Thunder Bay, Ont.

It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when Arshea Amer began her Lakehead journey.

“I realized that the opportunity Lakehead would offer in terms of research and volunteering, and the ability to be involved in the community, would be different than if I chose to go somewhere else,” she recalls.

Today, Arshea is the proud recipient of this year’s Robert Poulin Award, an honour presented to a full-time Lakehead University student for outstanding citizenship.

It was here that she found her passion for helping others, particularly through her volunteer work at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) during the height of the pandemic.

“I volunteered at the hospital because I wanted to gain a deeper perspective on health issues in the North,” Arshea says. “It opened my eyes to the diverse experiences of people travelling from different communities to receive care. Being part of their journey to getting the help they needed was incredibly special.”

Her role at the hospital involved screening patients, guiding them to their appointments, and providing much-needed comfort during a challenging time. The experience inspired her to seek other volunteer opportunities, both within the community and at Lakehead.

“I feel as though Thunder Bay is my home, it's the place I've stayed in the longest out of all the places I've lived,” says Arshea, who has also called Dubai, UAE; Whitehorse, Yukon; and Toronto home. “It's given me so many opportunities in terms of academics, making friends, and so many other things that I just feel really passionate about giving back to that community.”

As a biology lab teaching assistant, she particularly enjoyed mentoring first-year students. “TAing was a unique experience for me,” she says. “I loved working with students to help them navigate their studies and explore potential career paths. It was rewarding to make a difference in someone else’s life and help make their experience a little bit brighter.”

Her passion for science and education also led her to volunteer with Superior Science, a student-run, non-profit program that sparks children’s interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). “Superior Science was such a unique and special opportunity to be advocating STEM to children and showing them how special it can be,” Arshea explains. “Generally speaking, I’m very passionate about science, so it was another way for me to share that with everybody else. And, you get to learn from the children themselves. They say things and they ask questions that you might not have thought of either.”

Arshea has made many contributions during her four years at Lakehead – to the University and the community of Thunder Bay.

In addition to her work with Superior Science and the TBRHSC, she has been an executive member of the Lakehead Association for Biology Students and the premedical club (LUPMS); volunteered with student accessibility services and orientation; and advocated for local youth as a member of federal Minister of Indigenous Services Patti Hajdu’s youth council. She has also held undergraduate student research positions with the departments of Health Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry.

On May 30, 2024, Arshea graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to one day work as a physician.

Since 1952, Lakehead University has presented the Robert Poulin Award annually to a full-time student selected by their fellows, faculty, and administration, for contributing most to the welfare of the University through student activities.

Lakehead named the Robert Poulin Award after an outstanding forestry graduate from the Lakehead Technical Institute who died at the age of 20 due to a workplace accident.

By Tracey Skehan

Convocation is a joyous and transformational event that brings together students, family, and faculty. This year, however, it will be an even more meaningful occasion at Lakehead University.

Dr. Gillian Siddall will be presiding over her first graduation ceremonies as president and vice-chancellor and she will be wearing new convocation regalia—a robe, hat, and two sashes that acknowledge and celebrate the Indigenous communities and the Indigenous lands that Lakehead University stands upon.

She will also be wearing the regalia during her presidential installation ceremony at Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) on May 29, 2024, and at a reception in Orillia on June 6, 2024.

“When I took on the role of president last July, I began thinking about how to design the ceremony in a way that would include a profound acknowledgement that Lakehead University’s campuses reside on the traditional lands of Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay and the Three Fires Confederacy in Simcoe County,” Dr. Siddall says.

Three exceptional artists were commissioned to make the convocation regalia, and we are proud to share the stories of their creation.

Convocation Robe and Hat

Fashion designer Beverli Barnes has been producing stunning clothing for over 40 years. “Custom design has always been my passion,” she says. Since the 1990s, Beverli has been a leader in reimagining and reinventing the robes worn by lawyers, judges, and university officials.

The process of designing a full-length convocation robe for Dr. Siddall was an exciting project, and her second collaboration with Dr. Siddall—in 2018, Beverli designed the convocation robe Dr. Siddall wore when she was President and Vice-Chancellor of the Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

“Dr. Siddall was the first person I’ve worked with to incorporate Indigenous art into convocation robes—she’s a pioneer,” Beverli says. “Before then, the regalia was very stuffy and conventional.”

Dr. Siddall’s new robe is made of vibrant blue silk with black linen panels and silver piping. Indigenous artists Melissa Benson and Daanis Pelletier were chosen to make beaded sashes—one for Thunder Bay campus ceremonies and one for Orillia campus ceremonies—to be worn over the robe.

