As the negative climate effects of fossil fuel-based energy sources become more apparent, governments, scientists and industries around the globe are putting more resources into developing sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives.

Locally, Dr. Mohammad Nasir Uddin is contributing to the effort with his research, funded through Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants, on optimizing the efficiency of wind energy and electric motor drives.

A professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Lakehead University, Uddin and his graduate students are working on wind energy conversion systems to achieve maximum power extraction from the wind and maximum output from wind generators. They do this by creating intelligent algorithms that mimic the human brain by telling the system what to do in any given circumstance.

To illustrate what an algorithm is, Uddin gives the example of a commuter on the way to work in Toronto. “As she heads down the highway, her brain has planned out the shortest and fastest route. That’s an algorithm. Then she hears on the radio that there is an accident up ahead. Her brain takes that new information and creates an alternate route. That’s another algorithm.”

Uddin’s team has also developed control algorithms that improve the power quality and dynamic performance of wind generators by responding appropriately and quickly to unpredictable abnormal variations of wind speeds or power system fault conditions. Thanks to this kind of research the creation of a cost effective and sustainable wind energy system can be achieved.

Another area of Uddin’s research involves loss minimization in electric motors. “Fifty-five per cent of the total electric energy produced in the world is consumed by electric motors,” says Uddin. “If we use the algorithms to force the motor to follow certain conditions so that voltage and current give the minimum loss, then we can improve the overall efficiency of the system and achieve the best motor performance.”

Uddin has shared his findings in 228 papers that have published or accepted in refereed journals and conferences including 53 papers in IEEE Transactions which is considered the top ranking journal in his area of research. In 2010 he won the Lakehead University’s Distinguished Researcher Award.

Uddin’s impact in the field of Electrical Engineering goes beyond his own research. After more than 25 years of teaching and research experience at various universities in Canada, the United States, Bangladesh, Japan and Malaysia he has mentored and inspired many students. They include 50 highly qualified engineers (nine Ph.D., 24 Master’s, 14 Research Associates and three Postdoctoral fellows) and 82 undergraduate students. Most have gone on to work for companies like General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Rockwell Automation, AMEC, Caterpillar and Schneider Electric where they continue to develop optimization algorithms that improve efficiencies in motor drives used in transportation, robotics, automotive and oil industries.

Dr. Mohammed Nasir Uddin is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Lakehead University; Coordinator of the Electrical Engineering program under the Lakehead-Georgian Partnership; and the Director of the Renewable Energy, Power Systems and Drive Research Lab located in Barrie.

Math is not a four-letter word. But to those with rampant math phobia, it certainly feels like it. Dr. Ruth Beatty, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus often sees students who actively dislike or even fear math. To her the problem isn’t with math itself, it’s with how the subject traditionally has been taught.

She started her research career looking at how children understand math and how educators can best teach the subject. She found that by looking beyond numbers and symbols and by taking a more holistic approach to what it means to think “mathematically” teachers could make math more accessible and fun.

Nine years ago, while teaching in the Master's program at Lakehead’s Thunder Bay campus, Beatty made a fascinating connection that has guided her work since then.

“Some of my students were First Nations educators or had been teaching in First Nation schools and we were talking about the disconnect between Indigenous culture and mathematics education in Ontario curriculum,” said Beatty. “I started visiting communities to learn more.”

While working with the Elders she realized that math is naturally embedded in Indigenous cultural practices like beadwork or birch-bark basket-, snowshoe- and moccasin-making.

“Take a beaded bracelet, for example,” says Beatty. “There's so much math in it. There is patterning and algebraic reasoning, there’s geometric transformations, proportional and spatial reasoning. There's number sense and numeration.”

With that cultural connection in mind, Beatty began a study in 2012 with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and teachers from the Renfrew County District School Board at a school with 20 per cent Indigenous students and 80 per cent non-Indigenous students. The project partnered community members, artists, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators to co-plan math instruction for Grade 3 and 6 students based on Algonquin loom beading. Cultural and language teachings were also integrated into the math unit.

