Caroline Sabotig and Samantha Sanotorelli (two pictured in photo, with the Director of the School of Nursing, Dr. Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio) are from the first Master of Nursing - Advanced Nursing cohort.

Lakehead University's faculty lounge was bustling with activity on Saturday, Oct. 6. The morning saw the excitement of a graduate nursing ceremony to celebrate 21 individuals across two programs and two streams of study: Master of Nursing (MN) and Master of Public (MPH) Health graduates from the Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Nursing streams. 

Graduates from the Master of Public Health- Nurse Practitioner stream included: Joshua Anttonen, Hsu-Yin Boo, John Jackson-Hughes, and Caitlin Watkins. Graduates from the Master of Nursing- Nurse Practitioner stream included Jenna Agombar, Gillian Arnold, Justine Chapdelaine, Taylor Gusola, Jasmin Hamm, Hayley Krasowski, Jacqueline Marsh, Meredith Orr, Shannon Prevost, Muhammad, Saeed, and Theresa Sawkins.

Graduates from the Master of Nursing- Advanced Nursing stream included Lee McNeely, Ibukun Obidi, Caroline Sabotig, Anjana Salim, Samantha Santorelli, and Erin Zysko. This is the first graduating cohort of the Advanced Nursing stream since the Master of Nursing program began in 2021.

Lakehead is proud to offer a Master of Nursing program and a Master of Public health program. The Nurse Practitioner stream is offered as part of a provincial consortium of nine universities. 

The ceremony honoured the success of our graduates with the help of Elder Sheila Decorte, the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Dr. Mirella Stroink, the Director of the School of Nursing Dr. Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio, faculty and staff, and friends and family members. We are confident that these incredible nursing leaders will create positive change in our communities and we wish them all the best for a very bright future!

Caroline Sabotig and Samantha Sanotorelli (two pictured in photo, with the Director of the School of Nursing, Dr. Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio) are from the first Master of Nursing - Advanced Nursing cohort.

Lakehead University's faculty lounge was bustling with activity on Saturday, Oct. 6. The morning saw the excitement of a graduate nursing ceremony to celebrate 21 individuals across two programs and two streams of study: Master of Nursing (MN) and Master of Public (MPH) Health graduates from the Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Nursing streams. 

Graduates from the Master of Public Health- Nurse Practitioner stream included: Joshua Anttonen, Hsu-Yin Boo, John Jackson-Hughes, and Caitlin Watkins. Graduates from the Master of Nursing- Nurse Practitioner stream included Jenna Agombar, Gillian Arnold, Justine Chapdelaine, Taylor Gusola, Jasmin Hamm, Hayley Krasowski, Jacqueline Marsh, Meredith Orr, Shannon Prevost, Muhammad, Saeed, and Theresa Sawkins.

Graduates from the Master of Nursing- Advanced Nursing stream included Lee McNeely, Ibukun Obidi, Caroline Sabotig, Anjana Salim, Samantha Santorelli, and Erin Zysko. This is the first graduating cohort of the Advanced Nursing stream since the Master of Nursing program began in 2021.

Lakehead is proud to offer a Master of Nursing program and a Master of Public health program. The Nurse Practitioner stream is offered as part of a provincial consortium of nine universities. 

The ceremony honoured the success of our graduates with the help of Elder Sheila Decorte, the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Dr. Mirella Stroink, the Director of the School of Nursing Dr. Kristen Jones-Bonofiglio, faculty and staff, and friends and family members. We are confident that these incredible nursing leaders will create positive change in our communities and we wish them all the best for a very bright future!

Dr. Charles Levkoe Partners with Communities to Find Lasting Solutions

Before earning his PhD, Dr. Levkoe worked with a collective farm in Nova Scotia and as an urban agriculture coordinator with The Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto. “My work made me realize the extent of the problems that need to be unravelled.” Above, Dr. Levkoe takes participants in the Lake Superior Living Labs Climate Action Field School on a voyageur canoe trip.

“When we talk about food insecurity, we have to ask ourselves why we live in a society where some people have so much and some people have so little,” Dr. Charles Levkoe says. 

Dr. Levkoe is a Canada Research Chair in Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems, a Lakehead health sciences professor, and a scholar-activist engaged in community research to build stronger local, national, and global food systems.