Beverli also had thistle-embossed buttons sewn on the sleeves of the robe and designed a beautiful hat with a thistle pattern embroidered around the rim to represent Dr. Siddall’s Scottish heritage. “The sashes are pieces of art,” Beverli says, “and working collaboratively with universities and Indigenous artists is a great honour for me.”

The Orillia Sash

Melissa Benson, a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, has created the beaded sash that Dr. Siddall will wear for the convocation ceremonies at Lakehead Orillia.

“Beading is a visual representation of who we are, where we come from, our medicines, and how we connect to nature,” Melissa explains. “My mom passed beading down to me, and I bead as a way of storytelling and to educate people about Ojibwe culture.”

“Traditionally, we use seed beads,” she says, “but I used cut-glass beads to make the sash more sparkly.” It took Melissa well over 120 hours to complete the sash, which features floral imagery including Ontario’s provincial flower, the trillium, to represent Lakehead’s location, and a maple leaf to represent our ecological and spiritual relationship to the land. The Lakehead logo is positioned at the heart of the sash, while bees were added because of “their importance to our ecological system and because they symbolize focus, hard work, teamwork, generosity, and prosperity.”

There’s also a flower bud on the sash that has a special significance for Lakehead.

“It symbolizes how each student begins before gradually growing and blossoming as they move through their programs.”

Melissa believes that bringing Indigenous art into Lakehead’s convocation ceremonies “is a beautiful way to show truth and reconciliation with Indigenous groups in Canada.”

The Thunder Bay Sash

The sash for the Lakehead Thunder Bay convocation ceremonies has been created by Anishinaabe advocate Daanis Pelletier (she/her) from Fort William First Nation.

“I wanted to connect the communities of Fort William and Thunder Bay using traditional Ojibwe beadwork focused on the plants and living things of these two places,” Daanis says.

The sash is beaded with imagery including ferns, blueberries, strawberry plants, and maple leaves, which represent Fort William Nation’s maple syrup-making tradition. The Lakehead University and Fort William First Nation logos appear at the bottom of the left and right sides, respectively, of the sash.

Daanis, like Melissa, learned beading from her talented artist mother. Today, Daanis is not only a master of beadwork—she’s also a Lakehead student studying Indigenous learning and philosophy with a minor in music.

“My mom attended Lakehead in the same program that I’m in,” Daanis says, “so I spent a lot of time on the Thunder Bay campus when I was eight or nine. She wasn’t able to finish her degree, so I want to complete mine as a tribute to her.”

“As a student and a member of the communities whose land Lakehead is on, it was empowering to make this sash,” Daanis adds. “There are many accomplished Indigenous artists, but not all of them are given opportunities to shine.”

May 27, 2024 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University will celebrate the achievements of over 1,900 graduates at its Thunder Bay campus convocation ceremonies on May 30 and 31.

“I am so proud of our graduates,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall. “Over the last four years they have experienced an unprecedented educational journey - one of extreme challenges but also immense victories. These experiences have shaped who they are today and who they will be in the world. Congratulations to the class of 2024!”

In addition to celebrating the graduating class of 2024, Lakehead will honour five exceptional individuals for their significant contributions to their fields and communities.

Rosie Mosquito, Dr. Samantha Nutt and Patricia Ningewance Nadeau will each be conferred an honorary degree for their extraordinary achievements and remarkable service. Murray Walberg and Dr. Jaroslav Kotalik will each be named a Fellow of the University for their unique contributions to the growth and development of the university.

“The Lakehead community is looking forward to acknowledging the life’s work of this year’s honorary degree recipients and fellows - people who have made vital contributions to their local and global communities,” said Dr. Siddall. “We look forward to hearing from our honorary degree recipients, who will share their wisdom with our graduates as they move on to the next phase of their lives.”

Honorary Degree Recipients

Rosie Mosquito
Doctor of Humane Letters

A proud member of the Bearskin Lake First Nation, Rosie has devoted her life to community development, political advocacy, and the advancement of Indigenous rights. She was the first female chief in the western part of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) in 1986, marking a milestone in Indigenous leadership.

Throughout her career, Rosie navigated the intricacies of government, leveraging her expertise to champion Indigenous causes. Notably, Rosie served as the Executive Director of NAN from 1994 to 1996. She held pivotal roles, including Senior Policy Advisor to the Ontario Regional Chief and Executive Director of NAN's Oshki Wenjack Education Training Institute from 2004 to 2018.