The results were overwhelmingly positive. Indigenous students got to share their heritage and gain a sense of pride in their own knowledge systems that were valued on the same level as Western curriculum. Non-Indigenous students gained an appreciation of Indigenous culture. Most importantly, both groups learned exciting new math skills in a fun and engaging environment.

Perhaps the best endorsement of the math classes came from the students themselves. At the end of a session, with students working in their designs, making calculations to determine how many beads they would need, the teacher told them to wrap it up, math class was over. They looked up in surprise. Wait? What? Math? They had spent three hours absorbed in their learning with no idea they were, in fact, doing math.

Beatty and her team have collaborated with nine more communities around the province including The Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Simcoe County District School Board. Her work shows that math doesn’t belong to Eurocentric culture or scholars. Math is all around us and if taught in inventive, positive, and culturally responsive ways, no one needs to be afraid of it.

Faculty of Education professor Dr. Ruth Beatty and her school board partners received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, CanCode, and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education to carry out this important research.

Before he became a university professor and author, Dr. Kunle Akingbola had a successful career as a Human Resources (HR) professional. He was the HR manager for the Canadian Red Cross in Toronto while working on the second of his three Master’s degrees. As he grappled with choosing a thesis topic, his research advisor made a suggestion that would change the course of Akingbola’s work and his life.

At the time, the Red Cross had just taken over managing a homeless shelter over the winter for the City of Toronto, which was downsizing services to the non-profit sector. On top of their regular programs, Red Cross employees had to create and staff a completely new program that they would give up in six months time, only to bring back another six months after that.

Akingbola took his advisor’s advice and used the Red Cross case study as the basis for his Master’s thesis on non-profit HR management. That line of study eventually led to his Ph.D. dissertation, which examined the entire strategy of non-profit organizations across Canada and the impact of government funding and the environment.

Akingbola’s growing expertise led to part-time university teaching. He eventually left his HR career to become a full-time professor. Today he is Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus.

With numerous publications including books, chapters in edited books, and articles in leading journals, research continues to be a large part of Akingbola’s work, which looks at ways to optimize the effectiveness of non-profit organizations while increasing employee satisfaction and improving outcomes for the communities they serve. He encourages his students to get research experience by helping him do surveys and data sorting.

“Prior to my study, no one had ever looked at HR management in non-profit organizations, says Akingbola. “There had been research on volunteers, but not employees of non-profit organizations that make up a major part of the Canadian social sector and account for about nine per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

His vast personal experience in HR in non-profit and healthcare sectors combined with his extensive ground-breaking research give Akingbola rare insight and expertise into social purpose enterprises. He understands the fine line organizations are forced to walk to secure the funding that is essential to support their services. It’s especially frustrating in the face of what Akingbola calls “mission drift.”

“How do you manage people who joined your organization because they believe in your mission, but now you have to go in a different direction because that’s where the funding is dictating you go?” says Akingbola.

One thing he is certain of is the importance of the human component in non-profit activities.

“The nature of service is emotional and it is human based,” says Akingbola. “You can install an ATM on Jarvis Street in Toronto that gives out blankets and coffee to the homeless on a cold winter’s night. But it can’t dispense compassion. In that regard you can’t replace human capital.”

Dr. Kunle Akingbola is the lead author of the book "Change Management in Nonprofit Organizations: Theory and Practice" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019) and the author of "Managing Human Resources for Nonprofits" (Routledge, 2015).

Dr. Michael Rennie is looking specifically at Lake Herring and Walleye to help inform adaptive management plans for Quetico Park.

June 19, 2020 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

A Lakehead University researcher has secured a $75,000 Quetico Foundation grant over the next three years to evaluate how invasive spiny water flea and climate change are affecting the early growth rates and mercury loads of fish at Quetico Park.

Dr. Michael Rennie, an Associate Professor in Biology, Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries, and Research Fellow at the Experimental Lakes Area, is looking specifically at Lake Herring and Walleye to help inform adaptive management plans for Quetico Park.

