a social impact consultancy and agency. He created and was executive producer of “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”, Canada’s premier platform for long-form analysis and insight journalism. As an analyst, Dunsky is heard on NewsTalk 1010, has appeared on CNN and CTV, and has written for numerous Canadian and American publications, including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The National Interest, and The National Review. He speaks regularly on the promise and peril of change in the digital era.

Dunsky’s presentation takes place Tuesday, March 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in room 1033 at the Orillia campus. Please RSVP to orillia.research@lakeheadu.ca if you would like to attend.

Members of the public are invited to attend the events happening at the Orillia campus during Research and Innovation Week, March 4 to 6.  All events take place at 500 University Avenue in Simcoe Hall and are free to the public. Please visit lakeheadu.ca/ri for more information.

- 30 -

Media contact:  Jaclyn Bucik, Marketing & Communications Associate, 705-330-4008 ext. 2014, or jbucik@lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University’s annual Research & Innovation Week offers a chance for the community to learn more about the research taking place at the university.  Events take place from March 4 to 6 at the University Avenue campus. All events are free and open to the public.

February 26, 2019 – Orillia, ON

Lakehead University will showcase the best of student and faculty research during 2019 Research and Innovation Week, March 4 to 6 at the Orillia campus.

Based on this year’s theme, Rise of the Machines, many of the talks will discuss how technology can change the world and highlight the exceptional research being conducted at Lakehead University.

The week kicks-off on Monday, March 4 at 11:30 a.m. in the Orsi Family Learning Commons with presentations from Lakehead Orillia faculty, highlighting the University’s current research projects and partnerships. This will be followed by a panel specific to research within the Faculty of Education at 1:30 p.m. in room 2014.  

On Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in room 1033, Dr. Alana Saulnier, assistant professor and criminology program coordinator at Lakehead University, will speak on the topic of police use of body-worn cameras in Canada. Dr. Saulnier is the primary investigator for the Durham Regional Police Service body-worn camera evaluation. To register for this presentation, please email orillia.research@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead Orillia lecturer Dr. Kevin Willison will present “Fuzzy Logic as a Contributor to an Ethos of Using Machines” on Tuesday, March 5 at 10:30 a.m. in room 2010. Dr. Willison will explore the growing utilization of fuzzy logic as a contributor to an ethos of using machines worldwide. That afternoon, the Orillia Native Women’s Group will be presenting their Storytelling Circle Project with Dr. Sandra Jeppesen at 2:30 p.m. in room 2019. And, the Department of Sustainability Sciences will host a mini conference on science and sustainability from 3 to 5 p.m. in room 2017.

The final forum of the day, “Using Technology to Fight Human Trafficking”, will be presented by Dr. Natalya Timoshkina, associate professor, School of Social Work, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in room 2020. As space is limited, the public is asked to register for this presentation by emailing orillia.research@lakeheadu.ca.

The evening of March 5 will feature keynote speaker Dan Dunsky, Vice President, Engagement at Public Inc. and creator and former executive producer of “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”. Dunsky will present “A Hinge Moment from Humanity” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in room 1033. To register for this presentation, please email orillia.research@lakeheadu.ca. 

The week will close with a presentation by Dr. Xue Han on business and e-health from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room 2017. Dr. Han, a post-doctoral fellow in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University, will explore how we can facilitate patient engagement in an age of advanced information technology. 

One highlight of the week will be the student research presentations, happening daily (March 4 to 6) from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Orsi Family Learning Commons. The public is invited to attend.

Registration is not required unless mentioned above. All events take place at 500 University Avenue in Simcoe Hall and are free and open to the public. Please visit lakeheadu.ca/ri for more information about all of the events happening this week.

- 30 –

Media contact:  Jaclyn Bucik, Marketing & Communications Associate, 705-330-4008 ext. 2014, or jbucik@lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosourcenamed Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

February 25, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

In today’s world, electronic devices are everywhere.

Your cellphone knows where you are and where you’re heading, fitness trackers monitor your vital signs, you talk to your TV. One day your clothes will send instructions to your washing machine.

