Kim Wheatley, Maude Barlow, and Coco Love Alcorn will be part of Lakehead University's Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning's Women and Water event. 

June 11, 2019 – Orillia, ON

Directly or indirectly, water is central to our lives in every way. Water is also the focus of Lakehead University’s Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning’s upcoming event, Women and Water.

On Wednesday, June 19 people of all ages will gather for an evening of stories, teachings, and songs that share a common theme: the centrality of water. Three remarkable women will join Lakehead University for Women and Water and help explore, embrace and celebrate our relationships with water.

Kim Wheatley, water walker and Anishinaabe traditional grandmother, will open the event with traditional stories, songs and teachings. 

Maude Barlow, Honorary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, chair of Food and Water Watch, and Lakehead University honorary degree recipient (2005) will answer the question, "Whose Water is It Anyway?", and discuss the fight for water justice in Canada and abroad.

The evening will also feature Canadian singer-songwriter, Coco Love Alcorn, who people will remember from her amazing turn at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 2018, will perform her viral hit, "The River," along with many other top songs.  

“We have been working really hard in Orillia to think through and address climate change and embrace sustainability,” said Dr. Linda Rodenburg, coordinator of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning. “We wanted to do something to celebrate our commitment to addressing these issues.  Everyone can learn something about the water, and embrace its importance in their own ways.” 

Rodenburg points out that, according to local Indigenous teachings, women are the keepers of the water. This doesn’t mean that the event is only for women, however. “Their message is for everyone in our community, men and women, young and old,” she said.

Details, including registration information, can be found online at www.lakeheadu.ca/cell. Tickets can be purchased at mysuccess.lakeheadu.ca/cell.

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Media: Jaclyn Bucik, Marketing & Communications Associate, 705-330-4008 ext. 2014 orjaclyn.bucik@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. Visitwww.lakeheadu.ca.

Honorary Degree recipient, Charles Pachter (centre), is pictured with President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Moira McPherson and Chancellor Lyn McLeod before addressing graduates at Lakehead Orillia’s convocation ceremony on Saturday, June 8.

2019 Civitas Award winner Mark Douglas (centre) is pictured with Lakehead Orillia Principal Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans (right), Chancellor Lyn McLeod, and Dr. Moira McPherson.

June 8, 2019 – Orillia, ON 

This year, 420 students graduated from Lakehead University with over 241 proudly walking across the stage in front of family, friends and faculty during the Orillia campus’s convocation ceremonies June 8 at Rotary Place.

“Our graduates have accomplished so much here at Lakehead Orillia, and we are confident that their efforts, going forward, will make our world a better place," said Dr. Moira McPherson, President and Vice-Chancellor.

“Whether they've earned a professional degree in Education, Business Administration, Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Work, or Science, their studies at Lakehead have also prepared them to navigate the rapidly-shifting economic and political uncertainties of tomorrow.

That sentiment was echoed by 2019 voice from the class Zoe Dhillon, Honours Bachelor of Arts with specialization in English. In her address to the graduating class, Dhillon recognized and appreciated the shared experiences gained throughout their time together.

“Through small class sizes, we have developed immense interpersonal skills, learning to adapt and aid others in the pursuit of further knowledge. Through our professors, we have learned invaluable lessons within our respective fields, knowledge that will inspire us to seek out new opportunities in the world and, certainly, knowledge that will stay with us for the rest of our lives,” she said.

“Together, we have enjoyed our successes and learned from our areas of growth. And finally, through ourselves, we have learned just how capable we truly are.”

Chancellor Lyn McLeod used her closing remarks to remind graduates to maintain an enthusiasm for learning that was forged during their time at Lakehead.

"The world of our graduates is not the world I have lived and worked in — it is a world that they will help to shape," said McLeod. "I am confident that they will be open to new ideas and new approaches, and that they will become aware and engaged participants in their new environments." 