“When children and adults don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or don’t have access to healthy food, that’s a poverty problem,” Dr. Levkoe says. “We have enough food to feed the world twice over so the issue isn’t a lack of food, it’s whether you can afford food.”

As a Canada Research Chair, he’s interested in how our food systems are connected to issues of social justice, ecological regeneration, regional economies, and active democratic engagement. 

“You can’t have a sustainable food system if you don’t have any of these things,” Dr. Levkoe says. “Today, there are a few elite corporations and governments that make a lot of money because food is extremely commodified. Our food supply is dependent upon industrial farming operations and grocery conglomerates.”

This has resulted in a strong connection between health and wealth.

“Who’s on the frontlines?” Dr. Levkoe says. “During the pandemic, grocery workers were considered essential service providers, but they were often paid low wages—and most of Canada’s food is grown by migrant farm workers from Jamaica and Central America working in precarious conditions.” 

“My research is driven by the needs of our community partners,” says Dr. Levkoe, who was inducted as a Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada in 2022. He’s also proud to be the chair of the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy, an organization that brings food system stakeholders to the table to build healthier and more sustainable food systems across the region.

Dr. Levkoe’s commitment to fostering healthy and resilient food systems connects his work to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations to end poverty, improve human lives, and protect the planet by 2030—and one of the researchers who have made Lakehead a frontrunner in tackling the world’s most urgent challenges.

“I look at how the parts of the different food systems fit together to either enable people to eat or not eat. Just donating to a food bank or buying organic food alone is not enough to create a sustainable food system. We need solutions that will change structures. We need to think more broadly in terms of food distribution, consumption, and waste reduction.” 

Dr. Levkoe’s Sustainable Food Systems Lab is one of the spaces where this is happening. Students, faculty, community members, and community partners—ranging from non-profit organizations and First Nations to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit—meet to help create healthy, just, and sustainable food systems for all.

Dr. Levkoe (far right) and his colleagues share a moment with Chief Dean Sayers (centre), who is featured in the film documentary Lake Superior Our Helper: Stories from Batchewanaung First Nation. Currently, the Lab is overseeing 17 projects.

Lab members, for instance, recently interviewed fishers and farmers across the country as part of a project advocating for a guaranteed basic income for every Canadian. Achieving a guaranteed basic income, however, is just a starting point. “To understand the multifaceted nature of the food-sustainability crisis, you only have to look at Northwestern Ontario where many Indigenous communities can’t safely harvest or eat fish because mining and pulp and paper companies pump toxic effluents into their lakes and rivers.”

“Solutions require patience, cooperation, and long-term planning that involves those who will be affected,” he says. Despite the difficulties, Dr. Levkoe is undeterred. “I love collaborating with people, and I want to see a world where every community has access to what they need and control over the systems that produce it.”

Lakehead University is ranked in the top 10 per cent globally for universities making an impact through a commitment to sustainability and positive societal change, and is the top-ranked university with under 10,000 students in Canada and North America in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. These prestigious rankings—which assess a university’s success in delivering on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to solve our planet’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges—named Lakehead a world leader in SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Advancing Accessibility and Inclusivity in Teaching

Teaching and Learning Week

October 21 to 25, 2024

Teaching and Learning Week is an annual event hosted by the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee to provide focused professional development for faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate students. This year’s theme will include accessibility requirements in teaching and was purposely selected to ensure Lakehead not only complies with the new Postsecondary Education Standards under AODA legislative requirements but that we also foster a culture of equity and inclusivity.

Through a series of workshops, presentations, and discussions, participants will:

• Explore the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how to apply them in their courses.
• Learn from experts on how to meet and exceed legislative requirements for accessibility.
• Engage with peers about fostering inclusivity and equity in their teaching practice.

Thunder Bay, Ont. - A new study will bring together members of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council and researchers from Lakehead University to address a pressing need for tailored mental health interventions for Indigenous workers in Northwestern Ontario. The study is receiving $1.97 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

“Indigenous individuals are less likely to seek help for mental health and accordingly have rates of suicide at least twice as high as non-Indigenous counterparts,” explained Dr. Vicki Kristman, principal investigator and the Director of Enhancing the Prevention of Injury & Disability at Work (EPID@Work) and the Ontario Research Chair in Injury and Disability Prevention at Lakehead.