“In the near future, our smart devices will know almost everything about us,” says Jason Hong, a U.S.-based researcher specializing in human-computer interaction.

“These devices offer the opportunity to vastly improve our health care, urban planning, safety, and more. However, these same devices also pose dramatic new challenges for privacy and ethics.”

As part of Lakehead University’s Research & Innovation Week activities, Hong will outline how these devices work, the rise of personal behavioural data, and how to ensure the benefits of these technologies outweigh the costs.

Hong’s presentation is titled “Are my devices spying on me? Living in a World of Ubiquitous Computing.”

No longer ugly boxes on our desks, smart devices have allowed computation, communication and sensing to be woven into all aspects of our physical world.

“They are everywhere,” Hong says. “They’re in our houses, they in our cars, they’re on our clothes. Today’s smartphones are the very beginning of what this world is going to be like.”

A professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., Hong’s research focuses on privacy and security issues, and two key questions: how to use this wealth of data to improve our lives, and how people can have better control over and feedback about their personal information.

New technology means that mobile devices such as cellphones and smartwatches contain vast quantities of information about every aspect of our lives, such as what we’re eating, the state of our health, and relationships with other people.

“That’s just the beginning,” Hong says. “These devices will have a lot more sensors and they’ll know more about our activities.”

But with advances that can lead to improved health and more lasting relationships, there is also a dark side: data can be misused or can be used on a nation-wide level to control behaviour and enforce conformity.

“There are a lot of problematic uses, but a lot of people just don’t understand how pervasive the tracking is,” Hong says of access to such wide-ranging personal information.

“The basic issue is not just Big Brother. It’s also Little Sister,” he adds. “People who might not necessarily want to harm you but might be nosy, or you might have a government bureaucrat who might be interested in efficiency. They might not mean harm but they could cause unintended side effects. There’s a whole host of issues.”

Researchers such as Hong are looking at what exactly these devices are doing, and how to build systems that are more reliable, trustworthy and understandable by the average user, so they can better protect themselves.

“The bigger issue is with all this technology and all these devices, the tracking can only become more broad,” he says. “It’s not just smartphones or the internet. As you go about your day-to-day life — where you’re driving, what TV shows you watch, what you’re saying to people — it’s also going to be richer for the kind of data that will be there.

“It’ll lead to big societal changes that we’re only at bare awareness of what it might be like,” he says. “We don’t want to sleep-walk into this. We want to have more deliberate thought about it with more research and better public policy.”

Hong’s presentation takes place Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7:30 – 9 pm in the ATAC building, room 1003.

For more about R and I Week, which is a showcase for research and innovation happening at Lakehead University, visit lakeheadu.ca/ri.

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

(from left) Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, Litsa Sourtzis, executive producer at the CBC, and Dan Dunsky, creator and former executive producer of "The Agenda with Steve Paikin" will be some of the speakers at Third Age Learning Lakehead (TALL) second, five-part lecture series. 

February 25, 2019 – Orillia, ON 

The Toronto Star’s Kevin Donovan, the CBC’s Litsa Sourtzis, and former executive producer Dan Dunsky are just a few of the speakers set to present during Third Age Learning Lakehead’s (TALL) second five-part lecture series,Uncovering the Truth: Investigative Journalism in the Age of 'Fake News'.

Participants will enjoy lectures that discuss how the impact of social media and technology has changed how we consume and what we consume as ‘news’, including the proliferation of ‘fake’ news.

Dr. Michael Hoechsmann, associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University, will kick off the series with “Remix, Rhetoric and ‘Reality’ in the Era of ‘Fake News’” on February 27. Hoechsmann will delve into how Web 2.0 and algorithmic Web 3.0 has changed how we produce, circulate and consume knowledge, information and ‘news’, and what has fueled the rise of fake news.

On March 6, creator and former executive producer of “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”, Dan Dunsky, will discuss how powerful digital technologies have profound implications for journalism and its role of providing the ‘first, rough draft of history’ in “Algorithms, Tribalism and Journalism”.

Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter with the Toronto Star, will speak about the process of asking tough questions and listening to all sides in “Making a Difference: How Investigative Reporting Changes the World One Story at a Time” on March 13.  Drawing from his experience with such stories as ORNGE Air Ambulance, and the Rob Ford story, Donovan will explain how he and others like him seek the truth.

CBC executive producer, Litsa Sourtzis, will explore the role of television and documentaries in particular, but also the role of the producer in accessing and framing the ‘truth’ in Canada today in “The Role of the “Watchdog”: The (re)Production of News in Canada” on March 20.

Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Lakehead University Research Chair in Transformative Media and Social Movements, and Nathan Taylor, reporter for OrilliaMatters, will close out the series on March 27 with a look at “Global and Local Intersections: Digital Movements in the Age of Fake News”. Jeppesen and Taylor will explore how global and local media can address some of the successes and challenges of transformative media and social movements in the era of fake news.

The TALL five-part lecture series runs every Wednesday from February 27 to March 27 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Centre in Orillia. There is a registration fee of $59 (plus HST) per person. For more information, or to purchase tickets, head to lakeheadu.ca/tal.

- 30 –

Media contact:  Jaclyn Bucik, Marketing & Communications Associate, 705-330-4008 ext. 2014, orjbucik@lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

From left, Kate Hartman, artist, technologist, and keynote speaker; Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor; the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of  Employment, Workforce Development and Labour; Dr. Andrew Dean, Lakehead's Vice-President, Research and Innovation; Rebecca Johnson, Acting Mayor; MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay - Atikokan; Elder Isabelle Mercier; and Dr. PhebeAnn Wolframe, Lakehead's SSHRC/CIHR Research & Knowledge Mobilization Facilitator, helped launch Lakehead's 14th Research and Innovation Week on Friday, Feb. 22.

February 22, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

The theme of Lakehead University’s 2019 Research and Innovation Week is Rise of the Machines.

With several electrifying talks – offered from Friday, Feb. 22 to Thursday, Feb. 28 – you may want to participate in everything happening at Lakehead University, the Intercity Shopping Centre, and the Brodie Street Library.

There will be something of interest for people of all ages. Many of the talks will discuss how technology can change the world and highlight the exceptional research being conducted at Lakehead University.

You and your family are invited to meet Lakehead faculty, staff, and students at the Intercity Shopping Centre on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 10 am until 6 pm.

Interactive displays will dazzle you with the cutting-edge research and innovation happening at Lakehead University. This will include an interactive driving simulator, a trauma room photo booth (complete with lab coats), brain and eye anatomy with NEURIG, drones, a Superior Science activity for kids, the Paleo DNA lab, artifacts from the Anthropology department, and more.

You have a chance to win some great prizes for visiting these displays, including $100 and $50 gift certificates to spend at the Intercity Shopping Centre, a full week at the Superior Science summer camp, an ActiveU birthday party, and tickets to a Thunderwolves hockey game for the 2019-2020 season valued at $500.

On Sunday, Feb. 24 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, you are invited to attend Rise of the Machines: Technology in Literature and Culture, with Dr. Jason Blahuta from Philosophy, Dr. Douglas Ivison from English, Dr. Jenny Roth from Women’s Studies, Experiential Learning Coordinator Dr. Kevin Brooks, and MA English student Maeghan Verardo.

This roundtable discussion about technology in literature and culture will focus on technofeminism, technology in science fiction, and more – in the Fireside Reading Room at the Brodie Street Library.

This talk has been cancelled due to the cancellation of Sunday's flights. On Monday, Feb. 25, Dr. Tim Caulfield will host a discussion called Battling the Bunk Machines: Health in the Era of Celebrity, Social Media and Twisted Facts, at 7 pm in UC 2011. The author of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything will discuss how to recognize dubious claims made by high-profile TV or film personalities. All are welcome to attend, but please RSVP by searching for Tim Caulfield on EventBrite.

On Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 2 to 4 pm, Lakehead will hold a roundtable discussion called Social Media in Data Collection and Knowledge Dissemination in ATAC 5036, featuring Dr. Christine Wekerle from McMaster University’s Paediatrics department, Dr. Will Zhao from Lakehead’s Faculty of Business, Dr. Kathryn Sinden from Kinesiology at Lakehead, and Dr. Judith Leggatt and Dr. Monica Flegel from Lakehead’s English department.