During Saturday’s ceremony, Lakehead University also bestowed honorary awards on two outstanding individuals for their contribution to the university and community. Distinguished and internationally recognized contemporary artist Charles Pachter received a Doctor of Fine Arts, and Anishinaabe Elder and storyteller Mark Douglas was presented with the Civitas Award for his significant contributions to Indigenous education at Lakehead University.

The university also presented six awards to students during the ceremony.

• Lloyd Dennis Award for Outstanding Citizenship (Orillia): Tristen Taylor
• The William A. West Scholar Awards for Education (Primary-Junior): Crystal Jones
• Dean’s Scholar Awards for Science and Environmental Studies (Sustainability Studies): David Khorsand
• Dean’s Scholar Awards for Science and Environmental Studies (Anthropology): Annaliese Eber
• Dean’s Scholar Awards for Social Sciences and Humanities (English): Zoe Dhillon
• Dean’s Scholar Awards for Social Sciences and Humanities (Interdisciplinary Studies): Megan Gramigna

This year, Lakehead University graduated approximately 2,200 students from its Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses.  

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

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.

 June 10, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.  

The PACIFIC workshop, supported by the European Union, highlights the growing demand for minerals and metals for sustainable energy and presents a low-cost and non-invasive technique for mineral exploration.

This new technique locates and directly images ore bodies beneath the surface.

The workshop will be held on the 12th and 13th of June at Lakehead University in the Centennial Building, room 3031.

What is PACIFIC?

PACIFIC (Passive Seismic Techniques for Environmentally Friendly and Cost-Efficient Mineral Exploration) is a consortium of universities, government agencies and private companies that is developing new mineral exploration tools with support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program.

What is passive seismic technique for imaging?

The passive seismic technique allows geologists to look inside the Earth’s crust and detect ore deposits, using geophones deployed at the surface. A geophone, as the name indicates, is a device that ‘listens to the Earth’ by recording seismic waves. Seismic noise is generated permanently at the surface of the globe, due to the interaction between the atmosphere, the oceans, the solid Earth, and also to human activities due to blasting, trucks, trains, wind turbines. The technique reads the fingerprint of the subsurface and produces 3D tomographic images down to depths of about one kilometre.

Workshop description

The workshop will briefly summarize the status of mineral exploration worldwide, the characteristics of ore deposits, and the societal perception for the mining industry. Then it will highlight the fundamentals of common geophysical methods used for mineral exploration, with a focus on passive seismic methods, and special application of the passive reflection seismic technique at Marathon.

The program is available here.

Town hall meeting

5:15 pm on Wednesday, June 12 – Centennial building room 3031

The town hall meeting will be an opportunity for representatives of local and national media (TV, radio, newspapers and social networks) to ask questions and learn more about passive seismic technology, and review preliminary results of the tests conducted in Marathon, Ontario.

Participation to the workshop and town hall meeting is free (subject to seats available). If you are interested in attending, please contact Rosemary Fauyjaloun at rosemary.fayjaloun@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr.

The Department of Geology is pleased to promote this workshop as the activities complement the research activities of Lakehead University faculty and students. 

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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.

Becca Hall (left) and her mother Irma will graduate together at Lakehead University’s 55^thconvocation Saturday.

June 6, 2019 – Orillia, ON

While most mothers and fathers will be smiling from the audience at their children walking across the stage during Lakehead University’s 55^th Convocation, Irma Hall will have a different view.

That’s because on June 8 she’ll be accepting a degree herself.

Irma, 51, will receive an Honours Bachelor of Social Work, while her daughter Becca Hall, 25, will receive an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.

“It feels like I’m living in a movie,” said Becca. “But it’s a great thing and I’m so proud of my mom for going back and completing her schooling. It was great to be able to have someone to experience this journey with.”

In the fall of 2016, nearly three decades after she had last been in postsecondary, Irma returned to complete her four-year undergraduate degree at Lakehead.

“After a number of major life changes I was no longer doing what I loved to do,” she said. “I wanted to work in the field of social work. The only way I could do that was to go back to university.”

When Irma mentioned to her daughter that she wanted to apply to Lakehead for social work, Becca became her biggest cheerleader encouraging her through the application and offer process. It was also what sparked Becca’s interest in going back to school.