She actively participates in NAN, Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nations, advocating for legislative and policy reforms and community empowerment. One of Rosie's proudest achievements is the passing of the Indigenous Institutes Act 2017 that was negotiated during the nine years she was the Chair of the Indigenous Institute Consortium.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Thursday, May 30 at the 9 a.m. ceremony. 

Dr. Samantha Nutt
Doctor of Humane Letters

Dr. Samantha Nutt is an award-winning humanitarian, bestselling author and the Founder and President of War Child USA and War Child Canada. For over two decades, she has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world’s major crises - from Iraq to Afghanistan, Somalia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Sudan. A leading authority on public health, war, international aid and foreign policy, Dr. Nutt is a highly acclaimed public speaker in North America.

Dr. Nutt is a staff physician at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.  A recipient of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour, Dr. Nutt’s international work has benefited millions of war-affected children globally.

The degree of Dr. Nutt will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Thursday, May 30 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Patricia Ningewance Nadeau (Waabibizhikiikwe)
Doctor of Humane Letters

Waabibizhikiikwe is Bear Clan from Lac Seul First Nation and a residential school survivor. She is a translator, Ojibwe author, and teacher. Her company, Mazinaate, has been publishing Indigenous language books and resources since 1998 - a total of 15 titles in all. An assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, she is actively involved in promoting and preserving the Ojibwe language.

Her grandson Aandeg Muldrew speaks and teaches Ojibwe. Her son Maeengan Linklater is a director of operations at Dakota Ojibwe Tribal Council and is a producer of the Ojibwe language versioning for the Star Wars film “A New Hope”. Her husband Ron Nadeau is a former lawyer who is a future fluent speaker of Ojibwe. She was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2022.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Friday, May 31 at the 9 a.m. ceremony.

Fellow

Murray Walberg

Murray Walberg has been an ambassador for Lakehead University for more than 20 years, including his time as a member of the Board of Governors (2010-2018) during which he spent two years as Chair. Murray’s dedication has been pivotal to making Lakehead a strong and vibrant institution—from his most recent efforts shaping the University’s future capital campaign to supporting student scholarships and learning to successfully championing the internationalization of the University. 

A 35 year veteran of RBC, he has had the opportunity to dedicate himself in a variety of roles and businesses. He has facilitated a relationship between RBC and Lakehead that includes the creation of the innovative RBC Work Integrated Learning program for students. Murray is committed to helping communities prosper and he’s been active with many Northwestern Ontario organizations and boards including the United Way, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Synergy North, the Thunder Bay International Airport Authority, NOSM and the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre.

The title of Fellow of the University will be bestowed on Thursday, May 30 at 9 a.m.

Dr. Jaroslav Kotalik, MD, M.A, DMRT, FRCPC

Dr. Jaro Kotalik is a physician-bioethicist, chair and founding director of the Centre for Health Care Ethics at Lakehead University. His experience as a practicing oncologist and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Cancer Centre informed his vision to establish a firm grounding in healthcare ethics in Thunder Bay and the region's academic and healthcare institutions. The Centre's continued growth, with its 25 institutional members; its expanding research and education; and two bioethicists serving our area testify to a vision fulfilled.

Dr. Kotalik, who is also a professor at NOSM University, has been influential beyond Northwestern Ontario. He was a member of the Biomedical Ethics Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the National Council for Ethics in Human Research. He has been a bioethics consultant to many organizations, including Health Canada and the Swiss National Bioethics Committee. He is a prolific author of scientific papers and a co-editor of the groundbreaking book, "Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Key Multidisciplinary Perspectives" (2023), the first comprehensive examination of this program.

The title of Fellow of the University will be bestowed on Thursday, May 30 at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit lakeheadu.ca/convocation.

The June LSLLN newsletter is juicy! May was an exciting month for LSLLN activities including the release of our new Lake Superior Waterways podcast. There are also numerous upcoming opportunities to engage in activities, events, and conferences across the Lake Superior watershed engaged at the intersections of food, water, land, climate, and well-being. For more information visit www.livinglabsnetwork.org.

May 17, 2024 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jarmo Peltola as the next endowed Chair in Finnish Studies.

An associate professor and senior researcher in economic and social history at the University of Helsinki, Dr. Peltola is the 12^th Finnish scholar to hold this position. He will hold the position from September 2024 until the end of April 2025. In addition to providing lectures at the undergraduate level and conducting research, he will participate in the intellectual life of the university and the Finnish community and explore the development of partnerships.