Lakehead will also hold a discussion called Pure Revival: The Role of Innovation in the Economic Rejuvenation of Michigan’s Cities on Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 3 to 4 pm in Ingenuity Alley, which is the atrium of the new CASES building at Lakehead University. Thomas Coke will describe how FinTech and other technologies have helped rejuvenate communities in Michigan.

Also on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 pm in ATAC 1003, join Dr. Jason Hong from Carnegie Mellon University for a talk called Are My Devices Spying on Me? Living in a World of Ubiquitous Computing to learn more about the benefits and challenges of smart devices now and in the future.  

Everyone is welcome to attend these events. Please visit lakeheadu.ca/ri for more information.

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

February 20, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.                                               

This talk has been cancelled due to Sunday's flights being cancelled. Dr. Timothy Caulfield is no mere lecturer and researcher – he’s also a best-selling author and media star.

Indeed, the professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta has so successfully bridged the gap between academia and the mainstream that it’s sometimes difficult to know how many Tim Caulfields there are out there.

“I am very active in the media space, let’s put it that way,” Caulfield concedes with a laugh. “But at the core, I think of myself as an academic and a writer.”

All of those facets will be on display when Caulfield comes to Lakehead University as part of Research & Innovation Week. Caulfield’s presentation, titled “Battling the Bunk Machines: Health in the Era of Celebrity, Social Media & Twisted Facts,” will discuss serious matters in an engaging and entertaining way.

Caulfield, who is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, has published hundreds of articles on topics such as stem cells, genetics, research ethics and associated science and health policy issues. His talk focuses on the spread of misinformation and the push of pseudo-science on social media, often by brand-name celebrities.

“Research tells us the general public is finding it increasingly difficult to tell good science from bad science, truth from untruth. A lot of that has to do with pop culture,” Caulfield says. “It’s having an impact on the health care system, it’s having an impact on the kinds of things people do to keep themselves healthy.”

Caulfield’s work has resulted in two national best-sellers, one of which is the provocatively titled Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash.

The spread of dubious claims, such as 300-calorie-a-day diets and that vaccines lead to autism, are problematic not just because they come from a high-profile source such as a TV or film personality. It resonates with the broader public because of the coverage they receive and the way the message spreads and is amplified.

“It has an impact on all of us, not just the people who think they should follow the advice coming from a celebrity,” he says. “It circulates in our popular culture, whether it’s on social media or the newspaper or the nightly news. It keeps these myths, this misinformation, alive.”

Caulfield did not become a debunker of myths overnight. His interest in health and social policy, and the methodical accumulation of facts and evidence, evolved to the point where he could not help but notice the pervasiveness of celebrity endorsements and the impact of cure-alls.

“Because I have had the opportunity to do work with scientists and the scientific community, it’s so frustrating to see this misinformation and pseudo-science get so much air time,” he says.

Along with his successful writing, Caulfield is also active on social media and has branched out into television production. Originally airing on Vision TV, the series “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death” is now into its second season and is available on Netflix. With a mix of humour and scientific rigour, the show examines gimmicks and alternative medicines like detoxing and anti-aging remedies.

“One way to engage the public is to use these same strategies: use interesting stories, make things interesting visually, make it fun and funny, but still keep it rooted in the science,” he says of his approach, both in the show and engagement in the community.

“What we’re trying to do is think of creative ways to translate academic work back to the public,” he explains.

Caulfield’s presentation takes place Monday, Feb. 25, 7-8 pm in UC 2011. Book signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP on Eventbrite by searching Tim Caulfield.

For more information about Research and Innovation Week visit lakeheadu.ca/ri.

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

February 21, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

The decline in blue-collar jobs over the last generation has left many cities struggling, neighbourhoods have become rundown and young people have been forced to move elsewhere in search of better opportunities.

One way out of the decline is through innovative industry clusters to take advantage of emerging technologies.

It may sound like a pipe dream, but it has worked to both provide employment and to rejuvenate a city economically and culturally, says an expert in technology and entrepreneurship.