“It was the very last day before the deadline to apply, and I decided that if I didn’t apply now that I would never do it,” Becca explained. So the two of them sat down and worked through Becca’s university application, together.

Although Irma and Becca enrolled in different programs, in first- and second-year mother and daughter ended up having multiple classes together.

“It was awesome having our classes together because we did homework together and studied together and encouraged each other – it was really nice,” said Irma.

What is hard to believe is that the duo managed to keep their relationship secret.

“We didn’t let many people know,” said Irma. “We had a few mutual friends who figured it out, but most didn’t know. We thought it was better for both of us to forge our own paths in university, which ended up overlapping in a lot of ways.”

After the pair accept their degrees on Saturday, the next chapter of their lives will begin. Irma will continue in her new role as Executive Director of the Orillia Pregnancy Resource Centre. Rebecca will take some time off to travel the world and have her own experiences.

“This is what I’ve been training for over the last four years, and to get a job right out of school … I would never be where I am right now if I hadn’t gone to Lakehead University,” Irma said. “I’m so excited to graduate on Saturday.”

For now, the duo is focused on Saturday and celebrating their achievements with each other and their family.

“Anytime your child graduates from university it’s a special thing, but in our family, we are the first two to ever go to university so it’s even more special,” said Irma. “I’m going to cheer and give her flowers and we’re just going to have a fantastic day.”

“I’m so proud of her, it was a really good choice for her and now she has a job right out of school,” said Becca. “I’m really excited to watch her cross the stage on Saturday.”

 – 30 –

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

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. Visitwww.lakeheadu.ca.

(Pictured) Lakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Moira McPherson with City of Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke at the Memorandum of Understanding signing event in Orillia Council Chamber on June 5, 2019.

For immediate release (June 5, 2019) – The City of Orillia and Lakehead University have formalized their long-standing relationship with a commitment to ongoing collaboration.

Earlier today, City of Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke and Dr. Moira McPherson, President and Vice-Chancellor of Lakehead University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the ways that the City of Orillia and Lakehead University will leverage existing and future relationships in order to achieve commons goals.

“The City of Orillia and Lakehead University have a well-established, positive relationship that is further reinforced through this MOU,” said Mayor Clarke. “Formalizing this relationship enshrines our joint commitment to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, innovation and incubation. We look forward to the many positive impacts this continued collaboration will have on the Orillia community and broader region.” 

Lakehead University is an economic driver for the city with 82 full-time staff and faculty and 1,350 students who live, work, shop and give back to the community. The University is also home to a wealth of human capital that can help strengthen the community by finding solutions to societal challenges and concerns.

“The people and City of Orillia have worked with Lakehead University to create post-secondary opportunities for this region even before we broke ground and opened our doors in Orillia,” explained Dr. McPherson. “This MOU formalizes our mutual desire to collaborate further and establish a strong and active partnership that benefits students, faculty, the business community and residents.”

Areas of possible collaboration between the City and University are outlined in the MOU – from policy development to funding opportunities and entrepreneurship, to international engagement and advocacy with other levels of government. This MOU formalizes and gives momentum to the pursuit of these cooperative efforts and initiatives. 

Orillia Council ratified the approval of the MOU with Lakehead University at its meeting on Monday, June 3, 2019.

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City of Orillia
The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.

Lakehead University
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 lakeheadu.ca.

June 5, 2019 – Orillia, ON

Zoe Dhillon will be the Voice from the Class at Lakehead University’s convocation ceremony on Saturday, June 8 at Rotary Place in Orillia.

Dhillon’s speech will focus on recognizing and appreciating the experiences that students have shared throughout their time together. 

“The goal of my speech is to acknowledge the ways in which we have grown over the past few years at Lakehead, and to cherish the fact that we have gone through this process together,” Dhillon said.

“I also want to highlight some of the amazing opportunities that make Lakehead Orillia so unique, like small class sizes and accessible communication with our skilled professors.”