“Recreational fisheries are a keystone to local economies, worth $1.3 billion in Ontario alone per year,” Dr. Rennie said.

“This is especially true in remote park regions like Quetico Provincial Park, a mecca for backcountry canoeists and fishermen. However, invasive species like the spiny water flea and climate change threaten these pristine systems, and may require a change in management strategies given these ongoing environmental changes,” he said.

“We are extremely pleased to have received this funding from the Foundation for our first Lakehead University/Quetico Foundation Research Program,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

“This project will yield important results with regards to the ecology at Quetico Park and impacts of climate change. The park is one of those pristine treasures in our own backyard. Understanding and managing changes to the wildlife and fish in the park is essential to sustainability and resilience within a changing environment,” Dr. Dean added.

“The Quetico Foundation is thrilled to be working with Lakehead, and in particular, with Dr. Rennie who has an outstanding background in aquatic ecosystems,” said Arthur Saunders, Chair of the Foundation’s Science Committee.

“The Quetico Foundation is dedicated to the protection of wilderness and we anticipate that Dr. Rennie’s research will add to our understanding of how Quetico Park’s environment is reacting to the forces of change,” Saunders added.

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

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. In 2019, Maclean’s 2020 University Rankings, once again, included Lakehead University among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities, while Research Infosource named Lakehead 'Research University of the Year' in its category for the fifth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

October 15, 2020 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University’s Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health is receiving more than $127,000 to market and grow a podcast about dementia, thanks to the Government of Canada’s Dementia Community Investment fund.

“One of the greatest tools that we have to combat stigma and discrimination is stories,” said Dr. Elaine Wiersma, Director, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health.

“Dementia Dialogue offers opportunities to listen to the stories of people living with dementia and care partners, thereby challenging stigma, misunderstandings, and stereotypes.

“Listening to the voices of those living with dementia and their supporters is one important way that we can change the dominant narrative of dementia as solely of loss and sadness, and subsequently, ensure that people living with dementia are treated with respect and dignity, and that we can create a fully inclusive society,” she said.

David Harvey, host of the Dementia Dialogue Podcast Network, said listeners range from people living with dementia to those caring for someone with the disorder.

“We want to hear their lived experiences,” he said. “Our goal is to strengthen the voice of people with dementia in speaking to each other and to the broader society – which often overlooks people with dementia.”

Harvey said the podcast would increase people's understanding of the dementia experience, to improve coping and self-care strategies for people with lived experience as well as caregivers, and it will help reduce stigma.  

“If they themselves have the condition or are in a relationship with someone who does, perhaps through listening they may gain greater insight into their own experience and feel less isolated,” Harvey said. “As well, peer participation in interviews will demonstrate the continuing abilities of people, post-diagnosis.”

Funding will help CERAH increase production, enhance marketing, reach more regions, produce French episodes, and engage diverse communities.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. In 2019, Maclean’s 2020 University Rankings, once again, included Lakehead University among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities, while Research Infosource named Lakehead 'Research University of the Year' in its category for the fifth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

The Lakehead Experience Virtual Open House is taking place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 am to 2 pm for future students interested in exploring their post-secondary options at Lakehead University.

Future Thunderwolves will have the opportunity to explore our comprehensive academic programs and connect personally with professors, staff and more.

Through videos, downloadable program information packages, and one-on-one chats in our 21 exhibitor booths, future students will learn about Lakehead's programs, scholarships and bursaries, admissions and vibrant student life.

To register for this event, visit https://www.lakeheadu.ca/openhouse

Lakehead University’s Teaching Commons, in collaboration with Lakehead International, will be hosting its annual Teaching & Learning Week from Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Oct. 30.

This year’s theme is Anti-Racism and Pedagogies of Inclusion and will feature guest speakers on topics including Indigegogy, Cultural Intelligence, Queering your Classroom, Inclusive Language, and Anti-racist pedagogies.