“Innovation has become a way to attract residents back to those decent-sized cities that have suffered economic downturns,” Thomas Coke says. “It’s also a way to modernize those big cities and make them better places to live.”

Coke’s experience is with Michigan and, in particular, his hometown of Grand Rapids. As part of Lakehead University’s Research & Innovation activities, Coke will offer insights into how technology has spurred the rebirth of communities in that Great Lakes state.

“We’ve really put a lot of effort into attracting young tech talent, realizing that tech is going to be a way forward,” he explains.

Boasting degrees in economics and law, Coke’s work has been in venture capital, angel investment and crowdfunding. He’s currently chief marketing officer with Argonomo, a firm specializing in the digitization of business. He was recently named president of SafeWhistle, a company developing encrypted software for whistleblower complaints.

The rejuvenation of Michigan has been around financial technology, or FinTech.

And it’s not just Detroit, the auto capital of the U.S., that’s bounced back. Smart zones or hubs with small-business development centres have been a boon to places such as Kalamazoo, Flint and Marquette, where big tech companies can find highly educated engineers and technologists who would rather not live in Silicon Valley or big cities like Chicago and New York.

“It’s just tech innovation,” says Coke. “It might be medical devices, specifically manufactured products. It’s innovation across the board, which has become a way to attract and maintain talent in a given area, and get people excited about living in these smaller towns.”

The experience of his hometown is instructive. Its most famous son is former U.S. president Gerald Ford, and it was historically known for its furniture industry. Today, the largest employers are in health care. With an appealing outdoor lifestyle and highly regarded colleges and universities, it’s luring and retaining top talent.

“Every city is going through change. The history of Thunder Bay is very similar to what we saw in Michigan,” Coke says, noting the decline in grain, rail and forestry — jobs that market forces and automation have altered forever. “Those jobs are never going to come back. People have to re-train themselves and be more innovative. Companies have to be more innovative if they want to stay afloat.”

One significant element of this resurgence is the willingness of successful companies and wealthy families to support civic projects and provide funds to spur new developments, even if many of the start-ups eventually fail.

“It’s energized the ecosystem quite a bit,” Coke says.

“A lot of this is applicable anywhere. The only difference I see between Ontario and Michigan is your government is a little bit more supportive than ours is traditionally. You have a bit more beneficial public funding than we have. But we do a great job of mixing public and private to get to where we need to go,” he adds.

Coke’s presentation takes place Tuesday, Feb. 26, 3-4 pm at Ingenuity Alley (CASES Atrium). For more about R and I Week, which is a showcase for research and innovation happening at Lakehead University, visit lakeheadu.ca/ri.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University has approximately 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. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Thunder Bay, ON — As global food systems face multiple threats and challenges there is an opportunity for social movements and civil society to play an active role in building fair and ecological sustainability.

Drawing on case studies from Canada, the United States, Europe, and New Zealand, "Civil Society and Social Movements in Food System Governance" offers insights into the governance of contemporary food systems and their ongoing transformation by social movements.

“Local food initiatives play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of our communities and societies more broadly,” said Dr. Charles Levkoe, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Food Systems and Associate professor at Lakehead University. “This book details those efforts but also tells the stories of how these groups are coming together to influence decision making to build more equitable and sustainable food systems for all.”

Edited by Peter Andrée, Carleton University, Jill K. Clark, The Ohio State University, Charles Z. Levkoe, Lakehead University, Kristen Lowitt, Brandon University, and published by Routledge, "Civil Society and Social Movements in Food System Governance" is an open-access edition that examines and compares a variety of governance innovations, at a range of scales.

According to co-editor Jill Clark, an associate professor at The Ohio State University: "Our aim is to illustrate promising ways in which food is making positive change in communities. Along with the cases in this book, we provide a framework so community members and researchers alike can examine what is happening in their own backyards.”

For more information contact Dr. Charles Levkoe at clevkoe@lakeheadu.ca. Or go to https://www.routledge.com/Civil-Society-and-Social-Movements-in-Food-System-Governance/Andree-Clark-Levkoe-Lowitt/p/book/9781138588073