Before attending Lakehead Orillia, Dhillon spent a year studying at a larger university where she felt more like a number than a valued member of a diverse campus. “It was difficult to meet students and professors in my own program, so I essentially felt alone throughout the process of my degree.”

After returning to Orillia for the summer, she suddenly became enamoured by the small town and its wonderful citizens. Since she felt increasingly disheartened by that larger university, she decided to apply to Lakehead Orillia on a whim – only a month before classes would start.

“At Lakehead Orillia things are so different, which is why I really believe our campus is a special, magical place. The small class sizes provide an opportunity for students to develop amazing interpersonal relationships and to work together on a variety of projects. In addition, we have the opportunity to work with our professors more than at other universities, and to benefit from their knowledge and expertise in a very accessible manner.”

She felt her paralysis fade away after starting at Lakehead Orillia. This sense of ease allowed her to take on several interesting roles on campus, including as the Orillia Bureau Chief for the Argus student newspaper, the writing coach at Lakehead Orillia, and as a research assistant for a Lakehead professor.

“Lakehead has also provided me with the opportunity to volunteer at a number of campus events, to publish my writing, and to speak at several conferences both in Canada and the U.S. Lakehead also gave me the boost in personal confidence and communication skills that I needed in order to be successful within those opportunities,” she said.

Another highlight for Dhillon was volunteering at the Lakehead University English booth for information sessions and open houses on campus.

“I absolutely love it when prospective students come up with the same enthusiasm and interest that I had when I was in their position. As I’m sure you can tell by now, I think Lakehead is the best school out there and I feel so unbelievably grateful to be here, so I love sharing my stories and my feedback about the school.”

At convocation, Dhillon will receive a Dean’s Scholar Award for Social Sciences and Humanities along with an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in English. She also received two external scholarships and the Lakehead Leader Award for Academic Excellence during her time at Lakehead.

Dhillon will be starting a Master of Arts in English and a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies at York University this September. After that, she plans to pursue a PhD to continue her research.

“My dream is to become a professor of English literature – preferably at Lakehead Orillia,” she said. 

– 30 –

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

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.

June 3, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Holly Prince is one of only 20 doctoral students from across Canada and the globe who has received a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship, one of the most prestigious awards in Canada in the social sciences and humanities fields. 

Prince is an Indigenous scholar and Anishinaabekwe from the Red Rock Indian Band, Lake Helen Reserve, and currently a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education (Thunder Bay campus), supervised by Dr. Lisa Korteweg, in the Joint PhD in Education program.

For more than a decade, Prince has been working as a researcher and project manager at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health (CERAH), focused on improving the end-of-life care in Indigenous communities with the active collaboration of community members.

Her current PhD work is situated in Indigenous community-based educational research, interdisciplinary in its focus on accessible, culturally relevant, well-being and education services, determined with and controlled by Indigenous people.

Prince has been awarded $180,000 over three years to advance her research into First Nations community-based palliative care education and programs, including funds to promote travel for research and scholarly networking and knowledge dissemination.

“I am extremely excited to have been awarded this honour and to become part of the new doctoral cohort in the Trudeau Foundation scholarly community,” said Prince.

“I feel both humbled and extremely responsible in my role as an Indigenous scholar, to see my own doctoral work as improving the conditions for academic research with Indigenous communities or bringing research back to life or positive repute in communities.”

“The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (PETF) encourages research that strives to make societal change through academia,” Prince said.

“Being part of such an accomplished and influential academic community will offer great opportunities to move Canadian institutions, like healthcare and education, forward in prioritizing Indigenous peoples, communities and our knowledge systems in research. I look forward to inquiring with fellow PETF scholars and mentors as to how academia can respectfully recognize the importance of Indigenous perspectives in the pursuit of knowledge and ideas.”

Even though Prince’s research is specifically situated in palliative care education in Indigenous communities, she said this kind of work is relevant for all research in Canada, given the “longstanding broken relationships between Indigenous communities and universities and an ongoing inadequate acknowledgement of the value of Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based control.”