In a recent study supported by CIHR, Kristman and her team evaluated the Wiiji app, an e-mental health tool designed to support Indigenous workers dealing with challenging work environments. Although the research team found that the app provided valuable assistance to some workers, they determined a more effective approach would be to create long-term changes within workplaces themselves to offer more impactful and sustainable improvements to mental health.

“By changing workplace environments to better support Indigenous mental health, we can increase participation in employment, reduce work-related disabilities, and improve overall well-being in Indigenous communities,” Kristman added.

Over the next five years, Kristman’s research team will work alongside Tribal Council members to identify workplace factors that contribute to mental health challenges for Indigenous workers and propose actionable interventions. The findings will help Nokiiwin serve their employer clients better, and support the Tribal Council as they work to establish an Indigenous-specific Health and Safety Association within Ontario.

"As we strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace, through our work together [EPID@Work and Nokiiwin], we are reaching a greater understanding on the role that workplaces play in providing support and appropriate resources to employees who may be experiencing mental health issues,” stated Audrey Gilbeau, Executive Director and Governance Advisor at Nokiiwin Tribal Council. “Acknowledging these challenges not only fosters understanding and compassion among colleagues, but also empowers individuals to seek the support they need to thrive. Together, we can build a culture of care that prioritizes mental well-being and strengthens our community as a whole.”

Improving workplace mental health for Indigenous workers has far-reaching benefits. By supporting Indigenous workers, employers can boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, and foster a healthier workforce. The anticipated improvements in mental health and employment participation will also ripple out to benefit Indigenous families, communities, and the broader economy.

In 2023/24, Lakehead University received more than $2 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.

Join us for Let's Get Active: a series of engaging fitness classes and activities exclusively for Lakehead graduate students, faculty, and staff! Hosted by Athletics and Student Health and Wellness, these sessions are designed to promote physical health, mental well-being, and a sense of community within our campus.

Each class will offer a unique opportunity to engage in different forms of exercise, from yoga and bocce to strength training and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking to destress, stay active, or try something new, there's something for everyone!

Sessions take place from 12 to 1 p.m. and vary from month to month, so find the fit for you!

• October 17- Spin Class
• November 14- Bocce/Boccia
• January 21- Modo Yoga Class
• February TBD- Skating
• March 18- Group Fitness Class

Details:

Who: Lakehead graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Cost: $5 per session to cover costs of instructors, equipment, or refreshments, depending on the activity.

Registration: Required for all classes. Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up early: https://luathletics.lakeheadu.ca/program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=0fcb8feb-ffb2-4d2d-b91e-d3f7d48d671d

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your well-being and connect with others in the Lakehead community!

The Research and Innovation Bulletin is distributed weekly every Tuesday by the Office of Research Services and includes information on research funding opportunities, events and workshops and updates from our funding partners.

Checkout the latest version of our Bulletin, by clicking here.

You are innovative ... and you might not know it!

Staff, faculty and students, have you: 

• solved a pain point or resolved a challenge within your office or department?
• created a new event, procedure or process to enhance efficiency or better the Lakehead experience?
• offered or implemented a new service to enhance the lives of the Lakehead community?
• championed or promoted Lakehead or contributed to its culture by sharing your ideas or identified problem-solving solutions?

If you've done even one of these things, congratulations! You're an innovative member of the Lakehead team. We want to hear your story!

Click here to complete the application for a chance to win $250.

Applications are due by Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 for consideration of the 2025 Research & Innovation Week Awards.

One winner will be selected at the discretion of IPED, based on creativity and innovation. Research innovations are also welcomed.

Do you have an innovative idea for a business you want to start or grow? We want to give you the chance to win cash to help grow your amazing idea!

$2,000 cash prizes to be won!

How to win:

• Apply by Oct. 13
• Attend a pitch workshop on Oct. 22
• Pitch your idea on Oct. 29

Participants will be judged on the following criteria:

• The business opportunity and the impact of the business
• Team, objectives, and outcomes
• The ability to meet goals
• The overall business idea
• Full judging criteria will be given in the pitch workshop

Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdn1-OMR7x2T3_oDaWnogZT6e8r0RXelfPAMj3wWGGB1xrVdg/viewform