All events will be hosted online, beginning with opening ceremonies and a keynote speaker on Monday, Oct. 26 from 1 - 3 pm and closing on Friday, Oct. 30 10 am - 12:00 pm with a celebration of our teaching award winners and the Distinguished Instructor Award lecture.

The Teaching Commons with Lakehead International invite you to this informative and transformative learning experience!

Please see https://teachingcommons.lakeheadu.ca/teaching-and-learning-week for more information about this event.

Did you know that November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada? Throughout the month of November we have informative events with great guest speakers as well as over $500 in prizes to be won, including a grand prize draw at the end of the month! Each session you attend gives you a chance to win a $50 gift card as well as an entry into the grand prize draw.

Fill out the Lakehead University Financial Literacy Month 2020 survey (https://forms.gle/CCSGKoQ7RAoFPq1u9) for an additional three (3) ballot entries into our grand prize draw, valued at over $200.

Find more information about Financial Literacy Month, please visit www.lakeheadu.ca/flm.

October 16, 2020 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

Take the first step to achieving your career goals by registering now for Lakehead University’s virtual open house, happening on Saturday, Oct. 24, and have a chance to win free tuition for your first year.

There has never been an easier way for you and your family to learn more about Lakehead University – from the comfort of your home.

Through videos, downloadable program info packages, and one-on-one chats, you can learn about the University’s vibrant student life, its degree programs, scholarships and bursaries, and other important admissions information.

“This virtual open house promises to be an exceptional introduction to the academic opportunities available through Lakehead University,” said Lynn Hurrell, Director of Undergraduate Recruitment (Domestic). 

“Students will learn how Lakehead’s degree programs, smaller class sizes, hands-on learning opportunities and high career employment rates make a degree from Lakehead extraordinarily valuable.”

The open house will feature a virtual exhibit hall where you will pick up a virtual backpack and visit with 21 different booths to collect brochures and faculty and program videos and most importantly, chat one-on-one with current faculty, researchers and student services teams. 

“At Lakehead, our faculty know you by name and care about your academic growth and success,” Hurrell said. “By connecting with them now – before you become a Lakehead student – you can begin having important conversations that will help you personalize and shape your academic career.”

In addition to learning more about Lakehead’s diverse degree programs, you will be able to chat with a variety of support services staff who will guide you through your academic career, including the Admissions office, Indigenous Initiatives, Student Awards and Financial Aid, Student Wellness, and Student Success to name a few.

Future students attending the virtual open house – or any of Lakehead’s many virtual events happening this year – will be automatically entered into a draw to win free first-year tuition. 

Lakehead University has world-renowned faculty and researchers, which is why Maclean’s Magazine includes Lakehead in its annual top 10 list of undergraduate universities in Canada and Research Infosource has named Lakehead the Research University of the Year for five consecutive years.

The Lakehead Experience: A Virtual Open House will run from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, Oct. 24. Register now to reserve your space by visiting lakeheadu.ca/openhouse.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. In 2019, Maclean’s 2020 University Rankings, once again, included Lakehead University among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities, while Research Infosource named Lakehead 'Research University of the Year' in its category for the fifth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

"Empires of Pain: A Story of Racism, Opioids and Revenge" is a new, short web-based comic co-authored by Lakehead Canada Research Chair in Culture, Media and Social Justice Dr. Max Haiven.

It explores the longer history of the ongoing opioid crisis, which has to date killed over half a million people in the US alone and has ruined the lives of many more.

With tragic deaths from overdoses rising in Thunder Bay and across Canada during the lockdown, this comic contributes to demanding that society take a hard look at how we got here.

The comic, based on a chapter of Haiven's recently published book Revenge Capitalism: The Ghosts of Empire, the Demons of Capital, and the Settling of Unpayable Debts (Pluto 2020) focuses on the longer history of drugs, empires and racism, tracing the roots of today's crisis to the 19th century Opium Wars.

It explores the links between the drug crisis and the tide of far-right political revenge that has recently swept the United States and other countries.

The comic can be read for free at http://empiresofpain.com where visitors can also find essays and audio.