The Trudeau Foundation receives nominations from top PhD candidates in the Social Sciences and Humanities fields from universities across Canada and internationally. About 300 exceptional PhD students are nominated by their home universities, but only 20 in total are chosen after a grueling application process, including flying to Montreal for personal and group interviews.

This is the first time Lakehead University has nominated a graduate student for the PETF scholarship.  

“For Holly to be awarded the renowned Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is a phenomenal achievement and a testament to the outstanding quality of her scholarship,” said Dr. Korteweg, Prince’s supervisor.

“It is also a tribute to the pressing need for more Indigenous research by Indigenous scholars and with Indigenous communities. I couldn’t be prouder of Holly and for the national recognition of her Indigenous scholarship,” Dr. Korteweg added.

“For Holly to receive the prestigious Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is a wonderful personal achievement and a tribute to her scholarship,” said Dr. Wayne Melville, Acting Dean of Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education.

“As a Faculty we wish her all the best as she pursues her vital research into First Nations community-based palliative care education programs. The award is also a testament to the quality of the Joint PhD in Educational Studies Program here at Lakehead, and the commitment of our faculty members to nurturing the next generation of researchers,” he added.

For more information:

http://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/en/programs/doctoral-scholarships

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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.

May 31, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Faculty and staff in Lakehead University’s School of Nursing are thrilled that this year they will be graduating the 100th Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) graduate who has entered through the Native Nurses Entry Program (NNEP).

Altogether, seven NNEP graduates will be graduating with BScN degrees during this Saturday’s 9:30 am convocation ceremony at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

Since its inception in 1987, the NNEP has provided access to the BScN program for Indigenous learners. 

"We are so pleased to honour the BScN class of 2019, who are the 49th class to graduate from basic BScN programs at Lakehead University,” said Dr. Glenna Knutson, Director of the School of Nursing.

This class includes seven Indigenous individuals who entered the BScN program through Lakehead's Native Nurses Entry Program, an access program that the University has offered since 1987.

“This program has now assisted over 100 Indigenous individuals to earn their BScN and become nurses,” Dr. Knutson said.

“This year's class includes over 150 diverse students, including a significant number of men, who arrived at Lakehead from locations across Ontario, Canada and other countries.”

This Saturday, June 1 these students will have their degrees conferred. Yesterday they participated in the 43rd School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony where they received their nursing school pin in recognition of becoming members of the nursing profession.

“We offer warm wishes to all of our graduates,” Dr. Knutson added.

Dr. David Barnett, Lakehead University’s Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic), echoed the excitement around this milestone achievement. “Our Native Nurses Entry Program has been an exceptional success and we are very pleased to be able to say we have now graduated 100 promising students,” he said.

“Our NNEP is an example of the work being pursued at Lakehead through our new Academic Plan’s Anishinaabe Miikana Gichi Kendaasiwin priority,” Dr. Barnett explained. “Developed in consultation with our Elder’s Council and Regional Elders, our Plan will ensure that we continue to provide access and pathways to higher learning, knowledge, and education.”

– 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.

May 29, 2019 – Orillia, ON

Discover beauty and biodiversity in the South Bruce Peninsula this summer with Lakehead University’s Ontario Master Naturalist program.

A partnership with Ontario Nature, the Ontario Master Naturalist Program is aimed at naturalists and those dedicated to environmental stewardship, and is designed to broaden participants’ knowledge and expertise of the natural world through formal training and guidance.

“There is such a strong, active naturalist community out there that has a great appetite for the type of research and education that this program provides,” explained Bob Bowles, award-winning Orillia-based naturalist and program coordinator. “We are hoping that this program will also help to provide the foundation from which naturalists, new and old, can expand their studies and research.”

Plants, reptiles, rocks and wetlands are just a few of the topics that participants will delve into during the program. The eight-day session will run from July 13 to 20 and involves seven modules that combine fieldwork and in-class instruction.

Participants will receive a certificate after successfully completing the Master Naturalist program. 