“This opportunity offers me a trip to my own past,” said Dr. Peltola. “Many of my relatives left for “America" at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some of them settled in the Great Lakes region. This visiting professorship allows me to explore this past and will provide me with an excellent opportunity to complete my research database, which I have collected from the population of the industrial city of Tampere.

“Many workers from Tampere ended up going to Canada and the United States between 1900 and 1940. The reason for leaving was sometimes the desire for adventure, but very often the pursuit of a better standard of living. Political reasons also often influenced the departure.”

Prior to joining the University of Helsinki, Dr. Peltola spent 13 years as a senior researcher at the University of Tampere. He has also been a visiting researcher at Umeå University and Uppsala University in Sweden and at the International Institute of Social History. Dr. Peltola’s publications include 18 monographs and 36 articles/book chapters exploring a wide range of Finnish economic, labour, and social history.

"The Department of History is pleased to host Dr. Peltola,” said department chair Dr. Michael Stevenson. “His distinguished interdisciplinary research record on the economic, political, and social history of Finland, as well as the history of the Finnish diaspora in North America will be of great interest to Lakehead students and the general public in the Thunder Bay region.”

“Dr. Peltola’s appointment is another example of the university’s close relationship with the Finnish communities in Thunder Bay, across Canada, and overseas,” added Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu, Associate Vice Provost (Academic).

Established in 1996, the Chair in Finnish Studies is an endowed appointment at the Thunder Bay campus created and sustained by the generous support of the Finnish community of Thunder Bay and its organizations, particularly the Canadian Suomi Foundation.

More information about the Chair in Finnish Studies can be found at www.lakeheadu.ca/chairs/finnish-studies.

(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – May 8, 2024): Algoma University joins forces with Lakehead University for an international exchange of Indigenous cultural knowledge in Belize, immersing students in a one-of-a-kind educational experience.

Read the full story at https://bit.ly/3UTjAkn. 

May 8, 2024 - Thunder Bay, Ont. 

Federal funding has been announced for the Canadian Network for Child and Youth Mental Health Trials (CYMH Trials Network), a new network to support clinical research that aims to improve mental health care for children nationwide.

Mental health challenges remain a serious health issue among Canadian youth. Seventy-five percent of mental health disorders emerge before age 25. At any given time, one in every eight children under the age of 18 years has a mental health disorder requiring specialized health services.

A research network for child and youth mental health clinical trials does not yet exist in Canada, unlike other high-income countries.

Local network lead, Dr. Aislin Mushquash, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University, states that “This network for children and youth mental health trials will provide critical infrastructure for researchers, trainees, andcommunity partners to develop high-quality studies that reflect real-world complexities, recruit diverse and representative populations, and conduct multi-centre trials across the country.”

The CYMH Trials Network will support high-quality, innovative clinical trials designed to improve mental health care for Canadian children and youth.

Guided by a team that spans 12 institutions and six provinces, including partnerships with national research and training networks and centres, the CYMH Trials Network boasts a nationwide presence. Funding support from the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT)/ Accélérer les Essais Cliniques (AEC) Consortium, totalling $150,000, also underlines federal endorsement of the network.

This funding announcement marks an important first step in improving mental health treatments for children and youth. The network is also exploring partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and tech start-ups to build upon their findings and streamline medication access for families. Treatments developed through these partnerships could be put into a clinical care setting— allowing children and youth to access safe therapies vetted and formulated for their specific needs.

Dr. Mushquash will ensure that the needs of youth and community partners within Northwestern Ontario are reflected in the scope of the network. A key facet of the network is bringing together researchers, trainees, patient partners, Indigenous and community leaders, and decision-makers from across the country to improve child and youth mental health care. “This network will ultimately transform how Canadian child and youth mental health trials are developed and conducted” says Dr. Mushquash.

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 Media:

Aislin Mushquash
807-343-8010 ext. 8771
aislin.mushquash@lakeheadu.ca

Jaclyn Bucik
705-330-4010 ext. 2014
mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca

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.

It is hard to believe we have finished another academic year! Click here to view the Spring 2024 Teaching Commons newsletter.

May 6, 2024 | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Health Canada

Today, Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, on behalf of the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced $2.38 million in funding over four years to Lakehead University for their project: Improving Access and Facilitating Systems Change for Palliative Care Among Underserved Populations.

Read the full release at https://bit.ly/3QzkQ9r.