Details, including registration information, can be found online at lakeheadu.ca/masternaturalist or by contacting masternaturalist@lakeheadu.ca.

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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.

May 28, 2019 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University has chosen three students to speak as the Voices from the Class at this year’s convocation ceremonies at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1. 

Masoud Manzouri will speak on Friday, May 31 at 2 pm.

Manzouri’s speech will be about why “going beyond expectations is the key to becoming exceptional and unconventional.”

He said he enjoyed his experiences at Lakehead University.

"Lakehead is a unique and inclusive campus, which offers enormous opportunities to not only improve your academic and research skills, but also to get involved in student life to build your personal, social, and professional skills."

This year he received the Lakehead Leader Award for promoting diversity and inclusion at Lakehead University and in Thunder Bay. He said he is also the first graduate student to serve as president of the Lakehead University Student Union.

He also won the WUSC Campus Award for Event of the Year for Outstanding Leadership and Planning at the 2019 International Forum in Ottawa, for organizing Drams for Justice with Emmanuel Jal, a free event where a former child soldier sang and spoke to students about optimism in the face of adversity.

Manzouri, an international student from Iran, will receive his Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and then will be serving students as the LUSU president.

Madison Sameshima will speak on Saturday, June 1 at 9:30 am.

“My speech will be about how we’ve grown academically, professionally, and as people during our time at Lakehead,” Sameshima said.

“In addition to acquiring a comprehensive foundation of knowledge in our discipline, we have had many opportunities for experiential learning and opportunities to learn more about ourselves. These skills and lessons will be just as valuable for our futures.”

She said her experiences at Lakehead were “incredibly rewarding” and that she was able to get to know her professors and peers and “learn in a supportive environment.”

“I gained work experience through the Work Study Program, Co-op, and the RBC Work Integrated Learning Program. I also have so much fun working in the community alongside so many dedicated students in the Shelter House volunteering group and Enactus Lakehead. All these experiences have made me more confident to graduate and enter the workforce.”

Sameshima was on the Enactus Lakehead team last year and then became president. Through both years, she worked with a dedicated team of students on financial literacy projects.

“This year we attended the Regional Competition in Toronto and the National Exposition in Vancouver and placed for the first time in both competitions. Working with this amazing team on these community projects was incredibly rewarding and allowed me to learn many skills in addition to my degree.”

She will receive her Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Human Resources and a minor in Marketing. She will receive the President’s Award for her achievements and contributions to Lakehead University.

Sameshima will study abroad this summer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and complete an internship at an international start-up in China. She will return to Lakehead in September to complete the Master of Science in Management Program.

Vanessa Ervin will speak at 2 pm on Saturday, June 1.

“I know convocation can be a very pivotal moment in our lives, so I want to help my classmates see how much they have accomplished, to be incredibly proud and excited for convocation, and help them realize what they are capable of,” she said.

“I also want to thank everyone who has helped us throughout our time at Lakehead, and to thank Lakehead for making us into the people that we are today.”

Ervin said she knew Lakehead was the right place for her from day one. 

“The first day I arrived at Lakehead there were people at the entrance waving welcoming signs, cheering us on, and helping us move in.

“It was an amazing day, and I met so many friendly and welcoming people. This was when I knew I was moving into a place that I would consider my home and family. I look back on my first day, and all the moments in between, and see how many priceless memories I have made at Lakehead.”

Ervin said she enjoyed participating in many of the opportunities during her time at Lakehead, and she always strived to get the most out of her time at Lakehead. She was on the executive board within Lakehead’s first and only sorority, Alpha Pi Phi, Kappa. She was also the Vice-President for Lakehead’s Visual Arts Network (LUSU Club), and she studied at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore during the summer of 2018.

She was also selected to co-curate at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery for the By Request: Collective Curation of the Permanent Collection and she receivedthe Department of Visual Arts award for her art at Lakehead’s Annual Juried Show, among other awards for her art.

Ervin will receive an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Women’s Studies.

This fall she will continue her education at the University Of Ottawa in pursuit of a Master of Women’s Studies.

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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.